Good Times

My mom and Jack had a get-together with everyone a week ago. It was fun to see everyone and watch the kids play. Jack's mom Elaine is visiting from back East and it is a joy to get to know her. This is everyone. We almost took the picture, when I realized someone was missing. Hailee was off in the dirt playing. We had to drag her over for the picture, but it is good to have one of everyone. Good times.

My mom has been staying in Ashton the past few summers. It is really nice to have that extra time with her. I think my mom is amazing! She is talented and loving. She does so much for me and my little family that I too often overlook.

This summer has been so much fun. My mom has been able to share in Hailee's gymnastics, which was a big deal for both of us. My mom did gym and she taught me. My mom also helped a lot with the kids. She is great to give me advice and I would be better off if I listed to more of it. She is heading back to her home and work this week and I am going to miss having her around. I can't wait to go visit her soon. Moms are just special.

Summer Fun

The second weekend in July was spent hanging out in the backwoods, basically in my backyard! Not really, but about 10-15 minutes away. We were enjoying the wilderness with a few of my Armstrong Clan. My Dad and Lorelie arranged for a great weekend. We ate yummy food ( my favorite is always breakfast!---Grandpa Armstrong makes the BEST campfire pancakes!) went on a few four-wheeler rides, and chatted around the campire.
Carter had fun, but he had a hard time seeing us eat all that yummo food. He did get to eat a pancake a day! Such a lucky kid!

One of my favorite parts to camping is waking up in the tent. It is that sudden warmth combined with the smells of dirt, trees, and bacon that drags you out of the sleeping bag. Lucky for me I haven't yet reached the "you're in charge of breakfast" stage! I also love this stage because it takes over that biting chill you feel right as the sun is coming up. That chill really bites at you and my kids didn't know how to handle that. Hailee would wake up as soon as the morning dew hit and want to climb in with us. It just so happens that Carter also wakes up at about 5 for a feeding. Our airmattress is not so comfy with four. Something to think about for our next camp out!

Curt missed out on a lot of the fun because he had work on the farm, but he was able to come up at night and then he would leave after breakfast. My dad picked the location perfectly for Curt to be able to participate in some of the fun!

My cousins were camping with us and they have kids of their own. Isabel was a great friend to Hailee and invited her to sleepover both nights. The first night I caved and the second night Hailee caved. We are getting there!

Little Eli was also so friendly and sharing with Hailee. He had some cool bikes that they could ride together around the trees. So much fun!

Curt is such a great dad. He has been in and out all summer long. We love being here to welcome him with a smile, a soda, and sometimes a snack! He is good to grab each of the kids and love up on them even if he is tired. He gets the biggest grins out of Carter when he growls into his cheeks. Carter still hasn't given us a good ol' belly laugh, but I am sure it is coming. He starts to chuckle but that is about where it stops. Soon....I can just feel it!

Hailee Girl has started her first year of "On-your-own" swimming lessons. It was a fun experience for her. Her friend Leah took the classes with her. They were always budding-up and having to get reigned back into the herd. There were a couple of really cold days where you just can't get much out of 3 and 4 year olds. Then there were a couple of really fun days when the kids did really well.

Things she learned. She puts her whole head under and blows bubbles. She can monster arm all the way around the pool. She does some pretty big kicks. She likes to glide around blowing her bubbles and maybe adds some monster arms or some kicks. She can sort of float on her belly and even better on her back. She still has NO fear of the water.

Carter's best little buddy. Hailee was gracious enough to allow Carter to play with one of her toys a few weeks back. She chose this silly little lion that one of my previous students gave me for Valentines Day. I am not sure what it is about this one but Carter loves to love, slobber, and chew on this dinky thing.

Speaking of Carter Man. He is getting SO BIG!! I can't believe he is 5 1/2 months already! I remember being pregnant with him a year ago. I remember taking care of Hailee 3 years ago. I can't believe it has gone so fast.

Anyway. He wants to crawl really bad. He moves quick from his bottom to his belly just so he can start his pushups. He is trying to be the youngest enlisted Marine or something. This kid goes crazy trying all sorts of positions to help him move. His new favorite is the "star- pushup". He stretches everything out and up he goes, until he decides to attempt a move...then he falls down. I know it won't be long until he is everywhere.

That is all. And don't be dissappointed. We have been really buisy. Between gymnastics, swimming, family fun, farm things, and life we are pretty tired at the end of the day!

247

247- That is the number of pictures I just downloaded onto my computer. I know it has been a lot worse in the past, but I've been trying to be better at it. Sometimes these long posts overwhelm me, then I start avoiding posting, then I submit to posting because journaling is very important to me. AND then it takes me a long time to sort through it all. I am trying to be more punctual, thus save myself time and energy

Starting with our most recent experiences.

We enjoyed watching the fireworks at the soccer field in town this year with the Schauerhammers. They are a fun little family with two little girls Hailee's age. We went to their house for a babeque, a couple of bottle rockets, and some more fireworks. It was the first time I have ever made or eaten kabobs. They are pretty tang good eats!

Hailee had a lot of fun with these sparklers. She actually held too close and earned herself a couple of nasty burn marks. It was pretty painful, but she wanted another sparkler after we bandaged her up!



We watched the parade and Hailee got a TON of candy! Seriously it is rediculous. She would sometimes just try and follow the float with the candy down the block. Other times she would get too excited and run to a piece of candy, if another child was there, she would scream and scare the other kid away. She was cracking us up! Towards the end she was too wore out to get anymore. She would sit by Aunt Cathy and ask her if she could go to her house and take a nap. It was such a great parade! I loved it, and I am a big parade person. I always tell myself that next year I want to do a float. Maybe.....

Carter spent his time moving from Grandmas to Uncle Jase and Grandpa Layne. He liked the parade. I think. He didn't cry from the fire trucks, so that is a definate plus!

Our cute little kids in the 4th of July onsombles. They are too adorable!

On July 2nd we went to Driggs/Tetonia to see some family, go to Huntsman Springs, and visit my cousin Alexie's wedding. It was such a good, long, busy day. My kids were on crazy eating schedules, which I always feel bad about as a mom. We should have stuck around and watched the fireworks. Next year we will make a go of it. My cousin's wedding was beautiful I wish I had a better camera to capture the views of the Tetons. My Hailee friended up with my cousin Michele's Hailey. Hailee loves girls just older than her. They are usually so good to play with her. Hailee and Hailey did some fun dance moves and ran up and down the lodge. Pretty fun!!

Funny story. They were throwing the garter and AJ was so awkward standing in a group of young boys. He definately didn't want to catch it, and he didn't. I think he is afraid of commitment right now. Silly guy!

I have loved our quiet little family moments. My favorite part is how simple it can be. I love just taking everyone out and catching the colts. It seems like the weather is just perfect and things are so wonderful. Our new filly is getting pretty big. She is almost as big as the two colts from last year. Her mom is also continually growing. Cherry, loves to eat. Curt doesn't think she has lifted her head since arriving in the new pasture. She is a good mom though and lets us work with her baby really well. Shoshoni, our horse that lost her filly to the wolves, is a second mom to this little babe we call Suprise. She is often much more protective than Cherry.

We recently borrowed Aunt Cathy's walker for Carter. I love this walker because unlike the new ones, it is smaller, and can be set really low to the ground. It is currently on the second notch and Carter is busy scooting around the house like a mad man. He also gets pushed around by his sister. Sometimes she puts him random places and leaves him there. My biggest worry is keeping the basement door shut. Carter's biggest worry is getting tied up because he is the bad guy in a game he doesn't quite understand!

The cows have arrived! It seems like in the past 7 years since I have helped Curt with the cows they have been showing up later and later in the summer. This is due to the weather and to our busy lifestyle. This year it was definately a weather issue. It was way too wet and snowy to get in to the pasture to fix the fence and then too wet to get a truck into the corrals. On June 29, forty cows were unloaded and it was a fun experience as it always is.

The night before I was getting together a crockpot of roast cooking. Curt asked why, and I told him that it was for barbeque the next day. He told me it wasn't a big deal and didn't understand why I was bringing lunch. I kindly reminded him that we have done a lunch when the cows came for a long time. This time however, I think was the best. The barbeque was actually Cafe Rio' pork and is absolutely delicious!

On our way home The crock pot was sitting on the floor of Curt's truck. I mentioned several times to Hailee not to step on it. She did. The lid turned and in went Hailee's cow-pie covered boots. So much for tastey left-overs. Good thing it is an easy recipe!

Hailee has always been such a big helper. Her favorite thing to do is whatever I am doing. She loves to vacuum and has her very own pink one that she uses when I am vacuuming. Lately we have introduced a few more chores. She can help wash the pans, wipe the tables and chairs. She also picks up her toys and folds laundry. I'm sure she would do much more if I was prepared to let her!

Hailee is such a growing kid. She loves taking pictures and is so silly sometimes! The long, hot, and BUSY summer days are putting a toll on this three year old energizer bunny. She is hardly ever able to stay up past 8 and more often is out by 7. She goes hard all day long and hardly takes time to eat. The most memorable was when she had been playing all day with her friends Leah and Lilly outside. I knew she was tired and so I threw her in the bathtub and got her in her pajamas. She sat at the table and ate her dinner. I was in the living room feeding Carter and talking to her. All of a sudden she stopped talking and I went to check on her and she was OUT. It was so funny. I left her there just so her dad could see her and so I could take a few pictures.

WE LOVE SUMMER!