Landon Turns Six!!

I can't believe it has been six years since they placed this precious boy in my arms.  I was in love immediately.  He has grown into the funniest, most charming little boy.  He is so affectionate and still wants me to rock him every single night.

He had a monster truck birthday party!

All Landon asked for was a wubble bubble and a juggle bubble!  He had seen both of these advertise on T.V.  He got both and he was so excited!  The wubble bubble lasted about 10 minutes before it popped.  It took forever for us to figure out how to make the juggle bubble work.  I sure did get some cute pictures of them giving it their all!

He got some money from granny and papa.  We walked up and down the aisle of the toy section.  He finally spotted this:

This is how he puts it away every night

He said, "That's it!  Goodbye, Spider Man!  Hello, Iron Man!"

Happy Birthday, Landon!

Create Your Dream

 At the beginning of June, Laurel and Savannah performed in their dance recital.  Savannah took clogging this past dance year and Laurel took Contemporary for the second year.  I think they have found what they love to do!  They both did great in their performances!

Their cousin, Jeana dances at the same studio!  She was in about 3 dances and did such a great job!

Laurel and Savannah with the owner of That's the Pointe! 

Laurel loved these two little girls!  They are sisters and were in her contemporary class.

Ava was so sweet and gave Laurel flowers!

Lily and Savannah have had the best time taking clogging together!

We have already registered for the upcoming season.  Savannah decided she is going to take clogging another year.  Laurel is going to take Ballet!

I hope they remember....

I don't know what my children will say about their childhood.  They may say, "we never had all the electronics like our friends."  "We didn't get to text and face time every person we go to school with, who really weren't even our friends!"  "We didn't get an iphone at 8 years old!"  "We didn't get to sleep over at friend's homes!  We could only do late nights!"  They may be really sad about all of this and they may do things totally different with their own children.

I hope they look back on their childhood with fond memories.  I hope they remember how they played together as friends.  I hope they can remember how much they used their imaginations.  I am always amazed at what they come up with.

I heard the girls giggling in their room and I opened the door.  They were pretending to ride a horse they had made at the foot of the bed.  They told me to take a picture of them so I could show it to Grandpa!

Laurel spent a couple of days entertaining herself by making clothes for dolls.

They secretly planned a "date night" for Seth and I on the front porch.  They led us out to the porch and had music playing and a table set.  Laurel said, "now, you two just enjoy yourselves and don't worry about us!"   Savannah, Landon and Laurel were waiters and waitresses.  Sawyer joined us when he woke up from his nap.

I hope they remember going out of town with Seth.  During the summer, if the kids don't have anything else going on, they will pair up and take turns traveling with Seth.  They love doing this and I think it makes Seth feel less homesick when he has two of the kids with him.

The first week, Savannah and Landon went.  Landon hugged us and left.  He would call and I would talk to him and immediately he would say, "where's Sawyer?"  "Can I talk to him?"  Savannah would tell me that he talked about Sawyer the whole time they were gone.  They usually stay gone for 3 full days.

The next week, it was Laurel and Sawyer's turn.  We hugged them goodbye and I closed the door and looked at Landon and his chin was quivering.  I said, "What's wrong buddy?"  He bursts into tears!  Savannah and I were stunned.  I said, "why are you crying?"  And through his tears he was telling me how much he was going to miss Sawyer and he didn't want him to be gone that long.  He was saying that he didn't want to sleep alone in his bed that he wanted Sawyer.  It was so sweet and the first time that I really realized how much this boy does love his younger brother.  It was a long 3 days for Savannah and I.  We heard a lot of, "when is Sawyer going to be home?"

I have to add this picture:

Savannah helped me so much in that 3 days to get all the clothes organized.  She is the best little organizer, hence the picture of hangers!

I hope they remember making up games....

Landon and his cousin Luke made up a game to see who could throw their pine cones the farthest!


I hope they remember playing hiding-go-seek and coming up with some great hiding places!

Laurel, Laurel come out where ever you are... We give up!

I hope they remember dancing with Granny...(granny and papa taught dance lessons)

I hope they remember playing in creeks.

Kicking off Summer!

On the day I left for Utah, Seth took the girls to Ava and Lily's house for a "late night!"  Dana had big plans for them to celebrate the last day of school!  She is seriously the best friend ever!!

She texted all of these pictures to me:

They had a blast and it made me feel a little less guilty for not being there on their last day of school.

Flying Alone

The day school was out, Seth and all the kids took me to the airport.  I flew out to Utah for  6 days all by myself!  The boys were having a really hard time understanding that I was going to be away from them that long.  I explained it to them like this, "you know how you need your mommy?  Well, sometimes I need my mommy too!"  Sawyer said, "You have a mommy?"  Silly boy knows his grandma but had a hard time connecting that she is my mom.

Six days might have been a little too long.  I was really missing all of them.  My family and I stayed really busy though.  I stayed with mom and dad.  Mom has the most comfortable guest room and I was able to sleep in as late as I wanted!

Here are some of the highlights from the trip:

Dad and I watched almost the whole first season of, When Calls The Heart.  I just discovered this show this year in it's second season.  The very first night, dad asked if I had heard about the show.  I was so excited when he told me that we could watch the first season on Netflix.  So every night, when we were done with our day, we would meet in the basement and stay up late watching one episode right after another one.

I got to go through the Payson Temple open house.  That is the most beautiful temple!

I saw Avengers with mom, dad and Angela.
Girls nigh out: dinner/Pitch Perfect 2 (I don't know if I have ever laughed that hard in a movie!)

All of my siblings and their families got together out at mom and dad's that Sunday.  It was so great seeing all my nieces and nephews.

It made my heart happy to see dad dancing with the girls!

The day before I left, mom, dad, Angela, Audra and myself went to Park City!  I had never been before and I really wanted to go, so they made it happen!  We had so much fun!  We spent the day walking around and then went to the Alpine Slide!  The coaster was a blast!  You take a slow ride up the mountain and then when you get to the top, you hold your levers down.  I was flying down the mountain.  It was like a roller coaster!  It was so much fun!

Then everyone, except for mom, rode the slide.  It was so great seeing dad do all of these things.  I don't think he has been this adventurous since his stroke.  As a matter of fact, the man can't help himself!  He is so competitive!  Audra and Dad were side by side on the slides and dad was determined to beat her.  Angela and I had gone first and we were at the bottom waiting on dad and Audra.  Audra came down but dad was no where in sight.  Finally he got to the bottom and this is the shape he was in:

His hand was bleeding!  He had blood coming out of his ear!  Us three girls, went running to him and he was giggling and said, "I flipped over the edge of the slide and landed on the mountain!"  He told us he didn't think he was ever going to get back on his sled!  He is a mess!  The first aid girl came over and got him and took him to a room to get him cleaned up.

That night, Audra, Angela and I went shopping!  The craziest thing happened!  I had just told my family earlier how the Bradfords, a family who use to live in Birmingham, lived in Park City.  I had said that I wish I was going to be there longer because I would love to see them.
Well, as we were trying to find the outlet malls, Audra made a wrong turn and turned in to the Walmart Parking lot to turn around.  I looked up and guess who I saw, Russ and Katie Bradford!  Of course, I jumped out of the car to go talk to them.  They looked as surprised as I did!  Small world!

It was such a great trip and I am always in awe at how beautiful the state of Utah is!

I got in really late and the boys were asleep.  Laurel took these pictures the next morning:

We were all over each other and couldn't get enough hugs! I'm not sure I will stay gone for 6 days next time.