Shillig 4 Family

 (above:  Me, Kayla, Jill, Marianne, Kelly) Even though we spent most of Marianne's 28th birthday at the hospital we made sure and escaped for a little break and some Cheddar's!  We love that place.  We all ordered something and shared around the table.  Our first waiter was quite the unkind person so after asking for a new waiter/waitress that wasn't having a bad day we were all set.  I love these ladies!   10 years ago we graduated from high school on Marianne's 18th birthday.   She is my very best friend/cousin.   10 years later, and many more years to come!

Memorial Day we swam with Daddy. Tuesday just the kids swam.  Solomon discovered there is more to the pool than just the steps.  He pulled himself around the edge with his hands and then let me put the arm/chest floatie on him and his siblings had a blast helping him swim.  Fits in the pool are the least exhausting.  Malachi just splashes around angrily and it's over. Here are a few other things we've been up to. There was a full on double rainbow that went from end to end across the sky.  I feel like I've seen partial rainbows before but this one was vibrant and you could see the full arch of it. Aimi Lark before going inside asked me to take their picture with the rainbow so they could always remember it.  She was supposed to be organizing shoes, guess it's exhausting work.  Jake made me a full blown romantical dinner.  It was filling, delicious, and a beautiful presentation.  It was a fun at...

I have been blogging for 6 years.  I started Memorial Day weekend 2007 in Gilbert, AZ. For fun here we are over the last 6 Memorial Day Weekends. 2007:  Gilbert, AZ Jake was stationed at FT Huachuca so we spent the long weekend with the Saragers (Seth, Larkie's husband's parents).  2008:  Provo, UT  2009:  Provo, UT Malachi was a new baby and we went to Thanksgiving Point with Nate and Ashley's family.  2010:  Provo, UT Beau was confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  2011:  Orlando, FL Jake was ordained a High Priest and his Dad flew out for a day.  2012:  Davenport, FL  2013:  Davenport, FL Jake has no military obligations for a few months and has grown out his facial hair and head hair.  I learned that curls and red lipstick aren't my best look (or at least not together). I love trips down memory lane. I love blogging. I love my blog books. I lov...

Each Memorial day I think of Jake's family friend who died in the war of our generation.   http://arlingtoncemetery.net/bcprosser.htm I feel like we as a people are so disconnected from the war.   Maybe that's a good thing, but I feel like maybe it is the reason the war is still going on 12 years later.     Unidentified injured Army Special Forces soldiers, right, watch a funeral service    for Staff Sergeant Brian Prosser of Bakersfield, Calif., Monday, December 17, 2001 at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. The men were injured, while Prosser and two other  Army Special Forces soldiers were killed December 5 when an American bomb missed its target and landed 100 yards from them in Kandahar, Afghanistan.  Twenty U.S. soldiers were injured in the incident. Jared Prosser, brother of Staff Sgt. Brian Prosser, right, holds onto the casket of         his brother as he grieves du...

 Jake told me last night on our date to the movies that on his bucket list while living in Florida was to see the church ranch here.  When we woke up this morning we were talking before we got out of bed and he said we could do anything today, my choice.  I told him I wanted to go to the ranch.  I looked up the info, called for a tour appointment, and he played XBOX with the kids while I got things going.  It was great!  The drive was a little over an hour there.  We started the tour in the visitor's center, an old house.  They had the ranch's brand on a piece of wood.  It looks like a honey bee hive.  Mali Su asked me to tell her when to open her eyes for the picture (her eye crosses sometimes in pictures if she focuses too hard at looking at the camera before we snap the picture).  My Mom got the girls these cute red, white, and blue outfits.  Patriotic holidays are my favorite.  We loaded a bus for our to...