Diego

I was proud of this kid today.  He got up in sacrament meeting and bore his testimony for the first time today.  We sat in the very back and it was a long walk up to the front.  It was a short but sweet testimony.  I cried!  It was wonderful to hear!

The Snow Day

 This was a good snow day.  I was a happy and proud mom.  Diego stepped up and shoveled our steps and even went to the neighbors a couple doors down to shovel hers.  This was all before he even went off to play.  He is growing up!

Then it was off to make a fort.  The boys always hope for lots of snow so the plows can pile the snow up in the island of grass in the middle of the road.  They love to make forts.  This kept them busy for a long time.  (Then some stinkin' teens came through and wrecked their tunnel!)

Then the day took a turn. 

 While sledding Diego ran into a thorn bush! 

 (never mind that he was on the bottom of the sled, 

Christian on top of him and the neighbor boy on top of Christian)

 This is the result.

 Thorns were stuck in his forehead and head.  It hurt...poor guy!

After a shower and some neosporin,

  he was done for the day.

The Building Museum

 Back in February I took Diego and Christian to the Building Museum in D.C. to help pass some things off for scouts.  It was an interesting afternoon filled with engineering, making your own silly putty, catapult and many other activities.  The boys (and me) learned new things and how things work. 

Diego trying to blow a balloon up into a cup.

Christian's balloon stuck in the cup.

This was the best one.  

At this station the boys had to change a tire blindfolded.

 The people helping them were actually blind as well. 

 Diego did great!

Christian wasn't brave enough to do it blindfolded.  

 

This was the most popular. 

 The Rocket Launcher. 

 You made a paper rocket and then with just a bike tube and 

an empty water bottle you could launch your rocket.  

Batting Cages

 To help prepare Diego for his baseball game and break in his new bat, we headed to the batting cages.

  It was fun and all the boys did well.

 Diego

Christian

Anthony

Me

The machine was aiming low.

  Not a very comfortable stance to hit the ball.

I did get some hits and realized that the vibration hurts 

your hand after connecting with the ball. 

Diego on the left...Christian on the right.

Anthony realized he could just bunt all the pitches

 and he'd hit it most of the time!

This is what my leg looked like after all day of being on the soccer fields, 

batting cages, mowing the grass and throwing the ball with

 Diego in the backyard. Pretty painful!

Dodge-ball!

 After scouts the boys headed into the gym to find the teenagers playing dodge-ball for their activity.  The older kids were nice enough to go Young Men vs. Scouts.  Christian was last man standing a couple times. 

 Here are just half of the young men that were left going after Christian.

  These guys didn't take it easy on the young kids.

  They got pretty intense.  

It was fun to watch. 

I love this stage of life with the boys. We are able to do fun things.  It's nice not to have to worry about lugging a little one around.  It's nice to get to do more "grown up", fun things.

Crime & Punishment

 Today the boys and I went to the Crime & Punishment museum downtown.  It was really fun.  It shows all the different ways people were captured, held or humiliated.  It also told of many famous criminals.  The boys really liked it and decided they are glad they didn't live way back in the day.  For an extra charge you can do a detective scavenger hunt while touring the museum and get a little prize at the end.  It made it really fun.  Diego was really good at it and the boys liked looking for the evidence.

 Diego in jail in the Old West.

 

 

At one station you can have your fingerprints taken and see what you were arrested for.

These were our arrests:

Diego: Kidnapping

Christian: Larceny & Domestic Violence (ran his 2x)

Anthony: Contempt of Court & Prostitution (ran his 2x)

Jodi: Driving Under the Influence

 

 Christian in a police line-up.

All 3 boys in a jail cell.

 

 Christian driving in a police car simulator.

You can practice shooting during a "raid."

I even got in on the raid.  All I can say is a robber is as good as dead if they come to our house.

  I got the guy with 2 shots, first one was the kill shot.

 Here is Anthony on America's Most Wanted.  

If he were to become a criminal I don't think he would make it on the run.

On our way back to the metro we found this little band set up outside.  

They were good and gathered a crowd.

  I wanted to stay and hang out more but the boys were cold and were done.

  A fun outing.

Christmas 2012

I was on our computer earlier looking at past Christmas seasons and it brought smiles and laughs.  I thought I'd share some of my favorites from years past.

2004

 2005

 Christian just makes me laugh!  

Love these cute boys!

2006

2007

2008

 2010

 This was the first year the boys put the tree up all on their own.

  They did a great job.

2012