Little Day Hike

On Saturday we went on a little hike in the Uintas. We saw 4 different lakes. It is such pretty country and the kids had a blast. On our way home we stopped to look at some water falls on the Provo River. We also went into Park City since I had never been before. We took a tram up the hill to the canyons, wandered around, and took it back down the hill. We also saw some of the 2002 Olympic sites. Very cool. One of the great things about Utah is the beauty of the mountains. Here are some pictures of our hike.

Kids say the FUNNIEST things!

When we got back from our trip to Washington and Idaho we found little tiny ants in our powder room and dining room. So yesterday I put out ant traps. They have poison in them and the ants are supposed to take the poisoned bate home and share it with their relatives and all die (so horrible, I know). So this morning I was shocked to see the ant carcasses laying all over the floor. I thought they were supposed to die in their own home! I was in a big hurry to get to the school to volunteer that I didn't have a chance to sweep them up. When we got home a few hours later Rylie noticed them and said, "Mommy! I can't believe the ants are still sleeping! And it's almost lunch time!"

This morning Rylie was eating Raisin Bran and noticed that her raisins looked more like circles instead of skinny ovals. I never really pay that much attention to my breakfast, but obviously she does. She had a good explanation for her round raisins and said, "I think there's a fairy godmother in our pantry who turns all our raisins into circles!"

First Day of School!

Today is Sam and Kaeli's first day of school. Kaeli is in the 2nd grade and Sam is in the 3rd grade...can you believe it? They were both very excited this morning and were ready to go way too early. Last year I was Kaeli's "room-mom" so this year I'm Sam's "room-mom". It's always fun to be in their classroom and see them in that environment. They're so fun at this age!

Sara and Rylie are making the saddest faces they could muster. This is how they feel about Sammy and Kaeli going back to school. I feel that way too :-(

KENNEWICK

So after our trip to Moscow we went to Kennewick to see Aaron's parents. They have a pool so everyday we were there we took a swim. The kids loved every bit of it and it was always hard to get them out of the pool. We went to the park and played tennis while the kids climbed trees. We got another chance to visit some old friends (a couple I knew from highschool and Aaron knew from college). The next day we went to Howard Amon park and played on their new toys. While we were there we celebrated Grandma Shirley's birthday. It was a fun visit and of course each night we were up way too late watching the Olympics or playing Phase 10 :-) We weren't looking forward to the 11 hour drive home, but we survived and we're glad we made the trip!

MOSCOW

Last week we made a trip to see our friends and family. The first day we drove to Boise, and visited all our old friends and neighbors and spent the night w/ my aunt. We even attended our old ward the next morning. We left feeling a bit homesick for our old friends and old way of life. We then drove up to Moscow to see my parents and my sister and her two kids. It was so fun just to hang out and visit. We went up Kamiak Butte (for old times sake) and were reminded of the beauty of the palouse. We drove around Pullman where I went to highschool and Aaron and I both attended WSU. It was fun to point out to the kids my old house and where Sam and Kaeli were born. We also got to go see my Dad's new lab and look at spores under the microscope. (Sam wants to be a scientist when he grows up.) We also visited the bears at WSU. The next day we went to Moscow's public pool and swam. They have a fun kiddie pool area and some fun slides. The kids love the water and didn't hesitate to jump right in. On Wednesday we left Moscow and drove up to Liberty Lake to visit some friends from college, and then we drove to Kennewick...

Don't step on a CRACK or you'll break your momma's BACK!

Here's one of the reasons why I love kids: We walk to church every Sunday and a few weeks ago I noticed Kaeli was avoiding all the cracks in the sidewalk the entire way to church. She turned around and let me know she was being super careful so she wouldn't break my back!

More FUN in the SUN

What a look!

Is it just me or is Sammy looking more grown up?

Sisters!

Time to go home!