Free Time

What do you get when you have 2 boys with free time, a bunch of canning jars and a few stuffed animals??????
Yep, protein for our food storage just increased by about 15 jars! Oh my.... I laughed hard at this when I saw this arrangement on my table. The boys played for HOURS with these guys. Too funny!

Pet Rocks

The boys had fun making Pet Rocks with David Hale. David is a good friend of the boys. He is a miracle boy who is actually 10 years old (although you might guess he is Max's age by his size), and is a living marvel to the many doctors who have worked with him. We love him!
This is Justin's pet rock holding a cell phone. He made another that was a peacock, duck, and turkey combo. It was cool looking too. Max's is a space ship you can see in the previous picture. So fun to see the imagination of these boys come out!

Getting so BIG!

This is Noah's favorite seat in our back yard. I think it's a well pipe??? He sure loves to sit on it!!

It's a Grand Ol' Flag!

What are the boys doing now?

We've always had a rule that the boys must stay on the grass and not go down the VERY STEEP cliff...until now. Justin and Max have been working for HOURS to make a carving in the side of the cliff. I can't wait to see what it is. I sure hope no one loses their balance!!!

Sweet Idaho Halloween

So, out here in Sweet ID there is really no effective place to trick or treat. So the community holds a Trunk N Treat at the school. This year Justin & Max wanted to be Half-bloods (from the Percy Jackson books) at Camp Half blood. They decorated their orange shirts, made swords, wore their watch/daggers...

So Geoff and the 2 boys went to the school, and a few hours later, came home with this --a TREAT I guess you would say-- in hand:

Yep!!! It's a pheasant. They decided about 10 minutes into Trunk N Treatin to go hunting instead, AND shot a pheasant. Max walked in the door carrying it just like above...and I laughed so hard. Welcome to SWEET HALLOWEEN!!!

Scripture puppets

We made puppets for scripture study. Max and I worked on David, and Justin made Goliath. I think they turned out SO cute!
Max wanted David on a green popsicle stick. When he brought him into where I was nursing Noah, I commented on how green David looked. Max said, "Yea, because he drank some quantonium (the liquid Susan drinks in Monsters vs. Aliens)!!!" Okay, I can't stop laughing at that! How does he remember these big words...and uses them so well???? Oh, he is funny!!!

LDS.org

My boys love to go onto LDS.org (the friend). It's a great Sunday activity. Max especially loves the site.

Bird Houses

Geoff (with Justin's help) made these bird houses a couple of months ago. We painted them today to finish off our exploration and study of birds.

We also put out some nesting materials free for the taking for some lucky bird! I'm thinking these things would make a great Mexican villa with the vibrant colors and all. Do you think they could migrate with it all?

An afternoon at the Farm

The boys spent the afternoon at the Farm. They were excited to spend time with Geoff and drive the Tractor, although, "it was very loud" says Max! We are in for an adventure...no doubt!


Geoff and his partners, Chancy and Chris, have been dismantling the garage of one of Geoff's clients. They will reassemble it at the farm and use it as a work shed. It's amazing how creative and resourceful you are when you have no money!!! It will be a great shed!

Super Heros - Favorite Post-Christmas Game

My favorite thing about my boys playing with the capes I made for them is when they refer to each other as 'Super Justin' and 'Super Max'.

I am hoping Max will quickly grow into his...it's a bit long, but he loves it that way!

Lost boys

I came into Max's bedroom wondering what my boys had been up to so quietly and I found them playing "LOST BOYS" (from Peter Pan). I DIED to see what they had randomly created, and the amazing props they built completely independently. (As if I could take credit for something so COOL!)

Notice their 'lost boys' friends against the wall, Max's 'bucket of fun' being heated over the tinker toy fire pit, and the AMAZING fire! Oh goodness...did I ever create stuff like this????

Let it SNOW!

Does it take everyone else at least 1/2 hour just to suit up for snow play? My boys (like most) LOVE playing in the snow! It really feels like Christmas now.
It's a hoot to take turns pulling each other on our little snow sled. The funniest is watching Justin pull Max. It's a riot! Half the time Max looks like he's a dead man being dragged on the sled.

Building a Fortress

We went to Valerie McCauley's home today for ART FUN. Emily is in charge of this class, and today we collected leaves and made Christmas displays with them-- elaminated them for preservation. This is Justin's.

Then it was outdoors to the big hill where the kids made a fortress on the big compost hill. Every child should have one of these...what fun!
Max kept busy shooting every one with his re-bar gun! He's got quite an aim!

We LOVE playing with McCauley's!

Bath FUN!

Halloween in Neverland!

Peter Pan has been VERY POPULAR in this household lately. The boys love watching the disney movie and also Hook. They spend many hours fighting with swords, killing alligators and pirates, and having food fights--(fair warning if you come to dine with us!).

One of my FAVORITE routines right now are the bedtime rituals...Max either wants to swim or fly like peter pan into his bed. When he swims, we carry him so he is facing the ceiling and he moves his arms like he is swimming in the air (like in the movie Hook). We are suppose to move according to his strokes: big strokes make him supposedly fly faster and we have to move as smoothly and quickly as we can up the stairs in a stroke-like manner, and of course we can relax a bit with his smaller strokes. We are also required to make water swishing noises to compliment his stroke patterns. It is so hilarious, and we all end up laughing our heads off. Justin flies on my back and we usually end up crashing somewhere. Oh, the memories!

So you may well imagine what they wanted to be for Halloween!

I figured that since Peter Pan didn't have a mother, Justin should make his own costume. He did a FABULOUS job (with a little help) ....what a creative mind he has! Of course he knew just exactly how he wanted it!

Max was a NATURAL--WILD INDIAN! (Loin cloth, compliments of Justin's ingenuity and our washcloths & clothespins).

And WaLA...Welcome to Neverland!

My 3 sons

"oh BOY, oh BOY!!"

Thumbs up for Noah.

Knuckles too.

Noah is so "cool!"

Boys N Bikes

No more trikes for Max, he FINALLY got a bike to ride "just like Justin's." Now he is officially one of the big boys!

Just like JUSTIN...is pretty much what Max wants to be!

Do these activities tell you something about their personalities?

The Pennsylvania Express

This was Max's first time to see the Pennsylvania Express run. Of course, being a Neyman...he LOVED it. All my boys love trains.

My boys

Aren't they so cute!