Fun Family Week

Last week was a great family vacation week. We started the week camping with my family. We went up to Redman campground, up Big Cottonwood canyon. We stayed 3 days and had so much fun. We have been going to that campground, since I can remember. My kids are now the 4 generation of campers up there. This is a get away that we look forward to each year, and are just so happy that we could go again this year. We love spending time up in the canyons. We love the camping food, looking for deer beds, throwing rocks and pinecones in the river, having marshmellow gun wars, feeding groundhogs, and spending time with the family.


Last year, Jarel and I made these marshmellow shooters and they were a hit. So we brought them back up and had marshmellow wars. It was a lot of fun.


Tyler sleeping in the tent. He did really well up there.


This is how Kali entered the tent...


And this is how she exited the tent.


Makena and Kali playing in the stream.


We were able to see 4 moose while we were up there. A dad, mom and 2 babies. These are the babies. One time the mom and babies ran through our campground. It was pretty cool. We liked following them and just watching them. At one point, Molly and I got within 10-15 feet of the mom and babies. Huge, beautiful animals.


Kali loved feeding the ground hogs peanut butter. She would put peanut butter on a stick and hold it out for them. At one point, a ground hog came and took the stick, and so Kali stuck her finger in the peanut butter and held it out for them to eat. And sure enough, this little guy came up and ate off Kali's finger. Kali is so daring and will try anything, I love that about her. She only did it once, though!!


Tyler and Grandpa down by the river.


Grandma and Kali.


Jarel and Tyler enjoying the camping life.


On Thursday the kids and I (unfortunately Jarel had to work) went to the zoo with Grandpa and Grandma and my sister's family. My kids could never get sick of the zoo. We went to the bird show again...and one of the birds that flew over my head got so close that the leather strap on its feet, hit my head. Makena enjoyed the bears swimming in their pool. And what can get better than being in the merry-go-round with Grandpa and Grandma?


Kali on the merry-go-round.


The bears were very active and being such a hot day, were playing in their water. Makena thought that was funny.


Grandpa with Gretchen, Kali and Makena.


Grandpa with Ryan and Tyler.


Tyler having a good time at the zoo.


On Friday, being the 24th of July, we were able to just play and have a good time. The kids and I went to the toy store for a little bit, while Jarel worked on the basement in the morning. I of course gave in and bought the girls some "littlest pet shops." That afternoon, we played and played some more outside, ate popsicles and then watched fireworks with the neighbors.

Makena stomping on snaps.


Tyler watching the fireworks.


Kali and Makena enjoying popsicles on a very hot day.


Kali making silly faces to the camera. She doesn't enjoy the fireworks, so to get her to sit there and not cry, I pulled out my camera and had her do silly faces while I took her picture. She couldn't get close enough! She enjoyed that time and after every picture I took, she had to see it and then do another one.


The 3 cutest kids on the planet watching the fireworks.

We ended the week with a family reunion on Saturday. We were able to visit with family, play basketball, swim and eat. I didn't take pictures...I know slacker, but it was a great time.

It was a great week!!! We need more of those during the year!!

6 Months

Tyler had his 6 month appointment. Everything checked out well. Some new accomplishments for him: He can roll from back to front, He advanced to the bigger car seat, He had his first haircut. He has now tasted squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, bananas, rice cereal and oatmeal.




His stats: 28 1/2 inches (97%) and 21 pounds (95%)

The Beach

We have discovered "the beach" up by Daybreak Lake. The girls love it. We went and bought a lot of beach toys so they have something to play with up there. I took the girls up there Saturday and they had a BLAST. They dug in the sand, made their sand molds, played in the water and built sand castles. It was a lot of fun.


It took Makena quite awhile to be daring to go out into the "deep part." But she did it and when she got home she told dad, "I went into the deep part up to my belly."


On the other hand, I couldn't keep Kali out of the deep part. She loved it and kept wanting to go farther out.


Cute girls enjoying time with eachother and playing in the water.


Kali - she didn't want to leave. She was having such a good time. Her favorite part was holding onto my hands and having me pull her in the water.


Makena - favorite part was pouring water on the dry sand and then making sand molds.

Protector of the Home

Lately, we have seen black birds outside flying around. Whenever we go outside, there they are waiting for us. When we go to get the mail, mow the lawn, take out garbage, or just play, they fly above us and swoop down trying to get us. They have a nest across the street that they are protecting. They fly between their nest and about 2 other trees and on top of our house. It is quite entertaining. We even had a sales guy come over the other day. Jarel went to answer the door and the guy wasn't there, so Jarel stepped out to see who it was that knocked. He saw the sales guy running back and forth across the street with the blackbirds chasing him. The guy yelling, "they are going to eat me." Jarel couldn't stop laughing. So, we will keep those little birds around if it means they will get rid of sales guys for us!!!


One of the 3 blackbirds that are always outside watching our every move.


A blackbird flying close overhead Jarel.

Sweet Potatoes...YUCK

The other day, we tried sweet potatoes with Tyler. The pictures say it all!


Giving a "this is disgusting" face.


He hated them. He gagged on them and then ended up throwing up.


So, into the sink he went for a bath!

Happy 4th of July

I hope everyone enjoyed the 4th, just as much as we did. We live in a great country and are so blessed. We started the holiday at the Riverton parade on the 3rd. My family has been going to this parade for about 17 years or so. In order to get a good seat...you have to put up chars 3-4 days before the parade begins. Thanks to a great mom who will go save our spots so we can have a front row seat. The parade is about 2 hours long and so much fun to go to. Makena loves the "pretty princesses" on the floats and Kali loves getting the candy that is thrown to her. It is just fun to be there and to be with family. After the parade we went to my parent's house for ice-cream floats and fireworks. I didn't know how the kids would do this year with fireworks because last year, both Makena and Kali hated them. When the fireworks got started, Makena just laid by Grandma and covered her ears. She also wasn't feeling well. Kali hated them...they were too noisy for her. She kept telling me that she wanted to go inside and go night night. I took her in and got her pajamas on and took her back outside with a blanket and she fell right to sleep. Tyler loved the fireworks. Jumping up and down and having a great time.


Kali at the Riverton Parade loving the sucker she got.


Makena trying to get a better look at the princesses on the floats.


Tyler watching the fireworks.


Kali playing baseball with Dad.


Grandma and Makena watching fireworks.


Cute Molly watching fireworks.

We started the 4th with a ward breakfast. It was good and the kids got to play some water games. Kali started to not feel good and throwing up. She had been sick the previous week, but we started on round 2 for her. Tyler was sick a couple of days ago and still recovering. So with all 3 kids sick for the 4th, we weren't sure what we were going to do. Just stay home and take it easy. We had plans to go to Jarel's parent's house, but we didn't want to get them sick. After Kali took her nap, we decided that since she wasn't throwing up anymore, we would try and go to the Riverton park and let the girls play some games. They played a water game and then got to do a haystack dive for prizes and candy. Makena was so cute with the haystack dive. She got the one toy she really wanted, and then was going for laffy taffy. She walked from one side all the way to the other and came back with a laffy taffy, ring (she was really proud and excited that she got a ring) and a tootsie roll. It was cute. Makena had a great time. You could tell Kali still wasn't feeling all the way well because she didn't even want to go for the candy. It was a fun little outing.


Makena


Kali


Tyler


Makena was so proud to get this clapper toy, she had to show Tyler.


Makena looking for surprises in the haystack dive.


Kali looking for surprises in the haystack dive.


Makena sporting Grandma's sunglasses and Dad's Dallas Cowboy hat.


Kali and Makena doing the sponge/water race.

We decided to stay home and just do some fireworks with the kids. About 6:00, Makena wanted to call Grandpa Hathaway. This is what I heard on the phone "Grandpa, we are going to do fireworks, but we need someone to come and watch them with me. We have cupcakes too. The cupcakes have rings on them." She then turns and says, "Mom, Grandpa and Grandma are coming." It put a smile on her face. It was a nice surprise to have them come over. It meant a lot. We had cupcakes and ice-cream and lit fireworks. As Jarel's fireworks show went on, his audience was dropping like flies. Kali fell asleep first while hiding under a blanket from the fireworks. Next, Makena fell asleep. She laid down under the blanket. I asked, "are you falling asleep?" Her reply, "no, I am waiting to go inside and get my milk." She was out within seconds of that conversation. Next was Tyler's turn. He was hungry, I fed him, and he was out. If the show were to have gone on 10 more minutes...we might have been picking Grandpa off the ground. Thanks Grandpa and Grandma for coming over.


Grandma and Jarel "trying" to lite the fireworks.


Kali hiding from the fireworks.


Grandpa, Tyler and Makena.


Grandpa and Makena watching the fireworks.


With 3 sick kids...we still had a fantastic holiday. Hope everyone else did as well.