Based On A True Story...

We are so happy to announce the engagement of Tara and Jonathan!

It all started with a picture...Dad said "Ok, it's a wrap! ...Unless anyone else has something to add?"

Jonathan stood up and told us all about how much he loved Tara and why she meant the world to him...

They always kneel down! She said YES! So sweet!

Showing off her bling!

Holy Cow!

He loves her!

Soon to be Mr. and Mrs.

...and they will live Happily Ever After!

Saturday Is a SPECIAL Day!

After a TON of fun in the sun, some shopping, some napping, digging a hole in the backyard for the tramp and various other activities it was off to Washington for some family pictures. Remember we are amateurs and getting the "Herbison Herd" to stand still and smile is like asking a monkey not to eat bananas, but we got some cute shots. Here are some of my favorites...

Yes...that is my husband smiling like a kook! Just when we'd get the kids all looking the same direction and smiling, it was Dustin we were yelling at trying to get to pay attention! LOL! He does that on purpose. :P


The Girls...Tara - Holly - Mom - Julie - Amy


Grandparents!


Mom and Dad


Our little Family!


This is what it's all about (Note: Dustin is smiling! Hurray!)

More of Dustin goofing around...I have to admit I like this one though...he's sweet.

This is so my dad! Always loves to learn new things and figure stuff out. Got a new camera and was having a blast with it.

Derrick and Zeke - so cute. There were loving being part of the action. Walking around like they knew just what was going on. Yes they are just about the same size! Zeke is going to take Derrick over someday. People ask me all the time if they're twins. I guess with three older brothers you have to be able to defend yourself right? LOL!

If a picture painted a thousand words this one would say it all! For starters Holly's date didn't want to be in any family pictures so after we got them home Jonathan cropped him in. We have all been laughing for days about it. They make a cute couple. Oddly enough, there was a space to put him in there like it was meant to be. Zeke had had it. He was done smiling and not very happy that Dustin was making him stand there. Dustin couldn't decided what camera to look at or when to smile. Derrick is always smiling. Dad couldn't quit playing with the remote to the camera. Dallin was trying to hard to smile...and the list goes on and on. This is us...LOL!


Cody and Kim.They make a cute couple!

TGIF!

This weekend started off with a bang when the Herbison family came down for a visit...we had A LOT of fun! While the big kids went boating Grandpa and Grandma took the little kids to the splash park for a while. We practiced our picture taking and had a fun time at Judd's Country store.(Side note: Their bread sticks are amazing!)

This was hilarious! Dallin dumped a bucket of water down his pants and they just about fell off!

A funny side note: When my Mom and Dad got here Friday night the kids wouldn't leave my mom alone. They were all huddled around her talking and telling her all their news. She was holding Derrick and all of a sudden he asks, "Grandma, why are you rocking me?!?" She said, because I like to rock kids and Zeke isn't here." So Derrick immediately starts waving and yelling, "Zeke! Come here! Zeke! Grandma wants to rock you and she won't put me down!" LOL!

The best cleaner ever!

I have finally found it! The secret to clean toilets and fridge water dispensers and anything else you can't get the hard water off of! The other day I had a repair man looking at my oven and I asked if he could give the dishwasher a once over just to be sure it looked ok. There was a little hard water build up and he said that if I got some "Citric Acid" at the local health food store and put a little in the soap compartment and sprinkle a few tablespoons on the door my dishwasher would look like new. He also said if I ran it through with my glasses they would come out looking like I had just taken them out of the box from the store. I was a little skeptical, but thought it was worth a try. It comes in a little bad and is kind of pricey (About six bucks) but it goes a long way. It looks like rock salt or a really gritty dishwasher soap. I tried it first on the dishwasher and it worked like a charm! All the hard water gone, the glasses looked awesome! I've been chiseling off hard water from the little tray where the kids drip water in the fridge door getting drinks, so I thought, "What the heck!" and sprinkled some on there...miracle of miracles it came clean with hardly any work from me! This stuff is awesome! It's edible too, so it wont hurt your skin or the kids or anything. So onto the biggie...the downstairs toilet! The ring the that thing was so gross and we've tried everything! Magic erasers, bleach sitting in there for days, you name it. Well I dumped a little citric acid in there let it sit for five minutes and the bowl was sparkeling by the time I got back with my sponge and gloves!!!! Yipeeeee!!!! This has been bugging me forever! I am soooo excited! Try it! It will be your new best friend in the cleaning cupboard! (Sorry to go on and on, but this stuff is so cool and I didn't want you to miss out!)

Can you make me a peanut butter?

Yesterday Derrick kept hounding me and hounding me to let him call Holly on the phone. I was busy cutting vinyl and trying to get something done, so I finally relented and dialed the number not thinking much about it. The next thing I know he is saying, "Can you make me a peanut butter and bring it to me?" Then I hear, "She doesn't like peanut butters and she's doing something!" "I'm starving! Pleeeeeeese!" When can you get it here?" Nice...I am looking like a crappy mother at this point and rolling on the floor. I have to admit, it was funny. Don't worry...he got a peanut butter...sandwich that is!

Six Little Monkeys...

Six little boys under age 7...need I say more? We had lots of fun with Quinn and Mason while their Mom and Dad were at Youth Conference. We went the the water park, had a few more little friends over for a few hours, ate lots of treats, and had a fun slumber party.

The funny part was this...
I had found two HUGE bags of MardiGras type necklaces at the DI (for cheap or coarse! I love a bargain!) that I was going to take to my nieces. I had them in the car. The kids were outside playing and when they came in they all had necklaces on and wouldn't give them up. They played pirate treasure, and a hundred other games with them. They were a hit. I guess we're keeping them! So funny that this would be the thing they all wanted to play with. Next I am trying a cardboard box! Forget the Star Wars isle at Target...this is way cheaper! LOL!

P.S. The house survived and is still standing...barely! :P

Memorial Day Weekend

This year for Memorial Day we stayed home and relaxed. It was fabulous! No where to go if we didn't want to, no pressure, just having fun with the boys. We went to eat and one of our favorites, Red Robin, took the boys to the water park for a while, took naps, played outside, and just had fun as a family.

sTiLL a LiTtLe BoY!

Dallin is growing up so fast! He's made it very clear that he is now in 2nd grade. I can't believe it! Where has the time gone. The other day I walked out of my office and happened to have the camera with me and he was all dressed up playing something fun! This is what he looked like...When he noticed me taking his picture he got all red in the face like he had been caught or something. It was funny. He thinks he's all grown up, but I know he's still a little boy at heart. It makes me happy! :D

On a funnier note:
Last Sunday, he walked into the bathroom after Dustin had finished doing all their hair, handed me the spray bottle and said, "Mom this is a CHEAP spraybottle!" It doesn't even work!"

"ChEaP!" Where did he come up with that?!? LOL!

On a prouder note:

Dallin did awesome in school this year! He always did his homework with little or no help from us! Got great scores on his spelling tests! He met his "Best Friend" Carson in school this year...they have so much fun together and are way excited that they both have the same teacher again next year!




Age six years young and looking all grown up...Sigh! We love you Dallin and are so proud of all you do!

P.S. He is heading into 2nd grade with ALL of his baby teeth. He's worried that he won't lose any like his friends and tries to get them to wiggle every night. I am secretly happy about this...I like his baby teeth! I see all those kids with HUGE new front teeth that are too big for their mouths and have to laugh!

Alex...

Alex is growing up so fast! I know he's the middle child, and I am constantly feeling guilty that he get's pushed along with the crowd and not getting enough attention, but I've been told that's the role the middle child plays. He is getting so big! The other day I noticed how tall he's getting. He's very observant, and funny when you least expect it...
I never catch Alex without a ball in his hand. He's totally come out of his shell this year at the playground. He's been determined to do all the stuff the fifth grade kids can do, even if it means he has to get in their game to learn. He's got them letting him play H-O-R-S-E on the basketball court, he's played baseball and soccer with them. I would be terrified, but he dart out of the car the second we pull up and I don't see him 'till the bell rings. He has mastered the monkey bars, pumping himself high on the swing, shooting hoops and all sorts of other games. He can hardly wait to start kindergarten. He promised he'll get up with out bawling, eat and be on his way. He's counting down the days! Where did the time go? (Alex also had his "I'm going to Kindergarten check-up and he weighed 49 pounds and was 47 inches tall!)
Back to the observant part...the other day I had the day off of work so I thought I'd get dressed up, do my makeup and take the kids out for a fun day. Planned to go to lunch and do some shopping. I had just put the finishing touches on my hair and face when Alex walks into the bathroom and says, "Mom! Why did you put all those POLKA-DOTS on your face!?!" I said "What are you talking about?" He said you have all these red polka-dots all over your face!" (Yes I was a little hormonal, but nothing to be alarmed about!) I told him they were zits and he'd get a few when he grew up. He wrinkled his nose and said, "I will NOT be putting those on my face, they are ugly!!" and walked off. Nice huh? Guess the make-up didn't work that well. Time to try something new I guess. P.S. The "Polka-dots" are all cleared up now...no worries! :P

Derrick...

Derrick...what can I say? He is so funny and cute and a little firecracker with an attitude and an innocent spirit all wrapped up into one. I have to write down the funny stuff he says just to keep up and remember. The other day he had Julies flower in his hand and kept trying to put it in his hair. With my help he finally succeeded and then said "I don't know why girls wear these things, it's given' me an achy head!" LOL!

Here are a few other things written down in my notepad that I gathered over the last few weeks...

* "Mom...do only Grills (girls) go to your work? I never see any boys in there?"

* While we were visiting Dustin's parents he was in Sunbeams with my Aunt Becky teaching the lesson. She asked them if anyone knew what fasting was? He pipes up..."Sure! I do that every day on my bike!"

* I told the boys to stay in the car at the school one day until I could clock in and come back out and put their jackets on, it was cold that day. I got back out to the car and he says, "Mom Ales LITERALLY got out of his seat...LITERALLY Mom." (Very serious face attached to this one. Where did he hear 'Literally' anyway? How did he know how to use such a big word? Weird.

* I was doing laundry and he comes into the laundry room and says, "Mom! What is that smell?" (I had just taken a load out of the dryer and it smelled hot and like dryer sheets) I said, "What do you think it is?" He says, "It's probably all this CRAP on the floor that's smelling like that!" Where did he learn 'crap!' ...and for the record, there wasn't that much laundry on the floor either, and it didn't stink! What will he say next?!?

*Derrick is very good and putting his own clothes on. Loves to dress himself! He has a hard time getting the shoes on the right feet though and at least every other day we get to the playground, I notice that they are on the wrong feet and tell him to sit down and change them around. So one day I find they are on the wrong feet, I tell him to change them around, and instead of sitting down and starting the process of taking both shoes off and asking me which one they go one, he just crosses his legs and says, "There! Now they're on the right side!" LoL! Couldn't help but laugh at that one. What do you say to a kid who comes up with that?!?

* We were on our way to Dallin's last soccer game and he was in the back of the truck just jabbering away. Finally he says, "Mom can I tell ya something?" I was sick of the talking, so I said "No." He says, "But mom it's awesome, I promise!" I say, "Fine! What!" He says, "I Love you so much Mom!" I tried not to bawl.

* Today I walked downstairs to find him in his St. Patrick's Day necklaces (that Dustin would be horrified to find out he's worn into every store in the city...LOL!) and a chefs hat with all the fake food lined up in a row. When I asked him what he was doing he said, "I'm making dinner for my Flammly." Then later he was in my office playing with the buttons and was organizing them. He said, "See Mom, these ones are with their 'Flammly" and those one are with their "Flammly." I asked him to pass me the button drawer so I could get some out and they all mixed together, and he yells in his cute little squeaky voice, "Oh no, they just lost their "Flammlies!" I was dying!