Monday Night Mud Fight

Summers are so busy around our house. So therefore things don't always get taken care of. For example our garden, we have an amazing garden this year, but we also have amazing weeds. We cant stay on top of them for some reason. Well, maybe it is because we are gone every weekend and just don't find the time to get out and care for the garden. Also, weeding and yard work are my least favorite thing to do. So I decided that for family night we were all going to go out and pick the weeds and get our garden looking they way it should. Our dirt is awful so I told the girls to go turn the water on so it would get things a little soft, I also told them not to worry about wearing shoes because they would just get muddy. They were a huge help, but every once in a while someone would splash some mud. So Mike and I took one look at each other and new that this would be the perfect time for a mud fight. Addie and Brianna were talking when I took a handful of mud and threw it at both of them. That was the beginning of the end. We had the biggest mud fight ever. There wasn't a spot on us that wasn't covered. What fun we had, and yes the girls were SHOCKED that mom actually started it.

Final Swim Meet

We had our final swim meet on Saturday. I am so proud of my girls they did so good this year. They usually sign up for the Freestyle and the Backstroke. Brianna decided this time she wanted to try something new. She did the freestyle and took 7 seconds off of her swim. Then she did the breast stroke and she came in first for her heat. She was so excited, I think she may have found her sport. She has come a long way this summer, she wouldn't swim without plugging her nose and now she is swimming laps. Addie did the freestyle and backstroke and did amazingly well. The girls each participated in a relay race and both of their teams came in second. Way to go girls.

Rachael's 1st Tooth

Rachael has been trying for months to get a loose tooth. She would wiggle it every day to make it loose. All of her friends had lost teeth and she was feeling a little left out. So finally on Saturday it was really loose, she would wiggle it and it would bleed then she would cry. Loosing teeth is pretty painful. She was really worried that she would loose it at the lake while she was on the tube. It took us a while and a little reassurance from Aunt Jessica that it wouldn't fall out in the lake. Well by Saturday night it was looser, so her and Addie went into the bathroom and Addie pulled it out. Rachael couldn't be happier, and the tooth fairy came and left her a gold dollar.

Kids

This is what happens when the kids get really bored in the summer time.

Brianna's 10th Birthday

I can't believe Brianna is already 10. Time is going way to fast for me. We love having Brianna in our family. Here are the top 10
*Very loving
*Beautiful Smile
*Contagious Laugh
*Big helper
*Loves children/babies
*Great Swimmer
*Loves to learn
*Loves doing service for others
*Has a beautiful singing voice
*Daddy's Girl
We love you Brianna. Happy Birthday

Water Baby

Rachael has been taking swimming lessons and is loving it. She has learned so many things this year that I just cant get her to slow down. She is our "Water Baby" we cant keep her out of it. She loves going boating, she is always the first one in the water. She loves jumping off the back of the boat. She learned how to water ski this year and is having fun with that. So glad she isn't afraid of the water
(I think)

Stewart Falls

Sunday we took a family hike along with some good friends of our up to Stewart Falls. What a beautiful hike, there were wild flowers all over, beautiful greenery, and a little rain. The kids all did great. The hike start to finish is about 3 miles. We hiked into the waterfall and had a picnic dinner.

While we were there, there was another group of people and Mike turned to me and said isn't she an actress? After a closer look sure enough it was. Now I don't know her real name but she is the actress/doctor Carrie from the show ER the doctor with the cane. We were trying to bribe Addie with $5.00 if she went up and talked to her. Addie didn't dare so I just walked right up to her and said " I know that you are on vacation but I wanted you to know that I was a big fan of your show" She then gave me a hug and told me thank you, told me she was enjoying the mountains in Utah. Then off she went to finish her hike. Very nice lady, it isn't every day you see a star from ER.

GINGER

We have had quite a few sad days at out house. Last Friday Addie had a friend over to play. They decided to go in the backyard and say hi to Ginger. Ginger some how got spooked and bit Addie's friend on the lip, she needed about 5 stitches. There were other scrapes on her face as well. After talking to several Veterinarians, they decided (along with us) that due to her health, and age it would be better to have Ginger put to sleep. Because it was a bit the authorities had to get involved. We had a police officer come and pick Ginger up from the house and take her to the local Animal Shelter. Well as of today, Ginger is no longer with us. This has been very devastating on the all of us, especially Mike.

Almost 10 years ago Addie asked for a brown down with a brown dog house for Christmas. Lady and the Tramp had just come out and that is all that she would watch and that is all that she wanted for Christmas, no matter how hard we tried to talk her into something else. It is amazing how she just became one of us. We are going to miss her deeply. We did have a little session talking about the wonderful things she did and that we remember.
*she would always wait by the gate when you were coming or going.
*when we would BBQ she always new she was getting some of the drippings.
*she loved to go on walks
*she loved chasing the KITTIES (she couldn't ever catch them)
*she would always with Mike to tuck Addie in, she would snuggle up in her arm
*every night before we would go to bed and even in the mornings she new she was getting a treat.
There are many more wonderful things that she brought into our lives and we are going to miss her dearly.