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! 

April 2012

I know, I've been gone forever..... I can't say I'm back for good, but here's some pics from April.

Egg bowling

Finding eggs with Nannie

Pretty happy with his Egg Hunt Loot

Dying eggs with Mom.   He can almost do it all by himself.

"Patiently" waiting for his egg turn colors.

Daddy & Tad and their Easter Eggs.

Planting the garden.

Watering the garden plant by plant.

Another trip to the zoo!

Pony Express building in Tooele.

We drove out to help shear the sheep.  The rain delayed them, but we still enjoyed our drive and saw 150 wild horses. 

Roasting hot dogs in the backyard.

Chasing geese at Wheeler Farm.

Aunt Crystal & Tad.

Mom bribing Tad to pet the pony. 

Tad's reward for petting the pony-   sitting on the tractor!

Time flies

Where has all the time gone?    Look at my little boy!  Only 2 1/2 and he looks so grown up! 

 Where has all the time gone since I was young?  I'm getting older - I've hit the big 3-0. Fred took the day off and we drove to Manti to go to the temple (this is where we got our endowments out 10 years ago!)

We enjoyed a session and shook hands with Ed Pinegar (the temple president and church author). Then ate at "Fred's sports grill".  (best cookie dough shake I've ever had!

 Tad had spent the night at my parents' so we could leave early.   We picked him up and went to dinner at Union Grill in Ogden.  Then went to play at FatCats.  He loved the kid area and learned how to tell the other kids "Go ahead" so he didn't get run over. 

We played in the kid area and did a few arcade games while we waited for our turn for bowling.   Tad is a tough little dude and can pick up the balls by himself.  (We couldn't find smaller than 8lbs, but he did fine.)  We didn't use bumpers, just the rolling stand.  Tad was pretty funny explaining to Fred where the ball was or where it needed to go. 

I love ice cream, so we got an ice cream cake- Mint chocolate chip. YUM!

Tad had to help me blow out the candles.

We celebrated my birthday at my parents' house on Sunday.  My mom made cobbler for my cake.  Tad helped me blow out the candles, then my mom lit them for Tad.  He covered my mouth so I wouldn't help.  Once I moved away, he sat there.  I thought he'd blow them out right away, but he didn't, he started singing "happy birthday".   :} All month he's been convinced that it was his AND mommy's birthday. 

 We finally got a good snow storm.  This winter has been really warm.  It came at an unconvenient time, as Fred was trying to fix our car and the wind kept blowing snow where he was working.  Tad seemed to enjoy it though. 

 The snow didn't last long and we were able to enjoy a nice March day.  I thought it would be fun to go fly kites since it was windy.   I'm so grateful for Fred's work schedule, we were able to drop what we were doing and head to the park.  You can't ever plan to go fly kites, if you do, the day isn't windy, or it's a cold wind that isn't very fun. 

 The weather was ABSOLUTELY perfect!   Just enough wind that you didn't have to run to get your kite up in the air.  We're so lazy! 

 (Fred and I bought these kites when were first married - Hulk & Sesame Street.   Tad loved them!) 

 Tad was content to run around while Fred and I flew the kites.   He held mine for awhile, but let go of it at one point.  Luckily Fred caught it.

Tad's favorite part of the park was the drain grate. He also liked to stand by Fred to hold his kite.  I think this picture is funny of the two of them.  I don't know how we managed to not get the kites tangled with them standing this close.  :}