More July parties!

Joni, Karen and I tried really hard to have every day packed with things to do so we didn't go crazy this summer.  This particular day we took the kids to Springdale for a picnic lunch and some ice cream.  Jackson was with his grandparents so Joni and Karen each had 1 child with them and I looked like the crazy lady with 5!  I guess the truth is I am the crazy lady with 5-haha!  Luckily I have awesome sisters (like sister sisters- not sister wives) who help me out however they can; chasing someone, holding someones hand across the street, wiping someones face, you get the idea. 

Heres Carter Sophia and Chloe cooling off with some fro-yo.  Carter and Sophie have been little buddies lately and its pretty cute!  I think it all started at the gym daycare, he thought she was really funny and she liked all the attention so they really hit it off!  Cooper has been trying to form a similar relationship with Carson but its still a work in progress.

Claire is getting cutier (get it?) by the day, as you can clearly see here.  I got her one of the these fruit thingys and she seemed to really enjoy this frozen peach.  The week after I bought this we were in Marysvale for the 24th for 4 days, when I came home I found this thing hidden in the box of ramen noodles with a moldy banana in it.  I threw it away and have yet to buy her a new one, but I will someday.

Oh yes and Claire also got her first bath time mohawk!

And we have arrived at the 24th of July pictures!  As I said we were in Marysvale which is always a blast for everyone, especially the kids!  The boys got a few shooting lessons from Uncle Cory,

and Billy got a lesson (and an injury) in archery from TJ.  Thanks for sharing your weapons guys!

Campbell and Luke pushed each other in this little car for so long, it was so cute but they wouldn't hold still for one second for me to get a picture of them.  Those two are so funny together!

The best part of all, the kids got to be in the parade!  They had a seventies theme float (grandpas truck) decorated with balloons, signs, streamers and an awesome disco ball!  The sign says* peace love popsicles* and the kids all threw otter pops, they were by far the cutest float in the parade!

We just watched!

Taking turns holding our cute little Claire Bear

After the parade they had games and booths in the park, the kids loved every second of it, Chloe got an awesome feather in her hair from Aunt Emilee!

I might have lied when I said the parade was the best part because after the games they had FISH RODEO!!  We were a little late but the kids still got in on a little fish catching.  I am not a big fan of fish in any form, in a bowl, in the ocean, on my plate but especially not in my childrens bare hands!  It was a struggle for me but I put a smile on my face and let them have their fun!

I think if you get there on time the fish are alive and swimming and thats kind of like the rodeo part of it but im pretty sure these guys were just floating when they were caught but whatever, a catch is a catch.

Claire turned 6 months in July and has been practicing sitting up all by herself!  I love her a whole bunch, she is the happiest baby ever and so fun to be around!

Fourth of July PARTAY!!!!!

Joni and I threw a killer Fourth of July party this year, just ask anyone who was there, it was awesome. (We really missed you Karen but it was still awesome and next time you should take us to Puerto Rico with you) We made super fun invitations that looked like firecrackers (3D).  Once you opened them there was an invitation in there and some little pop its (we call them poo poos, I don't know who started that but that is what they are in my family) for the kids.  I didn't take pictures of them but I think Joni still has one at her house if anyone wants to see it.

We swam in the pool

ate licorice, popcorn, watermelon and salt water taffy

played on the swing set

visited, laughed, and had fun

had a corn on the cob contest, Jason won, and now I know why

We made our own Italian Sodas, super fun and super delicious

Carson REALLY wanted his own

and Carter (I'll be honest, I wasn't positive that was Carter so I asked Billy and he's really not sure either so I'm going to say 90% sure that's Carter) REALLY enjoyed the whip cream on his!!

And last but not least some pictures of the hostest(s) with the mostest(s) and their cute baby girls!

Oh yeah and we played slip n slide baseball, here's Eric and Carson running the bases, it was pretty cute!

FUN FUN FUN!
I love my family and I am (usually) so glad we all live so close together!!
 Except Brandi and her family, we miss you guys!

Three cuties (not the little oranges)

I don't know how these got overlooked!  I love love love these pictures of all the girls.  My fabulous friend Chelsy at http://www.bcouturephotography.com/  took these amazing pictures of Chloe, Claire, and Sophia.  It was so fun, Billy was home with my boys and Jackson went to a friends house while the girls got their hair done and pics taken!  Good family fun!  Thanks Chelsy, we LOVE them!

Look who joined the big girl club

 

Chloe got her ears pierced for her birthday this year!  She had been asking for a while but I really thought she was going to chicken out.  She was so brave though, she didn't cry at all!  She had a puppy that she used to squeeze when she got her 5 year old shots and she meant to take it with her but we forgot it.  Luckily they had a little teddy bear for her to hold at Claires (she thought it was pretty awesome that they named the store after her sister)  She picked the cutest little hello kitty earrings and unfortunately has lost one of them already.  I am bummed, I really liked them and they were a little pricey for an earring.  They weren't supposed to be replaced for 6 weeks but we don't really like to follow rules anyway.

The boys were super excited to be in a jewelry store!  At one point they asked to go to the bathroom so I explained where it was and I was pretty sure they could find it in our teeny tiny (totally lame) mall.  They came running back in the store a few minutes later and I asked them if they made it to the bathroom but Carter said, "No we couldn't find it so we bought some candy."  Funny funny boys,  the candy machine is practically right in front of the bathrooms.  Campbell was not with us on this trip, he was spending some much needed (by both of us, probably one more than the other) time at Grandma and Grandpas house!  We missed him lots while he was gone and skyped with him every night.  One night while we were talking on skype Chloe asked Grandma if she could be next to stay the night and that maybe she could use skype while she was there and Campbell said, "then I can get my ears pierced!"  So be waiting for those pictures coming soon!

A quick(or maybe not so quick) catch up!

We have been so busy lately!  I feel like summer is almost over and we have only had one week of real warmth!  I was planning on putting Chloe and Cam in swim lessons this summer and I got a call from my friend (the awesome teacher) on memorial day asking if we could start the next day!  It was last minute but good timing because we didn't have anything else going on. 

They both did amazing but Chloe really took to it.  She LOVED it and is pretty much water safe!  She is a little fish, I am hoping she will take after her mother!  (not that I was good, I just enjoyed it)  I actually did a mom and baby class with Claire right after their class was over.  It was fun too, Claire usually fell asleep i the first 10 minutes we were in the pool but it was still relaxing!

This one is pretty self explanatory, Claire started eating baby food!  Yay, Claire!! (She is also officially out of her bassinet and sleeping in her crib in the room with Chloe)

We have been to the lake a couple of times with Matt, Shenelle, Joni, Jackson, and Sophia!  The kids are in heaven on the boat, or on the tube I should say!  Claire doesn't really like wearing a life jacket but she eventually falls asleep.    Billy wasn't with us this day but he did go with us the next time, he skied and tubed! 

In between al the madness we took a little break to try out the new anti-gravity center!  Another big hit with the kids!  They were beat that night!  The boys played dodgeball most of the time while Chloe and Campbell bounced their little hearts out.

We camped!  It was the first time since Campbell was a baby.  We went up north for our nehew Tysons baby blessing and Billys grandmas 80th birthday party.  It happened to be Billy's birthday that weekend and Chloe's birthday later on that week so we decided to turn the trip into her party.  We (and by we I mean I) didn't get much sleep the first night, it was cold and Claire decided to wake up every 30 minutes or so.  The second night was great, however, warmer and Claire slept straight through the night until 10 the next morning!!

We went to lunch with Billys whole family for GG's birthday!  It was a rather large group of people and so good to see those northerners that we haven't seen in way to long.  All the grandkids were there together so we started snapping some pictures with GG!

These were the birthday party activities that we took part in, mini golf and the water park.  The kids always amaze me at the stuff they enjoy.  I think something is going to be fast orscary for them and they all end up loving it.  I took Chloe and Campbell down the river rafting ride and I thought for sure Chloe would be in tears by the end of it but she was smiling and laughing the whole time!  Cute kids, they are the light of my life and I love love love being their mom:-)
(This took way to long and I am not even going to re-read it for errors so please dont judge)