Father's Day

This Father's Day was a busy one! It's hard to squeeze in the time to see all the fathers! Plus I had to teach Relief Society so that added a little more stress. The girls made a tie for Jason. They colored and drew their hands and wrote their names on it. It was so much fun to make. They also made one for each of the grandpa's as well. Unfortunately Jason just gets the regular father's day gifts...ties, socks, books (a sports one mind you) and treats. But they were all things he had needed and asked for. My parents gave him a Lasso Golf Game that we are excited to play. ( I think it's also called Cowboy Golf.) We made breakfast for him that consisted of Ham and eggs and Belgian Strawberry and cream Waffles that were homemade! He is excited to be the "soon-to-be-father" of a baby boy and can't wait to get him into sports and hunting and get out of the Barbie Princess stage!

I enjoyed spending time with my Dad (even though he said the DI would like his tie. He said that he was referring to the fact that it was a traditional father's day gift, not the fact that the girls had made it...WHATEVER!) Don't joke around with a pregnant woman!! Anyway, my dad is always the life of the party and we had fun playing the new game that Kayla gave him.

Afterwards we went over to see Jason's Dad. We bought him a book that he had asked for...but neglected to tell us that he went out and bought it anyway. He still got a tie from the girls and loved it.

I was on the phone talking to Krista about what we were going to get our dad for father's day and when I hung up Maddie said to me, "Mom, after Father's Day is it children's day?" I smiled and said "Sure, why not?" Jason said, "Did you tell her that's called Christmas?" Of course not, we don't want her to think that's why we celebrate it. So, we are going to start our own tradition of having Children's Day. There is a national children's day but I don't know when it is. We are going to make up our own. Should be fun!

Bryan's Graduation

I just got back from Laramie, Wyoming where my big little brother graduated from Wyotech. It's a tech school for automotive skills. I am so proud of him!!!!!!! Bud gave us the grand tour of his school and used a lot of words that I did not understand, but still I just listened intently and smiled because you could just see the way his eyes lit up and hear the excitement in his voice as he talked about cars and all the different things he had learned. Bud has always loved cars and I think he came out making car noises. I remember when he was little and he would line every single car he had around the top of the sofa. It was a traffic jam. He would move each and every one of them little by little as the jam moved on. He even made the ambulance siren noises and car noises as they cleaned up the accident or whatever it was that had caused the jam. We had fun playing hotwheels and teasing him about "Rigger Bigs" and you could always make him happy by giving him a car, no matter how many thousand he already had. My mom told us a story over the weekend about Bryan and his love for cars. She said that she had found an essay that he had written in elementary about what he would do to make the world a better place. He included all the niceties like no more hunger, everyone would get a present for Christmas, no more homeless things like that. But what he really wanted to do to make the world a better place was to get rid of all the Fords, Dodges, and Toyotas. He has always been a Chevy kind of a guy. Even at that young of age he knew what he liked and what he didn't and he hasn't waivered from that! I asked him this weekend what his fascination with Chevy's was and I still didn't understand it. But more power to ya!

I really wanted to be there to show my love and support for him because he is the only one (so far) who has gone on and accomplished something after high school. He is the only one who has gone on to further his education and actually graduate. Who cares if it's a tech school! He did it and he succeeded! As most of you know, Bryan struggled with ADD in school. It wasn't as easy for him as it was for me to pay attention and get semi-good grades. He has graduated high school, served a full time mission, and now has graduated from Tech school...a lot of accomplishment for someone who used to have a hard time accepting the fact that he had take "stupid pills" as he referred to them. It just does my heart good to know that he did not let that small thing get in the way of his dreams and goals. Even now I'm tearing up thinking about it. Bud doesn't know this (and I doubt he ckecks out my blog so I will say it) but I have always felt a need to protect him from the world. He has always had a special spirit about him and has always had a peace about him. When he gets frustrated you can see how much it hurts him to feel that way and how hard he tries not to let his emotions get the best of him. I remember one very memorable sunday dinner with the family. I had brought a boyfriend over and Alex for whatever reason punched Bryan at the table. Bud just sat there with his fists tight and tears that he was trying so hard not to squeeze out and holding his breath. He was trying so hard not to retaliate. It was an excrutiatingly embarassing moment for me, but a proud moment as well because he did not add to it and he controlled himself very well, something I cannot do!

Bud has always been a momma's boy in that he tries as hard as he can to make his mom proud. My mom has told us stories about Bud playing with his cars or with his friends and taking time out to just come and hug her and tell her that he loves her not caring what his friends would think. There was another story about a time when they were in the grocery store and somebody had paged overhead to have "Bryan go to the produce section" and Bud looked up and said, "But I want to stay with my mom!" What a sweet boy and always helpful and mindful of other's needs.

I love to listen to him say the prayer. I don't know why but there is always a strong spirit when he prays and his language when he prays doesn't sound like him at all. I know that he has a strong testimony of the gospel and he is very firm in that testimony. He has been surrounded by friends who drink and live with their girlfriends and yet he doesn't participate and goes to church every week. He told us that he invites his friends to go with him and that they don't make fun of him for being a "good boy" but respect him and don't try to push him to do anything they know he will not do. Bud has never really felt the need to "be a part of the crowd" like I do sometimes. He has ALWAYS loved cars and anything that has to do with cars and that's what he focuses on. He'd much rather be under a car fixing it up than doing things that go against the values he has been taught. What a great example to me he is. I can feel the presence of my little baby and I know that his spirit is one like Bryan's. I know my little boy will be a momma's boy the same way that Bud is and that he will have a strong, unwaivering testimony like him as well.

Like I said, I don't know why but I get very protective of him and just feel a need to shield him as if her were my own child. I don't have a lot in common with him, like I do Alex, but the love I have for him is so overwhelming that I'm boobin' like a baby right now just typing this up.

I love you bud and I am so proud of you and what lies in store for you! Keep it up little brother!!

Summer Stampede

We had a lot of fun at the Utah Kids Club Summer Stampede at Wheeler Farm. We were so excited to see some of our friends and cousins there as well. I was a little disappointed because the term FREE was not the definition I thought it was (and a lot of other moms had the same problem) but it was still fun nonetheless.

We started the day off with sidewalk art. The girls love to get their hands dirty and draw.

Maddie was shy of the Grizzly at first but she quickly warmed up to him. Emma was to scared and clung to my legs as if her life depended on it.

We invited some of our friends to join us. This is Monica on the left and she is Emma's age. She and Maddie loved the big tortoise that was there for the animal show. We missed it but had fun afterwards. Again, Emma was to scared to even go near the thing. She sat as far away as possible on a bench. Cinderella! The main reason that Emma was there. She couldn't wait to find her. We took a break in the middle of our festivities to have a little picnic lunch and take a rest.

The girls helped Zaney the clown with his big parachute and fun balls. They loved trying to get them to jump off the parachute.

While I stood in the face painting line, Maddie colored a picture and make this frame. Emma made one as well but she wasn't in the mood for pictures.

After standing in line for what seemed like an eternity, it was finally Maddie's turn. She wanted to be a tiger, not a pink tiger. She didn't want black stripes she wanted sparkly stripes. The sparkles were not working that well so she got black stripes. Needless to say she had a fit about that and was not very happy. In the end she got over it and was fine the rest of the day. She lived without the sparkles. Our little friend Monica chose the dragon face and Emma...was too scared! After face painting we went over to the ducks. We have enough duck pictures, so you have been spared! After that we headed home for a much needed nap and relaxation for mom. All in all we had a pretty fun filled day!

Swimming Lessons

Maddie and Emma have completed their swimming lessons! This was the first year that we have done them and the girls think that they are pro's now. Madalynn did the Level 1 and is ready to advance to Level 2. Emma and I did a mommy and me class. You will notice that there are no pictures of a beached whale in a swimming suit because that is what I look like!

Madalynn's teachers said that along with completing all of the requirements she had good headbobs, good floats and great kicking. Way to go Mads! Honestly I think Maddie is part Mermaid because she loves the water and is attracted to it like a magnet!

Emma was a little disappointed because she couldn't go swimming the last two days because of a really nasty ear infection. But her teacher gave her a certificate and sucker and that made her a little happier. She loved her teacher and she loves swimming. She's really good at kicking and retrieving objects. She likes to jump in the water, but only if I catch her and her face doesn't get wet. She doesn't really like going under yet! Good job Emmy!

YouTube - My Videos

YouTube - My Videos

Emma's Dance Recital

Well, we've got a dancer in the family! She did awesome! She really loves her dance class on "fursday." At all of the rehearsals she was the only one who did any of the dance. At the recital though, the other girls finally participated. That made me happy for the other moms! Emma spent the day in foam curlers and asking about every thirty seconds if it was time to put on her costume and go to her recital. Having to do pictures first nearly did her in. She really wanted to get up on that stage. They danced to "I love you, a bushel and a peck." They were all so cute!

Emma posing in her costume with her curly hair.

She is ready to take the stage!

I Love you! A bushel and a peck!

The little divas taking time out for a photo opp!

Sitting with daddy and her pink flowers.

Enjoying a celebratory cheeseburger at McDonald's.

Jason took the video of her dance. I should have had the camera with me down where I was, but that's ok. In case you can't tell, Emma is the second to the last on the right hand side. Watch and see why I am such a proud mother! (apparently this video only works for me :) if you want to view the video just go to the other blog that says youtube my favorites and click on that link. Then click on the video title in blue "Emma's Dance Recital." Sorry guys!)

Moosebutter

Moosebutter is a group of guys who sing silly songs for children. They had a free matinee at the Murray Amphitheater on Friday and so we went down for a picnic to listen to them. The weather was windy and cold so we had to eat our lunch in the van before the concert. I really enjoyed it...probably more than the kids did. They sang some great songs like "Vegetable Man," "Harry Potter," and their own rendition of popcorn popping. They sang a song called "I hate Mosquitos" and chose 5 kids from the audience to come up and do their best mosquito dance. Madalynn was one of them! They danced all together for a few seconds and then the audience had to clap for the one they thought was the best. Watch and see which one you'd vote for.

They each got a Mossebutter CD. I have to admit that the songs on this particular CD are not as good as the ones they performed. They do have a few good ones, but I'm going to see if they have another CD out with the songs they did at the show. Maddie was so proud!

Emma joined in on the fun and danced around on the benches and on the ground. She did a great dance to popcorn popping, but it's a little long and kind of the same thing over and over, so I'll spare you from watching that one. The last song they sang was Witchdoctor and she did a little diddy to that one. Enjoy!

Kayla's Graduation

Kayla Graduated on June 3, 2008 at the E-Center. She looked lovely in her white cap and gown and hooker shoes. Well, I thought they looked like hooker shoes. Anyway, she sat on the front row because she was one of the students selected to give a speech. She did an excellent job and didn't mess up once. We were so proud of her! She didn't trip and fall coming down the stairs either. I was always worried about that when I graduated. She did accidently throw her cap into the band section but I won't show the video of that. You can listen to her speech and see for yourself what a talented young lady she is. CONGRATULATIONS KAY!!! *Unfortunately the video was to large to upload on this particular program. To view it click on this link www.google.com/s2/sharing/stuff?user=117852663481399379412