The King

The title The King or King Joey was given to Joseph by Samuel when he was just a baby. Samuel was playing a knight who was keeping The King (baby Joseph) safe from the yucky bubbles left in the bathtub after a bubble bath. Later when we were in the store and I stuck my head around a display, Samuel came dragging the cart behind him and saying, "don't forget the King, Mom!" He has been King Joey ever since.
King Joey had his birthday the other day and turned another year older. I can't believe how big they are all getting! Everyone was off to scout/YW camp, so it was just the 4 of us. We shared steak and baked potatoes. Steak is Joseph's absolute favorite food! Then I made a 14 layer cake! Ok- I decided to cut it down to 8-10 layers so I upped the amount of yellow cake mix I put in each pan from 2/3 cup to 3/4 cup. In the end it only made 6 layers- but super yum!! My cake pans were all different sizes, so it ended up being the leaning tower of cake, but it was so, so good and Joseph was very happy! (I took his picture with the candles all lit and then found out that night while at photography class that I didn't have the memory card in!)
Joseph is our friendly, girl-loving, embarrassed easily guy. He runs away whenever he gets embarrassed at a movie and the times that make him embarrassed are a mystery. When he was in Kindergarten and brought home books to read, he refused to read one because it had girl words in it. What are girl words, you ask? Well, "go away" was one of them, because a boy would have just said , "go!" - so Joseph tells me. I forget the other ones- pretty or kitty cat or something like that. Anyway, I finally convinced him to read it to me if I read all the "girl words."
He has had his first date already- he asked a Young Women to come to our house for S'mores and she came. He is convinced he is going to marry Eve from Virginia, when they both move out of their houses. He had a conversation with Max the other day when Max said he was going to get his own house but not get married, because Mom was already married. (Apparently there is still no one better than Mom right now for Max!!) Joseph said, "well then you will be alone. You will have to go shopping alone and cook alone and do everything alone!" After this rational Max was convinced that he might have to find someone to marry.
The other day Joseph said to Max, "Max, let me tell you what is against the law. Stealing candy from a store is against the law, Jay walking or in other words Jail walking is against the law- that's when you walk in the street without those lines. Anything a bad guy does is against the law." I see a budding lawyer. Although Joseph doesn't mind reading and reads in the top of his class, he absolutely hates to write. I guess if he does become a lawyer he will have to get himself one heck of a secretary!
He loves to play with his brother's, play water fight, wrestle, play video games, chess and build Legos. He loves chocolate and steak and he hates it when Mom tells embarrassing stories about him. The other day I was telling some friends something shocking he said and after we walked away he said in a very nice way, "Mom, please don't tell everyone about my embarrassing times." I told him I wouldn't, so I won't. We love our little King Joey!

Jungle hot

Today Joseph got up and asked me how cold it was outside, so that he could dress properly. I told him that stuff on the window wasn't frost, it was the mug from the mugginess- "that's Jungle hot, son!"
"Now go out there and spend an entire day acting like a man in the heat at cub scout camp!" My poor babies- all of them are out in this heat at various camps (except Max!) I spent Monday out at scout camp with Joe and I have never sweated so much in my life for so long! By 2:30 pm I was soooo done! Too bad the camp went until 4:30 pm!
Who came up with this evil plan of heat exhaustion, anyway?

Sam's birthday at Patoka Lake IN

Sam's got that lucky birthday where we are almost always traveling! Therefore, his birthday's look something like this:Happy birthday, Buddy! I hope it was a blast!

4th of July

The local hangout spot came up with a deal on Independence day, so we went and enjoyed it with some friends- After the traditional pancake breakfast at the church, naturally! $5 got you a wrist band for anyone under 12 and they could do unlimited anything! Since it was Sam's 12th birthday week, they gave him one for the $5 price, even though he was technically over 12, now. The kids had such a fun time! They spent most of their time in the batting cages and big slide. Except for Max who didn't like either. He spent his time on the little train for the most part. Even Rob tried his hand at the batting- although he missed every single one the first time! Hee hee! After he got warmed up, he was able to even get a couple in the fastest pitch (70-80 mph)! I guess he hasn't gotten to do a lot of things, lately that he used to do a lot of. I bet he would fall the first time he tried skiing, again, too! After some super yummy ice cream that this dairy makes, we watch our cities fireworks with about 1/2 the ward. The kids favorites were the stars and smiley faces and the shimmery ones! Happy Independence day, America!

Our crazy Summer or I think I need a nap!

Since before school officially ended, we have been running! Usually summers are nice relaxing times that we fill with some school work in the morning, a little cleaning and then a lot of reading and swimming. Not this year! We haven't been to the pool once. I have been running around with my head cut off most of the season and so have Rob and Emma. The boys are entertaining themselves with Lego's and playing way too many video games.
First we had a fun trip out west to visit family.
We crashed Rob's brother's wife's family reunion. Loved this slide, until it rained and made it slicker than snot with a huge mud bath at the end! They also had an outdoor bowling alley and a climbing wall and volleyball and Frisbee golf and all kinds of fun stuff!

Then we went to Island Park with Rob's Mom and Step dad and siblingsand stayed for the week.At Red Fish Lake- Head waters of the Snake river.

Sam crossing a freezing cold river to get the shiny thing in the water that turned out to be a penny.

We made it over to Yellowstone, Where Joseph said, "Look the rocks are yellow. That's why they call it Yellowstone." Smart boy!

where we got a flat tire, saw a wolf, a bear and her two cubs and Old Faithful. It snowed on us!
The weather was downright frigid the whole week, Father's Day with Rob's two Father's and siblings
so we stayed inside a lot, but ventured out one or two days, so that we could go canoeing Trying to get Sam in a wet suit! He ended up refusing to wear it!

and fish with Grandpa, and the boys could throw everyone in the freezing cold lake! Sam got it a lot, but everyone got thrown in eventually. Not even Grandma got a waiver! Only Grandpa who could probably whoop all those boys and Nyla who runs and hides got out of the water wars!

We had lots of fun playing games inside, although some people couldn't remember that games have rules.

Then we headed down to Utah to see my Mom and Dad's new house in South Weber.Visiting Great Grandma Keck

It is only 10 minutes from Hill AFB and they bought it from Mrs. Cavanaugh of Cavanaugh chocolates. The house came with house warming gifts of chocolate as you would expect!Jumping off the terraced back yard rocks! So fun!

Sparklers- Just for fun- with the Keck Cousins

During this whole time Rob and I ran almost every day even though my lungs wanted to explode from lack of oxygen, yet I still gain 4 pounds and we came back realizing we were way behind on our training for the Marathon which is in September!
Since being back, I have worked, we have gone down to Kentucky to go boating and waterskiing. So fun! I forgot to take any pictures, but Dianne said she would send the ones she got my way- so I will put them in later. I have done mountains and mountains of laundry; Emma has been to Volleyball camp, Soccer practice and now Soccer camp; I started a photography class; Rob has started a new semester at AFIT; and everyone is getting ready for Boy scout, Cup scout, and Girl's camp which is all next week. We also had to get new ID's which took us all day! I forgot that you had to have your sponsor with you or having him sign a form or have a power of attorney. So I came and went 3 times before I had everything I needed. My ID went from looking decent to making me look like I was Hispanic- seriously, even Rob was like, that's so weird! Emma's went from the guard saying- "wow, that's you? I think it's time to get a new ID!" To looking really cute. We are also now, seriously training for the upcoming race. We ran 12 miles last Saturday and then I watch Emma play soccer in a tournament and then worked an 8 hour shift in the ER. This week we are running 14 miles and then I am going on a walking field trip with my Photography class! See- I need a nap!
On top of all this, we have our garden to tend to- which I need to go do- as well as take pictures for my photography class- guess there is no nap in the near future!