Summer is still going strong! (July adventures)

July was equally as busy.   We did change up our 4th of July a little bit and had breakfast at our house with family instead of a park breakfast.  Then headed to Henefer in time for bingo.  Tad is hooked on bouncy slides - first he left the play area to go to the other end of the park where they were (we had a nice chat about that!)  He's not shy at all about being on there with the big kids, he just grabs their hands so they'll take him down.  :}  

 The awesome Henefer parade!   I loved this trailer - "Eat lamb, 1000 coyotes can't be wrong." 

My cousins had puppies and what little boy doesn't love puppies?  Tad's new request for a halloween costume is a puppy.  I'm guessing that will change before I actually get started sewing anything.

 He also loved the trampolene, I guess we might have to fix ours because he loved it THAT much. 

Tad's attention span is too short for an entire firework display - probably because we have to sit out for awhile before they start and then it's past his bedtime.  He did love giving his daddy hugs. 

We took him mini-golfing - he cheats!  And doesn't have the attention span for it. 


More trips to the zoo!  

 He loves the birdshow -   funny that he has the attention span for that!   His favorite is the Golden Eagle and he'll often show me his hand and tell me to look at his Golden Eagle that he's pretending to hold.  :}  

Later that afternoon we took a trip to Burley Idaho for my good friend's wedding reception.  We left in plenty of time to get there, spent 2 hours driving around lost (gas stations weren't helpful and of course we couldn't get cell service when we needed it most).  :{  We showed up 5 minutes before the end of the reception.   It was fine though because I love her family and without all the other guests, got to actually sit and chat with her! 

Tad was such a good sport about being in the car and playing with her nieces and nephews.  I did hear him tell one of them "Oh, I turn six in August".  Hilarious! 

He's a good little traveler and easy to please - just a quick swim in the hotel pool and we were off again.  He really is Fred's little buddy. 

 My cute little boy is addicted to his crocheted edges-  either a blanket or the edge of his pillows and he instantly.....

 Puts his thumb in his mouth.   It's the only time he sucks his thumb. :} 

In the middle of all of this, there was another conference for work that we put together and I attended.   Tad spent a few days at Grandma and Grandpa's.  They brought him to Logan for the last day of activities.  He saw Lauralee's messy office and told her she needed to clean it.  :}  He also got a chance to jump in more bounce houses, where he instantly grabbed the teenager's hands and made them jump with him.   :} 
For the 24th I decided we needed a good distraction.  We drove to Logan to play at the aquatic center.  It's amazing that he does so well walking and running, but in the pool he was falling down every five seconds.   Fred played the part of the over-protective parent, jumping and diving for Tad everytime he fell (in the kiddie pool, but it was still too deep when he was on his hands and knees). 
We met Lauralee for dinner, tried to find a new place to try, ended up at Texas Roadhouse, where Tad became addicted to their rolls, he even overcame his shyness long enough to ask the waiter for more!  
Then we went to Hyrum to fish.  

 If you look really close, there's a worm hanging in front of the camera (down Tad's right arm).  Tad did NOT like the worms and made some pretty funny faces.   He was much more interested in throwing rocks in the water. 

 

 This is all Fred caught in the 30 minutes we were there.  It was a short fishing trip, but relaxing.   We enjoyed fireworks then headed home. 

 To finish off our busy month we started cleaning some of the carport.   We got rid of our camper.  Tad and Fred almost looked like they were going to cry.   My family grew up taking trips in that camper - all 6 kids, so it had been through a lot.  Fred had grown attached to it for the few years we'd had it and Tad thought it was the best jungle gym ever climbing up on the top bunk.  He's convinced we're getting a new one.  
For now, we just built sides for our trailer so we can haul stuff to the dump. 

 Tad seemed content to climb up and down a million times and steal daddy's tape measure while he worked.   I got bored and decided I was tired of picking up smelly rotten apples every couple of days and decided to cut down our apple tree!  Only one injury - I broke half of my toe nail off- I deserved it, I was cutting and hauling the branches in sandals.  :{ 

Tad has been a little more rambunctious lately.  I'm not sure if it's because I've been working more or if it's from stress at our house.  If we even tell him not to do something again he pouts a little and puts himself in time out.  I guess his grumpiness was because he was tired because this is how I found him. 

I'm hoping to get back to blogging shorter, fun stories without a million pictures, maybe I'll finally get around to it in October.  :}

Beginning of Summer! (June adventures)

I've been gone from blogging for awhile, but I'll work my way back. It has been a very busy summer with lots of pictures!   Our first adventure was me going back to work..... only for the summer.  My sister works with the 4-H and their state programs and conferences, I applied to be her intern since she's always calling me to brainstorm anyways.   Now I get paid to think! And be online looking for fun camp ideas!   I thought it would only be for 12 weeks, about 15 hours a week, but it has been more than that most weeks and now I'll be working until mid-September.  Luckily, Tad loves to play at his grandma and grandpa's houses! 

So, besides working, here are some of our adventures for June.    

 Rootbeer floats with Daddy.  Tad didn't love eating them, just blowing the foam all over his face. 

 I've been waiting (patiently) for the new Rocky Shores to open.   Fred went with us they monday after it opened!   (We've been a few times and need to go a few more before our pass expires.)
We took Tad to Lagoon for the first time. I was a super mean mom - the very first ride I put him on was Bombara.  Not one of the rollercoasters in Kiddieland, nope, he's tall enough to ride some of the big kid rides.  He put his head down and I thought he was going to throw up, he's just not strong enough to hold his head up around the curves.  He asked to go again, so he must've been okay.  On all of the rides he looked concerned when he was on them, then at the end would say "one more time".   We'll go again I'm sure. 
The next week, Fred went to Lake Powell for scout camp.  It was a busy week, but I'm sure Tad and I had more fun than he did.   Minus all the crying Tad did because "Daddy left me".   He never cries and it was frustrating because we couldn't even call him.   They canoed 10 miles a day, slept on the beach and roasted in the 100+ degrees of heat.    Tad and I....

 went to the splash pad with my brother's wife & kids.  (Tad is checking out baby K.) We had lunch and played.  
We went to Kangaroo zoo to jump on the bounce houses, went to see Madagascar 3, taught my Activity Day girls to make Strawberry jam, and ended the week with Fred's family reunion.
A BBQ at the park, a day at the zoo and breakfast up the canyon.  

Tad loves the cave by the polar bear, more than the bear.  He calls it his "house".

Riding the train with great gram, aunt Joan and cousins.

 

Waving to the tiger. 

Fred got home Saturday night and we were in charge of dutchoven breakfast the next morning to end the reunion.   Tad helped cut potatoes for the breakfast casserole.  It turned out great! 

 I love this pic of Fred playing Frisbee with his mom in the parking lot.  :}   And Tad spraying pompa with a water gun.  
The next Saturday was my family reunion - just one day at the family ranch.   The kids loved playing with the puppies, I'm surprised they weren't mauled to death! 

 Horseback rides, dirt, ropes, puppies, and pulled pork sandwiches.   It was a hit!   We also hiked up to Cache Cave that is on our property.   My mom had spent the past few months gathering stories and pictures from family members and put them all on a flash drive for each family.  There are some cool stories - one of the first murders in Utah mentions the cave, and a story of a trespasser suing my grandpa and winning (judicial system sounds the same huh?!) 

My mom, Lauralee, Me, Crystal

 Tad and I "flying" on top of the cave.   I was afraid we'd roast, the day turned out perfect, minus some extreme wind at the end. 

Don't you think Tad needs a puppy?!

Inside the cave (Crystal is hiding down the tunnel).

The cave has a bunch of pioneer names carved in the walls.  It's pretty cool! 

The day Fred got back from scout camp I asked if he wanted to go on another trip.... he was either tired or missed me, either way, he agreed.   Which was good because I told my sister we'd help at the youth conference at the end of the month.   Lauralee, Fred and I each drove down a truck full of supplies and teen leaders (that was a trip!) to Snow College to put on a conference for about 200 5th-6th graders.   It went really well - except for the part where they put us in dorms surrounded by construction and refused to move us (do they realize what that age of boys do in dirt!) we unloaded all of our supplies into the dorms.  The next morning as all of the kids arrived, they agreed to move us.   Fred and I spent the whole first day repacking the trucks, driving to the new set of dorms and carrying it all back inside.  Our feet hurt for weeks! 
 Tad helped me bottle cherries and apple juice this month too!

 We started July celebrations early in Syracuse with my bro's family & Crystal.    The boys loved getting candy at the parade.  Don't they look like the best of friends in this picture?  I love it!  They're starting to play better with each other. 
 Then fireworks that night.  (And a chocolate shake that I didn't wash off of his face.)

That was all just June!