July Happenings

July was jam packed.  Here are some shots of fun times when we were just at home in the summertime:)

 

 James and Daddy making silly faces, and James climbed into the 

baby hiking carrier, which just added to the silliness!

 Now both boys are in/on the baby carrier!

 Some of the ladies in the neighborhood organized a day to go to the beach at Pineview Reservoir

Jack enjoyed some string cheese

 And he really liked the beach....

 ....while James had a blast in the water with any friend who'd play.

He even got on a floating thing you lay on and started "swimming"

aka kicking and was going farther from shore, then I had to swim in after him 

and pull him back.  He got a little scared and decided that was a very bad idea.

Always had the lifevest on though so no freaking out.

 Going to help make cookies with Grandma

 Roll it, and pat it, and cut out with a star

 They like to hold hands in the car

 James is really into catching butterflies or moths.

Here he is showing me a moth he caught in the grass.

 They love umbrellas!!

 Grandma gave them her umbrella's from the car, 

I don't know if she'll be getting those back anytime soon, or ever really :)

 Uncle Jason and Aunt Nicole came up for dinner and games.

Jack insisted that Jason read their bedtime stories that night.

 Nathan and I got to go to Cheesecake Factory with 

besties Aubreigh and Matt 

That is Jack, on the potty!

He's been wanting to try sometimes, I'm not pushing it,

but if he wants to I'll help him out as much as he wants.

4tH of JuLy!!

I told James a few months ago that on the 4th of July there is a parade with firetrucks, police cars, tractors, a marching band, old cool cars, motorcycles, horses, and they throw candy out.  I think the only part of that he heard was "throw candy" and seriously since the middle of June he asked anytime we went anywhere if this is where they were going to throw candy at us. Well, then I got wind that the Morgan parade had been cancelled due to lack of volunteers for planning.  Aaahhh!!  Not acceptable to a mommy whose cute kid was asking all the time about a parade with candy!  So, plan b) was to get up to Lewiston(by Franklin) by 9am to see that parade with family.  That's also hard with little ones to get up and going and get there by that time.  Thankfully, about a week before the 4th, the parade was back on in Morgan!  We went to the same spot as we did last year, and we found our friend's again the Campbell's holding the fort down on now "our" spot!  

Beck is one of James' best buddies, it was great to see these two together.

 Beck and James waiting for the candy to be tossed at them

Beck, Ingrid, and James wowed by the big firetruck. 

 Jack's perch during the parade.

He does not like to be hot, and so this parade wasn't as much fun to him,

candy or not. He just kept saying he was hot.

After the parade our cute family headed up to Franklin and we spent the evening with

Mike, Misty, Tate, Taylee, and Ty.

 When we got up there they were riding horses.

I was so excited to take both the boys riding!!!

It is one of my favorite activities, and both James and Jack loved it.

It was their first time on a full size horse riding with a saddle, and mommy, and not in a coral.

Jack liked it!  Which is saying something because at first he didn't want to even pet the horses.

I'm on Dolly, and Tate is on Cookie behind me. It was Tate's first time riding Cookie, which is also a big deal because Cookie was just broken this summer.

 Having fun with mommy 

 We watched the fireworks that night in Lewiston from the back of Mike's truck. 

Great idea. As soon as it was done (about a fifteen minute show) we were out of there and didn't have to walk back to the car.

 Porter's all together.

Misty's expecting another miracle in December too!!

 Every single firework these three were like "wow, oh, ah, wow" or some sort of exclamation.

Pretty cute, even funnier that Mike fell asleep during the show :)

 After that short display, which was perfect for the kids, and really, it's all about the kids at this stage of life, we did a few fireworks at the Porter's house.

James like his sparkler.

 Jack, with help from Daddy of course

I loved how Taylee dressed herself today.

Pure four year old awesomeness :)

She gets along so well with James, and Jack.

Happy 4th of July!

Update on My Mama

In June I went the last week to Colorado without the kids to be able to better help out with anything that my parents needed.  My mom was now in a nursing and rehab center, and was doing surprisingly well.  Each day she was getting better, though she still had a hard time talking above a whisper, and talking without having to catch her breath every two to three words.  However, this was still a marked improvement. I even got to "check her out" of the rehab center one night and get to take her to dinner with Uncle Kyle and Aunt Carol at a new favorite called August Moon for Chinese food.

 My mama and me

 Bill and Rosie Brown, cousins from New York, were also out to visit their Colorado family, and I was lucky enough to be there at the same time.  

Working on her walking with her CNA as I was leaving.

She has come a long way, and I'm very proud of how's she's doing.

Love you Mama!

Cousin Week!

 So we (meaning Nathan, myself, Kathy, and Alan) took Richard and Rachelle's girls home with us to Mountain Green from the reunion in St. George for a week.

Bring on the madness!

 

Sitting together on the couch to watch a movie after 

walking the dog and finding the big puff balls to blow into the wind.

Jack (1), James (3), Elisa (8), Kayla (3), and Lydia (6)

Everyone was looking at the camera!

 Another day we went down to see Jason and Nicole, who have just moved to Sandy, 

and got to play at a really neat park and splash pad.

 They all had fun at Uncle Jason and Aunt Nicole's house!

(and there's a NEW cousin coming in Sept. here, very excited to have them close!)

The next day Kathy and I loaded all the kids and went to the Haworth farm to enjoy and spend the night.  It took us 5 hours to get out the door!  Lots to do with five little kids under eight yrs.

When we got there Grandpa brought up a tractor with a baler attached, and we all got to go for a ride.

 Cute Kayla in the window

   

 Lovin' the tractor, James still wants to be a farmer to drive a tractor when he grows big.

And Jack knows the difference between a tractor,a baler, a bale wagon, and a combine.

Not bad for not even being two yet :)

 Look, I'm in there too!  It was my first ride in the tractor too!  Loved it!

 If anyone's ever interested in a funny story, ask me how it was to make that fire (yes, the one without the flames that we are roasting marshmallows over the coals) for tin foil dinners and smores.

Short version, it took a really long time finding all materials, getting it going, so tin foils were made in the oven, and the fire had died down to only hot coals by the time it was for smores.

And then the kids were over it in 5 minutes.

 Jack waiting for his marshmallow 

Grandma and Elisa

 James was into turning the skewer to even out the heat 

(or he just liked to turn it over and over)

 Pretty Lydia

(side note, I really loved doing three heads of girl hair each day, by the end of the week, I was getting better and better) Lydia has some natural curl at the ends, which always complemented the style she chose for the day. Each girl could pick a picture from the computer, and I'd try to imitate it.

 After lunch the next day with mommy

I loved, loved, loved taking the kids on a fourwheel ride.

We only rode all together once, and we didn't go too fast, but it was great.

 Assorted farm fun

 We went to the cows and to play in the creek on the really hot day.

After going to the barn, Kayla held her nose and said it was stinky until we were well clear of the cows again.  Three yr olds can be hilarious

 All great-grands with Grandma Haworth

 Cute girls

 The next day we hit up the library, and Elisa I think read all the books we checked out to James and Jack in the back of the van by the time we got home.

 Kayla in the car

Story time.

This picture if funny because A) it's the best one I got and, B) Jack is picking his nose and 

Lydia didn't want to have her picture taken.

I learned much while the girls were at our house.  Those of you with lots of kids, huge kudos to you.  Also, I think I grew closer to Kathy watching all the kids than I have living with her for the last few months (or having the girls here too was just a catalyst).  

I had a great time, and the little times that I would get a hug, be leaned on during prayers, get them laughing, hearing all the cousins play together, getting one on one time, and hearing the girls say "we should move to Utah next" made it all worth while.

Thank you Rich and Rachelle for letting the girls come!