the muny

Last night I took Carsyn to her first show at the Muny. We saw Annie. It was A LOT of fun! Most of the time I sat and watched Carsyn. Her eyes sparkled, she danced in the seat - it was very cute. She was a trooper- no fussing or complaining (even though we were out until 11:15!) She had such a great time- she asked, "When can I come again?" That's my girl....




On they way home she asked a lot of questions: How do they remember all the things they have to say? Where were Annie's real parents? How did they get the other half of the locket? What is an orphanage? Are there a lot of orphanages in the world? Why do so many people not have parents?
She is very thoughtful...

for the grandmas...

We have been spending a lot of time at the pool (which is so much fun!) Today I was taking pictures of the kids jumping and Carsyn said, "Mom you'll have to put this on the blog so grandma can see."


C jumping in backwards...

R loves to jump in too!

L getting creative with his jump...

one last time...


funny story:
I took Reagan into the bathroom and after she was done she said, "MOM!! I just went potty with my goggles on!! I am amazing!"

pillowcase dress

I finally tackled making a pillowcase dress. It wasn't super easy because I chose to make the arm binding (which was enough to cause one to scream). Naturally I made it for Reagan (C was NOT interested). What I didn't realize was that Reagan only likes dresses on the hangar....





I think it is CUTE!!! However you may not see it on my child....

#4

Carsyn has had a loose tooth for a few weeks. Tonight she was worried about falling asleep when the tooth was almost ready- so she went into the bathroom and yanked! She came out all smiles....

before...

after...

what i like about my dad...

Carsyn (7): I like my dad because he plays goblin with me. He lays with me at night. He tells stories to me of when he was growing up like the one where he had a sling shot. I like that one. I love you dad!



Luke (5): I love dad because he plays monsters with me. When I go with him he gets me a special treat. He teaches me things- like swimming, guns and gun safety.




Reagan (4): He loves me and he always gives me hugs and he always, always, always, always, always gives me a special piece of candy when we go on trips just the two of us. I love him so much I just can stand it!



Amy (age not relevant): My dad was always a hard worker and a good provider. He always made time for us- we rode bikes, took hikes etc. He also was very involved at church- he taught us what it meant to have a servant's heart. Sometimes (when I was up early enough) I would catch him reading his bible in the breakfast nook. It was a good model for me. Now that I am an adult I can see all the sacrifices he made for us. I appreciate my dad in so many ways. I can never thank him enough for all that he has done for me!




Dale: One of the many things that I learned from my dad is how to work hard and be resourceful.  I remember the long hours that he put in repairing farm machinery during harvest season.  As a father now myself, I have begun to realize what motivated my dad.  He was not working for himself, although, he derived great satisfaction from solving problems.  His greater motivation was the love that he had for us and his desire to provide for us.  This act of service and responsibility is one that I hope my children will see lived out through me. 



HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!


can you tell R had a rough morning?!

hot summer days

The last 2 days have been HOT. Yesterday afternoon we spent some time at the pool. It was VERY crowded. It was 3 children and 1 mom vs 3 different pools and lots of people. I ended up keeping them together so no one could get lost in the crowd. Not super easy and also a little boring for Carsyn at times.

Today we went to a different pool with friends. It was much smaller and more "family friendly". They could wander the pool and I could easily keep tabs on them. We had a great time hanging out- I even got to have adult conversation! Carsyn went off the diving board with her friend Lucy! I was SO IMPRESSED!! Just this morning I had told her that by the end of the summer I wanted her jumping off the diving board. Done and done! Yahoo! It was a fantastic day!!

C jumping off the diving board...

look at that grin...

Lucy doing the "pencil drop"...


Luke swam all over...

Reagan swam too!

rainy days

The last 2 days it has been raining and raining and raining. We exhausted all of our indoor fun: reading books (for countless hours), playing school, setting up tents/clubhouses, art projects, and making cupcakes. I am ready for the rain to stay away!

C picked out the pool ball cupcakes from our Hello, Cupcake! book. Since we shoot pool on a regular basis it seemed to fit...

backyard fun

We set up our water slide today. Carsyn and Luke had a blast!! Reagan still will NOT go on the slide. C and L even bribed her with their own money- $1.00 each!! They really wanted her to try it. Carsyn said, "If you try it you will see how much FUN it is!!" They were very sweet with her. She would not be persuaded though (surprise, surprise). One day she will see what she is missing out on....

waiting for dad to finish the set-up...

excitement!





C got a little wild. I thought we might end up at the emergency room!


R did end up getting in the pool. She chased C and L around and pretended to be a crab pinching them. It was funny!

soccer camp

Carsyn went to soccer camp last week. They played soccer and swam too. She had a lot of fun. She LOVES soccer but her favorite part was swimming. (click on the picture to make it bigger- then you can see which player is Carsyn).

we came and watched a game on the last day...


the kids graciously let Micah be the "little boss" of the morning...

R got 2 blisters on her feet and was DONE.

Cori came too- Carsyn was VERY excited!

getting there...

day 2: still working under the deck...

day 3: trench dug around the back of the house...