Kelsie has a "GOOD IDEA"...

After Back-to-School Night, I took Kelsie to the store to BUY her school supplies. She needed TWO notebooks and found some really CUTE ones that were $4 each. After realizing they wouldn't FIT within her budget, (which had been spent on new clothes) she came up with a GOOD IDEA.

She bought two rather UGLY composition notebooks for .50 each. When we got HOME, she went through our scrapbook paper and stickers and made her very OWN unique, creative and absolutely DARLING notebooks. She had so much FUN and loves that they are ONE of a kind. Everyone at school wanted to know WHERE she got them. She plans to make some for all her FRIENDS on their birthdays. She is so excited to SHARE her "good idea" with everyone. ENJOY!!

Brock's 1st Tackle Football Game...

On Saturday, we drove out to the middle of nowhere (Lehi) to watch Brock play his very FIRST tackle football game. It was very HOT, but we brought LOTS of shade, fluids and a picnic lunch. Brock inherited his "SPORTS fanatic" genes from his Dad, which means they LIVE and breathe for sports... and everything else in life is just ICING on the cake. (I have even caught them watching BYU football games from the 80's.) It's amazing to see them share this bond together.

Brock is #3 and plays offensive TACKLE. You can see him on the LINE, the 2nd guy from the RIGHT. Although the game was painful to watch, because their TEAM got creamed, Brock was EXCITED because he "knocked a guy on his BUTT." I didn't realize he had it in him because at HOME he is the sweetest kid, always giving HUGS and snuggles, just LIKE a teddy bear. He played a great GAME and worked up quite a sweat. If WINNING were measured by the HEART and not the scoreboard, Brock would WIN every time!!! (which in our eyes HE does.) GO VIKINGS!!!

There's a New Cook in the Kitchen...

NO, we didn't HIRE a chef (although I'm not opposed to the idea), we gave BIRTH to one, about 8 1/2 years ago. This summer we discovered her amazing talent to cook the PERFECT french toast. It just so happens that french toast is her FAVORITE thing to eat... Breakfast, Lunch AND Dinner. Mom got so tired of making it ALL day, EVERY day during the summer, so she taught Kelsie how to cook it for herself. Now Kelsie COOKS her own, and like tonight, she cooks enough for the WHOLE family. Dinner a la Kelsie. Mom has yet to discover WHY they taste so much yummier than her's. (She thinks that maybe Kelsie is holding out on a SECRET ingredient.) WHATEVER she does, they are the MOST wonderful, delicious, TASTY, melt-in-your-mouth thing to eat (and the best part is that she cleans up after.) Move over Mom... Kelsie is in the kitchen.

ROSCO... to the rescue!

Yesterday, I walked through the family room while trying to open a small container of raspberry yogurt, a HUGE no-no for anyone else. While removing the foil lid, the container FLIPPED out of my hands and flew, end over end, across the room dispersing GLOBS of yogurt along the way. I was mortified at what I had just witnessed and even more frustrated because I was the CULPRIT. I ran to get something to clean up the mess (before my kids could see it), knowing full well that I had just ruined my carpet and would have a nice path of yogurt stain to remind me of my own stupidity. I was thinking of a way to clean up the yogurt without grinding it further into the carpet, when I returned to the scene of the CRIME and beheld... ROSCO, coming to the rescue. He was licking up the last glob of yogurt. His little delicate tongue had pick up every DROP of yogurt so well in fact that I couldn't even see where it had been. Thank you, Rosco, you're the best and the cutest dog ever (and more obedient and well behaved then the kids!!).

The Eagle Has Landed...

During the past month, Ryan has been diligently working on his Eagle Scout Project. He planned and organized a fishing trip for twenty nursing home residences. This included endless phone calls, completing dozens of fishing licenses, organizing volunteers and gathering fishing poles. Ryan enjoyed every moment of it but the best part of all was spending five hours fishing and visiting with these very sweet, appreciative people... whom we now call our friends.


Thanks Daylight Donuts for donating donuts for the volunteers!

The volunteers cast the poles into the pond and the residences reeled them in. The weather couldn't have been more perfect for a day of fishing... overcast and cool.

Cleo was the first to catch a fish...

Lavaun was excited to catch her first fish ever..

Marlene caught her fish with patience, persistance, and the help of three boy scouts...

Here are more pictures from the day...

Ryan wants to thank everyone who helped with his Eagle Project. He is especially grateful and appreciative for the quality time and service his scout group and friends provided this day. It was a fun and amazingly, wonderful experience for all... one we won't forget for a long time to come.

CAMPING ADVENTURES at Trial Lake...

Before G'pa & G'ma Atkinson left on their mission they reserved some camp sites in the Uintah Mountains at Trial Lake Campground for a family reunion. Of course they were already in Germany when the rest of us gathered together to enjoy the great outdoors, Atkinson Family style... which means plenty of dirt, a little rain, hordes of mosquitos and, to make things interesting, let's throw in a bear. Bring it on!! Give us a challenge and we will rise to the occasion. Here are some of the adventures we had over the 24th of July weekend.

The troops are ready for the Star Lake hike to begin.

Emilee is the official caretaker of the worms. She is also the only kid that would pull the worms apart because, as seen in the picture, they were too long for the hook.

Kelsie caught the first fish at Star Lake. Here's what happened to her fish...

Dinner Time - feeding the crew.


Kelly's famous Dutch Oven Dinner.

The kids table, sense of humor required...

Here comes the rain.

A Happy Camping Slideshow...

(for best viewing results select the first song on my playlist to accompany the slideshow)

Farewell to Grandpa & Grandma Atkinson...

On July 17th, we saw G'pa & G'ma Atkinson for the last time for 18 long months. They left to serve an LDS mission in the Europe Area. They will work from Frankfurt, Germany but probably spend most of their time travelling throughout Europe, setting up the 12 step addiction recovery program through LDS Family Services. We will miss them but we are proud of this righteous decision. We pray for them every day. Every time we get in the car, Emilee asks if we are going to Germany...