Our First Family Campout

After all of the fun stories Joseph would tell Lexie about camping-she was dying to go (as was Joseph). We promised the kids we would take them camping this summer & sadly, we noticed that our summer was quickly coming to a close. So, we quickly reserved a site up at Rocky Mountain National Park one day & were camping the next. We loved it! The kids played in the river, threw rocks for a long time, loved climbing around huge boulders, enjoyed sitting by the fire & making s'mores, liked seeing deer (we even had one run right though our campsite), chipmunks, birds, big horned sheep, liked falling asleep in the tent listening to the rain & so much more!

The next morning we hiked up the Alluvial Fan. In 1982 the dam up at Lawn Lake broke & the ensuing flood brought down a bunch of boulders & created a fun natural playground & then continued on & flooded the town of Estes Park.

On the way home, Lexie got a little carsick. So, we gave her a bag in case she needed to throw up. Not only was it practical, it served as a lovely accessory!

We definitely need to go camping more often!

Coloring Robots

Andrew surprised us by drawing a group of robot friends while the rest of us were eating dinner (he doesn't last too long at the dinner table). We've never seen him draw anything other than simple shapes & scribbles, so we were shocked to see that he could draw a basic body shape.

We know it's not a masterpiece, but he is only 2 still.

Singing In the Rain

Oh what fun was had playing out in the rain for a good hour! (Despite Joseph's face at this moment.)

Who Needs Pockets?

A Little Car Wash

One of the books I've been reading about sensory issues suggested having a little car wash in shaving cream. Andrew loved it! And so did Lexie & Joseph. There's nothing like making a big mess & getting cleaned off in the hose! It was a really fun activity.

Splash Fountains

Today for play group we got to play in the fountains at the mall. We've waited a long time for the fountains to finally be turned on this year. Lexie & Joseph loved running & playing with their friends!

Andrew wouldn't go in the fountains. He spent most of his time like this.

Eventually, he discovered the benches climb all over them & had lots of fun jumping around.

Lexie's Birthday

Lexie's SEVEN! Amazing!

She really wanted to decorate cupcakes for her birthday.

She had lots of fun decorating with her cousins.

She was really excited about opening presents! Oh the excitement of getting your own ream of paper for your birthday!

Of course Barbies & Littlest Pet Shop is a big hit for her, too.

Some of Lexie's favorite things right now:

Food: Pizza or cake

Color: Hot Pink

Number: 3 & 16

Shape: Heart

Flower: Tulip

Song: "Families Can Be Together Forever"

Book: Cinderella & The Three Musketeers

Activity: Coloring (or doing crafts)

Best Thing About Being 6: "That I had fun in 1st grade."

Best Thing About Being 7: "That I'm growing up."

I'm Really Good At: "Being kind to people, being polite, & working hard for Mom & Dad."

Best Friend: Haley

Favorite thing in the sky: stars & moon

We love our Lexie girl so much! She is truly amazing! We are so glad she is in our family & for her wonderful example. She is so good at helping us & her brothers. She gives the best prayers- always so thoughtful & it makes us be more aware of our own. She's just an awesome, fun girl! Happy 7th Birthday, Lexie!

Meet Me at the Fair

Today we went on a fun little family outing to the County Fair! There were many fun things to do & we didn't even have time to do it all! Here is what we were able to do.

We went through a maze,


went Trout fishing, (Joseph actually caught one!)


Competed in the Tractor Pull,

Did a little Mutton Bustin',

Here is Lexie's "before" interview. As you can tell, she was thrilled to try this.

And here is her actual ride. She said it was too bouncy & basically climbed off. She did an awesome job! She is such a brave, fun little girl!


Got some faces painted,

(Andrew was sad because he wanted a whale on his other cheek, too.)

Enjoyed a rainstorm & saw a pretty rainbow,

Put some spuds in some nice duds,

Watched a fun train go around & around & around!

And saw a pretty sunset on the way home. A nice way to end a fun day at the fair.

Soaked

Playing in the hose is way too much fun! We should do that more often.

A Quick Visit

We were so lucky to have our old neighbor from Maryland, Lisa, come & visit us this weekend. Lisa is awesome! The kids just love her & she is so much fun. She was nice enough to take the kids swimming with me this morning & we just had a blast hanging out. The kids were really sad when we dropped her off at the airport (Joseph got himself unbuckled & said he was going with her). We really enjoyed having her here & can't wait until our next visit.

Trippin'

July 2nd-3rd
We took off early Friday morning, but not as early as we'd wanted. Rick went into work for a bit & we played at a park while we waited. But, once we got going, we were excited.

We decided to take the scenic route through Poudre Canyon. It was a beautiful drive! We saw a sleeping elephant & everything. It did add about 2 hours to our trip, but it's always fun to see something a little different. We made it to Cheryl's sisters house & enjoyed the fireworks up at Utah State. The next day we planned on leaving early, but were gratefully persuaded to stay another day. Rick, Lexie & Joseph went tubing down the Bear River with my sister's family. It was chilly & adventurous, but they had a fun time! The kids loved having so many fun cousins to play with & they were great to entertain them & play dress-up, chase, & anything they wanted.

July 4th

After church in Utah, we drove on up to Boise to visit Rick's family. We had a yummy dinner, played, & watched a few fireworks. The kids really enjoyed the "roller coaster", boxing, & air hockey.

July 5-6th

Grandpa found some great jeep cars for the kids to ride & they spent hours just driving around in their cars. We also blew up the water slide & had lots of cousins & friends to play with all day long.

July 7-8th

We had another great couple of days playing with cousins! We went to a water park & made smores. The kids decided they were playing "pioneers" & packed up everything for their move to the mountains. Rick & I were also able to sneak away & go to the Boise Temple & out to lunch at a Russian restaurant.

July 9-10th

While Rick was out with his dad, the kids, Cheryl & Grandma did lots & lots of puzzles. Then we started our drive to Utah. We stopped in Twin Falls hoping to see Shoshone Falls, but once we turned down the road leading to it, the road was blocked off because a house was on fire. So, we turned around & stopped at the Twin Falls Temple instead & enjoyed walking around it.

We made it down to Utah & stayed with another of Cheryl's sister & again, the kids had a blast playing & being entertained. The next morning we were able to see one of Rick's sisters & their new puppy & then back up Provo Canyon for a fun picnic with Cheryl's family.

We really enjoyed our trip & grateful we were able to see so many people in our family! We're grateful for everyone's wonderful hospitality & taking such good care of us! We are truly so blessed!

Bouncy! Bouncy!

Rick's work had the annual FreedomFest & of course we were all excited to go (even dolphin).
We had a yummy lunch & found plenty to keep us busy. Lexie & Rick waited a really long time in line for the bungee jump thingy, so I took the boys on the slides, obstacle course, 3-legged race & potato sack race (Lexie did jump out of line to do some of these things with us).

Finally it was Lexie's turn for some fun!

She said she was dizzy afterwards & had a little fun. Hopefully, it was worth the wait for her. :)