Time for summer haircuts

This morning after my walk Doug asked me if I would give him his "summer haircut", which is really just buzzing his hair down to 1/2 inch off his head.  When I was finished with him I realized that I should have snapped a picture of it for my blog!!!  Since the other boys were looking a bit ragged, I decided it was a good morning for our annual "summer haircuts".  I snapped pictures of Austin, Cody, and Dalyon against their will, and their faces show how much they love to have their hair cut.  It will feel so much better now that the temperatures are warmer, and I always tell them that "they will love me later".

Austin is first in line. . . . don't let the face fool ya, he loves it.

Dalyon, on the other hand, REALLY hates it. 

It took some coaxing, but I finally got Cody into the chair. 
He likes his hair long and curly because "the chicks dig it". 

2011 Graduation

This year we have been privileged to have Austins' friend Eric Colson live with us.  He moved in with us last January and has been a lot of fun to have around.  He was a senior this year, so I have been able to get involved with his graduation a little bit, which is nice because I kind of have an idea of what to do for Austin next year.  We were able to go and see Eric graduate from Seminary last Sunday, and on Tuesday we watched him receive his high school diploma and cheer him on.  Eric moved here from Connecticut four years ago with his Mom and brothers and sister.  He plans to go to Southern Utah University in Cedar City in the fall so we get to have him with us through the summer.  We are very proud of him and his accomplishments in high school and really appreciate having him in our home. 

Here we are with our "other brother from another mother", Eric Colson.
We were also able to get a picture with Austins good friend McCarty Amy,
who also spent a lot of time at our house this year.  She and Austin were on the
FFA officer team together.  She was the president, he was the Sentinel.   

Eric walking. . .. . . he's a blur!

High school graduation for all of our schools in the Washington
County school district are held at the Burns arena at Dixie College in St. George.  This
is the procession in at the beginning. 

After the graduation ceremony Eric was able to go with his family and celebrate.  His dad flew in from Connecticut and his mom and her husband live down the street from us.  He also has both sets of grandparents living in St. George.  McCarty invited us to a barbeque at her home in Anderson Junction (which is north of Toquerville) and we had a great time.  She and her family are patients of Dr. Howards where I work, so I have known them before, and it is always fun to get to know someone a little better like only a barbeque can do.  We laughed and laughed and talked and laughed.  Her family moved here from Idaho a few years ago to run the Diamond G ranch, which does stock contracting for rodeos around the west.  Cody loved talking with McCarty's dad Calvin about the rodeo stock, and her mom Dixie never leaves a dull moment with her chatter.  It felt like we have been friends for a long time, and we were sad to have to call it a night.  Even though we really didn't have our own child graduating, we enjoyed everyone elses.  Next year will be the real thing.

Cody's still fiddlin'

Cody had his orchestra concert last Thursday, May 12 at the Hurricane Intermediate School.  Secretly he loves to play the violin, but puts up a "song and dance" to make me think he doesn't.  He has taken for 3 years now and was in the Intermediate school Intermediate orchestra.  They did an Irish number that they had memorized and performed standing up.  I will try to put the video on, but non of them want to load onto this blog for me.  Enjoy the pictures of Cowboy Cody and his fiddle. 

Waiting to play.



Playing. . . . .



Standing for their Irish number.  They were swaying back and forth,
(thus the motion movement fuzziness) and marching through each other.
It was a really neat number.

Cami's first bike ride to school

Cami has been asking me for weeks if she could ride her bike to school with Dalyon.  We have gone over all the safety rules, practiced riding on the right side, and got her helmet to fit so she can ride to school.  Today, the weather was clear and beautiful, no wind so I let her ride under the care of her older brother.   She was very excited.  We had to go and get her bike from the bus stop because Cody rode it up there, not knowing that Cami would need it today.  She was a little nervous, but did really well for as far as I could watch them. 

I haven't received a call from the school yet to tell me they didn't make it, so I believe the ride was successful.  After school she will get to ride to Bobette Greens for a haircut.  That should be quite an adventure. 

She made it from the bus stop OK, now she picked up Dalyon
and kept on going.

Here is my baby. . . . on wheels!

Off to school they go.

Dalyon is keeping watch over her.  Thanks Dalyon!

Those blessed couches!!



When we moved into our home almost 7 years ago, the previous owners had left some couches in the basement family room.  They were pretty nice couches, so we decided to leave them and not buy new ones.  Over the years the kids have really worn them down, torn them, and hidden lots of "secret" candy wrappers and other things in them.  Yesterday we decided it was time to get rid of them so we got all the boys together and we proceeded to haul them out, which turned out to not be an easy task.  We found out why the Drummonds left the couches. . . . . they don't fit through the door, or the stair well!  They weren't just being generous, but very very smart!!  We had to cut them into pieces to get them out.  I didn't feel too bad about this because they were already broken and torn, but hadn't expected to have to spend an entire afternoon "moving" the couches out.  The Drummonds must have built the house around them!  Here are a few pictures:

Austin tugging and pulling to get the couch up the stairs.
It just doesn't fit!



The only solution?  Tear it apart.  Doug is on the
inside with a saws-all.

Still working at it.  The couch isn't going anywhere!

A look from inside the house.  How did they get them in here
in the first place?

The couches made it to the trailer, in pieces.

I haven't seen the inside of a couch like this.
  It has definitely seen better days. 



Now we need a bon fire, and marshmellows.



Fiddlin' around again

Mady and Rachele as stand partners.

Deep concentration.

Mady announcing their ensemble.

The ensemble getting ready to play.

Last night was Mady's middle school orchestra concert.  I love to hear the orchestra's and bands play and love how much better they get every year.  Last night was no exception.  Mady played in an ensemble separate from her orchestra, playing a medley of fiddling tunes, and did such a great job.  All of the music was beautiful.  She was a stand partner with her good friend Rachele Nielson who is an excellent violinist.  They make a great pair! 

Chemistry Student of the year 2011

Congratulations Austin!    He received Student of the Year in Chemistry for 2011.  We are so proud of him.  He has worked really hard at keeping his grades up and it seems that it has paid off.  I didn't even know he liked Chemistry.  His good friend McCarty Amy also received Student of the Year in Chemistry.  Is it a coincidence?  or is it another kind of chemistry?   Anyway,  Congratulations Austin and McCarty!