The {un}Lazy Days of Summer

We have been busy, busy this summer, checking off our bucketlist.  I don't think we've had a single day where we haven't had anything to do.  If we even THOUGHT about being bored, we'd have our cousins come play and enjoy the warm summer days.  I thought it would be a great idea to get a second job, so between both hospitals, and trading babysitting with Olivia, we've never had a dull moment.

It wouldn't be the 4th of July without the Oakley Parade and Independence Day festivities.

These 3 boys have spent almost everyday together this summer.  Popsicles and sprinklers kept them cool this day!

Jack did ACRO camp, Action Hero Camp, and Preschool Camp this summer.  Sadly, this was the only day I was able to come and take pictures of him, because of work:(

He learned how to do a headstand against the wall, and push up into a handstand.  Quite impressive!

We tried to make it to Seven Peaks a few times.  This day, most of our cousins came with us. 

Jack has been begging me to take him fishing this summer, so when I came home from work and saw THIS.....I was so happy that I didn't have to go and bait those slithery worms myself!

The boys went to tend the water with Grandpa.  He had to shut off the water from the river to the canal so it could be repaired.  When the water levels went really low, all these fish were swimming around their ankles, and they could reach down and catch them!  

Well, apparently Jack didn't dare catch them, but Grandpa and Noah did.  

What a catch!

I did get the unfortunate opportunity to prepare the fish to cook.  Yuck.  I've never done that before.  It was extremely tasty, though!

For the 24th of July, Kamas does a Kids Parade, where each community has a float.  The kids can ride it or their bikes down Main Street.  Jack was so excited to be in a parade and he rode his bike the entire time!

Playing in Grandma's backyard creek on a Sunday afternoon.  Jack was covered from head to toe in mud.  

Boy + Mud = FUN.

Hauling Hay on Bench Creek.  

I love hardworking men. Period.

Our Garden!

We are loving our garden and eating fresh veggies everyday.  We've had an overabundance of lettuce and spinach, which is great for Jack, the self-proclaimed "Salad Lover."

We yielded a few carrots.  Our zucchini and squash are plentiful, which is great for our family, since we do not like it, and it looks like we'll have a lot of pumpkins, too.

As much as I love summer, I have been feeling myself longing for fall for the past week.  I know it's right around the corner, so we better take advantage of these last few weeks to finish our Bucketlist!

Summer Bucketlist: Swimming Lessons and Baseball Game

Jack the fish finished swimming lessons this week.  He LOVED them and is getting so comfortable and brave in the water.  I really want him to do another session in the next level up, but I don't know how we can fit it into our busy schedule.  

"Mom, take a picture of me UNDER water!"

Certificate of Completion

 We also went to a BEES game this week using our Pass Of All Passes.  

It was a lot of fun.....that is....if you like paying $6 for a snowcone, yelling at your 4-year old to behave the entire time, and coincidentally sitting by a myriad of people that your date has previously been on a date with;)

Actually, it was really fun.  Such a fun atmosphere and perfect summer adventure!

Jack is so in the phase of pulling a face for EVERY picture....ugh...

Wanna know what's NOT on our summer bucketlist?

Doing our hair or looking decent in public.

Check. Check.

Summer Bucketlist: Plant a Garden

I LOVE summer!  We always have such big plans of wonderful adventures we want to fulfill, yet somehow summer slips by and we hardly ever left our backyard.(Not that that's a bad thing!)

So when I saw this cute Summer Bingo Bucketlist idea, I quickly printed it out and we filled up our circles with fun and exciting ideas.

 We got to work immediately with one of our ideas: Plant a Garden.

I've never planted a garden before, so I had to enlist some help.  My neighbor/bishop showed me how to use the tiller and Giselle gave me ideas of how to plant what I wanted.  Olivia gave me some strawberry starts, and I chose to plant lettuce, spinach, peas, carrots, squash, zucchini and pumpkins.

Jack chose to plant apple seeds.  He eats apples everyday and has been saving the seeds so he can grow an "apple bush."  Let's just hope he forgets about that one!

With any luck, we will be munching on yummy fresh veggies (and APPLES) soon!

aMAYzing adventures

I can't believe how quickly May flew by! We had such a fun and busy month, and we are already in full-swing with our summer activities.  Jack had his preschool graduation and dance concert.  I made cookies and chopped my hair.  See, I told you we were busy!

Last Day of Preschool

Preschool Graduation

Tacos y Sombreros for the Mexican Themed Grad Party

Jack, Gage Kunz, Logan McArthur

Jack and Ms Melissa McArthur

Do these not look JUST LIKE TACOS???!!!

Who Let The Dogs Out?!

Eli, Evan, Jack and Rajko

Short Hair...and Terrible Photo

New Baby Cousin Noelle

Memorial Day Hike, Knobletts

Super Heroes.

Being the Mom can be really hard work.

 I've had to call in reinforcements. 

The Super Heroes arrived just in time to save the day!  Order is restored and the battle against criminy(as Jack calls it), is won.  

 .....At least for now........

Faith, Fortitude, Fulfillment

My biggest fear since becoming a single parent is the effect the circumstances will have on Jack. I never pictured raising him without a father in the home everyday, and I worry all the time about how he is going to know how to be a good father, husband and priesthood leader without one in our home as his example. To be honest, those concerns were the main reason we left St. George and moved back to Kamas. I have 2 wonderful brothers, 3 amazing brother-in-laws and the best dad in the world to provide those examples for him when we would otherwise be hundreds of miles away form our family.

The outcome of being surrounded by these great men has been better than I could've imagined it. Each one is so caring to Jack and is always so helpful with him whenever we're around. Whether its taking him on Father and Son campouts, wrestling/rough-housing with him or taking him to feed cows, they are always there to help.

Last night, in a miraculous event, he actually ASKED to have a sleepover with his cousins. I beg him every weekend to sleep there so he won't have to wake up at 5:45 AM when I leave for work, but he refuses to sleep away from his mommy...awwww...After I told him he could sleep there, he got really excited and said,

"I bet Uncle Rick will let me ride around on his back! That's what he does to Eli and Noah."

As always, I love listening to General Conference and being uplifted by the inspired words that are spoken. I was elated to hear a talk directed to single parents during the Saturday session by David Baxter. It was the perfect thing for me to hear and I have been studying it deliberately since.

Elder Baxter says,

"Although you may at times have asked, why me? it is through the hardships of life that we grow toward godhood as our character is shaped in the crucible of affliction, as the events of life take place while God respects the agency of man. As Elder Neal A. Maxwell commented, we cannot do all the sums or make it all add up because "we do not have all the numbers."

Whatever your circumstances or the reasons for them, how wonderful you are, day to day you face the struggles of life, doing the work that was always meant for two, but doing it largely alone. You have to be the father as well as the mother. You run your household, watch over your family, sometimes struggle to make ends meet, and miraculously you even find the wherewithal to serve in the Church in significant ways. You nurture your children. You cry and pray with them and for them. You want the very best for them but fret every night that your best may never be good enough.

This is not exactly what you had hoped or planned, prayed for or expected, when you started out years ago. Your journey through life has had bumps, detours, twists and turns, mostly as the result of life in a fallen world that is meant to be a place of proving and testing.

With God's help, you need not fear for the future. Your children will grow up and call you blessed, every single one of their many achievements will stand as a tribute to you.

Heaven will smile upon you. Truly you are not alone. Let the redemptive, loving power of Jesus Christ brighten your life now and fill you with hope of eternal promise. Take courage. Have faith and hope. Consider the present with fortitude and look to the future with confidence."