Cookies and Cousins

Yesterday we were invited to a tea party at my Grandma's house for the little girls. My little cousin, Shelby, is in town for a few weeks with her dad, and she and Kate and Megan and one of my cousin's daughters, Addison, love to play together. It's really fun when they are all together. Here they are last summer at Disneyland:

Anyway, yesterday we met at Discovery Park here in Cedar City and the girls played the morning away. Then we all went down to Grandma's house for the tea party (or cookies and juice). Grandma had a table pulled out back in the shade and it was a lovely day for it. The girls all ate their cookies and drank juice and played on the swingset. What a cute bunch they are! Here are some pictures from the park and tea party:

The girls at thepark, riding in the pretend police car.In the rocket ship heading to the moon.Enjoying the tea party!Addison at the bottom of the slide.Kate hanging upside down. Shelby, my cousin, starting down the slide. Megan, the monkey.

Bubble Fun

My girls love this! My mom has a jetted tub and when I put the bubble solution in the water while it's filling and then turn on the jets it becomes bubble central. They had fun getting bubbles all over! Ah, the simple joys of a bubble bath...

Father's Day

I was happy to be able to spend Father's Day this year with my dad and with my hubby. It was a nice day. We gave my dad a webcam. It's very cool! We can talk to and see Ben while we're here in Utah and he's back home in Texas. We've loved that a lot. The kids and I gave Ben the movie Invincible, and new pair of basketball shorts that Brandon picked out, and a framed photo of Ben, his 2 brothers, and his dad, that I took while at Snowbird. The kids made him cute paper ties at church that they gave him. The ties also came with lollipops, but the kids were graciously given those by their dad. :) Here's my handsome hubby and the kids that day:

My handsome hubby of 10 years, Ben.Brandon giving daddy a hug and kiss.Ben with the kids on my mom's porch.Ben wearing his ties the kids made for him.Ben's twin brother, James, "little" brother, Andy, dad (Wayne), and Ben at Snowbird. Wayne is the best father-in-law I could ever have. He loves all of us daughters-in-law and always lets us know it. He's really great and fun to be around. He loves to hang out with the grandkids and play. He's so patient. He was just called as a bishop in his ward in N. Carolina.

I have to say I have a really neat Dad. I have always looked up to him. He is a man who honors his priesthood and takes care of his family. What else can you ask for in a father? I love it when he callse out of the blue just to tell me about something cool he found online. He'll also drive for hours if he's working somewhere semi-close by just to come visit us for a few hours or overnight. He's generous and helpful and thoughtful. He's just a really cool dad. Love ya, Dad! Here's a picture I took of mom and dad at Christmas.

Last Snowbird pics

We had a blast just hanging out with the fam. Here are some misc. pictures from the week.

Carli and Daddy walking to the playground.

Brandon, Sam, and Kate taking a little break to watch some TV.

Adam sitting on top of Ryan.

Adam, Megan, and Ryan playing in the crib. Looks like their in jail, LOL! :)

Megan loves to make silly faces for the camera.Outside our window was the flagpole. I loved seeing it out there.

Swimming fun at Snowbird

So while we were at Snowbird we stayed at the Cliff Lodge. Ben's parents have a time share up there (actually 2 now) so we get to spend a week there every year or we trade it in and go somewhere else. Anyway, this lodge is really great. The rooms are huge and we have what's called a "triple lock-down" unit that has 3 rooms attached to each other and the middle one is a living/dining/kitchen area. On the deck of the middle room is a large hot tub that the kids loved to play in. It was really nice to just walk out the door and have entertainment for them. They got in the hot tub about every day we were there, I think. Here are a couple pictures of that:

There is also a huge pool and 3 more hot tubs outside the lodge off the 3rd floor. It was a little chilly some days to go out there, but the setting it just breathtaking being up in the mountains and playing outside in a pool. The hot tub felt so good on those chilly days. Up at the spa they have another outdoor pool and hot tub on the roof of the lodge, but it's adults only. Ben and I didn't make it up there this trip. Maybe next time.

Thursday and Friday, June 14 and 15

Still at Snowbird! Thursday was our girls day out. My sister-in-law, Cindy, and I started the day at the free yoga class up at the spa. Wow! I loved it! It is hard work just standing there in one pose. :) I would love to find a class to go to when I get back to Texas. It was really awesome. After that Cindy, Lybi (my other sil), and Sandy (mil) headed down to Salt Lake . We stopped at the church distribution center first (got scriptures for Brandon for his baptism) and then we headed over the the coolest shopping place around, Gateway Mall. It was the first time I had been there and I just loved it. I found some really cute tops and we had lunch at Ztejas, a wonderful southwestern grill that started down in Austin. I had blackened catfish tacos and they were excellent. Yumm... We spent the entire afternoon there and then we headed back up the mountain. What a great girls day. I'll post pics once I get them from Sandy! We took one outside the restaurant and then one in a shop holding all of our bags. We all went a little spending crazy. :)

Friday we spent the day hanging out and getting ready for Brandon's baptism that evening. We decided to have him baptized in Salt Lake instead of TX because both sides of our family were going to be there. It worked out well with my brother, Thayne's, ward. We had a yummy family dinner at Olive Garden and then headed over to the stake center. I'm so proud of Brandon. I can't believe my oldest child is already baptized and growing up so fast! Before I know it he'll be 12, receiving the priesthood, and then before I blink he'll be on a mission. Time just goes so fast. I need to slow down and enjoy my kids more.

After Brandon's baptism. Nice face, eh?

Snowbird Playground

They put in this super fun playground up at the lodges at Snowbird. We spent several hours there playing so here are some fun pics from those times!

This is my new favorite picture of Ben.Kate.

Me and Carli at the bottom of the slide.

Megan with cousins Joey and Adam.

These swings were so fun. Any size kid could ride in these with those great buckles and be safe. All the kids had a blast on these. You had to wait in line to get on them a couple times we were there.

The static electricity on the slide with Carli was just hilarious.

Brandon at the top of the bumpy slide.

Brandon and Micheal hanging out in the bouncy car. I preview of things to come...

Me spinning on this really neat "spinning thing" they had. Everyone loved this part of the playground. Even the adults had turns. All you did was stand on it and hold on and it swung you around.

Snowbird cont'd.

Wednesday, June 13

We spent today at the Children's Museum at the Gateway Mall in Salt Lake City. It is awesome! We stayed for several hours there and still didn't do everything. The kids really had a blast and it was great because the kids were just busy, busy, busy!

If you look carefully, you can see Carli sticking her tongue out while she tries to turn this crank. That is exactly what her daddy does when he is concentrating on something. :)

While at Snowbird we had a childhood friend of Ben's family's come join us with her kids. Cindy has four kids, Michael, Amy, Adam, and Emily. Brandon's buddy was Micheal, and Kate had a great time with Amy. Here are the four of them in the construction zone at the museum.

Here is Brandon climbing the little rock while with Ben looking on and one of Kate trying it out as well.

Kate and her cousin, Sam, waiting for their craft class to begin at the museum.

Still have more to go, but Carli is awake so I gotta run! :)

More Snowbird Stuff

Tuesday, June 12

Papa's birthday! He got new golf shoes from the 3 sons and they took him out golfing and to lunch for his birthday.

Papa Wayne and his new shoes and James, Andy, Wayne, and Ben at Snowbird.

That evening we all scrambled to get ready for the family picture time. We all wore jeans and white shirts. Everyone looked great! We drove a mile up the road from Snowbird to Alta and took some really beautiful pictures. I can't wait to get them, frame them, and hang them up! Here area couple pictures from the "getting ready" time.