Kinsley- 12 years old June 6, 2013

We will be out of town for Kinsley's actual birthday, so we took the family to the Pineapple Grill to celebrate a little early.  She is growing so fast.  We love her a lot.  Happy Birthday Kinsley !!!!!!  

4-wheelers- Keagan and Holden

Holden and Keagan love to drive their 4-wheelers around the yard.   They are fast and furious.  You had better watch out !!!!!

Oliver- 9 patch Project

Oliver did this 9-patch quilt project.  He is a creative kid. 

Ashley adopted a Cat

We have a new member of the family.  Ashley adopted a cat.  Her name is Sonja.  Welcome to the family.

Ben and Oliver

The Hays ward  in Cedar Falls, Iowa went to the Cedar Falls Care Center  and did service plus put on a program.  Ben played the banjo and Oliver played the Ocarina.  They sent a video of them playing and it was awesome.

Memorial Day Observance

 Hillary and Lily went with us on Saturday to decorate the graves.
This is at the Sugar City Cemetery.  Forland and Grace Mortensen (My maternal grandparents)

Rexburg Cemetery-   Rodney Ricks (My brother) and Henry and Alice Ricks  (My paternal grandparents)

 Dean and Carma Ricks  (My parents0

Fielding memorial Cemetery, Idaho Falls, Idaho-  Albert and Harriet Richards (Randy's maternal grandparents)  Arthur and Elva Landon (Randy's paternal grandparents).

 Randy, Lily and Hillary helped clean around Terese Landon's grave stone.

Terese Landon  (Randy's mom)

Walking Bear

Bear loves to go out for a walk and Lily wants to hold his leash.  If you stick a second leash on that Hillary is holding, Lily thinks she is walking Bear alone.

Bear World

 We took Lily and Hillary to Bear World.  Lily was so excited to see all the animals.

 She really liked the Petting Zoo.  She did not seems to be scared of the animals at all.  She liked feeding them.

The rides were another story.  She did ride the train once but was not interested in any of the other rides.

Henry

Henry fits about any where he chooses to sit.  (1) On the stair railing at Oliver's swimming lesson (2) In a  storage bin that Melanie is planning on using to move with.  What a cutie!!!

Oliver loves to read

Oliver got a certificate from the Cedar Falls library for his accomplishments in reading.  He takes after his mom and loves to read.

Lily at grandma's and grandpa's

 Saturday we brought Lily home with us so her parents could go to New York.  She rode in the car really good and loved playing outside.

Monday the  Rexburg cousins came over.  Holden sitting with Bear and Keagan sitting with Lily.

Keagan & Holden Pre-school graduation

Keagan and Holden graduated today.  Hip-hip-hooray!!!!!

Gallery Stroll- SLC

Once a month Caleb and Hillary's store the 'Blonde Grizzly' sponsors an artists for the Gallery Stroll.  We were there this time.  We ran into Tonya Sterr and Michelle Rumsay also.  This is Caleb with Lily.

Melanie-Western Oregon University

Melanie posted this on facebook, so it official !!!!

Congratulation to the Hays family   It will be an exciting summer.
They plan on spending the month of August with us and then on up to Oregon the first of September.  It will be a great month.

I can share exciting news now....all the official people have been notified and are supportive.  The HAYS are moving to Oregon at the end of July!  A job posted at WESTERN OREGON UNIVERSITY in Monmouth a couple of weeks ago and I applied for and interviewed for the job last week, and accepted the job yesterday.  IT happened very fast and we feel very good about it.  We've always wanted to live in Oregon (you should see all the travel guides we own for the hoped for trip that has never materialized) and it's closer to family and old friends.  We are excited, and still a bit sad.  Cedar Falls has been VERY good to us and we've met many wonderful people and it was starting to feel like home.  But, having never intended to move across country twice in two years, I figure you have to do something spontaneous sometimes, especially if it means going for something you've always wanted / hoped and planned for!  

Ashley's new condo

Ashley moved into her new Condo that she purchased.  She is a proud home owner now.  Randy and I went down to help her move and to paint and to do  some remodel.  She closed on Thursday May 9, 2013.  Randy replaced the hot water heater, dishwasher, stove, microwave, several lights, etc.  And that is just the start.  I am helping her repaint the whole place.  We came back Saturday and will go back down Monday to keep working.  It will be a great place for her.
Her address is 839 East Arcadia Green Way, Murray, Utah,  84107

Henry eating a tiny meal

We miss the Hays kids.  What a cute picture of Henry.

Oliver with his Kindle

Oliver's school, Cedar Heights Elementary School had a "Fun Fair" to earn money for the school.  I got a call and they said my raffle tickets had won a gift.  It was a Kindle, so now Oliver is a proud owner of a Kindle.  Have fun with it.  

Dr. Melanie Landon-Hayes PhD

I met Melanie at the SLC Airport on Thursday  May 2, 2013

 Friday, May 3, 2013  The processional into the Field House for the graduation.

 Dee Glenn Smith Spectrum was the building the graduation was held in

 The hooding of Melanie Marie Landon-Hayes.   Ph.D  Utah State University  Doctor of Philosophy, Curriculum and Instruction-Adolescent Literacy

 Melanie with Silvia Read her mentor.  Thanks you Silvia for all you did.

 Reception outside afterwards.

Dinner at Cafe Sobre and Breakfast the next morning at Herm's.  Some of Melanie's favorite places to eat in Logan.  We had a great time at the graduation   

Lily 2 Years Old

Lily turned 2 years old on May 2, 2013.  She is such a cutie we love her a lot.  

Lily on a walk

We are in Salt Lake.  Hillary fixed us a wonderful dinner and then we went out for a walk around the neighborhood.  Lily likes to pick up rocks and she goes.  Notice her little bag.