The Lape Family

Jessy's swimming lessons

2011-08-18T15:01:00.000-07:00

So the pictures on the bottom are the ones from when Jessy first started lessons and would not leave the side of the pool. The top ones are of the second part of swimming lessons when she had a lot more confidence and she loves swimming now. She will swim from one end of the pool to the other!! I love having kids that like to swim we took them to the pool a few times this summer and every one had a blast, including the parents!!

Robby's 7th Birthday

2011-07-31T17:44:00.000-07:00

Robby celebrated his 7th birthday in November. He got to have his Lape cousins so he was supper excited about that!! He got some spy gear (what every seven year old needs), an old Daniel Boone show (loves it), and a gift certificate to a toy store which he end up getting a rubber band sniper rifle!! He wanted chocolate cake of course it is his absolute favorite.

We are so blessed to have Robby in this family. He loves to laugh and loves to try and make you laugh! He has always been a little comic relief in our family. He is a very sweet boy that can hardly wait until he is old enough to go hunting! He is kind and would like to wrestle any one if he had the opportunity.

Aeryka's 9th Birthday

2011-07-31T17:26:00.000-07:00

Aeryka had her 9th birthday in January(still catching up). She was lucky enough to get a surprise visit from Grammy and her cousin Rylee. She got some clothes and some jewlery and she got tickets to go see the University of Utah (go Utes) gymnastics!! Ron and I were going to take her but Jessy got sick so she went with Ron and her cousin Abby!! She loved it and of course she had a blast!!

I am so lucky to have this wonderful girl in our family!! She always wants to help and is willing to help if I ask!! She is a great sister and a wonderful daughter! She is so kind and loving she is going to make a great mom one day!! She still loves to carry her 5 year old sister like a baby!!

Baseball 2011

2011-07-28T11:49:00.000-07:00

This was a busy year for baseball. All the kids were in either softball, baseball, or t-ball. The kids all loved it and it was fun for me because I got to be the assistant coach on Aeryka's team and Ron and I and Aunt Alice were the coaches for Nick's team. We had a lot of rain outs in May so June was very busy with all the make up games plus the regular games. We are looking forward to next season!

Four wheeling adventure

2011-07-09T09:53:00.000-07:00

We went four wheeling on Monday for Nicholas' birthday. Alice, Sarah (sister), Sarah (niece), and I went on a long ride and we found what we thought was a dead snake because it didn't move when we stopped right by it to take a couple of pictures. So after the pictures were taken My niece and I tossed a rock at it to see if it would move. It moved and started rattling so loud we heard it over the three four wheelers. We then decided it was time to leave and let him be by himself again.

Working in the Yard

2011-07-02T16:45:00.001-07:00

The kids don't love it, but the yard work needs to be done. And, we had a lot of huge bushes, now they're in control. Nicky and Robby help to mow the lawn, which really doesn't upset Mom and Dad at all!

Jessy's Birthday

2011-01-22T11:59:00.000-08:00

So I am still playing catch-up and since three of my four kids have now had birthday's I think that I will start there.

Jessy turned 5. I have no idea where my baby went to. She is a great little girl. She loves to help and has always preferred to be with the adults. She loves to play with her brothers and her (best) sister. She loves to have her sister and her cousins carry her around whenever she can con them into it ( quite often). She also likes to just have fun. She loves to laugh and likes to make other people laugh. She wanted a rudolph cake in September. She was really looking forward to Christmas this year. We are so glad that Jessy is part of our family. She is such a sweet little girl and she has such a kind sweet spirit. We love her so much and we are so grateful that she has blessed our family so much.

Nick's broken wrist

2011-01-04T13:45:00.000-08:00

The big fun at grandma's house is to climb her willow tree. Well this summer we got a broken wrist. Nick fell out and did not have a very fun summer. With no water or no swimming and no climbing trees. He was very excited and nervous to finally get his cast off. Since all of his favorite activities were out for the summer, Nicholas discovered how great reading can be. Rick Riordan is his favorite author and he loves the Percy Jackson series. Though he is quite excited about the Red Pyramid also.

Kids Pictures

2010-12-21T14:25:00.000-08:00

So how lucky are we to have an Aunt Sarah to come down and take pictures for us?? We are very lucky. We just did the kids this year. They do so dang cute if I do say so myself. The one of all the kids together makes me laugh because Nick is so much taller than everyone else. Nick and Aeryka are only 18 months apart in age.

All I want for Christmas

2010-12-21T14:21:00.000-08:00

Well All Jessy wants for Christmas is her two front teeth. Within a week she has lost both of her front teeth. How is this happening to my baby? She does look awfully cute with them out.

Snow Day

2010-12-21T14:09:00.000-08:00

I know it has been a while. The computer is now working and the e-mail is all straightened out so I thought I would post a few pictures of what has been going on the last couple of days. We have got about 20 inches of snow (Yeah). Bring on the white Christmas. The kids got their first snow day out of school. If you can't tell they were very excited to get out and play in the snow. Robby and Aeryka were out for over an hour. Nicholas' favorite thing was to climb under the swing set and play because their was not any snow under it. The last two pictures are of the back porch before everyone went out to play. Now I will have to figure out why the words are all over the place. Sorry.

Why some people are in our lives

2010-08-12T21:24:00.000-07:00

Do you ever wonder why we are so blessed to have the people we know in our lives?? You know what I'm talking about, the people that help you remember that you are so lucky to have this very special boy in your family. No matter how hard things are at this given moment, they help you find the blessings that you know are there but you are having a little hard time recalling. I read this awesome post the other night after having an especially hard couple of days dealing with Nicky and some of the many challenges that come with a sweet little boy that has to deal with aspergers. So I thought I need to post this so that I will always have something to look back on and remember how awesome Holland can be. We will still have our challenges but it is always worth the trip. I am so thankful to Merodene that she put this post up so I could read it and then steal it and share it with everyone that I know.

WELCOME TO HOLLAND
by Emily Perl Kingsley
©©1987 by Emily Perl Kingsley.
All rights reserved

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......

When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says,"Welcome to Holland."

"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay. The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around....and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy...and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."

And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away...because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.

But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ...about Holland.

I am so thankful for Nicky and the special set of challenges that are in our family because of this wonderful little boy that chose to come into in our family. I am so thankful for his kindness and the love that he shows to his family. I am also thankful to wonderful friends, that help me remember to enjoy where I am at.

My little Bakers

2010-07-20T19:44:00.000-07:00

I thought it would be fun if the kids started learning to cook/bake this summer. I told Robby he could be the first one to choose what he wanted to learn to cook. So he chose pumpkin pie ( in the middle of the summer). I did want to encourage him so we went for it. Robby helped with the pie part and Jessy was in charge of helping with the crust. They were so excited that we had enough dough and filling to make 2 big pies and one little one for them to split. Aeryka didn't have a chance to help with this pie but she did plan dinner another night and she is learning to make homemade macaroni and cheese one of the few things that she loves to eat. Nick is learning things that he is interested in baking such as cookies and bread. Every once in a while he will help with dinner, he is actually more interested in eating dinner than what actually goes in it.

Gymnastics

2010-07-18T12:45:00.000-07:00

Aeryka has been doing gymnastics for about 6 months now and man does she love it. She is on level orange (2) and she is doing great. These pictures are of her when she passed her first level and of her spring spectacular. She is really strong and was able to do a backwards pull over on the first time she had class. Bar and floor are her strong points and she will keep on working on vault and beam. She always has a blast and she is very excited to move to the next level. I thought that she would be on level orange for a while but one of the teachers told me that she is almost ready to pass to the next level. I guess we will see when she has pass offs in the beginning of August. I am so proud of Aeryka and the hard work that she puts in to improve herself in this sport. One of the things that I want to remember about her is how funny she is when she leaves the living room. She always does a cartwheel or a round off or a flip over to leave. I think it is so funny. I am so thankful for this sweet little girl in our family. She has been a great helper to me this summer and it is so fun to have this shy sweet girl in our family.

T-Ball

2010-06-15T18:42:00.000-07:00

What could be more fun than being on the same team as your big brother?? Oh yes, being on the same team as your big brother and your cousin!! Robby loves t-ball, he loves to go after the ball, he loves to bat,and he loves being cheered for and is always looking for a thumbs up after he does anything. Basically he is really into baseball. Then after Jessy begged me to let her play( she didn't want to be the cheerleader any more). So I have had 3 kids go through t-ball and I have never had one quite like her. She doesn't want to bat you have to remind her to run and after all that fun she goes out in the field and dumps handfuls of dirt on herself.

The season is almost over and she still cannot run the bases in the right order. The first couple of games she walked around the bases just like Eeyore. We finally got her to jog and she flaps her arms like she is a bird. I'm telling you this girl walks or jogs to her own drummer and he is playing the slowest march ever!!

At least she's cute and you get to enjoy that as she takes a year to get around the bases. I am looking forward to the end of the season. I usually need a year to get excited again but once it rolls around I can hardly wait.

Spring Break At Grandma's

2010-05-07T11:46:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun during spring break. I decided to take the kids up to Idaho for a quick visit. We started out by going to Uncle Andy's house for a day and spending time with his family which includes his goats, chickens, and the new puppies. This was really for Nick, he absolutely loves going to Uncle Andy's. He was so excited to feed the baby goats from a bottle and of course get to hold one of the baby chicks. I think he was most excited that Uncle Andy told him that one of the chicks could be his. He can hardly wait to go back and visit his chicky.

We also went to the river and fed the ducks. This is always one of the favorite things to do. Nicky was excited to finally get some of the geese to take the bread right out of his hand. Then we had a picnic, the first one of the season and man they were so excited. After the picnic the kids did a little bit of exploring and they love to do that.

They can hardly wait to go back to grandma's house this summer.

The pictures of Jessy loving on her brother make me laugh because those two have such a cute little bond. Robby is a very protective older brother ( I know what that is like) and does not like to see anything hurt his sister. However, there are the times when he just has to tease her and you can see it in his eyes when that time gets close. They really crack me up!

Pinewood Derby

2010-04-22T16:05:00.000-07:00

We had our pinewood derby the last night and I still have a hard time believing that we can get through it in less than an hour. I guess that is what happens when you have a total of eight boys. Nicholas had a good time and really enjoyed the making of and choosing of which lego guy to put in his car (the storm trooper won this year), and of course the racing of the cars, even if he was really tired. It is hard for me to believe that he is just cruising through scouts and really enjoying it. Seriously who wouldn't when you have the best den leader ever ( that would be me). I started in wolfs when we first moved here and now all the boys I started with are going in Young Mens this year. I can not believe how fast the time has gone. I guess before I know it Nick will be that old also. Where does the time go?? Anyway, The pinewood derby was a huge success and I even got the patches and arrows sewn on. It was an all around good day.

Aeryka's Birthday Party

2010-02-27T08:59:00.000-08:00

Aeryka turned 8. We did the usual for her birthday. We took her and some of her friends sledding. Hurray for winter birthdays. She wanted donuts and wassail instead of cake. On their birthday the kids get to choose what they want for dinner and Aeryka knew exactly what she wanted, Christmas ham, homemade macaroni and cheese, rolls, applesauce, and fruit cocktail. We decided to take her out for her birthday and she chose to go to Cracker Barrel because she is able to order breakfast all day. She loves pancakes and eggs.

Aeryka is an amazing sister to all the kids but most especially to Nicky. She gets very upset if someone is picking on Nicky and let's him play with her and her friends at school. She chose to be baptized and was very excited to plan the program that she wanted (more to come on the baptism soon).

Ron and I decided for her birthday to let her take gymnastics, which she loves!! She is loving achievement days and looks forward to the next one each time. She is in 2nd grade and loves going to school and playing with her friends. She is so excited that she is slightly taller than Robby. We are so glad that this little sweetheart is in our family.

Field Trip

2010-02-25T10:53:00.000-08:00

So for preschool Jessy's class earned money and then went to the dollar store and to visit Santa. This is her standing in the line by herself trying to be brave. She was trying to convince herself that she would go sit on his lap all morning. Obviously there are no picture of her on Santa's lap. I have yet to get one of my kids with him without a fight. So I decided it wasn't worth the trauma. Which is what it ends up being at our house.

I do love the I am out of here picture. She really cracks me up.

New Moon

2010-02-22T14:50:00.000-08:00

Yes, I know it has been a while. This was such a fun night. Ron's work had a contest to get tickets to see New Moon. All you had to do was put your name in and hope that you get tickets to go see it at seven instead of midnight. Guess what we got some tickets. It was awesome we each got a ticket and as an added bonus we each got a free large popcorn and soda. There was security from the movie studio and we were not allowed to have cell phones on. I liked this movie better than Twighlight, but nothing beats the books. Just my opinion. I did love going to see a movie for free and not having to wait because there is no way I would go at midnight.

Robby's Birthday

2009-11-28T07:48:00.000-08:00

So Robby celebrated his birthday on Halloween this year. He wanted to have his friends wear their costumes and bob for apples. Those were his two requirements oh and a spider cake. So we decided to do the hanging donut game, paint pumpkins(from uncle Andy), and bob for apples. Robby had so much fun and he was so excited because it was his first birthday that he was able to invite some friends.

I am so thankful for Robby. He is a little comic relief in our family. He loves to laugh and make other people laugh as long as you are not laughing at him. He is as big as Aeryka and I have been asked several times if they are twins. He loves Star Wars and any super hero. He loves Davy Crockett, Robin Hood, legos, and gamecube. He loves to run and will run all the way to school. He also loves learning to read. I don't have to ask him to practice at all. He is so excited to be reading level books. Loves kindergarten and is so excited to go each day. We are so lucky that Robby was sent to our family. We are thankful each day for him.

Halloween

2009-11-21T09:57:00.000-08:00

Well, it is almost Thanksgiving so I thought I had better post a picture of the kids on Halloween. The girls wanted to be indian princess's and Robby wanted to be Robin Hood. Nicholas wanted to be a vet but instead he decided to get swine flu. I thought I took a picture of him laying on the couch but I can't find it. He was so sick he didn't care that he couldn't go to Robby's birthday party or trick-or-treating. The kids got candy for Nicky, which he was very happy about. Yes' i know it is hard to get a normal picture of my kids.

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-12T17:16:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone. Just wanted to post a little bit of a Happy Thanksgiving message. The following video is a what "not to do" with your Thanksgiving dinner. It's long (sorry, about 14 minutes) and it can get kinda stomach churning at times, but it's a good life lesson learned.

Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin Carving

2009-11-11T11:02:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures of how our cute pumpkins turned out this year. My mom and Aunt Sarah came for Halloween weekend so we have a couple of extra pumpkins. All of the pumpkins that I canned this year and that we carved this year were thanks to Uncle Andy and Aunt Liz's massive pumpkin patch. Of course we can't forget Taytum who planted most of the seeds with her friend. We had so much fun carving them and eating all the yummy muffins, cookies, and pies. That we have had so far this year.

I am so thankful for my brothers family that was willing to share their pumpkins and potatoes with us. We will be enjoying it for many months to come.

Jessy is 4

2009-11-02T16:07:00.000-08:00

Jessy turned 4. One of the joy's of living by a cousin that is only 2 weeks older than you is you get to have birthday parties together. Jessy is such a fun girl to have in our family. I did not get a picture of her cake but I made her microphone cupcakes because she loves to sing. She loves to look at her self in any reflective surface and then announce "I'M FABULOUS!" It is so funny. She loves preschool and her dolls, she is a good little mommy to them. She loves to play with her brothers and her sister. Without a doubt she is the baby of the family and allows Aeryka to carry her to bed like a baby. It is so funny to watch because Aeryka only weighs about 10 lbs. more than her.

I am so thankful that Jessy is in our family. She brings enjoyment to this family and she helps us to remember how lucky we are to have her as part of our family. We love her and we are so glad that Heavenly Father sent her to our family even if we thought that we weren't ready for another baby. I am so glad that Heavenly Father has a plan for each one of us and that he knows better than us what we need.

Sweet Victory

2009-10-22T10:10:00.000-07:00

So for the last two years Aunt Sarah and Nicholas have run in the Race for Recovery in Provo Canyon. Last year it was a very hard course for Nick, it took him over an hour and much of it is uphill. Nick ran this years race in 47 minutes. I am so proud of him he had so much improvement on this 5k. Aunt Sarah is so awesome for coming up here and running with Nicky. It is such a fun thing that they do together. Of course the best part for Nick is the sports drink at the end. Nicky is for sure one of the boys that you could say the way to his heart is through his stomach.

I am so thankful for Nicholas and the joy that he brings to this family. I am so proud of him for doing things that are a real challenge for him and not just finishing but also improving. He is a great son and I am glad that he is part of our family!

First Day of School

2009-10-03T20:42:00.000-07:00

Well I know that school has been in for a month and a half, but I just got the pictures downloaded. So this is Nicholas's first day of 3rd grade and Aeryka's first day of 2nd grade. I know I have two more kids in school but they started later and I kept forgetting to take a picture. Robby is in Kindergarten and with the all the joy he can muster he tells me that it is bowing (BORING). Jessy is back in preschool. She is starting to remember the routines down but I believe her favorite thing is that she gets to spend 3 mornings at Nanny house visiting.

Oh yeah, that cheese ball picture is what I got when I asked the kids to stand together for a picture.

Manti Pageant

2009-08-28T14:53:00.000-07:00

Well, we decided to take the kids to the Manti Pageant this year. I knew Nicholas would not make it through the whole thing but I didn't think he would fall asleep before it started. I also didn't know how excited a little three year old would get to see all the costumes and the pageant. Jessy loved it. She had to let out a very loud WOW, when the angel Moroni was on the top of the temple. She was the most excited of all the kids. We were also glad that Kiarwin was able to meet us there. We were not able to see them a lot during the summer so this was a fun time to get to see them.

I know I only have one picture, our camera that had the other pictures on is broken so we will wait to see if we can get some more from Kiarwin.

I am so thankful for the time that we were able to spend together as a family this summer. It was fun to get to do a few fun things together.

Family Pictures

2009-08-20T21:07:00.000-07:00

We are so lucky to have an Aunt Sarah who enjoys taking pictures. She did these pictures this summer for us up at the BYU-Idaho gardens. Nicholas just had to have a waterfall in his picture. These pictures say a lot about our kids. The two clowns with the cheese ball smiles are pretty much like that all the time. My kids are also hand holders and I love that Robby and Aeryka are both holding Nick's hand.

So I have a friend (Krista) who ends all her blogs by saying something that she is thankful. I love that! So I am stealing that idea and I am going to try and remember to do that from now on when I blog.

Today I am thankful that I have a sister that will take my kid's pictures any time that I ask her. She does a great job and my kids love spending time with her (as do I).

15 years ago

2009-08-20T20:37:00.000-07:00

So Fifteen years ago I was going to the temple to be married to my sweetie however, they neglected to tell us that we needed to be there two hours earlier, so yes we were two hours late for our wedding. Good Times! I can promise you I have learned a few things since then and we are not known for being late any more!

I can't believe that Ron and I have been married for 15 years(when did I go and get that old?). Ron took me out to lunch for our anniversary to our favorite restaurant (Gloria's Little Italy, Yummy). We knew with school starting on the same day with Nicky we would probably not get out during the evening (after an hour of crying and snuggling he was doing O.K.).

I am so glad that we were at least able spend some time alone together. I am so grateful for a wonderful husband who loves me and our kids. Ron is a great husband who tries to show me everyday how much he loves me. I am so thankful for a wonderful husband, a great father, and having a priesthood holder in our home!

Grandma's Front Yard

2009-07-07T07:44:00.000-07:00

What is the best thing about grandma's front yard?? The big willow tree of course. Nicholas and Aeryka loved climbing in grandma's tree. This summer their goal was to climb as high as they could. They actually got quite high. Then they thought it would be fun to start jumping out of the tree. I am so glad that my kids can entertain themselves. Sometimes I have to hold my breath and just let them be kids, because the jumping out of the tree was not my favorite activity ever. However, a good time was had by all.

5K Run/Walk

2009-06-30T13:59:00.000-07:00

I know it is hard to tell from these pictures what is going on but this is the cousins/ friends waiting for Nick, Aunt Sarah, Colton, Austin, Nicole, and I to come in from the 5k. The first 4 names ran the 5K and Nicole and I walked it. It was so much fun for everyone and it was fun for the younger kids to do the 1 mile run. It was really fun to just spend some time with our cousins and our friends. I hope that we all can do it next year. I know that Robby is planning on it he is already practicing.

Yellowstone

2009-06-28T20:22:00.000-07:00

So when you are 8, 7, 5, and 3, what is more fun then having your own umbrella, binoculars, wild animals, and your favorite Aunt Sarah and Grandma? Obviously not a whole lot!! The kids and I went to Idaho for 10 days and I decided to take the kids to Yellowstone. They had so much fun. They didn't care that it was raining they had umbrellas and new sweatshirts. They loved they animals especially the ground squirrels who really wanted to share their lunch. If you have a child that loves volcanoes what is better than watching several geysers erupt? Nothing. Nicholas loved watching the geysers and the mud pots. He is also an animal lover and wants to be a vet so seeing all the wild animals was just plain awesome for him. Robby and Aeryka and Jessy liked it a lot also. However, Robby could do with out the smell. I was able to get him to unplug his nose for most of the pictures. Jessy was not in a lot of the pictures because she was napping a lot of the time. This was one of the most fun things that I have done with the kids for a while. It was fun to watch them just have an excitement for so many of Heavenly Fathers creations. The kids are at an age where they are fun to take places and see all the fun and wonder that they can find in just about anything. This has got to be one of the most fun ages that my kids have been in. Or maybe I am just learning to appreciate them and the things that they find fascinating.

We really missed Ron, but he was at home working and going to school, which we all appreciate. He was able to come for the last weekend that we were there. It would have been hard to do family pictures without him. Also he was their for the Scenic River Classic. I'll put more pictures from our trip up later.

Irrigation Day

2009-06-24T20:37:00.000-07:00

One of the most fun things about summer is the days when Poppy and Nanny get their irrigation water. The new trick for Nicky this year was climbing the tree and then landing in the canal. The girls were happy to float down in the swimming pool or the tube. Robby was more than happy to just play in the water that was in the yard. I think after last year when he thought he was going to die in the canal, that was more than enough fun to last him for a while. The first picture is the one of robby last year when he thought he was going to die. He didn't realize if he just stood up he would be fine. Oh, well.

Father and Son's

2009-06-09T12:21:00.000-07:00

Well Ron and the boy's found the father and son's camp out this year and boy did they have fun. I think their favorite part was the tree they found that a beaver had chewed down. Of course throwing rocks in the lake until Robby threw one that brought our 2nd counselor to his knees. He was not even standing next to him. Oh the talent that my boy has. No that is not the rock that he threw.

The girl's and I enjoyed a dinner at IHOP and a movie and painting finger nails and toe nails. I think everyone enjoys the father and son's camp out weekend.

Jessy

2009-06-07T21:53:00.000-07:00

Here are some of our favorite pictures of Jessyka Edith at the family reunion. As a side note I put her full name just so I could tell you about one of my favorite things that she does. If we say to her Jessyka Edith, she will reply what Mommyka Edith. It cracks me up every time she does it. Simple pleasures I guess.

The Family Science Teacher

2009-06-02T12:17:00.000-07:00

I just figured out how to get pictures from Kiarwin's blog so here are some pictures of the kid's launching bottle rockets with their cousin Darwin who is a science teacher. Nicholas earned his science belt loop for cub scouts doing this, besides he just thought it was so much fun. One of the other joy's of having a science teacher for a family member is you can borrow the telescope from school to look at the moon and take some pictures.

Robby

2009-06-02T11:54:00.001-07:00

These are some of my favorite pictures of Robby at the family reunion. I think Robby believes that his cousin Matt was put on the earth to entertain him. Robby worships him. Matt is so nice to him and he let's him crawl all over him, wrestle him, and dog pile him. Matt is always so nice to hold him on his lap or whatever Robby asks him to do. It is great for Robby to have a big cousin who is so willing to play with him.

Nicky

2009-06-01T13:21:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures Nicholas at the Family reunion climbing the tree and playing with his best friend EVEY!!

Will Work For Food/ Family Reunion

2009-06-01T12:41:00.001-07:00

Here are some pictures of the kids painting Poppy's shed. Jessy was the one that loved painting the most. The pictures with the names painted on are the end product. The kids were so excited to paint their names on at the end! Then for the special treat they got to have Kool-Aid all weekend. That is not something that my kids get very often so it was a big treat!!

Family Reunion

2009-06-01T08:14:00.004-07:00

Well we had a family reunion this last weekend and it was fun. I think the kids favorite part was the home made slip and slide. Obviously everyone of my kids absolutely enjoyed it. They loved playing with the older cousins. Thanks to Matty for bringing along this great idea. The kids can hardly wait for next years reunion. We painted Bob's shed and played croquet and baseball. Talked and ate. In between all that fun we went to Nicholas' first VIP game of the season and Christopher's pine wood derby. I will post more pictures later but for now I have to get my day started.

The Big Graduation(sort of)

2009-05-21T12:37:00.000-07:00

Well our little cheese ball graduated from preschool yesterday. His class had a little program and the did a little story with each of the kids saying a part. It was so cute, and since he goes to preschool at the elementary school Nicky and Aeryka got to come and watch. He is so excited to start kindergarten in the fall. I love the preschool that he went to the teachers are awesome and he just had so much fun. I am so glad that Jessy gets to go to the same preschool. I can't believe that I will have two mornings a week to do what I want without kids. I'm not sure how that is going to feel. I will let you know after we get through the summer.

Bat Mobile Pinewood Derby Style

2009-05-20T18:28:00.000-07:00

Well we have finally come a boy's right of passage. The very first pinewood derby!! Nicholas loved it. He liked using Poppy's tools to help carve it. He could hardly wait to come home from school and paint it and he loved the stickers that we made for it!! He got 5th place which isn't to bad for his first year!! He can't wait for next year!

A Fishing We Will Go

2009-05-20T14:01:00.001-07:00

One of the fun things that the kids did for preschool was they went fishing in a trout pond. Jessy had so much fun and was even holding the fish. Robby on the other hand would only hold his fish in the ziploc bag. A family has a trout pond where the kids can fish with no license and no limit. I think that the kids and I will be spending a lot of time up there this summer.

Tooth Fairy Is Very Busy

2009-05-20T13:41:00.000-07:00

As you can see from the pictures we have been keeping the tooth fairy very busy and I don't think it will end any time soon. Robby lost his first tooth and Aeryka lost her fourth. However, Robby has 3 more loose teeth and Nicky has one. I am sure Aeryka will be try ing to help any tooth that might think about being loose out. Jessy is sure that she has a loose tooth also and that it will be ready to come out any time. I guess it's hard being the only one with no loose teeth. She'll be excited when the tooth fairy is coming to only her.

Easter Eggs

2009-05-19T11:54:00.000-07:00

This is pretty obvious what the kids are doing. This was Easter and we went over to Aunt Alice's to color eggs. Nick didn't think that he wanted to help so there are no pictures of him. Which is O.K. he had fun doing his own thing. I think Aeryka had the most fun. She may have done half of the eggs by herself.

Surprise in the Barbeque

2009-05-19T11:31:00.000-07:00

So this is what we found when we went to use the barbeque for the second time. In a month this is what those clever little robins did in our barbeque. We started going out to the back yard a lot and we kept scaring the robins away from the nest(not on purpose just to get some yard work done) so those funny birds actually moved 5 of the 6 of their eggs. We can't find where the new nest is but we can sure hear baby birds. Now we have to move the nest and the one egg that they left. This was sure a fun thing to be able to show the kids. they thought that it was so cool.

I am a wolf

2009-05-18T15:51:00.000-07:00

Please ignore the terrible picture of the mother. Nicky earned his wolf last month and 7 arrow points and a couple more belt loops. Scouts has been a great thing for him. We have a very small group (4 in wolf and bear combined) but the boys that are his age are a really great. They really include him and he loves it. Now if the mom would only get those patches sewn on. Hopefully tonight.

I want to be a firefighter

2009-05-18T13:55:00.000-07:00

I just had Ron download the pictures off of our camera and look what I found. Pictures from the fire academy. I know I already blogged about this field trip but the pictures were to cute not to put up (and I am not Biased). By the way it was hilarious to watch Jessy try and walk with those boots and hat on. She would try and take a step and the hat would fall over her eyes.

Jump Club

2009-05-14T10:33:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite after school activities is jump club(jump rope club). Aeryka and Nicholas love,love,love this. I think if it was offered all year they would want to do it. So they practice for two months and then they do a big jump spectacular, they were both so excited. As you can see from the pictures I only have pictures of Nicky. That is not because I love him more, it is because Aeryka got a fever the day of the big show. She was so upset but she understood why she couldn't go and as long as she still got to have her t-shirt she was happy.

I can't even begin to tell you how much Nicky has improved. The first year that he did jump club he had to have a teacher jump with him so that she could turn the rope for him. Now he run and jump and turn the rope for himself. He is so proud of himself and we are so proud of him for all the hard work that he put in to learning to do this.

2009-05-13T19:33:00.000-07:00

Speaking of field trips I was so lucky to be able to go to the BYU Bean Museum not once, not twice, but a total of three times between kids and cub scouts. Nicky loved the animals both dead and alive. When I went with Nicky's class they did a fun little scavenger hunt. I think Nicky liked finding the two headed snake the most. Though he really liked the turtle also. Let's be serious he loves all animals. I was very surprised that he actually touched the lizard.

2009-05-13T19:21:00.000-07:00

Robby and Jessy went on a field trip to the post office, Fire academy, and to a pizza place to see how pizza is made. They loved the pizza place and the post office. Robby loved the fire academy, Jessy did not like the fire trucks at all. She does not like loud noises at all. She cried for quite awhile. I am so lucky that I am able to go on the field trips with my kids.

2009-05-13T12:56:00.000-07:00

I will try and post a little bit more in a while but for now I have to go get the kid's from school. Then go to Cub Scouts and Softball. I love the craziness that is my life!! I'm sure you all know exactly what I am talking about!!

2009-05-13T12:49:00.000-07:00

This is Valentine's day the kid's were so excited because they loved their valentine's that we found on-line. Robby already had a fight with his and the poor thing lost it's eye. It was kind of fun to make real valentine's. It was weird to have all of the kid's in either school or preschool this year. I know Jessy loved being able to take her own valentine's to her class.

2009-05-13T12:32:00.000-07:00

Now since I think I have a basic knowledge of how to do this. I think I will post about what has been going on for th last four months.

I Know some of these pictures look like the last ones we had on but they are actually Aeryka's birthday party. One of the perks of having a birthday in January is we are pretty sure there will be enough snow to go sledding. Aeryka was very excited to have donuts and hot cocoa. It made my life a little easier that is for sure. Though we were still late getting back for some of the parents. Oh Well, we had a great time!! It is so fun to see what a great young lady Aeryka is turning into. She is a great sister and can hardly wait to be the Mom in the house. She especially loves having a little sister to love on and carry around like a baby(even though the baby is 3).

2009-05-13T12:29:00.000-07:00

This is just a random picture to see if I have it figured out!! Though it is one of my favorites because Robby Really thought he was being washed down the irrigation ditch.

2009-05-13T12:24:00.000-07:00

I am trying to figure out how to post without having Ron help me. I guess we will see how it goes. If I get this part figured out then I need to figure out how to add a picture. I guess we will see how it goes.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-04T21:06:00.001-08:00

For snow lovers, the hills in the benches of Mapleton are calling their names. So, to celebrate the New Year, we went sledding with Uncle Bobby and his kids (Sarah, Matt, and Parker).
We had a lot of fun, and had a lot of face plants. The snow was fresh, and hadn't been touched since it fell. So, hitting the bottom of the hill had all new meaning, and there were lots of faces full of snow (the white hat on the ground is Robby with Matt)

Despite the many wipe-outs (above, the pink blob is Jessy under her cousin Matt) there were absolutely no tears or screams that a limb was going to fall off. It was just FUN!Aeryka learned a new trick. She wanted to try Matt's new snowboard. Not only did she try, but she succeeded (and absolutely loved it!). She now wants a snowboard for her birthday.

Everyone had fun. Jessy and Robby kept the hill busy, but almost always refused to use a sled. They just felt that their bottoms would suffice, and would just find the hard-packed streaks to go down.

RIGHTEOUS! This was Nicky's sentiment with every run down the hill. And, if we were counting face plants, Nicky won face down! And, like his dad when he was a kid, Mom and Dad needed to hold his glasses so that they wouldn't get lost in the snow.

Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!

2009-01-04T20:51:00.000-08:00

For those of you that don't like the snow and the cold, we don't get people like you! We love the snow! The more we can get the better. And what better way to use the snow than to have Poppy build a snow pile in his back yard and use it to sled down (or just hang on to for dear life!).
Later that day, our cousins came over to Nanny and Poppy's and helped us make a snowman.
Then came the master plan. Get out the tractor and start digging. It's time to build a castle (fort's are so 80's).

And, here is the final product! Aeryka was the architect (and the queen, but that's never in question). She even designed a window in the wall just to let in a little more light!

Getting Ready for the Real Christmas

2009-01-04T20:37:00.000-08:00

Well, Christmas came for real in our house this time. The kids were so excited. We did the usual (this time with the heat on and not the AC) of decorating the tree, decking the halls, and added a new activity of making gingerbread houses (thanks to Grandma Donna).

The kids loved making them. Mom and Dad made some too, but had more fun helping them make theirs.

We found the hardest part was not putting them together, but actually, keeping them intact long enough to get the pictures.

Happy Birthday Robby

2009-01-04T20:04:00.000-08:00

Robby turned 5 years old on November 7th (Yes, we know we're behind!). He had a great birthday for two very big reasons.

First is that his hero, Matt (his cousin) was there to celebrate with him, and Matt and Sarah played Happy Birthday for them on the trombone and flute. It was awesome. Robby thought it was a little loud, but he liked it anyway.

Second, he got a brand new copy of Davy Crockett on DVD from Grandma Gluestick. To say he was excited is an understatement (see the picture of his backside for proof).

To add to his excitement, he also got a start on his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle collection with a van that shoots missles. What more could a 5 year old want?

For his cake, Robby wanted "Chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate" in the form a chocolate cake with triple-chocolate frosting and M&M's on top. He loved it!

Testing Out Grandma Gluestick's New Bed

2008-10-24T21:49:00.001-07:00

One of our neighbors was generous enough to give us a pull-out couch, which we plan on using when we have company. The kids, however, have determined that this will be Grandma Gluestick's bed when she comes down from Idaho.

So, tonight they wanted a sleepover. They got their new Scooby Doo movie, and fell asleep down there to test it out. As you can see from the pictures, the bed works! It has successfully put our children to sleep (this not being a tough job as they went to bed an hour and a half late). Because Jessy is sick once again, she didn't get to test it out. However, she did make it very clear that this was Grandma's bed, and that she was sure that we were putting it in the basement because Grandma was coming down to use it, and that her Aunt "Sersee" would be sleeping on the other couch. It took a lot of convincing on Daddy's part to get her to understand that they were not coming to sleep on the couches tonight.

Celebrating the Love Birds

2008-10-24T21:26:00.001-07:00

Our cousin Briana got married a couple of weeks ago to the love of her life Mike and we like him, so we decided to go and celebrate with them. Here's just a few pictures from wedding. We got to see Aunt Jan and our cousin Maureen from New York, and that was cool. The kids had the fun of learning how to use the camera for the first time.

Because weddings can sometimes be boring for kids (no offense to Mike and Briana), a whole bunch of the cousins decided to make their own celebration by collecting the rose pedals from the floor and throwing them up in the air. Christopher loved having them land on him and he just screamed with laughter each time he was pelted. So, the activity turned from using the pedals for confetti to making Christopher laugh. You have to appreciate the simple humor that brings laughter to a room.

Nicky's Field Trip

2008-10-24T21:11:00.001-07:00

Nick went on his first 2nd grade field trip to an extension center (a farm) to learn all about how farms work. He got to see herding dogs at work, learned a lesson on growing wheat, and his favorite part was playing on the playground after lunch.

While there, he did get to see horses, calves, pigs, and sheep. As you can see from the picture, it was difficult keeping him from jumping in with those pigs.

Not only did Nicky get to have all of this fun, but Mommy and Pandy (his stuffed panda bear aka best friend) got to join him on this trip. As you can see, Nick and Pandy were having a ball listening to Old McDonald talk about beef and milk cows (which he saw none of!).

Ah the simple pleasures of 2nd grade!

"When I'm a Daddy"

2008-10-04T21:49:00.001-07:00

There's nothing like planning for your future! Robby has always expressed his dreams for being older by starting with the statement, "When I'm a Daddy...". Well, statements have gone to goals. Initially his goal was to have 100 children (no babies, just children). However, you need to realize that he also doesn't want a wife, just Mommy to come and live with him to help take care of them. When Daddy asked about moving in too, he said, "No, you can live with Jessy!" His plans quickly changed to 2 babies, him, Mommy, in a house with a room for him and Mommy, and a room for each of the babies. There will be 5 bathrooms, including one in each bedroom, one int he basement, and one in the washroom. They will have a baby penguin and a "real" baby monkey all kept in cages in the house. He also wants 2 cars. One will be a mini cooper. The other will be a van with a "TV that comes down from the soft roof, not on the outside, on the inside". He wants that to be his van. Apparently, he wants to bypass the safety points and be able to watch while he's driving. Despite the fact that Daddy doesn't want to live in a house with 2 babies when he is older, he will be sad to have Mommy move away!

Nicky's New Hobby

2008-10-04T21:33:00.000-07:00

This summer (June), Aunt Sarah got Nicholas hooked on running by having him run a very impromptu and unplanned 5K race with her, Uncle Ben, and his cousin Colton. At the finish, Aunt Sarah and Uncle Ben were just stinky, but Colton and Nicky placed 2nd and 3rd respectively in their age group.

Then, in September, Aunt Sarah came down and ran in the "Race for Recovery" 5K race with Nicky. The race was mostly uphill, which neither one of the intrepid runners were thrilled about. Though the standings at the end of the race were not the same (except Aunt Sarah was still stinky), we were all very proud of both of them for running and finishing. Now, this fever has got to spread to the rest of the family!

Aeryka Loses Her First Tooth (Finally!)

2008-10-04T21:23:00.000-07:00

At the young age of 6 and 3/4, Aeryka has managed to finally lose her first tooth out of that tiny mouth of hers (though, for those of you that have had any verbal interactions with her, you know that big things come in small packages!). This thing was loose for over a month, and there was no shortage of wiggling and manipulating to try and get that tooth out. Finally, after noticing that the other tooth was starting to break through, Mommy did the brave thing and yanked it out (with permission, of course!). And, staying true to her personality, there was not a tear shed until her first sight of blood (with the tooth already out, mind you). Pictures of this triumphant event can be seen below!

Jessy's 3rd Birthday

2008-10-04T21:14:00.001-07:00

Well, the day has come that Mommy's baby is 3. For the more optimistic people in our home, this means getting another day closer to buying less pull-ups. For others who will not be mentioned to protect Martha's looniness, it means one day closer to her little baby going to preschool.
And, as no day in Jessy's life can be complete without paying homage to Sesame Street (Elmo in particular), Mommy made her a beautiful Big Bird cake and most of the gift wrapping was smathered with Elmo and his best friends. The only other thing that made the day complete was a gift from Nanny and Poppy wrapped in Christmas paper. What better way is there to make a Lape child happy than to trick her into thinking it's both her birthday and Christmas all at the same time!

The Truffle Shuffle

2008-10-04T21:04:00.000-07:00

The kid's favorite Aunt Sarah gave Daddy the movie "The Goonies". He made the mistake of introducing it to the kid's. Aside from being called "Jerk-Face" a couple of times, the most impressive thing that they have gotten from the movie is the infamous Truffle Shuffle. A couple of days ago, Jessy came running in to Mommy, yelling "I Chunk, I Chunk" with her shirt pulled up and started jiggling her buddah belly. The only thing missing was the sound of her stomach flopping. (For those of you lost souls who don't know who The Goonies are or what the Truffle Shuffle is, please click play on the video above)

Field Trip to the Zoo

2008-10-04T20:45:00.002-07:00

Aeryka had her 1st grade field trip to the zoo. As an extra special bonus, she got to take Daddy along (actually, he goes on the 1st grade zoo trip with all of the kids), and they got to spend the day together. Daddy wanted her to pose with the white crocodile (pictured above), but Aeryka apparently thought that the glass was not thick enough. After a whirl-wind tour of the zoo (the whole thing in 1-1/2 hours), we sat for lunch. Well, actually, Daddy sat, Aeryka ate then played. It was fun to watch her play with her school friends. It didn't take long to notice that Aeryka is the leader of the pack (I hope that always is a good thing!). Even our friend Sarah who came on the trip also noticed that Aeryka had a following. When it was time to go home, Daddy had signed Aeryka out to go home with him (meaning that she would have had a half-day of school), but she decided it would be more fun to go back on the bus with her friends and spend the rest of the day at school. Mrs. Johnson thought this was funny. After removing the knife from his heart, Daddy decided that it would be OK with him (maybe a little) and realized that an hour on the bus with screaming 1st graders has got to be more fun than riding home with a boring old man!

Christmas in August

2008-09-23T17:35:00.000-07:00

On August 5th, our WONDERFUL children surprised us by decorating the house for Christmas between the time that Ron left for work and Martha got up for the day. They told Martha that they had a suprise, and to not get out of bed until they got her. They set the table with a beautiful Christmas tablecloth and put a Santa Claus (ceramic, mind you) cookie server in the middle. Then, Nicky and Aeryka dragged the box for our 8 ft tree from the basement and put it together as tall as Nicky could reach using a chair, and completed it by decorating it with ornaments. And, to make sure that everything was just right, they even put the train around the bottom of the tree. They also managed to put up their small "kid" tree with lights and all. Just to finish the day off, Santa made a visit to Daddy's office and sent home gifts for all of the kids, and we played Christmas music all day and Mommy baked Christmas cookies.

Getting Started

2008-08-22T22:13:00.000-07:00

So, our first blog. Creativity is not our strongpoint, but our hope is to help us document and keep up with what we are doing and in the same effort be able to share us with you. It's about us, about our family, the fun we share, and the love we have for each other.

Mostly, it's about discovering US! We are a family of smiles and fun. We are family of ups and down. We are family of tears and pain. But, most importantly, we are a FOREVER family!