"Happy Birthday to me....."

Yup!  Every July!  I love having a summer birthday, because it is evenly spaced between Christmas's.  Plus, while I was growing up, we would always have a big water party, and it was always so fun.  This year, we had a family party first.  Thank you to everyone for coming, and for all the wonderful gifts! 

Then we had a little close family party, where Jared and the kids gave me their presents.

One of the things Jared got me was a docking station for my Ipod, so we can finally listen to the music on there.  I love it!  Plus, we had to try it out that night, which turned into a dance party!  It was so fun! 

The kids dancing.

The best was dancing with my wonderful husband.  Love you Jared, thanks for a great Birthday!

Then, we went out on my actual birthday.  (Thanks to Melissa for tending!)

We went to Olive Garden, which was DELICIOUS!  But it was the night of one of those crazy summer down pours!!  And we were soaked just from coming in from the parking lot!  It just makes it more memorable though.  We had a good laugh about it.

It didn't help that right when I walked under the awning, the wind picked it up, and dumped like two buckets of water on me!  I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.....and got soaked! 

Then we went BOWLING! 

Haven't done this in years!  But thanks to playing Wii sports bowling, I wasn't too bad at it.  And both Jared and I got a few strikes.

The night ended with this beautiful sunset!  I love the sunsets we get here sometimes.  One of the perks to the storm that hit. 

It was a wonderful birthday!  I'm so excited to see what the next decade brings for me.  I have such a wonderful family and so much to be grateful for.

"THE PIT"

If you watched season one of a show called "Parks and Recreation," you will know about the plot that they wanted to turn a "pit" into a park.  Luckily no one has fallen in and gotten hurt in our pit, and ours is considerably smaller, but we like to make jokes based off that show for fun.  And we are now in the process of making our "pit into a park" like they did in the show.  Ours is an old trampoline pit, but it was an octagon shape that is very expensive to put new stuff on.  (We looked into it when we moved here.)  Plus we don't really want the thing there in the middle of our lawn for ever more.  It has been a pretty big deal getting it ready to fill, and now we are in the process of trying to get it filled.  But that will be a LATER post.  We'll see how long it takes us.  Anyway... this is our latest project.... "The Pit of Dispair!"  Yeah...we also use the Princess Bride refrence too.  :)

At scouts.

Just a cute pic.

Field Trip to the Splash Pad

The kids alwas love a visit to the splash pad.  I just wish they had one in our town so we didn't have to drive so far.  And I don't know how we managed it, but both times we've gone (this year and last year) it got cloudy and rained on us.  Maybe will get to go on a really hot day sometime, but until then....the weather made it a bit colder for the kids, but way more do-able for the spectators (aka the mommies sitting on the side.)  Super fun field trip.  Super fun place!

  The "observer."  (He did get to come out and splash a little bit near the end, but for a lot of the time he was kept safe and out of the sun in there.)

WhooooHooo!

So Fun!

Before, During, and After

"BEFORE":

I didn't really get a great "before" pic.  But you get the idea.

This was the one the realtor's put online.

"DURING":

Ripping off siding.

The "ugly house"...as the kids called it.

The old front door.

New plywood.

A proper wrap to protect from moisture and creepy crawlies.

Construction zone.

The new door and window being framed in.

Coming along, mostly done.

Painting the new 8 foot door! 

And finally, several months later, pulling the bushes out!

"AFTER": 

New siding, windows, roof, front door...

And we ripped out all the old 70's bushes.  Now we just need to put in the landscaping that we want, and the outside of the house will be done!  I think the front door is my favorite, but I also love the windows (they are amazing), and I love not having to come out of church and see the awful blue tarp on the roof covering the awful old swamp cooler.  Instead I see the  beautiful, nice roof, and the wonderful back door!  We couldn't be more pleased.  It is all turning out so nice.  Now we've got to get back to work on the inside.  Still....so much to do!  :) 

The Scottish Festival

We always love going down to the Payson Scottish Festival.  Chad does a great job!  And we are proud of our Scottish Heritage!

The booth.

Josh, looking at a book that has pics of Grandma and Grandpa as children. 

The Carnival

I love this pic.

Grandma Mortensen treated the kids with some tickets to A.F. Carnival this year, but before we went to the rides, we checked out the art exhibit at the library.  She was a part of making it all possible, so we wanted to see what it was all about, plus see all the fine art.  Some of it was really good.  I was very impressed. 

Then on to the rides!  This was the first time my kids had been on rides like this.  They LOVED it!  What a thrill!  No one was happy when it was time to go home.  Thanks for the fun time Grandma!

"Let us in!"

Riding the little roller coaster.

Joshua looked mortified during every ride, but then he would get off and tell me how much fun he had.  He loved it, even though he looked like he was about to loose it!  Ha!.. I love that I caught this pic as the ride was wizzing by.

There's me... the only adult on that ride, but I was probably screeming just as loud!  Ha!  What fun.

The only ride mellow enough for Brigham.

"HI!"