Goodbye Sports Authority

A cheesy happy smile from a happy Andy that gets to tell his not so wonderful boss goodbye!-

We moved out here almost 2 years ago with many promises from Sports Authority. Non of these promises were fulfilled so we thought it was time to move on. Andy was really tired of the retail store hours and all the working Sundays. So with some prayer, fasting, and some (ok, a lot) of patients Andy finally got a decent job offer. He will be working for PacifiCorp. out at Jim Bridger Power Plant. It's not his dream job but a much better option for now. He will work 4 ten hour shifts leaving him every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off. It is a graveyard shift (5PM-3AM) which I'm not thrilled about but it will do. A pay raise doesn't hurt either.

After we found out he got the job we thought we should go out and celebrate. We went to Penny's dinner in Green River since we had never tried that place. Then stopped for ice cream at McDonald's (mostly so the kids could play and Andy and I could talk).

We feel truly blessed each day with the way things always just seem to work out for us!

My Birthday/ Flashback Friday

I didn't take any pictures on my birthday so I just threw in a blast from the past of my 13th birthday-
Jennifer, Jana, me, Alisha-

I really had a great birthday on Thursday. It feels weird to be 27, it just feels like I should still be 22 or 23.
My morning started with a yummy breakfast made by Andy. Sadly right after that Andy had to head to work and would be gone till about 9:30 that night.
At lunch time my wonderful friends planned a lunch and pools outside for the kids to play. Thanks Amanda, Rachel and everyone who came! My friends are way to nice! We came home to give Sophie a little nap. Next we headed to Sports Authority to do a little shopping before Andy looses his discount with the job change.
Then we headed out to the park for a Relief Society activity. The kids played at the playground the whole time and I enjoyed more yummy food. There was also a pinata and it being my birthday I got to take the first swing at it and I managed to knock it to the ground-oops. I guess no one else deserves to smack the pinata on my birthday. Throughout the day I also enjoyed some enthusiastic "Happy Birthdays" from my kids but most came from my little preschooler Carter. I saw him 3 different times during the day and he would yell "Happy Birthday Miss Emily" everytime. It made my day!
When Andy finally got home he hung up my new curtains in my bedroom and in the family room even though he would have rather went to bed.
It was a fabulous birthday!

Trying out the Slip N' Slide

We finally had some time and some nice weather to pull out the slip'n'slide the kids got from Andy's parents. It was a big hit! We had 10 kids here playing on it and the other little pools.

Garen likes to go slower on the water board-

Maddie liked to fly down fast freestyle-

Giant slices of watermelon and lunchables, the perfect outside lunch!-

Sophie finally got brave enough to actually get into the pool-

Lagoon Weekend

Friday night the kids and I headed to Logan. That night we got to meey Amber, Zeb and Levi at the movies. Maddie and Garen loved the new Shreck movie!

Saturday, Andy's parents were nice enough to take care of Sophie and Garen all day long while Maddie and I headed to Lagoon! We got to have my good friend Brenda and her boys ride with us! We had a wonderful day riding tons of rides. Maddie was just a couple inches to short for some of the bigger roller coasters but they let her on anyway. She really liked the Wild Mouse, the spider and The Bat. Brenda and I even got to ride Wicked and the colossus which was so fun and nauseating at the same time! We spent the late afternoon playing at Lagoon-a-beach. Maddie got brave enough to go down the water slide and after that first run she decided she loved it so much that she would do it about 20 more times. Maddie loved being able to ride the rides with Jacob and Danny as well as all the Girl Scouts! It was so fun just spending the day with Maddie. We rode rides till they were all closed then we went into the gift shop and picked a monkey out for Garen and Maddie picked a Tiger. We didn't end up getting back to Logan until 12:45AM! We were very tired!
Some of the Girl Scouts-

Maddie and Jake on Puff, I think Brenda is having the most fun!-

Taking a break at Lagoon-a-beach

I had to stop and get gas on our way home and this is what I saw in the back-

We got a little bit of sleep Saturday night then headed first to Bear Lake where we visited with Great Grandma Janene and Great Grandpa Roger and had a yummy lunch. Then I packed the 3 kiddos back in the van and we headed home to see Andy before Father's Day was over. Sophie cried the whole way, but I think it was a blessing because it kept me awake. ;)

Flashback Friday

In New York on a school trip, with the Twin Towers behind us. (Bethany, Me, Carrol- 1997)

Walmart

I just have to share this silly little story so I can remember those funny little kid moments. We were off to Walmart since we were down to our last diaper and we wanted to get some tomatoes and other veggies to plant in our little garden. Sophie was getting cranky before we even left so I was trying to hurry. Maddie was taking her time. Finally the threats came, "if you don't get your shoes on and get in the van I am leaving you." She grabbed the nearest shoes and we were off. She picked out some black church shoes with heels, but I wasn't about to wait for her to pick something else.
We get into Walmart and a few steps past the door Maddie slides into the splits. Walmart floor plus slippery, too big, high heeled church shoes = Maddie on floor. I helped her up with a giggle. And sure enough this continued at least 10 more times through Walmart. She would just be walking next to the cart and out of no where she was down on the floor again. At this point Maddie and I were both laughing uncontrollably.
Then Garen decided he wanted in on the action. So everytime Maddie accidentally slipped to the ground Garen would fall too but on purpose. So here we are taking up an entire isle with the kids on the floor (Sophie rubbing the sticky part of a sucker all over her face and hands) and me trying to get them out of people's way but I was laughing so hard I was almost crying.
I think people thought their was something "Special" about me and my family that morning in Walmart!

"I don't cost anything"

After a morning of running several errands and the kids were ready to be home, I explained I just need to drop of some money to the nice ward member who fixed out breaks on the van. Maddie replied, "you have to pay for that?" I went on to explain everything cost money. After listening for a minute, Maddie replied, "I don't cost anything." In my mind I thought now this is going to be fun. From there I told her about paying the doctor, the hospital, her clothes, her formula, her toys, her crib, then onto her ballet, her gymnastics, her Summer camps, etc. She didn't have anything to say after that.

Seedskadee Excursion

Maddie got to spend the last 2 days learning all about Wyoming Wildlife. Today they took a trip to the Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge. I let Maddie take the old camera and she came back with 77 pictures! I guess she likes taking pictures like her mom. Maddie really did learn a ton and had a wonderful time at this camp.
Maddie said the bus driver took a group picture for her, to bad its so blurry-

Here is just a few pictures Maddie took at her camp-

Evening at the Splash park

Sophie loved watching the water and standing a safe distance away, Garen preferred the playground, and Maddie had a blast going crazy in the water.

Kenya and Maddie-

They thought it was so funny to sit on the hole and wait for the water to spray up and scare them-

18 Months!

Sophie is 18 Months today! She thinks she is 7 like Maddie as she tries to attempt everything Maddie is doing. Her vocabulary is really growing but mostly I hear "mommy" out of her all day. She has 10 teeth and more on their way. She is so smart, it amazes me how well she knows exactly what is going on. She's officially in Nursery, although she's been going for 3 months now.

She is so good at being reverent for an entire prayer, she even leaves her plate of food alone until after it is blessed.

She's definitely my girlie girl. She always wants my chap stick and she actually puts it on her lips, when I put my makeup on she has to have a blush brush or other makeup thing or there is a fit.

Although she is really a smiley child she rarely smiles for the camera-