Busy Summer!!

Summer vacation is now more than half over and we have been trying to pack in as much stuff as we can, this is what we have done so far... June started with Shelby's pre-school graduation.  It was fun to see all the fun things she learned and all the songs.  It was also fun to see some of the other kids in her class, they all put on a good graduation show.  Both Kolby and Shelby have been so lucky to have a great pre-school teacher.  Shelby made some huge strides this year and we cannot wait to see how much she learns and progresses in kindergarten, thanks Teacher Wendy!!

Casey and Cooper's birthdays were next and they were fun.  I think they enjoy sharing a birthday, but it is not good for the waist line to have two cakes at the same time.  Cooper had a snake cake with strawberries on top, he called it his rattle cake.  Casey had his normal chocolate with chocolate frosting and I continued the strawberry theme and put one on top of his too.  Cooper decided he needed to help make the cakes...as you can see he was a big help!

Cooper is going through a faze where he hits EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING!!  We are hoping it is a faze!  We decided to try to get him to hit something else besides people so for his birthday we got him a punching bag.  It has a suction cup on it to stick to the table and he can just smack away on it!  We hope it works. He also got a bunch of his own play dough, a Diego/Dora movie.  He was a happy 3 year old! Cas got a lot of golf balls, a battery charger, and a ping pong paddle.  He was a Happy 32 year old!  We have now started a new birthday  tradition in our family we have cake and ice cream in the morning b/c I love them having a sugar buz all day long.  No, j/k it's b/c if we don't we have learned that their isn't much of a cake to put a candle in when dad gets home from work.  Cakes a good breakfast to start the day with right?!

Somewhere in the middle of all of this was fathers day.  We had a good one starting with almost breakfast in bed.  The kids woke Cas up before it was done.  To top it all off home made cards and coupons and every mans dream a deluxe weather forecaster from Cabelas which automatically makes it a good gift no matter what!

Two days after the birthdays we left for Warm River.  We were excited to be able to go this year as last year we couldn't because I had just had Chase.  The weather was a little cold, but that didn't stop us from having a lot of fun!

The first thing was to find the cousins!

The next thing on the list was to find the treats.  Looks like Cooper found them. 

It was fun to see all our extended family and to play cards, eat, fish, eat, hike, and eat.  We can't wait to go back next year, hopefully the weather will be a little warmer so we can get in the water more although it was freezing the kids still braved the ice berg water of warm river.

After Warm River we went to Grandpa Ivan's cabin on Henry's Lake.  We spent 3 days there and as always Ivan goes all out to make sure we have a good time.  We took out the boat and just like last time we had an unfortunate incident with the plug and started to take on some unwanted water.  We were able to get to shore in time and get the engine compartment drained.  We didn't catch any fish, and we lost an anchor but the kids had lots of fun riding on the boat!  Except when they thought we were sinking! j/k The May flies were so thick that week you had to be careful breathing, I think that's why the fish weren't biting.

We also took the 4-wheelers out for a ride.  The weather was a little chilly the whole time we were there, but it was perfect on the day we went riding.  We took some leftover hamburgers and hot dogs and started a little fire for lunch. Casey thought it important to teach Kolby the "proper way to put out the fire.  So Casey did his part, then Kolby.  Then here came Grandpa Ivan unaware of the event that had just taken place.  He had retrieved snow from a bank to put on top and proceeded by swirling it around some. When we realized what he was doing we quickly informed him exactly what he was stirring!  He found that snow bank again and washed up.  Then pay back time, we had a snow ball fit in June.  We got to go on some trails none of us had been on before which was great.  The kids got a little restless because riding 80-90 (we think) miles in one day is a long time on a 4-wheeler, but it sure was fun!

Some of the beautiful scenery!

We even found some snow in the trees and had a snowball fight!

We also had the opportunity to take the kids into Yellowstone National Park.  Usually when we go there we just drive to Old Faithful and see it go off and then the kids are ready to leave.  This year we decided that once you have seen Old Faithful you really don't need to see it again so we just drove and went on some off-roads and saw lots cool animals including elk, deer, Buffalo with their calves, and even a coyote!  We also on our last day went and let the kids feed the fish at Big Springs where we saw some huge fish, seagulls, and even a muskrat.

The very next weekend after we got home from Warm River and Island Park we went to Lagoon.  Clint was able to get us discount tickets from his work so we decided to go.  It was very hot, but the kids had a great time.  I can't ride roller coasters, but this year the two older kids were finally old enough to go so Casey took them on the rickety old white one.  When they got done Casey asked them what they thought and Kolby said he DID NOT want to do that again.  Shelby our little dare devil was ready to go again right then.  Too bad the line was long and we had to go to babysit a neighbors kids, maybe next year...

I dare say this may be our favorite ride!

June 24th was Chase's birthday, we did our 1st birthday tradition of making him a cake and then sitting it in front of him and letting him just "go at it!!"  The cake turned out really cute, it was a farm yard with a cow, pig, and a chick and a fence made out of pretzels.  Chase was way too interested in the pretzels and didn't really care to dive into the cake like we thought he would. He acted like he wanted to but then he would fuss a little and look at me like, "well mom aren't you going to give me some." I think he wanted me to just feed him it.  He and Kolby were by far our cleanest kids after their first birthday party.  Cooper was pretty dirty, but it was Shelby who made the biggest mess.  It is a fun tradition and gives us a glimpse of how they will act when they are older...

He got blocks which he loved throwing.What do you give a 4th child that already has everything?  We gave him some of his favorite treats and a life jacket.  Bradshaw's gave him a helmet so he can 4wheel safely with us.  And Janice put $ in an account for him and Ivan gave him a toy that he opened early so he could play with on the way home from the cabin.  We continued the farmish theme for his B-day and went to the Lehi rodeo the night of his birthday.  Surprisingly he stayed awake for the whole thing.  He got a little scared during the jumping motorcyclist and the bull riding b/c the crowd and us would scream.  But all and all a great #1 birthday.  

After living in Saratoga Springs for 7 1/2 years we finally decided to make the 25 minute drive to the Kennicott copper mine.  It was really interesting!  The kids thought it was pretty cool to look out at the vast hole in the ground and to look through the binoculars at the HUGE dump trucks.  The tires alone on those things are twice as tall as Casey who is 6'3.

Partners in crime! 

What a bunch of silly kids!

I wonder if Chase will ever stop drooling?  He drools so much we always have spit bibs on him and it even soaks threw to his shirt too.















4th of July 2010  This year for the fourth we went to Rupert to remind us of the good ol' days. On Saturday we got up and the kids helped Dad move some wheel lines then we got ready and went to the parade at the square where we felt proud to be an American as our flag was proudly shown, saw some cool moves by alot of dancers and karate kids, tractors, old cars, horses, and lots of candy.  For lunch we went to Layne & Barbra Mackys for a barbecue.  It was tasty we even had homemade ice cream.  Then from there we went over to Lisa & Brandons to play in the pool and have dinner.  It was a perfect day and very fun filled we ended at Grandma and Grandpa Bradshaw's for fireworks.  Then on Sunday we went over my moms house to watch the city of Burleys fireworks and had more good food.  Casey left on Monday to go to Kentucky and I stayed in Rupert for a week.  My sister in law Lisa & family just moved to a house with a swimming pool so the kids took swimming lessons there for a week.  I was able to tie my mom down and start the process of capturing her life history.  It was fun & I look forward to hearing more.  The kids got to play with cousins and Grandparents.  They had a blast.  One day I took them on a field trip and showed them where I grew up and were Kolby lived for the 1st 2 weeks of his life.  Also where we lived when he was in my tummy.  I had a great childhood growing up there. I tried to paint the picture for my kids of how there mom's life was at there age.  And though it is still so very clear in my mind I don't think with so many changes they can see the same view.  The house I grew up in just doesn't quite look the same, and the Acequia Merc is no longer there, and they built a new elementary school.  Oh well, its ok if its just stories to them but what I wouldn't give to raise them in a similar setting.  Theirs no price you can put on a little country farm w/ a family that's growing in a humble surrounding.  And everyone around just putting in an honest days work(kids included). Caring neighbors,cousins and family close (but not to close) by that care about your children and help any way they can.  Best friends that you can be pretty sure aren't moving in a year.  In fact your parents can laugh with your friends parents about when we were that age...do you remember?  Ah, like I said the good ol' days, what I wouldn't give! None the less, The kids thought the field trip of the past was pretty cool.  And it was fun spending some time there the week went really fast.

I got to go to the Shakespearean festival with my mother in law and my sister in laws and a couple of Casey's aunts.  I rode down their with Cindy on Thursday and we came back on Sunday.  Casey and the kids managed beautifully.  Casey even took them all out of the house at once!  They went to Cabala's, they slept out on the tramp and had a movie night one night too.  They had alot of fun too which made me have more fun not worrying about them.  I had good food, great shopping and entertainment and fabulous company.  I hope to do it again.