Issues...

Having a little trouble getting blogger to post my photos. It might take me a day or two to figure out what is going on, because I am not that great with computers. I have some cute pictures, though, so I'll try to figure things out asap.

The Vicious Cycle

I was browsing through some awesome photographs at Stuck in Customs, and I ran across a link for Snorg Tees. Hands down some of the funniest t-shirts I've seen. Every time I find a great new blog, it leads me to yet another great blog, or a site where I want to buy something. A very, very vicious cycle.

Check out the chocolate bunnies.

Happy 24th!

Happy Pioneer Day, everyone! Hope and Heather, do you remember when we had to--I mean got to dress up like pioneer women and walk around the block at the old church in Hyde Park for the parade? Especially the year Hope didn't want to wear her bonnet...good times. Anyway, pancake breakfasts and homemade root beer aside, the 24th of July is a great excuse for a party. And why wouldn't you want to go to a party when you could see cute faces like these?

Every 24th, Teri and Dale host a great pioneer day party. I think the best part, besides all the great food, is the mini golf course. This year was awesome as always, and Isabelle was a great score keeper for her dad. She and Dylan even got a little putting practice in.

Dylan put himself in charge of raking the sand trap. It may seem like an easy job for some, but when you are only 3 feet tall and weigh just over 20 pounds, the job becomes a little more difficult.

When I went to check on the kids in the playroom later in the evening, Dylan had dressed himself up in some of the American Girl doll gear. I couldn't help posting this photo! If he were a little older, he might be pretty mad that I shared. However, if he were a little older, he probably would know better than to wear a doll's bonnet.

Here are a couple photos of the kids playing in the pond:

And after a fun-filled day, Dylan fell asleep about 30 seconds after we left the driveway. As you can see, even in his sleep he wasn't going to let anything happen to the treasures he gathered up from the pinata.

All in all, a great day spent with an awesome bunch of people!

Mr. Picasso Head

OK, you all must think that I spend too much time on the internet. It's not true! Anyway, I found this link on Design Mom, and it is a lot of fun. Izzy and Dylan are having a great time with it (when I give them a turn). Click here to check it out.

Stuck in Customs

If you have a couple free minutes, check out Trey Ratcliff's blog. If you love photography and someone with a dry sense of humor, this is just what the doctor ordered.

Pioneer Days

Yesterday we got up early and went to the Draper parade. Before I get started, you must know that I have never loved parades. This was purely for the kids. So, we watched fire engines, horses, and local politicians in old cars. High school bands, cheerleaders, and little dance groups. The biggest cheers went to the LDS missionaries, who must have been dying of heat in their dark suits and ties. We caught a lot of salt water taffy and frooties (enough for weeks), but it seemed the big thing to throw this year was Otter Pops. Almost every other float threw them. How many popsicles do kids need before 10am? It could have been worse. The kids across the street from us got free soda from the Vault float. Yikes!
After the parade, we spent the afternoon at home before heading to Aunt Allene's house to celebrate Grandma and Grandpa Drew's anniversary. We ate pie, fruit, and yes, more popsicles. Ice cream sandwiches, drumsticks--you name it, the kids ate it. Mike put up a zip line in the backyard. Between that, the trampoline, and the sand box, the kids were very well entertained until it got dark enough for the fireworks to start. Here are a few pictures:


Izzy getting ready to ride down the zipline:

Izzy and Dylan waiting for the fireworks to start:

And my personal favorite--Dylan's face as he watched the fireworks:

Tomatoes!

We are so excited about our garden this year. Here is a photo of the kids standing next to our tomato plants. They have gone crazy (the tomatoes--not the kids, although it may depend on the day)! We have already eaten eggplant, peas, new potatoes and beets, and our beans are ready to pick. Too much fun!

Cove Fort

According to local news, as of this morning, the Milford Flats fire has burned over 311,000 acres.

Flames have jumped freeways, causing road closures and threatening motorists. FEMA has approved a request for emergency funds, and according to a state fire manager, the fire "will probably become the No. 1 priority in the nation."

The following is a picture of Cove Fort, along with an excerpt from the Salt Lake Tribune:

"The fire remained out of control, but so far has spared Historic Cove Fort, the pioneer-era resting place for travelers operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Later-Day Saints and staffed by 32 senior missionaries who live nearby.

Flames came within a few hundred yards of Historic Cove Fort in the hillsides to the west, but neither the fort nor the newer buildings around it were damaged.

Cove Fort director Kent Jones said the site's missionaries were ordered out Friday night but returned Saturday and gave tours as usual. When a wind blew to the east about 2 p.m. and brought flames close to the fort and the trailer park where the missionairies live, Jones said, and everyone had to leave again.

"A couple of them got their trailers out, but they had to drive through flames," Jones said. "This has been a very, very frightening experience. This whole valley was filled with smoke and flames and ash."

No RVs or trailers were destroyed, Jones said. The missionaries returned Sunday and resumed tours."

Coincidence?

Guess who else shaved his head?

Summer Concerts are the best...

Especially when Robert Earl Keen is on the list. I must say, he puts on a great show. Imagine sitting outside, watching the sun set on the city while listening to "Feelin' Good Again". Live. For free. With a fabulous husband. And equally fabulous kids. Does it get much better?

Here's Robert on stage:

We stopped to take a picture by the fountains. As you can see from Isabelle's face in the photo, she just wanted me to "hurry up and take the picture, mom!" Her feet were getting sprayed with water, and according to her, she doesn't like to be a little bit wet and a little bit dry. It's all or nothing for her.

Dylan and I had a great time hanging out together on the camp chairs:

Matt and Ashley's friend Barb spotted us, and took a picture of the whole family:

Isabelle snagged Luke's hat and posed for a picture. Look at those eyes. And that smile!

If I could have grabbed my camera fast enough, I could have posted a picture of an adorable little old man dancing. He was right by the stage, and having a great time. I don't know if a photo would have been able to capture the look of joy in his eyes. I didn't have to act too fast to get a picture of Isabelle dancing, though. She isn't very camera shy.

During our train ride home, I looked down at Dylan and had to take a picture. In case you were wondering, this is what he looks like when he's tired.

Happy 4th of July!

A weekend at the lake

On the way to the lake, we stopped to say hello to Ashley and Wade. Dylan loved seeing the calves, and Wade took Izzy and Dylan on a ride in his tractor. He is officially the coolest cowboy on the planet.

I promised a picture of Luke's new hair. Here he is showing it off at the beach:

Dylan liked turning himself into a sand monster,

and Isabelle was ready to go for a ride in the kayak.

We spent a lot of time at the lake. The kids were busy playing in the sand, splashing in the water, and collecting shells.

The look on Dylan's face says it all!

Saturday, we went on a hike so we could see this beautiful view:

We learned some new things, saw some butterflies, and stopped to take pictures along the way.

After the hike, a few of us slept.

Including Ozzy, even though he didn't go on the hike.

Then it was back to the beach for a little kayaking. Izzy got the hang of it really fast--she is a natural!

The weekend couldn't have been any better. Especially with a view like this:

Awesome!

Happy birthday, Brody!

Hopefully you had a great birthday! Sorry this is a little late; I didn't have my computer this weekend. We thought about you, though, and hope you had an awesome day! Here is a fun recipe for you to try:

Nilla Sand Cups

(recipe from kraftfoods.com)

1 qt. cold milk

2 boxes (4 serving size) vanilla instant pudding

32 Nilla Wafers, finely crushed

8 clear plastic cups

8 gummy bugs

Pour milk into a large bowl and add dry pudding mixes. Beat with a whisk for 2 minutes. Let it stand for 5 minutes.

Place 1 Tbsp. of the wafer crumbs at the bottom of each cup, then cover evenly with the pudding. Top each cup with the remaining crumbs, and refrigerate them for about an hour.

Garnish each cup with a gummy bug before serving.