cutie

strolling

These two switched places soon after, and needless to say, the stroller is no longer with us.

karate kid

Way to go, Ben, on earning your brown-yellow belt! You are awesome!

children at the park

Just a few more from the Colorado trip...please notice the sign! Haha!

Trev pumping iron...

Mom is seriously SO happy.

Best Buddies?

rocky mountain high

{I'm a little slow getting these posted, but here are my favorite pictures from our family trip to Colorado last month.}

Nina and Hailey.

Ugly Dolls...haha!

I about peed my pants laughing when she pulled this face...it matches the doll in the window!

Bria with ice cream and flowers. Lucky girl!

Mmm...chocolate...

Sneaking a lick...yes, this was totally staged by Hannah.

Beaver Creek.

Grandpa Harold and Olivia.

Gondola up to the "Adventure Park" at Glenwood Springs.

Here Nina is happy...

...and not so happy.

The wagon ride was too much for this five-year-old. Sad! It bounced around, pots and pans clanging from the ceiling, and a movie going to make it feel like they were really part of a wagon train. She HATED it!

Digging for polished stones they were able to keep. The girls both brought some home to Ben.

Trev and Tate on the Alpine Coasters.

Erika's little Casch.

Olivia at the helm! This was a super fun playground we found in Vail.

Baby Casch.

Nina with her stick, "I'm an old woman," she croaked.

Olivia in Vail. The place was deserted because it was the off-season. Right after I took this picture she had a total meltdown, and a restaurant owner witnessed it from his patio. As I picked her flailing body up off the street, he called out to me, "Aww, that was so sweet! You handled that so well...are you the nanny?"

Ha.

People in Vail take their DOGS out to dinner and leave their kid(s?) home with the nanny, apparently.

"No," I said proudly, "I'm the MOM."

a happy father's day

Father's Day at our house means banana pecan pancakes...Clayton's favorite. That was his gift this year, along with being left alone to sleep until almost 11 am! Nice. What gift could be better than that? Well, I'll tell you what. Handmade cards from the kids that say things like, "You are the awesomest dad in the whole world." Because he really is.

Church was of course crazy with the kids (as usual), but we miraculously were early and got a bench. What? I know. That never happens.

Olivia went to nursery just fine today, but started melting down from lack of a nap by the time Relief Society started...so she sat on my lap in there for a bit, where we were shown this beautiful slideshow of photos depicting the life of Christ. Olivia was so intrigued, pointing and saying excitedly, "Jeez!" (Jesus) and blowing kisses to the pictures on the screen. It was so sweet and innocent, and made me realize once again how close these little ones are to heaven. I tried to mop my tears without making too much of a scene.

Dinner was steaks and sausages and lots of other good stuff at Mom and Dad's, out in the back with the waterfall running. Mormor and Poppy Per ate with us, and Mormor fell asleep in her chair for a bit! Olivia kept pointing at her and making a funny face since she obviously thought that was funny, great-grandma sleeping sitting up in her chair. It was nice to have them there. Then off to Papa Steve's and Grandma Ruthie's for strawberry shortcake (and about a dozen other desserts) and chatting with my cute sisters-in-law on the back patio. Ruth gave all of us girls gifts for Father's Day, haha! She is so awesome. Pretty canvas bags full of picnic dishes! I love when she goes on shopping sprees...

Here's the video we saw today. I love Sundays like today, where you feel like you have a fresh start. Have a great week!

yay for summer!

It's been so nice to feel the warm sun again after such a cold and rainy spring! The kids are out of school (until July 26th), there are bikes and scooters scattered everywhere up and down our street, and my kitchen floor is sticky with Otter Pop drips. Life is good!

Nina's been doing swim lessons with Aunt Heidi again this summer, up at Mormor and Poppy Per's pool. Today she held her breath under water longer than anyone else in her class...24 seconds! I don't think I could even do that. She has no fear of the water anymore, she just smiles the whole time. I'm so happy for her!

I made a list of fun things we could do this summer...we probably won't actually do everything, but that's okay. Here are a few ideas from our to-do list (some ideas are for the kids and some are for me):

1. Visit the zoo (so Olivia can see all the "butts")

2. Downtown Farmer's Market

3. The Chalk Art Festival (this weekend at the Gateway). Ben and Hannah are really excited for this,

they've really been doing some cool stuff with chalk in our driveway lately.

4. Herriman Days! The carnival, the fireworks, the late night outside with our fun neighbors...

5. Sleepovers with cousins

6. Weekend at the cabin

7. Make homemade ice cream a few times (and popsicles). Here's my favorite recipe.

8. Have a backyard movie night (sheet and projector style)

9. Wheeler Farm...Red Butte Gardens...Thanksgiving Point maybe?

10. Service project for Primary Children's Hospital (make art kits? I need to look into this)

11. Visit great-grandparents

12. Make raspberry jam, and other summery fruit treats

13. Speaking of raspberries...Bear Lake would be fun if we can find a free Saturday

14. Photograph the peonies when they bloom in Grandma Becky's garden

15. Urban photo shoot of the kids

16. Make this fun doll house, stamp art, fruit watercolors, and a fairy garden

17. Make these cute projects for the girls' bedroom

18. Paint Ben's room, make new bedding for him..use the stamp art to decorate the walls?

19. Make new curtains, pillows, etc. to spruce up the house a bit

20. Herriman "beach" (the reservoir)

21. Snowcones, of course

22. Splash Pad

23. Picnic

24. Wig Outing...something we've talked about doing for a long time but never have done

it...we all wear a wig and go get ice cream or something, I think it would be hilarious!

25. Think of a name for our baby boy!

What are your plans for this summer? Are you doing anything fun or going somewhere?