Swim Lessons

James started swim lessons last week and he is absolutely in love with the water! We realized that we needed to get him started because last time we tried to take him swimming, he kept trying to get out of our grasp and do it himself.  Of course, that only works for so long when you don't have any swimming skills.  We found cheap lessons at our rec center and signed him up.  On our first day, it was one instructor per 2-3 toddlers.  James kept escaping the poor teacher and she ended up calling in a separate teacher to just be in charge of James.  He has no fear of the water and has already learned how to float, kick, and blow bubbles!  Lily and I just relax in the shade and watch James have a blast.  I especially love how these lessons wear him out.  :)

Ready for his first day!

Front float

This is the other instructor that was brought in

He just kept pulling the teacher to go somewhere else

Fun videos

Jumping on the new trampoline!

James loves to play this game and act out lots of animals.  This is the best video I could get of him saying "Hmm....I got it!"

Lily is in the hand-sucking stage and I love it.  I could watch her do this for hours.

Fire Season

Whenever I turn on the news, I see updates on more and more wildfires spreading across Utah.  Last week we had the start of one pretty close to home, up in American Fork Canyon.  A few friends' homes were close to the fire, but ended up being okay.  We ended up having unexpected rain that squelched a lot the fires, so we were grateful for that miracle! 

Jumping

Lately we have just been hanging out around the house a lot because it has been so blasted hot outside. James's speech therapist recommended a small trampoline for him to help release some energy, which will help him regulate himself a little bit better and provide him with that deep-impact play he always seeks.  I found one on amazon for pretty cheap, and James absolutely LOVES it! That first night he even found a pillow and blanket and put them on the trampoline to "sleep" on.  The next day he kept trying to eat his goldfish and jump at the same time.  How do you explain "choking hazard" to a 2.5-year-old?

And just because Lily is so cute....

A few days ago I requested that Chris "trim" James's hair around his neck and ears.  Instead, my son went from looking like Harry from Dumb and Dumber to Lloyd.

We have since fixed his haircut and I actually think it looks really good now super short.

Lily's Blessing

On June 24th we had Lily blessed!  It was a beautiful blessing and Chris did a wonderful job! We were so grateful to have Danny and Elaina, RJ, and Ben and Patty there to enjoy that great moment with.  Lily looked so adorable in her blessing dress, even though her 3-month-old body was still too small to fit her NEWBORN tights and shoes.  

 Can you tell that James wasn't too thrilled about his pose?

My perfect little angel  :)

Margie's Visit

Margie came out for a visit a few weeks ago, and we packed as much as could into the time she was here! We spent lots of time hanging out with family, shopping, swimming, and we even went to Park City for a day.  Danny works at the Stein Eriksen Lodge, so we had lunch there that day. It was actually the same day that Mitt Romney was arriving in Park City, so there were security everywhere.  We wouldn't have been able to get in if not for Danny putting us down for a reservation ahead of time.  The lodge was absolutely stunning with the most gorgeous backdrop.  The food was incredible! It was so much fun spending time with family there, and walking around the area.  

We walked around the patio after eating to take some pictures.  It was so beautiful and we were the only ones around! 

Afterwards, we drove down to the Alpine Slides and Chris took James on the slides while I went with Lily inside.  

Needless to say, James had the time of his life.  He kept saying on the ride, "Daddy, let's GO!" Chris said he was such a speed demon and wanted to do it again.  Whenever James sees this picture he sits down and acts it out - it's hysterical.  

We loved having Margie in town and wished she could have stayed longer! 

Ben and Patty

A few weeks ago, Chris flew to Newport Beach to attend a best friend's wedding.  Chris has known Ben Roedel since they were both twelve, and have been great friends since.  It was a whirlwind of a weekend for him, but it looked like a blast! We are so excited to see Ben married, and we think he chose a great girl!

 Chris and Ben

 Ben and Patty

 Chris took this pic so I'd feel like I was there eating cake too

Chris and Danny.  Boys will be boys.  

Ford Expedition!

Is it a sign of maturity when you trade in your small car for an SUV or a minivan? Well, consider us all grown up! We absolutely loved our Hyundai Sonata, but it was getting way too cramped with two car seats and all of our junk.  Plus, the payments have always been a little high. We finally sold our Sonata and we bought a 2004 Ford Expedition! It's in excellent condition, and if you know Chris, you know we got a smokin' deal on it.  We have a nicer, larger car for a much, much smaller payment! We absolutely love it, and the best feature by far is the DVD player for James.  On trips to the airport so far it has been an absolute lifesaver.  Chris's favorite feature is the air-conditioned seats, of course.  :)