Campfire and Tin Foil Dinners

A couple weeks ago, we took the kids up the canyon to Second Dam for dinner and a fun evening. I made tinfoil dinners for our meal and had roasted marshmallows for dessert. Cadence loves marshmallows!
Cooper was intrigued by the fire and especially by the ax. He wanted to assist Dad in chopping some wood! He signing quite a bit these days and his sign for "fire" is so cute! He was filthy and shoeless by the end of the evening!
Cadence wanted to fish. Of course, we had to run, go up and down the stairs, talk to and check out everyone along the bridges and rivers edges. Only two people had caught fish. Dad put the fishing pole in the water (without bait) for two or three casts so we could say we fished!
Cadence was so excited when we said we were going to roast marshmallows. She loved to cook/burn them, but wouldn't eat them. She just wanted hers straight out of the bag. Cooper and Cadence are both pyros. Putting long sticks in the fire was a big hit. (When we decided to go fishing to Mantua (see prior post), Cadence got all excited because she thought we were going roast/eat marshmallows again. She asked if we could bring the marshmallows along.)
It was a fun evening! The kids are so busy! We love the outdoors!

Fishing Fun

We took the kids fishing for FHE last weekend at Mantua Resevior and had a lot of fun. Because I made a new yummy recipe (Chicken with red pepper sauce) and was running behind schedule, we took the dinner there and ate it by our fishing spot. I'm a little worried about Cooper's drinking habits:)

After dinner, we casted our poles in the water. The people next to us said just to drop the line in the little black holes a few inches/feet off shore. We did and Cadence and I caught this little bluegill beauty. It was about 4" long! (It is the tiny black thing by the pole.)

Cooper is refusing to wear shoes (he pulls them off within minutes of getting them on) so I put long leg warmers on him to keep him warm and his feet a little bit protected. There is no hope for us catching fish. He just likes to jerk the pole up and down and all around!

Besides fishing for a few minutes, we walked on the pier/bock dock, threw pebbles in the water, walked the trail to the restroom and acted silly (especially Cadence! - She is so silly these days.)

Chris turned a chair bag into the fishing pole carrier and Cadence likes to assist in carrying the supplies to and from the car.

Cadence used to love to drive the car when she was younger and she is now teaching Cooper how to drive! They love the buttons, knobs and steering wheel. Cadence also enjoys putting coins and objects she finds in the windows and CD player:(

They also love smooshing their face in the window and blowing!

What cute little blowfishes!

Rainy Days

June has been an unusually rainy month so far. I haven't watered the lawn yet this year and it is green!!! I haven't irrigated the garden (that I replanted) for at least 3 weeks. I think I love the rain most days!!! We've had fun finding alternative places to play to stay dry and also have had many fun moments in the rain and puddles!!!

As always, McDonald's playplace is a huge hit. Cadence LOVES the cheeseburgers and hot fudge sundaes. We met Jack and Piper out at the Smithfield playplace and had a blast. It was packed because of the rain!!!
Cooper is getting big enough to climb around. I am too big to climb around, but I still do it (carrying Cooper)!!! This time, I cleaned up urine in the playplace. How fun!!! I really love my kids! Cadence (and Cooper) have started attending the Get Ready School program again at the Family Information Center with Jack, Piper and Bridget. (I love this picture of Cadence. I think she looks so pretty.)I'm glad to have this resource close by and FREE!!!! Storytime, activity time, play time and run through the puddle time make it a joyful day! Hosanna, Hallelujah's twin sister, got baptized on Saturday and I offered to have a little get together for her at our house afterwards. I made 48 cupcakes and there were tons of leftovers. Even though it was raining, we walked/rode bikes up and down the street delivering cupcakes to our neighbors. Cadence loved riding her big wheel "bike" in the rain. Cooper enjoyed being strolled through the rain too! I thoroughly enjoyed it also.

We also strolled through the rain-soaked Summerfest looking at half the artists that had stuck it out! Cadence and Cooper found such joy in chasing big bubbles from the bubble tower. I got out a pair of hand-me-down shoes besides "grammy shoes"/crocs for Cadence and she is smitten by them. They are velco and light up when she walks. She wants to wear them all the time now!
We keep walking and playing in the rain and love it. I secretly hope that it rains at least one day a week for the rest of the summer. There are so many exciting activities to do on rainy days - most of which happen outside!

Father's Day

I thought the Father's Day gift we gave Chris turned out cute! I bought these big letters of "D" and "A" and took pictures of the kids holding them. This will become a yearly tradition and it will be fun to watch the kids grow over time! (I found this idea on the internet at Brassy Apple and linked to it on my craft blog. If you are a crafty person, you should check it out daily.) Father's Day was nothing special. Church, dinner that Chris fixed and relaxing with the kids! Happy Father's Day, Chris! You are a great dad!

Craziness With Cousins

Last week, my sister, Sandy, and her family were in Logan for a few days re-roofing a duplex they own. The kids played at our house during the day while the adults worked. Cadence loves having her crazy cousins around, and believe me, we had some crazy fun time!

We hit a couple of parks to occupy time - Willow park, Merlin Olsen park, the park by our house, etc. Most of the time, it was McKinley and Maddie with us. Sierra played basketball at the rec. center. At night, Sierra came over and the silliness started. Maddie loves this lion costume from the play room. She wore it at Halloween. She dressed up in it again while we were playing out front. Due to some road construction taking place on Crockett Ave, the traffic has been diverted to the road in front of our house. Too many cars have been going WAY TOO FAST!!! I often yell to slow down and sometimes get flipped off for caring about the kids in our neighborhood being safe. As we were discussing different ideas about getting cars to slow down to 25 mph, Maddie would run out to the sidewalk (which borders the road) and grow/dance in the lion costume at passing cars. It was hilarious to see the different reactions she got! I almost lost control of myself:)
Pretty soon, the rest of the girls started in the silliness by having a parade of Cadence's vehicles.
It was my turn to try on the lion costume and join the crazy parade. It definitely didn't fit, but I don't mind. It just makes it more silly!!!

We were joined by the cousins from the other side of our cousin's family for the day. It was fun having so many kids around and I actually pulled off feeding all of them lunch! I might be able to be a mom to 8 kids (for a couple of days before I die of exhaustion.)

having the cousins sleep over was exciting. Unfortunately, Cadence and Cooper both threw up and got diarrhea while they were here! NOT FUN!!! Entertaining and having sick kids at the same time - no thank you!!!! Despite that, we loved having our crazy cousins visit us!

Pool Parties

The kids love to play with water. Bathtime is one of their favorite times. They love to splash and sump water. I decided to get out the little pool we gave Cadence last year. They are loving playing with it, but necessarily IN it!!!

Cooper thoroughly enjoys playing with the hose and filling the pool! He feels very powerful when holding a hose with running water!

Cadence does NOT enjoy being stung/bit by a hornet while playing by the pool! She got an ouchie on her chin and cried very hard.

Chris and I were trying to think what to put on a sting to make it feel better and we found the perfect remedy!!! THREE popsicles - one right after the other! (Chris' idea!) A very happy little girl!

We've had a couple of impromptu pool parties. The kids go outside, see the water and can't help but play with the pool. Soon all the neighbors are over wading, dumping and splashing. We've called friends over too play too. These pool parties are great social events for the kids (and us moms!!!)

With all the filling of cups and dumping of water, the dirt in the flower beds turns to mud! My kids are INFATUATED with MUD and getting dirty!
ESPECIALLY COOPER!!!!
I usually let Cooper wear just a regular diaper. He has 3 swimsuits, but he gets so dirty I just let the diaper be his summer swim attire (in this pool). I love his huge, bloated diapers! Oh, what a cute bum!

While we are outside playing, Cooper has to get his fix of climbing the stairs! Up he goes (10 times)!!! I adore this pose! He looks like such a muscle man!

Of course, pool parties and summer time also means popsicle party time! We love cold fruity snacks.

10,000 words

Because I am so behind on my posting and because I have so many cute pictures that don't require a whole post, I am going to do what my friend, Tina, does. If a picture is worth 1000 words, then this post must be at least 10,000 words long. (Just a few words or sentences will describe each picture.)

Cooper loves all things...toilet. Yes, the brush, the garbage can, the bowl, the water. Many of these items are now up high or guarded very closely. Don't worry, I wash his hands very thoroughly after toilet encounters!

I LOVE those gorgeous eyes!!!My son, the pole dancer!

How hot is my husband? Cut off PJs, cowboy boots, white shirt and tie, and a 2 liter! Yum!!!

The most decent picture of my two wiggly ones I could get after "real pictures" at JC Penney.

I love the sunlight on the grass and my baby sitting in it!

Cadence starring in "Little Miss Muffet" as the spider. I bought this costume at a garage sale for $1. She loves it and enjoy frightening Miss Muffet away for hours!!!

Cadence having fun with the neighbors, Justing and Ruth! She was pushed around in this old wheelbarrow for quite a while and thought she was a garden princess!

Cooper loves, LOVES, LOVES dogs. He is not afraid of them and tries to pet them as often as he can!

Summer fun with Sadie!!! Swimsuits, running through the sprinkles (or at least acting like it because Cadence doesn't like to get her face wet), and popsicles! The joy of warm weather!!!

Cadence's "boyfriend," Ryan, and his motorized tractor! How sweet!
Is it a cage, a net or a toy? Cadence finds many uses for the net on our trampoline! She loves to jump into it and bounce back!!!

Park Play

Since Cadence's school got out about 8 weeks ago, we have been going to Bridget's ward playgroup at the park. They have like 10 parks that they visit 3 times each from the spring until school starts again. Cadence needs playmates and Cooper and I need to get out (and have some adult conversation.) This playing in the park fulfills all those needs.
Cadence loves Jack, and his mom, Heidi, brings him and Piper to the playgroup too. We are the "outsiders." I labeled myself as that, not Tina's ward ladies! Cooper really enjoys playgrounds. There are so many things for him to pull upto and hold onto while he is learning to walk.

He loves swings. Look at that smile on his face! Priceless!

We walk to the park by our house a couple of times a week, but it is very good for us play at the many different parks around Logan. There are many different playgound items at all the different parks. Cadence likes to climb this climbing wall (with a little bit of help.)

The kids even will swing together when the other swings are occupied. For the most part, they get along quite well. Cooper likes to pat/hit Cadence as a way to play with her and she doesn't like it. She is too motherly and concerned sometimes. I tell her not to be a "bossy boss."

Cooper doesn't mind sitting on the ground. Why? Easy acces to woodchips to put in his mouth!

Both kids find it therapeutic to play in the sand. My favorite part is taking off Cooper's diaper when he gets home and finding it FULL of sand!!! The same with Cadence's pockets!!!

Cooper is getting around so fast these days. he climbs all over the place and I get to watch him very closely because he seems to have no fear! He is ALL boy!

We are all glad we Tina invited us (and Jack) to join her ward's park group! It is a breath of friendship and sanity each week. We love to play at parks!!!