Gone Fishin'

On the 25th of July Mike and the kids went fishing at Trial Lake in the Uintah Mountains. I don't know what it is about their little fishing poles, but once again the little kids caught more than everyone else combined. Each of the kids caught four fish and Mike's brother Andy caught two.

Mike found Steven the "Perfect Fishing Rock", and he stayed there the whole time. He'd let Mike know when he had a fish on the line and would reel it in, take a picture with it, and then release it. Steven is a busy body, but when fishing, he is surprisingly patient.






Sarah fished near her uncle Andy, and although she doesn't have the same passion for fishing as Steven, she loved it once the fish started biting.





I "sacrificed" by staying home with Adam and packing for our trip to Oregon the next day.

Hike to Rocky Mouth Canton Waterfall

Last week we went with our friends, the Smith's, on a short hike to Rocky Mouth Canyon Waterfall. It is a short and easy hike for kids.




The girls love having their pictures taken. Sarah not only found a great tree to pose on, but she also taught us the correct way to pose while standing on a tree and holding on to an adjoining branch.




The waterfall was has a nice, shallow pond in front of it for the kids to walk in.

Happy 1st Birthday Adam!!!!

Last Sunday we celebrated Adam's first birthday. We love our little Jett, and have had such a fun first year with him.


Here are his stats from the Doctors:
Height- 31 1/4 90% (the measurement was off, he's not quite that tall)
Weight- 21 lbs 13 oz 36%
Head- 47 centimeters 76% (he needs a big head to hold his large brain) :)

Adam is such a sweet little boy. The only time he ever fusses is when he's hungry, or tired. Other than that, he gives smiles to everyone around him.

Adam loves music. He's responded to music more than our other kids. He loves songs he can dance to, and will immediately start to shake and flail his arms to the beat of music. His favorite songs are "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star", and "Life is a Highway" by Rascal Flatts.

He has started to stand holding onto things and cruise around furniture, but isn't very interested in walking yet. He still prefers his trademark army crawl, but will crawl the regular way as well.

Adam loves his siblings. He and Steven share a room and if we aren't firm with them they'll stay up chatting past bedtime. Sarah is a great big sister and helps out with Adam a lot.

Adam is a bit of a momma's boy, which I of course love. He's recently started a phase where he prefers me above everyone else, but that just means I get more hugs.

We had a small party for him, but he didn't mind. :) Sarah and Steven were very willing to "help" him open his presents.



We decided to make a Blue Angel's cake to celebrate his 1st b-day. I found the what I thought was a good design, but Mike made a lot of tweeks to make it more accurate. He oversaw the whole project and everytime I tried to change it he'd say, "You went through all this work to make it accurate, why mess it up by changing" It may not have been fancy, but Adam loved it.








Happy Birthday our sweet little Adam! We love you so much and are so grateful you are a part of our family!

Here are some of his one year pictures.

My Alter Ego's

For the last year I have had an alter ego, and another personality was manifest today. I don't want this to be confused as my being two faced, nor suffering from a split personality disorder. Unlike others with alter egos I am aware of what my "other" is doing, and I am in fact in charge the whole time. (but don't tell my kids)

About a year ago Steven decided that I should be Princess Tianna at dinner time. He has always been a good eater, but when he was picky, Tianna came out and he would always eat what she served. I put a smile on my face, butcher my best southern accent, and call everything on his plate some sort of Jambalaya. He loves it! As soon as I start talking he grins from ear to ear.

A key to my alter ego's is that they NEVER get upset with Steven. They always talk with a smile on their faces and when he makes a mess it's "no problem, mistakes happen." As you can imagine, he beckons my other sides often. :)

Today we were playing Princess (me), Prince (Steven) and Lady in waiting (Sarah). I used my "best" British accent as we climbed trees and visited the library. Steven wanted me to stay in character at the library and insisted I wear one of Sarah's crowns the whole time. I felt silly, but he loves it.

His reaction to my alter ego's has made me really ponder how I treat him. Do I really get after him that much? I don't think I do. I don't think he asks for them to get out of trouble, but after he spilled cool aid today he told me by saying, "remember, the princess never gets upset with me." I got after him a little by telling him to be careful, but when I changed my voice from perky princess to mom he started crying. I didn't yell or raise my voice, it was just a little stern. I worry about him as the middle child, so I've been trying my hardest to be extra gentle with him, because he seems to really need it right now. Until he accepts me as the perfect mommy, I'll just have to continue being the perfect princess. :)

Family update with photo's

Here are some of the fun things we've been up to lately:

On June 16th Adam's hand got caught under a shopping cart that was accidentally tipped over with him inside. He had to get four stitches on his ring finger and lost the nail on his middle finger, but has been cheery ever since. I never thought my baby would be the first to get stitches.


To celebrate Father's day Mike broke out one of his greatest "ugly ties." Steven's fashionable tie was worn by Mike when he was young and his mom kept it. I think they both look very handsome.


On the 25th we visited the Wendover Air Show. The kids don't appreciate it as much as Mike would like :) but the last two times a KC-135 from his unit has been there. In a few years maybe he'll be the one flying it there. (yes, we're still waiting for a response)






Our children have turned into little fish since we put them in lessons at SwimKids. We've used Mike's brother's pool a couple times this year and plan to use it every week. Sarah loves to dive, Steven loves to squirt us and Adam loves to splash around.




And finally, Happy 4th of July! I love this holiday. I love what it represents. I'm so grateful to live in this amazing country. I'm so grateful for all those that fought to make it free, and those that continue to protect it.

Sarah's Preschool Program and Graduation

After two fun filled years at Little Learners Academy, Sarah just had her final preschool graduation. She has loved all of the teachers, and I know they're sincere when they express love for her and the kids.

Here is a picture of Sarah with her class. Her teachers were Miss Lani and Miss Tara.


Her program and graduation were completely adorable! Sarah had a little vocal solo during a number called, "One Small Voice". She sang the first verse and then her class joined in for the last two voices. Very cute! At the beginning of the song "Proud to be an American" the kids all recited a spoken part. Mike and I had forgotten to practice Sarah's with her, so a couple days before we asked her if she knew it and she said it and then told us each of her classmates names and parts. :-)

Here she is receiving her diploma and award for "Miss Popular." She was really shy her first year, so it was nice to see she'd come out of her shell a little.





Here is the full video of the performance. Very adorable if you have half an hour. I think her solo is about 20 minutes in.


Here's to the first of many graduations! :)

Sarah's Dance Recital

A couple weeks ago Sarah had her spring recital. I've been posting things on Facebook and forgetting to post them on here. Anywho, it was adorable and priceless. Last fall she started taking lessons at "Bonnie's Dance School" with her friend Lillian and they have both loved it.

Here are the girls before and after the recital




Here is the video of her performances. She is front and center for the first one and back center for the second one. My camera skills are lacking, like always, but you can still see her.


She she is in one of her costumes along with her class.