Christmas Has Begun

Last night the Utah Jeppsens got together for our annual cousin party. We ate lots of good food, Rob had some fun games, including the candy bar game, and they kids all got to open their cousin gift. I think everyone went home with something they loved which is pretty impressive.

This morning Ty was ready to open his gift and start shooting!

Pinewood Derby

 Last week was Lucas' first Pinewood Derby. Lots of time was spent on making the car look 'cool'. Lucas did a drawing and then Bryan went to work on the paint. Lucas helped a bit but I think Ty helped even more!

Lucas came in 6th out of 10 boys but the race was so fair that none of the boys felt cheated. Bryan learned some things that he'll remember for next year and Lucas now has a car he loves to play with.

Number 9

 Lucas turned nine years old last week! He is such a great kid and so we wanted to do something fun that he would remember. We let him invite one friend (I only do friend parties every other year) and he chose his friend Matthew. We went to the Brick Oven for dinner and he opened up his gifts after we ate. They brought him an ice cream sunday and made him stand up on his seat while they sang to him.

 The funny thing about this picture is there is one just like it from last year when he got a Colts Collie jersey.

 This year it was a BYU jersey he wanted. He likes to tell people that the number nine isn't for Jake Heaps but still for Austin Collie.

Then we all went to the first BYU basketball home game of the season. We had a great time. Things I love about Lucas are that he is very tenderhearted and loving. He tries hard to do what it right. He is a natural leader. He loves to draw. He is an excellent student, excelling in math, spelling, and reading. He can talk and talk and talk, and often I feel like I need to tell him to take a break! (I think I now know how my mom must have felt about me sometimes--he obviously gets this from me and not Bryan.) We love Lucas and that he is a part of our family! Happy birthday Lucas!!

Halloween 2011

I know this is almost a month late....but here is a little video from our Halloween. Each year Bryan adds something else to the house.

Ty Being Funny

The other night Bryan and I were very tired. Lucas and Ty were both being impossible. Lucas would tease Ty and then Ty would scream--loudly. Bedtime couldn't come fast enough. Then when Bryan and I were about to lose it, Bryan said, "I'm going to have to spank some people?" I replied, "Who are you going to spank?" Without missing a beat Ty looks at me and says, "Some people." Leave it to the three year old to diffuse the tension and help us make it to bedtime.

Fun in Florida

Bryan had a business trip to Orlando at the end of September and so we all decided to go with him! We left Sunday, very early, and arrived that evening. Our main objective was go to Universal and visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter!

As soon as we got our passes (a special thanks to Melissa's uncle for getting us those passes) we headed straight for Harry Potter land.

Here we are trying butterbeer. DELICIOUS!! I would call it a mix between a rootbeer float and cream soda. Ty wouldn't taste it so he missed out.

It was like stepping into a world that we've seen in movies and read about in books. I loved walking around and just looking at the buildings and shops.

Poor Ty couldn't go on a lot of the rides. They had these little rooms where Bryan or I would wait with Ty and the other one would go on the ride with Lucas. Then we would switch places. I think this is actually the Spiderman ride and they had cartoons running on TV. Ty didn't mind this wait so much.

As we left Harry Potter we made sure to stop and take a picture by the Hogwarts Express. This really was our favorite part of the park. And the inside of the castle was amazing, from moving paintings that really looked like canvas to the entrance to Dumbledore's office.

Bryan and Lucas at the end of the Jurassic Park ride.

Mom and Ty on One Fish Two Fish. Someday it will be fun to go back when Ty is older so that he can do more than four rides!

I was worried Ty wouldn't take a picture with Spiderman. Not only did he take a picture with him but he talked to him as well. Considering he won't ever sit on Santa's lap I thought he did great! I know it helped that it was Spiderman and in his three year old mind I know he believed it was the REAL Spiderman.

Lucas also got pictures with Wolverine and Cyclops. At the end of the day we all picked out some souvenirs. In thinking about what we could get that would remind us of our trip we decided against the traditional t-shirt. Instead Ty got the Sword of Gryffindor (toy sword) and Bryan, Lucas, and myself picked out wands. Lucas: Harry Potter, Lynne: Hermione, Bryan: Dumbledore, also known as the Elder wand, in our home known as 'the big dog.' As soon as I get shelves in the family room I'll find a way to display them. And Ty will get to pick one out when he is older and won't break it.

Day two was spent driving to the ocean and playing. We decided that we're not a fan of toll roads.

I decided not to wear my swimsuit. I don't know what I was thinking! But I still had fun wading in the water with Ty.

The boys loved to play together. Lucas loved to go out and jump the waves. Several times I had to tell him not to go sooo far out because he was making me nervous.

We were so happy we made the effort and spent the day at the beach.

The last morning was spent at the hotel pool which was amazing. Lucas is going down the slide at one end of the pool.

And here are Lucas and Ty at the other end of the pool! I left Wednesday with the boys and Bryan stayed to work a few more days. The boys did great on the way home, and Lucas even had to sit in between two strangers from Long Beach to Salt Lake. He was so nervous and I admit I didn't like it much myself. But when you fly for free that's what you get sometimes! The only downside to our trip was we got caught in a rainstorm at the end of the day at Universal and I had the camera and phone in my front backpack pocket. Unfortunately both got so wet that neither are working. The upside: my camera somehow made it through the next few days. It didn't always work great but at least I got home before it died completely! It was a wonderful little vacation and we really feel lucky that Bryan has a job that provides these fun times for our family.

Still Cougars

Yes, we are still BYU fans, although, I admit we left the game early. I was raised to never leave early but at 10:30 PM with a grumpy Ty and an angry Lucas we'd had it. Hopefully Friday night's game will be better. Can it be any worse than BYU 10 and Utah 54?

Photo Overload

Just a warning--the next post is full of pictures. More than I usually use for one post. But it was a week long camping trip so there were a ton of pictures and lots of memories to document. Also, I'm almost caught up!!

Redfish Lake

It is near impossible to get an outlet camping site on Redfish Lake. I know--because we have tried. But we decided to try again and we got one last February. We headed there after the GFL draft with Grandma and Grandpa Jeppsen for a fun filled week!

We built some sandcastles.

Lucas and Ty played in the water everyday.

Lucas and I went for an hour long horse ride. I'm hoping that when Ty is 8 and wants to go that Lucas can go with him. I'm glad I went but it hurt!

Grandma had one of her fabulous puzzles to work on.

We surprised Lucas with a few things. One was a slingshot and one was a raft. Ty even went out with him a couple of times.

Ty and I went on lots of little walks where Ty would look for little animals to say hi to, or for bad guys to shoot. Apparently bad guys can be found even when camping.



Grandma and Grandpa surprised Lucas and Ty with some wooden airplanes.


They loved flying the planes around camp.


Ty spent a good part of the time chasing the little ground squirrels. They were quite friendly and would often come into camp to get scraps of food.


Ty also spent a large amount of his time shooting bad guys with his 'fire gun' which was a stick with another stick poking out. It now resides in our home. We couldn't leave it, right?


What camping trip is complete without playing with Grandma Jeppsen's cowboys and Indians?


Bryan and I went on our traditional canoe ride. Ty refused to get in.


Uncle Terry and Aunt Lanae came up from Idaho Falls for a visit. Uncle Terry taught Lucas how to fish. Bryan has always told me what a great fisherman he is. It touched both Bryan and I that he took the time to show Lucas the ropes.


Every time Uncle Terry felt a tug he would say something like, 'Lucas, switch me. Let me check your line.' Lucas came back to camp saying,'I caught four fish!'


When you're from families of 11 and 9 you don't get much alone time with Grandma and Grandpa. This was a vacation we'll all remember because of the time together as a family and the time spent with Grandma and Grandpa Jeppsen. We didn't really plan for it to be just us and them, but it turned out that way, (thanks to strict rules at the campsite about the number of tents in your camp) and we'll cherish the memories.


It's been five years since we'd been to Redfish. Here is hoping it doesn't take us five more years to get back.

GFL Champions

The first of August took us back to Idaho for the Garner Football League Draft (and family reunion). We did all the usual things. Bryan and Lucas took part in the golf tournament Saturday morning and then we all went swimming. Ty has learned to use water wings and he loves it! I love because I don't have to be in the pool with him for two hours!



Lucas still LOVES to swim.



And this year our Toronto Yoda's were the GFL champs, thanks in large part to Austin Collie. Hmmmm, I seem to remember some members of the GFL laughing out loud when we drafted him a few years ago. This year let's hope he doesn't have any more concussions. Go Yodas!!

Home from Brazil

The end of June brought home Grandma and Grandpa Jeppsen home from their mission in Brazil where they served as PEF missionaries. We headed up to Idaho to celebrate their return and have a Jeppsen family reunion. We went a few days early and enjoyed the 4th with Grandma and Grandpa Garner.



Scott and Bryan provided the entertainment in the form of some great fireworks!



The Jeppsen reunion was filled with fun. Raft trip down the Payette River where half the raft overturned and it made for some scary minutes. Lucas and Bryan went and thankfully Bryan managed to keep Lucas and our 10 year old nephew in the boat. We also went to Raging Waters Water Park, played games, and had lots of fun being together.



One evening Grandma and Grandpa Jeppsen passed out a few gifts for each of us. The granddaughters each got a beautiful necklace and the grandsons a Brazilian baseball cap. Lucas and Ty love theirs! Bryan and I also received gives and I am touched by the thought they put into these souvenirs from Brazil.

The best part was having them home and hearing their talks in church as they shared their testimonies of the gospel and their experiences from Brazil.

Catch Up

What to do when I am so FAR behind blogging? Well, not as far behind as I know some of my friends are whose blogs haven't changed for a year or more, but still--I haven't done much this summer. So, I will try and do a new blog every couple of days until I'm caught up. This photo of Lucas and Ty was just for fun. Ty is trying so hard to smile and Lucas is still growing into those two front teeth!

BYU Cougar Kick Off

We got back from Redfish Lake (which I will do a blog post about sometime in the near future) and discovered that we were just in time for BYU's Cougar Kickoff. We love going and seeing the players. This year the players weren't walking around the field like they used to do--but Bryan managed to get a picture of Lucas with Ross Apo who is hopefully going to have a great year as a wide receiver. Behind them is QB Jake Heaps. We could have stood in the long, long line and got autographs but it was hot and the picture is all we really wanted. Lucas had a great time running races, playing volleyball, and throwing a football. Ty did not have as much fun but hopefully will next year. He didn't want to do anything but be carried. This time of year always makes us excited for the games to start!