Yikes and Yahoo, it's October!

YIKES, another month has gone by and I havent' blogged. YIKES, it's less than three months until Christmas. YIKES, Audrey has her permit! YIKES, Yikes, Yikes...the list could go one, but I won't bore you.

The other morning on the radio as I was driving to work, the DJ was discussing the seasons of Northwestern Florida. Basically, we have two seasons--summer and NOT summer. Summer lasts six months and thus so does NOT summer. We had a cool morning this last week and today I actually curled my hair without sweating. NOT summer is finally starting, YAHOO!

Alyssa got her license today...no more driving to and from seminary, YAHOO! (or is that a yikes, too!)

Well onto old news.... Alyssa was able to get her braces off in August. Audrey had hers put on the during the last week of July...they had two weeks of braces on together. Aren't they cute!

This was Alyssa on her birthday in 2007, just weeks before she had her braces put on. She looks so YOUNG!

This was the happy day those braces came off. Don't her teeth look great...she loves to smile! And she's matured so much...can't believe she'll be in college next fall.

Disney World Trip

During the month of August, Grandma DeSpain (Ken's mom) came to visit. We took her to Disney World as she's never experienced any type of Disney Park. We had 5 days of fun...despite the August heat! It'd been five years from the last time that we went. So I stuck in a few old pics so you could see how much the kids have grown in the past five years!

We all loved the 3-D shows, but by far our favorite 3-D attraction was the Toy Story Midway Ride!

Andrew then and now at King Arthur's Sword in the Stone!

Character greetings are always fun...Pluto was really fun...he was almost "Goofy!"

At the monument to Roy Disney and Minnie...then and now!

At the Mickey Mouse Garden in front of Magic Kingdom, then and now!

Bye Ya'all!

June and July Happenings

We've been busy... okay it's a perpetual state of being at our house. But here's some highlights from June and July thus far.

BACKYARD WORK

We're on the eternal plan for our backyard projects. This year it's building a shade wall which is reminiscent of a pergola and half-gazebo like structure all rolled into one.... So does that make a half "gazegola?"

KEN'S BIRTHDAY

This was Alyssa's gift to her Dad...a Shirley Temple DVD. She was getting back at him as he gave her his dirty boots for her birthday in May!

AUDREY'S BIRTHDAY

She's 15! Oh no permit time. She had her favorite...cheesecake!

Girls' Camp

Alyssa the YCL and last year at Girls' Camp. Gotta love the camo with her magenta high tops and turquoise laces...sorry the high tops are in the shadow.

Audrey at Girls' Camp. Her 4th year. Here she just returned from her 4th year High Adventure outing which was snorkeling for the day near Panama City.

Ken and the girls at Girls' Camp right after Bishop's Devotional Night.

AARON'S PACK MEETING

Yeah, he earned his Wolf!

May's Final Days

May's final days at the Hammlet ended with a "bang." We had a ward social on Alyssa's birthday and worked in the yard. Sunday we rested!

Aaahhhh...a beach bag full of goodies.

The much requested sewing machine!

The gift whe was still trying to unwrap on Sunday. Ken always comes up with a creative way to wrap at least one gift. This time it was with expandable foam!

Hhmmm... is 17 too big for the playground?!

Ashley enjoying ice cream at the ward social. She came straight from work.

BYU baseball cap.

BYU polo.

One happy BYU daddy!

That "splash" in the drainage pool is Andrew being thrown into by our 2nd bisphoric counselor and the missionaries.

I think this was before the dunk!

Happy 17th birthday Alyssa!

Andrew swinging while being squirted with water guns by friends.

Our picnic dinner spot.
Audrey resting in the heat.

Whoever gave the orders on digging this 5 foot deep hole needs glasses!

The middle of the hole should align with the middle steel rod!

I hope all that dirt means you've been productive!

It's okay you'll dry it was only an isolated shower!

Playing at the Beach...again!

Ken took three days off this week to relax and celebrate his birthday. On Monday Andrew left for Scout Camp, so Ken and the rest of the kids went swimming in the springs 45 minutes away. At a cool 68 degrees they didn't stay long and opted to go to the beach instead. Since I wasn't too far away from them, they picked me up in Defuniak from work and took me to the beach with them. The water was much warmer! After playing in the gulf awhile we went out for seafood. We left for home that evening filled with shrimp, crabcakes, steak, dungeness crab, chicken strips, and hush puppies! YUM!

Note I just rested on the beach as I didn't have my suit with me!

Chatty sisters.

Goofy sisters.

Guess Audrey needs a haircut!

Aaron burying himself in sand.

Watching a C-22 fly by.


Catching the waves...this is a close-up. (see below)

They actually are out quite far!

Aaron went to his first Cub Scout Day Camp this week. It was one hot week, but he had fun...though by Friday he was less energetic as usual! A mother in our ward was the main walker for Monday-Thursday. Alyssa was a walker with the boys on Thursday along with their cubmaster. Andrew and I and later the cubmaster were the walkers/helpers for Friday. After a whole day in the sun...I was glad to have only spent one day there. The rest of you ladies were awesome to last so long!

Flag Raising Friday morning. Note the boys are a bit droopy...it's been a busy week!

Aaron doing his Yoda impersonation.

First class of the day, making an animal cell from an old CD.

Run, Aaron, Run!

Obstacle course during BB Guns and Archery.

Shooting soda cans.

Hit the target again! (You can barely see his successful arrow stuck in the middle target.)

Getting sweaty...good thing we're in the shade.

Hot Andrew!

Frying/scrambling an egg on a can stove.

Scrambled egg Day Camp Style.