T-BALL BEGINS

T-BALL

The girls had their first t-ball games this week! They both did great! Just need to work on remembering to play the game instead of play in the dirt, and they'll be set! lol! But honestly they are learning the game and most of all having fun with friends! Can't get better than that!

ZOO AGAIN
There are probably going to be a lot of zoo pictures this summer. We have a membership, so we'll be hitting up the zoo at least once a week I'm sure! lol! Don't worry I'm sure I'll get tired of taking them eventually ... in fact I kind of already am. Haha. The penguins were making quite a ruckus and guarding their little dens (with a penguin inside). Not sure if it's mating season or what but it was a little odd. We also happened upon the lions while the daddy lion was enjoying the momma lion a little too much.... don't worry I didn't take a picture of that. lol.
The kids really love the goat petting area. They would stay there for hours I think if us moms had the patience for it. lol.  We also saw the baby lemurs again. They have grown twice the size since the last time we were there and were no longer just clinging to Momma's back. They were jumping and swinging around like crazy!
After the zoo we stayed at the park and had a picnic! The toys were in the sun and too hot to play on but the sprinkler was running so the kids played in the sprinkler for a while before we left! I'm so grateful my kids are able to do so much with their cousins now that we live closer again! It's been so much fun!

THE YARD AND THE POOL
Well Tuesdays and Fridays are my yard work days. So after the zoo, we came home, put Jay down for a nap, and headed back outside. Crystal always helps out by scooping up dog poop, and Lily helps by getting all the toys off the back lawn while I mow the front lawn. When they were finished with their work, they jumped in the pool while I finished mowing the lawn.
I'm still struggling with getting the massive amounts of weeds out and grass to grow back in to the yard from pour care it had the past 3 years, so I attempted to loosen up the dirt in the grass with a metal rake (front and back) and spread grass seed. It was a ton of work and very warm outside. Oy. I also spread some fertilizer (I'm desperate and just attempting anything I can think of at this point. lol).
As a child I had a wonderful lawn to play in with thick grass that was easy to walk in with bare feet! I want my children to be able to have the same experience, but am currently failing miserably! Haha! The grass seed doesn't seem to be taking ... even in the bald spots in the yard! BUT I do have to say that the yard looks insurmountably better than it did a few months ago. I'll have to do a before and after picture soon.
Anyway my purpose in sharing this story was that by the time I was finished and finally had the water going on the lawn. I was dying of heat... and was also pretty wet from getting the sprinklers in the right place anyway.
Crystal kept jokingly telling me to cool off in the pool while I was still getting work done, so after I finished everything, I just ran and jumped in the pool with them ... clothes and all (I'm just thankful there was nothing important in my pockets because I didn't think to check them first. lol).
They enjoyed my company so much that I of course decided to let the kitchen wait another day (it supposed to be my next project that day) and played in the pool with them for a while...

MOM TAKE MY PICTURE

How can I say no when my daughter comes up to me and says, "Mom, take my picture!" Crystal has been doing that to me a lot lately. I think its adorable. Haha. When we're out and about or just at home playing, she'll stop, pose/stand next to something picture worthy, and ask me to take her picture. I love this girl so much! And though I LOVE seeing her grow into the little lady she's becoming, a part of me wants it all to slow down so I can savor it just a little longer! I guess that's what pictures are for! 

 

SUNDAY WITH FAMILY

Playing with cousins in Grandma and Grandpa's backyard is a favorite Sunday past time! I'd also like to note the thick luscious barefoot worthy grass... I WANT IT... haha.

Last Week of Kindergarten AND A Weekend Summer Vacation

 LAST WEEK OF KINDERGARTEN
Crystal had her last week of Kindergarten this week! Jay and Lily will miss waiting to greet her when she gets off the bus every day! Next year she'll have to get to school the old fashioned way! No more bus! The morning of her last day we got a picture in the same place we took it on her first day of school! She came home on her last day with a Perfect Attendance Award, a Super Reader Award and a great report card! So proud of her!

BRYCE CANYON AND TUACAHN THEATER

My parents took the entire family on a weekend vacation through Bryce Canyon and the Tuacahn Theater in St George! We had the car packed and everyone buckled in while we waited for Crystal to get home from school. As soon as she got off the bus (and the awesome bus driver gave her enough suckers for all of us for her last day), she piled in the car with us and we were on our way! 

Jay refused to nap the entire day! We stopped in Layton to meet up with my brother and SIL at a McDonalds for lunch and then we all made the rest of the journey to Bryce Canyon. Jay FINALLY fell asleep around 6 pm. We pulled into the hotel in Bryce Canyon at 7:15. Seriously... lets just say it was a long trip! Haha. We ate dinner and headed to the pool for about 45 minutes before it closed at 10 pm (the kids would die if we didn't get in some pool time. lol. Mom has those pics. I may never get them. lol). 

The next morning we were up bright and early and ready to hit the road again! We drove to Sunrise point... walked from there to Sunset point and back again. Then we got in the car and followed my dad to the next stop. We got out and my little brother says, "Isn't this the place we just saw?" Parents insisted "No its different" So we walk to the viewpoint at which point we decide my little brother was right. It was Sunset Point... again. We all had a good laugh (because my little brother had pushed a double stroller all the way there and back and we could have just driven. It was kinda funny...). Anyway, we then headed to Inspiration Point... Jay walked the entire thing and it was pretty steep! Go Jay! After that we went to Bryce Point where Jay tried to kill himself, refusing to hold a hand and trying to run off with scary drop offs nearby. A naptime meltdown ensued (as well as with his cousin... everyone was staring at us and our screaming boys... lol). We then found a picnic area to eat lunch at (I had my meltdown in between when we ended up ahead of the group, and they decided to go to a different place than previously discussed... and I was SO close to making it without any emotional breakdowns! Someday I'll have control of my emotions and these things won't happen anymore... until then I'm thankful for a husband who has learned to be okay with them. lol). Then we made our way to St George! The kids slept the ENTIRE way! 

When we got to St George, we immediately hit the pool for an hour (seriously, tantrums would occur if we didn't find time for the pool. lol). Then we got ready for our night at Tuacahn! We ate dinner there and watched the pre-show. The kids all loved it! Jay and Kensie were dancing around to the music! Then just before the play was going to start we dropped the three 2 year olds off at the Showcare room. They all willingly let us go and did really well considering it was almost 9 pm! We watched "When You Wish." It was a compilation of Disney performances. It was amazing! And since it was all music the girls were mesmerized the entire show! The main character was only 12 years old! She did a fabulous job! 

The drive home on Sunday was awful. lol. Jay cried for no reason for at least 2 hrs of the 3.5 hour drive to Provo where we stopped to eat. He was exceptionally good while we ate, so we had high hopes for the rest of the ride. Provo to home wasn't nearly as bad. The DVD player had finally started working (wasn't working the entire trip for some reason until then) which probably helped a lot. lol. We had to stop at the rest area between Blackfoot and IF, and Ty got Jay out too. We walked to the top of the building and the kids ran around and around and around the circular top (there's a sidewalk that goes around it) until they couldn't run anymore and we got back in to finish the trip. Jay pretty much cried the rest of the way home, but at least we were almost there. lol. When we got home the kids needed a release before bed, so Ty practiced throwing a baseball with the girls (their first game is Monday), and Jay and I practiced hitting with his Tball set that his Aunt Brooke and Uncle Todd got him! THEN we all went to bed exhausted!!!!! ;-)

Friendly chipmunk the kids were chasing.

For at least 2 hours! Gah!

RANDOM PICTURES

Warm enough for the pool!

I canned me some strawberry jam (Got a few flats from Eagle Farms' Strawberry Truck).

Bought these for the trip but I bought them too soon and they were opened long before vacation day...

Cousin Millie had a bday party. I felt so bad because Lily's eye gooped up 5 minutes before we left to go to the party. They had been wearing their costumes for the party all day long! I couldn't let her give everyone pink eye, so she had to stay home with Daddy. We brought her lots of goodies and she had a good time at home so it was okay, but at first she was completely devastated and I wanted to cry too!

Sometimes Lily just needs forward motion. So during one particularly insane temper tantrum I suggested she race to the gate and back. Crystal encouraged her by doing it with her. The dog and jay joined in too!

Jay is getting pretty good with his lawn mower. Too bad it doesn't actually cut the grass. lol. 

He likes to follow Daddy around helping him mow the lawn.