Smores, Friends, and Cecret Lake

Last Summer we went with a group of friends up to Cecret Lake, and then stopped at the camp ground to roast hot dogs and marshmallows. We wanted to do that again this year, but with the campground and hike opening so late this year we were having a hard time getting it in. Monday the kids were out of school, so we decided to head up there for lunch.

I was surprised to see how much lower the lake was in just the few weeks between our hikes. We could see all of our favorite rocks again, and the waterfall was gone........so I guess that is why I never noticed it before.

The kids were glad to be there with their friends. This is Joe with his friend cooper.

This is Valerie's little friend Addie. WE decided to pack a picnic lunch to eat at the lake, because we were not sure if the campground would be open, so we didn't want to risk not being able to cook our hot dogs.

The campground was closed, but after reading all of the signs at the campground we decided to go ahead and build a fire. After we got it going some Alta canyon people drove by in their truck, but they just waved and drove on.

So the roasting began.

and the eating.

Red Cheetahs - T-Ball

This fall Josh signed up for t-ball. T-ball is one of my favorite little league sports to watch. It is more like having practice instead of an actual game, and the kids all seem to just have fun. They also don't quite understand the rules yet, and occasionally do something entertaining. Like when one of Josh's team mates, after hitting the ball and running to first base, went to the dugout to get a drink from his water bottle, because he was thirsty.

Josh's coach is really great, and tries really hard to encourage the kids, and make sure they are learning. He has them each take turns at the different positions. After every batter they rotate to a base, or to the pitchers mound. That way they all get a chance to get the ball and throw it.

Josh signed up for t-ball mainly because that is what Joe did after soccer, but unlike Joe, Josh likes to have as many people as he can come and watch and cheer for him.

I know he really likes t-ball, because he is always excited to go.

He is doing great at it too.

Utah State Fair

Last weekend we headed to the State fair.

It is so fun to see all of the exhibits. Some of them make me wonder what exactly the categories are. Emily and Joe liked this dragon made out of metal pieces. A lot of them looked like they came off of bikes.

Valerie loved this picture of the pink chicken. Because it is pink that means it is hers. Even now as I type this she is telling me "Oh that's my chicken!"

Another favorite part of the fair is the really yummy, heart attack waiting to happen, treats .

The boys enjoyed fried cheese on a stick.

Grandma and Emily shared a plate of fried potatoes.

And we all had ourselves a scone......mine was stuffed with cream cheese, and it was very tasty.

After seeing all the crafts, animals, and other things on display, the kids ended the night with a couple of rides.

It was no surprise that Valerie loved the rides too.

While the kids were waiting in line for one of their rides Grandpa took Valerie on the Merry-go-round over, and over, and over again.

She loved having him for a ride buddy.

The final ride of the night was the big yellow slide. Emily, Joe, and Josh were not quite sure if they would like it, but Grandma asked them to give it a try.

They loved it so much, they declared it "The Best Ride Ever," and wanted to go for a second time.

Valerie talked Grandpa into taking her on it too.

I think the kids would have gone on it over and over again if we would have let them, but it was time to head home.

Valerie was not happy to leave. She wanted to keep sliding on the slide.

As always it was a great time at the fair.

Labor Day

This summer, our bike riding adventures were few and far between. The spring and early summer were cold and wet, and with the high river waters, our favorite bike trail was under water in many places. By the time the water receded, the weather was too hot for the kids.

Ryan and I went on a few rides together, including a 24 mile ride on the Legacy parkway, but the kids opted to stay home.

Now that it is Labor Day the family bike ride was a must do activity. So we loaded our bikes and headed to the trail.

The Family bike ride is not complete without Grandma,

And Grandpa. They add to the fun of the trail.

Valerie still does pretty well in the cart, but she really liked getting out and running around the park.

Ryan and Emily are the top riders of the group, and usually take off at some point and ride a little further than the rest of us. This is usually no big deal, except this year, the trail was still flooded at the stopping point for the rest of us, and I did not like watching my daughter sprint across 12300 south with her bike, because they could not go under the bridge.

She thought it was great though.

It was fun spending Labor Day together doing something we all enjoy.

Kindergarten.......At Last

It's official,

Josh is in Kindergarten.

He was really excited, but also really nervous. When it was time to line up he kept looking back at me to make sure he was doing what he was supposed to.

Josh has been waiting to go to kindergarten since Joe started kindergarten two years ago. He really became anxious after his orientation last spring, so he has been ready to go for a long time. I thought I was ready for him to go too, but when he walked into the classroom I found myself holding back a few tears. I guess it is always hard to let your babies really go on their own.

Josh had a great first day and can't wait to go back everyday like Joe does. I am glad we still have our afternoons together.

A Right Of Passage

One of the things I love about being a mother is watching my kids discover the world around them. It is fun for me to experience things with them, and every now and then catch a glimpse of what they are seeing or thinking.

The age of two is often referred to as "Terrible", and there are many moments when I can see why, but while my two year old is making big messes every time I turn around, I also see that they are trying to learn. Often times they are mimicking the things I do, but they are just not quite old enough to understand what that is exactly.

I will admit sometimes this can be frustrating. Especially when you are trying to get out the door, and you suddenly realize that you are going to have to give them a bath before you can leave, because they can now open the fridge on their own and got into the sour cream.

However there are times when it is easy to sit back and enjoy their attempt at being big.

Yesterday was one of those moments.

Most mornings when I am in front of the bathroom mirror getting ready for the day I have a little shadow standing on the toilet next to me helping.

At first Valerie would just watch what I did, and play with things on the counter or in the drawer. As she has gotten a little older she understands what items I use every day. While I am getting ready she hands me the things she thinks I need to use. Every now and then brushing her own hair with the hair brush, or brushing her cheeks with the make up brush. I knew it would only be a matter of time before she took it to the next level, and yesterday it happened.

Valerie went into my bathroom, and came out with beautiful mascara all over her eyes.

I think this must be a right of passage for every little girl, because when Emily was almost this exact same age, she did the exact same thing.

Aren't they pretty?

King Joe

On Friday, Joe was King for the day.

This is his teacher's fun way to get to know the kids a little better and spotlight them for the class. She has each table (4 kids) be the king and queens for the day. Joe is the only boy at his table, so on his day, he was the king, and there were three queens.

Thursday he came home with a crown and a spotlight bag. He was to decorate his crown however he wanted and place five items in the bag that would represent him. The kids who had gone on the days before had been given Thor crowns. Joe had planned to put his face on Thor. He was a little disappointed when he got a BK Club Kids crown instead. It did not slow him down to much though. By the time he had walked home from school he already had a new plan. For this crown he wanted to take advantage of the word club. So we made it into a club Joe crown. We printed photos of his friends and brother and sisters and glued them over the cartoon heads on the crown. Club Joe represents the people who like Joe.

The five items he took to share were:

His Karate Trophy

A Joke Book

A Baseball Trophy

A case to a DS game

and something he had built out of Lego's.

It was fun to see how creative Joe is, and also to see what is important to him.

For Joe, the best part of being king for the day was getting to eat lunch with his teacher, and his fellow royals of the day. I thought that was pretty cool too. During lunch his teacher talked to them about school, and friends and some of their interests. He really feels like his teacher cares about him and what he likes. It really made him feel special.