Summer is Gone!

Oh summer. Where have you gone. I just looked at the calendar and realized that I register Andrew for school tomorrow and then he starts August 19th. We've been so busy doing little projects and having Nathan's birthday, time has slipped by. The previous owners of this house had a huge chunk of lawn set aside for a vegetable garden. I don't garden. I've never had the desire to garden. I have no problem buying my vegetables from the grocery store. Anyway, we let it die and it soon became over run with weeds that were taller than I am. So finally (after almost living here for a year) we got around to cleaning it out. We got our shears and shovel and went to work. I didn't get a before picture, but here is an after. We also had Nathan's birthday a few days ago. He is now four, the little pumpkin. We went to Costco to get him a birthday cake and wouldn't you know it, they didn't have any. So he chose a "Golf" Cake. He was so delighted with it, I couldn't say no. We had a very quiet party. Just family. When he's older, I'll let him have a friends party.

One of the other projects I've been busy doing is stripping the funky wall paper from our family room. I think I posted the after pictures first, but oh well. I just didn't like it at all and we've been busy taking it all down and washing the walls. I'll paint it eventually, but for now I'm burnt out on projects. I was thinking a nice green color.

Stripping the nasty paper off.

Just writing my initials on the wall with the paper remover spray...

So that's been our busy couple of past weeks. It's been fun to have projects and things to do to make our home feel more like "ours."

Lagoon!

Yesterday was Greg's day off and we decided we wanted to go to Utah's one and only Lagoon. My brother Paul came, too. He played hookie from work. We had a great day. My boys were skittish of most every ride I tried to take them on, not surprising after I conned Andrew into the scary rides at Disneyland. Anyway, here are so random shots and videos of our day. Paul and I were complete crazy and did every single dare-devil ride there. Even the free fall sky fliers and the catapult ball. NUTS!
Wicked ride! Actually called "Wicked"

Mini kiddie rocket blast off for kids. My boys actually loved it, which surprised me.

Andrew and Nathan

Nathan riding the killer whale.

David on the carousel.

Uncle Paul, David and Karen.

Greg and Paul on the non-kiddie Rocker Blaster.

Paul and Karen doing the rocket.

Paul brought his iphone on some rides and took video. Here's Wicked and the Rocket. Sorry for all the screaming.

Rampaging Rhinos and Swine Flu

I don't believe in the swine flu. Not that it doesn't exist, more that I don't buy into the frenzied media coverage of it all. From what I've researched, read, heard, talked to a doctor about, Swine Flu is no more dangerous than regular flu. In fact, more people die of regular flu than they do Swine Flu. That being said, David has some sort of Flu. Whether Swine or not, who knows. It has been going through our ward and neighborhood and most of the other mothers have taken their kids to the doctor and had it diagnosed as Swine Flu. He has been having explosive diarhhea (sorry for the icky description, but it's true) and vomiting everything I give him. Also, a very high fever. I sent the older 2 boys to church with our neighbors and stayed home with him yesterday. (Greg was at work). He's gone through every pair of pajamas he owns, several sheets and blankets, and all of my nerves. Nothing wears you out more than a very sick baby who cries and cries and WILL NOT be comforted. Today has been much better. He's kept his Tylenol and Motrin down and is consenting to Pedialyte. Which he wouldn't do yesterday. After several rough nights and hard days, I have fallen into bed exhausted. Last night I dreamed that I was being hunted by a Rhinoceras. I am famous for having the most bizarre, weird dreams. Especially when I'm pregnant, for some reason. (No, I'm not announcing anything) Anyway, I was being hunted and chased by a Rhino and his horn on his nose was twice the normal length and size. I woke up sweating and breathing really hard. I think I need a vacation.

A Camping We Will Go

This little hip monkey rode with mom or dad the whole time. I wouldn't let him get down and crawl in the dirth very much.

Patrice's battle wounds from camping

My in-laws, Patrice and Roland and Greg's younger brother, Jeff.

Our home away from home

Couldn't go without the pack-n-play for David

We went camping this 4th of July weekend for the first time as a family. Greg and I had never taken the kids on an overnight- sleep outdoors- trip. I used to camp quite a bit when I was a kid with my own family and I really loved it, so I figured I'd still love it as an adult. Greg's extended family has a reunion every 2 years up Spanish Fork canyon and we decided to go. My parents lent us a tent and a couple of cots. I decided to not use the cots, hoping that an eggshell foam and some blankets would be enough padding on the hard ground. It wasn't. I was kicking myself for not bringing the cot. I was so blasted uncomfortable, I think I slept for about an hour the entire night. But despite a rough night, it was fun. The boys loved throwing rocks in the stream right by our tent and getting as wonderfully dirty as they could. We roasted marshmallows and had s'mores and did all the traditional camping things. I would like to try it again some time, but next time with a flatter patch of ground for the tent and bring those darn cots! I was never so grateful to sleep in my own comfortable bed and take an extremely long and hot shower when we got home.

Happy Birthday Andrew!

Watch Out!

Cake and Ice Cream

Look at those handsome guys! Andrew turned six today and this was the first year I let him have a "friends" party. Boy oh boy was he excited. A few more kids showed up after this picture was taken, so there were 8 buddies altogether. We had cake and ice cream right off the bat, then presents, then they spent a lot of time on the slip-n-slide in the yard. Until it started to rain... Then they came in and we played the Wii and watched a movie. I'm a big believer in low-key parties. I think you can totally "over birthday" kids. You're not doing them any favors by hyping it up so much that that's all they expect for every birthday. That's part of the reason why I waited to do a friends party. So nothing more glamorous than the slip-n-slide in the yard and a few turns on the Wii. And those boys had more fun than I can even say. I don't know if any of you read that church news article that came out awhile ago about people throwing way too extravagant birthdays, but it captured my feelings exactly.

I can't believe Andrew is six! And I'll be sending him off to first grade next year. I love you, Andrew! You're a shining, bright spot in my life and you make me so happy!