Kids and what they say....

So usually our kids are good at going to bed but the other night Taryn kept having issues....drinks, potty, cuddles, etc...You name it and she was struggling with it. SO after a few go arounds and it being after 8 and mommy losing it and telling her if she got up again she would seriously get spanked she was quiet for a minute...Then she walked into our room to DADDY and in a very sweet voice she said "Daddy my music just keeps going lalalalala (singing it)" and sure enough her cd was scratched and stuck. Just the way she quietly walked in and told Brent her problem made us both crack up....Luckily no spank and that was the last interruption....

The other day I heard a little disturbance while the girls were playing doll house (Taryn wouldn't give up the baby she had and Cami wanted it). So I hear Cami yell "TARYN YOU ARE GROUNDED F-O-R-E-V-E-R!" And Taryn runs in crying "I grounded for revea mommy!!!wawawa!!!" ---We have never actually grounded anyone and I have no idea where Cami got the idea-especially the idea to ground her sister.....

Pine Valley Camp Out

Last weekend we were able to go camping in Pine Valley and I highly recommend it! It was still pretty chilly but nothing a good campfire couldn't cure. We camped right by a stream and the girls got a kick out of chucking pine cones in and watching how far they floated. We went on a short walk Friday night and then Saturday we hiked up pine valley mountain (Whipple trail) a short ways...(the girls couldn't walk through the snow very easily but got a kick out of throwing chunks at Brent). It was also really fun because we talked Grandma Rice into coming and she introduced the girls to "wee meg barneyleg" (a traditional rice family story). It distracted Cami great from her smashed, black and blue thumb... :) Anyway, it was a good spontaneous time and good memories were made.

A word to the wise-this map DOES NOT really reflect what the trail is like...

The girls surprised by the snow and trying to figure out where it came from when it's been in the 90s all week.....
Grandma taking a break with the girls after hiking through the snow.

The family looking very much like we have been camping....

Cami having fun despite her thumb incident

Good hiker girls-although mommy did get stuck with the hiking stick Cami BEGGED to take along...

Taryn in hundreds of pine cone boats...hence the name pine valley....

Cami bolting for more boats...

Grandma teaching the kids how to cross the river on the rocks and amazingly no one fell in (not that I expected grandma to but the girls had some close calls)....

Down on the farm and in the sand

So it is no real secret Brent works like a CRAZY man (in a nice way). I can't complain because I get to have my dream job and stay home with the girls and he DOES really love his job. BUT the down side is when it has been over a week and the girls haven't so much as seen Brent and they miss him.....So since the last few weeks have been worse than usual (Brent being gone/working TONS) it was so much fun to just spend the weekend with him! Friday night we went on an actual date (thanks to mom for watching the kids at the last minute). Saturday morning we took the girls out to Snow Canyon State Park and played in the sand dunes all morning. The sand is so out there and the weather is just perfect right now (the sand doesn't scorch your feet yet but it is warm). The girls had fun making sand angels and burying each other and digging for pirate treasure. It is so fun to watch them pretend together. Later in the afternoon we went to the petting zoo that the girls have been begging for (really Uncle Ron's farm). We got there while Uncle Ron and cousin Garrett were there and they let the girls ride a horse, and pet the new baby lamb, and drive the tractor. They were really great with the girls and we had so much fun. When we got home we got out the hammock and had a picnic and hang time in the back yard. Life is way better when Daddy is around to have fun with!

Digging for pirate treasure-incidentally it is AMAZING the cracks and crannies this sand can adhere to...

The sand angle with high water jeans....

Taryn at the farm after mommy telling her to get on the horse..."You want me to do what?"

Cami took amazingly well to the horse and informed me she wants to be a cowgirl sometime...Taryn was less sure about the whole thing-kind of a role reversal to the usual natures....

Cami actually driving the John Deere and she was really really proud of herself thanks to Uncle Ron.

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!