Floats, Faces and Fun

Ok, I have been working on this post for an hour! I keep deleting pictures and text everytime I try to align the post! So, it's now going to be a couple of posts...hopefully it makes sense!

Wednesday, more piano teaching, Cozette's mom came to pick up the kids around 1:30pm, and Brandon got to go to Matthew's birthday at Lil' Flippers! He had a blast! Finally, Mike came home from Grand Junction. He was completely worn out. I was a little worried about him driving home!
Amanda got to drive while Sydney was knee boarding!

Thursday, we got the big Fat Boy order. Amanda's comp soccer team had a fundraiser selling Fat Boys. She did really well and thanks to all that ordered from her! But, now she had to deliver as many of the 22 boxes as she could because we don't have an outside freezer! We decided that we needed to make a run to Salt Lake that night. The girls and I headed south and Mike & Brandon delivered a couple to work people. We had about 4 left from the neighborhood to deliver by the time we were done. Some creative packing of our little inside freezer and we were set!

Brandon being a monkey!

Hugs for Dad!

Friday, we needed a dinner out! We have been sooo good about not eating out as much. So, we headed for our favorite, sushi! It was so delish! Saturday, we got up really early and headed to Echo to go boating. Amanda wakeboarded first and she now understands why Dad likes to ski the early morning water. She even got outside the wake! Yea! The water stayed so nice for a long time! Sydney tore it up on the knee board and then they tubed! Mikey got out on the tube this trip. We had a great, great day on the lake! It started getting really crowded around 12:30, so we pulled the boat out and headed to Taggarts for lunch. When I put our name on the waitlist, the guy told me 30 minutes. So I headed back to the car with the family to find a parking place. Apparently, the parking there is also used for the groups running the Weber river. We were trying to find a spot big enough for us and the boat we were towing! It didn't take 30 minutes, but it took a bit. By the time we got back to Taggarts, the guy had already called our name! He put us back on the list and we waited and waited. We were so starving by now-it was probably 2pm and we had only had breakfast at 6:45 am and shared some beef jerky on the boat. Brandon was losing it and the girls were tired and hungry. Finally, he called us back and we enjoyed really yummy food and saw a couple of neighbors (Lallis and Browns) to boot!

After getting home, putting the boat back in storage, and grabbing a quick nap, we headed to the fireworks stand and bought some more fun for our day! We just sat out on our driveway and watched our fireworks and could see the neighbor's doing some more illegal ones-so we got quite a show! Then, we also saw two police cars drive by....soon, the neighbor's firework shows ceased and we just sat and talked as a family on the driveway on this great night! It was a perfect end to a great week!

Now, Mike is back in Grand Junction....

Week/month in Review

I have been thinking a lot today about our summer. It seems to have been short because June was sooo rainy, but then it seems like it's been long now that we are in the middle of July. Maybe I just have two personalities....hee, hee.

This will be a dry post. Mostly just for journaling purposes. Sometimes I forget to write down the everyday stuff and someday someone might find that interesting. Someday, I might just need to know a date that something happened....

We have mostly been home during the day. Amanda has been home more (due to girls and their friend issues.....they never end), and instead of pushing her out the door, I have been enjoying the time that she is home. The older she gets, I know that she'll be off doing things and not being home. So, I have chosen to chat with her and enjoy the time. Today, she did go swimming with Hanalee H. These two haven't hung out in awhile, so I'm glad to see them doing that today.

Amanda has been tending the Bott's baby, Ella, who is just tiny....we're talking 8 weeks old, maybe? She tends Monday, Tuesday and Wednesdays from 7:15am to about 1:30ish. It's a great job for her. I'm sure it's teaching her a lot, but it's a lot of responsibility-so she took this week off. I stay home while she's tending, in case she needs help. I have gone to help a few times or watched the baby when Amanda has soccer, and it's fun. She's so cute and cuddles. But, it does make me glad we are done. I don't think I could start over now. Our kids are at great ages.

Amanda also has soccer speed training and soccer practice. She had a fundraiser, selling Fat Boys, and it was a blessing to get some help with the fees! Thanks to all our wonderful family, friends and neighbors who purchased the yummy ice cream!

Both girls have done another art class. I am trading piano lessons for art lessons and so the girls are getting 3 sessions this summer. They love art and are quite good! They must have a little Grandma Gib in them!

Sydney has been helping our neighbor, Natalie, playing with her 21 month boy, while she feeds her newborn twin boys. She's quite overwhelmed....who wouldn't be. So, Sydney heads over there when Natalie doesn't have someone there to help. Nat says she's been helpful. I think it's great service. Natalie and Chris keep asking what they can do for Sydney and she's good and just says nothing! I like to play with Drake! Her bff, Abby, is back now and so they have been having a great time playing! Today we went to lunch with her and Rachel, Lucy, & Brooks. It was fun, but short as Brooks threw up! Poor kid!

My friend, Elise and I got pedi's last week. It was so nice to chat with her while we got our feet pampered! I was using my Mom's day gift card and so it was even better! Then, all spa services were 20% off for July! Jackpot!



Saturday, Mike took Amanda to the Justin Bieber concert (see post), I dropped Sydney and Brandon off at Roger's house for Elyse's swim bday party and I headed to Rachel Medina's baptism. It was so great to be there with with Staci and her family...and so great to see Bud & Kay. We love them so much. Kevin did a great job and we headed to their house afterward for yummy lunch and Michele's Vintage Cupcake mini-cakes. Yum! My parents came up to Staci's after Elyse's party and brought Sydney and Brandon with them. It was fun to visit with my parentals, too. I love them so much, too! Sydney showed off her cute tie-dyed t-shirt she had made in activity days. It looks professional! Everyone said that Mike gets 'father of the year' award for taking Amanda to the concert!

I also saw a new doc who is all about getting my thyroid, hormones and weight under control! I was feeling relief after chatting with him. It's a continuing saga....my vitamin D was way low again, so I'm back on some super-supplements.

Sunday, Mike had to go to Grand Junction, CO. Their manager over there died in his sleep. He was 58. Scary. So, Mike has to go help get things moved around and under control. He'll probably be there next week, too. He works so hard. We can never thank him enough. I hope someday he can get the rest and relaxation he so deserves!

I had recipe group on Tuesday night. It was good to get there this month. We did freezer meals for Natalie. We learned how to make Nicole's mom's 1 hour bread. Yum! We stayed later than usual and it was great! My cute girls watched Makell's, Beckham, so she could come. Not that it was hard. He and Brandon hung out and did Star Wars stuff. I love Star Wars!

Yesterday, I taught piano, took dinner to the Taylor's and got the house ready for Mikey to get home! He drives when he goes to Grand Junction. It makes me nervous. So, I'm always relieved when he makes it back. I was a crying mess when he left on Sunday.

We are looking forward to the last day of art (I'll have to post their pictures), boating tomorrow night and a hot, but great, weekend! Mike will probably go to G.J. on Sunday again. We are going to have Rog & Coze's kids sleep over while Coze goes to girl's camp (she's the new YW pres in her ward-so both of them are going), the Pioneer Days float preview with the cousins, and Brandon has a couple of birthday parties to go to. So far, we haven't done anything on our list of stuff to do during the summer....better get busy on that!

So, if you read this far, congrats....it's over.

1st time at Echo!

On Friday, we took our friends the Francis' up to Echo. Amanda also took a friend, Brinley. Syd, Brinley and Amanda....I made Amanda wear a shirt because her elbows and shoulders were still raw (serious scabs! Poor girl!) from Monday's boat trip. She didn't like it much, but it helped.
When we first got there, it was sooo windy! I thought we weren't going to be able to get behind the boat at all. Mike told the girl at the gate to make the wind stop and she said she would do the wind dance. It must have worked because after about a 1/2 hour, the wind died down and we were one of two boats on the lake! This is why we LOVE Echo!

My handsome man, Captain Mike

Zoe, Sydney and BrinleyTaylor, Casey and Amanda

Nicole and Kash

Kash and Casey with Taylor in the background

We just rode the tube for most of the night. I went out with Brandon and Zoe. Thanks to Mike's smooth ride, the kids were super brave and were doing tricks like standing up, turning around and showing off. They didn't want to get back in the boat!

Then, the other kids took a nice long turn. We were losing sunlight when Amanda decided she wanted to wakeboard. So, we got her set and she got to ski in while the sun was setting. Beautiful sunset and a beautiful girl!

We almost made it to Taggart's before the closed, but not quite. It's a little restaurant in Taggart that has great desserts and a beautiful setting nestled in the mountain. So, we made our usual stop at the 7-11 in Morgan for some slushies and ice cream. I love this boating tradition. I'm pretty sure the kids and Mikey love it, too. I would do this every night because it's so fun to be together as a family enjoying the great outdoors! We were so glad the Francis' could come. They are a fun family!

Bieber Fever

Just a quickie: Mike took Amanda and her friend, Liz, to the Justin Bieber concert tonight...well, I guess it was yesterday now as I'm posting at 12:15am.
Mike took the girls to dinner at Ruby River and then headed to the E Center.
Can you just see the joy in their faces?

Amanda has been working and saving up her babysitting money so she could go to this concert. She even bought her own concert t-shirt. We are so proud of how hard she has worked and that she paid her own way.
They had great seats and even moved closer to the stage. Amanda said Justin looked right at them! "Squeal!" So cute...Mike said they were really cute dancing and running back and forth from their closer seats back to him. What a great memory!

Final Fourth

Yea for a holiday Monday! It was so great to have Mikey home for the holiday! We were able to play all weekend and it did all of us some good.

We finally were able to take the boat out for the first time this summer. It rained all of June and then we had to get some repairs done on the boat. So, this was the first chance we had. Normally, we would not go on a holiday, but decided to try Willard. Mike called our nephews, Brock and Corvin and they met us there. It was fun to see them. It had been awhile. Mike was in his element, teasing the kids with the music he would choose and his dancing! It's fun when your kids start to get embarrassed! We put on Miley Cyrus' Party in the USA and would sing and dance.

This red and yellow balloon thing is a Christmas present that Mikey got. It holds the rope up out of the wake and helps with the splash in the face factor. We love it! It just makes it harder to take pictures....

It was warm, but not hot and not too crowded until later that day. The kids tubed, went swimming and just had a great time. Mike took Brock, Amanda and Corvin for some great tube rides. Brandon, Sydney and I did some great, mellow rides. Sydney did venture out with Corvin and Amanda a couple of times.

The boys had to leave around 2pm, and so our little family stayed on the lake a little longer. Pretty soon, the water was so choppy from so many boats there that we decided it wasn't going to get better and we loaded up and left. Mike decided we needed sushi for dinner and no one complained! We stopped at Tepanyaki and sat at the sushi bar. Amanda and Brandon can pound sushi rolls. Sydney tried one, but she doesn't love it. She's a good sport to put up with us.

I would love to do this everyday!

More fourth

The fun thing about the 4th being a Sunday this year, is that we got to party for 3 days! On Sunday night, the neighbors invited us to see more illegal fireworks. It was going to be on our street, but then they changed locations to a circle in the neighborhood. We got there and get settled and the show began. Brandon had fun running around with his buddies from playgroup. Amanda and Sydney hung out with me and Mike chatted with the menfolk.

The fireworks were awesome. We could see the neighbors behind us also doing illegal fireworks and could hear more on the other side of the neighborhood. After a particularly impressive display, a car drove into the circle. As it circled, we could see that it was a Davis County Sheriff. The female officer rolled down her window and echoed what I thought of the last fireworks we witnessed, "What an impressive display!" Then, the guy responsible for our fun, went up to the Sheriff and chatted. They told him, hurry it up because Kaysville Police have been dispatched and were on their way! Ann, took this picture of John (her hubby), talking to the police. Well, this threw all the kids into a panic! They couldn't believe the police were there! Doug, whose lawn we were all on kidded for all of us to move to the neighbor's lawn and get out of his yard! So, John set off a bunch more...very cool finale and then we cleaned up. The Sheriff stopped at the other two houses also and warned them to stop. Very exciting evening!!

The Fourth-Kaysville Style

Sydney and Brandon in the back. Taylor, Everett and Zoe up front

This year for July 4th, we went to the Kaysville Parade with the Francis' and Brown's. The kids got a good spot right down front. The rest of us were back under the shade tent. There were quite a few kids in the parade this year that we knew, so it was fun to yell out to them.

It's always a little crazy with the kids all scampering about gathering the candy that is being thrown from the floats, cars and firetrucks.

But the real highlight of the parade is the water fight afterwards. This year, Mike was in payback mode to Casey who initiated him the first year we attended, by dumping a huge cooler full of water all over Mike. Mike took a huge cooler full of water and was sneaking up on Casey, but Casey turned around in time and only got half of Mike's payback. (Casey is in the middle by the blue umbrella, Mike is in the red hat behind the guy in the red shirt-it was the best I could do).

Then, Sydney suggested that we take another cooler of water and dump it on Mike....so I did and I got him! He, of course, retaliated and I got pretty wet, but not as bad as Mikey!
Here's Syd after getting squirted by the firetruck. My favorite is the street cleaner that squirts everyone. Good times....

Amanda getting Brandon a little wet.....Brandon loved it this year!

Afterward, Nicole treated us to a great lunch and Lindsay made some really cool red, white and blue drinks. When it was time for fireworks, we again headed to the Francis' who treated us to some legal and illegal fireworks. Brandon kept saying, "We are going to see the illegal fireworks!"

Dad's new firepit!

We are having user-error issues with the camera...no flash. Anyway, last night Mikey fired up his new fire pit that we gave him for Father's Day. It was awesome! Amanda's friends were here and we did s'mores. After they left, we sat around as a family (including Max) and listened to Sydney sing her version of 'The Ants Go Marching In'....and hung out chatting. Soon, (about 11pm), Brandon was begging to go to bed. I took him in and the girls and Mike stayed out until the fire was out. He started telling them ghost stories.

I loved every minute of it and can't wait to do it again!

There is a cute smile on this boy's face.....too bad you can't see it!

Summer stuff-not quite a week in review

See this? It's Sydney and Abby climbing over the neighborhood common area fence to go to the fort! Over the fence is the rail trail....the city/county/state...I'm not sure whom...has been covering over 'out of use' train tracks with asphalt to make walking/biking trails. It's a great asset to our little community and gets used constantly. Past the rail trail is a farm (which we hope stays a farm-it has cows and sheep!), but the kids have discovered a spot in the trees where they could make a fort. There have been a few power struggles between kids in the neighborhood whose fort it is, but I think my kids and their friends keep coming out on top.

So, Sydney's bff, Abby, has been on her grandparent's ranch forever. Well, it feels like forever. They were supposed to be gone for 3 weeks. But, her great-uncle just died, so everyone came back to the Wasatch Front for the funeral. Yea for us! I hope that's not irreverant...but we miss Abby! Abby missed Sydney, too. She would call everyday from the ranch. Well, Wednesday, that call included the information that Abby was going to be home for a couple of days! YEA! Rachel, Ab's mom, dropped her at our house as soon as they got in the neighborhood, the girls played, had a sleepover, got up and played, went across the street to the Morgan's who just had twins-to help tend/play with their 2 year old, played, went to Abby's grandma's to swim, came home played and then Abby had to leave.

So, now we are in mouring again. Sydney has called a bunch of girls and everyone is busy.....it's going be a long week and a half!

Randoms

I found some pictures on the camera of what Sydney and Brandon did to keep themselves busy when I was at camp. Gma Arvy brought up a little craft project and they used the leftover stickers to decorate Brandon's face! They were so excited to show me! Sydney really missed me while I was at camp. She was hysterical the night before saying this is the worst thing a child can go through is to have their mom leave them for camp. She kept hoping that one of the girls would get so homesick that I would have to bring said girl home. I had many messages on my cell phone (I didn't have cell service) and as soon as we got cell service on the way home, Sydney was calling me. I'm so glad that she loves me so much!!! (I'm going to try to get some pics of girls camp soon. I didn't take my camera, so I'll have to copy from others).

She made a list of all the activities they did while I was gone. One of their favorites was that Dad bbq'd some tilapia. All the kids keep telling me how great it was! Mikey is a great cook. They loved the zoo with the Arvy grandparents and their visit to Chuck-a-rama! Brandon said, 'Mom, did you know that chuck-a-rama lets you get as much food as you want?' Ah, a kid paradise!

On Sundays at the Gibsons, Sydney and Kate have a 'school' for all the cousins. Amanda used to be involved, but now she's too mature. This Sunday was 'picture day' for the class. I was happy to see this so I could document their school. It's so nice because they entertain these young ones while the adults get to chat. Syd and Kate, you girls rock! Back row left: Brando, Elyse, Zach, Aidan. Front left: Isaac, Ari, Makayla