Spoiling....

When Dad goes to Old Navy and they have a flash sale for $1 flip flops everyone might get spoiled....I love feet pictures for some weird reason. I love Brent for some weird reason too...and some/many not so weird...

Swim Meet #3

Jocelyn signed herself up for this meet in true Jocelyn fashion. I picked her up from practice and she told me that they asked if she would be here for the meet and she told them yes and that she wanted to swim all the same races....So that's what we did. She moved up to the faster heat for the freestyle and she really worked it. Her relays went well too. She usually swims third or fourth. She was going so fast on her back stroke that the timer had to jump up and cushion her head when she smacked the wall. It was pretty funny to see. She also remembered to bring an "activity" to do while she waited for her races. She told me her toes looked like mermaid toes and it helped her swim faster....love this kid! And I love that she has found what she loves!

Daddy Daughter Date

Brent has a tradition of taking the kids out on their own personal dates. Since three of the four kids legitimately call it a daddy daughter date the fourth one does too. On Saturday Brent took Creed for his daddy daughter/son date. They rode from the top of Snow Canyon State Park to the bottom. Creed is a biking maniac. He got a bike with hand brakes for his birthday but he usually doesn't have to brake that much. This trail is all about up hills and down hills...with cliffs within crashing distance of the trail. I was really surprised (and nervous) Brent brought Creed's bike instead of the tandem bike...but Creed had an awesome time. They started at about 630 am so it wouldn't be too hot. It was the perfect daddy daughter/son date!  

Cooling off like an engineer...

It's been really hot here this summer so far...like last week several days it was over 110 degrees...With the new pool cover the water was getting toasty. Finally when it hit hot tub temps (water was 100 degrees) we decided we had to do something to cool it off...So Brent hit Lowes and came home and engineered this puppy....The kids like swimming through the spray and it really did cool the water down more than 10 degrees so the water is refreshing again....I love that he can and will engineer fixes to any problem...Genius!

Game Night Pie Facee

Creed got this game from my mom for his birthday but we hadn't played it yet. It involved whipped cream and messes and I wanted it to be an outside game...So finally Creed and Jocelyn talked me into it and they had so much fun! (So did Brent and I). Everyone got it in the face at least once and somehow even though that was what you were trying to avoid Jocelyn and Creed felt like it made them winners...

Swim Meet #2

Seriously look at her form. She is so fun to watch. It doesn't matter if she's the fastest or slowest kid out there. She is my kid and I love watching every second of her! This swim meet was even better than the first because we got a seat in the shade. She swam a 25 backstroke, a 25 freestyle, and two relays. She really has the dive in thing down. I really need to thank her swimming lesson teacher that she has had the last several years for teaching her the right way to swim. She looks so good out there. BEST SUMMER EVER!

And somehow Brent and Creed came to the meet totally accidentally matching and it was so funny.

My boys

The other night Creed and Brent both were struggling with colds...and Creed had ear infections...They went to bed early and I came up a few hours later and found this. They were both doing really loud congested snoring but it was such a perfect moment. I love these boys!

Shout out for Father's day

So my kids got really lucky in the father department. Brent is generally pretty patient with them and really good at helping with science fair projects. He can fix anything and the kids know it and capitalize on this talent...Brent can make all four kids laugh pretty regularly despite hormones flying. Brent works so hard for all of us all the time. He works hard so I can stay home and be a mom like I want to be. He works hard so kids can have piano lessons, braces, computer camps, sewing lessons, swimming lessons, and anything else that they need. He works hard to make sure they are respectful and kind kids. He works hard to make our house a nice safe fun place to be. He works hard for all of us all the time and we don't thank him enough. 

For father's day we made him breakfast in bed...raspberry glazed muffins and peaches and cream. We made stroganoff for dinner. I made him a special chocolate peanut butter dessert. And hopefully we spoiled him enough for him to know that he is a rock star and we appreciate all his does for us all the time...We are all really lucky to have him.

Going for an "adventure"

We've heard over and over again for years how good the hospital cafeteria is from my BIL who works there...Then Brent's friend also told him the same thing saying he and his wife eat there pretty much everyday....So we decided the kids needed an "adventure" on Friday night...They thought we were doing something totally awesome...and we did. We all went to the hospital cafeteria for dinner....When we got there we did have to do some talking into it but by the end of the meal everyone asked when we could go back again. Seriously everyone loved their food and it was SO cheap! Like 25 dollars for a family of 6...That never happens. AND everyone sat and talked and just was well behaved and liked each other! Anyway, despite not digging the adventure at first they all loved it in the end....and we love them!  

Code changers and kool-aide

Cami and Taryn were able to attend another year of coding camp at the college here. They had SO much fun soldering and programing video games and designing web pages and light up exercise things....Everyday they came home talking talking talking about how cool it was....but Jocelyn and Creed REALLY missed them while they were gone. So we had to have a kool-aide stand in the 110 degree heat to pass the time....but they seemed to have fun...until creed needed to stand in a bucket of water so his feet would stop burning...I got them to call it quits only AFTER all the kool aide was gone and you better believe I was texting all the neighbors near and far who had kids who would drink up...but it helped the time go faster until they could all be together again. Its amazing how different it is at home without one of the kids. I can't imagine life without any of them.

                                      

PEGS

Ever since we moved into our house Creed has taken out "his ladies" trash and brought the cans in after the garbage man comes. Three of our closest neighbors are single older ladies (who are really nice grandma types). Really he was just super excited that the neighbors would let him move their cans around. One of the neighbor ladies insists on paying him despite our protests...

So he has been saving and saving his garbage can money and finally had enough to buy pegs for his bike. He has wanted these, and shopped for these, and talked and talked about these for EVER. And his dreams finally came true. 

We went to the store and he handed over his hard earned money. When we got home he put them right on his bike all by himself (including climbing up on the work bench and finding the right tools he needed without my knowledge...) His face pretty much says how he felt about his purchase....and two seconds after they were attached to his bike he was doing tricks in the street on them....good thing the health insurance is paid up....I love this kid!

skate party

A few weeks ago the neighbor kiddo had a family birthday party and it was SO fun. There is an old roller rink in a small town 20 minutes away. The kids were all old enough to "skate" on their own and it was just super fun and chill to watch the kids go for it. Brent even displayed his mad skills....I probably should have videoed they day because it was one for the memory books!

Baby no more...tough nugget

When Taryn's school teachers ask what she did this summer she can tell them she spent the summer at the dentist and orthodontist....She's had to have 6 teeth pulled (one pretty impacted)...then she had to get braces on. And she is the toughest kid ever! She didn't whine or cry. Not even a single eye water. She just opened wide and let them go to work. She is now the second kid in the family to be done with baby teeth despite it being kind of a rough road for her. The tooth fairy did treat her well though ...and if she saves the money she can pay for college now. Not really but the tooth fairy definitely played her A game since Taryn was such a drama free good sport about the whole thing. I LOVE this tough nugget!

Our summer schedule...fun in the sun...

Taryn was telling her sewing teacher our "summer schedule" the other day and it kind of made me laugh. First we wake up get dressed and make our beds. We eat breakfast and mom gets mad if the TV is on. Then we do whatever chores we have. We eat lunch then we swim all afternoon every afternoon...Yup that is pretty much what we do and it is a good time....

Faye's first swim meet

It was hot and sunny and early and Jocelyn loved every minute of her first swim meet. Uncle John came to watch and I could tell she was super happy about that because Uncle John knows his swimming...The rest of the gang came too. She got to swim the 25 m backstroke, 25 m freestyle, and two relays. She really is pretty fast but not the fastest...but honestly her form is really good and once she gets a little stronger she will literally fly through the water. The whole environment of the swim meet was really fun too. These two older kids sitting by us were so helpful and kind. They even let her barrow a swim cap to try it out.  I loved every minute of it but more importantly she loved every minute of it....We have definitely found something she has a passion for. 

Family First... Swim Team Practice

So Jocelyn has begged for more than a year to join the swim team...and we finally agreed to it.  She goes to the college every morning from 7 am to 8... This is HUGE! Out of everyone in this household she is least likely to wake up early. Even during the school year (school doesn't start til 9 am) I have to carry her out of bed and remind her to get dressed...then comb hair....then eat...then get shoes on....step by step all morning because she is just not super awake. 

So 7 am was definitely a stretch and I was curious to see how she would do. Well she was up and at it the moment I walked into her room. She jumped down got her suit on and was good to go. Seriously she walked in and jumped in the pool just like she was at home and hasn't looked back. I thought maybe the pool would be cold or she would be nervous...but nope. She is rocking the 7 am swim practice, I love it! This will definitely be how we do summers from now on...