First Day of School

Ok, ok, I know. I'm lousy about posting on a regular basis. But I do try and update when we have news, at least! I'll try and make it up to you!

The biggest thing we've had lately has been that 2nd grade started for Tia August 20th. She was soo excited, I deliberately waited to tell her when the actual day was coming just to keep things on a more even keel. Plus we didn't have any money to go shopping for school clothes until the weekend before anyway. So (once everyone got past the worst of illnesses and bad schedules), my sisters Brittany, Ashley, and I took Tia to the mall (heaven forgive us!) and went looking for clothes that were reasonably priced and still looked good. Of course, the clothes that I found Britt didn't like, and the ones she found I thought were cute but I liked the other ones better. But, like the greatly intelligent adults that we are, we left the ultimate decision to the 6 year old! And wouldn't you believe it...she picked the clothes I liked! I knew she was my daughter!



These are pictures that I swiped from Ashley's blog that are too fun. The "food" is actually playground equipment inside the mall for tired out moms who just need to let their kids go crazy...or go crazy with the kids. Something like that.


I had the devil of a time getting her to look at the camera at the same time as not do a "cutsey pose". So here is one cutsy, and one of what she really looked like that morning!



Since then, she has been increasingly busy with schoolwork and friends. Her teacher (the couple of times I've been able to meet her which were before and immediately after school) seems really nice, and she has a good reputation with the parents I've spoken with. Plus she doesn't have as much homework that is assigned each night, which helps. As luck would have it, 2 other kids from our ward are also in her school class. So she already knew a few kids, and now my little social butterfly is expanding her "group" daily. It sure has been fun to see her excitement as her world expands! And oh, my! All the new books that she is starting to get interested in! Can you believe that she wants to start in on the Narnia Chronicles? I didn't think she'd start trying those for another year at least!

Now I just need to find a way to occupy the boys while she is gone...they really do look to her for all the entertainment around here! I guess us boring parents are just going to have to work on that...

Our trip to Price

Like I said I've been busy. Just a week after the holiday, we went down to Sunnyside, Utah (a teeny, tiny little town just south and east of Price) to visit with Johnny's parents. It was an awful, long drive south (our car's thermostat went out, though we didn't know it until we'd already embarked on a trip that went from a 3 1/2 or 4 hour trip into an 8+ hour trip) during the heat of the day in a car with no air conditioning...well, let me just say that we are going to get a newer model van asap; hopefully before I search out the sledge hammer in the garage!! The rest of the trip was a lot of fun, though short. We basically just went down and horsed around the house, spent the night, horsed around some more while John and Dad fixed the car (plus a trip to the park), and then we headed into to Price. (Thanks a million for the visit Mom and Dad! I know it couldn't have been easy what with the shoulder and the kids and all!) The theory was that we'd see if replacing the thermostat fixed the car based on whether or not the car had issues before we got to Price, and decide from there what we would do (the original plans had included attending the Nelson Reunion which was at a church campsite between Orangeville and Huntington, again just outside of Price). When we got to Price, we pulled up to a gas station to fill up. As we were sitting there discussing our travel plans, the truck sitting in front of us (huge truck by the way) got ready to leave and instead of pulling out popped right into us! Now, this didn't really do any damage (to quote my eloquent husband, "it probably just made the bumper look better!") but John wasn't feeling terribly secure about the car anyway, so he decided to take a hint and get the heck out of Dodge before we found ourselves stranded in the middle of the desert with no cell reception. So we stopped to briefly visit with a friend of ours from high school (gads, I wish I looked as good as she does...and she's even 6 months pregnant! Congrats again, Audrey!!!), and then started kicking up dust. We finally made it home about 1:30 am (due to a 30 minute wait from road construction and another 30 minute wait from a car accident we came across), safe and sound, and incredibly grateful to sink into our own beds!

Here are a few pictures from the park fun I know you all LOVE to watch out for! No applause necessary...and try to keep the groans to a minimum!

Meet our spider monkey:


There's nothing like following in the steps of a big brother!


"Look Mom! I found the same thing that was on that one movie!" (Ice Age)


Yes, John does this on a regular basis (though I think he's just trying to induce a heart attack in his wife!)


Grandpa Tony teaching Caelen how to play: (wait, is that by voice or example?)


"Let me catch you Grandpa!"


Grandpa and Tia


Tia and Kieran...yes, Kieran can walk now!


It is a little hard to see, but Kieran was giggling hysterically when he was swinging!


Tia's favorite thing to do in the park is still to find all the flowers and make things with them!


Daleine talking while John whittles...


As we were leaving Sunnyside, the sun started to peak through and leave some absolutely gorgeous sunbeam shots! Gosh, I miss the smell of a rainstorm in the desert!!!!!!!

Pioneer Day pics

Ok, so I know that this is more than a little late; but in my defense I have been a little busy. I promised I would put up some pictures of the picnic and fireworks fun, though heaven only knows I'm not the best with my camera yet (if you've ever watched me try to figure out how to read directions at the same time as follow them...yeah, I have a hard time walking and chewing gum at the same time sometimes too), so go with me as best you can and then through a pound of salt over your shoulder.

For July 24th, I always harass people into going to Willow Park for the fireworks, and usually a picnic before. This year our semi-willing victims were Garth, Laura, and Ashley. Johnny made this amazing pulled pork BBQ, and we managed to limp by with the rest. After dinner we had fun kicking a soccer ball around, tossing a frisby back and forth, and trying to keep up with the kids. After it started getting dark we pulled the glow sticks out and had fun playing around 'til the fireworks started. Ready for the photo album now? ;)


Aren't they cute? They're all sending their love...



Here's the soccer/frisby fun...what you get, anyway



Just a few pictures of people having fun!



And this one...can you say "Busted!!!"



I had to save some of the best for last: the great Before and After shots of funny Garth!

Medusa lives!!!

Ok, I have to tell people this. I know it sounds silly, but I've been trying for ages to find a way to curl Tia's hair the way that she likes and that I can live with. It has been a little bit of a chore just because her hair is sooo long, but I finally found it! I found these really cool curlers at Sally Beauty that work from a kind of "memory plastic" that is formed into a flattened mesh tube. It works by sticking a kind of giant, elongated plastic crochet hook up through the mesh tube, grabbing the hair with it and pulling the whole thing back down and out of the tube. I've been told by a few hair stylists and friends that they like using this method because it lets your hair try 10x as fast. I just like it because it will curl Tia's hair in a spiral with out ratting it. Here are some before and after pictures:



There is what my own little Medusa looks like with the curlers newly placed.



Isn't she just adorable? I can even say I have my own "Curly Sue"! (Heaven help us all!)

Happy Events around the Kitchen

Wow, so much has been happening! I hope you have patience for a novel!

First off, our anniversary was Tuesday, July 1. Congrats to us, we made it 10 years! (And big raspberries to those who were soo convinced we wouldn't make it a year ;P ) Actually, it was wayyy more laid back than we'd originally planned. But all thanks to Steve and Sarah Richins (you guys are becoming our regular champions!), we were able to go out sans kids after all. We ended up going over to the Logan Aquatic Center (where we were informed that we couldn't kiss because there were kids present...don't ask me why, this is the only time we've ever been told that after spending the last few years of summers there with our kids and still acting the exact same way every time), and then up Logan Canyon for a quick weiner roast. We found this really great spot called Wood Campsite that has several sites but is much more private than a lot of more popular or commonly found campsites. Plus it is literally right on the river, so the sounds and smells (not to mention the plant life) are gorgeous and soo incredibly peaceful. If we are lucky enough to ever find someone willing to take our kids for a night or two, I know just where we'll be heading!



This is the picture I could take from my chair at the fire.


Just for proof, if you look above John's head you can see the bank.


This is a quiet little spring that we found that was right across the river from our site. It is much easier to enjoy this picture if you click on it to enlarge it a bit.

The other major thing that happened has been (of course) the 4th of July. Thanks to the fact that we live in Logan, of course the big fireworks show is the day before, which just happens to be Ashley and Dad's birthday. So whole holiday activities sort of get stretched out. But it really was a ton of fun! First, Ashley came down from Rexburg and came with the kids and I (John had to work, of course) to a BBQ up in good ol' Aggie village with the Prows' and Richins'.


This is Steve entertaining the kids while Sarah (and Carmel, though she made me promise not to put up the pictures) got to work cooking the meat.


This is (of course) the new adult Ashley with Tia the hugger, Caelen the watcher, and Kieran the busy britches.

Then we jumped down to the stadium to join up with Garth and Jaron's families for the concert and fireworks. By the way, a HUGE thanks to Cindy for getting everyone the tickets! It was a lot of fun, and my kids loved it!


Here's a picture of the whole gang (plus if you look carefully you'll even find Jaron's stash...yum, more sugar to keep the kids going!), and there is a picture of Caelen's fascination while Tia is just cute...

Then we went back up to the Prows' for homemade ice cream while we waited for the traffic to die down. Out to drop Ashley off at Garth's where she was staying for this trip, and then to revive my car which decided to slip the battery cable just enough...fortunately Jaron was still up and he came to my rescue and saved my car from the severe beating that was about to commence. Let's just say that the kids were more than sound asleep in the back seat and didn't know a thing!

The next day it was time for the parade in Hyrum so we grabbed Ashley and headed out. My goodness but the kids had fun chasing all that candy!


Just look for yourselves!

Then we hopped over to my aunt Jean's for her annual BBQ and visit with the family. Thanks a million Jean! I can't begin to say just how fun it was to see most everyone of the cousins I spent the most of my childhood vacations with! Kind of fun seeing what we are all like now that we're all the grown ups in the family and the kids now outnumber us! Then later that night I took the kids back up to Jaron and Garth's apt complex for sparklers. (If you really want to see more pictures, let me know. I have them, I just wasn't sure you all wanted even more from the same entry!)

The next day I made Ashley's cheesecake (I would still love a detailed critique on that by the way Ashley!), and Johnny taught her about the fluids in her newly 'inherited' car. Unfortunately, by the time Ashley left we only had about 30 minutes we could have spent interrupting everything at church before we had to leave again to get Johnny to work, so I basically just set the kids to playing in their rooms and died for the rest of the day. What a week!

Now it is just a matter of clearing out the rest of the boxes and such...anyone needing some fuel for a ward camp out or something? I've got a terrific idea for you! ;)