Spring

Happy 12th Birthday!

We are enjoying Hailey's birthday at grandma and grandpa's in St. George.  Both children are being sufficiently spoiled. :-)

Growing

I made this growth chart board to match my garden themed kitchen.  We put it up in July. ...Hailey has grown 1 inch since then, Braden has grown 2!

Libby Creek

Fair 2014

Hailey's goat, Sven, is our county's grand champion!

Backyard Camping

We can't seem to get away for a camping trip so we pitched the tent in the backyard.  Summers are so busy. ...

Pony Rides

 Braden says he is saving all his money to buy a horse.  

Hailey wants a horse so bad she says she would do anything.  

Sorry kids...guess you'll have to settle for a random pony ride off a Walmart parking lot.

Matching Owies

The big swing in the barn hit Braden in the nose and Hailey did tried a back flip on a trampoline. 

The Flute

Hailey has learned to play the flute this year in school. She's really doing great!

Out In the Barn

We put a swing in the barn - so fun!

Hailey claims everything for practicing gymnastics and climbing on.  She even has a little fort on top of the chicken coup.

 

Hailey's pig this year is named Olaf.  He likes warm hugs.  Really.  He's quite friendly.  Here you see him playing with a spool.  Warren gets in the pen and plays soccer with his old high school basketball.

Hailey took a goat for the first time this year for 4-H.  His name is Sven.

Disney Wonder

Birthday Cakes

I have been slow in getting these up but these were the kid's cakes for their birthdays.  

They were what each asked for but much stressed over and pretty much thrown together because of time....

Hailey is 11 and Braden is 4 now!

Smile!

First Gymnastics Meet

Hailey had her first gymnastics meet on Saturday.  She placed 4th in floor, bars and vault, and 1st place for beam.  This was after a 3-day camp away from home for school.  Not too shabby....Although I might add she is home today from school with a cold - completely worn out :( 

Great job, Hailey!

Lake Marie: Then and Now

2007

2013

Hailey's Gymnastics

Hailey is on Team for gymnastics now, which means a whole lot more than we ever knew, including extra fees and fundraising. 

But the nice thing about that is the fundraising is available online - AND I couldn't even resist ordering because who doesn't like Yankee Candles and their products?  So I thought I'd put it out there if anyone wants to order Christmas presents or hostess gifts early - or just have an excuse to buy something for yourself!  Ordering online also means your products get delivered directly to you.

My favorites?  Scented Christmas Tree Icicles to make an artificial tree smell wonderful, Scented Christmas Cards (!), and my favorite scent of all time is "White Christmas"  but their new "Cherries on Snow" is a close contender -hmm...wonder why that caught my eye? ;) .  If you're around in the next week you could look through the catalog and smell all the "rub and smell" scents, but remember there are a ton of things that aren't candles if you aren't sure about buying before smelling.

Here's what you need to know:

Website: Yankee Candle Fundraising
Ender Group Number under "Start Shopping": 990009637

And start shopping!  It's that easy.

This fundraiser ends September 9, 2013 and your delivery will be 2-4 weeks from the receipt of order.

Thanks you!!!

Hailey's Fair Week

What do you do with a girl exhausted from 

canoeing and hiking,

rock climbing,

bull riding,

late night 4-H project cramming,

showing and selling her 4-H animals... (the selling part is particularly emotionally exhausting)

(above "Black Beauty" and below "Fred", she also showed her prize rabbit "Alex")

--not to mention staying out late to go to the 4-H dance (unbelievably thrilling, I tell you!), 

having to feed her animals at the fairgrounds morning and night, 

all the while enjoying a few house guests (one all the way from Mongolia)...

What do you do? 

Send her to Grandma's for a week, of course. 

(Thanks Mom!  I'm sure she's having fun!  We love and miss you very much!)

Utah and Siblings

We went to Utah for our niece's wedding this past weekend. 

We had one fun-filled day shopping at City Creek Mall,

 

Temple Square in the snow,

and tracking down our first apartment in Logan. 

I remember our rent was only $275.  Crazy...

 

The wedding reception was beautiful and at least 3 of the 4 siblings were together.

 

 

 

So now the kids are having a bit of a hard time getting back into a routine

(although - is there really such a thing?). 

 

Here they are tonight playing school,

totally thinking that they are getting away with something

because it was way past their bedtime. 

 

But the truth is...

 

 

I love it when they play together. 

 

No electronics. 

 

No arguing about one or the other copying each other. 

 

No competing for my attention. 

 

Peace.

Big Cousins

This weekend we had a blast with Eric and his boys - Jake and Dallin,

or as Braden likes to call them: "my big cousins".

Poppy

My mom and dad visited last week.  It was wonderful to see them!  I wish they didn't live so far away!  Hailey called him "Poppy" when she was little and that has stuck.  Now Braden calls him that, too.  Here he is playing cars with Braden and reading to Hailey from his book of stories he is writing - he is a GREAT storyteller!!!