Field Trip

For our field trip this week, we took the kids to the park for lunch and bowling. It has really made our summer fun having these fun play dates to look forward to.

Aspen won our bowling game.

This is the field trip group. Also the same bunch of kids that we do co-op with. Each Friday night my friends and I rotate houses and watch each others kids. We have done this for almost two years and it has been an incredible experience. The kids are more like family and love to see their friends every Friday night.

Sage and Shayden Mckenna and Aspen

Aspen age 3

Sage loved climbing the trees at the park.

This is the Place

I took the kids to This is the Place Heritage Park. I was so surprised at how much it has changed. Its like a whole village. We took advantage of all that they had to do, crafts, wagon rides, tours, and food. It was such great day with the kids. They were so sweet and thanked me a dozen times for taking them. They loved hearing the history of Brigham Young and Joseph Smith. On the way home we stopped to visit Grandma Roylance. I love days like this.

The 4Th of July

We went to my sisters Gym to go swimming for the fourth. It was so much fun except hitting her Jaguar with my car, and loosing Nates face to his stereo. Once I was over the not so fun part of the day, we had a great time. After we went swimming we had a great cook out in our backyard and watched Nates firework show. He had to have the huge package of fireworks from Costco. It was so fun to sit on our lawn as a family and watch fireworks together.

Aspen got really brave and kept dunking herself. She was being so dramatic.

My kids LOVE their cousins

McKenna on the slide
Sammy and Aspen

Cousin time

We spent the 3rd and 4Th of July with my sister Jen and her kids. It was so much fun! We took the kids to a city carnival. They had a rodeo, Jen and I were excited about the idea. The kids saw some of the cowboys roping a cow and thought it was mean. They didn't want to go because they didn't think it was fair the animals were thrown on the ground and roped. So no rodeo for Jen and I.

Sammy, Aspen, McKenna


The best part of the day was the kids singing. McKenna and Sammy did Karaoke and it was out of control hilarious. McKenna was being so funny, she had so much spunk. Sage did a solo. I couldn't believe they were so brave to sing on a stage in front of so many people. Sage sung I am proud to be an American which happens to be is favorite song.

Sage and McKenna rock climbing.

Some great moments

We have had some great moments this week. My blog is more like a journal, my whole point is to put it into a book for my kids. I want to make sure I document all the darling things they say. This week Sage and Aspen overwhelmed me with the things they told me.

We were driving in the car and this is the conversation I had with Sage...

S: Mom do you know why I tell you I love you so much?

M: No why?

S: Because I just love you so much and so I want to tell you all the time. And when I think of telling you I love you, I say it but I love you more than the words mean. I can't even describe how much I love you because it is just way to much!

Wow, I was so overwhelmed, I pulled the car over so I could look at him. I can't believe how well he can express his feelings.

Aspen has been saying really big words this week. When we were laying in the back watching fireworks she said "Wow mom this is so exciting isn't it." It was so cute. I always say to my kids "why did I get so lucky and have the best kids sent to me?" Well the other night Aspen said to me "Mom you don't know why Jesus sent you such gorgeous kids huh?" It was such a big word for her to have put in there. I do feel so blessed to have such sweet kids. They have not played with there friend to much this summer. Maybe 3 times. I told them yesterday to go ride there bikes to a friends and they said "No we just like playing with each other better." I'm so happy they are each others best friends.

There are always opposites so I worry for when I will get the opposite behavior from the kids. Last night we went on a late bike ride. When I got home and put the kids to bed, Sage was still up wandering the house. I came downstairs to see what he was doing. He is amazing. He had loaded the dishwasher and started it, organized my desk in the office, and cleaned the bathroom. I asked him what he was doing and he said "I just feel so bad that you have to work so hard right when you wake up so I am cleaning so you won't have to do anything tomorrow. And I started the dishes so when I get up early I can unload them for you." So cute. I didn't know if it would carry over but this morning I come down and all the dishes are done, he watered the garden, took the dogs on a walk and fed them, and had the dishwasher started again with only his cereal bowl in it. He just amazes me. What else can I say?

Candy Factory

Kandice told me about a blog that shows new ways to do hair. I was excited, I get sick of princess crowns, bumps, ponytails, and french braids. The girls loved it and Aspen asks everyday, "Can I have my hair in X's?"

Sage loves being the camera man. He is getting really good at taking pictures. He loves to zoom.




I love summer. I love that we have no bedtime, no homework, no alarms, no carpool, just pure freedom. We are having a blast this summer. Our kids are at great ages to do such fun things. I have a huge list I hope we can complete.
My friends and I have set Mondays aside as field trip days. Our first was to go to the candy factory. It was a forty minute tour and the kids loved it. They saw the workers make salt water taffy, chocolate covered cinnamon bears and jelly beans. They got a prize at the end and it was a hit. Aspen was so amazed, I think she thanked me a dozen times for taking her.

I know this is such a great look for all of us. Everyone who went on the tour had to wear hair nets.

When Nate gets home from work...

This is what happens when Nate gets home from work...

The kids get thrown into the pool.
Mckenna was a bit nervous her precious dance out fit would be ruined. Once she realized it was fine, she was so happy. It turned into one of our favorite nights. Nate changed into his suit, and for hours the kids and him swam. We cooked on the grill and it was Taylorsville days so we watched the fireworks in our backyard on blankets and ate Popsicles. It was amazing.

Nate threw the dogs in to see if they would swim. Bodie was not in love with the idea
Zo secretly liked it.

Snowbird

Aspen, Rachael, McKenna, Sage

Its time for our annual Snowbird trip. The kids had a sleep over with thier cousins Zach and Sammy. It was so much fun for all of them. We went up to the condo and they swam, played in the indian hunt, went to the game game room, and played in the elevators (yes Im sure everyone loved that). When we got home they swam for 5 more hours in the backyard. I knew my kids liked to swim, but eight hours in one day was a bit surprising.

McKenna, Sammy, Aspen, Sage, Zack

Aspen and Emmy

Me and the kids went up to the condo a few times. It was so fun for them to see there other cousins as well.

My grandma is my hero. She bought the condo 33 years ago. Every year in June she takes up all of her grandkids and gives the moms a break. I went every year starting at age 1. We got to stay for a whole week and play with our cousins. I wish I had her patience. I know this is a huge reason why my whole extended family is so close, because of this tradition. This place holds most of my favorite childhood memories. Im so happy my kids look forward to it and can enjoy this tradition as well. I have no idea how my grandma at over eighty years can cook and take care of all those kids. She is amazing.

Colorado

I went to Colorado for a week to help my sister Laurie with her new baby Elsie. She is so darling. It was a fantastic trip. Sage came with me. It was so fun to spend alone time with him. We missed the girls and Nate tremendously. But we had a great time. It was so fun to visit with Brent and Laurie, we had so much fun watching movies and visiting.
New little baby Elsie
I love being an aunt

Sisters
Ember, Katie, Laurie

Me and my dad Terry
Ember and my step mom Jean Cousins

Sienna, Sage, Ayla, Hunter
We went to Denver and met up with Grandma and Grandpa Terry. He took us swimming and to eat at the best place ever, Burger-Burger.
I took the kids to Mr Biggs for the day to let Laurie have some alone time with the baby.

Nates first bike ride..

I have to document this because it is SO funny. After our company left, we went for a family bike ride. The kids and I were extremely excited that Nate is part of our bike club now. It was his first time trying out his new bike. Sage kept saying "mom can we do this all the time, I love spending time with the family riding bikes." I told him we should go on a bike ride every night. Then Nate had to be Nate and start showing off for the kids. He started doing all kinds of tricks. Being the bossy me, I kept telling him to stop before he gets hurt. That of course egged him on more. As we passed our neighbors house, he popped a willy and flipped backwards and landed on his butt. I loved being right. He stood up and was busting up laughing. We all sat there and laughed and laughed and laughed. It was seriously the funniest thing ever. It opened up a night of jokes for the kids and I. We have been on a ton of bike rides and the kids don't fall off, but daddy did on his first try. We have never laughed so hard. Good times, funny stuff, awesome memories to cherish.