BIG News

Well we made an official announcement last weekend while we were down in Santa Clara with all the family, minus Eric & Heidi.  Logan got to borrow Drakes old shirt that Drake wore to Disneyland about 2 1/2 years ago to announce 'I'm the Big Brother'.  Yup that's right we are adding baby #3 to the family due May 11th.  Which happens to be my Mothers 60th birthday!  

I'm sure you can tell that's a baby, right.....

When we told Drake that mommy was having a baby and that the baby was in my belly he decided he had a baby in his belly too.  In fact if you ask him mommy doesn't have a baby in her belly only he does.  The cutest thing was the other day he kept telling me his belly hurt.  When I asked him why he told me it was because 'the baby's crying'.  Isn't he sweet!  Anyway Drake is going to be a great big brother.  He loves to kiss and tickle all the baby's that he sees.  Logan on the other hand I'm a little nervous about.  He is pretty attached to me and has a hard time sharing my lap with Drake.  He's going to be a little jealous of the new baby I think.  Luckily we have about 6 1/2 months to prep him.

CHEESE

FAMILY GATHERING

This past weekend we headed down south for a little rest and relaxation in the beautiful city of Beaver, UT.  We have some family friends that have have a cabin there and it is large enough for all of the Drake clan to hang out and even sleep for a few hours.

While waiting for my parents to arrive Thursday night we relaxed in the hammocks and watched a few does and some fawns come over looking for some food.  Drake had been begging for weeks to go camping so Dan and Drake set up the tent for some camping on the lawn.  My parents arrived and Logan and I went and claimed our bedroom.

I had a good nights sleep, unfortunately Dan didn't get to sleep as early.  Drake was having so much fun playing the with his flashlight from Grandma and the remote to the lanturn that Dan didn't get quite as much sleep.  It didn't help either that Drake rose with the sun the next morning. 

Later that morning Eric, Heidi, and Baby Kinley arrived.  They had flown in from Oregon late the night before.  Not long after they arrived Sarah, Miah and the rest of the Dellamas's showed up.  Drake was so excited to see Sami and they had a great time all weekend together just following each other around.  Later Friday night the Staheli's came after school had gotten out.  Now we were all together and ready for some fun!!

Saturday morning we ate breakfast and packed the coolers for a trip up Beaver mountain to do some fishing at our favorite spot Lake Lebaron.  I'm sure we were a sight to see.  Twenty two people lined up along the shore in our camping chairs with lots of little kiddos.  But WOW the fishing was amazing!!  That was the first time in all my years spent fishing at Lebaron that everyone caught a fish and some people caught as many as 10!  This was not early morning or evening fishing people this was late morning early afternoon.  Drake was so excited to catch a fish.  He had been so excited to go fishing since we first mentioned it to him.  In fact last Sunday he had to sit in the hall with me because he was crying during Sacrament meeting because he just wanted to got fishing with Grandpa.  It was a lot of fun!  About lunch time my Uncle Mark and his family came up to fish and for dinner that night.  Even they caught fish.  We figured that we caught about 50 fish and we able to release all but 8 back in the lake.  What a successful day.

After fishing we headed back down the mountain.  We got back to the cabin and relaxed for a little while until it was time to get the dutch ovens ready for potatoes and chicken.  While dinner was cooking we got a family volleyball game going.  Kids 10 and up could play so we played six on six and the other kids played around on the swings and cheered us on.  I don't really remember who came out the winners but it was a great time.  After dinner we said good bye to the Beatty's and got ready so some late night card games.

Sunday we attended Sacrament Meeting at the local ward and then headed back to the cabin for lunch and cleaning up.

It is so much fun to get together and have fun.  It's nice for the kids to have cousins to play with and follow around.  I think Logan was mostly attached to Austin and Drake and Sami were connected at the hip.  We are already missing it and having withdrawals.  Drake and Logan loved spending every waking moment outside.  They loved fishing, seeing the deer that come to eat, swinging, dirt, and playing with cousins.  We are blessed to get to do this so often.

Just Swinging

You can't really tell but he is smiling

Too many kids not enough swings so Drake offered to share with Sami

My mom and I went for a ride on the see saw

Logan and Mati on the See Saw

There was an old school nintendo. Dan and Eric spent much of the weekend playing Contra

Sami, Drake, Austin, and Alyssa playing on the hammock

Logan's favorite spot...the mud hole

Logan is eating his catch of the day, Gold fish

Drake with his Cars fishing pole

He was so excited!

Logan just wanted to reel in the line

Dan and Logan enjoying the time together

Hey look Dan caught a fish

The other nintendo nerds playing the original Super Mario Brothers.  They even remember where all the free lives and stuff are.

The Dellamas's

The Stahelis

The Nevilles

The Drakes

The original Drakes

The add ons

Summer Update

Here is a quick summer update.  For Fathers Day my Dad was staying with Sarah so we headed down there to hang out.  I can't remember the last time I was with my Dad on Fathers Day so it was fun to be able to eat and visit with he and my Mom.  We also had Sarah's father in law there.  We love Dale and always have a good time with he and Julie.  It's also nice because my kids either want Grandpa or to just play when we're at Sarah's so I get to kick back and relax.

Drake getting grandpa

Logan loves grandpa

The four Dads; Dan, Dale, Miah and Denny

It was also Sarah and Miahs anniversary that day 12 yrs

Camping

Camping with Grandpa Neville.  Dan's dad got a camp ground for a week up Big Cottonwood Canyon.  The boys were so excited to go hang out and play outside all day.  They are your typical boys in the dirt, mud, water, trying to chop wood, finding bugs, chasing squirrels, and anything else that would get them dirty and wet.  We had a great time!  Drake got to stay one night with just he and Grandpa and he thought that was the best thing ever.  Dan, Logan and myself only stayed one night but we got to spend a couple of days hanging out.  We can't wait until  next year!

Grandpa chopping wood with the boys

Drake had a wipe out.  He leaned a little too hard on the trailer door and fell out on his head.

Dan and Logan enjoying the creek

Grandpa packed water guns with Drake could not leave alone

This little boy didn't want to take a nap so he decided to try to climb out of the pack n play

Aunt Deb with all the boys throwing rocks in the creek

Stephanie(Dan's older sister) and Bryan(Dan's dad)

David(Dan's twin)

Drake and Logan are shaking the tent their cousins Jason and Nick are in

Dirty faced little cheeser

Cute boy

Playin a little tether ball

5 Blissful Years

 On June 10, 2006 Daniel Aaron Neville and Darci Lyn Drake were sealed for time AND all eternity in the St George LDS Temple.  It was a beautiful day filled with three if my favorite 'F' words; family, friends and food!  Now here we are 5 years later. 

For our anniversary Dan wanted to really celebrate.  He wanted to have the 'honeymoon we never had'.  Meaning as long as we didn't go to Disneyland we would have the honeymoon we never had.  For weeks he had been asking me what I wanted to do.  He had so many great ideas I told him to pick one and I would be happy just to be with him.  He finally settled on a day in SLC, a short ride down to Scotland, and a evening train ride.

The morning of Friday June 10th Dan spent almost 4 hours trying to save us $300 by trying to replace the starter in his car with his friend Karen Reilly.  A few hours, some bloody knuckles, and a perfectly fine starter and battery later we were waiting for his brother Jim to come and help tow his car to a shop.  While they towed the car in I packed up the boys and headed to Dan sister Stephanie's to drop off Drake and Logan for the weekend.  I kissed my little guys goodbye and headed home to pick up Dan and we were off!! We got a call less than an hour later from the mechanic who was almost laughing as he said the problem with the car was not the battery, alternator, or starter it was corrosion on the battery wires. Less than $40 and a half hour of work. At least Dan tried to be the man of the house.  For lunch we went to this Thai Restaurant and had some good curry then we went to check into our hotel....The Little America!  Dan has a friend at work name Loni and she got us a room in the tower, I know I know you're thinking there isn't a tower at the Little America only at the Grand America but alas you would be wrong,  there is a tower and the rooms are really really nice.  I was almost afraid to touch anything in the room.  We left our bags and headed out to do some shopping.  Dan had gotten me a gift certificate to Kohl's and there happened to be one by a Texas Roadhouse where he had gotten me another gift card and where we were going to dinner.  So we walked around Kohl's and found some fun stuff for the boys and a couple of shirts for me.  Next we headed over to Texas.  I love a good steak and Texas Roadhouse has some of the best steaks around!  I also love bread and they have those wonderfully tasty rolls with the cinnamon butter mmmmmmmmmmm.  We had rolls and butter for breakfast the next morning too.  

Saturday morning we decided it would only be fitting to attend the Temple since that is were this all began 5 years ago.  Also the boys were in Woods Cross we decided to head to the Bountiful Temple and do a session.  I had forgotten how difficult it is to keep your eyes open during the movie, we have been going to Salt Lake so long now where it's live and you move rooms.  Anyway it was beautiful!!  After the Temple we headed to the next leg of our awesome weekend, Thanksgiving point.  I had heard rumors of the Highland Games that are held at Thanksgiving point but I didn't know they were that big.  I have never seen so many men in skirts (kilts) and not only were they in kilts but some of these guys were freaking HUGE!  They have to pick up telephone poles and throw them.  They were doing the hammer throw, discus, shot put, and this thing with pitch forks and bundles where they throw the bundles up in the air behind them and try to clear a bar set at like 27 feet.  It was amazing.  While there we heard about this really good homemade root beer that was sold in these sweet looking bottles so we said why the heck not.  The root beer was a little flat but the bottle were worth it.  After leaving the world of kilts, bagpipes, and river dance we made a stop at another shopping venue.  Dan had also given me a gift card to Bath and Body.  They were having their semi annual sale so we headed over and got a lot of good stuff!  Dan had so much fun shopping that I had to beg him to come on so we didn't miss our train.  Awe, the Heber Valley Railroad or better know to my family as the Heber Creeper. Dan got us a ride on the Heber Creeper and they threw in a dinner and a show.  This show was not just any show it was a murder mystery.  We were among the people attending the Sunnyside High class of '91.  The student council did a great job of planning the reunion that is until the class president was poisoned.  Then it was confusion trying to figure out who dun it and what was on the agenda.  After the Secretary was shot it was nail biting hoping you weren't next.  Luckily we figured out who did it and that person will be held accountable.  We made if safely back to the station and headed home.  We picked up the boys about 10:15pm and took our tired monkeys home.  

It was a wonderful weekend and even the boys had a great time with their cousins.  I can't wait until our 10th anniversary and see what Dan plans for us then!!

This our really comfortable bed 

The couch and the view

This guys throwing a telephone pole

I loved this sign!  It was up all around events

Dan's just catching a ride

Dan gets the best pictures of me

We climbed in the engine then reailzed that it was the engine that would be pulling our train to we quickly exited

Self portraits are great

The root beer bottles

Memorial Weekend

First and for most I need to tell you just how grateful I am to the men and women that serve this country.  I have always loved The Star Spangled Banner, but since Dan joined the military every time I hear that song and think about the lyrics and the many lives that have been sacrificed to make our lives what they are today.  I get choked up.  Without fail, whether I am by myself in the car or surrounded by people I have to wipe the tears away.  I know Memorial Day is to honor not only our service men and women but those who have gone before us.  With the recent passing of Dan and my grandfathers we have a chance to look at their lives and realize how they have formed our fathers lives and how our fathers have formed us.  We have been greatly blessed with our families and the people we have become and who we can strive to be more like.  Our grandfathers lived during the Great Depression and World War II.  They raised children with wives of 60+ years.  They left a legacy of hard work and perseverance; struggle and sacrifice.  When we complain about money or work.  We need to remember that they had basically nothing and still made it through with their dignity.  I hope to someday become more like Russell Neville and Howard Drake.

Now for our Memorial Day Dan convinced me and my friend Mandy to go golfing.  Yes, my father is a great golfer, me not so much.  Don't get me wrong I have a great drive, with an even better slice!  No matter how I hold the club, where I stand, or turn my body I still slice it.  Dan has tried fix it but I think I like to brag about my slice so my mind refuses to listen to his good advice.  Anyway, Mandy has never been golfing and to get warmed up her husband Wade decided to challenge her to a game of Wii golf the night before.  She said it was the worst round of Wii golf she had ever played.  So neither of us was too excited to go golfing and silently hoping it would be rainy so we had a good excuse to go shopping instead of golfing.  It rained all night but was nice and dry by 9am.  Mandy came over and Dan got the golf clubs all loaded up for us.  We have such wonderful husbands they packed our golf clubs with umbrellas and Wade even packed Mandy a water bottle.  After all the equipment was loaded in the van we headed to the Par 3 just down the road.  Mandy and I laughed when we checked in that there was nobody there and when we asked for a cart the older gentleman behind the counter looked at us strangely and said we have the pull carts.  We smiled sweetly paid the fee and for the pull carts and walked out laughing at ourselves.  After loading our bags onto the pull carts we headed to the first tee.  Following the first several attempts to hit the ball on the correct fairway, and trying to figure out what all the dang numbers on the clubs meant, we had a great time.  No we did not have a scorecard and yes we laughed a lot.  We were very grateful that we were the only ones on the course and that at about the 3rd hole we were out of sight of the clubhouse, so the nice older gentleman could get back in his chair and catch his breath from all the laughter I'm sure he was suffering from.   After six lost balls(all of them mine and all of them in the water) lots of boogies, lots of fun, and lots of laughter Mandy and I decided we should do it again.  It would be a wonderful date night with our husbands, or maybe just the two of us again.  Thanks Mandy I had a great time!!!

THE HOGLE ZOO

So far this year we have gone to Hogle Zoo not once but twice.  In fact we decided to buy season passes because the boys had such a great time.  Drake we couldn't get to hold still for very long and on several occasions both times he disappeared because we were going to slow and he needed to see the next animal.  

The first time we went, we went with my sister Sarah and three of her kids; Mason, Sami and Mati.  Sami was a great follower when Drake was ready to move on to the next exhibit.  They were often seen running away.  For a while this summer there are also dinosaurs on display.  They are pretty cool moving and noise making dinosaurs.  Drake thought they we 'so cool'!  We had a great time wandering around checking things out.  Even Logan got really excited when we were in the reptile house and he got to see so many things up close.  He was just waving to the animals.  Drake especially loved the alligator.  I guess it's actually a crocodile but he they're closely enough related right.  He still talks about the alligators in the water and thinks there are alligators in every little pond or river we see.

The second time we went, we went with our friends; Mandy, Jacob, Anna, and Cole.  Drake was still very impatient with us and took off several times but we usually found him checking out some animal. Between this trip and our last one Logan has learned some animal sounds.  So this time he made sure to talk to the animals as loudly as he could.  It was so cute to watch him waving and yelling at the animals.

I'm really excited for the next year and to watch the boys really enjoy the zoo animals.

Logan and Anna digging for fossils

 Drake and Jacob(in the blue hat) digging

 Drake, Anna(pink),and Jacob

 Anna, and Drake riding the carousel

 Logan and Mati(she fell off her high chair and broke her arm) They are three months apart

 Drake and Sami riding the train(they are a month apart)

 Logan enjoying some cake

 Drake wondering if he can have more frosting

 Drake really likes the carousel

 Logan not so much

 Logan waving to the camera

 Drake really liked the elephants too

 Logan watching the baby triceratops

The boys ready for the next close encounter