Wild times up north....

The first time I met Darin's family was at their 1995 reunion when Darin invited me to join their family water fight.

I fell in love right away...not with Darin, I was already in love with him (that very naive teenage kind of love). I fell for his family.  They seemed so sweet and formal at first, I didn't know if I would fit in, and then they drenched me with water for a good hour. His Dad even snuck in the house to pour buckets of water from an upstairs window! That's when I knew I could party with these people.

This year we were due for another family party.  

The kids got up early every morning to pick raspberries and strawberries from Grandpa's garden.

Grandpa made everyone raspberry, blueberry, and "normal" waffles one morning.

 We had a Granddaughter Tea Party....

Meanwhile, the boys went geocaching with plans to leave Grandpa's fused glass art in the cache.

Played the always hilarious game of "who said". 

Where you quote someone in the family and everyone guesses who said it, when, and why.  

Some of my best catch phrases come from that game!

Had a Talent Night

Bub made everyone think he was making an Orange Julius but used his science know-how to make Gak, which was a hit with everyone for the rest of the night. 

Miriam used a dance Aunt Julia had choreographed for 4, and revised it as a solo to perform.

Soren threw his beloved football.

We all enjoyed Spencer's very serious-faced dance performance, Ben's art, Anna, Maddie, Landon and Emily's musical performances.  

My kids have great cousins to look up to.

We tie-dyed.

Cameron helped me make gigantic bubbles.

The water fight was held, despite the rain.

This picture was before the big boys joined in.  

It ended with all the little kids inside while Grandpa, Regan, Darin, Pete, Matt, Landon, Ben and Maddie fought to the death.  Darin has balloon welts to prove it!

Not pictured:

Lazer Tag, daily feasts provided by each family, Sonic runs, home movie night, the puzzle room, family pictures, and the cousin camp out.

I am still recovering from all the fun, but the kids would do it all tomorrow if they could!

So grateful to my in-laws for getting this put together.

Miriam at 8

This is the one I think will go on the wall....

or maybe this one.

It's hard to decide.

Mimi loves this one...probably because she felt like a rebel standing in the waterfall.

I think 8 is perfection...a stand still between little girl and "tween".  

All stages have their good and bad points but, 8 seems to lean more toward the good.

I have always thought that Miriam looks like her Aunt Lisa, but I realized at our reunion last week that Aunt Lisa looks like Grandma Mary Ellen.  I love following the genetic genealogy in families.  I can't get into the dates and places on paper to do proper genealogy, but if there is a picture I am in.
Thats probably why I take so many pictures.

Things to remember about this photo shoot:

My friend Tashina, who is 8 months pregnant took the pictures. 

Miriam was kind of a natural as far a poses go, I think ballet lessons are really paying off.

We picked wild flowers from the hill just east of the Bountiful Temple for her to hold.

Miriam LOVED it, she could have posed all day.

Afterwards Miriam and I went to the park to watch the sunset and share a little treat.

The Supa Hewos

The Big Hot 4th

This fourth of July came with lots of mixed emotions.  

Every year around the 4th of July, except for when I was on my mission, I have spent at my parents cabin where they have Pleasant Valley Days.  This year, just as we were gearing up to go, the Seeley fire started near my hometown. The small town where the cabin is was evacuated and Pleasant Valley Days was cancelled.  We were worried about losing the cabin, we didn't get to celebrate my Dad's birthday, I knew my family in that area were suffering with bad air quality. 

The worry, and empathy I was feeling kind of put a damper on the celebrations.

But we carried on with plans anyway, what else could we do?

Tuesday I took the kids to a Mad Scientist at our library. Darin shocked us all by leaving work early with his carpool buddy to meet us there.  Jeff's (carpool buddy) wife and kids were also at the Mad Scientist, afterwards they invited us to an impromptu BBQ. We hardly ever do things like that on the fly, but I am so glad we did!  It was so fun, and the kids were in heaven in the kid friendly backyard.

We came home late,  put the kids to bed, and I went to watch fireworks with neighbors while Darin stayed home with them.  He was at his social limit and I have an endless supply of sociality so it worked out well.

Next morning was the local parade!

Miriam's festive ensemble.

I came up with that jean skirt/bustle idea with my own brain, the fascinator was Cristin's idea from last year.

After mandatory naps for all we drove down to see cousins in Utah county.

We drove past the Alpine fire and watched the flames move on the hillside...another reminder of how scary this fire season has been. 

BBQ, night games, and fireworks....I'd say we did a fine job celebrating our country's birth.

And then the rains came!!
Hallelujah!

June in a picture nutshell

Summer was a bit of a rude awakening for me this year. It's been kind of a love/hate thing.

First of all, it got HOT way to early (and the fires are awful!!)

Secondly, having one child (no matter which one it is) gone all day makes everything easier. 

Third, I miss the natural organization that the school day brings.

I have loved spreading the kid activities throughout the day rather than the general rush from 3-6 in the school year.  

I love going on bike rides in the evening, not worrying about getting the kids in bed at a decent time for school. (although they still get up early...no matter what time we get them to bed) 

I love having more time for chores/workbooks/practicing. Those things still have to be done first thing, but we don't have to rush as much to get them done. The general slower pace of everything is nice.

So here is our June:

Ice skating lessons for both, iddy biddy ball for Bub, piano and summer ballet for M.

Lessons are kind of a bummer for Soren, he so wants to be involved but has to sit with me and watch, poor kiddo.

A few sprinkler days, splash pad days, a neighborhood art show, playing Indians in the park stream, making fairy homes, lots of Sunday night family bike rides.

We found a football on clearance for Soren....he carries it around a lot.

A trip to Provo so M could sleep over for Anna's birthday party. 

The kids and I took a golf cart tour of BYU and then met Cristin and Spencer at the Bean Museum.  Miriam went off with Anna to see Brave (which she loved, but did cause some homesickness that night...luckily she was with Cristin so I knew she would be fine), the boys and I went to the Riverwoods....splash pad, ice cream and FREE carousel rides!

Bub spent all this summer earnings thus far on a stupid grow lizard that did not work. I still need to email the company about that because it makes me so mad.

Miriam finally had her 8 year old photo shoot (these are unedited proofs).

Nice to finally have this taken care of, it's been on my to do list for 4 months!

Thanks Tashina!

On to July!

Last weekend....

Grandpa was judging a car show so we stopped by.
Here is the award winning Trans am rebuilt by my Dad and brothers. Pretty sweet, wish that refection wasn't in the way and the firebird on the hood was more visible.   My parents treated us to lunch at the Balance Rock Eatery and Pub in scenic downtown Helper which is NOT a health food restaurant but a very delicious way to clog your arteries.

The girls danced with Aunt Julia while the boys played all day.

We stopped by to deliver a special shirt to Anna on her birthday weekend, and reveal to Mimi where and when we are going to the American Girl Cafe. She's been saving her $ since Christmas 2010 when Santa didn't deliver the requested trip to her on Christmas morning.  He left her some cash and a note that basically said "you can make your own dreams come true".  She has been saving for a trip ever since.  We both have!
(Now that the trip is on she has to earn all her own souvenir money.)

  A few weeks earlier she had mentioned how great it would be if we could take Anna with us whenever we went. She was so excited to find out she IS coming with us (or rather we are going with her).  These two have so much fun making memories together.

We are reading books to get us totally immersed into the big apple. 

So far we have come up with:

When Jessie Came Across the Sea

I Dreamed I was a Ballerina

American Girl Rebecca series

The Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

the search for books is still on.....

As always, Soren wanted in on the action.

Man alive this guy cracks me up! 

He does remind me of a doll....by beloved Maida Ethel Cabbage Patch doll!

Seriously, there is a resemblance.

Final Recital

Saturday was a fun full day.

Fathers and Sons, Ballet Recital AND Piano Recital. 

Kind of a Miriam shares her talent day. 

M was prepared for her performances which made them very fun!

She was the first to play at her piano recital, on the way there she said "I don't have butterfies in my tummy, I have pterodactyls!" 

Her wonderful teacher gives points for practicing, and also has a big musical test at the end of the year.  Miriam worked VERY hard to memorize 8 songs as well as some theory. I am so glad that at the end of all that practice she received a music medallion. 

Way to go Mimi!

Little Ballerinas

Miriam and some ballerina friends.

A few of our cute neighbors take from the same studio so it was like a neighborhood party at the recital.

Thank heavens Grandma Rasmussen came up to watch and brought the obligatory ballet flowers.

Darin and I have never been good about that, but we should! Those flowers have made my kitchen delightful!

Her technique has really improved this year. She is pretty darn graceful.

Fathers and Sons

Byron was so excited to go.

Soren didn't understand what was going on but he was pretty darn excited himself.

Until he realized that whatever it was that was happening, he wasn't going to be apart of it.

Oh the tears!

But...this patient sweet kid deserved some one-on-one time with Dad.

Dad bought him a special treat.

Luckily they planned to sleep in the car because it was a wiiindy night!

It was everything his heart desired, fire, roasted mallows, and lots of bug catching.

He said he had the best time ever!

2nd Grade Program

Teachers are amazing.

They have so much to teach, and so much to put up with.
(Miriam told me that Mrs. Gibby had to get forceful with the class.... absolutely NO MORE journal entries about killing, dying, or any bodily fluids or noises)

And yet, they make time for special programs.

Songs, dances, sign language, and memorized speaking parts.

Mrs. Gibby went the extra mile this year, and won a special place in Miriam's heart forever.

He's Got It!

Bub got a big boy bike for his birthday.

Because of his expertise on the balance bike, he rode the first time he tried.

Balance is no problem-o for this kid.

Now we needs to work on starting and stopping and he is hesitant to say the least.

He cries when we tell him we are going to ride bikes. As soon as he gets going he is happy as a lark singing "I could do this all day!" and then panics again when it's time to get off. 

He's getting there!

It's Over!

August 2011

June 2012

          

We planned a neighborhood water party to celebrate the big day.  But then Miriam got invited to a BIGGER friend water party.  Of course I let her go, and she had a blast, but it was bitter sweet to have this example of how fast she is growing up. 

Luckily she had worn her swimming suit to school for a water fight so she could come play with us right after school, before her party started.  At least the boys made good use of our little pool and sprinklers.  They splashed around for a good 3 hours.

She cried that night, already missing her teacher, her friends and her school.

Good-Bye 2nd Grade!