Swimming Lessons

Wyatt finished his swimming lessons last week and he loved every single minute of it. He is a total water-bug and there were several times that Mom made him sit on the side so he could listen to his teachers because he just couldn't seem to keep his head up. Below is how he spent much of his time during class- seeing just how far out he could touch and then swimming back to the wall- too brave!!After lessons one day- Livvy always wanted to be right in on the action. She would count with his class and practice her 'big arms' and 'pizza arms' from the side.

Wyatt with his teacher- Aunt Fallon! It was great to have someone that knows all of Wyatt's quirks to help him learn to swim. She was great- Thanks Sis!Proud boy after he passed Level 1! He had every single skill that he needed to learn passed off- what a stud!

Just a couple of cute videos from a few days during lessons. The first is Wyatt jumping off the board and the second is Wyatt jumping in off the side and swimming to the edge. He usually swims better than that (although the video is still pretty great) but he knew I was video-ing him and he had to check on me half-way through.

Rodeo lovers

Earlier this year we took the kids to the High School Rodeo when it was in town, mostly because my sister Fallon was singing the National Anthem, but also because they love it so much. Just some cute pics of them in their chaps (pink chaps- who knew?). I love this picture of Wyatt and my dad. I'm pretty sure Grandpa was answering one of many questions from Wyatt :)

She takes it so literally

Poor Livvy just doesn't understand her mommy's weird sayings and she takes everything I say so literally. Yesterday she was being a slowpoke on the way to swimming lessons. I told her teasingly "I'm going to have to light a fire under your bum to get you moving little girl!". Last night she woke up screaming in the middle of the night. I ran into her room to comfort her and she kept saying "Mommy, don't light a fire on my bum- It will hurt so bad!"

I kept comforting her saying 'Of coarse I would never do that Livvy. Mommy didn't mean it like that."

Great Mothering Skills- wouldn't you say?

Still Kickin

I know that I've been lame with my blog posting lately, but I just haven't felt motivated- you know? We've been keeping busy doing the normal summer stuff- working in the yard- working in the garden- and visiting family. The kids and I spent 5 days in Tremonton this month helping Grandma Wendy get stuff prepared for Steven's wedding that is happening in 10 days!!! We're a little excited for that- and a bit stressed too. I'm making their wedding video, and I am feeling a huge need to complete it NOW!

Wyatt also started swimming lessons this week in Wendell. He's doing so great and loves every minute of it- especially jumping off the diving board. He just wishes that no one would catch him- no fear baby! I've got some videos and pictures and I will make a whole post on that.

We're 14 weeks now with baby #3- and just keep hoping that the sickness is going to start going away a little. I am feeling better than I was about a month ago, so I have hope that the end of that crap is coming sooner rather than later. The kids have been the best troopers. They are always very understanding of why mom is laying on the couch instead of playing with them and are great at entertaining themselves. They also both have favorite choices for baby names and Livvy especially, is quite adamant about them.

• Livvy's choice- "Baby Barbie"
• Wyatt's choice- "Baby Tonto"

I swear that he just calls it Baby Tonto to totally drive his sister bonkers :).

Shelby has been busy with work, his calling, and his "wild bird preserve". We've been on a few 4-wheel trips, but the darn rain has put a damper on that. Overall- just pluggin along. Hoping the sun comes out more in the next few weeks so we can get a tan and swim, swim, swim! Instead of puke, puke, puke! JK. Hope all of your summer is great as well!

The country way of life

On Mother's Day we got to talk to Shelby's little bro Shane on the phone. He's serving a mission in Canada and comes home in 4 months. I was telling him all about his brother's kinda funny new-found obsessions and hobbies and had to take some pictures of our hicks-in-the-sticks way of life. Below is Shelby's new chicken coop that he built. Well- one half is for chickens and one half is for the baby pheasants until they are big enough to move into the 'fly pen'. This is the fly pen. Shelby and the kids built it- complete with 'cover'. The cover is the rocks, trees, and branches that they hauled in and planted to give the birds some more landscaping. We also covered it with this special netting so they can not escape until Shelby is ready to let them go and shoot them :)

These are our chickens. They are getting pretty big! I guess the plan is to only keep 6 hens and 1 rooster and he'll slaughter the rest in the fall to eat????

Shelby built a large shop or 'shed' as he calls it a few months ago. It has a large room to hold all of Shelby's tools and projects and then another room that we use as our long-term storage room. It's getting there!

This is the 'orchard'. The picture only shows 2 trees, but we really have 2 apple, 2 peach, and 1 pear tree spread over the property.

Below is Shelby's raspberry patch. He transplanted a few and bought a few starts. These are his babies. You can't see them very well from the weeds surrounding them, but there are 12 in all.

I will later post a picture of the garden, which I am quite proud of considering this is my first true attempt at one. It's coming along great. It's so amusing to me to watch the things that my husband becomes interested in, but it's nice to kind of revert to a more simpler way of life in providing for yourself and not being so dependent on the outside world for your needs. It's a lot of work, but I think all the fruits of our labors will be yummy.

First Camping Trip

This last weekend Shelby and I took the kids about 30 minutes north of Gooding to Pioneer Campground just above Soldier Mountain for our first camping trip of the year. We had to be back for church on Sunday, so it was not even a 24 hour trip, but was just long enough to relax and get away for a bit. The kids loved sleeping in their 'camping house' and bunk beds. We roasted hot dogs, made s'mores, picked wildflowers and just relaxed. But more than anything we rode 4-wheelers! My kids are die-hards like their daddy. They could ride those things for HOURS. Literally- Livvy will stay on until she falls asleep while we are driving. It was so nice and relaxing to enjoy the mountain air with my kiddos on the back of my 4-wheeler. Livvy sang the entire 5 hours- until she fell asleep. And Wyatt would ask me a question every 45 seconds or so. :) Cute kiddos with their helmets they got for their birthday. Wyatt thinks his helmet is so cool that he wears it all the time. We stopped and explored several streams and rivers and the kids wanted to feel how cold the water was- many of them were very high and fast-flowing and not very safe for the kids to get near, so they enjoyed throwing rocks and sticks in this little one and feeling the "icy freezing cold water" as Wyatt called it.

Shelby is such an amazing husband and dad that truly enjoys taking his family for outing like this and loves giving his kids experiences in nature . He loves our company. I just realized this weekend what a huge blessing that is to our family- not everyone can say that. What a great guy- what a great campout.

Poor Broom- Dead Mouse

The other night after finally getting the kids to bed I was relaxing watching tv while Shelby was in the shower. He had just gotten out and was not quite dressed (it adds to the funniness). I suddenly saw a little mouse peek his head out from behind my tv. I freaked. I know- big baby. I am not afraid of spiders or bugs or other things that many women are scared of, but I DON'T DO MICE! I screamed loud enough that it scared the little rodent back behind the tv. Shelby ran to get the broom - this has always been his mice weapon of choice. I kept pointing out where it was running and Shelby kept trying to hit it and missing. I would scream and run the other way when I thought it was coming towards me and I know that I said more than anyone's share of swear words in that few minutes. But in my defense they were all said in a loud high pitched screaming voice and I'm sure that nobody could understand them anyway :). Shelby finally succeeded in killing the stupid little rodent after all my couches were upside down, both kids were awake and watching wide-eyed from their bedroom doors, and my poor broom looked like the above picture. It turns out that the nasty little creature had crawled up an extension cord that Shelby had snuck into the living room window and plugged into my house to be sure that his baby pheasants stayed warm. Of course I demanded that he unplug it and swore that I didn't care if all the dumb birds died- if I saw one more mouse in my house- He was going to have a crazy wife on his hands. He laughed so hard that I thought he was going to cry- GOING to have a crazy wife on my hands- he said? Over and over.

So- I don't like mice and I'm a little bit dramatic- that does not make me crazy. Right?