Ella's Trampoline Tricks

Spinning

Ring Around the Roses

Grant's Trampoline Tricks

School Days

I completely spaced capturing Grant's first day of 1st grade on film, but luckily he needed a picture for an assignment. So, here is the 2nd Day of school in his favorite shirt (Star Wars).



Dallins latest trick - on purpose! He loves to climb and apparently his toys are more accessible when he is sitting on them. His latest trick is to scale up the sides of the banister (you know the one that goes on the outside of the stairs). Oh, and my least favorite is the one where he climbs onto a kitchen chair, stands up and rocks back and forth - just enough to not tip over - with the biggest grin on his face. That baby has no fear (unlike his mommy - eek).



Dallin at the park in all his cuteness.



How sweet is that face - I could totally see him wrapping me around his finger at some future date.



We had playgroup at the park and the organizer read stories and had bubbles for the children who were old enough. They loved it!

Nascar Speedway

In our attempt to beat the heat while Paul Mom was visiting, we went to a nearby mall and discovered this exciting place. Grant and Ella got wristband (2 for 1 that day) and got to go on as many rides as they wanted. They rode this one 5 or 6 times - it goes straight up, then down a little, then up a little, then down a little ...



This one just goes around and around - they only rode this one once.



Grant and Ella got to drive this one around a very small track. Grant did pretty good. Ella got stuck most of the time. I think she needs more practice with Grant's jeep.



You'll have to zoom in on this one, it's Baba Marti (Pauls Mom) and Grant racing on the outside family course.



And here's Ella and Paul. I think they won so the next time Baba Marti watched Dallin and I road with Ella. She kept asking me why we were going so slow. Paul lapped us 2 - 3 tmes. Apparently driving defensively does not pay off at the race course.

Rained Out Swimming Party

Paul took care of Dallin for most of the party - it is so nice to have a very supportive husband!



We had the kids decorate their lunch bags as they came in.
(L to R: Jacob, Grant, Sydney and Kathrine)



We rented our clubhouse and originally planned on letting the kids swim for our activity. However, the weather did not cooperate - serious thunder and lightning was hitting as we were setting up. I think the high that day was 68 - pretty cold for the end of July. At the last minute, Paul rented a movie to wait out the rain. This is a picture of the kids eating their sack lunches and watching a movie. It worked out nicely that most of the mom's got to chat while the kids ate. (A few brave children decided to swim when the thunder and lightning stopped, even though it was still sprinkling - brr!)



This is Ella's cute tiara that says birthday girl. (Which she only wore for blowing out her candle - silly girl.)



And here she is with her pink cupcake as we sing 'Happy Birthday'.

Staying Cool

We totally hogged the misting spot while waiting for Paul and Grant to return from Space Mountain. Ella just danced and Dallin loved getting wet. It was so hot - I'm pretty sure I saved my children from heat stroke and me from going insane.

Birthday Wishes

The day after we returned from Florida was Ella's birthday. We went swimming, had pancakes for dinner and she opened family presents. My mom got Ella this cute dress and Ella got these 'glass' slippers at Disney World. She was too cute not to pose.




My sister Sara bought Ella her first 'real' ballet outfits. She loves them and puts them on just whenever she feels the need to dance.

Splash Mountain

By far my most favoritest ride within both Disney's. We left Dallin at home with Paul's very kind Brother Ben and his wife Sarah (Johnson) and went back to Disney World to watch the fire works and use our hard earned fast passes for this ride. (It turned out that we didn't need them at 11pm - but I'm pretty sure we used them anyway.) It was so fun ... and so wet ... and so cold. Ella even kept her arms up during the big splash and yelled, "Yeah, Baby!"



This was taken on the ride - maybe just as we are about to go down, I don't even remember - it was pretty late.

Disney World

Ella was a little hesitant to pose with these characters. When I said that she (Ella) was just as beautiful as Cinderella, the Wicked Stepmother said, "Oh, don't flatter Cinderella - she (Ella) is much more beautiful."



This was a robotic, talking garbage can. It would talk to the kids and tell them to put trash inside. We're pretty sure that someone close by was controlling it but could never figure out who.



Ella is wearing her Aunt Sara's (Nelson) crown and posing on main street.



Dallin and Halle (cousin) chilling in line to meet the princesses.



Cute cousins!

Princesses Everywhere

Meeting with the princesses was so fun. All of the princesses were in character and spoke just like they did in the movies. Snow White asked Ella if the birds helped her do her hair. Ella is still very much in the princess stage and loves to dress up with her friends in her costumes (Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Jasmine). Then they climb to the top of their tower (little tikes toddler climbing/slide toy) and talk like princesses. I try to explain how she really is a princess because Heavenly Father is the father of her spirit. I'm not sure if any of that has really sunk in yet. For now, I will just enjoy her pretending.

The Beach

What a couple a cuties - ahh, the men in my life!



Yep, that would be sand going in his mouth - yuck!



Ella could have stayed all day - she loved everything there is about the beach.



Dallin kept us quite busy, as you can tell from this photo, he never stopped moving - even the waves could not curtail him.


The cousins. It was so fun for our kids to have cousins their same age to play with and I loved watching them interact. We all shared a huge house and it provided a lot of time to spend together. (The memories!)

Kennedy Space Center

Our future astronauts!


Dallin loved running and climbing - I'm pretty sure the rocket right above him was the inspiration behind it all.

Scrapes and Bruises

We have learned that training wheel and quick turns equal pain. Our family decided to participate in a Memorial Day (I know I am way behind) 5k run. Somehow he got the idea that it was a race and took an early lead but when he tried to use his brakes to slow down for a turn, the bike did not and he hit a curb with his front tire, flipped over the bike and landed on his feet/bum in the middle of a rose bush patch. He immediately jumped up and said, "I'm alright". A few moments later (when he saw the damage as we were washing him off), he cried and told us how painful all the scrapes were. This is him later that day after soaking in the tub for a good while. Two of the thorns were too deep to dig out and seem to be making there way out on their own - by request of Grant. I keep asking him to 'let me get them'. What a brave little boy.