Oh What Do You Do In the Summertime?

When we've been home and not on a trip (which is the majority of the time), here are some things we've done/do:

• As many water involved activities as possible :)

Being Mermaids:)

Sadie was FINALLY tall enough for the water slides at the public pools this year!
 
She loved the fast one even better than the slow one:)

• Go out to eat on a really lucky day

• Sent Emma off to her second year of Girl's Camp

• Saw the little girls sitting next to each other at the computer and got a good idea. Well...I thought so:)

• Fulfill my calling

I've really gotten used to being primary chorister. I don't even get too nervous anymore!
This was my Father's Day activity- good singing=cutting the dad's ties. I totally acted like I forgot to ask the dads to wear a tie they didn't care about. I even had the leaders fooled. One teacher offered to be the cut-ee in the stead of his partner because I told the two pre-chosen men to act like they didn't want their ties cut. Haha- It was great. And I have NEVER heard singing like that. It was probably one the kids will always remember too.

• Watch the kids help each other with their daily lists

They've actually been really cute with this. Especially Sadie and Holly. About half the time they team up and do both their jobs together.

 

• Watch my teenager act like a teenager

And then act like a kid again:)


And finally one last picture from Father's Day. Dana getting the royal treatment:)

Today is our 16 year Anniversary and I'm feeling very grateful for such a wonderful husband :) And the happy family we've created together...with a little help from above.

Swim and Dive 2013

Swim and Dive has come to an end again. I love this program! I put Sadie in this year and am so grateful that I did. It gave her a lot of practice and gave her the final to push to actually become a swimmer. I finally this year feel confident letting all the kids go play in a pool without being right there watching the whole time. I still check on them every so often but what a great feeling!

Sadie couldn't make it all the way down the lane and had to grab the side a few times. She never cried and was just really excited about it. I thought that took a lot of courage. She's so little and the pool's so big. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have been so brave at her age.


I know it helped that she's been watching her big sisters do swim team her whole life and has always been so excited for her turn. She really couldn't wait for the first swim meet. I was pretty sure she'd get last since she was still working on the swimming part, let alone being faster than anyone else. But this is her quote as I took this picture: "I Love my ribbon!!! Even though it's last place it's the first ribbon I ever had!...It's so sparkly and shiny!" So, she was such a happy camper:)


Then her next race only had 4 swimmers (she must have been in the last heat) so she got a new color which was also fun. I'm not sure if she realized it was also last place but it was just so sweet how happy she was just to get her own ribbons.
 

 By the end of the season she swam the length a couple times without grabbing the lane line! Yay!

 Holly loved dive this year. She did it with her best friend so that definitely helped too.
 

She got her best ribbon at the first meet (6th out of about 20). Gymnastics skills really helped her out.
 

Eli took this pic unbeknownst to me (obviously) at one of Holly's meets. It's not super fun sweating outside on a hot summer day here, but I love watching the kids perform the skills they've been working on and hopefully gaining a sense of achievement themselves.
 

Lastly, the veteran swimmer, Emma. She loves swimming but I'm not sure if she's going to do it again next year. Waking up at 5:30 in the summer is not easy, and since her cousins moved, she didn't have them to bike with this year. I rode with her a couple times and watched her practice (and read) but I have to say- waking up at 5:30 in the summer is not at the top of my list either!

I love that so many kids do ride their bikes there though.
 

And she loved having Jane there with her once she got there.
 
So we'll see what happens.
Until next year!

4th of July, 2013

Since we have a family reunion in Utah later this month, we decided to stick around here for the 4th this year. But since not much happens here, here, we went up to Payson (about 10-15 deg cooler) for one night. It was a fun time and it was great to experience someplace new.

We stayed at a Best Western and the kids had a great time in the pool and spa. And the yummy, free breakfast in the morning.



Next we decided to take the kids to "Monsters University". Such a cute movie!
 

Afterward we went down to the park where all the action was. We got there in the middle of the races and then we all did the tug-o-war between the "Valley" (us) and the "Locals". 

Dana did a good job in the 40-50 yr old race:)


Valley-Side kids getting ready to pull!




I guess the Valley kids won for the first time ever. Good thing our 4 hefties were there! I pulled with the women but we lost:(. Then the men's was the best. About 5 seconds in, the big fat rope just popped in half (just as "Valley" was about to take it again) and all the men fell down. Everyone was laughing.

Then we kinda walked around a little. It was still hot, although bearable, and the kids had moments of grumpiness.
 


We walked over and checked out the lake.
 


They found some cool reeds.

And tried to catch the dragonflies flying around.
 
Holly stepped on a bee not too long after this picture:( Luckily she wasn't really affected by it. It never got swollen or itchy.
 

The kids found a fun tree to climb...
 



Parking was CRAZY and we were too afraid to leave and lose our spot so we just stayed there and got some junkie "carnie" dinners. And don't forget the ice cream please!
 

We were unprepared in the blanket dept. and we all tried to squeeze onto this ONE that we had in the car.
 

Finally after a couple hours the show began! It was for sure the longest I've ever seen.
 


It was a great show! Wow! It wasn't quite as fun to fight (if sitting in gridlock could be considered fighting) the traffic getting outta there, getting home at midnight, and Dana having to work on the 5th (poor Dana), but a super time overall!

What a wonderful holiday! Last Sunday we sang "America the Beautiful" in Sacrament and I couldn't stop the tears. I'm so grateful for this country and our freedoms. When I think of all those that have sacrificed their lives, my heart's so full.