Bear Lake: Fourth of July

We went up to Bear Lake for the Fourth, and when we got there someone was doing fireworks at the lake.  The kids thought the fireworks were just for them and sat down to watch with their blankies!  It was really late when we got there, and my blurry picture isn't very good.  :)

Molly and Will thought they were hilarious hiding in our bed.

Jane came with us, and Daniel (Charles Hope's brother) and 5 of his college friends came over for some foosball and Aw Heck.  Jane and Mike are a pretty mean foosball team!

French braid!  She had enough hair to braid, I was so excited!!  She has since had three haircuts (two being self-inflicted), so her hair is shorter now.  Maybe I can put it in double braids...

I was really on this trip!  I'm the picture taker, so I don't make it into most shots.  But I really liked my glitter toes!  Almost as much as my flip flop tan.  :)

The lake is super high this year.  In some places it's only about 10 feet away from the road.  It's nuts!  Beaches are in pretty short supply.  I took this off the pool deck at Bear Lake West.  Look at all those trees just hanging out in the lake!

I was shopping with the kids when Molly saw this tutu swimsuit.  She stood up in the cart, pointed at it, and started screaming, "PINK! PINK!"  It was on sale.  I didn't have much choice...I had to buy it!!

We hurried home to do fireworks with the Nielsens...I think this is the third year we've done it with them.  Mike grew up doing the "Cul-de-sac of Fire" every year in his neighborhood, so he likes carrying on the tradition in Doug's cul-de-sac!  We start just before dark to try and get the kids in bed a little earlier.

I forgot my camera (and my book) the day we went to the beach, so these are the pictures that Jane took. And while I was at it I stole her other pictures too!  Doug and Jami were up there with a group of family and friends, so we met them at the beach.  The kids had lots of fun.  I sat on the beach...I was having a hormonal day, so that was about all I could do.  :)

The boys helped me make oven s'mores.  One of our favorite treats!

I'm 24 weeks pregnant here.  

I just realized that we went up over the 24th too, and some of Jane's pictures were from that trip.  So I'm actually 27 weeks pregnant in this picture.  My pics from that trip will be in a separate post.  :)

Bear Lake is one of our favorite places to go in the summer, we're so lucky to have Papa's cabin!

Little Miss Molly

Molly is the youngest...so she's never really seen me hold babies.  Or wrap them in blankets.  Or put them to bed.  I'm going to go ahead and say she's just got the mommy instinct.  She loves her babies!  She wraps them in blankets, pushes them in the doll stroller, & gives them naps.  This baby even got its own bed!  She does it with teddy bears, "Baby Horn" (a red rhino), and whatever else she can find.  I love it.

Molly went out back by herself, so I went to check on her.  I found her under the cherry tree with her arms straight over her head and sort of grunting.  I asked what she was doing and she told me, "Reaching cheerios!"

She was pretty mad that she couldn't reach any, so I helped her pick a few.  That she wouldn't eat.

A Little bit of Old Fun

I was looking through some old pictures and these made me smile.  :)

Will in Huntington Beach last year.  I just love that face!

Molly was such a beautiful baby!  I just couldn't get enough of her!

Classic Will.  Always into something.

I just couldn't get this to rotate, so just tip your head to the left.  So amazing!!

Sam loves to make people laugh.  He thought he was so funny!

Just look at that sweet little face!  Ah, I miss headbands.

Um...Merry Christmas!

I put these on my desktop months ago so I could blog about it.  Oops.  Pretend like I even took the time to edit them.  Just like I do all my other pictures.  (or not)

For Christmas Eve we got together with the Clayton clan for dinner and little play...Nativity style.  Molly was a very cute little angel.

Sam was a wise man.  That's "Aunt" Katie and Uncle Nels watching on the couch.  We call her Aunt Katie, but she's actually Mike's first cousin once removed.  It's just easier for the kids to call her Aunt, and she doesn't mind.  She's so great, we're lucky that they live just up the street from us!!

Joseph (Luke) and Mary (Nicole) were very sweet with a sad baby Jesus (Jude).

And what's a wise men scene without a little Tallest Crook competition?  Looks like Will beat Liam, but just barely.  :)

Molly ran up to Uncle Russ and sat on his lap.  It was picture worthy because Molly NEVER went to anyone she wasn't completely familiar and comfortable with.  Uncle Russ and Aunt Chris are the temple president and matron at the Draper Temple.  They are amazing people!

The Nativity Scene is always a little crazy, but it's always so fun!  And...uh...Merry Christmas!

Molly found my heels one Sunday after church and put them on as promptly as I took them off.

She walked out onto the deck, down some steps, across the yard, and to the favorite hole in the fence.  This is where our kids meet up with the Nielsen kids to hang out when we're all outside.  They're so funny, sometimes we have all six of them just hanging out right here chatting.

She waited and waited, but Corbin never came.

She walked all the way back to the house in the heels.  Pretty impressive for a 2 year old!

Will's Field Trip

I got to be a mom helper at Will's field trip to the fire station back in...um...May.  Slowly but surely, right?  The kids loved talking to the firefighters and checking out all the cool stuff.  We started out with a video about fire safety.

Will asked a lot of questions and had a lot of things to tell the nice firemen that did our tour.

It was so funny to watch, he just couldn't stop his little mouth.  Kind of like his brother!

They got to hold the sprayer.  Which was super cool.

Will was very animated.  He loved the full suit.  If I had blogged about this in May, or even June, I could probably remember what he was saying here...probably something about superheroes, or what he would do in a fire.  :)

Right at the end of our tour they were dispatched somewhere in the big fire engine.  It was kind of fun for the kids to watch the truck drive away, and it was perfect timing!

We love Miss Chris, and we're so happy that we get to be in her class next year with 3 neighborhood friends!