One Year Older and Wiser Too!!

Oh man, this kid is growing up way too fast. Taylor turned 5 years old a couple weeks ago. I told him that turning five was the best, because now when people ask how old he is he doesn't have to think about which finger to hold down to make the right number. He thought that was pretty cool. Dave's parents were still in town and we invited his brothers and sisters over for a little birthday bash. Dave and I did a fabulous decorating job. I made a Star Wars cake, filled a pinata, and he opened presents. I think he had a great day.
I love how much Dave is enjoying his job.

Apparently cousin M'li has participated in a few pinatas in her time. She knew just how to peek under the blindfold. Smart.

Taylor is just a fun kid. He wants to make others happy and is an awesome helper to everyone in the family. He can write his name, read 3-4 letter words, knows the sounds of his letters, and is getting better at spelling. He loves puzzles and can master them quickly. He'll soak up any amount of time you'll give him and loves to tell me how much he loves me. He's as sweet as he looks. Happy birthday, Taylor! We love you!!

He Never Ceases to Amaze Me

Last Saturday I came home from a shopping trip and found this cute scene in the backyard. Dave said he got tired of waiting for me to come home and made due. He didn't complain, or even act upset that I was gone...he just took care of business. As you can see, McKenna LOVED the ride and Dave wouldn't let me take her from him. What a cute daddy!

Father's Day landed on Taylor's Birthday this year, so poor Dave and Taylor had to share their special day, so I figured they could at least have their own blog post. Dave's Father's Day was pretty "pooty" if you ask me. I tried to make Taylor feel special and therefore, kind of put Dave on the back burner. The kids made cards and we bought this grill for some serious BBQin'. Dave deserves way more than I can give him. He IS the world's best father and NO ONE could even try to convince me otherwise (not that anyone ever would). I know I take him for granted way too much and I'm trying to stop that. Our kids are extremely lucky to have him for a father and I couldn't have picked a better daddy for them. :) Love you!

A lean mean (and bearded) grillin' machine. The inaugural use.

I Love the Word FREE!!

Hey, there's a fun blog that I've been visiting lately called "The Thrifty Home" and today she's posted links to a couple free giveaways. Click HERE and go get them. I just ordered a free quart of Glidden paint (free shipping too). I figure a quart isn't much, but I can paint little accent furniture or a shelf with it. There is also a link for a coupon for free Mars Candy. You can request one per email address, so I have two coming my way. They are both "while supplies last"...so hurry!

Park City, UT

After the reunion, a group of us went to Park City to ride down their Alpine Slide. Riders sit on a sled and slide down a cement track that winds its way down the side of a mountain. We ended up buying the combo pass and rode the Alpine Coaster as well. I highly recommend that you experience both in your lifetime. The Slide was less thrilling than the fast Coaster, but the ski lift ride to the top of the mountain, for the Slide, was so peaceful and a beautiful view. The Coaster is a super fast roller coaster and everyone rides in their own individual car, which sets it apart from other roller coasters I have been on. It's just an awesome experience to ride alone through the wooded hillside. So fun!

(Someone needs to buy these men a razor.)

Derek has a little fear of heights, so I had to physically put him on the lift and he sat curled up in the fetal position for the whole ride up. But he LOVED both coasters and Taylor is just our thrill-seeker. He loved it all!

Grandma Judy
Meaja and M'li
Dave and I raced down the mountain. He thought I was a long length behind him on the track, so he was surprised when I passed him in the final stretch.
Here I am heckling Dave because I clearly made it to the red zone first.

Here is Dave heckling me because he THOUGHT he was the winner. Ha!

I Heart Reunions!

Settle in for a "boat load" of pictures. Last week we attended a family reunion for Dave's side of the family. We spent 3 nights in a very nice cabin in Heber City, UT. As you can see in the pictures it was a gorgeous location, surrounded by Aspen trees (my favorite). We saw a moose and several deer. The kids spent every minute playing with cousins out in the woods or all over the cabin. We stayed up late every night playing games (i.e. Hearts) and talking. Some of us went on a couple walks/hikes when it wasn't raining and we spent half a day shopping the outlets in Park City. It was a great getaway, but now I just miss everyone. cousin Emery
I got a little camera happy. :) Grandma Judy crafted with the kids. Taylor made this fabulous necklace for me.

Meaja and I spent some time taking pictures of the beautiful trees, grass, and flowers surrounding the cabin. Now I REALLY want a digital SLR....urgghh...

Janene, Clayton, and Allie.

Cute cousin Campbell.
Here we go to find a moose!

Allie, Griffin, and Grandma Judy.

sweet "little" Griffin

What a fun reunion! Now I want to see pictures on your blogs!!

Look What Derek Can Do!!

Derek can ride a two-wheeler without training wheels! He hasn't been riding his bike for the past year because his mom and dad were too cheap to buy him compatible training wheels. He's been using Taylor's bike when allowed and I think he just got tired of it. I think he also realized that he's the only 6-year old on our street that couldn't ride on his own. So one day last week I asked if he wanted to try and after a couple sessions, with me holding his bike seat, he got it! The last thing he learned was starting on his own, but he's already mastered that too. He's been riding for a couple days now and he's addicted. It's all he wants to do. He told me yesterday (after crashing hard) "I know it's dangerous riding a bike and I might get hurt, but I don't care because it's so much fun". It's funny that he said that because, in the past, he was so afraid of falling that he wouldn't pedal fast enough which would cause him to tip over. It's so amazing to watch them learn new things. Way to go, Derek!
(I couldn't get one of the training wheels off, but it was raised up. Dave had to muscle it off later.)

For some reason he'd get giggling so hard that he'd get weak and tip right over.

No Rest For the Weary

So, my parents stayed at our house the night after our move and went back to work early the next morning. My mom unpacked my kitchen and my dad mowed our lawn 4 times to get it back to a normal length. It was pretty brown and dead, but it's slowly returning to a green hue.

Dad and Leon gave a us a training course on automatic sprinklers and fixed our broken sprinkler wire.

The kids had a great time breaking in the swingset and playing with cousins.

We did overlook one important thing...turning on the gas. And because it was Memorial Day weekend we didn't get it turned on until Wednesday. So after Stephanie, Mom, and I finished cleaning the apartment on Saturday night, Dave brought the kids over and we all showered in our empty apartment. Oh how happy I was on Wednesday when I finally had a nice warm shower. Dave left for Moab on Tuesday and returned on Saturday night, so I was left in charge. It was a long week without him, but I now know how to turn on the gas, light a pilot light, and where to find the dryer breaker switch. All things that a homeowner should know I guess.