July 2012

In July, the wildfires started.  Seems like a new mountain was on fire every week!  This plume was right across the street.  Pretty scary summer!

  4th of July Celebrations!  We got to host the family fun this year.  Our new red chicken coop seemed like the perfect background this year!

Our chickens were still so small and cute!  They got a lot of loving this day!

This picture says it all!  Grandpa showing what NOT to do during the marshmallow war and grandma trying to stop him!

Another pic of our awesome chicken coop!

Let the marshmallow wars begin!

When it got dark enough, we enjoyed the "Parking Lot of Fire!"  Even though it was just our street this year!  We loved the sparklers, and the kids especially loved the "poop" fireworks!

It was another great show put on by Dustin!

Our switching of the rooms project continued.  We let the girls each pick a room color and they got that painted on one wall.  They chose such bright colors, that all four walls would have been a bit overwhelming!

We also touched up all the white and painted the closet where the first owners never got around to it. 

We rearranged the room several times.  But they started playing with all their toys immediately!

Here's Ella in the emptied stuffed animal zoo!  Here's Emily's blue wall.

And the girls and I took a break and took another trip to Wyoming.  We left Steve at home to continue earning money!  We stopped at Little America for ice cream and a few pictures.

The girls LOVE playing with their cousins! 

Showing off the nails I painted for them.

Lots of coloring!

And a lot of fun on the tramp!  Especially when they convinced Kellie to turn the water on!  Eden was a stinker and has to jump all by herself, but the girls were nice to give her turns!

Such a darling playhouse!  I WANT ONE!

We went to two library activities while there.  They have a busy staff!  We went to a fairy party one day and make fairies and fairy homes.  Then we had a party in the park.  They had face painting (with a LOOOOONG line), snow cones, games, chalk, huge frisbees and more.  Pretty impressive!

Here's the Green River!  The girls kept wondering why it wasn't green!

Kayla and Holly kept me busy playing games.  I was nice and decided to play with them.  :)  They sure are good at this Harry Potter clue game.  But I ruled with Slap!

We stopped at McDonalds for lunch on the way home.  Loved the saddle seats!

The girls got obsessed with the American girl catalog.  We decided that the My Generation Dolls at Target were a good compromise.  Emily had enough money right away to buy one.  Ella had to save up more, and decided to buy a used one on ksl.com so she could get all the accessories that came with it!  Such a girly girl!  I later surprised Eden with one as well after finding it on sale at target.com. 

More youth activities.  We hiked Timp again this year.  Not to the cave - the actual mountain.  Usually the front group makes it to the summit, but this year it was so cold, pouring rain, lighting and windy that they actually made the call to turn back after they reached the meadow.  I was actually surprised!  I made it farther this year, but was not happy to be SOAKED and freezing.  I was not prepared for that weather.  But it's good bonding time with the girls

Here's classic skating when Sloane came to visit. 

We stopped at Burger King to get Slurpees when we were done.  Such cute cousins!

American Fork Steele days!  We had fun at the carnival again this year!  We met up with Lynn's kids and we got to ride together!

This is part of the picnic in the park that American Fork puts on during Steele days.  There's so many fun booths!

Right after I took this picture, Ella turned on the siren and scared me to death!

And this is the Steele Day's 5K!  This year we convinced Jill and Steve to join us!  Can't believe I've done 4 5Ks now!  I'm not fast, but I'm just glad to finish!

Emily, Ella and Mason ran in the kids fun run! 

Here's Emily finishing.

And Mason.

And here comes Ella!  They did great!

Next was the parade!  We love Steel Days!

Eden found a comfy spot on the floor to sleep!  There's her new doll.

Eden cracked me up one day.  I had my iPhone playing music while I was cleaning.  But Eden didn't see the phone and said, "Mom! The watermelon's singing!"  So I drew a face on it and let it keep singing!

Eden discovered my doll and decided she loves it too!  I have another one with brown skin that she always calls her "Chocolate baby!"

We found this quilt at the quilt show.  Emily fell in love!  So cute!

Eden is definitely our outdoor girl!  She loves the sandbox!