Mikkele's New Do

Mikkele and I went and got our hair cut today. I didn't get anything drastic, just a trim, but Mikkele has been asking for a while now if she can cut bangs. She had bangs when she was little and they were a PAIN. But she wanted the side swiped bangs not the straight across look. So I decided that we'd give it a try. I think it turned out really cute. It's actually pretty subtle. I think that she looks a little bit older, but I guess that just matches her personality. Now we have a week and a half to figure out different ways to wear them before school starts.

New Background

So I have been wanting to do a new, cute background for a while now, but I have heard horror stories (Mostly from Alisha, maybe it's just her) that it screws everything up. So I have been hesitant in choosing one. I also thought it was going to be this big process. Well it wasn't. The hardest part was choosing one. There are so many to choose from and I didn't want to duplicate someone else's. If I did I'm sorry. Anyways I think it turned out pretty cute.

Our Summer Addiction

This summer we have become what some people might say obsessed or addicted to snow cones. These snow cones are not the chunky ice snow cones, they are the real ones that are just like scooping snow into a cup and pouring on the flavor. We have a Sno Shack just a few blocks away from our house, so we have been walking over a few times a week to feed our addiction. It is a yummy, cheap, refreshing way to end the day. Unfortunately the owners of the Sno Shack are going on a long vacation before school starts, so today is the last day we can get snow cones. Yes there are a ton of other Sno Shacks throughout the city that we could drive to, but it's just not the same. So we bid a sad farewell to our summer addiction. Waiting in line for the yummy snow cones.

Carter, Mikkele, and Luke enjoying their snow cones.

When we walk to the Sno Shack we have to cross at a couple of lights. The kids seriously fight over who gets to press the button. It's gotten a little out of control, but it is one of the things the kids look forward to when we go for snow cones.

24th of July

The 24th of July to most people is just another day, but in Utah it's Pioneer Day, a state holiday. We celebrate because this is the day that the pioneers came into the Salt Lake Valley. So we get to have fireworks and a fun celebration twice in July. The night before the 24th celebration we went to the Spanish Fork Rodeo with Jeremy's side of the family. Spanish Fork has their city celebration during the week of the 24th. It was really hot and humid that night, but we had a lot of fun. They put on such a great rodeo. This is the clown that was there. He was pretty funny. He was also a daredevil of sorts. He's called the "Wild Child" and did a big jump over a truck and horse trailer on a dirt bike. One of my favorite events at the rodeo is called Mutton Bustin'. For those of you who don't know what it is or have never seen it before, it is hilarious. Little kids are placed on the back of a sheep and hold on for dear life. Most kids don't make it very far, but one little girl held on for half the length of the arena. Very impressive. This is a pic of one of the little boys that was competing. The next morning we went to the Spanish Fork parade with the Grover's. The kids had fun catching the candy that was being thrown out. In these two pictures of the kids you can't really tell that we're at the parade, but we are. After the parade was over we went to the carnival and let the kids do a couple rides. This is the only ride that Mikkele, Luke and Carter all rode together. Since Mikkele is getting older she is liking the bigger rides. But I didn't get pics of that. Oops. That night we went to the Orem Owlz baseball game with Holly, Ryan and Dillon. They are a AA team that feeds into the Angels. They have a big playground for the kids to play on when they get bored watching the game, which proved to be nice. The kids had plenty to keep them entertained though, they got a few free things that were given out, autographs and pictures from some players, and they got to meet the Owlz mascot and get a picture with him. At the end of the game they had fireworks. This was Grant's first experience with big fireworks that I can remember. He was kind of getting fussy since it was so late, but as soon as they turned the stadium lights off and started the fireworks he was quiet and just sat and watched and listened to them. It was really cute. So we had a fun filled Pioneer Day.

Mikkele's Tribute to her Family Tree

A couple weeks ago Mikkele was given an assignment from church to fill out a family tree and then write something cool about each person on the family tree. She was told that if she would bring it back she would get a treat, so of course this was motivation for her to do it. I helped her a little bit filling in each person in the proper place, but she wrote the cool things about each person by herself and I thought it was cute and should share.

Great Grandma Roberts-She gave me lots of necklaces.
Great Grandpa Roberts-I never got to meet him.
Great Grandpa Jones-He gave me lots of stuffed animals.
Great Grandma Jones- She let me have a sleepover.
Great Grandma Decker-She gave me lots of stuff.
Great Grandpa Decker-He loved it when I helped him in his garden.
Great Grandma Gallier-She loves to give me kisses.
Great Grandpa Gallier-He loves to give me hugs.
Papa Roberts-He loves to take me swimming.
Grandma Roberts-We go to Lake Powell together.
Grandma Dorene-She makes lots of good dinners.
Grandpa Glenn-He loves to take me to the shop.
Mom-She is a good cook.
Dad-He is smart.
Me-I am cute.

So there you have it, Mikkele's list of cool thing about her family tree. Some of them are pretty funny, but now you know what she thinks about some of you.

4th of July and the Stadium of Fire

For the 4th of July we went to the Stadium of Fire. The show started out with a tribute to the men and women who are serving or have served our country. They broadcast the show overseas to the men and women serving in Iraq. There was a few families that got to talk to their loved ones via satellite during the show. A special time for them. Then the Blue Man Group performed. It was pretty cool. They do a lot of interesting types of music. I have always wanted to see them in concert, now I know I need to go to Vegas and see their full show. After the Blue Man Group came MILEY CYRUS! This is what Mikkele and Alanna had been waiting for. If you can imagine thousands of little girls screaming, that's about what it sounded like in the stadium when she came out. The girls had a great time singing and dancing along to the songs. The only thing that was kinda disappointing is that she sang a lot of songs from her new album that the girls didn't know. But when she sang the songs the girls knew they went wild. After Miley was done singing the Blue Man Group came out again and got the fireworks going. The fireworks were pretty good. The only thing about sitting that close to where they were going off is that we got rained on with ash and cardboard. Overall we had a great time.

Happy Birthday to Our Dad and Papa

I just wanted to wish my dad and my kids' Papa a Happy Birthday!
Dad you're the best! We love you and we miss you!

So I know there are a lot of picture of my dad and Grant together and not a ton of him and Mikkele. Grant and his Papa just have a special bond, so we get a lot of pictures of the two of them together. Dad...thanks for being such a great Papa to my kids. They love you and miss you!

Girls Coah Pitch Softball

Mikkele finished her softball season this week. I can tell a difference in this year as compared to last year. Her arm is definitely stronger so her throwing and hitting has improved. She missed about half of her games because she went to Texas for 2 weeks, but still had a good time. Most of the kids on her team attend the same school that she does so it was nice to know a lot of the kids and parents.

This is a picture of her smacking the ball at her last game. Can you see the ball heading toward 3rd base?

After the game they all got medals. This is something that everyone has started doing around here lately. Medals instead of trophies. It's fine with me. They take up less space than trophies and I think they are more attractive. Some of those trophies are just so tacky. Anyway she had a fun time.Mikkele was in Texas for the real team pictures, so one of the other parents took this one. If I would have known that there was going to be pictures, we probably would have done her hair before the game. Oh well.

Vivian Park

Since we left camping so early we decided that we weren't quite done playing in the mountains. So after we came home and cleaned up we went on a dinner picnic up Provo Canyon to Vivian Park. The Grover's came with us this time. After we had dinner the kids wanted to play in the water a little bit. We are still having some snow runoff from the horrible winter we had, so needless to say the water was FREEZING! After the numbness and frostbite started to set in you really didn't feel how cold it was. The kids loved it though.

Grant thought it was funny. He would put his feet in, then pull them out just as quick as he put them in.

Vivian Park is where the Heber Creeper Train picks up people for rides up the canyon. They have an old boxcar there that you can climb on and take pictures. So we did. Mikkele is reading the Boxcar Children right now so she really thought it was cool to see inside a real boxcar.

I may be a little biased, but aren't my kids the cutest kids in the world! They have so much fun together.

After we were done at the park we went up to Heber and got some yummy shakes at Granny's. It was a perfect end to a fun weekend.

Camping

We went camping last weekend for the first time in 4 years. The last time we went camping, I had just found out that I was pregnant with Grant. Needless to say we haven't been brave enough to take him camping yet...until now. We went up with my friend Jenny and her family for her birthday. We were up a little canyon called Tucker, which is about 25 min up Spanish Fork Canyon. We had a pretty good time in the short amount of time we were there. Next time we go there are definitely a few things we need to remember to bring, like matches, toilet paper, better shoes (I wore flip flops), etc. Good thing we were camping with people that brought those necessities. Thanks Jenny! So here are some pictures of our little camping trip.

Mikkele eating her Hobo/tinfoil dinner. They were pretty tasty if I do say so myself.

Rietta, Tienna, Mikkele, Gunner and Dylan posing in the kids tent.

We have 2 3-man tents. So we had the girls sleep in one tent and we slept in the other one. By morning Mikkele was the only one left in the tent. Rietta and Tienna ended up getting scared throughout different times of the night and moved to their parents tent. Good job Mikkele being brave!

Mikkele and Grant just chillin' waiting for breakfast on Saturday morning. We had Ziploc omelets. They were delicious. Isn't Grant cute in his sunglasses. Tina bought those for him. They have an elastic back so they stay on his head. Pretty cool.

Mikkele got a sliver in the bottom of her foot. She was limping around everywhere. I just happened to have my makeup bag in the car that had tweezers in it. (I did come prepared with that.) She insisted that she could do it herself. So by the time we got home she still hadn't gotten it out, so that's when I stepped in and started to torture her (at least that's what she thinks) trying to get it out.

Aaron brought some of his guns for the boys to shoot into the mountainside. The little boys enjoyed shotting the bee bee gun. Dylan called it the "baby gun" it was very cute.

Grant loved the ride on the bumpy dirt road. Every time we went on a big bump he would giggle. He really is a normal 3 year old little boy in so many ways. Since he was having so much fun we decided to take the scenic route home. We went up Diamond Fork Canyon which merges into Hobble Creek Canyon at the top of the mountain. Mikkele was convinced that we were going to die. Every time there was a pretty view, we would tell her to look out the window and she would say, "No I'm getting car sick. I think I'm gonna puke. We're gonna DIE today." Can you say Drama Queen. Needless to say we made it down the mountain without any incident.