Five Kids in a Tree and other such randomness

I looked out the window and what did I see?  

Five cousins all "popping" around in a tree!

Also, in the past week....

a)  our "reliable" minivan wouldn't start and needed $600+ of repairs! 

b)  Emma got 5 stitches in her knee after an unfortunate run-in with the pool ladder.

c)  my uncle Buddy, aunt Debra, and cousin Isaac came for a visit.   The kids (the young girls in particular) were in love with all of them and didn't want them to leave! 

d)  Spencer hit his 2-year mark in remission from leukemia and his check-ups will now be every three months! 

e) we had another family round of Chopped (boys vs. girls) and we tied.

f) we saw a 3-foot long snake slithering across the road in our neighborhood...YIKES!

g) I went strawberry picking with the kids and will be making jam tomorrow! 

h)  Adam went to a Priesthood Preview tonight, which is for all boys who will be turning 12 soon.  It seems so weird that my fourth child will be 12 in a few months, when I am only 20.  Weird!  

In the last few weeks...

a)  Glen got a new car which he likes very much.  I like that his new promotion gave him a car allowance that lessens the bite of having a car payment again.  

b)  SOL's (end of year tests) are done!

c) early morning seminary ended for the year and we are all enjoying the opportunity to sleep in about an hour each morning!  This is reason #1 for the recent upsurge in my blogging frequency!

d) I deactivated my Facebook account (for at least the month of June).  This is reason #2 for my recent upsurge in blogging frequency. 

e) I spent way too much at Costco  after running out  of everything at the same time 

f)  Our washer AND our dryer both stopped working correctly at the same time and the repairman says we need new ones.  

g) we found out my brother and his family are moving to England!  

h) I joined a vegetable and cheese co-op  and am swimming with vegetables I'm not used to using!  Turnips, radishes, collard greens, and rhubarb are all things I've never cooked with before and I am having to get creative!

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Glen is thrilled about his fancy new car with features such as air conditioning and doors that all open, luxuries he's been doing without for the last few years! 

More kids in a tree!

Playing "Rock, Paper, Scissors, Missile" with Uncle Buddy. 

McKenzie unsuccessfully tries to scare Uncle Buddy with a ferocious growl. 

I get a load of organic veggies like this delivered straight from the farm each week.  It's stretching my cooking skills and getting us to eat more veggies! 

We've made bacon-wrapped asparagus, a lattice topped rhubarb-strawberry pie,  roasted radishes, mushroom-asparagus pasta, vegetable-berry smoothies, and lots and lots of salads.  This week I'm making turkey lettuce wraps, bbq chicken salad, and taco salad.  

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