CANNON BALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well LeeElla....it finally happened! Tuesday Night after the kids got in their pajamas they decided to run out in the back and see Dad and his friend Drew. Of course Spencer got side tracked adn headed for the trampolene. Last week Spencer made up this "new trick" He jumps up and down and counts up to 3 on the jumps and then on the 3rd up he tucks his knees up and holds them with his arms and lands on his back (similar to the old school cannon ball into the swimming pool) However he added a little extra to his trick. After he comes up from the cannon ball he goes into a backward roll. I like to now call it the backward summerASSAULT. Because this time his back roll led him to fly off the tramp and land on his hands breaking his right wrist.
He is doing well but I think is more ticked than anything because he can't go back on the tramp for 4-6 weeks.

The first fishing trip of the year!

School is almost out and the kids are ready for adventure. And how could you ask for anyone other than this awesome guy to take your kids fishing? He has got it going on!
Last year Neue got Dan his first fishing pole for Father's Day! So we also got all the kids little kids poles so that they could all go fishing together. Well as soon as the sun came out for spring they have been hounding Neue and Dan to take them fishing. So, last Sunday we all headed out to West Medical Lake and did some fishing with the kids. They loved it! Madeline was pretty upset that we didn't catch anything because she was talking all day about how she was going to grill up fish with Uncle Neue for dinner!

Madeline is off to good start. 

Good job Sophia! Reel it in slow! 

The first line in! 

As the time wore on so did he chaos. Sophia was reeling in her line and while I turned my back to help Madeline cast, Sophs decided to try and cast her own line. Look a little closer at her left pony and you will see that she hooked her own hair with worm and all! Nice!

A little closer look!
And yes that is a real worm! Neue and I actually went out and hand selected those babies! We caught 107 worms on Saturday night. It was so hilarious. Anyone need worm hunting lessons let us know!

After the kids finally gave up the poles, Dad took them to another little area where they were climbing all over the fallen trees. I love the look on Spencer's face here.  

Spencer: "Like this Dad?"
Me: "No, look off into nowhere for me. Yeah, like that."
Spencer: "Dad, take the picture already. This log ain't exactly a LaZeeBoy."
Me: "Give me more album cover, tormented poet with your face. There you go. Perfect!"

Tina's trophy. The largest thing we caught all day! Wait a minute, the only thing we caught all day. How many times did I hear Madeline say, "I told you there were no fish in this lake!" Tina and I told her like a dozen times that just because you go fishing doesn't guarantee you will bring home any fish. (especially if you go with Uncle Neue) uh, oops, did I say that out loud? Tina, did Neue here me say that?" It was in parenthesis, like I was only thinking it. (I'm an idiot) Dang, I did it again.

Madeline: "Sophia, quick, climb up by Spencie. It's getting closer!"

Though on the blog this picture is blurry...This has to be my favorite picture of Dan and I ever taken! (thanks Kyle) Dan and I started dating May 18 1997. We were married just 9 months later! These have been the fastest 7 years of my life. (after all I am still on that "year off" between high school and college) To me this picture is the one picture that you can see a true balance of genuine joy, love and peace in our eyes and in one another. It has been quite the road to get here for us. Years of pouring our hearts and souls into the kids in Aloha and starting a family of our own right in the midst of it. When I sit back and think about the events of the last 7 years I fill up with such emotion. Tears of pain, tears of joy and so much laughter! I wouldn't trade any of it for the world! It is so amazing to see how God moves us just in time for what we will be needing. We knew that He was calling us away from Aloha so that we could focus on our kids and our marriage. But we didn't really understand what that meant. After this last year of events I know now that it was so that Dan and I could find each other and become more united than ever before. So much has happened since our move here. The pain of leaving Aloha to hearing my mom battle with the fear of colon cancer. The loss of a great uncle that was dear to the family. My sisters second battle with massive anxiety and then her departure to Australia with her husband and kids for at least two years. A really good friend falling into old addictions and a cousin who sits in jail for over a year being wrongfully accused. The list could go on and on...I know that ultimately I rely on the Lord Jesus for my comfort and my peace while walking alongside these situations but I know that He has given me the gift of my husband to be that physical life to lean on. To talk to, to listen to and eventually lie sobbing in his arms when the hurt of the situations around us overwhelm me so terribly. He brings me back to reality when I am lost and always leads me back to the promises of God when I am hopeless. God knew that I had a very serious and quiet heart and I know that is one of the reasons that He brought me Dan. In those times when I let heartache take over there isn't anyone who can fill me with laughter like him. I love him more today than I ever thought imaginable and I long to see what we will become in all the years ahead. I couldn't walk this life without you Dan. I love you!

A big day for Madeline. She has finally lost her first tooth! The right way I might add. She has been missing one of the top two front teeth for a little over a year due to a run in she had with the coffee table. Her bottom one finally came out naturally this last weekend. She was very excited!  

And of course....the tooth fairy did visit!