Garden Update

I am sure you are all just dying to know how my garden is doing, so here is a little update. These pictures were actually taken last week so since then... the honeydew has continued to take over both sides of the garden. Its out of control. Also, the tomatoes are bigger, the peas continue to look hopeless, and I have treated the bug infested bean plants, however, evidence of that working is yet to be seen...
Oh and the strawberry- the single, lonely, yet beautiful strawberry- was delicious!

Brielle's New Tricks

1. Her first tooth as officially poked through and really she seems a lot happier- it must have been really bothering her.
2. She is somewhat mobile. She rolls from one end of the room to the other, she scoots, she turns, she maneuvers. She is slow, but definitely on the move.
3. She has an extreme fondness for chocolate milk. Yes now you all have it officially confirmed I am a bad mother- (I would use the term desperate but you can say what you like). We gave her some chocolate banana shake (no ice cream just milk and ice) yesterday because thats what the rest of us were drinking so it was only fair and she nursed that sippy cup like it was the best moment of her life- even making mmmm sounds as she sucked-- too too cute!
4. AND THIS JUST IN THIS MORNING.... SHE CLAPS!!!
Here's a video so you can see both some scooting and clapping!

Copper and Wool

So technically according to some crazy tradition created by who-knows-who, traditionally our 7th anniversary gift should be in the category of copper or wool. OK that is just plain silliness if you ask me. We went with a more practical option- an upright freezer- badly needed since Kevin's job in the "frozen foods" industry is currently supplying us with an abundance of well...frozen foods. So in case you are all wondering - here is a picture.
Don't be too dismayed at our practicality though- we did enjoy a lovely evening out on Saturday with a babysitter and everything. Then on the actual day we watched both our wedding video and five year video which left Makenna near tears as she exclaimed "I miss that world." --- too cute.

Seven Blissful Years!

Today marks exactly 7 years since Kevin and I were married. WOW! It is amazing how much we have done and seen and been through in just seven short/ long years. I wouldn't trade these wonderful years or my wonderful husband for anything in the world.
I went through my pictures to put together a little slideshow tribute... you'll have to excuse the cheesiness-- it is my anniversary, so it should be allowed.

Swimming

This week and last the kids have swimming lessons. They are loving them . They wish we could go swimming everyday. During their last lesson Brayden jumped off the high diving board all by himself. He is quite a fish!

Poor Brielle is the real reason we can't go swimming everyday. Besides me being too outnumbered to take the kids swimming without Kevin, Brielle hates it. Just being near the water makes her cry. And I am sure you are all looking at the picture of Kevin taking her down the slide and thinking that obviously we have traumatized her and caused her fear of swimming but really she was already crying so we just gave it a shot- apparently it's still not her thing.

Summer Fun with the Thomas'

We have loved living so close (its still farther than we would like it to be) to the Thomas' and have had some great times together.Swimming (above is at the splash park and below is in our backyard)

These pics (above and below) are from the college world series game that we went to. It was a lot of fun (minus the parking, heat, and fussy baby, of course). I love the picture of the dads both holding babies and wearing BYU hats- so classic!

We went to a strawberry picking patch not too far from our house. Unfortunately it was the last day of the season so we sort of had slim pickings but it was still fun nevertheless. I was surprised by how much the kids loved it. They could have stayed all afternoon. The babies, on the other hand, were less than thrilled with the activity (or maybe it was the scorching heat they were bothered by) but it was a great time and next year we will have to catch the patch a little earlier!

Happy 4th of July....better late than never

We had a really great 4th of July this year. First we attended a yummy ward pancake breakfast, then we had some friends over for a bbq and birthday cake, then we were off to the airport to pick up grandma and grandpa. We brought them home just in time for Kevin to put on quite the extensive fireworks show (although I didn't capture it justly with my camera). It was an exhausting, -I mean- exciting day!

Lemonade Stand Take II

I came home from the grocery store this evening to see that Brayden had decided to give the lemonade stand a second shot. Again he set it up all on his own and enlisted the help of our neighbor's older sister to make the sign- which absolutely cracks me up (in case you can't read it it says "Apple Juice 5cents or $1"). And notice the bag of plastic clean cups. I'd say we are getting better each time.

Brayden the Business Man

Yesterday Brayden asked me if he could have a lemonade stand. I was hesitant because I had my hands full with Brielle and I wasn't really in the mood to supervise and assist in such an undertaking. I told him he could go ahead if he could do it all by himself without my help. So perhaps this is one case in which I was a negligent mother but off he went and was outside on his own for about 20 minutes when I decided I had better check on him. What I found was that he was charging 1 dollar for lemonade (YIKES), that he had accosted several adults in the neighborhood including our basement contractor and the realtor from the showhome next door, and that he had sold four glasses of lemonade for a dollar each. The most troubling part was that he only had three cups.... hmmm 3 kids drinking/selling lemonade + 4 paying customers and only 3 cups....sounds like some shady business practices.

Well not that any of Brayden's "victims" will read this but to them I apologize that you paid a whole dollar for watered down lemonade from a dirty cup. I won't let that happen again!