July 4th

 The 4th of July could not have come sooner this year!  A favorite holiday of many in our family! 

It started with a ward breakfast and then a relaxing afternoon of swimming and a barbecue.  The guys played basketball, the kids swam and played in the hot tub and the ladies visited and ate.

After, we all hung out in Mammy and Papa's backyard...

Cousin Rules:

Play games of giant checkers and have water balloon fights.

Eat popcorn and watch movies during quiet time.

Color the shed with Papa's permission.

Eat tons of Popsicles and pudding pops.

Have gunny sack races.

Make big messes together

 Go swimming and eat watermelon weekly.

Tell lots of jokes.

Always say, "I'm hungry".

Make each other laugh.

Spend endless hours in the sand.

Attack each other with hugs and squeals when ever you see one another.

Always have Mikey sing his heart out.

Go out for pancakes with GG.

Always share with each other.
Play in the raspberry patch and eat raspberries until your sick.

 When they leave, tell them you can't wait until next time.

The Princess Arrives

Camryn truly is a dream boat.  She is absolutely delicious in every way.

 I love how sweet her personality is.  I love her full body smiles.  I love it watching her kick in the tub.  I love her rollie little legs.  I love that she comes shopping with "the girls".  I love taking naps with her.  I love that she stops smiling when the camera comes out cuz she can't see you, I love seeing what outfit she is going to be wearing for the day and all of her accessories to match,  I love bouncing her to sleep, I love when she looks at me because I feel like she knows who I am, I love watching how gentle all the boys are with her, I love how good and easy she is at restaurants, I love watching her devour her fingers.and I love that I crave her.

Camryn Melissa

I have been waiting forever to kiss this baby girl.  She is the first niece on my side of the family and my current obsession. 

Creamy Pudding Pops

The Lollipop kids quickly turned into the Popsicle boys and downed dozens of them by the end of the day.  A favorite  treat they daily enjoyed on the back wall: Homemade Pudding Pops.  I highly recommend them.

Pudding Pops

1 large box chocolate pudding
3 cups cold milk
2 cups frozen whipped topping (Cool Whip)

Put into small cups, insert Popsicle stick and freeze.  

To remove, place under warm water for a few seconds and remove plastic cup.

Work Hard, Play Hard

The boys had a serious job to complete: 

Remove all bark from Papa's truck and spread it onto flower beds.

Did they do it?

Totally.

Was it messy?

You bet.

Was Papa probably wanting to change his mind about the helpers he choose?

Maybe.

Were the boys sweaty and stinky?

Oh yea.

 After the job was done, out came the hose and a teeny tiny bit of fun.

Looking Out the Window...

I am and always will be a huge sucker for a gorgeous sunset.  Especially if the rays are bursting out of the clouds and a buttery yellow hue outlines the mountains.

In Bloom

 There really is a secret garden.  It truly exists. It is in my parents back yard.

There is the sound of trickling water coming from the fountains in various corners.  Several robins and blue jays stop by to get a drink or wet their wings.

Rabbits stop by to munch on the grass just below the deck.  Mammy and the boys have been known to "chase" them out of the garden.

Fresh raspberries are picked then turned into a hand spun milkshake.  Colorful veggies pop up all over and green herbs line the beds of the garden.  Red tomatoes hang plump and juicy on the vine waiting for the kids to pick them.

Squirrels lurch and jump onto the plum tree and scurry to the top for a breathless view.

There is plenty of wriggly worms that find a home and end up in jars for observation...and soon returned again.

It is home to butterfly's and bees and an assorted amount of blossoms.

It is relaxing and rejuvenating and the epitome of peace and calm.

Plus, it smells good.  Fragrant blooms, wafts of lavender, and sometimes, just sometimes, Mammy has the smoker fired up....

One of my favorite features about this little patch of heaven, are the lush bright yellow flowers that grow by the dozens.  They are special.  They have traveled hundreds of miles and have their roots firmly in the ground of the secret garden. 

When my parents moved from New Mexico, my Grandpa let my mom take some "starts" from his garden and let her plant them into her garden.

My Grandpa since then has died and we miss him very much and it is a comfort to sit out in a chair and look at his very flowers.

Oh, Dad!

 There is a quote that reminds my dad of my Grandad, but it also reminds me of my dad....

"My father didn't tell me how to live...He lived, and let me watch him do it."- Clarance B. Kelland

I love my dad.  We are unusually close and I have always felt a deep bond with him. 

We also both feel jacked up and joke a lot about it.  I need his comical relief and rely tons on his sense of humor.  He helps me find mine.

While life feels really hard right now, my dad is the right balance of all that is good.

I also have a tender spot in my heart for this dad...

I always thought of the dad he would be when we had kids and he has exceeded all that I dreamed.

He does "quality" in a way I have never before seen and my boys can feel it and we all reap the benefits of it.

Here are a few of the answers from our annual questionnaire:

My dad is really strong, he could lift...

Kendall:  Uncle Doug up!
Nathan:  5 1/2 Semi trucks!

If my dad had time, he would love to...
Kendall: go somewhere gaintly FUN! 
Nathan: watch Ben 10 with me! 

How old is my dad?
Kendall: 52
Nathan: 32

My dad is the best at...
Kendall: lifting up a WHOLE tree!
Nathan: working!

My dad really loves....    
Kendall:something really, really, AWESOME!
Nathan: Basketball

My dad always says...
Kendall: "I love you. I love you more."
Nathan: "Bye, I love you, gotta go to work."

I LOVE my dad because:
Kendall: when I cry, he helps me a lot.
Nathan: he's the best dad I ever had!      
 

Ordinary Days

 The lazy days of Summer are in full swing.

Lots of cooling off in the sprinkler, drinking from the hose, and swinging from the crutches.  That's how we do it around here.