How Old Do I Look?!

B: Mom, I want a pony-tail today.

Me: All right. Do you want a side pony?

B: Will it look cute?

(I sweep the hair to the side and show her)

B: Yea, like that.

Me: Did you know that I used to wear my hair in a side pony when I was in elementary school?

B: I know Mom (said with attitude), it was in the 60's.

Am I really that old? Maybe I just feel young at heart.

Hair Today...Gone Tomorrow

I'm going for a shorter post this time.

Just had a baby. Wanted to feel better about myself while I am losing that extra weight. Figured that the hair was the only way to do that. Got too brave and went from this...

to this....

Still trying to get used to it. What do you think?

Hiking the volcano

Several weeks ago Brandon and Sharon came down to visit us. We were looking for something fun to do and decided that we would try our luck at the volcano. We have a small vent about 10 miles from our home and Nate has been dying to take the kids to the top. As we got there we noticed another man trying to climb and he was taking the front straight up. We saw him slip a few times and then make a run for it. We thought nothing of it at first and then later found out why. The front of the volcano is pure loose rock. You cannot take a step without slipping because none of the rock is anchored. It is a tough climb because it is also extremely steep. We tried to create our own switch-backs to avoid going straight up.

The kids all did really well considering. It was good that there were four adults to four kids. I front-packed K up the whole way. A was really worried and was holding on to someone else the entire time. B was pretty brave and tried it on her own for a while. P was the best though. When the hike got tough he kept saying, "Dis is not a fun bolcano. Dis is dumb." We couldn't help but laugh. It sounded so cute. After several stops for water we finally made it to the top. The kids loved it up there and the view was amazing.

Needless to say, we found another way down. Unbeknownst to us, there was another way up on a trail around the back side of the mountain. We were glad that we didn't have to slide down the front on our rears. It was a fun hike and the kids were excited to pick out their own lava rocks to take home. (Now where am I going to put three LARGE lava rocks?) Thanks Brandon and Sharon for coming with us and for helping the kids along the way.

B turned 7!!

I can't believe that B is already 7 years old. She is growing so quickly. This year I told B that she could have a "friend party" for her birthday. We usually just have a family party since her birthday is in the summer and we usually aren't in touch with any of her school friends. This year I figured it was time for her to have some fun. We decided on a hula party and it was really fun. The kids made leis, played games, swam, and enjoyed treats. After the party was over a few of the girls stayed and played HSM karaoke on the Wii. They had a blast.
It is hard to see how grown up she is around her friends. They start worrying about getting splashed, about who sits next to who, talking, hugging each other. I thought that those types of things didn't happen until at least junior high. Time is flying too fast. Anyway, the kids had a great time and B loved it. Happy Birthday B!! We love you.

4th of July

The 4th of July just isn't the same as it was when I was younger. Don't get me wrong, it still remains one of my favorite holidays, but it is just different. I hate being away from my family on the 4th. Gone are the days of the Provo parade, family bbqs, and not-too-hot-to-be-outside evenings. And the 4th just isn't the 4th without the cotton candy machine. I still love the new patriotic outfits for my kids, new hair bows, and the works. I still love the watermelon, salads, and desserts that come. But it just isn't the same without family.


This 4th we spent hanging out at home. It was too hot to take the kids downtown to the "carnival", which down here is nothing (if you can even call some bounce houses, a few snow cone booths, a large slip-n-slide, and a small train a carnival). We had a fun bbq with our next-door neighbors in the evening and then went outside to light a few fireworks of our own. The kids thought that it was great. I hope that someday they can experience what the 4th was like for me when I was younger. Ahhh, the nostalgia.
We decided to do a little fingernail fun for the 4th.

Who looks tired?? (and needs a haircut?)

Aren't those the cutest things you've ever seen?!

More of K. She is getting so big.

K's one month picts

K is now six weeks old, but here are some of her one month pictures. She is still changing so much. This is for the grandmas.

The Kidlets

So, it has been a while since my kids have had their pictures taken individually. It was about time that I got some taken, but I also wanted to jump on the newborn photo bandwagon and get some of Kamri before she grew out of her newborn look. I found a wonderful photographer here through a friend's blog...(I know that is called blog-stalking, but I loved her photos)..and I decided to try her out. She comes to your house to take the newborn photos and she also goes on location to take the older kids photos. I love the pictures that she took. She captured each child's personality wonderfully. Now comes the task of picking which of the 130+ photos that I like best. Here are a few of my favorites...

I can't believe I have four...

Precious Kamri

"The Posse"

"Big Sister"

"Mini Me"

"Mister Mischief"