Busy Summer

Here is a sampling of what we have been doing the last couple weeks.
Warning: this might be a bit long

It has been super fun but busy and we Love it.

Wheeler Farm

July 21

with my 3 beautiful cousins from TX

and some of my nieces and nephews.

I love how in this picture the 3 youngest kids are playing

and the older kids are standing together like we asked.

We fed the ducks and one of them had 5 babies following her around.

The kids were entranced.  Even the older ones.

Thank goodness for Amy who brought 3 loafs of bread

We looked at all the animals. 

Reveled in the pigs, petted the bunnies and ahhed at the baby calfs.

And sat on a tractor.

We ate a yummy collective picnic by the stream.

Laugh, talked and played in the water.

We gathered and piled rocks.

Jumped over the stream and got scolded for it

It really was a very love afternoon.

It was good to be with 2 of my sisters. 

Love Wheeler Farm.

Primary Parade and Carnival

Evening July 21

 

Noah rode his bike that same evening in the Primary Parade.

This was a big moment.

He struggles with pedaling.

He rode it all the way to church and in the parade.

He admitted for the first time this summer 

that bike riding is fun.

(On his job chart, he has to practice on his bike everyday

I know I am the meanest mom)

Afterwards, our ward has a tradition of having a big carnival.

It was awesome and everyone in our neighborhood is involved.

They had pony rides.

Noah had so much fun riding his bike 

He had to wear his helmet all night.

 

First time Sofia has ridden a pony.

She loved it and wanted to do it again and again. 

 A big slide,  cotton candy, snow cones, a dunk tank,

hot dogs, pot luck,  a fishing pond, beanbag games, duck pond.

Sofia actually fell in the duck pond and got soaking wet.

So Kersten took her home so Noah could play longer.

It seriously was super fun.

I really really love our ward.

Swimming Lessons

Noah is rock'n it this year.

And Sofia it has to be her idea.

  If the teacher changes than no way.

A Treat?

At the grocery store today in the produce section
I picked out some onions
Got some grapes
and moved onto vegetables

I said to the kids,
"Should we gets some cucumbers as a Treat for dinner?"

And they both broke out into spontaneous cheers of Yes.
Sofia even did a little dance.

Noah pipes in
"Hey, Mom, can we get some celery as a treat?
and we need Raisins."
I want to make Ants on a Log."

And you cannot say No to a request like that.

I received some interesting looks from a couple and another woman in the aisle.
It probably was because if you looked in my cart there were plenty of "Real Treats"
such as Popsicles,  Scooby snacks, marshmellows and assorted candy for Kersten's candy addiction.
Hah,  I love it.

My Urban Kids

Sofia Caroline           Noah Lawrence

2 years 6 months                        6 years 3 months

Photographs by my Dearest friend

Maralise Peterson

Camping over the 4th in Pictures

Sofia 2 1/2 Birthday with the F* Fam

We celebrated on July 5th after we had all just returned from Camping at the Land.

So we were all a bit tired

Sofia got to wear her "Party Dress"

to show Mark (Virginia's Fiance)

She had to show Mark, her dress, her shoes and her pretty nails.

She had been talking about it for days.

Ginny did an amazing job with the cake as usual.  

She found these cute Tinkerbell fairies and her friends to decorate.
I love the waterfall and the flowers mingling with fairies.  Perfect for my Fia.

She loved licking the frosting off her "Guys" 

and her cake was pink.   

Can't get much better than that.

 She was set up with lots of new food for her kitchen.

A new shopping cart with even more food.

Pots and pans.

New lip glosses in the shape of a Princess castle.

and lots of Duplo legos.

She has been feeling deprived since Noah got the little kind.

In case you were worried. 

Fia did get to show "My Mark"

my dress, my shoes and my hair.

He was suitably impressed.

Mark is so good to her when he is here.

He knows that she is going to try to monopolize him.

Luckily now she says she will share "My Mark" with Virginia.

Fia says that Mark is "handsome, strong and good at dancing"

Mark also spoiled my Boys.

He gifted these awesome Star Wars figures to Noah and Kersten.

Noah informed us that the Wookie is not Chewie 

but his Dad Tarful and of course Darth Vader.

Wow, we sure feel spoiled.  

We miss him already.  Glad he was here

Traditions of the 4th of July

It is now a Tradition to go up to Davis County for the 4th of July.

And have a fun BBQ, party with Matt and Mara and their families.

We look forward to the food 

the company,

the laughs and the fun.

Every year Kersten and Matt will disappear 

usually ending up in Farmington canyon.

 

All the cousins and the kids always play kickball in the circle.

Here is Noah running to first base.

These kids are really so so nice.  

They always include everyone.

Even if they are not related. 

This is Stone pitching the ball.

Here is Grey and Mara with one of the cousins.

Of course the adults help the kids get around the bases.

Can you believe how absolutely gorgeous Mara looks?

I would kill for a figure like that.

She is one of the most beautiful people I know

Inside and out.  I want her fashion sense and discipline.

And here is how Fia spent the game of kickball.

Playing in the rocks.

Hey, we all had a good time.

It was also Grey's birthday

So we at cake and sang and

We went and watched the Fireworks 

at the Davis Technology College.

We drove in the back of a Caboda .

Which is a little truck that is more like a four wheeler.

We rode on the sidewalk and in the bike lane.

Noah got such a kick out of riding in the back.

Sofia thought that fireworks were pretty but too loud.

Noah and Stone played so so well.

They are begging for a sleepover.

We will see.  I am glad they have fun together.

Eclispe

Another chapter in my Twilight experience. 

Yes,  I saw Eclispe.

And yes,  I swooned over the shirtless Jacob

and sighed over Edward and the way he looked at Bella.

I kissed my sweetheart over and over for seeing it with me.

And loved him even more for letting me sit by Kieran and my brother Nik.

I am telling you there is nothing better than seeing a Twilight movie with my brother Nik.

He takes the experience to the max.

With his funny comments and reenactments. 

For the other two movies we celebrated my birthday.

But today is Kieran's birthday.

So we got to celebrate her birthday with Eclipse.

I love that we both have flowers in our hair.

(that she made)

I am telling you that seeing these movies with this group makes me beyond giddy and so so happy

I even got an Edward Cup and Nik gave me his Jacob cup.

So I left with both men beside me.

Bliss I tell you.

And to have my real life sexy man holding me.

I could not handle how awesome it was.

I also would not let go of my cups. 

Kieran made this awesome T-shirt just for this fun event.

If you can't see what it says

I will tell you

"Team Edward

except when Jacob is shirt-less"

Could not agree with you more on that one.

My cute sister Amy bought all the woman 

Fun Dip.

So that when we saw Edward, Jacob or Charlie

We could lick our Fun Dip. 

We laughed and enjoyed our Fun Dip quite a bit.

Oh and she bought Nik a Fun Dip too

and Kevin got a Butterfinger and Kersten had his Junior Mints.

Nik got a green thumb from his fun dip.

He is Team Charlie all the way.

Oh it was a delightful evening.

So so fun to have a date with my man

and spend time with my favorite people

Even better was when we got home. 

Our babysitter (our first non family sitter)

had played with the kids all night 

and they were both asleep in their beds.

He wore them out.

We will definitely call him again.

My kids won't stop talking about how fun it was.

AAAAhhhhh,  I really can't ask for more than this.