Mini Dee-dee

Stephen's crib is right next to the dresser. In the top drawer I have a bunch of miscellaneous stuff--socks, swimsuits, plastic pants, and a few infant items that haven't found their way into the storage room or DI bags. That's where he found this--a burp cloth made to match his regular-size dee-dee. Our neighbor, Kathy B. made them for him and I had completely forgotten about the burp cloth.

Stephen was thrilled to find it. When I went in to get him up from his nap, he was holding it up high in the air and saying dee-dee, see...dee-dee, see over and over! So, thanks Kathy, for the mini dee-dee--convenient to pack inside the diaper bag or purse as needed and can be carried around without dragging on the ground.

A side note to this post, we keep our computer in the kitchen and I love having it there. It's a central location that all can use it, while being able to be monitored at all times. I can listen to talks on lds.org while fixing meals or working on projects. The kids can tune into shows that aren't currently on the tv downstairs and it gives me a distraction while they're waiting for food to be served.

This is a very familiar scene in our hours together. This particular day they were watching music videos on Webkinz. Other times it's favorite cartoons from PBS and occasionally Nick Jr. Sunday afternoons the adults and bigger kids can be found clustered around the screen to catch the next episode of Dr. Who. We've watched conference and firesides here as well as visited with relatives far away via Skype. So grateful for modern technology!!

Gnomeo, Gnomeo..

Wherefore art thou, Gnomeo? Ha ha ha ha! This was such a spontaneous picture! I had my camera out to take a picture of the muddy mess he'd made of himself and while I was loading the battery, Stephen started putting the funnel on his head like a hat. This pose reminded us of the garden gnomes in the recent cartoon film Gnomeo and Juliet. So, this is Gnomeo as a baby!

Look! No Training Wheels!!

What an accomplishment for our little Pikachu!

Ginny decided about a week ago that she wanted the training wheels off her bike. She has been practising riding every day and she's got it down. With no help from me and very little from Adam she can ride straight, turn corners, and this picture is of her turning around in a circle on the driveway by herself!

O, How I Love An Iris!

They really are one of my favorite flowers and for many reasons. One, we had irises in almost every yard we ever lived in--so they're comforting. They are so easy to grow and care for. They multiply each year and come in such a wide range of colors. Finally, they are an amazingly beautiful flower that comes from such unremarkable leaves and stem.
I had to buy this one a few years ago, purely for it's name--Skywalker. I was too late in taking pictures this year to capture other other I bought at the same time--Dark Vader. Hee hee! Yes, I'm a geek!
This is one I got from my Grandma when she moved from her house in Draper. This one is my most dependable bloomer.
This one was supposed to be more blue, but the hues of purple this bloom turned out to be are so pretty that I wasn't disappointed.
This one came as an extra to a rainbow collection I bought a few years ago. Oddly enough this and a yellow one I missed photographing are the only ones left of that collection. This is only it's second year blooming and it is easily my favorite. This picture just cannot do justice to the brightness of the colors on this one. Gold-bronze fading to royal purple with bright orange "tongues" inside with almost an electric blue swirl on the falling petals. I don't know what it's given name is, but I think of it as my "summer sunset."

Father's Day Weekend

It's not summer until Father and Son's campout. Stephen was still not big enough to go this year, but Sam insisted he be in their going-away picture anyway. Watch out for next year!
Since the boys had to take our vehicle for Father and Son's, us girls didn't get to get away while they were gone. So, we took them all to Logan for Summerfest the following day. We only went to the children's art yard. It was $3 per kid for 2 hours and as many projects as they could complete. Since it was overcast, the air was only slightly too warm. With the canopy over the art yard, it was pleasant for all. The kids got to make slap bracelets, windsocks, fruit loop necklaces, Father's Day cards, pinwheels, foam visors, and giant bubbles. On our way out of Tabernacle Square, we stopped at a recycled art/music sculpture that passersby were able to "play".
And Happy Father's Day to Adam. My kids couldn't ask for a better, more devoted dad. They are his everything!

So alike!

My two boys are so similar. Sam and Stephen both line things up and organize them when playing. Sam used to line things up side-by-side, while Stephen goes for and to end, like a train. Here he's got the Cars cars set out across the kitchen floor. I was fascinated by the way he so carefully placed each one--if they weren't touching bumper to bumper he'd patiently adjust the whole line up. His cute, little chubby toes and dimpled elbows in the picture above just make me want to give him a squeeze.

Goin' for a Ride

One thing I truly relish each summer is watching my husband share one of his passions with his children. No matter what time Adams' gotten up to go to work in the morning, he's always willing and usually eager to pull out the little atv's we've got and take the kids on rides when he gets home at night. I have pictures of each of the kids parked happily in front of Adam awaiting a "ride". That's actually one of Stephen's newest words. He was anticipating this ride so much he wouldn't even look at the camera! He hears any type of motorcycle noise, no matter the time of day, and he runs to the door yelling, "Da, ride!"