drowning with summer

okay, i did it. it's the first post of the summer.

it's been so long and so much has happened.

i keep thinking i will really start at the beginning to document all things.

so not going to happen.

i'm too far behind.

but here's a start.

cousin swap!!

we met Rhonna and the kids in Kanab to trade kiddos. We stayed overnight and made some great memories @ denny's wigwam and big al's burgers. Bailey had the luxury of being one of 2 girls in the house. she really had a fabulous time and i'm so glad we did it! my right-hand woman deserved a fun time. (i can't tell you how much i use that sweet little thang.) she was greatly

missed. we took sol home with us and he jumped around from cousins' house to cousins' house until we took him back to Page to swap up. the boys loved having him. he's a great kid! what a perfect summer kick-off!!

let's play music convention

it went really well. i am continually awed by my sister shelle's abilities! her company is amazing and it was so

fun to have a small part in what all the ladies pulled together to make a successful day. teachers from all around came to get more instruction, share ideas (organization in teaching, how to get the best out of kids, to name a couple) and just get pumped for

a whole new year. it was awesome! ... and the candy table was a hit.

bailey's b-day

we got bikes for the kids. it was fun to go pick them out ant hide them a

t nana and papa's till the morning of her birth

use and said,with us when we picked out the bikes.day. problem was:

we had a 3 year old

he walked in the ho

' we got you a bike. it's in nana's garage. and alex, you too. it's blue and orange.'

why didn't i see that coming? oh well..

g was more like a kid than bailey. he kept trying to show her the bikes in n & p's garage- when we'd go for a visit. i thwarted a few attempts. we had a good laugh though. we finally made it

to the day. at 6 bailey woke up and wanted to get the bikes.

they were all happy with them. i even got a little something.

we had a little party for bailey girl and it was fun to spend it with friends and family. :)

father's day and camping

we had a great father's day! the kids made it s

pecial and couldn't wait to give g the car washing kit we bought for him. the weekend we'd planned to go camping, but i woke

up with major allergies and a sinus headache. i wanted to wait a bit to go. (won't do that again). so gar went in to work. we ended up waiting for him until 7 pm. i wasn't a fan of hitting the road at 8 pm, but it worked out. we did end up camping- and it was actually a really good time.

moms camping with kids

a few friends from church invited us to a camping trip with just moms and kids.

new experience, and very fun! the kids loved it. i loved escaping the 100+ degree weather for some cooler weather. we went ghetto and didn't bring a tent. we slept on a feather bed and pad in the back of the pathfinder. it worked out. we stayed warm and didn't worry about the skunk that kept prowling the grounds. it's funny how used to humans they are @ camping sites. he just thought

he was one of us.

in the morning, adam handed me a pack of lunchables and told me it was his friend's. i wasn't sure where it came from, and we put it down. later, we found out the skunk had opened april's cooler and gnawed throug

h one end of

some packaged hot dogs. when he raided the cooler on the picnic table, he couldn't get the lunchables opened so he left it there and moved on.

the fourth

we spent the fourth (ok, 3rd) with nana and papa and cousins.

swimming

burgs

feeling thankful

i cracked out a book we haven't read before.

the star spangled banner (inherited from red nana)

it was good to read the words, see the pictures, and get some background on the song. the kids and i sang it together.

i really like the last verse!! (read it here)

then, as we watched some fireworks from our backyard, alex

and bailey spontaneously broke out into song. proud parent moment.

i think music has the power to convey feelings we can't always feel with just words. loved it.

guatemala (just g and i)

this deserves a few posts. it was so awesome.

great to see mom and dad!

alex's b-day

gar and i traveled home all day.

we when we lan

ded in dallas, my good friend jen sent this cell phone pic our way.

thanks jen! and the cake was DElicious. wow, i want the recipe.

we brought little somethings home for alex, but his present was the bike he got on

bailey's b-day. then, off to targ

et to spend birthday money on lego batman. (thanks, g & g!)