After much work and practice Samantha showed off her stuff at her dance recital last night. She did a great job remembering all the dance steps and looked out into the audience. We are all enjoying the summer off and then she is hoping to start with gymnastics next fall.

Carefree Summer Days

Slipping

and

sliding

watching and wishing

thinking a snake climbing your backyard tree is cool!

To be a kid again

A lot of Pomp

Aubrey "graduated" from pre-school this past week. It was a comical event. You had mother's crying and father's cheering during the procession. For a minute I thought I was in attendance of a college graduation. Aubrey enjoyed the event and really enjoyed the cake and food afterwards. Now onto bigger and better adventures. To top the week of she lost her first tooth.

4 months

Jocelyn went to the doctor for her four month check-up this week. Current stats:

16 lb. 7.5 oz.

25 1/4" long

16 1/4" head circumference

Jocelyn loves rice cereal. I just introduced carrots this week. Didn't go over really well. The trick now is to mix a little bit with cereal and then she will swallow. Jocelyn is a people person. Loves attention, holding, talking, playing with her. The girls favorite thing is to get a "kiss" from her. If you put your check next to her mouth she will open her mouth and slobber all over you. Sleeping until 5 a.m. sometimes longer. I hope as the month progress that there will be more of those sometimes longer. She loves strollers rides and being outside. She has finally mastered rolling from back to belly. Still doesn't get the belly to back thing.

We are loving our little girl

One Bugger of a Day

I can still remember the one summer that my younger sister had a tick attached to her scalp. I think that my parents tried every trick to try and get that bugger out of her head. Vaseline, lighting a match to blow out and then quickly pressing that next to the bug.

After moving to the east coast everyone around us warned of ticks and even worse LYME DISEASE!! Rob or I would check the kids every night after they came ins. Last summer it became every other night and I think this summer we were on track for once a week.

I was working on Samantha's hair yesterday in preparation for her dance rehearsal and she said, "mom there is a bug crawling on my arm." I quickly glanced down and said, "Samantha it is just a scab." Anyone that knows Samantha will attest that she is slightly dramatic. Once again she complained about a bug crawling on her arm. After the third complaint I looked closely and there was a bug burrowing into her arm. I tried to grab the little bugger with my fingers and finally had to run for the tweezers. I successfully plucked that thing from her arm, tick head and all. We have now resumed to a daily bug check.

After pulling this bug from Sam's arm she commented, "I have a runny nose, and a tick in my arm. I sure hope I don't get the swine flu next!"

Happy Summer

Visit to the Promised Land

I just returned from my annual May pilgrimage to Utah. I usually meet up with my sister and we travel to Provo enjoying "Women's Conference." Definition of women's conference is attending a few classes, purchasing lots of chocolate covered pokoas, buying bags (like we needed any more), attending service night in order to receive tickets to the evening concert and gorging on Cafe Rio. This year we were both other wise committed with little ones. Next year we will be living it up! I wanted to take little Jocelyn to see all the extended family that had not had a chance to hold and goo at her. It was a wonderfully busy trip. I am still trying to settle in here back at home.

Birthday

Aubrey is officially 5 years old. My little one has turned into a big girl this past year. With a baby sister in the house she is no longer the baby. She has grown up so quickly and I send her off to kindergarten this fall. Here are a few pics from her special day.

A little late

When I became a mother seven years ago I didn't know what I was in for. I didn't realize there would be so much of this...

and sometimes feeling like this...

and a lot of walking out the door looking like this...

In my mind I somehow thought I would have all the time in the world for this...

but then there are moments like this that make Motherhood the best thing in the world!