A Camping We Will Go..

   We took our 1st family camping trip this week.  We headed up Farmington Canyon and found a nice shady spot at Bountiful Peak Campground.  Not quite what Logan was visioning, but it worked out really well.  

2 Kids + LOTS of dirt + laid back mom and dad = a FUN camping trip

Sophie spent much of the day and evening digging in this sandy dirt.  She was looking for treasure!

Both kids were so dirty--I seriously don't think either one of them had ever been so dirty.  I guess that means they had a good time, right?

We took a hike, which didn't really go as planned.  Sophie refused to walk and then later needed to go potty and wasn't thrilled about becoming one with mother nature.  Therefore our hike was cut short in order to make it back to the potty seat set up at camp:)

Good times at camp!

Collin held onto this box of Rice Krispy Treats all night long.  He didn't want to eat one, but he had to hold them.

We roasted hot dogs, and made s'mores.  The kids were eating all night long.  I didn't take a picture, but Collin had set up his own camp on the table surrounded by chips, chocolate, marshmellows, graham crackers, and apple juice!

Sophie felt more at home once we discovered a pen and paper in the car.  She could color her life away, she seriously loves it.

There never have been 2 kids more excited to go to sleep.  They could not wait to get in the tent-- We wouldn't let them in it because of all the dirt they were covered in.  Once they got in, they were bouncing off the walls.  After finally getting the kids to sleep, I was thinking this might not be too bad--despite the hard ground that my pregnant self was not too thrilled about sleeping on!  After several hours, Collin woke up crying.  We got him settled down and then Sophie woke up crying to go home to her own bed.  She cried for probably a half hour before going to sleep and was up off and on throughout the night.  We also had a racoon rummaging through our camp.  Needless to say we were all pretty tired the next day!  Despite this, it was a fun camping trip and one that I hope we try again (this time with an air mattress!)

A Nice Sunday Evening

Last Sunday after a relaxing day at home, I was feeling itchy to get out of the house.  We decided to go to Temple Square and walk around--it had been a while since we had been there.  The evening was so nice.  The weather was cool (a little windy and rainy) and it was just so nice to get out with the family and enjoy each other on the grounds of the Temple.  I think this was probably the kids most favorite visit to Temple Square.

Both kids loved the fountains and had fun splashing in the water--maybe too much fun!

Sophie is just about impossible to take pictures of lately.  I usually have to bribe her our catch her off guard.  This is the only picture we got of her that is in focus.  She is constantly moving!

Happy July 24th!!

Pioneer Day is a big celebration here and I look forward to it every year.  This year was no exception.  We were lucky too, because Logan was able to spend the holiday with us.  We started our celebrating the night before at a local parade with my Mom and Dad.  It is a good parade, with lots of great floats and marching bands.  However, it might be getting too much for me--it was such a fight to get seats and a constant fight for candy, which Sophie was living for!



Even my Grandpa was able to make it to the parade this year!  It was fun having him there too!  On the 24th, I spent most of the day cleaning our house (which had become a disaster) and later that night our friends Jeff and Mindy and their cute little boy, Owen came over for a BBQ and fireworks.  It was an enjoyable night with friends.

Our Firework show was spectacular!  It was drawing all of the neighbors overs.  Here is Sophie and Naiih (her friend from across the street) enjoying the show.

Here is mom and Collin.  Collin was a bit afraid of fireworks this year, but was so brave.  He would sit on my lap and hold onto my hands or cover his ears and shout "Fireworks don't scare me!"  Cute kid!

Baby Oh Baby!

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice, That's What Little Girls Are Made Of!  

We have thought all along that we were having a baby girl, and our suspicions were confirmed today when we had our ultrasound.  We are officially having a healthy baby girl.  It will be so fun to have another girl in the family.  Both of the kids are excited and I know that Sophie will love having a sister (eventually!).  We brought home a picture of the baby for each of them to have and Collin kept lifting up my shirt trying to "see" the baby.  I think that he is understanding that we are having a new baby--at least a little.

Now to come up with a name!  Logan and I each have one that we love so we will have to battle it out for the winner.  I suggested arm wrestling and the winner gets to choose the name, until I realized that I would lose for sure.

Neighborhood Pioneer Day Celebration!

Last night was our Neighborhood Pioneer Day Celebration put on by our ward.  It was so much fun.  The evening started out with a Children's Parade.  There were so many kids that spent a lot of time decorating their bikes, scooters, and strollers.  Sophie and Collin enjoyed covering their stroller with blue crepe paper and then a few minutes later, ripping it off!  During the parade, Sophie was really into waving and saying "HI" to all of the spectators.  After the parade everyone met at a neighborhood park and ate, played games, got wet, and of course socialized.

Here is Sophie and Collin enjoying their plated full of chips and cookies!  You can't really tell from the picture, but there were so many people.  Our blanket became Collin's safe spot.  If he ventured far from it or me he would start crying.

There was a fish pond, slippery slide, candy cannon, and face painting.  So much fun for the kids.  Sophie and Collin loved the fish pond.  Sophie figured out how to swap prizes and went back and traded hers two or three times until she found a prize that she thought was worthy of coming home with her!

Here is Collin looking handsome in his prize from the fish pond!  It was a fun night with fun people.  The kids were worn out afterwards which makes bed time so much better:)

PaRtY tImE!

We celebrated Collin's birthday on Saturday with both sets of grandparents and Logan's sister, Andrea, and her husband who were visiting from Seattle.  It was a Thomas party and everyone, especially Collin, had a good time.  Collin was so excited he could hardly wait for his party to start!

Here is the birthday boy!  Let the party begin!

Collin was so excited to open his presents.  They were tempting him all morning.  He loved opening them and he had a ton.  It seemed just like Christmas.  What a lucky boy!

This trumpet was a hit.  It was actually a present given to Sophie by Logan's mom, however both kids love it and Sophie won't let it out of her sight.  This is probably one of the only times Collin has been able to use it.  I didn't get a picture of Collin with his presents, but he loved them too.  He got lots of cars, books, trains and clothes.

The cake!   Collin loved the cake and was so excited for this part of his party.  This was the first time I didn't stay up all night making one.  I must say that it was so nice not to stress about how the cake was turning out.

Collin sang Happy Birthday to himself like a champ and gave blowing out the candles a great big blow, however his sneaky older sister managed to blow them out before he had the chance.  He was still happy with the outcome though and was ready to eat cake!

Happy Birthday bud!

2 Today!

Holy cow, I can't believe that my baby boy is 2 years old already.  I can remember the day he was born like it was yesterday.  He is growing and changing so much.  I must admit that he is much easier today than he was back then and for that I am grateful.  I love Collin so much and and am so very grateful that he is a part of our family.  Life wouldn't be the same without him.

Here is some interesting things about Collin at 2 years old:

• Favorite Foods:  Collin loves frozen bean burritos, chili, fresh fruit, vegetables, yogurt, ice cream, and treats of any kind.
• Likes: "B Lovey" (which is his binky and a burp rag), cars and trucks, animals (especially the elephant), reading books, playing with Sophie, playing outside, playing in the sand, and coloring.
• Dislikes: Collin hates being told "No", getting his hair washed, wearing a bib, and being left out of the action--he wants to be doing just what everyone else (especially Sophie) is doing.
• Commonly Used Words and Expressions: Collin can say most anything, but these are a few of the things that he says all of the time-- "Logan!", "My name is Collin Curtis", " It Is!", "No like it", "Ya", "No take a nap", " Love you", and "Be right back".

Happy Birthday Collin!  I hope that you have a special day and know just how much you are loved by everyone.

Road Trip

We took our first road trip last week to St. George with our good friends the McReavy's and their family.  We stayed in their super nice condo and enjoyed the relaxation and the heat.  It was so hot, therefore we spent a lot of time in the pool!  The kids did awesome on the drive thanks to a borrowed DVD player--it was a lifesaver.  Once in St. George we swam, took lots of naps, saw Kung Fu Panda, went to a 4th of July carnival, swam some more, created our own firework show, and took a trip down to Vegas.  It was so nice to get away and spend some good quality family time together.  

The kids loved the blow up slides at the carnival.  They went over and over again!  Collin also loved the swings.  He doesn't get to go high too often on swings because we don't have baby swings at the park near our house.  He was laughing away!

The kids were so excited to do fireworks.  We did a pre-show a couple of days before we left at our house--it left them anxiously awaiting more.  Sophie was thrilled when we bought them.  She took them to her room and insisted that she take a nap with them.

A family photo shoot.  Sophie was insistent that she not have her picture taken, hence Logan practically tying her down.

The kids enjoying the games at Circus Circus.  Daddy won them each a stuffed animal!  They couldn't have been happier--oh wait, there were many tears due to the fact that dad didn't win exactly the right stuffed animal!

The carousel at Circus Circus.

The Parade!

I love July because of all of the activities that take place throughout the month.  I have always loved parades and fireworks and I look forward every year to taking my kids to these event.  It is fun to experience their excitement with them.  We were lucky enough to see a 4th of July parade before we left on our vacation to St. George.  The kids and I went to the West Bountiful parade with my parents and then enjoyed a yummy BBQ.  The parade was shorter this year, but there was no shortage of candy.  Both Sophie and Collin brought home a gallon size Ziploc bag full of candy.  These are some cute shots of the kids in their "parade clothes" enjoying the parade.  The only thing missing was Logan.  I was sad that he had to work this year, but it was still a lot of fun.

Good Times in Colorado

After our failure of making it on our flight for Father's Day, Logan talked me into trying it one more time.  This time around the flights were looking better, and I actually had Logan to help me in the airport and on the flight to Colorado.  It was fun for the kids to see their Dad at work and to experience flying "high in the sky!"  Sophie loved the little things about flying--the "pop" as the landing gear raises and lowers, the briefing card, and the shade on the window.  Both kids were wonderful on the plane and I might even think about doing it again.

Once in Hayden, we had a blast doing nothing special.  We went swimming, spent some time at a taxidermy (the kids thought it was just as great as the zoo), and played at the park.  It was fun just being together as a family, when normally we wouldn't have been.

We ate at a Mexican restaurant that had these saddles.  The kids thought they were great!

The park we went to had these teeter totters.  Sophie and Collin had never been on one and couldn't seem to get enough of them.

Water Fun!

The kids love swimming and playing with the water in our yard.  A couple of Sundays ago, the kids went outside and were gone for quite a while.  Logan and I were enjoying the solitude and didn't want to disturb their play so we put off checking on them.  When we did, we found both kids drenched from the hose.  They were having the time of their lives.  

These are just some cute pictures from a few of our water play dates outside!  It is so nice to be able to cool off on these HOT days.  There have been a few times when I have wanted to jump in with them!  When we go to the swimming pool, Collin is afraid of the water and doesn't have too much fun however, in our yard he loves it and gets right in, especially if the water is warm!