It's Raining, It's Pouring

Actually, we don't really mind all the rain we've been having, because it gives us opportunities for pictures like these. The kids have had fun watching the rainstorms come in and playing in the downpours. We did get rained on during our debut to the cabin this year, but it was ok, we snuggled in by the fire and roasted marshmallows. Can't ask for anything more than that!

Mimi's Growing Up

Mimi is growing like crazy. She has started talking so much and I need to document some of the things she's doing now...

"Wassat sound?" is a common phrase we hear a lot. She has become very aware of the world and sounds kind of scare her, especially thunder, it really freaks her out and she comes running to an adult with big tears in her eyes.

We were out walking the other day and a little dog was walking towards us and I heard her little voice say, "Doggie is cute!"

She calls Scooter, "Sockey," she calls grandpa "pa" and she refuses to say grandma and Mookie.

When she cries she always says "Daddy, Mommy, Daddy" in rapid succession. She also fake cries, but you can get her to stop by fake crying back.

She likes to have her toe nails painted and piggy tails put in her hair. She also likes to walk around on her tippy toes.

Mimi can say many many words, but she cannot say her r's or l's. Yesterday she was talking about the "wain."

She may say a lot of words, but she often reverts to gibberish if she has something very important and long-winded to tell you, and she always does this with a very serious expression on her face.

Mimi likes dancing and singing.

She's at such a fun age and, though she is very stubborn, she is also very sweet. She melts everyone's hearts and people fall instantly in love with her. If you don't believe me, come spend 10 minutes with her and you will see what I mean!

Keeping a Full Schedule...

We've been on the go since summer vacation started. I'm determined to squeeze every last minute of fun out of my shortened break.

Last week we started gymnastics. Scooter and Mimi are in separate classes and they are having a great time with their teachers. No pictures yet, but they're sure to come.

We've also been going to park days with our neighborhood and on many little play dates. Last week we parked at Little America and rode the train to Temple Square. The kids loved it. Scooter acted like a pro on trax. We spent our time "bridestalking," all the newly married couples. The kids loved commenting on their dresses and flowers. Then we rode the train back to the hotel and had ice cream at the restaurant there. What fun!

We also took advantage of the free day at Heritage Park. We rode the trains (the little one and the big one), ate our free ice cream, petted and hugged the animals in the petting zoo (don't worry, we made great use of our hand sanitizer, and we visited the tin smith (my talented uncle). We love that place. Every time I go I decide that I should get a membership there because the kids like it so much.

Let me know if you hear of any other fun (and preferably free or very cheap) activities going on. We're always in the mood for fun.

Prayers, Trains, and Primary Talks

Scooter, our reluctant primary attendee, gave his first talk in Primary last week. After we found out that he had been given this responsibility, I asked him what he wanted to talk about. He, of course, said "trains." The topic was supposed to be prayer, but with a little thought we were able to combine the two (thanks Goobs!).

Because Scooter always has a bit of a hard time going into Primary at first, we didn't know how he would do with his talk. We practiced a lot, but we didn't know if he would actually say it in front of all the kids. It seems that our fears were unfounded though, because he did a GREAT job! He spoke clearly and said the whole thing (with help from dad).

Scooter got up to the microphone and displayed his little train and this is the talk that he gave...

"I like trains.

Trains need all their parts to work.

They need the engine, the coal tender, cars, and a caboose.

A prayer also needs all its parts.

We address Heavenly Father.

We thank him for our blessings.

We ask him for things we need,

And we close in Jesus' name.

I'm grateful that I can ride on trains and I'm grateful we can pray to Heavenly Father."

He helped write the talk (he's the one who knew all the technical stuff about trains!), and it was so cute coming from his sweet little voice. I had tears in my eyes as I watched my little guy speak to his friends and teachers. What a great experience!

School's Out

We had our last day of school this week. I couldn't believe how sad I felt. Mostly because I decided to transfer to another school next year so I knew that I probably wouldn't see these kids again. It's amazing how much a part of your life your students become. I spent 9 long months with them and I came to love them so much.

Changing schools was a hard decision for me. I loved my school and I loved the dear ladies that I worked with. But, since the numbers of our students were dropping, my job share partner was informed that she would have to find a new job, and then I found out I would have to move to second grade. That really would have been fine, but then I heard about a lady at the next door school who was looking for a job share partner teaching fourth grade language arts (my favorite thing to teach!). So after a lot of thought and prayer and tears I decided to make the change. It really feels right, but I will be going back to school a lot sooner since it's a year round school.

So, on top of moving my home, I also packed up my classroom. I feel like I'm saying goodbye to everyone I know and love and starting all over again. It's a scary and daunting task, but I know it's right. I'll keep you all updated on our progress. :)

Gone Fishin'

Last Saturday we moved out of our apartment, and in with my parents. Things have been very hectic, but I wanted to write some things about moving day. First of all, we have some of the best neighbors and ward members ever! So many people showed up to help us move and many women came to help me clean. It brought me close to tears at times just realizing how much I loved these people and how kind they were to help me. It made moving day so much easier.

Hootie and Munch took Mimi for the day and she had a blast getting full attention from them.

My dad picked Scooter up to go fishing and they had some great success! From what I can gather about the fishing trip, there weren't too many fish being caught, but Scooter got one. He was so proud and it is currently sitting in the freezer awaiting the frying pan.

Thanks everyone for all your help that day! We could not have done it without you!

Catch Up

I'm not sure if I mentioned earlier, but I FOUND MY CAMERA! One of the sister's of the bride found it and picked it up, looked at the pictures and recognized my sisters in them. So a few weeks ago Mookie drove down to Provo to get my camera for me. What a great sis! Here are some pics from the wedding of the year...
and here are some pictures that whoever found my camera decided to take...

Don't know who they are, but I did get a good laugh out of it when I got my camera back.

We spent the Sunday before Memorial Day at my aunt's house for a fabulous BBQ and then visited some cemeteries, keeping with tradition.