Funny children

Blythe was standing up in the bathtub tonight.

She said, "I . . . get . . . you!"

And then she threw a cup of water on Kent.

(Patch nose snake)

At 3:30am, Brandt came into our bedroom and woke Kent.

He asked, "Dad, are there snakes in Utah?"

"Yes," Kent replied, "there are snakes in Utah."

"I don't like snakes."

Kent told him that snakes are nice and afraid of us.

"Snakes are mean," Brandt countered.

Gotta love mid-night reptile conversations.

Pool time

We've been swimming.

A lot.  

Hey. It's hot, pools are available, and the children love to be wet.

Who can resist a big pool of water on a hot day?

Who can resist a small one?

Swimming with Heidi and Jack Tanner.

Simon Tanner aka Mr. Bucket Head.

Nice 'stach.

Balancing on the wall.  

I think I probably said, "Blythe, look at Mom," about seven times before I just took a picture of Blythe's bum.

It's a cute bum.

The children are fish!

Blythe is chewing on a spatula.

I don't know why.

All that big pool swimming is so much fun.

But much fun can be had even in a small pool.

Brandt got a plastic pool for his birthday from the Brinkerhoffs. 

Both the children love it!

We are all jumping in the water. 

Splash!

Brandt chasing Blythe.

She was enjoying it more than the look on her face seems to convey.

A shriek of delight.

Kent--watching the children,

--enjoying the cooler evening,

--wanting to put on his swimsuit and dive right in too.

Kent was actually trying to avoid becoming Brandt's human towel.

He was unsuccessful.

Brandt kept leaping on both of us and saying, "You're my towel!"

What a beauty.

This is a Brandt photo.

If I am taking pictures of him, he always feels it is fair to take one or two of me.

Drying off on the hot driveway in the evening sun.

Under the Sea Golfing

Kent had the day off today (Pioneer Day tomorrow) and we all met Christopher, Tysen, Ava, Crew, and Griffin as well as Grandma Sue and Aunt Mikayla at Trafalga for miniature golf.  Brandt has seen an episode of Curious George wherein George sets up a fairly unique course, and when we see it, Brandt always says, "I want to do that!"  Today we finally did.

It has been super hot, so we golfed inside.  The course is decorated to look like it is under water and lit by black light which made everything stand out in funny ways and allowed the children to disappear into the dark.  It would be a stretch to say that much "golfing" went on.  The children whacked the balls around and threw them into obstacles.  We last balls in the dark too.  It was certainly a lot of fun.

Brandt lining up a shot

Check out Blythe's form!

She's a natural.

Taking a short break alongside an octopus.  

Mikayla, Katherine, and Sue

Don't we look the golfers extraordinaire.

I think I actually golfed about two and a half holes and spent the rest of the time chasing children.

Look at Blythe's new shoes.  

They are purple sparkly Fancy Nancy shoes.

She loves them.

Brandt was fairly miffed that we were golfing inside.

He wanted to go out and try the hole with the windmill. 

He lasted exactly long enough to hit the ball one time and then wanted to go back inside where it was cool.

Kent using Blythe's rather small pink club to whack her pink ball.

He's got nice form too.

Brandt and Kent watching a go-cart race.

We need to go back again and drive the cars.

FHE

Today we had Brandt give the lesson for family home evening based on his Primary lesson from yesterday in church.  He has wonderful Sunbeam teachers who always give him something to color that relates to the lesson.  Yesterday's lesson was about preparing to go to the temple, and this was his coloring sheet.

There is a smaller paper that slides through the middle with suggestions about things that we can do to help prepare ourselves: pay tithing, pray, eat good foods, go to church, obey parents (my favorite!).  We talked about each one.  Then we talked about when we all went to the temple to have Blythe sealed to us, that most joyous day.  I try to talk to the children about that day frequently so that they will remember and be reminded of how much we love them both, how happy we are to be their parents, and how grateful we are to be a forever family.

See how happy we were on that day?

And then we had root beer floats.

We love family home evening!

Distraction

I'm glued to the television every night to watch cycling.  

Love to watch those guys biking.

Such exertion!

Such drama!

I'm rooting for Andy Schleck.

I find myself distracted from other more important things.

However, I did get all my ironing done over the past three evenings.  

Oh boy.

Another parade!

5 July

We went to the city parade on Monday morning, July 5th.  Aunt Michelle put down a blanket early in the morning, and we rendezvoused there.  The children were totally into the whole thing.  They loved the bands, marching and conducting each time one came by.  The yelled, "Turn, turn, turn!" when the big balloons came, and they both loved the big trucks that came by.  It was fun to be with the Brinkerhoffs, Grandma Sue, Auntie Lala, and Grandma Merlynn.

Just before I took this picture, Blythe said, "I cold."

It was remarkably cool for the 4th of July.  

Blythe liked her hat until I took the picture.

Then she was done.

Brandt was so excited he could hardly sit still.

Here he is looking up the road for the parade.

And when he finally saw it, he could hardly contain himself.

Anutie Lala in Blythe's hat.  

She's as cute as Blythe.

Intently watching the goings-on.

Blythe intently watching the Grandma Sue.

What patriotic festooning of the wee lass.

Mikayla stuck a flag in her ponytail and then Blythe wanted a flag in her hair too.

Sitting right on the curb to get the best view possible.

The Brinkerhoffs

Lydia, Tad, Michelle, Tess, and Jace.

Annie and Charlie were working at the Scera Theater.

As if anyone was going to the movie when there was a parade to watch.

We had too, too much fun, the whole weekend.

Happy Fourth of July!

Fireworks!

4 July
Brandt wanted to do fireworks this year.  Kent and I both felt he was old enough to stay up late for the fireworks show which was on the 3rd, but he was too tired and feel asleep when he normally does, just after 8pm.  I did buy a box of small things we could set off in the road, and in the evening (well before it got dark) we lit them off.  Grandma Dawn and Keyaira came over to join us.  Brandt was beside himself with glee; we had to physically restrain him from getting too close.  They would have been far more interesting later in the evening, but bedtime comes early around here (although there are days when it is not early enough), and Brandt didn't seem to mind one little bit.

It can't be good to be breathing in that blue smoke.

Brandt, Blythe, Keyaira.  

Kent lit a screamer.

Blythe and her Key Bug

Oooh! Flames!

A package of sparklers safely impaled in the grass.

Brandt helping Kent stick sparklers in the road.

Look at those socks.  

Black, with the big toe sticking out.

That's his left foot, the one that was missing the shoe earlier in the day.

Enjoying the fireworks.

In the light of early evening.

I somehow don't think breathing orange smoke is any better than the blue kind.

A parade!

4 July

During church on the Fourth of July, our cute chorister had us parade around the building.   The week before she had the children made shakers out of paper plates filled with beans.  I brought small flags to wave and some little hats, and we marched.  The children thought it was wonderful.  Me too.  I love Primary.

Brandt and his wonderful Primary teacher Brian Bozung.

I'm not sure what happened to Brandt's left shoe.

The Junior Primary

The Senior Primary.

Our conductor is in the very tall hat.