How many pancakes can you eat?

Well I was going to post some pictures from our trip to Utah for Evan's graduation, but I can't seem to get it to work. So instead I will post this story about my dad that he was telling the kids while we were walking around temple square.

My dad, Brent, had a friend Johnny when he was growing up. I guess one morning, after a sleepover or something, Johnny and Brent decided to have a pancake eating contest. My dad thinks he was about 11 years old. So they started eating and kept eating. My dad ate 50 pancakes! And Johnny ate 51! He just had to eat one more than Brent. After he was done, he realized that he had been eating syrup on all his pancakes while Johnny hadn't eaten syrup on any of his. When they got done it was just about lunch time, but of course my dad said he was so full he couldn't eat lunch. But I guess Johnny did eat lunch!

I thought it was a funny story, and I can't imagine anyone eating 50 pancakes. I asked my dad how big they were, and he made a circle with his hands. Normal pancake size, not silver dollar size. Wow! So I just wanted to write this down so I could remember it, and my kids could remember it and know something about Grandpapa when he was a kid. Thanks for the fun story Dad!

Pictures

A Month in Review

Because I haven't posted in over a month, I should highlight all the things that have been going on, because there are lots:
School is out
Rylan (nephew) got baptized at the beginning of June. We had lots of family come. It was a great time. We went to Heritage Square in Golden one day and had a lot of fun riding Apline slides, go karts and kiddie coasters. Alice loved it all, the little daredevil!
It hailed, marble shooter sized hail. We will be getting a new roof, new paint and fixing the fence. Joe's car is dinged up, but was already ugly so oh well. Fortunately the tomato plants have recovered nicely.
I had a birthday, woohoo! Yummy Chocolate cupcakes filled with mousse and topped with caramel.
Eli went to Camp Invention and had a great time.
Eli had a birthday, 9 years old! More cupcakes, this time with fabulous spekuloos mousse.
Eli went to kids college and learned some Spanish and about math in art and nature.
My parents came twice. Once for the baptism, then they came back to watch Carissa and Daniel's kids while they went to Hawaii.
Simon has been playing baseball. He likes the position of catcher best. He looks so cute wearing all the gear that is way too big for him. He also really likes playing in the dirt.
Joe went with the scouts on a 100 mile bike ride near Moab - the White Rim Trail. I believe it was quite the experience. It is good to have him home.
We got to watch my cousin Kelly play softball at a tournament in Denver, and visit with my aunt Kara. They came from Santa Monica and it was lots of fun seeing them.
Its been 100+ degrees for more days than I have kept track of, but I am sure it is some kind of record. And that was before we got to July. Doesn't bode well for the rest of the summer. Praying for rain....
Its been a busy summer and we are still going. We have swimming lessons to look forward to, and a trip to Utah in August for my brother Evan's graduation from BYU. And then before we know it school will start. Joe and I are going to Hawaii at the beginning of September to help his parents pack up. They are retiring after 35 years at BYU-Hawaii. Something to look forward to!

Happy Birthday America!

Happy Fourth of July! What a great country this is and I am happy to celebrate. Even without fireworks. We had fun going to the parade in Brush and then we had our annual water fight, where I got a lot of water squirted in my eyes and ears. The children thought it was fun to gang up on their mothers. And a fabulous dinner, and for dessert homemade ice cream of course, and yummy cupcakes by Carissa. I will try to post pictures of the water fight Joe took later.

Definitions

Its time for another installment of "Funny things my kids say."
At dinner this evening it went something like this

Simon: What does rad mean?
Mommy: It means cool
Simon: What does ish mean?
Eli: its a suffix
Daddy: its something you add to a word when you want to say something is like something else...if Alice does something like Simon, we might say she is Simonish.
Simon: What does radish mean?

He set us up, although I am not sure if he knew he was doing it or not, but funny none the less.

Happy Mother's Day

I feel very loved today. And deeply grateful for my wonderful family. Joe did a drawing for me for mother's day, and made a video. It made me cry. I partly blame that on having a cold.

My kids were excited to give me the cards they made at school. Simon's card had some fill-in-the-blanks on the inside. On one it said, "My mom always says...." and he filled in "I love you." I am so glad that is what he thinks of me saying and not other things.


I am so grateful for my own mother and love her dearly. I am thankful for my Myrna, my mother-in-law, and all her love and support. Mothers are a good thing to celebrate!

Where's Simon?

I was sure I sent Simon to school, but this is what came back on the bus at the end of the day. I think his name might be Hobbes.....