swim

Today we took the kids swimming.  Cali's cousin in law is visiting with her 5 sons so we thought we would take all of our kids out to use up some of their energy. 

Oli and Jack...Yes I know that Oliver has floaties and a life jacket on.  But hey, our kids don't get to swim very often...and he is my cautious child.  He doesn't want to drown. 

Rob is so dang cute when he is swimming.  Most of the other kids have complaints like "this is boring" or "I'm cold" but not Rob he could swim all day.  

He went down this slide 100 times and everytime he would close his eyes like this so he wouldn't get any water in his eyes.  He kept coming up to me and drying his face on my stomach.  This time swimming I gave the boy a little dignity with shorts over his swimming unitard.  I know he will appreciate that someday when he sees the pictures as a teenager.

On the way home we stopped for sonic's happy hour.  50 cent slushies is where it is at...I am telling you.  The kids thought it was awesome that they got to pick their own flavor. 

oh and it did help to use up some of their energy...Rob was asleep in bed by 6:50 p.m.  Hallelujah!

The big ten Oh

So Cortney and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary on the 19th.  It was an interesting anniversary.  We had decided to go to dinner on Thursday the night before our actual anniversary.  I hate waiting for a table and where we live on a friday you have to wait no matter where you go.  So on Thursday as it was getting evening time...Cali and I found out that the kids (ROB and CC) had painted all over one of her bedrooms with black acrylic paint.  So Cali and I spent around three hours TRYING to clean that mess up.  It was horrible.  

Finally Cortney and I just went to dinner.  We ate at PF Changs because Cortney had bought a gift card for half off.  It was fun...cheap (which I love) and Cortney and I got to pick whatever we wanted off of the menu.  

Cortney really is my best friend. I can't believe we have been married 10 years.  It feels like yesterday.  Life is flying by.   

On our actual anniversary we headed up camping with a bunch of Cortney's boyfriends from Rexburg.  We camped at the most beautiful secluded spot I have ever seen around these parts.  It was a really fun time.  I had to pee 4 times in the night so that was annoying...and because of that I didn't sleep much but it was still great to get out in the great outdoors.  

Right when we got there Rob kept begging cort to go hiking.  So the guys took the kids for a little walk to the river (read little creek).  Cortney was talking to his friends and turned around to see that Rob had fallen in flat on his back and was completely covered in water from head to toe.  He was just laying there in the river completely frozen in fear.  Luckily I brought all new clothes for him.  

Oddly enough we didn't take any pictures the whole time.  I snapped a couple random shots as we were heading home saturday morning (we got rained out surprise surprise)

Typical Boice family picture.  Rob refused to be in it.  He hates getting his picture taken.

Cortney and his friends Kurt and Ben. 

Crappy pictures are better then none I guess.  Here is a blurry one of Rob just to prove he was actually there.  

And of Cortney packing up.  He had to carry a lot of stuff to the car and it was kinda far.  Luckily he is so buff. 

oli's birthday

I had Cali's kids on Oliver's birthday so it was a little hectic. I still wanted to do something fun during the day though...I asked Oliver if he would rather take his cousins to Chuck E. Cheese or if he would rather have 15 bucks. He choose the money...he is a kid after my dad's own heart. We instead had a picnic lunch and then we made mini pies. The kids thought it was awesome.

we had all sorts of yummy toppings

Close up...don't mind my table.  It was given to us for free 10 years ago...

all six of the kids...they were so good.

Joey came and got the kids at 2:00 because I had a Young women's activity that I needed to be to.  My neighbor Sarah graciously watched my kids while I was gone.  hmmmm...nothing like coming home and hearing from your friend that your kid pooped his pants.  Rob...that is.  I felt so bad for Sarah.  That is the worst...seriously. 

The best part of Oli's birthday was Grandma Berta and Grandma Great were in town visiting and helping Cameron.  So we loaded up the car and headed up to Salt Lake to go meet them for dinner.  I was stumped at what to do for dinner...I wanted something that would be fun for the kids and feel special.  We decided to go to the Mayan.  All I have ever heard or read on line about the Mayan is totally negative.  It really has a bad rap.  But...the Mayan has a cliff diving show and the inside of the building makes it look like you are in the jungle so I thought we would go regardless and just not expect too much. 

From the second we got there the kids thought it was awesome.  Rob kept saying that we were at Indiana Jones.  They ran around and played outside while we waited for a table...we were off to a good start.

Here is the group...Rob, Cameron, Leah, Cort, Me, Oli, Gma Berta, and Gma Alice.  

We really had the best time.  If you haven't been there in the past year or so you should give the Mayan another try.  They have new owners and we thought everything was Delicious (yes...with a capital D).  Roberta said it was one of the best quesadillas she has ever had.  I get full really fast so I just ordered the chips and cheese appetizer...it was soooo good.  

Cameron ordered Oliver a mango smoothie (something that is very out of the ordinary for him) and he honestly thought he had died and gone to heaven.  The kids loved the diving show and the "indian" divers came and talked in fake mayan to my kids and they thought it was awesome.  

The kids outside with one of the divers.  He kept talking mumbo jumbo to them.

me and the birthday boy. 

we then headed over to a play place at burger king so Oliver could open his presents.  He mostly got legos.  That is all he cares about in life.  Here he is after he opened his present from Grandma Connie and Grandpa Doug.  Look at that smile.

Gma Berta, Gma Ward, Cameron and Leah really spoiled Oliver...he got a lego set and all sorts of yummy treats.  

Then after all the presents I let him open a card from me and Cort.  It had 15 dollars in it and when he opened the card the money fell to the ground.  He just stood there staring at it for a couple of seconds.  He couldn't believe his eyes.  He couldn't believe that he actually had money of his own.  

It was a great night.  I loved every second of it.  

compliment?

Oliver told me on his birthday that I "look pretty good for a pregnant woman."

hmmmm....

Oremfest

Rain or shine (or pregnancy due date) we make it out to Orem Summerfest every year...six years running. I don't know why...it isn't that fun...I guess we do it for nothing else but TRADITION (you have to sing that like it is from fiddler on the roof). This year we battled some bad weather but had a great time.   It was a plus and minus having older kids now.  PLUS...they don't wander off and get lost, also no strollers.  Minus...older kids want you to spend all sorts of money, man my kids wanted me to buy them EVERYTHING.

The kids LOVED the fire trucks, ambulances, and police cars.  I could barely get them to look at the camera they were so excited.   I love Grace running by in the picture.

The kids (minus jack) in an old army car.

They had free crafts for kids to do...which was pretty awesome.  I made the kids all choose the same craft because Cali was running something back to the car (which was far) and we didn't have enough adult power for the kids to be sitting in different craft sections. 

blasted blogger...won't let me format this how I want...this next picture is of Carolina after she had cotton candy.  Obviously.  

Our kids each got to go on 4 rides, my boys thought it was awesome. If you look close enough you can see all 4 of Cali and my boys.  Those boys are really good friends.  All four wrestled today for like and hour straight.

I had to post this picture because I love robs little face. 

Oli and Rob on the Indiana Jones ride.  Carnival rides...yuck.  But man they loved it.  

We got all 6 kids on one of these berries.  It was hilarious.  The kids had that thing spinning like crazy before it even started.  We could hear them screaming the whole time.  When they got off (those rides are LONG) they were all laughing and saying "I'm about to barf" or as Rob says it "I'm bout to baaaf". 

waiting in line for a ride.  Look you can see my tummy...it's getting bigger everyday.

We HAD to take this picture.  Cali and I showed up there with almost exact matching outfits.  Plus with our EXACT matching bellies it was funny.  It is been crazy to be four days apart on our due date.  We keep having the same things happening to us.  hahaa.

Then we watched the parade.  KaeLynn and her daughters came...and also our neighbors came and sat by us.  It was pretty uneventful but I loved it.  I love just sitting around amid a big crowd like that.  PLUS yummmmm fair food.  I had a bbq pork sandwich.  We also had some delicious peach fritters yum...I wish I had one right now.  Joe had all sorts of fried goods, funnel cake, and deep fried oreos.  They were pretty dang good.  

It started raining right as we left (well we left because we knew it was going to rain).  It was a great day both of my boys were so sad it was all over.  Well...till next year.

six

Happy birthday baby...
Doesn't it feel like just yesterday that you were a messy faced 6 month old with a fly on your head?? (We were in Mazatlan...it was heaven)

Oliver at his preschool graduation this year. (I missed it because I was in Peru)

Oliver is such a good boy. He loves legos, legos and legos. He can make his own cold cereal. He loves riding his bike and picking out outfits (what??). His biggest dream right now is getting a new room so he can decorate it. Black and grey bed spreads with black skulls on the wall (i know crazy...right?) too bad he has a mom that doesn't decorate AT ALL. He really helps me out around the house and I know he will be a HUGE help when the new baby comes.

I love you Oliver...Happy birthday.

cali's gone

So Cali is gone at girls camp. She left this morning. Pheeewww...I am sure glad the place my Young Women go to camp doesn't allow any pregnant women. Anyways...I am watching her kids during the day while she is gone. Today I decided I would try to keep them as busy as possible to keep them out of trouble.

I knew that my neighbor and friend Sarah was supposed to be going to the park for play group so I decided I would pack up a huge lunch and take the kids. Little did I know that there are reflection pools that the kids can wade in...so I didn't take any swimsuits but man they still had the best time.

We had a really great time.  The pools were cold but shallow enough for everyone to have fun without me having to worry.

Even tyson loved it...which is always a feat.  It has been hard having one kid that is kinda grown up.  There isn't much that he AND Grace like doing.

These boys had swimsuits on already because when we left to the park they had been trying to sneak over to the neighbors house to have a water fight.  Those rats. 

It was fun going with my neighbor we had 9 kids between the two of us. 

Grace loved it

After we were done in the pools grace was so tired.  She kept trying to lay down on my lap and drink her baba.  She is a cutie. 

behind

I have a lot to post (Summerfest, Camping, 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY...am I that old??).  I am sooo lacking in motivation though.  I don't even want to upload the pictures.  This week I am getting back into blogging.  I used to have so much to say and all of the sudden one day it just all dried up.  Now I've got nuthin.

I did want to give a shout out to my dads...Doug, and Bob.  Also to my husband.  All three some of the greatest men I've known.  I am glad you are in my life.  

P.S. I really want an egg roll...Cortney says it is too late.  hmmm.  I think I will have one anyways...and I know I will regret it.  Oh well. 

temple open house.

Tonight we went with our kids and our friends Sherry and Jory to see the new Oquirrh Mountain Temple. I am sorry but i think it has got to be one of the worst names of a temple ever. It is pronounced ochre like the color...you know the one that BIob Ross is always painting with on his show. Anyways. Enough. It was beautiful. We had a great time. My kids were so reverent, and since this was their second time through and open house they knew more of what to expect. Oliver kept looking forward to seeing the "wedding rooms, with the mirrors" . It was fun.

Before the temple we went to IKEA for dinner. I ate WAY too much. I keep doing that. I spend 90 percent of my day regretting eating whatever it is that I ate. I just don't feel like I have room this time. I still eat tons and then I feel it. Yuck. While at IKEA we put the kids in the playland and walked around with our friends...it was fun.

Yay a family picture.  We never get one of these.  Look at my little belly.  (I have a very hard time finding something that fits me that is still church wear)  Mom I know Oliver is wearing the tie you are going to give him but he had already found it in my suitcase and I thought it would make him look a lot nicer.  I told him he could wear it to the temple and then he had to wait for you to get home to give it to him.  Sorry. 

waiting for the tour to start

Rob was better behaved then I have ever seen him in his life. 

These next two pictures are pictures of what is going on in my life right now.  It is has been rainy and cold lately so the only thing we have been doing lately is going to the store every once in a while with all 6 kids.  We spend a lot of time in the car.  The kids are so good in there.  They are watching a lion king sing a long DVD right now and it is so cute to hear them all singing at the top of their lungs. 

Grace, I love this girl and she loves me.  Every time she sees me she freaks out and screams my name and runs to me and hugs me for a long time.  I honestly can't get enough of her.

Here is Rob and Oli just as we are pulling into Costco.  Rob had taken a nap earlier so he had CRAZY hair.  He wouldn't let me fix it either. 

That is all.  I feel so boring lately.  Nothing is going on.  My main focus in life right now is 

1. getting Rob's eczema under control.  His poor legs got to the point where he was bleeding.  I have been putting the creams and lotions on like 5 times a day and we are finally turning a corner.  NO more scabs.  It is honestly a full time job keeping up with his leg care.  Yikes.

2. Trying to discipline my kids.  They have been out of control lately.  Yesterday as I was in the shower I could hear them fighting like crazy.  Rob was stuck in a crib and Oliver was trying to get him out but was getting frustrated because Rob wouldn't let him help.  So Rob was CRYING and oliver was yelling mean things at the top of his lungs.  I sat in the hot water praying that I would be able to figure out a way to make these boys obey me.  I am working on it.  I have 36 days to whip them into little angels before my parents get home.  Hahaahah.  

for dad...

a picture of a baptism we attended while I was there. 

And without further ado...my trip to Peru. 

I arrived in Lima at 11:00 p.m. on Wednesday night.   It was great to see my parents. 

The next morning we woke up nice and early.  My dad was scheduled to have his rotator cuff fixed that afternoon and was supposed to check into the hospital at 9:00.  Before we left my dad told me that he needed to make a private phone call and since it was just there small apartment that meant I needed to put on my headphones and listen to some music.  This freaked me out a little because we are a VERY open family and anything that was private HAD to be something serious.  

After their phone call they called me into the front room and told me that they had been called on another MISSION and that they had accepted the call.  YES...my parents have been called to be the MTC presidents in Madrid Spain, leaving January 11th 2010.  It was crazy being there as they received the call.  It was very emotionally draining.  I am not ready for them to go again but I know...that we have to do what we are asked to do.  I am grateful for their example to my children.  

So after they told me the news we headed down to the hospital.  It was a pretty grim place.  I wasn't too keen on my dad getting surgery in Peru. However, I was so glad to be there.  Glad to be there to keep my mom company and to see my dad.  

Here they are in the hospital.  Pretty grim, if you ask me.  They were taking his temperature with a glass thermometer. We were at the hospital the whole day...more then 12 hours.  It surprisingly went by super fast.  I loved just sitting around with my parents talking.  There were two beds in the room so I laid in the other one and lounged the day away.   Mom and I walked down the street to the market and got some snacks to get us through the day.    I can't believe how much better the stores in Peru have gotten over the last 20 years.  I got all my favorites (which happened to be all candy)...every taste took me back. 

Dad's surgery was around 3:30.  We went and sat in a tinsy waiting room for a couple of hours.  There was a shrine in there to Mother Mary.  I never forgot where I was the whole time.  My mom looked pretty worried the whole surgery.  After it was over the doctor came and got her and she was able to see my dad for a couple of minutes.  You should have seen the look of relief on her face.  Dad looked great, and recovered great.  She was able to see him once an hour for like the next 3 hours until he was sent back to the room.  She and I went and ate Chifa while we waited.  Yummy Chinese food and man it was so cheap. 

Here is the view out of my dad's window.  Peru is having winter right now so it was pretty cold and grey. 

Mom and I got home around 11:30 or so.  Before we left my dad was joking around and looked awesome.  It was amazing how good he looked.  My mom fed him his hospital food (even worse looking then American hospital food) before we left.

The next morning Mom woke up early to go get dad.  I slept in and then made myself my favorite breakfast.  I love being able to get such good bread in peru.  You can get 5 of these babies for 30 cents.  To go with the bread fresh squeezed orange juice. 

YUM.

Over the course of the next 4 days I pretty much went along with Mom and Dad wherever they went.  

Here we are at the temple.  We went to two weddings while I was there.

Then we went downtown for some shopping and some Anticuchos (cow heart on a stick) they were really good.  And then some sweet potato donuts dipped in a molasses sauce.  Ohhh they were so yummy.  Yes....I love food.  I know. 

visiting the school where I went to the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades.  It looked so the same...and brought back a million old memories.

Out to lunch for a birthday with everyone from the office.

I spoke Spanish the whole time.  It just flowed out of me.  Better then it ever has.  I was proud of myself.  PLUS...I love Peruvian Spanish...I can understand it so well.  We did a lot of dinner's with people.  5 times we ate with Peruvian families and I just rattled on and on in Spanish.  They really are such great people. 

me at the park by our house we used to live in.  Sam and I would play there and come home so dirty.  It is a lot nicer now.

Mom and me at the house.  Man...it was a lot the same too.  Good times. 

Me and dad at the office.  Look at how skinny he is. 

Anyways.  It was a great trip.  I really love Peruvians.  I felt overwhelmed to back after so many years.  

I got to hear my dad give a couple of REALLY REALLY great speeches.  It was awesome.  The Peruvian people bring out the best in both my parents.

I also got to watch my mom answer a man's questions (in SPANISH) about the church.  She spoke to him about our church for the whole bus ride.  Her spanish has gotten so good, and it is amazing how brave she is.  

Now...I am on the count down until my parents get back from peru.  We have something like 5 weeks.  YESSS....I can't wait to see them for a while before they head out to Madrid (but seriously how fun will Madrid be to visit?? I can't wait)