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On Saturday, we went to swimming lessons, the commissary, and then to pick up Kristofer and Joshua Utkin. Kristofer goes to Challenge with Sam and Will, and they wanted to get together, so we invited him and Joshua over. They spent the day here, and spent some of that day in the chicken coop and run. Eewww.😝🐔 #january #2018

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On Friday, Sam made an old fashioned camera, and it really worked. Here he was helping Avary give it a try. #january #2018

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Monday morning, as I was trying to read my scriptures, this cat would not leave me alone. She kept climbing right between me and my scriptures, and bumping her head in my face and my book. Even when all the kids are asleep, a moment's peace is hard to come by. 😹 #january #2018

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The rest of the afternoon, we spent at home. The kids played while I finally finished painting the living room and entryway. Tommy took a bath that night. He was having fun, but suddenly got nervous and tried to climb out. I think he thought he saw something in the water. #january #2018

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Last Saturday, the boys started swimming lessons. While we were waiting for Jakob to finish changing, Sam was standing right next to me, and one second, there was Sam. Then I looked away, and when I looked at him again, he had transformed into... this. It made me laugh.😁 #january #2018

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After scouts and mutual, Tommy was sleep deprived and bored, so I guess I shouldn't question why he would lick a wall covered with the roughest textile known to man. #january #2018 #blog

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Another picture of our Thursday homeschool. #january #2018 #blog

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I don't catch these two together that often anymore, now that they are grown up. #january #2018 #blog

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Sam and Will go to school on Thursdays for Challenge, so I can work a lot with Jakob on his school work, but Tommy still likes to try to sabotage us. Yesterday, he wanted to wear the headphones, and that kept him content for a little while. #january #2018 #blog

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#january #2018 #blog

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Tonight before bed, Avary read to Tommy while the other three played with bean bags. #january #2018 #blog

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Mike and Tommy cooked burgers for dinner. #january #2018 #blog

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After getting home from our errands, we did some work around the house, and the kids played outside, and let the chickens out in the yard. After it got dark, they played Wii. #january #2018 #blog

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Later this morning, we all went to run some errands, and we took a lunch break at McDonalds. While Mike and I were ordered the food, the kids went into the play place. Apparently, Tommy got into an argument with another little kid. Tommy called him a baby, to which the kid responded, "I'm not a baby." Tommy replied, "Yeah, baby." So the kid then shouted, "I'm not a baby!"😂 #january #2018 #blog

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Our first day of 2018 began with Tommy watching Mickey Mouse videos in our bed. He always wakes up first in the morning, and being stuck in his Pack N Play, he starts yelling, "Sam!" Since the kids stayed up until midnight last night, we didn't want him to wake them up, so we brought him to our bed. #2018 #blog

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Just lounging in a bean bag on the couch. #june #2017 #jakob

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Making a boring shopping trip fun! And helping get Tommy through the store without having to chase him all over the place! #may #2017 #frankelkids

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Jakob grew a radish. #may #2017 #jakob

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Jakob grew a radish. #may #2017 #jakob

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Smelling the rhodedendrons. #may #2017 #frankelkids

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We had fun on our little hike, but we let the kids navigate for awhile and we ended up totally lost, which might be why Will looks grumpy in this picture... He wanted to be done. Mike is usually super good with directions, but this was confusing because the signs on the trails weren't matching up with the map. Luckily it was just a network of trails in a city park, so eventually we got ourselves back to our car... After walking in circles for quite awhile.😂 #may #2017 #frankelkids

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Smelling the rhodedendrons. #may #2017 #frankelkids

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We had fun on our little hike, but we let the kids navigate for awhile and we ended up totally lost, which might be why Will looks grumpy in this picture... He wanted to be done. Mike is usually super good with directions, but this time the signs on the trails weren't matching up with the map. Luckily it was just a network of trails in a city park, so eventually we got ourselves back to our car... After walking in circles for quite awhile.😂 #may #2017 #frankelkids

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The boys entertained themselves by playing army on the trail, and Tommy was so into it. He was sitting up there in his backpack making explosion sounds and having fun, so they gave him his own gun and grenade, which he was pretty excited about. Boys...😊 #may #2017 #tommy

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#may #2017 #avary

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Cute boys.#may #2017 #frankelkids

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On Memorial Day we went on a little hike at Point Defiance. The kids were standing on the bottom of a fallen tree in this picture. #may #2017 #avary #sam

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Sunset. #may #2017

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#may #2017

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#may #2017 #tommy

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#may #2017 #frankelkids #mike

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Mike brought one of his 2ID patches, and Will put it on Sgt Allen's grave. Then he asked if he could give him the picture he colored in primary that day. It was sweet.❤️ #may #2017 #will

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After church, we went to the national cemetery where Sgt Allen is buried. It was humbling to see all the red flags marking those who were killed in action. We brought little Avary and Sam here after Mike got back from his deployment about 9 months after Sgt Allen was killed. #may #2017 #mike #frankelkids

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#may #2017 #tommy

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At 18 months, Tommy had finally started saying "mama." He'd been saying some other words for months. He was still nursing, still doing his signs and just being all around cute! #may #2017 #tommy

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On Sunday morning I got some pics of Tommy since he had recently hit 18 months. I tried to get them while he was in his nice church clothes, but of course, he had already messed up his hair and pulled off his tie. 😊 #may #2017 #tommy

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That evening we went for a bike ride on the Yelm-Tenino trail. Sam's friend Colton and his parents joined us for part of the ride. It was fun! We rode about 10 miles.

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We also ate lunch at a fun little restaurant right by the Sound. Mike had been there for work meetings, and he wanted to show it to the fam. #may #2017 #mike #tommy

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Our last Saturday in May, we went to get something at REI, which is always fun. Tommy found a comfy place to sit and relax for about 2 seconds. #may #2017 #tommy

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I had to stop and take this picture on the way to Avary's concert that evening. It was too good to pass up. #may #2017

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I know... More of the same, but he's just so cute 😊 #may #2017 #tommy

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We actually left Mountain Home at 3 a.m. on Tuesday morning, and got home at around 1 p.m. so we made good time, but I was so tired because I didn't sleep at all the night before. Mike had left for a work trip a couple days before we got home too, so coming home was kinda hard, but we had to be back for Avary's choir concert that night. Grammy had bought some clothes for Tommy, so I took some pictures of him to send to her after we got home.

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We drove to Mountain Home and stayed with Grammy that night. I wish we could have seen Grandpa, but he had to work in Arkansas all weekend. But it was so fun to hang out with Grammy, Max and Sawyer, and see everyone else. On the way home, I stopped to take a picture of this sign we saw near White Pass. I thought it was so funny (and kinda creepy) that this old abandoned candy shop had my name on it, and actually advertised black licorice for sale. I mean how many people like black licorice besides weirdos like me? #may #2017

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And we visited Brynna's grave one more time before we left, so we could put some flowers there for Memorial Day. #may #2017 #brynna #frankelkids

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A trip to the mall on Monday finished our off our time in Idaho Falls. Max and Sawyer went to day care that morning, so we'd already said goodbye to them.😢 We went to Downeast to get Avary a white T-shirt for her choir concert the next night. It was also fun to take the little kids to this play place because it brought back memories of when Mike was in Iraq and I would bring little Avary and baby Sam here. #may #2017 #frankelkids

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These cousins know how to have a good time together. A basement full of toys helped too, and my big kids didn't even care that they were all for preschoolers.😂 #may #2017 #frankelkids #max

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Bath time. It was so fun to get these two baby cousins together again, especially now that they are old enough to kinda be friends.😊 #may #2017 #sawyer #tommy

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#may #2017 #frankelkids #max #sawyer

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#may #2017 #grammy #avary #tommy #sawyer

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Cousins. #may #2017 #avary #sawyer