Catching Agent Brandon Babywalker Toad

Want to guess what Tony has caught in the net? (sidenote-(Tony would kill me if I didn't include this) Tony and I got in a water fight right before this...that's water on his pants not...well, ya know :) )

That's right, a toad. A real live toad.

We were out letting the kids catch fireflies with their bug net, when Tony saw something run right by MY feet. He laughed, grabbed the net, and caught this little guy. (Luckily, I didn't see it run by my feet, I would have flipped!)

We had found what we think was a newly hatched baby katydid before that. It was still learning to stretch its legs and walk on the sidewalk in front of me. After we caught the toad, the katydid was no where to be found...we're pretty sure it was dinner, and the reason the toad ran by my feet.

He's kind of cute, in a gross, creepy kind of way. (needless to say, I volunteered to take pictures -from a distance- and try not to flip out so my kids wouldn't be afraid of him...ugly little thing.)

We asked the kids what to name him. Tony (who is evidently one of the kids) wanted Brandon. Emma wanted babywalker (??? I think its a distant relative of Luke ;)...(ya know, Star Wars, Luke Skywalker-anyways)) and Liam wanted Agent Toad. So we put them together.

We love our little Agent Brandon Babywalker Toad. ;)

Keeping the world safe, one helpless, baby katydid at a time.

Shaun the Sheep

Ah-ha I finally got it to work! :)

Yesterday this little boy came up to me and said, "Mom I want to do something fun with you." When I asked him what kind of fun thing he said, "Let's build with Lincoln Logs."

So we built with Lincoln Logs. Liam is an awesome, AWESOME artist. He can draw and build most anything he imagines. I realize that because he is my son, I am somewhat bias, but I really think he is quite talented. :) So we began building and this is what we came up with-

I don't know how many of you readers or fellow blog-stalkers have ever seen Shaun the Sheep, but that little clay-mation, woolly lamb has a special place in my heart. :) Liam decided that he wanted to build Shaun the Sheep's home.

This is the human and his house. In our favorite episode, "Hiccups," he is working on his house on a ladder. So Liam added the ladder. :)

This is the barn where all the sheep live and their pasture. He has the dog watching them. And all but three of the sheep are inside the barn asleep. :)
Here they are all awake and in the pasture. (The scattered little lincoln logs are the sheep. The green barrel is the "fat" sheep :D)

He even has a place for the pigs :)

Pretty good eh?

And, of course, what were we watching on tv? Shaun the Sheep!

For all you who haven't seen it before here a little taste. I couldn't find our favorite one but this is pretty good, until it ends :(

Thank you, God, for my trials.

A family in our ward has a daughter who has some type of cancer. I first met her at bbq only two months ago. She is in her 20-30's and has lost all of her hair, but wore a wig. She talked to me for a few moments and was especially happy about Fox, and shook his hand. Over the next two months I had heard different things from different people about how she was "going down hill" and wasn't "doing too well."

I talked to her for a few seconds again yesterday. She hardly looked and acted like the same woman. In the short two months, her face had bloated, and turned scaly and red. She acted more like a child and less like a woman. She once again was happy about Fox but wasn't sure how to show that happiness, and had to be led away by her mother. Her mother is heaven sent. A woman who should be happily enjoying her retirement and grandchildren, now is in a place where "there is no peace and quite at my house." She not only has to know that her child is dying, but has to watch as her body and mind slowly deteriorate. I can't even imagine.

Thank you, God, for my trials.

Saturday, we were able to go to Nauvoo. We were able to hear different stories about Joseph Smith, see his home, and have a small taste of his life. Later that day we went to Carthage jail, where Joseph Smith was martyred. The spirit there was overwhelming. I could help but sob for Emma, who had always lived with the knowledge that there was a high probability that her husband would never come home. I also cried for Lucy, who lost three sons within a matter of days.

Thank you, God, for my trials.

I can handle my messy screaming children. I can handle a limited amount of money, even though my husband is always working. I can handle moving some where new. I can even handle the uncertainty.

Thank you, God, for my trials.

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Happy Birthday Emma!!

This is my princess Emma, and she turned 3 years old on July 2nd!

She had a princess birthday

With a princess cake!

Isn't this a look of sheer joy! LOL! I love it!

She was most excited over the Bell PEZ dispenser...we should have just gotten her that...she would have been over joyed. :D

She got princess sing-a-longs (not half as good as the original sing-a-long, I was throughly disappointed, but she still likes it, so really that's all that matters)

Awesome Boots from Aunt Sierra

Thanks Aunt Sierra!! (She looks rockin'!!)

Shaun the Sheep!! I love Shaun the Sheep!!

After opening presents that morning we went swimming!

Emma is an awesome floaty-swimmer!!

Liam can touch the bottom in our pool! (He's bending his knees here, his shoulders usually stick a little bit out of the water...We don't make him go in water that comes to his chin, I promise :D)

Fox is not a real big fan of the pool (it's not heated), he mostly whines until we get him out and let him play on the cement and try to eat bugs. Then he's happy.

Emma decided that for her birthday breakfast she wanted cereal and for her birthday lunch she wanted hotdogs. She's an easy kid to please.

We pumped up the birthday lunch awesomeness with these little babies. Smile face potatoes!

The kids saw Tony and I were eating with chopsticks (we passed on the hotdogs and had potsticker instead) and they want to try them too.

This ones my favorite! LOL!!

Then we sang Happy Birthday to Emma and had her blow out her candles.

Later that week we received a package from Grandma Bundy (and one from Aunt Lisa and Uncle Josh, but I was too dippy and forgot to take pictures, but thanks guys!!)

Emma checking out her drawers. (They were filled with hair clips and underwear!! She loved them!)

Emma showing off her other "drawers" (haha, its a play on words, get it?...okay, I'm lame, I know. :))

Ladybug dress!!

Happy Birthday Emma!! We sure love you!!

Happy Independence Day!!

Happy Independence Day everyone! We had a great day yesterday to celebrate the birth of our country. We went to three different states, Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin, and saw lot of fun things. We first went to Galena IL. Its a beautiful place! It has the home of President Ulysses S. Grant. We just happened upon a park were their were men and women dressed in Revolutionary war gear, doing reenactments! It was awesome!

The kids and I with the actors

Liam holding the gun. (YIKES)

Liam as the "new recruit" (YIKES again!)

Afterwards we went to Wisconsin and got some ice cream. Then headed to the main event. In Debuque, IA, they have a fantastic 4th of July celebration where they have an air show followed by awesome fireworks! The kids loved it! Even in the hot sun with very little shade they enjoyed seeing the aircraft and playing! It was a blast!

Did I mention it was all over the Mississippi River? AWESOME!!

We set up the trunk of our car so the kids could play in it and have a little bit of shade. It was hot.

Is it a bird?

Or a plane?

No! Its a Golden Knight Parachuter!!

The one jet that silent until it passes you and then it blows your ear drums

(Tony could tell you what it is called, I have no idea :))

Emma chillen in the trunk

What a hansom boy!!

Awesome planes that did awesome synchronized tricks...but I still don't know what they are called

Liam's favorite part were his glow sticks. He used them as ninja swords.

The fireworks show was huge!! It lasted 46 minutes, nonstop to music! And the grand finally was so intense that I can still see the spots in front of my eyes :). Seriously, don't you remember the days when you use to be able to eat a hamburger, run home and go to the bathroom, and have a whole conversation in between each firework going off? And they only did one firework at a time, except for the grand finally when they did like six at one time, and you thought it was so cool you went home a bragged to your friends from a different city about how your city had a fantastic grand finally. My kids are so spoiled, they have never seen a firework show that was not set to music, and had a ridiculously large amount of fireworks. But it was really cool. :)

Happy 4th every one!!