Thoughts on Kindergarten...

Wow. The day has come. A part of me feels like it's taken f o r e v e r for her to be able to start Kindergarten. She's one of the oldest in her class and, according to her teacher's assessment, the top of her class. On the other hand, I'm SO not ready to let her go!!

Part of that concern is for her - How will she do? Will she make friends? What if she gets made fun of? What will her peers teach her of "non-academic" things? Will her teacher find ways to challenge her? Will she miss me....?

The other part of that concern has to do with me. I'll admit it. I am selfish. I like to have my children here. I like to be able to go to the park whenever we want. I like to spend our days dancing to music, doing our chores, baking cookies, and going on adventures. I'm NOT looking forward to shuttling to Kindergarten. Especially since Ireland is in morning preschool & McKinley is in afternoon Kindergarten. I miss the simple, sweet mornings when McKinley was small. I'm putting together the slideshow for my grandpa's funeral & found some pics & videos from when McKinley was a baby. Oh... those wonderful mornings. Just me & her. Just time to enjoy each other & learn together.

So - you may be wondering why we didn't just home school this year like we did last year. Well, I guess after many discussions & prayer, we decided that McKinley deserved to try out regular school & see how she likes it & see how she does. And she really wanted to go to public school. She was so excited for school to start - she put together a chain & took one ring off every day.

So - that's where we're at. Don't let the picture fool you. I started crying the night before when she got her blessing. I peeked up to see my big girl sitting there, head bowed, eyes closed. So grown up. And after I dropped her off, I tried to be brave in front of my 2 little ones, but the truth is that I am a wreck! I know she's beyond ready for school, but am I?

What will I do now that I can't hug & kiss my girl anytime I please? Someone please tell me it's all going to be okay? :)

Burton Edwin Tew, Jr.

Today I got a phone call. I was told that my Grandpa Tew had passed away this morning. Even though I knew it was coming, I couldn't stop the tears for very long.

When my children ask about death, I give them the "My Turn on Earth" explanation. Some turns are short. Some turns are long. I feel blessed that my grandpa got a good, long turn. He was 83. Some memories I have of my grandpa are: our annual water-skiing trips with him driving the boat, his fire-tending at our annual Mapleton camp-out, his laugh, his ability to tell a joke about any topic you give him!, his amazing knowledge and memory about numerous people and places, his story-telling, his extreme emergency preparedness (you should see his bomb shelter), his ability to fall asleep anywhere, his insistence on hand-watering his lawn, his love of growing things, his sweetness with my girls - especially McKinley, his testimony, his caring, his belief in you.

We are extra-blessed as well because we have his history - both written and on video. And I can share that with my children.

I guess a lot of us 30-somethings are having to say good-bye to our grandparents. I have one grandma left & I hope to cherish her and spend more time with her. I'm so thankful my kids have spent time with Grandpa Tew - and I am thankful that my husband had a special bond with him since he never got to meet his own grandpas.

When I think of all the people my grandpa was reunited with today - especially his son who died at 6 - the tears come again.

Love you Grandpa. THANK YOU for your legacy. You will be missed!!

Multiplicity

I love the movie Multiplicity. Oh - how it makes me laugh. I LIKE PIZZA STEVE!

The other day at the lunch table, McKinley said "Mom - what if instead of just one mom, there were like a HUNDRED moms!?" I thought for a moment & said "WOW - I think I would love that. But probably just 5 would do. One to do the laundry. One to keep this house clean every second. One to run errands and do bills. One to be the cook. And me - well, I would just like to spend the day with you girls & not have to do any of those other things."

Sigh... if only...

Lately I feel like I really wish I did have copies of me. If I only got to focus on the gospel, my family and myself - how would it be?

I love the summertime, but it really does wreak havoc on my sanity sometimes. The trips. The lack of schedule and routine. This week I'm trying to really buckle down & get back into routines before McKinley starts Kindergarten. That is probably going to be a whole other post. I have some anxiety about her going & I'm not sure what I'm going to do without her here every day.

Another sigh...

:)

July Newsletter & Slideshow

Well... until I can figure something else out, here are both the newsletter & slideshow for July. It was a fun, busy month. We love summertime!!

FAMILY: July is always a busy month for the Hamiltons and 2011 was no exception. As always, we had a great time at the Devenish’s for the 4^th of July. The kids loved being around their cousins and playing in their grandparents fun backyard and we all enjoyed the parade & park fun. It was nice & cool this year, which was SO nice! After the Richfield festivities, the kids had their annual backyard water games with a water slide, pool, and water guns. That evening we celebrated Ireland’s birthday with a yummy BBQ and cake & ice cream. She got lots of great gifts & everyone wrote nice things in her birthday book. Jason & Jeff spent too much on fireworks ($100), but the kids had fun lighting them and watching them go off. And, of course, the Jorgensens provided a big show (for the eyes AND ears) and the Richfield fireworks show was neat. The kids were ready to be done by the end of the night, though, and we took off for Cedar City at about 10:30, getting home around midnight. The drive reminded Heidi of their drive on the 4^th to the hospital 4 years ago to welcome Ireland into the world. Her birthday was on the 5^th & it was a busy day – we looked at a lot, babysat some kids, and helped our neighbors (the Gardners) get ready to move. We are going to miss having them across the street. On the 8^th, we went to Discovery Park for Friday Fun Day and the girls had fun playing in the sandbox. We enjoyed some great family walks in the evening with the dogs – and afterward we try & brush down Tundra’s coat, which always produces a big bag of fur. On the 9^th, we went to the July Jamboree downtown & saw lots of fun old cars & the girls had dippin’ dots for the first time. Then that night, Heidi & Jason went on a date to Lupitas Mexican Restaurant while Hannah watched the girls. On the 11^th, Heidi & the girls headed up to Salt Lake to spend some time with family. We had a birthday party for Ireland & Joshua on the 11^th. Cindy made a cute cake with ½ Lightening McQueen & ½ Strawberry Shortcake. We had fun visiting with all the family. That night we slept over at Aunt Cindy’s new house. It was fun to stay up with Kalli and watch Pride & Prejudice. Unfortunately, Kezia didn’t take a nap on the way up to SLC – or when we got there – she can get out of the portable crib now. So – needless to say, that night was REALLY rough with Kezia. Mom got maybe 2 hours of sleep. The next day, Heidi spent some wonderful time with her sisters. The 14^th, we went to the Murray ward’s primary water party. They got pancakes, too! – and later on, we went to Utah Bounce House, which the kids REALLY had a fun time with. We left to come home on the 14^th and stopped by the Benson’s in Orem to see their new addition, Maliyah (who is so cute & sweet) and see their beautiful new home. That weekend (the 15-17), we went camping with our trailer up at Yankee Meadows. It was busy & the fishing wasn’t great, but it was really beautiful & we found a fun spot. The girls had fun finding bugs, roasting marshmallows, and playing games. The girls started swimming lessons the next week. They went for 2 weeks, 4 days a week – and they both had a great time and did really well! The 18^th, we went to the 30^th birthday party of our friend, Adam Bealer. Jason had a bad headache that night, but the rest of us had a great time at the ice cream party. That Friday, we (including Jason) went back to the Bealers for a BBQ with Bonnie & Dallas Jones. They have such a fun backyard with a sandbox & swing set & the girls never want to leave. The 24^th was a fun day. Jason took the morning off & we went to the ward breakfast in the morning & then off to the parade on Main Street. It was a cute parade – not too long – and plenty of candy for the girls J That night we did some sparklers, but it was really pouring rain, so we had to take cover. On the 28^th, Jason took off a bit early & we headed up to Payson’s game in Panguitch. They did really well, but didn’t win this time. It was his last game & fun to cheer him on. Afterwards, we stopped at a cute old-fashioned ice cream parlor & all got a cone of yummy ice cream. On the 30^th, we cleaned up the house & yard in the morning & then drove to 3 Peaks Recreation Area and Minersville Reservoir to check them out. We stopped at a cute park in Minersville for a picnic and the girls played and got to pet some puppies, too! We put an offer in on a short-sale home in Parowan. We both really like it and think it would be a good deal, but with a short sale, we’re not sure if it’s going to work out, so we’re not planning on it. We are also SO very excited that everything seems to be going well for Tiffany’s pregnancy.

JASON:Jason’s worked hard this month – and been able to keep up his credit hours so he can take time off for camping or the 24^thof July without using his leave. He had a great time seeing his family over the 4^th and at Payson’s games. He’s coming up with a workout plan and is hoping to join a gym in August. He is also very much paying attention to the debt ceiling debate going on and theorizing about how it will affect the economy, his job, and the housing market. He’s decided to grow a beard, so we’ll see how long he can get it before he can’t stand it anymore & shaves it off! J

HEIDI: Heidi had a great month & really enjoyed spending time with her sisters in SLC – going out to Village Inn, hot-tubbing, watching Jane Eyre, painting toe nails and just gabbing. She also got to go for a run with Chelsea Strong in the morning, which was fun to catch up with her. She has also really enjoyed her Young Women’s calling. She loves seeing the girls on Sundays and Tuesdays. Heidi planned a flip-flop decorating activity that was a lot of fun. Heidi continues to train for her upcoming triathlon and on the 30^th, she biked 17 miles and then ran 6. At about mile 3 coming back from her run, there was a grey van that passed her – with little kids and a cute guy yelling “Go mom Go!” “Run mom Run!” They were her cheerleading van all the way up the hills & back home J

McKINLEY:

-One day McKinley was talking about getting married & getting married before Ireland does. She said “Well, I know you hafta be a certain age to get married, but is there a height requirement, too?”

-McKinley’s habit (good or bad?) is that the night we bring home the library books, she stays up till she has “read” them all. Usually that’s after 10.
-One day McKinley asked “Does Heavenly Father make worlds every night and morning?”
-McKinley was helping Kezia with praying at lunchtime and it went something like this: Mc- “and” K- “and”, Mc “thank thee” K- thank thee”, Mc “For everything in the universe” K- “….verse”

-When we were camping, mom looked up at the sky & mentioned that there were no clouds at all & maybe God forgot to paint clouds in the sky that day. McKinley said (matter-of-factly) “Mom – God never forgets anything!”… then she added “except sins.” Smart girl.

-McKinley has had a harder time lately getting her chores done. She just DOES NOT want to do them no matter what mom threatens. One day she and Ireland made a mess in the bathroom & mom told them to stay in there until it was clean. Well – instead of cleaning it up, they made a HUGE water mess – turning on the water in the sink & splashing it everywhere. That night both McKinley & Ireland went to bed at 7pm with no dinner L

-One night, mom & dad were up talking about dreams and other things. The next day, McKinley said “Mom – I’m sorry, but I like eyedropping. I was eyedropping on you and dad last night.”

-McKinley asked where we got a toy & mom replied “Ireland got it for her last birthday.” McKinley looked up with big eyes “Why was that her last birthday?”

-McKinley always wants to know how long in days or minutes. How many days until school starts? How many minutes until we go to Parker’s house? She’s definitely keeping mom’s brain sharp with trying to calculate things in minutes.

-McKinley did REALLY well in her swimming lessons. She was in Tots 2 at the Aquatic Center this year & her teacher’s name was Tyra. She loved to wave at mom while she swam & she said her teacher told the lifeguard to watch because she could swim by herself. On her certificate, her teacher wrote: “Great job! Keep practicing those skills and keep up the great swimming! We’ll see you next time in level 2!” She passed off all her skills. Way to go McKinley!

-After her lessons, we met a man named Russell, who is deaf. He was very nice & McKinley loved to show him some signs (even though she was a bit nervous ) - and he taught her a few signs, too – like Disneyland & flag.

-One day while McKinley & Ireland were playing, they decided it would be a good idea to cut the tails & manes off most of their play horses L

-Ireland got a magnifying glass for her birthday that has a clear tube to put bugs in it. McKinley has used it more than Ireland and has already captured a fly (!), some grasshoppers, some ants, and some rolley polleys. She loves to watch them, name them, feed them – and eventually let them go.

-If you ask McKinley if she is excited about Kindergarten coming up, she will vary with her answers. One day she said she didn’t want to go because she just wanted to be with her family. One day she said she was excited. Hopefully as it nears, she will get more excited!

IRELAND:

-HAPPY 4^th BIRTHDAY IRELAND! We can hardly believe Ireland is 4 years old already! She really got spoiled this year & had a party with the Richfield gang, a party at home in Cedar with her family & friends Tyrus & Sienna, and a party in Salt Lake with Joshua and the family up there & she had a bounce party celebration! She got so many fun gifts, including a pretend cash register, lots of strawberry shortcake things, some blocks, a Dora purse and lip gloss & nail polish, and many other gifts. Thanks everyone – for making her day so special!

-Ireland had the stomach flu at the beginning of the month L She kept throwing up. Mom asked if she could bring her a bowl to puke in & she said “That’s enough puking. I’m covering my mouth so I can’t puke anymore”

-Ireland is still our big helper at the stove & she always wants to help. She’s so good at watching the water & letting mom know when it boils. One day she was stirring some noodles a little too hard & some boiling water came out on her right thigh. She was so sad & we had to put cold water on it for quite a while. It still blistered & was really painful for a few days. She had a band-aid on for a few days and even though it’s healed, it looks like it’s going to leave a scar L

-Later, Ireland said she really wanted her owie (burn) to get better fast. Mom asked HOW fast. Ireland said “Sooo fast! Like Lightening McQueen!”

-Mom came to get the girls from the Primary room after church one Sunday and her heart was bursting with love & pride as she saw Ireland was one of the only kids who was helping to stack chairs. And she wouldn’t stop till it was all done. Great job Ireland!

-We are officially dubbing the next year of Ireland’s life the “Fearsome Fours.” For some reason she has had more tantrums AFTER she turned four than ever before. And they are over the silliest things. And no matter what we say, she will not be reasoned with. One afternoon she was upset that McKinley wouldn’t give her a block & she screamed & hollered. Mom put her in her room & she banged the door and screamed. Mom told her she loved her & she screamed “I DON’T love you!”. So mom put her outside & she screamed more & slammed the sliding glass door with the hose (while it was spraying water) & mom put her in the garage & she took Kezia’s ride-on toy & smashed it into the door, breaking the steering wheel. Finally mom got her to come inside & let her hold her & rock her & she took a nap. Another time, she was upset about the dress that she was wearing to church and threw a HUGE tantrum. Daddy had to stay home with her until she calmed down & they missed most of sacrament meeting L Another time she threw a tantrum while dad was trying to take her fishing & he had to come back. And after we left Grandma Potts’, she screamed “I WANT GRANDMA!” for the first & last ½ hour of the drive. We’re hoping things get better soon. Mom is thinking she is going through a growth spurt & needing more sleep, so we have been working on naps.

-One day Ireland was playing with the cash register that she got for her birthday. She said “Well,mom – it costs 4 moneys.”

--McKinley & Ireland have had a harder time lately getting their chores done. They just DO NOT want to do them no matter what mom threatens. One day McKinley and Ireland made a mess in the bathroom & mom told them to stay in there until it was clean. Well – instead of cleaning it up, they made a HUGE water mess – turning on the water in the sink & splashing it everywhere. That night both McKinley & Ireland went to bed at 7pm with no dinner L

-Lately Ireland has been taking things without asking quite a bit. She took gum and icing & when mom found out, she said “Pleeease can I have some?” We’ve been having lots of discussions about asking BEFORE you take something.

-Lately Ireland wants to make sure she gets her dues. After doing something good, she will tell you “Say GOOD JOB Irleand!”

- Ireland threw a tantrum at Payson’s baseball game & mom took her to the van. Mom said she couldn’t have any of the sweets (grandma Devenish had licorice and cookies) until she was acting sweet. So mom asked “So – what’s your choice Ireland? Are you going to be sweet or sour?” .. pause… “Well?” Ireland responded “I’m thinking about it….”

-One day while McKinley & Ireland were playing, they decided it would be a good idea to cut the tails & manes off most of their play horses L

-Ireland had her 2^nd year of swim lesson. She was in Tots 1 at the Aquatic Center and did really well. She tried hard to do what the teacher said, though she still got distracted & wanted to splash when other kids were splashing. She did well, though & passed off everything to go to the next level. Her teacher, DeeAnna, wrote on her certificate “Ireland is a great swimmer. Have fun in Tots 2.” Great job Ireland!

KEZIA:

-Kezia is a non-stop talker now-days. She answers “yep” to lots of questions and if you ask her why? She will say “becuz.” Some of her other favorite things to say: “Why?” “Naken!” (Naked) “eew! Stiiinky!!” (when getting her diaper changed) “Jesus loves Kezia” “I’m Scared!” (she’s started to get scared when she can see through to the ground – like at the park) “Wohoo! I did it! Hooray!” “Me, too!” (after her sisters say it) “uz zat?” (what’s that?) “I yike/don’t yike it!” “There it is! I found it!” “Bless you!” (after someone sneezes) “What you doin’?” “Cleanin’ up!” “I got it!” “knock knock – who’s there?” “I’m reading!” (when we go to get her from her crib – she has a book in her hands)

-Kezia slept in the same room as mom & dad over the 4^th at Grandma Devenish’s. She had been asleep & they snuck in the room & were almost asleep when all the sudden Kezia says loudly “cracker!” Mommy & Daddy held their breath, thinking she had woke up, but apparently she was just dreaming of crackers!

-On the way back from the July Jamboree, Kezia threw up all over her & her carseat L It was not fun to clean up & we were worried she might have been the 3^rd victim of the stomach flu, but she seemed fine after that. Maybe car sickness?

--McKinley was helping Kezia with praying at lunchtime and it went something like this: Mc- “and” K- “and”, Mc “thank thee” K- thank thee”, Mc “For everything in the universe” K “….verse”

-When we stayed at Aunt Cindy’s overnight, Kezia had a REALLY bad night. She kept getting out of the crib. So – mom finally put her in bed with her & she cried & struggled, but finally fell asleep. Then about a half hour later, she woke up and turned over & fell in the gap between the bed & the wall – all the way to the floor. Mom couldn’t reach her to pull her out & she was so disoriented & crying & finally she got her to crawl out. It took a few days to make up for that night L

-Kezia remembers and associates so much already. When she sees a picture of a baby chick, she will say “Teamwork!” She learns this from the Wonderpets. When she sees the Cat in the Hat, she says “Go! Go! Go! Go – on an adventure!” – the song they sing in the show The Cat in the Hat knows a Lot about That.

-She also has cute names for things. She calls the camera “Picture of you!” and the DVD player “Watch a movie!” One day, she had the portable DVD player & she was walking around, hugging it, saying “I wuv you watch-a-movie!” She also says “Cute!” whenever someone takes a picture. Even if it’s just of dirt, she will say “cute!”

-Kezia has started to sing her bedtime song. It’s so cute. She will sing “Kez, Kez, kezia – time to go to sleep!”

-She loves screaming at bugs. If she sees an ant on the ground, she will crouch down there & do this funny growl/scream sound to it.

-Kezia loves to open and close the blinds in the living room and kitchen. She also loves to pull out all the DVDs from the entertainment center. And she still loves to get a cup and fill it with water from the toilet – and then pretend to cook with it on the pretend kitchen.

-We’re having to put Kezi in onesies more & more because she keeps taking off her diaper. She still likes to sit on the potty, but she hasn’t gone yet. She will hop off, though, and grab one of her sister’s panties & bring it to you to help her put on.

-She really does know how to count to 9! Mom has heard her more than once!

-She still loves to read and will bring mom or dad books all the time – then turn around, plop down on the lap & expect you to drop everything & read that book to her right then.

-Her hair is getting so long & beautiful. We love her golden locks. Mom can fix it in almost any way – IF she’d ever let her. Getting her to hold still to get her hair done is near impossible. Most times, mom has to put her on the countertop in the bathroom, turn on the sink water a little bit & let her play in the water while she does her hair.

Now Do Ya Feel Like a Pioneer?

I have been thinking about Pioneer Day coming up & thinking that if they could zoom to today and see the way things are right now, they might be a bit surprised.

-That we actually PAY money to go to a place to exercise on a MACHINE. And - along the same lines - that we would PAY money to go run 13.1 or 26.2 miles in a race. That must just completely blow their brains. Why? Why? Why?

-That we go camping FOR FUN. We light fires for the novelty of it - not for everyday heat and cooking needs.

-How little we actually talk to each other face to face. Between TV, Cell Phones, ATMs, drive-throughs, movies, etc, I think they would be amazed.

-I think they would be shocked at the way people dress. Absolutely SHOCKED that girls could walk around wearing PANTS - let alone pants that are cut to the crotches and shirts that are tight & revealing. I could see mothers putting their hands over the eyes of their children - just watching people walk down the sidewalk.

-I think they would be fascinated with cars. The fact that I can go 250 miles in 3 hours. Unbelievable!

-I think they would notice pretty quickly the rudeness of society in general - and especially in our children. The back-talking, the defiance, the attitudes.

-I honestly think they would be appalled at our laziness. For all our cries of busyiness, do we need to do all our laundry by hand - or dishes? Do we need to cook all our meals over a fire or on a primitive stove? I truly think they would see our lives as full of empty business, and overall laziness.

-Grocery Stores. Walking into one of those would probably just blow them away. You BUY your vegetables and fruits? And you can get oranges at any time of year? Whaaa?

-I would like to see their faces as they witness central heating, air, and indoor plumbing. Definitely some of the greatest accomplishments since pioneer times.

-Waste. We are such a throw-away society! I think they would just truly WONDER at how we treat our things and how much trash we generate in a week.

-Child Bearing. I'm not completely sure how they would feel about giving birth in such a sterile environment with tubes sticking into you & shots, but I'm pretty sure they would be interested in a pain-free birth experience.

-After watching some prime time TV or movies, or listening to regular radio for a few hours, I'm convinced they would think the end of the world must be near with such appalling themes.

What do YOU think they would be surprised at?

Anyway, just some of my random thoughts. I am so thankful for the pioneers & their sacrifice. We still have so much to learn from them. We watched the John Rowe Moyle story in Young Womens a few weeks ago & I could not help crying at his unfathomable sacrifice. And - even though I think the pioneers in general would be very disappointed and shocked at the world today - I hope they would see that we still honor their names and our faith.

Ireland!

It seems that I never get around to doing a birthday post for Ireland because I'm always too busy trying to get the newsletter out, but she turned 4 a couple days ago & I just want to say how much I LOVE this little girl. Honestly - she is the sunshine in our home - always running around. Always so full of life & energy. Her imagination has really taken off lately & she will come up with such creative stories. I LOVE to hear them. I love her little drawings of stick people. I love the way she loves her sisters. I love how she says to me "Mom - you know I love you so much."

She was born BARELY on July 5th - at 12:33 in the morning. I don't know that I could have named her Ireland if she was born on the 4th, so I was glad she waited a 1/2 hour :) She was a week late & I had been in labor for over a day before I really thought maybe we should go in. I wasn't sure because with McKinley I was induced & I wasn't really sure these labor pains were the "real deal." I even had Jason call the hospital & ask what they thought & they said they had had a lot of false labor because of dehydration - so I wasn't sure, but I called my neighbor to take the girls so I could work through the pain & finally - at about 10pm, I told Jason we should probably just go in to make sure. The way to the hospital was surreal. Fireworks going off all over the valley. Jason pointing them out. Me screaming "Just GO!" When we were almost to the hospital "Sweet Child of Mine" comes on the radio, and I am crying. Walking up that huge hill to get to the women's unit in St. Marks Hospital. It was a l o n g walk up, having to stop for contractions. When I was finally checked, the nurse said she thought I was either a 4 or an 8, but she couldn't tell, so she went to get another nurse. I am praying "PLEASE GOD - let it be an 8!" The other nurse came in - and sure enough - I was an 8. It was a flurry after that - people getting tables with instruments, a nurse asking me questions, the midwife on-call coming (mine was out of town). PAIN. I knew I didn't want an epidural, but after they had broke my bag of waters & those transition pains started coming, I was just screaming "I can't do this!!" & all I wanted was a 15 minute time-out. Well, I didn't get a time-out & little Ireland came out screaming about an hour after we got there.

So - it's no wonder that she gathered all that momentum and energy from the 4th & is still our little firecracker.

She is named after my dad's mom - she migrated from Ireland in her 30's, and Jason's dad's mom - Anita.

WE LOVE YOU MISS IRELAND!!

June Newsletter

Below is our June newsletter. I (again) spent a lot of time doing a quarterly picture slideshow, but to no avail. It's just too big to upload. So - I'm going to have to go back to the drawing board on pictures. I may have to go back to monthly ones - or maybe every other month. We'll see. Anyway...Hope you enjoy!

FAMILY: June was a month of illness - Kezia got hand, foot & mouth disease & Ireland soon caught it. Then McKinley had the stomach flu and now Ireland has it. BUT before & after & in-between, we did have some fun. We went swimming twice, to probably 5 different parks, St. George, camping in our new trailer at Indian Creek (see this post), picnics, celebrating Father's Day with lots of homemade gifts & food, and celebrating Jason's 34th birthday with a surprise lunch at his work, watching the shepherds herd the sheep up the hill by our home, seeing the busyiness of Cedar with the Utah Summer Games & the Shakespearean Festival, the Groovefest quarter marathon & activities, watching Payson's baseball team get the bronze, & Heidi going to girls camp.

JASON: Happy 34^th birthday Jason! He got spoiled this month with Father’s Day & his birthday. Lots of yummy food and a few gifts. For his birthday, Heidi made him breakfast & then went with the girls to his work for lunch – with Café Rio and cupcakes for his co-workers. That afternoon, the forest supervisor kept telling him to go home to his girls, so he did come home & we had a wonderful afternoon J He also loved being able to see his family so much this month between Payson & Daken’s games. His boss went on a fire for 2 weeks this month & he got to hold down the fort at work while she was gone.

HEIDI: Heidi has been busy this past month training for a triathlon. She’s up to about a 10 mile bike & then a 4 mile run. She was happy with the quarter marathon. The first couple miles were downhill, but the rest was quite a bit of uphill, so she was happy with 50 minutes. She got 3^rd place in her age group. It was a bit difficult with the girls sick for a lot of the month – and by the end she was REALLY ready to get out of the house J Heidi got called into the Young Women's as first counselor & was thankful to go to girls camp & had a great time doing friendship necklaces, braiding & unbraiding lots of hair, eating yummy food, helping with (and going on) the iron rod experience, tie-dying shirts, learning about first-aid, singing silly & spiritual songs, roasting marshmallows & starburst, bearing testimonies, staying up way too late, playing the cup game, and just getting to know the girls & leaders a lot better. It was REALLY neat. Thank you sweetie, for taking Thursday off work to watch the girls.

McKINLEY:

-McKinley asked mom one day what it was like to be a mom. Mom said “some days it’s really hard. Some days it’s really great! But ALL the time, I feel very blessed.”

-After watching the 2^nd Tinkerbell movie, McKinley was determined to make a fairy house. She got a used Ovaltine can & put a Altoids mints can in there with a couple cotton balls for pillows. She even drew a tiny picture & glued it to the wall. She was faithful about checking it every morning, but so far – no fairy!

-At Indian Creek campground, we were sitting around the campfire & mom was talking about how Mary & Laura from Little House on the Prairie (which we’re still reading) would have thought it was silly to build a fire just for fun since they did it every day. McKinley said “yeah! It’s no fair that they got to have a fire every day!”

-For about 2-3 months now, McKinley has vetoed jeans. She will NOT wear them. She says that they are uncomfortable. So – she mostly wears leggings or skirts.

-We were talking about the 3 bears one day at lunch time. McKinley said “Well – now the bears know that they should lock their door!”

-After we picked up the kids from Aunt Keeley’s house after a temple date, mom asked McKinley if Keeley had fed them. She said “No.” Mom said “OK!” A few moments later McKinley said “We fed ourselves! We ate pizza!”

-McKinley was drawing circles and doing a good job. She turned to mom & said “Am I good at this or what?”
-One day McKinley came walking in with a handful of Tundra’s fur. She said “I know a way we could make extra money mom! Sell Tundra’s fur!” And no matter how much mom tried to reason with her, she would not throw it away!

-McKinley had so much fun playing with the dogs – especially while we were all cooped up with sickies.

-On Jason’s birthday, mom turned to McKinley & said “Do you think you’ll ever make it to be 34 years old?” McKinley’s eyes got really big & she said “NO!” Mom asked why. She said “Cuz that’s OLD!!”

-Lately when McKinley says she’s bored, mom (& dad) get really excited & say “you’re a board! Yay! We’ll take you to our new home that we’re going to build! And a talking board, too! We’ll bring people to come see it!” McKinley rolls her eyes, but she has mentioned less & less about being bored. J

-McKinley had the 24 hour flu at the end of the month. She puked about 3 times and wouldn’t eat anything. We were so glad it was over the next day!

IRELAND:

-Ireland has quite the sniffer. One night mom ate a handful of chocolate chips before coming to put the girls to bed. Mom was kneeling next to Ireland to help with her prayer & all the sudden she stops praying & says “mom – I smell something. It’s chocolate! Chocolate chips!” And one day we pulled next to a fast food place & when we got out she said “I smell chicken nuggets!”

-Ireland is still INFATUATED with leotards & swim suits. Mom can usually get her to put on somewhat normal clothes in the morning, but by the afternoon, most assuredly she has a leotard or swim suit on.

-One day we were coloring cards for Father’s Day & mom asked Ireland to color one more card. She said “Mom – I’m getting full of coloring”

-Ireland still had a hard time last month with sleeping. She will come into our room in the middle of the night or early in the morning. One time, about 3am, she came in & said “I just want to give you a hug mom.”

-Ireland caught Hand, foot & mouth disease from Kezia & was really sick. She threw up & kept saying “mom – I puked.” Jason gave her a special priesthood blessing that night & by the next day she was feeling much better.

-Mom gave Ireland some Sprite while she was sick. She put it in a cup & gave her some & she said “It’s too Sprite-y”

-Mom looked outside one day & saw Ireland out there watering the weeds.

-Ireland had fun playing with the dogs outside this month.

KEZIA:

-Kezia went to her 18 month appointment this month & everything looked really good!

-Kezia likes to add an O to everything, as it “Daddy-o”, “doggy-o”, “cereal-o”, “water-o”

-Kezi has decided she wants to be a big girl & sit on the potty. She keeps taking off her diaper & asking to go potty. So far she hasn’t gone, but she will sit on the Dora seat on the potty for quite a while. One time mom tried to help her wipe & told her to put it in the toilet. Instead she brought it to her nose to give it a blow.

-Whenever Kezi can’t find daddy, she will say “Daddy –work.”

-Kezi is SO good at saying prayers now. She will copy us exactly & she’s even started saying her own prayers – saying “Thank thee for mom, daddy, Tundra, Sydney” etc. The only problem now is that she thinks it’s her turn to say it every time & she will copy any person saying the prayer.

-Kezi has been our first girl to really get into the sounds that cars & planes make. She will see a car & say “vroom vroom!” or a gun & say “pshhh” like a real gun. Quite a tom-boy!

-Kezia got hand, foot & mouth disease this month & it was so, so sad. She was tired – then she had a fever – then she got the spots on her mouth and a little bit on her hands & a LOT on her feet. Mom didn’t know that’s what it was & unknowingly let her go to nursery L She still has skin coming off where her spots were. And she gave it to Ireland a few days later!

-Kezia LOVES to be tickled. She will say “Tickle (me) Mommy!” “Tickle Daddy!” and just giggle & giggle like crazy.

-One of the most precious things ever is that Kezi has started to randomly say “I love you daddy” or “I love you mommy” (or Ireland or McKinley). And sometimes at the table, she will wave to everyone one at a time & say “Hi Kinley”, “Hi Ireland”. SO Cute!