Cousin Adventure.....Atkinson Style:)

A funeral's never "great" but having the Atkinson's here was more than great, it was awesome!!! We don't get a lot of time with our California cousins, but when we do we make every minute count! It started with a picnic at the park the night of the funeral.

Then on Monday we played at the dinosaur park.




Then on Tuesday we hit the train museum, the Browning museum, played on the trains outside of Union station (I took pictures on my phone and then....lost my phone :( ), had a BBQ and played in the water......a very busy but fun day! Everyone was so sad when we woke up on Wednesday and they asked what we were doing with "the cousins" only to find out that they had already left for California! Now all we can do is wait until next time we get to see them and make all sorts of exciting plans!!

Cousin Adventure #4 Cars 2!

Last year we got to go to Toy Story 3 and this year we get Cars 2! We've been so excited for this one!!! Cars is one of my favorite movies ever and I was so excited for #2. It was also exciting because Grandma and Grandpa Wittke and Jamie and Eli came with us! PARTY time!!! I love Mary in the top pic :) Oh and aren't our new shirts cute?

Training Like An Outlaw!

Matt's LOVING the Ogden Outlaws and this week he's had soccer camp with the whole organization. It's been great and he had the time of his life!

AHHHHH!!!!!

Ok, I've waited until it was kosher, but MARY AND MIKE ARE HAVING ANOTHER BABY!!!!! Phew! It's hard to keep that kind of news a secret. Especially when it's such another amazing miracle! Congrats guys! OH, and I'm really hoping for a birthday buddy out of this one :)

Scout Camp!

We have successfully completed our first week long scout camp! This year they went to Aspen Ridge, just over the border into Idaho. They left early Monday morning. Ty was so excited! I was so excited! Mike was so excited.....especially since he got to go up on Wednesday! Because things have been so wet Tyler said it was GORGEOUS! He got to shoot, and ride horses, go mountain boarding, go hiking, sing silly songs, skits, and do the POLAR BEAR! He earned Pioneering, leather work, mammal study, Environmental science, sports, and nature merit badges! Mike had so much fun being up there with Tyler. I'm a little jealous of the time that they get together:) The picture of Aaron's ear......yeah that's a blister! I thought it was a slug when I first saw it!

Goodbye Grandpa Hoffman

Mikes Grandpa Hoffman died this last week. He's had a good long life and I think that he's probably thrilled to be back with his wonderful wife. Nick was VERY confused at the viewing. He kept looking in the casket and saying "grandpa died?" I would say "yes honey" and then he'd look over ad Grandpa Saten...and then the whole thing would start again. Then Mom and Don walked in and Nick said "there's Grandpa!" and then he ran to the casket again....it's so hard to figure out when you are 2! The other funny thing from the funeral was that the dates on the program were wrong :) We were standing there looking at things and Matt said "Um, Mom.....look, that says he's not dead yet..." hehehe it made us all giggle a little bit. Here's his Obituary:

Howard Edward Hoffman 1915 ~ 2011 Howard Edward Hoffman was born in Lewiston, UT, to Edward and Lillian Andersen Hoffman on Sept. 15, 1915. Died June 20, 2011 at age 95 at his daughter's home in Idaho Falls. Married Lucile Pingree on Mar 31, 1938, in the Logan, Utah, LDS Temple. Survived by seven children: Barbara McConochie, Judy Twede, Wallace Hoffman, Kathleen Briggs, Mary Lou Staten, Doug Hoffman, John Hoffman; 28 grandchildren, 74 great-grandchildren. Preceded in death by his wife and two brothers; one brother and one sister survive him. A graduate of Utah State University, he worked as a chemist but also designed and built several of his homes. Always cheerful and hard-working, Howard was active in the LDS church where he served as a stake missionary, temple worker, and other positions. He loved gardening and farming. Very dedicated to family and country, he was involved in politics until the end. He had a keen intellect and was beloved by family and posterity. Integrity was his strongest trait and principle. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, June 25, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. at the Rosecrest First Ward, 3101 South 2300 East. Friends may visit with the family on Friday evening from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Holbrook Mortuary, 3251 South 2300 East, and at the church on Saturday morning from 9:30 to 10:40 prior to services. Interment and dedication of the grave on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. in the Ogden City Cemetery. Online tributes and comments to the family may be posted at: www.holbrookmortuary.com

Cousin Adventure #3 TOADS!!!

I LOVE Toads. LOVE LOVE LOVE it! We all got 1 year passes for Christmas and we've certainly gotten our money's worth! It made for an awesome cousin adventure and it was so nice to be able to play mini golf outside! It's been so rainy and cold it's the first time! We also had fun with the go karts and laser tag! Everyone had a blast and i LOVE THE SUN!!!! I stole a few pic's from Mary's blog....again I need to get pic's off of my phone!!

The Best Daddy Ever!

I love Fathers day! I am lucky enough to be married to the world's best daddy ever! Mike is so good to our boys. He's such a good teacher and example. He's fun and loving. Yep we're lucky! I am also very thankful for all of the other Dad's in my life. My Dad, my Step-Dad, my Grandpa's Mike's Dad.....love them all!

Anyway, this year we had a bunch of sick kiddo's and I had to help in primary so....after making blue berry pancakes, Mike stayed home with sick kids :( then we had some yummy lasagna (with a yummy pan of Matt friendly lasagna!) and the world's bet chocolate chip cookies!

Mike got a new BBQ and other BBQ related items as well as several hand made gifts and cards from the boys. We honestly have the world's cutest and funniest kids :)

Pow Wow Party!!!

This year Matt's birthday party kinda got.......postponed :( With all of the soccer and baseball nuttyness we really had a hard time finding time! SO, I really wanted to do something fun for him. I found out about the Heber Valley Pow Wow and Matt LOVED the idea. We took Caleb, Jess and Jamie, the Oveson's and Mom and Don and went to Midway! It was so much fun!!! It was so fun to watch the dancers and listen to the drums and the singers. We took everything for Navajo Taco's (yum) and Matt safe cupcakes! It was SO MUCH FUN!!! Happy belated birthday Matt!!
















Don became friends with this man. He was also a Vietman Vet. In fact he was held for 177 days in Cambodia as a P.O.W. He escaped by overpowering one of the NVA guards and escaping with six other Americans!!