Happy Birthday Connor!!

We had a great time camping with Derk and Debbie and the Branch families over the 4th of July Weekend.  The weather was wonderful and the kids had a blast singing, playing games, fishing, playing in the creek, riding four wheelers and so much more.  On July 4th we had our annual parade in honor of Grandpa Denny's birthday.  We sang happy birthday to him and the kids marched in a parade.  Kadee, Marquessa, and Lexie sang "I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy" and Jamie Branch played the Statue of Liberty.  Great memories were made!

This last week we celebrated Connor's 11th birthday.  On his actual birthday we had swim lessons and McDonald's for breakfast and a dinner of his choice: hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, corn on the cob, and Coldstone Ice Cream Cake.  On Saturday we had his friends over to play ping pong and watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in 3D.  The boys were wild but had a lot of fun, I was exhausted by the end of the night!  Then on Sunday Matthew decided to ride his bike with no training wheels!  He told Connor, "Me do it Connor!" so Connor took his training wheels off, helped him once and he was good to go!   

Fish Lake

Connor had a baseball tournament in Richfield last weekend, so we decided to stay at the KOA there because it's right next to the ball fields.  The boys played so hard and ended up taking 2nd, we just can't seem to beat the Uintah team, they are fierce.  After baseball we had a blast swimming, riding banana bikes, playing miniature golf, practicing Volleyball and anything else we could think of to do at the KOA.  Sunday morning we headed to Fish Lake to stay a night up there.  I've never been up there before, it's absolutely breath taking.  We checked out the main lodge and drove around the lake, we saw Pando, which is:
Pando (Latin for "I spread"), also known as The Trembling Giant,^[1][2] is a clonal colony of a single male quaking aspen determined to be a single living organism by identical genetic markers and assumed to have one massive underground root system. The plant is estimated to weigh collectively 6,600 tons, making it the heaviest known organism. The root system of Pando, at an estimated 80,000 years old, is among the oldest known living organisms.^[7][8]
Pando is located 1 mile southwest of Fish Lake on Utah's Route 25^.
 
I was amazed by Pando, that one make aspen tree could spread and create all that was amazing to me.  The kids weren't nearly as excited about it as I was and the whole time we were sight seeing they kept asking when we could go back to the lake and fish.  Reluctantly I gave in and we headed back to the lake.  I'm glad we did because the kids had a great time catching fish.  As soon as the worms on their line hit the water they were reeling the fish in.  I bet they caught over 20 fish in less than an hour.  They were ecstatic to catch the fish, but no one wanted to take the fish off the line.  They were amazed that their super girly mom knew how to take a fish off a hook, I said you can't be married to your dad for all these years and not learn how to fish!  Monday we loaded up and headed home via the scenic route.  It took a little longer to get home, but it was so great to be surrounded by nature and the beautiful mountains.   

Baseball Pics!

Snowbird

Rory had a training at the Cliffs Lodge at Snowbird, so my mom and Debbie watched the kids so I could tag along.  It's so beautiful up there and we really enjoyed the gorgeous scenery, we were also able to go to a movie and a Bee's game, so it was a fun and relaxing little getaway.

I recently discovered chalk paint and I'm in love.  I redid Matthew's headboard and am in the process of painting a mini hutch grandma Rhea gave me for the kids play room.  I really want everything to be done and perfect by the time our dear friend Susan comes to visit in July, but I'm afraid with the next 3 weekends being super busy that I won't get everything done.  As long as I can keep the house clean (not an easy task with 4 kids) I think we will be good.  

After Chalk Paint

Before Chalk Paint

Matty Playing Catcher, he is so good and loves it!

Beautiful Kinlee!!

Beautiful Kadee!!

My Awesome Connor!!

Snowbird!!

Home Run and Ballet Class

Yesterday was an eventful day!  Kadee had her first summer ballet class and loved it!  She did really well and her instructor was amazing!  After ballet we headed to Connor's game against the 10U Carbon All Star team.   While there Connor hit his first home run!!!  He bombed it over center field and I hope I never forget his face as he was rounding the bases, then when his team ran out to congratulate him I couldn't stop smiling.  He was so excited and I'm so glad to see all his hard work paying off.  He was so funny too, he called everyone and slept with his home run ball last night!  Silly boy!!


PS Connor had a baseball tourney in Vernal this weekend, his team took 3rd overall and he got another home run-woot! Woot!

Happy Birthday to me!

I had a fabulous birthday, besides the fact that I had my first Kidney infection and felt like crap all day.  Connor got up first thing in the morning and made me breakfast in bed, Kadee spent her own money and bought me a glass, candle, and gave me $2.50 for a pop, Kinlee got me some chapstick and nail polish, and Matthew kept telling me "Happy Birthday" all day.  We mostly hung out at home (because I wasn't feeling good), Kadee made the kids lunch and let me take a nap, then she went to girl scouts, Connor went to baseball practice and I took Matthew and Kinlee to their first T-Ball game.  It was hilarious!  Matthew hit the ball his second time at bat, but Kinlee had a hard time focusing, her friend Camberlee is on her team, so they sat on 2nd base and talked through most of one inning.  Matthew ran in to the dugout several times while playing the outfield because he was thirsty and when we got home Matthew couldn't wait to play again and Kinlee said, "Please tell me we don't have softball again tomorrow."  It's going to be a fun month watching these two play ball!!

Employee of the Month

Super proud of my hubby.  He was made a detective in January and has worked so hard and all his hard work has paid off.  This month he was awarded the Carbon County Employee of the Month for being a dedicated employee and for working a case that put a sex offender behind bars for a very long time.  He is truly making a difference in our community and I'm so grateful for his strong work ethic and that he takes pride in his work.  It was an honor to be there when he received this award and I'm so grateful that his best friend (and the sheriff) was able to present him with the award.  After the award ceremony we all went out to eat and then enjoyed the Wellington Elementary Choir concert at the high school.  We also had park day and field day.  The student council sat in the dunk tank and Kadee had a blast dunking her cousin MyKella.  Connor got his yearbook signed (we weren't at school the last day because of a baseball tournament in Orem), and Matthew and Kinlee enjoyed riding the train and jumping on all the bounce houses with Mia and Myles.  So excited for the summer fun to begin!  Kadee is doing a Volleyball camp this week and loves it, swim lessons start in about a month, and we have a few baseball tourneys, and camping trips planned, yay!!  

Last day of school!  We sure are going to miss these ladies