Maxine's A&W job and brekky...

May has been so crazy.  The girls and I got together for breakfast.  How do people without the gospel make choice friends?  I've got some of the best and it's all because of the people I served with in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I'm lucky.

Maxine needed a job to save money for her car.  She could've worked as a lifeguard at the pool this year but didn't want to.  The 15-year old guards have the afternoon shift. It's in the hottest part of the day. She also thought it would be boring and she didn't love the idea of being responsible for other peoples' lives. Our options were limited because she's only 15 but she was hired on at the A&W/Blimpie in the Chevron by Coral Canyon.  It's hard, long work.  She came home crying the first day. 

I feel like she's getting it and it's only for the summer so we'll keep holding on.

Fearless Mikayla

Mikayla is a brave soul. Summer has started and she decided that she wanted to sleep out on the trampoline. Nobody wanted to join her and so she slept outside, on the trampoline by herself!  I went to go check on her in the morning and she said she had gotten a little cold but it was fine.  Wow girl!

First Day of Summer!

Everyone is so excited for summer!  Juliet wanted to dye her hair on the first day of summer!  Mikayla jumped on the idea as well.  Juliet picked pink so Mikayla picked purple.  Juliet needed her hair bleached before the dye was used.  Mikayla had light enough hair that I just used the dye.

We fried a couple sections of Julie's hair just a little.  A wee little bit.  Then we dyed it pink and it is awesome crazy fun PiNk!!!  It reminds me of a My Little Pony.  At the end of summer, we'll chop her hair.  She likes the color but I can tell she doesn't like the texture as much.  It felt better after a deep conditioning.

After the success of the hair coloring, Mark came running in with lots of injuries on his face.  He bumped his head, nose, upper and lower lips.  He cried for a bit and I was able to get some Tylenol in him.  We cleaned him up and he was doing better soon. 

Merril was out of town on a mountain biking trip with Logan Phipps and Adam Fluckiger.  They hit the grand canyon, stopped by 4 corners, and headed up to Moab and Durango, CO.  Merril came back early to sing and play the guitar out at Sand Hollow Resort. 

Last Day of School 2018!

 Julie hatched a plan for lunch at Olive Garden. She needed a driver and it was me!  So basically, I got to go eat salad and breadsticks with 3 giggly girls.  Julie, Ayzie and Nicole ate pasta and breadsticks.  Here's to summer!!

Merril sister, Megan, had her first baby, a boy.  Megan and Lucas are brand new parents to Theodore George Everett.  He was a week late, 8 lbs. 1 oz. and 21" long and came by c-section.  I'm sure they have no idea what they're getting themselves into.  Babies are super sweet and everything is so teeny but I've been sleeping all night long for a few years and it's pretty fantastic.  Becoming a parent has been wonderful, hard, lovely, frustrating and amazing.  Good luck to the both of them.  

Awards, awards and more awards...

We're going to start with Jack.  It was his first year at the intermediate school and the first year with the 4.0 GPA system.  He did well and earned a 4.0 all year long.  He excelled in choir this year and was awarded the most outstanding choir student of the year as well.

Mikayla was as cute as a bug and had a cute kindergarten program.

Juliet is done with the elementary school.  It was a great year for Juliet.  She struggled with her 4th grade teacher but we stuck it out.  This year, she had a new teacher to Coral Canyon, Mr. Zwahlen.  He was awesome for her and she said he was the best teacher she's ever had.  Her best friend Nicole was in her class and they had a great time together.

She earned her Give Me Liberty Award.  She had to memorize all the presidents, the states and capitals and several other requirements.  Only 3 kids in the whole 5th grade passed it off!  Julie and Nicole were 2 of them!

Maxine and her awesome group of friends killed it at the middle school awards ceremony!!

Maxine won Most Outstanding Studio Art Student and 4.0 all year long.

I'm so proud of all my kids!!  They get up on their own, get out the door, do their homework without being told and do a good job at it.  #gocampbellkids

Mother's Day Weekend!

I woke up to breakfast in bed on Mother's Day Sunday.  Julie was up and at 'em, making me heart-shaped eggs in toast and grapes!  

After church, I boogied down to Las Vegas.  My oldest friend, Emily, was in Vegas for a funeral.  She was staying the weekend until Monday and wondered if I could buzz down for a day!  On my way!!

Wahoo! It's been several years since I've seen Emily face to face.  We stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel and went down to the pool first.  We chatted and chatted and chatted.  We went to dinner. We got Indian food.

Then we walked down to the Bellagio and Paris.  

We saw the Las Vegas sign.

We went back to the hotel and chatted, chatted chatted until I was losing my voice and Em was too sleepy (time difference).  The next day, after breakfast, I asked Em if there was anything she wanted to do and she confessed she wanted to go to the wax museum.  I've never been so we went!

I posed with Evel Knievel.

We walked around some more and went to lunch at the Cheesecake Factory.  Then our time was up and I took her to the airport.  I'm amazed at how easily we can talk to each other when we get back together.  I bet it's been over 5 years but it's like we just saw each other.  Emily is coming back out in June for our 20-year high school reunion.  What a perfect little day.

Merril and Search and Rescue....

Merril is still the Assistant High Angle Commander for Washington County Search and Rescue.  He volunteers his time to help people and gets to look cool.  Doesn't he look like he's having the best time?!

I'm glad he found SAR.  It can be a little inconvenient at times but I know he loves it.

Little Zion hike...

Merril had some work to do in Zion National Park and so we tagged along and the rest of us went on a hike while he was working.

We did Emerald Pools and saw a deer eating right next to the path. He didn't mind us, even though we were about 5 feet away. 

One day my arm's not going to be long enough to take a selfie of my whole family.  But for now, we're still rocking it!

We thought Merril would finish up and join us but his service call took a long time.  He finished it the same time we finished our hike and headed home.

Temple selfie...

When I raid Maxine's phone for pictures, I find little gems like this one.  She didn't Instagram it or show it to me.  I love to find them later.  It gives me hope that they won't always argue about who's getting the last scoop of dinner.

Lantern Festival...

There's a scene in the Disney Movie "Tangled" where the characters set off floating lanterns.  It's enchanting and visually amazing.  I found a lantern festival in Mesquite, NV and bought tickets for us all.  It was a little expensive and the place was packed!

We got there early and set up our spot.

There was music and food vendors.  Merril waited in a huge line to get everyone ice cream.

We prepped our lanterns by writing notes on them or goals or decorations.  Then it was finally time to set them off!

I was worried it wouldn't be a cool as it was in the film but it was so AMAZING!

The kids thought so too.  Songs were played as we released the lanterns and they picked uplifting songs that added to the ambiance.

It's one of the neatest things I've ever witnessed.

The company has a policy to pick up all the lanterns for us (probably why it costs so much) and they littered the exit road for miles.  The lanterns are completely biodegradable just in case they miss one.

It was totally worth it, totally amazing, and I think we'll do it again next year.

Star Wars Day...

It was May the 4th (be with you) and the kids could dress up as Star Wars characters. 

Mikayla such a cute Leia and Julie had Rey buns.  

Mark Preschool Graduation...

Mark is my shy little guy.  He's a homebody, doesn't like to be separated from me, and is fearful of change.  He started preschool in the Fall of 2018 and had a rough go of it.  He would cry and didn't want to be left at preschool.  He would fight against going in the morning.  Every time I picked him up, he was happy as a clam.  He improved steadily and by Christmas he was going pretty well.  Now it's time to graduate. Well kind of, he still goes to preschool next year.

He did well for half the program and got up to say his part.  Then he didn't want to sit up front anymore and came to sit with us in the audience.  

At the end, he went back up to receive his sucker, diploma and book. 

Even though Mark is shy, he's cuddly and sweet and reminds me of what it is to be a Mom.  He loves me so much and wants to be with me all the time.  Hopefully we can teach him how fun it is to go off on your own and make your own adventures! ❤

Construction room...

Emily Udy and I visited last month in Vegas and that was a spur of the moment kind of things because of the funeral. The 20-year high school reunion has been planned for a little longer and she's staying with me.  This is the task at hand: transform this room into a livable space before June 22nd. 

And the bathroom too! It's not going to be easy but I think I can do it! Or at least part of it!