it's hot over here.

cannon playing setter for freshman team

pinewood derby!

brinkley last choir concert in elementary school. 

nerf or nothing wars!

picking out flowers for our garden.

going to priesthood session

earned her YW medallion.

going to prom!

activity days mommy daughter date!

cinco de mayo-beck hitting the pinata!

beach day with LA mccoy's

 

playing ninja with cousins

mackenzie and cannon opening night of spectrum show

field day with their classroom drawing tee shirts.

cutie

boogie boarding

hello! here is some pics that we just got off the phones and camera's. first time all year. something was very wrong with uploading, and so we had 2000 pics stuck since january. we are loving our summer break. we went to san diego for 2 nights earlier in the year for spring break. made 2 weekend trips to beach, and pretty much chilling at home during the summer months. the kids are in summer school too. getting credits out of the way, and playing a little catch up! cannon played freshmen volleyball. he loved it. never had played before. he was the team setter. mackenzie swam for LVHS and earned a white letter this year. i will upload pics later. brinkley finished her years at elementary school. crazy she is all grown up. keaton and carter had their pine wood derby. they (and brandon) cant forget to mention him, won first place! oh man, the smiles on their faces were awesome! so proud!  brandon is working hard at work bringing home the bacon. it is still small, just him and a secratary, just the way he likes it. he is still working in the stake YM's, and i am serving in the nursery. we keep praying for our poor mt. charleston. its been on fire now for 10 days and keep praying for rain. our girls camp is next week, so that is what we are praying for that we can still go. those firefighters. wow. we are so grateful! cannon and brandon are gone all this week for their high adventure encampment. we are grateful for the church and all the programs they provide. life is good here in vegas, and i as the mother of this operation, just hanging on tight, because man oh man its all going too quick.we love you guys so very much! we are touched by your example and  pray for you every day. stay safe! i will upoad some more in a bit. {please excuse my poor grammer and punctuation}

Oaks Park

Welp, we went to an amusement park yesterday and let Brynn go on all the rides we, i mean, she wanted! It was fun and she looks expressionless but deep down she was having a blast. We even took Jett, altho he just slept for most of it. Dal went on some loopdy ride and i got to go on the big roller coaster which was kinda lame actually. I also got a new camera and we are definitely those parents who take WAY too many pictures of their kids. Oh well.

We also celebrated the 4th with Mars and Paul and Co. who came and spent the night. We went swimming, had a BBQ, hung out and watched fireworks put on by some old people in our ward. BUT before you think, "old people doing fireworks eh? Musta been lame," I'll have to stop you and say that it's quite the production, as rumor has it they spend thousands of monies each year to make it good. Brynn and Jett and Dal all missed the late night festivities due to sleep importance. Fun, fun weekend and this Friday i go white-water rafting with the 4th year girls!!!

How annoying to have to wait a little bit longer to transfer again but at least it's still happening. We're getting sisters in our ward who are waiting for visas and i just got called as a ward missionary so that should be pretty cool. Never been in a ward with sisters before. anyway...hope things are going swell and stop getting trunky! xos!

Traslado

Well, before anything else, thank you all again for your thoughtful Father's Day messages -- both on the blog and via e-mail.  As you know now as parents yourselves, when you're in the thick of it, it's sometimes hard to gauge how effective you are -- the proof's in the pudding, as they say, which simply takes time.  But as we've seen how each of you have turned out, we feel like we actually had a pretty small part in it -- we really had good "raw material" to work with, which made it easy (but still a lot of work).  So thank you each for being the kind of person you are -- we couldn't be prouder of our family.  By the way, a special congratulations to Marschell for finishing her Associates Degree -- on the next phase now!!

So now for some mission news.  It's official -- we're scheduled to be transferred the 8th of July to a city called Goya in Corrientes Province.  Supposed to be a very nice place, but struggling as far as church strength is concerned, but that's why we're here, right?  Looking forward to a change of scenery and fresh challenges.

Now how 'bout some photos.

Mom in her kitchen making cupcakes for the missionaries -- she takes pretty good care of them.

Watching General Conference with Sister Sweet, our adopted sister missionary.  She's gone home now, but what a character.

Spencer sent me a link to an add featuring the re-introduced Stingray, so I went out and bought one -- the Argentine model above. (ha)  Might have to at least test-drive the real thing when we get home (and blow through our retirement, right Garlan?)

Well, that's about it for now.  We'll down load and post some more soon.  Sure do love you all and miss you lots.  The pics and videos of  the kidlettes are precious -- thank you!!

XOS,
Dad & Mom





         

Hakuna Matata

Ok so any news about moving yet or what? sheesh, just move yourselves and see what the mish pres does! We had the elders over last week for dinner which we haven't done in a while and they're pretty cool. Always reminds me of when i was out.

We've just been having a grand ole time here in the Couve. Went to Portland yesterday to go to the new Microsoft store and see all the sweet new laptops...you guys are so behind the times now, sheesh. Brynn has friends that knock on our door to ask if she can come out and play which is funny to me b/c they're 9 and 7 and want to play with a 1 year old. Jett ripped a loud one in RS today which was quite humorous and the teacher even stopped to comment on it. Kid's always got gas. True McCoy right there. 

Alright well enjoy some recent pics...i need a new camera b/c mine's pretty crappy but it'll do for now. Hope you're having some fun and learning lots. xos and take care!

PS. the Spurs lost in case you didn't know.

Father's Day

Hey Dad,

Sorry for not writing something on Father's Day, we were driving back from Tahoe while on our Cali trip. Sounds like Amanda already sent you some pics. It was really a lot of fun and we'll have to put some more up on the blog. Just wanted to let you know how much I love and appreciate the father you are to me and the rest of our family. I remember in Young Men's there would be leaders who would say how much they respected and admired you, and it always made me feel proud. I want someday for people to say the same thing about me to my kids. You've set an example of righteous living and gospel study that we can all do well to follow. There isn't anything else I'd rather be as a person than a husband and father. It's such a blessing to have children and see how they rely on and depend on you as the Priesthood holder and provider in the home. It makes me appreciate that much more, being in the position now, how you were able to balance work, school, military, church and everything else while having children. It's no easy thing to be able to find that right balance, but I think you did a great job.

Anyway, we'll catch up more later but I at least wanted to drop a note and say I love you and look forward to many more memories ahead!

XOS,
G

Happy Father's Day!!

Happy Father's Day, Dad!  Hope it's an awesome, relaxing day of rest where Mom can pamper you all day long.  Oh, that's every day!  Haha.  Well,  just wanted to be sure to send a note today thanking you for being a strong example of gospel living.  It's certainly not easy raising children let alone a baker's dozen but thank you for doing all you could to provide, work long hours, go to church meetings and still find time to support us in sports and other activities.  Some of my fondest memories are of you coaching my basketball team for 5th and 6th grades.  Undefeated both years!!  I also have an appreciation of cool music, reading books and participating in lots of different sports thanks to your example.  Sure love you and thank you for all the times you encouraged me to do better and be better.  As of last Friday, I'm happy to say that I'm officially half-way done getting my bachelor's degree!  I am so excited about getting this far because it's definitely been a family sacrifice.  But an education is something you've always stressed the importance of getting.  So, Go Pierce Raiders!!  Teehee.  Now on to bigger and better colleges : )

Thanks for all your years of hard work, worry, tears and prayers!!  Love you!

 

 



Mas fotos

OK, sports fans -- fotos?  We got photos. 

Our one year anniversary -- the sister missionaries made us a cake and sweet little home-made gifts.  Mom made Hoagie sandwiches for all the missionaries -- a fun day. 

This guy adds to life's little pleasures down here -- he rides by on his bike whistling like a bird -- loud enough to be heard a couple blocks away.  We caught him one day on the street and he agreed to let us take his picture.  If you look close he's actually whistling -- he's really good and we enjoyed being able to tell him so.

 

Here's a local celebrity -- a juggler who runs out in the street when the light's red and does his thing for a few pesos -- if anybody's willing to pay him.  He's actually pretty good so we paid him too. 

Mom's fridge looks the same down here as at home -- covered with drawings and love notes from grandkids.  It really helps to make a mission apartment feel like a home. 

Yours truely out at the Airport -- a muli-million dollar debacle that was built but never been used.  Now it's a park for people to come to and just hang out.  Our district president drove us out in his new car -- a 1993 Renault sub-compact for which he paid the equivalent of $4000 dollars!  But he attributes his good fortune to having paid tithing -- half of the cost turned out to be an unexpected gift from his aunt.

This is Jose -- our neighborhood grocery store security guard -- a really nice guy whom we've gotten to know.  He's acutally a music teacher who wants to be a lawyer.  He always greets us with a warm handshake and calls us by our first names.  We gave him a Book of Mormon and he says he's reading it (occasionally).  He wants us to be sure and tell him before we move -- so he can reciprocate with something. 

Us with a new branch president and his expecting wife -- really nice people.  She's a returned missionary and he's a fairly recent convert.  Mom's holding a hand painted pillow presented to her as gift by the Relief Society sisters.  Made her cry.

Mom with some local kidlettes holding the flowers given to her by the little gal on the right.  You can sure see why the Lord loves little children -- they are so precious -- in any culture.

A shot of a Tucan at the "Puyallup Fair" -- La Feria Chaco this last weekend.  It was pretty interesting and had a little of everything just like the Fair at home (but a lot cheaper to get in).  We were careful not to eat anything or go on any rides. 

A member family we ate with after going to the feria -- pollo y papas fritas -- muy rico.  Mom provided salad and chocolate chip cookies -- good stuff and good company. 

Moon over Argentina -- good night all.  We love you!!!  Been a long full day so we're glad tomorrow's P-day.  Hugs and kisses.
XOS,
Mom and Dad      

Mister Jett

Welp, here they are...Jett's photo shoot which Brynn took over of course like she usually does. Friend from the ward came over and took these but most of them are of him with his hands in his mouth. But there's some good ones. So is he your twin dad? If so, then that means Dal is too and Brynn when she had no hair either!! He's just a happy little guy, super smiley (except in pics of course) and just likes to be held. Oh and barf all the time too. 

Yes, and well that's about it for now. We're just enjoying summer finally being here. Brynn loves the pool of course and looking forward to lots of fun times. Take care you two! xos!