4th of July

I love the 4th. I have always loved all the celebrations that go with it.
This year for the first time since we have been married we stuck around for the 4th. Typically we go up camping for the weekend, but with it being on Wednesday and Brandon only getting one pathetic day off, we hung out around here.
On the 3rd Gunnison had their concert and fireworks show. They had Restless Heart, which we love, come to do the show. It was great. Good music, good weather, good company. We went with all of Brandon's family. The night was perfect fun. I loved watching the kids play. Especially Kyler. He is a one of a kind kind of kid. He was dancing like a fool, running all over the place, and throwing his glow sticks with the best of them.
The next morning we went to the "candy" parade. This is what we call parades now. A) they throw absurd amounts of candy at parades now. B) the main point of the parade is to throw candy, or at least that is how is seems. No super fancy floats like we had as kids, just trucks/tailors with kids or people on them. But, nevertheless it was fun and both kids enjoyed themselves.
Now this is when we usually take off, but we decided to go the park for a couple hours and let kyler spend some tickets. We only lasted an hour, only played on game of fishing pond, waited forever in a line to ride a train for 2 minutes, it was hot, both kids were exhausted from the late night before. So we bought snow cones for me and Brandon, popcorn for Kyler and Brooklyn and headed home. Layed them down for naps, and did yard work.
The we decided last minute ot drive up to my family's cabin in Fairview to check on it after the fires got so close. Everything looked great. We threw rocks in the lake, got muddy feet and hands. Then headed back home in time for Brandon to help take flags down.
Perfection.
Happy Fourth!

This boy and his "B"

Get Daddy!!

This girl and her Blankey

Community snow cone

She enjoyed the concert as well. She clapped her hands and did some head banging as well

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 The fireworks freaked Brooklyn out. She was having serious panic. She wasn't happy with me, not with daddy. Finally grandpa offered to take her just cause she was in so much panic, and we went. Knocked me and Brandon's right off our feet. She has been sooooo clingy lately with her teething that she wont go to anyone but me or Brandon. Shocker. But she was happy with him. Content as can be. In fact when Papa had to go back to directing traffic she wasn't happy to go back to daddy.

Some pre-parade sugar breakfast

he was so excited

The only semi- successful picture of several we took at the cabin.

Fun Fridays

My goal for the summer was to take and do things with my kids on Fridays...fun things. Things NOT at our house that we are typically under house arrest in beucase i have up to 6 other kids with us for daycare. I took Fridays off for the summer and i LOVE it. I did it last year too, but that was cause i had a new baby, this year, its to party and have fun. I take my soon-to-be-niece on Fridays, her mom is marrying Brandons brother. She comes along on the fun. She doesnt complain.
The first Friday (June 1) we had the valley did Dairy Days. The kids loved seeing all the farm animals. Loved attempting to pet them. :) Loved milking a cow for real. Loved the bounce houses and digging in wood chips for money, free creamies and string cheese. Brookies favorite was the wood chips, but mostly free creamy i let her devour and make massive messes with in my stroller!

The next Friday I was still very sick, and was getting ready to leave that night for SLC for Quinns special day and packing for our Powell Trip. Good excuse i know.

The next Friday: Powell. You already saw our million pictures from that.

On the 22nd we went to the Manti Aquadics Center. Awesome fun. Loved it. Went with a friend and her cute kiddos. Which is so perfect so one of us can take our fearless 3 year olds down the slide. No pictures to document it, but it happened, and we had fun...on a friday.

On the 29th We (and by we i mean me Kyler, Kyra, and Brooklyn) went to swim lesson, hurried back, dropped off some kiddos we took to lessons that day grabbed some chicken nuggets and French Fries and headed to Palisade State Park(its just 20 minutes away). Its so much fun. We need to go back, this time bringing shade. :) They kids loved the water. Loved they could see little fishys in the water. Loved trying to catch them. Brooklyn is a crack up people. Crack Up! her cheesey grin kills me. I love her. Love her to death.

Not Fishy Water Lessons

So our funny son distigusihes water by fish...fishy water, or not fishy water. The past 2 weeks I took him (and 6 other daycare kids, insanity i know) to swim lessons in Manti. It was so great. I wanted Kyler to get lessons outside. Gunnison has a pool, but its indoors and there is nothing fun about swim lessons indoors when its 100 degrees outside....so we made the 20 minute trek with a full car to Manti for a half hour lesson to come back. SO WORTH IT!
Kyler loved his teacher. He loved the not fishy water (he wont swim in fishy water volunteraly, we have to make him get in). He was a quiet the fish in not fishy water.
He was all smiles. He lucked out and had 2 other friends in his class. He was so confident, fearless, and all boy. I love watching him learn, and give someone else a run for their money. :) His teacher said he was her favorite student cause he is so hilarious. Oh i can already see the future parent teacher conferences, "Marci, he cant sit still, he loves to talk, he is a sweet boy, but man that kid never stops moving and never stops making people laugh with his crazy ways." Yup, mark my words, its coming. The future class clown, Kyler Brandon Childs.
Anyway, he is sad they are over. I am sad they are over, he and all the kids would come back so nice and tired. Slightly ornery, but calm and would go down for naps in 2 minutes flat! :)
Here is my fishy boy:

he has a hard time focusing on the task

yup still out doing his own thing

focused and swimming...he did so well

This was a break through, he was freaked to lay in the water

blowing bubbles

Still Blowing bubbles (he did this non-stop)

"Mommy did you see, did you see? Ta-Da!!!"

Up the stairs to the slide (he was stoked for free swim day the last day. This teacher kid took him atleast 7 times)

Loved it!

4 of the 6 on the last day..not the greatest picture.

So Long, Farewell

Mom and Gaylens farewell was on June 24th. They did such a great job speaking. I love listening to them. So much wisdom. So much faith. I have so much to do to become like my mom. She prepared like crazy for the luncheon. We had the Petersen Family coming down, Burton Family coming down, plus the Rees family, and the Neilson family too. Yup thats lots of family. I love it.

My momma, she is so fun, so beautiful.

My mom and Grandpa. Look how happy. It makes me happy.

cant help but to put a picture of this beauty in the mix

Jake and Uncle Gene

Kyler loved playing with Kyle...What a cool big cousin.( i guess that is what he would be, he is my cousin)

I stole this picture from Kim, it makes my heart happy. I love my grandpa

Uncle Mark, he played the piano on and off through the day. Perfection.

Preparation

Uncle Fred playing with mister Ky

My Petersen family. Miss them all so much.