Ian had some birthday money he was saving for just the right prize, and what could be better than a whip? (yes, he was influenced by all the recent Indiana Jones hype--but we won't discuss the influence of propaganda from his mother). He found this whip on eBay, so the buying process was also very exciting for him--he kept refreshing the page to see if he was still winning his bid. Before Ian was allowed to use the whip, his mother made him watch some "how to" videos on YouTube. He wanted to swing from trees with it, but so far we have kept him on the ground and neither Ian nor his siblings have been injured.
Visit with Long Lost Relatives
Marcela (pictured below far right), who is April's cousin by marriage (her uncle's step daughter), recently had a baby shower. Grandma Tsukamoto, Megan, and April were invited to help celebrate the upcoming new life. A sad commentary is that April hasn't seen these relatives since Marcela's wedding four years ago. It was nice to get together and catch up and exchange e-mail addresses in the hopes of keeping in touch better.
Another Evening at the Bucherts
We were able to meet up again with the Bucherts for a few hours, this time without setting off any house alarms. The children had an absolutely great time playing, the adults enjoyed adult conversation, we ate yummy homemade pizza and salad, then we were entertained by a short play put on by the older children. Additionally the dads were recruited for some wrestling matches and hide-and-seek games.
Martin read books to Daffodil and Erin while they enjoyed their Popsicle dessert. Why do we love pictures of little children reading? They are just too cute!
Our First Melon of the Season
Grandma and Grandpa Young treated us to our first cantaloupe of the year. When Erin first saw it, she said, "Yuck, I don't like that stuff." Mom reminded her that she liked eating it last year to which Erin replied, "Oh yeah, right. I'll have some."
Summer Horse Riding Lessons
The highlight of each week for Megan has been horse riding lessons. Ian is also really enjoying them this year and has shown a lot of improvement. This summer Ian gets to ride Ghost and Megan gets to ride Flash. Flash is a bit more challenging for her to ride and control, but he makes it more interesting.
The lessons start off with a ride up on the mountainside, then the group returns to the arena where they practice running around barrels and poles. Here is a short video showing the children getting ready for their lesson.
Erin's Park Play Time
While Megan and Ian are riding horses, Erin and Mom get to play at a nearby park. Erin wanted to share a few park pictures and a video with her cousin Scotty. As you can see, this rural park is very crowded.
Father's Day Present
Grandpa and Grandma Young are new Primary Teachers in their ward, so we made Grandpa his very own jean bag to use for his lesson book and other materials. After all, he did donate some of his old jeans to the cause.
Grandpa and Grandma Young are new Primary Teachers in their ward, so we made Grandpa his very own jean bag to use for his lesson book and other materials. After all, he did donate some of his old jeans to the cause.
