Backyard Swimming

My 2 water bugs have LOVED swimming this summer!! Luckily we have a pool and fun water toys in our own backyard to enjoy each and everyday!! We have LOVED spending most days outside in our swimming suits enjoying the sun, and water. Here are just a few photos from our many adventures swimming in our own BACKYARD!!!Emma loved "water fights" as long as she was the one dumping the water!
Aunt Ashley and Emma jumping over the sprinkler

Emma enjoying the sunshine!!

Zachary's new favorite thing to do is climb the swingset!

He has been doing this for about a week EVERYTIME we go outside!!!!

This boy LOVES the water!

Sunbathing with Aunt Megie.

Enjoying a snack outside together.

Zachary tries to drink the water that comes out of the holes.

Emma running through the princess sprinkler.

We love summertime fun and know we will enjoy more pool parties in our own backyard!!!

Snips and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails

That's what little boys are made of!!

Due: Dec. 4

(Pics coming once I can figure out how to scan them in!!!)

Take Me Out to the Bees Game. . .

Take me out to the crowd. . .

Last Tues. we took our kids to the Bees games down in Salt Lake. It was such a BLAST. On Tues. kids 12 and under eat FREE. Our kids each got a hot dog, a drink, and cheez-it crackers. For some reason both of my kids didn't eat their hot dog very good, but Zachary LOVED his drink, and Emma loved the crackers. Oh well, they ate something before we left for the game.

Zachary didn't know how to suck from a straw before this event, but learned how and LOVES every time he gets his hands on a drink with a straw!

Emma, Aunt Megan, and Uncle Dave sitting in our seats.

Grandma bought Emma Dip N' Dots, and for some reason she wouldn't smile for me to take a picture, so here's the BEST I got!!

Uncle Dave bought this drink and Zachary soon found it and convascated the WHOLE thing!!

For some reason they had this HUGE rabbit blow up thing and Emma loved it. She WANTED a picture taken by it, which is a rare thing to actually want a picture taken, and she didn't want to come away from it!

After a little while in the seats, we ended up on the grass where kids could run and play to some extent. This is the whole clan that came minus Alan whose taking the picture.

Grandma, Aunt Megan, and Emma

Aunt Ashley and Zachary

Daddy is so much fun!!! He spent a little while rolling down the hill with both kids for some good entertainment for all. Alan has Zachary and is rolling with him and Emma couldn't figure out the whole rolling thing for a little while. Once she finally figured how to roll down the hill, she didn't quite know how to steer clear of other people. But hey, it was FUN!

We tried to get a family picture at the end of the night, and as you can see my kids, or just Emma, were tired.

It was a total blast and we hope to do this again sometime this summer!!!

4th of July

The 4th was full of fun at our house! In the morning we got up and ready to go have family pictures taken. (You will see those in another post!) Our kids were ANGELS having pictures taken so we got them ice cream and food on the way home. Then we had glorious naps before the events started in our neighborhood. There was games at 3 different houses in our ward. Most of the "games" were water involved and Emma was a little disturbed that she wasn't wearing her swimming suit, but got over it and had fun!Here she is "drying off" after getting wet the first time.

She did try the slip n' slide for the first time EVER and it ended like this. She was not detoured by it and did it a couple more times without much success, but she still had fun!

Zachary tried out the slip n' slide too much to the other kids dismay! He loved sitting in the BIG puddle at the end!!!


After trying the water stuff out for a while Emma resorted to picking flowers and then we had to keep track of them the rest of the night. UGH!!

At the next house the kids were pushed around in a wheelbarrow and the wagon threw water. Alan was the designated pusher and Emma was in heaven just chasing after him.

Zachary loved the wagon. Climbing in and out and all around making all the other adults super nervous. Please I see it EVERY day!!!

Then they played the octopus game and Emma had a fun time just RUNNING out all her energy!

At the last house was a water balloon game, but I got there too late to get pictures. They handed out popsicles at the end of the game and Zachary was in HEAVEN!!


We ended the night at one final house with a BBQ and fireworks. Zachary loved going around to all the plates that were left out and scavenging for food. He made out like a bandit. Emma was content with NOT eating and playing her heart out!!

The fireworks were too late for Zachary's bed time, but Emma stayed up for them. She was not very impressed and too thirsty to really enjoy them. The sparklers she thought were cool princess wands, but didn't want to hold one!

We had lots of fun as a family this year and enjoyed relaxing on such a fabulous holiday!

Ice Age

On July 3rd we took both of our kids along with a family in our ward to Ice Age. We stopped at Walmart first and Emma got to spend $3.00 on candy. She picked the ones in the boxes and we were off for quite an adventure. This is the first time Emma has really been to a movie, she did go at like 3 mo. to Pirates of the Caribbean 2, but was taken out in the opening credits and never brought back again. This was Zachary's fist attempt at a movie as well. Both kids did really well. Zachary was happy as long as there was food coming his way, but was bored half way through and was taken out. Emma got over the food about half way through and then watched the movie. Although I'm not sure this was her type of movie, she still had fun. FYI- I WOULD NOT reccomend this movie!!!!

Taylorsville Pool Party

Last week Aunt Ashley invited all of the neices and one nephew to go swimming at the Taylorsville pool. We met at Park Park to have a picnic before we headed to swim. There was stuff set up from Taylorsville Dayzz and Emma LOVED the stages!! She wouldn't eat her lunch because all she wanted to do was dance on the stage.

We had a blast at the pool and are so glad Aunt Ashley had such a great idea! Thanks for inviting us!!!

Aunt Ashley and ZacharyAunt Ashley and Emma
Emma loved going in the DEEP end with her!
Emma, Mommy, and Zachary

The Whole Water Gang

Zachary enjoyed the beach entry part, but Emma just wanted to swim in the deep end.

The Three Cousins. . . Can you guess who's the oldest?

For some reason Zach LOVES to do this!?!?

He LOVES, LOVES the water and even though he was EXTREMELY tired he still didn't REALLY want to leave.

Our BUSY, BUSY Weekend. . .

We started out our hectic Saturday with Daddy's race. It's always fun to go to races, but it always involves waking kids up, which every parent would understand is a big bummer. My kids were troopers as we waited for the runners we knew to file in, Daddy was the first, so at least he was there to help!!

Then it was a quick bit to eat while we sat on the parade route. We claimed our spots before the race with blankets and chairs and then just hung-out there until the race. It was actually a lot of fun just to hang-out and wait and my kids loved it because we had "SPECIAL" food for breakfast that we don't EVER have!!!

As the parade started with the precession of firetrucks Zachary was VERY, VERY unsure of the whole event. Even Emma was a little unsure after the first three because they didn't throw candy. Once we got throught that LONG precession Emma loved the majority of it. What is better then giving a little wave and being thrown LOADS of candy. After a while Emma got picky about what candy she would and would not pick up. She realized she already had a sack full and didn't need to pick up anything, but her favorite kind. . . TAFFY! She came home with a half a sack FULL of TAFFY and nearly made herself sick devouring it within the first few hours after getting it.

We came home after the parade ended at 10:30am and took a much needed nap for all of us. Then we packed up once again and went swimming for the WHOLE afternoon. Zachary and Emma loved every minute of it. If you would pull Zachary out of the water he would SCREAM bloody murder until we put him back in the water. He loved being directly in the water and didn't love his little floaty thing. It was Gavin's birthday party and he got the little wave runner thing that Emma and him are riding on together. For all of the little kids, that was a BIG HIT!

My kids were exhausted after spending all that time away from home, but we still dragged them to a reception in West Valley, to my Mom's to pick cherries, and home again. Needless to say they slept REALLY, REALLY good that night and are still catching up on much needed sleep!!! Oh you gotta LOVE busy, jam packed weekends!!!!