It's official-summer is here

It seems to me like nothing says summer quite like playing in the sprinklers and eating popsicles. We did both today. It was in the high 80s-early 90s and soooooo beautiful. It was so funny to watch the girls run around and spray each other and no one got their feelings hurt. Afterwards Taryn said she wanted her towel just like mommy's after mommy takes a shower and they both sported towel heads for a while. I love these girls.

Spring and Easter and hanging out with the fam

The last few weeks have been really fun because we got to spend time with out of town family who were in town. The Joneses came for a week then the Ferguson's came for a long weekend. (Both Amy's sisters) Anyway, we had Easter egg hunts and walks and art festivals and jump houses and all kinds of fun action...So this should be forty seven or so entries but instead I'll just post a lot of pictures and that is what we have been up to....

The "first" Easter egg hunt at Walmart. It was really really sunny.

Cami learned how to do a new very tricky trick on the Thompson's swing set (in town cousins).

The girls have totally been into rocking out in our bedroom...Cami calls it her hip hop dance...She REALLY likes that 1985 song and sings along and "hip hops."

Dyeing Easter eggs with cousins at Grandma Rice's...Grandma was a good sport for such a messy activity.

After a scavenger hunt breakfast the kids were ready for another egg hunt in the backyard despite the rain.

Taryn got down and dirty and got it.

Everyone was really happy and really cold after the big hunt.

Taryn breaking out the treats.

Since it was so stinking cold we went to an indoor jump house place and turned the kids loose. Taryn gravitates towards babies....especially baby Michael. She loves this guy.

Cami chillin' after some serious jumping.

Cami at the art fair with her beautiful painted face. The girl doing the painting asked her what she wanted. Instead of choosing a butterfly or spider or some object she told her she wanted to be a fairy. So here is Cami the fairy.

Taryn is VERY into KettleKorn...

Cami is into the statues....

Taryn is really coordinated. She can eat and talk and balance on little walls and look adorable all at the same time.

Quick camping trip

On Friday Brent was able to take off a few hours early and we decided to take advantage of the super warm weather and go camping. We always are excited for camping in the mountains but being so early in the year we decide to stay low enough to not freeze our bums off. We ended up at Gunlock Reservoir and it was honestly not the most scenic place but it was warm. It was funny after we got camp set up we just looked at each other and tried to figure out what to do next...Life has been to crowded lately and it took a minute for us to be able to relax once we got the chance. The highlight of Gunlock was that it was pretty isolated so the girls could wander and explore (and we still could see them for a long ways because of the lack of trees) and we weren't too worried. Brent also tried to teach them how to skip rocks but really the just preferred the bigger rocks making huge splashes. The girls of course got into the marshmallow roasting-they are my children after all. And it was amazing to see all the stars once it was dark. In the morning Brent made fabulous dutch oven omlet action for breakfast while we stayed inside and stayed warm. It was such a fun no stress outing that I can't wait for more all summer!

Taryn said to Cami-You be Alicia and I will be Diego and we will go rescue...I don't know what they found to rescue but it was fun to watch. Go Diego Go!

Daddy skipping rocks and the girls getting ready to chuck rocks as big as themselves in the lake.

Marshmellow stickies...the best kind...

My campfire posse.

Spring Fling

Last weekend our friends from Las Vegas came and hung out. It was really fun. Friday the kids played hard and had a sleep over all in one room...although for one little lady (Taryn) sleep was slooooow to come. Saturday we "scootered" and "biked" a river trail that ends in a park. The kids did really good getting all the way there and back. Later that day the moms went shopping and Brent watched all the kids...good man that he is. It was really fun just to hang out and relax and enjoy the sunshine.

Taryn REALLY can pedal but she goes SOOOO fast just scooting that she could take down a full grown adult....it is a sight to behold!

Taryn "helping" Cami - this does make steering a little rough...

Daddy laughing at his funny girls and trying to save Taryn from strangulation...

Playing with the Cousins

The first weekend of March the Lutze's came down to St George and brought cold weather and fun (notice we all wore jackets...and needed them). Rachel had a soccer tournament and it was really fun to watch the games. She is in a competitive league and the girls are getting enough mad skills that it was easy to really get into. We also went on a "hike" along one of the river trails and found some cool petrified wood and "caves" and rocks to climb on. We really enjoyed the weekend and the girls LOVED being with the cousins. Thanks Lutze's for hanging out!

Brent with his beauties

Cami and Natalie


The whole gang

A Princess's work is never done

Cami: "Mom what do princesses do besides wear really big dresses and learn to wave to all the crowds?"

Mom: "HMMM...Good question........they go to balls too....."

By today I have the answer. What else do princesses do? They pretend, they play house, they play school, they read books, they play with chalk and art "weasels" (easels), and ride scooters, and wrestle, and steamroller, and sneak a lot of treats, and worry about getting kindergarten shots, and play with friends, and play hide and seek, and play candyland, lucky ducky, and rat-a-tat-tat, and play beauty shop,and dress ups, and play chef, and polly pockets, and go to the park, and help mommy with jobs and a princess's work is never done......-At least I hope it's never done. I love princesses!

Playing with the other princesses (cousins)

The new spinning cup thing at the park-princess testing

Princess approved-trying to walk after spinning is a little challenging though

Calling all available princes to rescue the princess from her tower

Princess rescued and ready to smile and wave to the camera

Sneaking a doughnut treat thanks to grandma! Grandmas know what princesses like!

MORE CAKE!

Since Cami's birthday was on a Sunday we had a slower day than usual. Her and Taryn played lots of dress ups until after church then we had a family dinner/party. Cami finally got the scooter she has wanted for forever and has been really funny riding it. She goes fast then yells look and does a "wheelie." I hope we don't have any trips to the ER any time soon. What a fun girl. We are so lucky to have her.

Our favorite Dance

Taryn's latest saying (she repeats it at least once or twice a day):
Mommy says "Taryn do you have to pee pee?"
Taryn says"No"
Mommy says "Taryn I think you need to pee pee. You are doing your pee pee dance."
Taryn says "This not my pee pee dance. Its my ballet dance."
Two seconds later she BOLTS to the bathroom."Mom I need to pee!"

THE party

So I have never given a kid a birthday party which some of you may think is really bad parenting...I just figured family parties were enough. This year Cami actually asked for a party and dreamed of parties and anticipated a party for months. SO we had a friends party and it was really fun. She invited twelve of her little friends and they all came. We had air plane races, relay races, played where's the spoon and pin the tail on the donkey. The highlight was a treasure hunt to find the pinata. We had pizza for lunch then cupcakes, complete with party hats. It was a packed hour and a half. It went really fast and I am sure this is the first of many parties.

Getting ready to take flight

Dressing up/eating chocolate relay

Looking for the spoon

Looking for clues on the treasure hunt

Pizza and ice cream for all

One of her three wishes

The gang with post party sugar highs

World's biggest food baby

Friday night we went out for dinner. Usually Taryn won't drink any other beverage if she has the option of water. I ordered lemonade and apparently she found another love besides water. Taryn kept sneaking little drinks of strawberry lemonade from my cup but I wasn't really paying attention to how much she was chugging. After bribing her with ice cream if she would just eat the last two bites of her sandwich this is what she said "I think I have a baby in my tummy...look...(puffs it out to display serious food baby)"...Two seconds later she has her baby via barfing style...voluminous barfing.....lots of strawberry lemonade right on mommy's lap. Lesson learned for mommy!

The big 5!

You may wonder why Cami's face is the header on our blog this month. It is her big day one week from today. She will be turning five and I can't believe how fast those years went. Cami is a very sweet sensitive girl. She is always aware of others feelings and is sooo quick to try and help if she knows someone is sad.

I love her imagination and how well she plays with Taryn. She is the best big sister Taryn could have. When I was thinking about having Taryn my mom told me one of the greatest gifts you can give a child is a sibling.Then they learn how to share and get along in a loving environment before they go out into the world. Well Taryn has been good for Cami but REALLY it is Taryn who is lucky to have such a great big sister.

Cami is working on reading and writing and simple math. She loves preschool and her teacher and can't leave without giving her a hug. She really thinks about things and asks a million questions. She memorizes really fast and has about every songs she's ever heard memorized (her favorites are 1985 and the song by tim mcgraw about 123 like a bird I sing...)

She has great faith as well. When she is scared she naturally decides to say a little prayer and then tells me later that she could do what ever it was she was scared of because she said a little prayer and heavenly father helped her (for example going to the dentist).

She is just a really good kid-a really obedient loving kind person and we feel so blessed to have her in our home. We spent a lot of love, sweat, and tears getting her to our family and never ever in a million years have I wondered if it was worth it. Cami is worth more than anything. We scored big time getting her as a daughter.

Below is a slide show of some favorite times with her.

A Day at the "NEW" Park

There is a new park in St George that is very cool because almost everything spins. The Thompsons and Fergusons introduced us to the park and the girls have begged to go back frequently . A week ago Saturday Brent had a lot going on but he took an hour off to go to the park with us and the girls went crazy and had so so so much fun. The park was interesting to Brent because of all the engineering that went into it (the spinning tetter totter swing for example). The sun was out and it was probably in the 50's (no coats but sweater weather) and we realized again why we looooove living here. Park dates in January-doesn't get much better than that!

Taryn in love with the sunshine but blind....

Cami on a spinning stick thing...

picking up momentum...

These I think are the favorite there-the spinning cup things...it works just like the gold chair from the Rice's living room in NM. Someone spins you and you can't stop until someone stops you.

Taryn climbing all over everything.

Taryn riding the three way spinning bouncy totter thing.

Cami appears to be half Brazilian as she had the hammock swing mastered in two seconds...This is how Brent slept for two years in Brazil.

Cami climbed the rope bridge thing all the way to the top.

I spy with my little eye...

Taryn yelled with her little yell...that is not so little...