Random Stuff

This has been the best summer I've had since I had kids. I think they are finally old enough to do fun things, or maybe I finally feel good enough to do the fun things. Anyway, it's nothing but Fun around here!

 Evie has a little problem with being a total spaz when you take her picture. Mouth wide open, eyes squeezed shut, weird expression. This picture is awesome because you can see her being a spaz in the Father's Day tie she made for Trav, and being a spaz on his lap. Silly thing.

 We had our Annual Eve Celebration Birthday party at the splash pad in Spanish Fork. I wish I had taken more pictures, but this one is classic. Evie and all her little boy friends.

 Travis and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary on June 20. I am so glad that I married this guy! He is the best, and I really feel like our marriage is happier and more fulfilling now than it has ever been. We went to Tucano's the night of our anniversary, then that weekend we went on a date to Seven Peaks (no kids=lots of slides!) and had a blast! Love you Trav!

 Eve got some paints for her birthday and LOVES them. She wants to paint all the time. Luckily I have this nasty old tablecloth to keep our new table safe, because this girl does not limit her paint to her project.

 We met up with our friends the Bassetts in Lehi during their city celebration and there was a little table where the kids could write a letter/draw a picture for soldiers serving overseas. Anna made this frighteningly realistic drawing with an airplane dropping a bomb (BAM) and people with guns (?) and other people saying  "Ow!" and "We're losing." I have absolutely no idea how she knew so much about war, but I did want to record this very accurate record. And then make sure she only watches My Little Ponies from now on.

 Splash pad in Highland. I am pretty sure Kate has more fun than most people. She just loves to play!

 We have also loved swimming at my parents' house. The kids could literally swim all day every day. Eve has absolutely no fear and thinks it's super cool that she can swim underneath the water. Anna and Kate love to jump off the diving board and swim to the side all by themselves. Even little Max likes to get in and splash, a habit that he has transferred to bathtime as well.

Now that I think about it, I guess the real reason that this is the best summer is because my kids have started to really like each other and enjoy playing all together. This was a village in China they created one Sunday afternoon all on their own. I love to see them working together like that, especially since it meant Trav and I could just sit at the table eating chips and guacamole.

 This little guy has got some teeth! Right now he has the two on the bottom in the front and one on the top. He went through a little phase where he would bite my upper arm every time I held him and a couple times I even bled! Luckily he's over that now and the teeth don't seem to be bugging him. He has turned into a little eating machine. He loves all fruit, Cheerios, and especially those little Yogurt Melts. Oh, and french fries. He's a big fan of french fries.

 He is also MOBILE! He can crawl anywhere, and he can get there fast. He loves to play in the dog's water dish, so we usually keep the door to the pantry shut. As soon as that door opens, you better believe he is speeding over there to soak himself. Again.
He also loves to pull himself up on things and cruise around. Yesterday I bought one of those buckets of ice cream and left it on the floor while I put some stuff in the fridge. Max crawled over and pulled up on it, then burst into tears. It was so cold, and he couldn't figure out that all he needed to do was let go. There's so much to learn when you're little.

 The girls took tennis lessons in June and love to "play" on our patio in the backyard. They use duct tape for the net. Genius.

 Have you been to the Children's Garden at Thanksgiving Point? Because it's awesome.

Look out, ladies. It's pretty much all I can do to not kiss those cheeks every minute of the day.

 We have a new baby cousin named Kaizlee. She is so sweet! The girls love to hold her, and why shouldn't they? New little babies are the best!

Bridal Veil: Check

One thing we absolutely must do each summer is hike to Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon. We love that it is a short hike with a fun pool to play in at the end. This time our good friends the Claytons invited us to tag along with them. And we were happy to do so.

We are kind of destined to be best friends with the Claytons. Know why? 

Because of this. (Hannah and Anna, 7 years old.)

And this. (Megan and Kate, 5 years old.)

 Also Maddie and Eve (3 years old). And Wyatt and Max. (Okay, that one is a stretch because Wyatt is 2 and Max is 9 months.... But you get the idea.)

 We had a great time playing in the water,

 climbing the rocks,

 and creating little hospitals for bugs. Is there a better way to spend a summer day?

I had to take this one of Eve because the previous day I had read this quote from A Soft Place to Land by Susan Rebecca White: "We have not made mudpies for nothing."
That totally speaks to me. Children are engaged, primarily, in the business of play. They play dolls, they play Legos, they play dress-ups. Play is how they learn about and interpret the world. Play is a reflection of who they are and what they experience. (So, yes, when you overhear your child telling her teddy bear that he is going to have a "consequence" you only have yourself to blame.) Play is hardly inconsequential. Rather, play is crucial, and especially between siblings. They do not make mudpies (or block towers or spa-la-la days or Kool-Aid stands) for nothing, they make it for everything. For every happy moment those children have together is further cementing a strong relationship that they will take with them into the future, so that when hard times come and they feel alone and afraid, they KNOW they can count on their sisters (or brothers, whatever...). That a bond has been formed by their hours of joy together that will not be severed by distance, time, or "borrowing" a shirt from another's closet during those teenage years. That is why they play.

Ahem. Off my soapbox. Thanks, Claytons! Love Bridal Veil, love you!

Father's Day Photo Shoot

I try to take pictures of my kids each year to give to their dad on Father's Day. So I loaded them all into the car and headed to Canyon View Park, thanks to the recommendation of my friend Crystal. Once we got there, I spied a nice shady spot with some pretty bushes by it and told my kids to head over that way. As I got closer, I noticed a sign posted nearby: Warning: Poison Ivy. Keep Out!

Oops.

Luckily we dodged that bullet. Here are some of the best of the day. 

 Eve is a total space cadet. She couldn't find a normal smile, a relaxed pose, or really even look at the camera most of the time. So this is what we get.

 That Anna is sure a beauty! I can't believe how blue her eyes are! I tried to find some Photoshop actions to enhance them more, but it got kind of complicated so I gave up. So those are her natural blue eyes, amazing!

 I am in love with Kate's toothless smile. She kept trying to keep her mouth closed, but I wanted her to show me that gap! You can often hear me singing to her "I love the gap between your teeth."

 This little guy did not make it easy! I think I took more than 100 photos of him. He just hated sitting by himself. He sure is a handsome little fellow though, don't you think? 

I also took a billion group pictures, and this is the best one. I really need to do a Photoshop class about replacing heads in pictures, because I promise there were some where Eve didn't look like she was about to cry and Anna didn't look like she was in pain. But even Photoshop couldn't help with Max, because there were none where he was actually smiling.
Meh. We do the best we can.
I sure love this little group of people. I am glad to call them mine!

Zoo:Check

 We have been anxiously awaiting the opening of the Rocky Shores exhibit at the zoo. Polar bears and otters are my two favorite animals, and it was so fun to get to watch them play around in the water. Max liked to wave at the bears, which cracked me up.

 Out of all the fun animals to choose on the carousel, Eve chose the peacock. Yes, the peacock that is mostly a bench with feathers and doesn't do anything fun. Everyone else rode something cool, but Eve and I were stuck on the peacock. At least she was happy about it.

 Anna loves to pretend that the back of my mom's car is a drive-through window and she is the fast food employee. My mom is so nice to go along with it, because sometimes when Anna gets an idea, she cannot let it go.

Tracy Aviary: Check

We crossed the Aviary off our Summer Fun list pretty early, thanks to our Pass of All Passes. I love the aviary, but it was pretty hot and the kids did not seem very interested. It's possible we spent more time in the restroom than actually looking at birds, but whatever... it was still a fun day.

 We went with our friends the Bassetts. Their little boy, Bentley, was so excited when Max was born because now he wouldn't be the only boy when we hang out together. I think it's been a little disappointing for him that Max is not a ton of fun quite yet. Ben insisted we get a "boys picture."

 One of the best things about going to the Aviary is playing in the water feature at Liberty Park. I think the kids could have spent the whole day there. Here's our girls with sweet Gwen.

Camping: Check

I totally figured out how to beat the system. I get to enjoy all the fun of camping, but not suffer through sleeping on the ground, peeing in an outhouse, and freezing my tail off. It goes like this: we plan a camping trip somewhere nearby, so that we can head up and have a good time roasting hot dogs and hiking around, and then at about 8 pm, I take my sleepy baby back to our house so that we both can get a good night's sleep. Trav and the girls stay in the mountains and enjoy Daddy/Daughter time, and I stay up till all hours of the night reading a thriller. It's the best.
Here are the pictures from our latest camping adventure, at least the part I was there for!

 We went to Whiting, near Mapleton. It was so close and so beautiful! For some odd reason, the kids were afraid of the campfire, so I roasted all the hot dogs while they munched on Cheetos and snow peas.

 Camping is a big deal for our family because it is one of the two times a year that we buy soda. Eve could not get enough of her cream soda!

 After dinner we went for a little walk. Anna and I played tag and it was really fun to run through the trees trying to trick her.

 Max is a fan of the great outdoors. All night long he kept looking up at the trees and trying to grab them. He was fascinated by the scenery.

Once Max started to get fussy, he and I drove him. This was the view coming down from the canyon. I feel so blessed to live in this beautiful place!

What do you do in the summertime?

I sat down with the kids and made a list of all the fun things we want to do this summer. They are so funny. Here's how it went:
1. Tracy Aviary
2. Natural History Museum
3. Seven Peaks
4. Splash Pad
5. Bike Rides
6. Bean Museum
7. Zoo
8. McDonalds
9. Movies
10. Hikes-- Bridal Veil, the Grotto, Ensign Peak
11. Spanish Fork Reservoir
12. Take care of garden
13. Play with Sammie, Erica, Allie, Jane, Alexis, Cecily, Kaley
14. Make crafts
15. Sleep in tent in backyard
16. Go Camping
17. Go to San Diego
18. Go swimming at Grandma's
19. Slip n slide
20. Sprinklers
21. Fireworks
22. Beach toys
23. Fiddler on the Roof
24. Go boating
25. Fishing

I don't know if we'll get them all done (especially fishing because I think that particular activity is both boring and gross), but it gives us some ideas. Also, I've set up a schedule for the days of the week-- mostly to try and get myself organized to do worthwhile activities with the kids.

Make a Project Monday

Time to Read Tuesday (Library Trip)

We Love Grandma Wednesday

Think of Others Thursday (Service)

Food is Fun Friday (cooking lessons)

Last of all, I set summer goals for the kids and they can earn beans (our reward system) for things like running a mile, learning to make juice by themselves, swimming across the pool by themselves, memorizing the Articles of Faith, reading 100 pages, etc.
Here's to a summer of fun!