New Do

It had to be done. The cute little curls were getting really long and had to be tucked behind the ears. I thought it was too soon for my almost-11-month-old baby to look like a little boy. But, it was time. And isn't he SO cute?!

Epic

It did happen. I can't deny it. I had a birthday in July.  Birthdays tend to be really great or an event you'd prefer not to remember. This year, it was really great. Scott, being the sweet husband that he is, asked what I would like this year. Aside from a flagstone patio, new laundry room, new bathroom downstairs, hardwood floors upstairs, new desk/craft area, built in for the family room, there isn't much else on my list. So I told him I just wanted a night out--just the two of us. That is exactly what I got. It made me reminisce of our pre marriage life. Scott found a great restaurant I'd never heard of and we spent the evening talking and snuggling at dinner and a movie.  We had great crabcakes and steak at Epic, Casual Dining. Everything was really yummy and I love when Scott surprises me with a new place to eat. Chandler was super sweet when he gave me a beautiful bouquet and card. Watson was a good sport for Grandma and went to bed without much fuss. It was a great way to spend my birthday.

Did You See the Donut?

Neither did we. I would have liked to help Chandler hike all the way to the hole and the cave at Donut Falls. However, it is a little tricky when you are carrying this:

We had some uninterrupted, extra time together so we decided to go where Chandler hadn't been before.

I'm always confused about which canyon it's in so we meandered up Little Cottonwood until we hit Snowbird and then made our way to Big Cottonwood. I know, I know. You'd think someone like me, who has lived in Utah the majority of her life, would be able to keep the two canyons straight. ANYWAY, it was good time to chat with Chandler, one on one, while Watson snoozed in the backseat.  We ate lunch at the beginning of the trail and lolly-gagged our way to the bottom of the water fall.  Chandler practiced his rock climbing skills along the way.

Lots of people had the same idea so it was fun to see how other people were climbing through the water and making their way up or down the falls. I love when I have time with Chandler when he or I don't feel pressure to "hurry up" to get to the next task or thing. It is so rare. We get to have real conversations, it doesn't happen often enough. On our little hike he said to me, "Don't you think kids are growing up too fast?" I said, "Yes, I really do. I want you to be a kid for as long as possible. That's one reason I'm not ready for you to have a cell phone yet." He went on to explain he doesn't want one either, until he's 14. (Can I get that in writing?) and he wants to just be a kid. These little moments with him make me feel really grateful to be his mom, even if I'm just his step mom. He is still mine, and I count myself lucky.
As we found our way back to the car we came across a very sociable chipmunk. It nibbled on a pretzel while watching us and then climbed a rock to have a conversation, with us. It sure made a lot of noise!
Chandler took a great action shot of it.

Our "little" hike turned into an afternoon event but it was totally worth the time.

BIG Plan.

Summer has definitely moved along much faster than I anticipated, or wanted, or realized. I did have some BIG plans for our summer. Some have occurred, many have not, and I guess that is ok.  Since the 4th of July landed on a Sunday this year we thought we would celebrate it for the whole weekend, and the following Monday. We kicked it off with a bang with a parade and breakfast Saturday morning and at home fireworks Saturday night. Chandler is getting so brave to light things and he can't seem to get enough of it. It must be totally a boy thing. We joined Challey's neighborhood for the parade and breakfast. So fun to see how the kids decorated their bikes, scooters, strollers, and in Spencer's case, mini-motorbike.

Watson did enjoy the fireworks but was content enough to sit on my lap until they were over. He doesn't spend much time in one place for long so it was a pleasant surprise.  All in all, it was a great way to start off the celebration of America and all its blessings.
Sunday brought a surprise for our family. We got a call from Scott's uncle that Scott's mom was in the hospital in Grand Junction. We packed up the car pretty quick and headed there for a visit.  She is doing well now and we were lucky to have some time to visit.

Although my tribute to this land of freedom is late I still want to express my gratitude. This really is a blessed and sacred land. A place to worship God freely and enjoy His blessings as He sees fit. I'm grateful to be an American and I am doing my best to help my children appreciate this privilege also.

God Bless America!

Dad's Day

Father's Day. A day to honor fathers everywhere. A day to stop for a few minutes and really be grateful to the man who sacrifices for the good of his wife and children.  A time to reflect on lessons learned, love given, and a future together.
We honored Scott quietly--sort of. I missed the boat on breakfast...it's a hard thing to do with a 10 year old kid who loves to stay up and then sleep late in the summer. And a 10 month old boy who loves to get up before the sun but will nap with you on the couch until much later in the morn.  Father's Day this year began with rushing around at 8:30 am to make it to 9:00 am church. The father of the house was more than gracious in helping out and quietly nudging us along; we made it almost on time but as a happy family. I like to think I made up for the lack of special breakfast faux pau(?) by making a scrumptious dinner and an even yummier dessert.  My dad, sister and her husband joined us for dinner. My other sister and her family, my mom, and all my nieces came for dessert and r/c thrills and spills.  It seemed everyone had a good time and it made me just feel grateful to have such a fun family.  I'm sure I don't tell Scott enough what a great dad he is.  But, he is. I love to watch him play with Chandler, work together to figure things out. He is the best daddy to Watson and is so patient with his wanting to walk, rake, play in the dirt and throw rocks. I'm grateful he honors the priesthood and has a desire to become a better man every day. Even though life gets hard, and things are bumpy along the way, I know he has eternal perspective and tries really hard to honor it. I love him. Chandler loves him. Watson loves. Thank you for being our great dad. :)

Done, Done, Done, & Done

Finally, things are a bit different around here...for all of us. Most especially for HIM.

4 for 4

He Did It!
Not only did Chandler do a great job completing Fourth grade, but he got another Gold Mustang Award. That makes it #4--pretty good, if I do say so myself. The Mustang Award has 3 levels, Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Each year there are different requirements to complete. Some of them are more difficult than others: 90% average on spelling, participating in Reflections, completing a Science Fair project, no tardies, etc. To get the Gold for 4th grade you have to complete 19 of 20 requirements. It's kind of tough. But, he did it. I'm proud of him for his hard work and tenacity. It's amazing how much he's grown this past year--physically and mentally.  He really is such a great kid and a joy to be around. We love him so!

Happy Boys

Watson thinks he can walk. In fact, he thinks it so much that when he scoots or crawls he gets mad. Because, he should be walking! I have a hard time keeping that going all day for him. He is getting better about getting to something, standing by himself, and walking around a bit. But, his favorite thing is when Dad or Chandler are there to help him explore on 2 legs instead of 5 (including his bottom.) I think both Scott and Chandler are more excited for Watson to walk independently than I am. I'm glad they are willing to appease him for the time being by helping.

I Need to RELAX!

I've been thinking about myself a lot this past week. Not really about how much I want a pedicure or how I could use a massage or that I really should be getting into some kind of exercise routine. I've been thinking that I really want to be a fun mom and make sure to give my kids plenty of opportunity to enjoy childhood. Of course I want them to be happy, healthy, and understand they are sons of God. I also want them to be honest and true with a strong sense of right and wrong. I want them to want to work hard because they enjoy it and know that it is a gospel principle that will benefit themselves and others forever. These are all good things but sometimes I think I take them a little too seriously. So, I've tried to be more conscious of how I respond to things that irritate. I mean, will the world end if Chandler goes to bed at 9:30 instead of 9:00? Does my home need to be in constant order even though I have a curious nine month old baby discovering the world? Does my yard need to be immaculately manicured no matter what?  Really, in the long term, these things don't matter. But, my kids and husband do.  As part of this work in progress of my relaxing and enjoying my life more with my family, I've temporarily given up hope and ownership of the courtyard. I envision it to be something very beautiful and ready for socializing.

Something like this:

Now it looks like this:

That is an R/C car track, if you couldn't tell. Complete with berms, whoop dee do's, and tight corners.

But now my husband and son look like this:

If you have an R/C car and want to race, come on over. But be prepared, you'll be asked to help keep the track groomed.  And I'm here, to help cheer you on!

Childproofing?

I think it's time.