Play in the Pool Lessons

This year Ashton took "Play in the pool lessons" the second week of July. Don't get me wrong I'm cool with the little ones playing in the pool, but when I saw all the stuff they were supposed to be doing to pass off the preschool level....I was left wondering when they taught all that stuff because I didn't see it once. He loved it though. Dallen unfortunately wasn't old enough :(

He was a good little rule follower! He never got into the pool with out his teachers permission.

He is the one on the end turning his head back so his face wouldn't get wet.

He would not dunk his head. He informed his teacher that he would do it when he was 5. In his defense he kept to his word. We went swimming last week and he dunked his head 4 times :) He is a silly kid!

Our Favorite Fireworks Tradition

For the past couple of years Jeff has set off fireworks in front of our house. I love doing it! We just buy the packs you can get from Walmart and the boys love them just the same as the big ones. We sit on our little trampoline and get out some lawn chairs if more people come. It's just a good time!
The boys get really excited about it. (The little sweetie was already in bed and she stayed asleep the whole time.)

We let Ashton do a sparkler this year. Dallen wouldn't go near the things :)

Cowboys....and girl

Father's Day weekend we moved my Dad's cows onto the Mountain.

Ashton absolutely loves riding horses. Looks like we have a cowboy on our hands.

(he takes this puppy everywhere)

Dallen not so much. I didn't think that we would get him on a horse but......

Uncle Casey talked him into it. You can see his little hand holding on for dear life on the right side.

And he kept riding. He did a great job.


Brielle was happy in the truck until....

She became a cowgirl! ;)

Funny story about the cowboy boots! Ashton needed some new ones so Grandma Nicole took him boot shopping. As soon as he saw those blue boots he wouldn't even try on other ones. Believe me we tried! My mom and I are not huge fans but he fell in love :). So she got him the ones he wanted. Dallen on the other hand would not look at any boots, but when we got home and Ashton had boots on and Daddy had boots on he had to wear some too. Luckily we still had Ashton's old ones from Grandma Kathleen and Grandpa Jimmy.

I Don't Know If I Like This :P

A few weeks ago Brielle got her first taste of solidish food. (rice cereal mixed with water and gerber apple juice) Here's how it went.

I think it went "OK" ;) She loves it now. Her favorite is pears!

I'll Hold Her

I want to hold her mom! Well maybe not.......

Well okay, I want to hold her.......

I changed my mind I don't want to hold her......

I love my baby sister! Although she doesn't know what to think about me ;)

Tough little Man

Yesterday we were at the park and Ashton fell on the stairs, splitting is eyebrow pretty bad. After some encouragement from my mother and a few others I took him to the ER. This was our first stitches. He had to be sedated and that was maybe the worst part for me :). I caught glimpses of what was going on, but I couldn't watch. I just held his hands (adrianna had his feet). He got 6 stitches on the inside and 7 on the outside. Whenever he sees it he just says "oh" :) he is more concerned about the shot he had to get to be sedated.

This morning I asked him how he was doing and if he wanted to see his owie. He looked and then he said, " Don't worry mom, I'm not sad." What a tough little man.

Who had a BiRtHdAy?

It was Dallen 2 or 3 weeks ago :)! He turned 3...can you believe that! I have a picture just like this one when he turned 1. He had a great birthday...for a kid who for weeks leading up to his birthday said he didn't want one. Ya...I don't know what was going on with that.

Toy Story and Transformers....what more could a kid ask for? Well it turns out a lot more. He got some great gifts this year that he loves from all of his family.

And of course the Dallen cake face. He looks like this every time he eats cake. He hasn't changed his technique since he was a year old :)

Maybe we "ARE" on T.V.

This is the conversation I just had with my "4" year old. Very deep!

Ashton: Maybe the Monsters are watching us on t.v. on their planet.
Me: (confused) Where did you see this honey?
Ashton: Nowhere I just thought it.
Me: Oh...(I have to tell him monsters aren't real and we are not on a television show ect...)
Ashton: Yeah, maybe at the movies; their's are just longer.
Me: (chuckling a little thinking about our whole lives being a movie and that he came up with that...oh yah I need to tell him that monsters aren't real and we are not....oh well he has already moved on)

Genetic?....I think so!

Well May 2nd has come again. It has been 6 years since my Grandmother died in a tragic car accident. She had a great impact on my life. She was a great example of acceptance. She worked hard and raised 6 beautiful daughters (on her own). She had a way of making everyone feel special. I was the 4th of many grandchildren and I know she loved all of us. She is the reason that Zion National Park and Springdale Utah hold such a special place in my heart. Now she has greatgrandchildren, 4 of which are mine and I know that even though they never met her they share some of her loves. My boys could collect rocks all day and I know they would have loved fishing with their great grandma. Although she would have had to teach them not to throw the rocks when you are fishing. For pictures of my grandma and a little more of her story go here.

Now enjoy some pictures of my kids enjoying one of their favorite things. Throwing rocks into the lake.

*The Greatest Place on Earth*

For Easter/My Birthday we went to the most beautiful place on Earth. We went to Zion National Park. I love it there! I have ever since I was a little kid. Jeff suprised me with a weekend getaway. We stayed at the Desert Pearl Inn. It is a gorgeous place to stay. The boys slept on a couch bed. I pulled it out and then went about my business doing something else...when I turned around Dallen had made his own little bed out of the couch cushion. It was so cute! He was very proud of himself.
The view from our private balcony. It would be amazing if I could have a glass of chocolate milk and a doughnut every morning on a balcony with this view and the sound of a river rushing by.

The boys waiting for the shuttle.

There's nothing like playing outside after a long cold winter.

She was such a trooper, but all this moving around tuckered her out.

These pics were taken on my fav hike. "Weeping Rock" The boys are actually looking out toward a beautiful view, but I could not get them to turn there backs to the edge of that cliff. (I guess they have a little grandma Kathleen in them.) They stuck to the inside of the cove :)