Tomorrow

Tomorrow is the Top of Utah Marathon, and today I feel sick. Please let it pass by tomorrow (yeah right) I hate this part, it might be worse than the actual race, the anticipation of how you're going to do because honestly, I don't know how I'm going to do! All I can hope for is better than last year. Wish me luck, I'll need it!

Goodbye Summer

I can't believe summer is gone! It went by so fast this year. We spent a lot of days at Cherry Hill and over Labor Day we had our last day there. Mark came with us this time, I'm glad we got to get in our last time with him.
Charlie loved going down all the slides with Mark, Kenya was scared of the dragon slides this year, she would always say "I wanna go dagon slides!" So we'd go down once and then she was done and scared. So I told Charlie all summer he'd have to come back with dad so he could go as many times as he wanted and that's what they did! Kenya's floaties were on their last legs, they had little leaks in them so she graduated to Charlie's life jacket and Charlie graduated to no life jacket! He's doing really well at swimming.
Kenya figured out how to completely jump in by herself and wants no help whatsoever. This is how it is ALL DAY LONG. "No, I do it, I do it! I do it! Takes a lot of patience, especially when you're potty training. She is doing great by the way, almost one week and today was the first day with no accidents. Every other day she's had at least one but I haven't changed a poopy diaper for a week! Hooray! :)



Here's a little video of Kenya jumping in like a pro!




We had a little last minute bbq with the Hanson's on Labor Day, the kids loved roasting marshmallows.

A Week of Firsts

Fall is coming and we are getting busy! We've had a fun couple of weeks settling into our new schedule. Charlie started preschool again with Miss Lisa and Miss Shaun. He is so happy to be back in preschool and I think he's enjoying being one of the older kids with more experience under his belt. He's making lots of new friends and is counting down the days until he starts his other preschool Mrs. T's next week. I put him in two this year because he is so social! Plus he's old for his grade and needed a little bit more than two days a week. He's excited, I'm excited, hopefully it'll work out good.







Kenya started dance this week! Nothing cuter than seeing little 2 year olds in dance clothes. She was so excited to go with her cousin Greta. She's going to Katie Wayment's dance and so far so good!
She looks more like a little gymnast here with those monkey muscle arms!
Charlie had a little fit when Kenya got to do something fun and he didn't, did I have any sympathy for this extremely lucky kid who's days are filled with fun? No.

Kenya and Greta in the studio. When Greta walked in Kenya ran up to her and gave her a hug.

Well the next first is potty training! Kenya keeps taking off her diaper when it's poopy so I figured it's time. First day in panties today, 1 poop in the potty and 2 pees on the floor so far. We'll see how this holds up, I need to be STRONG! Umm, make that three pees on the floor. :(

Flushing down the poop.

Our final first was our first boating trip of the summer, yay! Brooke and Todd invited us boating (or maybe it was more like we invited ourselves:)) on Monday night. It was so fun! I miss boating so much so we were so happy to have the chance to go. Charlie attempted skiing, first time! He tried once and when he got dragged a little he got scared and was done. Todd told him it was his fault because he didn't go fast enough. When we were leaving Charlie walked up to him and said "Todd why didn't you go fast enough and let me drag?" He's a bit traumatized by it. :)

Ava and Kenya

Charlie and Brady

So excited when the boat started going.

Vegas Baby!

We got to go down to Vegas last weekend with the Sayes for 3 whole nights without our kidlets. It was a great little get away. The first night we walked around some of the Hotels. The Belagio is always a must, the gardens are always different in there, it's amazing. We also went on the roller coaster at the New York New York. I've been on it before and didn't remember it being that great but this time we were in the front seats and it was at night and it was awesome! I haven't screamed like that on a coaster for a while. Lot's of fun. Jayme however hated it. Weird. :)

Bellagio

It was 110 degrees one day, we sat in the pool all morning and into the afternoon. Perfect little one foot deep spot, just enought to keep you wet and still get some sun!

We stayed at the World Mark. It was really nice and new, lot's of pools, even a lazy river. Maybe one day we can join the Sayes and become owners. :)

We got to go to the Cirque du Soleil Beatles "Love" show. It was awesome. I've had Beatles songs stuck in my head ever since. Loved it.

These letters spelled out "Revolution"

Caesar's Palace, don't we look like we're having so much fun?!

Two boys don't know how to pose together

In front of the Mirage where the show was.

Mark and Whoopi.

The Rock.

Fun fun times, felt like we were in our dating years again! Except despite Mark's attempts and wishes we didn't make it to a club, too smokey, crowded, loud, and late! I am old! :) Plus we can't wear those clubbin' clothes. :)

Farmington Pond

We love living in Farmington. For family night we headed up to the pond and tried fishing for a bit, didn't catch anything but still had fun. Kenya loved feeding the ducks marshmallows (it was all I had, hope I didn't make them sick!) She kept saying "duckies!"

Look at that dirty bum.

Threw lots of rocks in the water, no wonder why we didn't catch fish.

Love spending time with these two kids and my Mark, love it.

The Bird

We got to spend the weekend up at Snowbird a couple weeks ago. One of my favorite get aways. Especially in the summer, nice and cool and gorgeous! It actually snowed at the peak while we were there, first snow of the season. Cami, Erianne, and I hiked to the peak one day (Eri is 32 weeks prego, did awesome and we even accidentally went up the harder way!) Got to swim and had an all day activity pass for the Alpine Slide and fun rides they have going on up there. It was a great relaxing weekend. We are so grateful to my mom for the hook up she gets us, thank you mom! We had a great time like always.

rainy day

Triplet cousins

Charlie and the older kids were drawing "tatoos" on themselves with washable markers, Kenya came over to me on the couch with a big grin on her face, unzipped her pj's and showed me this. She was SO proud and her cousin pals were in awe. It got us laughing pretty good.

She was so stinkin cute jumping on this tramp. She absolutely loved it. The workers were bouncing her so she got really high. I was in tears laughing at her. I love that I can get so much joy out of seeing my kids have fun.

Happy Days

I'd like to think I'll look back on this summer and remember happy days. My kids have been at such fun ages this year. Our days have mostly consisted of sleeping until 7:00ish (which is good around here) getting to go for a run or take the kids to the daycare while I go to the gym, come back home and decide whether we want to go to Cherry Hill or a pool or the park or The Children's Museum, or which friends or cousins we get to play with. Then we come home exhausted and the kids usually take naps while I get stuff done (and occasionally get a little snooze in too.) Mark will get home and we work in the yard or hang out at home or go somewhere with the kids.

It's truly been such a laid back summer and I'm so grateful for it. They've both been swimming without assistance (well assistance with floaties and life jackets) so I can relax a bit and watch ( I do try and play with them sometimes too, I don't want to be the mom that won't get her hair wet even though Charlie already thinks I am. He tells me every time I do get my hair wet "mom, you're getting your hair wet!" Like it's the worst thing ever. ) They're both taking naps most days so I get most afternoons to myself.

They're both still cute and hilarious and make me smile everyday. Kenya especially is just entering the super cute want to pinch your cheeks all day stage. She's talking so much and everything she says IS so cute. I just love it. I love watching Charlie become more and more independent and seeing him grow in little ways like learning to swallow a pill and cut his own pancake with a fork and swimming without his life jacket. He loves doing things by himself so the more I can teach him the better. Never underestimate this kid!

Don't get me wrong, we're not Mary Poppins around here, far from it, BUT I was worried about a long my kids are driving me crazy summer (had my days) and over all it's been great and I've seen close friends have terrible struggles this summer which breaks my heart but has helped me focus on all the positive in my life, so I felt that I should document the happiness. You just never know what tomorrow brings. We've got a weekend in snowbird and a weekend in Vegas before preschool starts and we get to say goodbye to summer. So here's to happy days!