Backyard Camping

 On Thursday of last week, I had a great idea that we should do a campout in the backyard.  (More like back patio!)  The reason I thought this idea was so great was because in my mind, it would be a Daddy- Daughter experience!  So on Friday, after Bart got back from work, and woke up from a well-deserved nap, we set the big tent up on the backyard concrete.  It was SOOOO windy.  Bart had to tie down the tent on all four corners so it wouldn't blow away.  The kids LOVED it.  Of course they do!  They love pouncing on the blow up beds, tumbling all over everything and being inside the big tent.

We baked cookies and made popcorn.  After taking some of our chocolate chip cookies to our neighbors, it was time for MacKay to go to bed in his crib (in the house). Then it started getting a little darker.  Whitney, Bart and I laid down in the tent to watch My Little Ponies.  Whitney was super tired and we put her in her little pink tent.  She fell right to sleep.  Around 2 am, I could hear Bubba crying in the monitor.  I left to get some good sleep and check on Bubba.  The next morning after snuggling for a few minutes, Whitney told Bart she needed to go to the bathroom.  She came back to the tent with a big smile and two giant chocolate chip cookies for breakfast.  That's my girl.

Here are some of the pics of the evening:

Bart is just belaxing in the tent.. with Bubba's bear.  Don't ask why he's wearing his swimsuit.  I did about 10 times that night and he just said, "I just put it on after my nap."

The kids... we had popcorn and freshly baked chocolate chip cookies:

The tent within a tent.  This is where Whitney slept all night long!

Summer so far..

It's been two weeks since "Summer" started.  It's really just similar to how our lives always are because there's no school for my kids, yet.  But there is definitely a different "feeling" among the neighborhood kids now that school is out for the Summer.  The past two weeks Whitney has been going to swimming lessons everyday from 11:10-11:40.  It's the worst 30-minutes of wrestling down Bubba so he doesn't dive into the water.  It sort of wore us all out.  Whit passed her Level 2 class and was pretty good about going.  Now she's doing gymnastics 1 time a week with one of her Besties: Ruthie.

Here's some pics of what we have been up to in the evening when Daddy gets home from work:


I'm about 90% sure she's picking her nose on in this picture.

How W.T. can we get?  Look at those weeds!   Did I tell you how much I hate pulling weeds out of concrete?  I think we're ready for a "real" backyard.  Look at that awesome cereal box being used as a toy!  This is the planter box (currently filled with sand.  I hate it.)  Bubba cannot get enough of the "drrrt" as he calls it.  As soon as the back door opens he rushes to get into that nasty sand box.

He is looking at me telling him "No!"

The aftermath:  dirt in the mouth, down his clothes, all over his face.  Bart hates that dang sand- trap more than me.  BATHTIME!!!

One afternoon, I took both kids on a long walk. Bubba fell back to sleep and so did Whitney.  I'm pretty sure he fell asleep for the night.  Yes, see the blanket!  One thing I love about nights here is how they cool down so much.  It was so sunny and also sort of chilly!

They're both asleep.  Whitney usually falls asleep on her back but she was cold so she wanted to cuddle up on that blanket.  

Did I also mention I'm an awesome chef?  Here's what I prepared for dinner:  Cereal.  I call it:  F.F.Y.  That stands for "Fend For Yourself".  It happens at least 1-2 times per week when I don't feel like making dinner.  Here's MacKay sitting up like a big bow eating his Frosted Flakes.  He's pretty good at feeding himself these days.

That's her funny face:

Eight Years...

Look at this cute boy.  I'm so glad I'm his wife.  For our 8th Wedding Anniversary, we headed back to our Honeymoon Suite at Little America Hotel in SLC.  It was just how I remembered it- except I'm a little frumpier.  

Good thing he's still hot.

And I'm an awesome photographer with my point-n-shoot camera.  Here we are heading up to the Lobby in the elevator.  Smile baby!

Did you know I also can use the self timer?  The sitting area in our hotel.  Same pink and green decor as it was 8 years ago.  Love it.  Love it!

 Amazing views.  Why did Ken Garff have to make his name so big on that building?  It's an eye sore.

Cracking up at this picture.  A little windy?  

On our walk to Grand America:  Bart wants our grass to look like this.  Lucky for him, our backyard is a slab of concrete with lovely weeds growing up the cracks.

Some of our view from our room:

Sort of cracking myself up that I wanted Bart to take this pic:  

 The next morning I really wanted room service for breakfast.  But that will have to be another day when we are okay with getting ripped off and paying $4.00 plus tip for a bagel.  Instead, we went over to IHOP.  What a special treat.  Thanks Grandma & Grandpa Paxton for watching Whitney & MacKay.  (It was our first night with BOTH of us away from the kids at the same time- AND my first time away from Bubba.) 

Here's our family on our real Anniversary, June 5, 2004.  Bart just got home from work and look just as beautiful as I do each day when he arrives home.  :)

Annette's Visit

Annette Came to visit for a short 3 days.  It went by too quickly.  We had a fun time shopping, going to Whitney's field trip, hanging out and visiting the Beehive house in SLC.  Please come again soon!

Here are some pics from our Beehive House tour:

Brigham Young's Coat:

Forget-Me-Nots:

Whitney's First Dance Recital

Whitney loves Dancing.  Her teacher, Miss Shanda was great.  Since January, each Thursday at 4:05 Whitney loved to rush into dance class and had a great time.  She was such a good girl, so obedient, followed the rules and was a good listener.  I loved that she really was happy going and LOVES to dance.

But then... the recital happened.

During the dress re-hersal, Whitney had a sad time.  My sister, Annette, was in town for a few days and Whitney was running low on sleep- so I thought maybe that's why she was having a sad time during the dress re-hersal.  She didn't want to be up on the stage with the other girls and was crying really hard. I was sad because she loved dancing and really knew the routine and it would be so fun to see her perform her cute dance to Rockin' Robin.

So I did what any other red-blooded American Parent does in a situation like this:  I bribed her.  I made a deal with Whitney, that if she got up on the stage and did her dance I would buy her a Barbie (any Barbie she wanted!).  She agreed.  The rest of the evening and all the next day she talked about how she was going to be brave and get up on the stage and dance.  She took a long nap before the Recital so I knew she would be a happy girl.  

She was happy getting her hair curled and all dolled-up in her cute outfit.  Grandma and Aunt Stephanie came down from Bountiful to watch the performance.  Even Cousin Sammy was there.  We all ate at Wendy's just before the performance.  

Whitney kept talking about how she was going to earn her Barbie and stay on the stage and dance for 2 minutes!  (I told her the routine was only 2 minutes!)  

Her group was the first to go on stage.  She was the first child to walk her class up onto the stage.  

Then, just before the performance, the MC, who happened to be dressed up like a molester-looking-Elvis Man, announced Whitney's dance group.  He stood off to the side of the stage but Whitney could still see him.  

It was at this point, Whitney walked up on the stage with the rest of her group.  She spotted that nasty-looking Elvis and it was all over.  She refused to get in her starting position because, in her words, "That scary Man!"  

After I yelled, "She's scared of that man!"  Miss Shanda told Elvis to get behind the stage so Whitney couldn't see him.  It was too late.  Whitney was in tears and after being put into her starting position got up and ran across the stage.  She was bawling.  Of course, everyone in the audience got a kick out of this and were cracking up.  

Bart went and got her while the rest of her class did the routine.  Whitney was sad.  On the drive home she said, "I want to go to a different place for dance where there's not THAT man!"  

Needless to say, I didn't have to buy her a Barbie.  

Better luck next year, right?  :)

When we got home, Whitney put her costume back on and did the whole routine for us.  She knew it so well.  I'm a little sad I didn't get to see her perform on stage- mostly because Bart didn't get to see her dancing in class and this was going to be a fun thing for him to watch.  

I am proud of her for giving it a good try!  Like I used to say when I was her age, "There will be a better day to have fun."  

Here are some of the cute pictures that we took:

Our family of four

Mommy & Whitney:

 Daddy & Whit:

In the front yard:

Sammy, Stephanie, Whitney & Grandma Paxton

Being SO BRAVE!

Doing make up before the show: 

Sammy & Whit:

At home after the recital:

 Sammy wanted to try on the outfit:

This is that sad face.  Whitney at the dress-rehersal.

Bubba with Annette:

She still loves to dance!