Happy Birthday Matthew!

So I think Matt has seriously been anxiously waiting for this birthday literally for the last 17 years or so!!! THE BIG 19 has finally arrived!!! It's official. He can be a missionary now! :)

We had a fun time celebrating with him at dinner at Famous Dave's on Saturday night... then another birthday dinner Sunday, cake ice cream and presents Sunday night.

What a great son Matt is. We love him so much! He leaves in 6 weeks and can HARDLY wait!! It's been a long wait for him! Hard to think this is the last birthday he will have with us for 2 whole years! But we just can't help but be excited for him! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR FAVORITE SON!!! We love you tons Matt!

CLEAN UP and OUT

After two weeks of partying it up.... today we had to do a major work day!!!!! I am working THREE days this week (ughh) so today was the day!

Here's a list of what me and the kids accomplished by 2:30 pm

-two loads of dishes

-six loads of laundry

-cleaned the kitchen

-cleaned the family room

-put away all the camp stuff

-cleaned the living room

-mowed the front yard

-edged the front yard

-trimmed the hedges/trees

-cleaned out/vacuumed 3 couches

- spackled and painted all the holes/dings in our walls

-washed down all the doors on the main floor

-cleaned two bathrooms thoroughly

-cleaned three bedrooms

-took out all the garbages

-cleaned THE PIT (our junk closet) - two black bags to D.I. one to the garbage

-mopped

-dusted

-cleaned out our bookshelf

-cleaned out our entertainment center

!!!!!!!WOW!!!!! I feel so happy right now! I love a GREAT cleaning day like that!!

THANK YOU KIDS FOR HELPING OUT! :)

Still on the home improvement to do list:

ME:

-Find/buy or make curtains for my kitchen windows

-find/buy rugs for my kitchen and two bathrooms

- clean out kitchen/bathroom cupboards and pantry

Dave:

-finish touch up painting in the kitchen

-shampoo carpets

-paint kids bathroom

-finish wood edging on kitchen flooring

-paint exterior and interior doors

-make a patio :)

GIRLS CAMP

Last week was girls camp! YEA! I am on my fourth consecutive year. It was great fun! So awesome having Dave, Lindsey and Katie there with me this year. We had a great time together. Loved the cope course Dave set up and ran, the rock climbing wall, the zip line, rope bridge, crafts, service projects, camp fires, testimony meeting, guest speakers, firesides, pep rallies etc... etc.. it was a great week. Of course, we came home DEAD tired. FUN times! Matt stayed home and took AWESOME care of Ellie. They had some gourmet meals, went to a movie, made a huge fort to sleep in and went to the park lots! Good week for the Doxey clan! :)

FAMILY REUNION

This years' Doxey/Gibson family reunion was the bomb.com!!!! We had a wonderful time. It was a great location with the campground and the lake ALL TO OURSELVES! It was AWESOME!!! Yipee!

We left on Saturday mid-morning after Dave had pulled an all-nighter at work Friday night... We headed out all 6 of us, in the truck. Yeah, it was TIGHT...(not in a cool way). We got to Provo around 7 and hung with the cousins. Sunday morning was Carol's much anticipated farewell. May I just say she packed em in? To the STAGE! She did a great job on her talk and then the open house afterwards was supreme.

Monday morning we headed out to Ferron, UT where our family reunion destination was at Millsite Campground/Lake. We started the day there with setting up camp and then lots of canoeing and kayaking and swimming in the lake. We had the WHOLE place to ourselves. The older boys did some cliff jumping , crafts and four wheeling. We had a ball. We ended that day with a great game hosted by Dan-- on how well do you know your aunts and uncles. It was awesome! S'mores too!

Then we hit the sack. A few people actually slept.

Tuesday we got up bright and early and went gun shooting!! Fun stuff. Hit the jet ski. ALL day. It was a hoot! Around noon the boat arrived and we got lots of turns on the boat tubing/wakeboarding/kneeboarding. It was so much fun. Four wheeling, running, biking, crafts tie dying shirts etc...Entertainment that night included watching home videos from Dan and Julie through the years. Great memories... scones with honey butter and off to bed for another not so restful night's sleep! :)

Wednesday we got up again bright and early, some went golfing, others hit the lake with the boat and the jet ski full force ALL day long. Four wheeling, cliff jumping and the works. Just after lunch a serious storm hit... we packed up and then kind of hung out in our cars till it passed.. a great napping opportunity. After the storm died down we hung out, took pictures in our tie dyed shirts and then ate dinner... then on the road we were. And let me just say, it was BRUTAL driving home. I don't remember a harder drive home EVER. We were soooo tired. It was even more cramped in the truck on the way home because we were all tired, sore, sunburned and cranky!!!!! But we made it home at midnight and stayed up til 1:30 am unloading.

This was a great reunion! One of our family's favorites by far! We had a blast! The company was outstanding and the location was excellent... and might I add the food... the food was delectable... mexi fest, pancakes/bacon, sandwiches,burgers/dogs, breakfast burritos, BBQ chicken sandwiches, spaghetti and meatballs... oh yeah...THANKS EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

It was a MUCH needed break for our family!! Now we are off to girls camp next week -- Me, Dave, Lindsey and Katie!! Matt and Elle will be "roughin" it at home!