Nathan Gets His Eagle

Today was a wonderful occasion for Nathan. He was awarded his Eagle Scout Award. He had friends and family there to support him.  He honored Isaac Paxman as the person who had the most influence on him throughout his scouting experience. We are very proud of Nathan! Ethan received his Communications merit badge. This is his first on the trail to his Eagle Award. Jeremy, who is already an Eagle Scout, was there to support his brothers.

A Day at the Zoo!

Yesterday we went to the Hogle Zoo for a family day out on the last day of the kid's Spring Break.  It was a nice relief from all the stress and strain of the week.  Even though there were a lot of people at the zoo, we had a very nice time looking at the animals.  We particularly liked the zebra that seemed to be posing just for us!!! (We like to call them "nerdy zebra" since they just stand there as if saying "Hey guys, take my picture!"). Caleb, Lizzy and Seth really liked the cougars and thought that it would be fun to jump around the rocks attacking each other.  GROWL!  We really love being together.  

Seth was really funny the whole time. He would tell us interesting things about the animals. I am not sure that all of his descriptions were accurate, but he did have a good time. The other

 animals that we really liked seeing were the gorillas, the penguins, the chacon piccaries, the elephants and the rhinoceros. The kids thought that it is funny to test the "scent" canisters at the different animal exhibits, the one for rhinos and the one for the tiger were horrible!

All the kids were great and we managed to go the

whole day with only one bump when Seth tried to

go on a "sidewalk" near the camels and discovered that it was really a low barrier, tripped, and hit his head on a post. Despite a few minutes of concern, he recovered quickly. Thankfully we can say, All is well!

Seth Coloring

This is especially for Grandpa. He wanted to see Seth coloring again.

Let's see how it works.

Ethan does a presentation on Spain

Ethan did a "Great Brains" project for his class at school. He spent about a half hour telling them about Madrid. He even demonstrated the proper way to open a fan. Here he is with his teacher.

Caleb and Seth Playing Soccer!

Today was a great day with Caleb and Seth!  We all went to their soccer game where Caleb made the first goal for his team.  Seth was a little hesitant to play, but after mom gave him a little encouragement, he was ready to play.  They are both the greatest players and we all had a great time.  In the photo Caleb is taking off and heading for the goal.  Look at the determined look in his eyes!  He is very serious about what he does.

Spain Here We Come!!!

The last few weeks has been hectic as we have prepared for our adventure in Spain. We will be directing a Study Abroad program in Alcalá de Henares for a group of 23 students from Brigham Young University.  Aside from taking courses at Alcalingua (Universidad de Alcalá de Henares), the students will have the chance to visit many interesting and important cities, including Salamanca, Avila, Sevilla, Granada, Córdoba, Toledo, Segovia, Teruel, Burgos, and Leon.  We hope to help the students gain a deeper appreciation for the rich history and culture of Spain. They will also have the opportunity to "live" like a Spaniard. Students will be housed with families who live and work in Alcalá de Henares. Some of the students hope to go to a soccer game, take guitar lessons (in the classic Spanish style), and experience the unique qualities the country has to offer.