Kim & Steve's family: June 2009

The last two weeks have been a whirlwind! Two weeks ago was my Girl's Summer camp - this year was Princess Camp. Last week was the boy camp - Super Hero Camp. Both were lots of fun and LOTS of work! I wasn't able to fill two sessions of each this year, but I did max out one session each. The economy is tough on everyone this year, unfortunately for me! E&E both attended Princess Camp, as well as cousin Tanna. They loved having Cinderella and Belle visit. (Thanks Lynn, you are AWESOME!) Belle's visit was especially exciting for them because it was the first princess I've had that they didn't know! (Usually I make their aunts play the part! But Jill's neighbor volunteered and did a great job!) I played the part of Fairy Godmother and Princess Kim. Good thing I have a lot of bridesmaid dresses! Last week Spiderman came to visit and that was the hit of the camp! My neighbor came all dressed up and the kids had a blast with him. I also had other "helpers" during the camps. I'd invited my activity day girls to come help with face painting and I ended up having 2-3 helpers every day for the whole time. I even had 2 boys come be my sidekicks during super hero week. See, you're never too old to have fun! I did learn that girl helpers and boy "helpers" are quite different, but they all did better by the end of the week! We had a lot of fun on Ariel and Aquaman day because we decided to buy an inflatable waterslide this year. Hopefully we'll set it up enough this summer to make it worth it! Even with one session, I was constantly busy all day! Good thing I had Steve to help me at night. I do go all out for these summer camps, so I hope all the families thought it was worth it!

Jill got a lot of play time with my girls the last two weeks. She was nice enough to pick them up everyday and take them to lunch at the school. They have free lunch for kids during their summer school. Then she would bring them back in time for camp. She babysat Eden the first week and she and Lynn took turns watching them the 2nd week. They did fun things like going to the library and Lehi Days activities. We also all went swimming at the Legacy Center one night. (I loved Emily's observation as we were leaving and passing a vending maching. There was an "Out of Order" sign and she wanted to know if the drinks were all mixed up inside!) The girls sure love their aunts! They even got Eden to laugh for the first time! I'd gotten her to give me courtesy laughs - but she belted out real belly-laughs when the girls were punching their punch- balloons! It was so cute!

Friday night I was so exhausted that we decided to celebrate my official beginning of summer break by eating out at Denny's. The girls loved it and ate every bit of their pancake dinner. Emily declared that she wants to eat out everynight! Saturday morning we enjoyed the Lehi parade with Jill's family. Then later that day we were able to attend the Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House. It's in the new DayBreak Community that we LOVE. (Just you wait and see, we'll move there within the next 10 years!) It was very streamlined. They had golf carts that would drive you from the makeshift parking lot to the temple. Then you entered a tent area to watch the temple overview video. Then you get to tour the temple. I've never heard such a noisy temple. Everyone was talking in regular voices, therefore if you tried to whisper, no one would hear you. Nonetheless, there still is a special feeling in the temple. Eden was quite fussy most of the way through, but quieted down as soon as we entered the Celestial Room and Sealing Room. They broke us up into small groups for the Sealing Room and a couple bore their testimony of the temple. Then we got to see the Bride's Dressing Room and exit out into a Refreshment area. Only the church knows how to make a tent look like a temple inside. It even felt like it had air conditioning. Steve talked to both girls in the Celestial Room and the Sealing Room to tell them why they were so special. Even so, when I asked Ella what her favorite part of the temple was, she replied, "The cart ride." Guess it didn't have that much of a spiritual impact on her! She also kind of liked the "swimming pool" - baptismal font! They both mentioned how much they loved temples on the car ride home, though!

Now for the Picture version of the last month - yes, it's been awhile!

Last day of school - Emily with her Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Jones.

Celebrating the beginning of summer at McDonald's!

Ella's Owies! She had bandaids up and down her arms and legs covering the dozens of mosquito bites she got the first day of summer!

Modeling daddy's new scooter.

At the Children's museum, my obsessive-compulsive daughter!

Making slime in the Little Scientist's class!

Dressing up and putting on the play, "Where the Wild Things Are."

Making our creations for the library's "Be Creative" display.

Ella made her daddy - complete with thinning hair, lines on his forehead, a cane, a tie and a bag lunch!

Emily made SUPER GARBAGE GUY and his sidekick LITTLE GARBAGE HELPER!

SO CUTE! I always check on the girls before I go to bed. This is what I found - it reminds me of the 2 pictures that mom and dad took of me in my childhood.