Have I Ever Wanted to Fly?

Not really. I don't mind being up high. It's the jumping out into the air part that I don't really like. Ben and I have a friend who organized a "couples retreat" at a ropes course located by the Provo River.



I don't think I have been to a ropes course since Junior High with my choir. But this was so much fun! We did ropes course activities, but we also played games in groups that force you to be unified and work together. I was happy to learn that Ben is REALLY good at throwing shoes at a rope (so it will swing towards us) to save us all from a sinking raft in shark infested waters.

Unfortunately, this picture is not of me . . . BUT this is a picture of the most scary thing I did. I climbed up a tree . . . and was about 25 feet up (with a harness on of course), stood on a small platform, and had to jump out to a metal ring.     The goal is to reach the ring and hang on it . . . and then let go and be lowered down. I ACTUALLY JUMPED! And I REACHED THE RING! Amazing I know. I have to say I was shaking so badly and pretty scared. I felt like I do right before I teach Relief Society! (okay, maybe a little worse).

Ben and I both had a great time (even though they served Costa Vida for dinner and we've been eating Cafe Rio leftovers all week--a similar meal to Costa Vida--from Liz and Jon's baby blessing last Sunday! -- yes, Ben snagged leftovers from his mom's kitchen on our way back to Springville:). I don't know that this retreat helped me get any more comfortable jumping out of trees or anything, but it did help us have fun together and be unified.

Jasmine

Jasmine is our goldfish (named by Halle).  Abby remembers that we bought her on July 10th of last year . . . so of course, we need to celebrate her birthday this year on July 10th.  Abby and Halle are SO excited about Jasmine's birthday.  They have been planning her birthday for weeks.   They wanted me to make a fish cake and wanted to buy her presents . . . like a castle for her fishbowl.  Ben would egg them on and tell them we should invite her fish friends over and take them downstairs to watch Finding Nemo with us.  They would laugh so hard and think about how Jasmine would have the best birthday ever!  Abby is really convinced that Jasmine knows it is her birthday and that she is so excited about it!  

We ended up decorating brownies, singing Happy Birthday, and together we blew out a candle for Jasmine.

Happy Birthday Jasmine!  We are so amazed you have made it this far!

(And Lisa . . . we  can't thank you enough for babysitting our fish while we have been out of town!)

At Nana & Papa's House . . .

We floated the Boise river and went to the 4th of July parade . . . well at least the end of it:)

We watched fireworks at Ann Morrison Park.

The girls played with their cousins (and aunts . . . wish I had more pictures of those!).

We were there for the main event . . . the blessing of babies Parker (son of Marie and Scott Arrington) and Neal (son of Liz and Jonathan Dewey)!  Such sweet babies.   We are so happy we could be there and see everyone!

At Grandma and Grandpa's House . . .

We hiked Multnomah Falls.






We ate ice cream in Cascade Locks . . . these are THE BEST ice cream cones! (The ice cream started melting 30 seconds after they handed them to us!  As you can see, Halle's hands are covered ice cream:)

We went swimming.




We visited OMSI (Oregon's Museum of Science & Industry).


We played croquet. Abby got REALLY into this!



We visited the Rose Garden in Portland.




We rode the carousel in Jantzen Beach and ate more ice cream! It was so fun to be in Washington for a few days to visit with my parents. The days went by way too quickly! I love how church was canceled (OK, we got out an hour and a half early:) because the air conditioning in the church building was out and it was too hot!




Thanks mom and dad! We had so much fun!

Abby Turns 7 Today!

First of all, I can't believe that I have a 7 year old!  I mean, I remember being 7.  Where does the time go? Abby had a birthday party last Friday night. She wanted a "late night" party . . . so she had a party until 9pm . . . which is REALLY late for kids to be up at our house. Ben and I are pretty religious about putting them to bed around 7 or 7:30.

Abby wanted to play pin the tail on the donkey and musical chairs and have a pillow fight.   We ate homemade pizza,  watched High School Musical and ate popcorn.  What easy requests to please!   

Instead of a birthday cake at the party, Abby picked cupcakes and wanted everyone's initials to be put on them.   Then she picked pink bubble gum ice cream to go along.  At first I thought the ice cream would be kind of gross.  Bubble gum flavor reminds me of flouride they give you at the dentist.  I was pleasantly surprised however and ended up having another serving. 

Once all was said and done, Abby told me that "it was the best party ever!"  

For her birthday breakfast this morning, Abby requested pancakes with strawberries and whip cream, bacon and fried eggs.  The birthday dinner consisted of hamburgers grilled by Daddy, tater tots with fry sauce and corn on the cobb.

Happy Birthday Abby!

Art City Days

Springville, UT has "Art City Days" every year in June. This year Abby was in the parade with her cheerleading clinic group! Check out her wave!  (elbow, elbow, wrist, wrist, wrist)

I rode in a hot air balloon (with my daughters)!  That is something I never thought I would do.  Not because it is scary . . . just different I guess.  Abby REALLY wanted to go to the hot air balloon fest . . . which is just one of the things they do for Art City Days here.  You have to go at 6:30am (so I thought. Next year we will go at 7) . . . so I was not as enthusiastic as she was.   But we had a really good time and I'm so glad we went!

School's Out!

School has been out  for about 2 weeks now.  I have been so excited about summer for months . . . mainly because I have been tired of the "school routine" for awhile.  I like having my kids home with me!  In the past, when I would hear moms say say that, I thought it was so weird. I mean . . . come on!  It is a dream come true when kids go to school . . . they actually leave the house for awhile!  But I have to say that I like having them home with me and am realizing they won't always want to do things with me . . . so I should take advantage of this now.

During these last two weeks, Abby and Halle have been in swimming lessons, which they LOVE!  Especially Halle . . . sometimes I think she is a fish.   Abby has also been doing a cheerleading clinic with her friend Isabel.  She really liked learning a dance and some cheers . . . and was pretty good at remembering them and performing them!

So far . . . these two weeks into summer have been fun.  There has been a lot more fighting going on however.  I don't know if it is because I have girls . . . or if it is just because they are kids. But they fight about EVERYTHING!  So often I hear comments like "she looked at me!", or "she talked mean to me!".   It is funny how they can fight and be SO mad or have a serious meltdown and then become best friends a short time later.