Picnic and Water Fun

Summer is almost over, so we're trying to enjoy our days outside while we can. Today we had a picnic in the park by the Mount Timpanogos Temple. Kylee is in a stage where she REFUSES to look at the camera and smile. That should make 2 year old pictures fun this year. To make it worse, she wanted to hold my hand all around the park, so it was next to impossible to get a picture of her.






We've spent a lot of time this summer on the slip n slide and blow up pool in the backyard. I swear I have a bunch of pictures of the boys playing, but I can't find the camera with those pictures. So for now you'll just have to enjoy this cute gal with her pigtails.

Boulder

I took a 3 day weekend trip to Boulder, Colorado a few weeks ago to visit my brother Eric and his wife Lara. Eric is going to school at University of Colorado Boulder to get his Phd, so we don't get to see them too often. I left all 3 kids home with Adam. The trip was all his idea too; what a great dad and husband!
Here we are on Pearl Street in Boulder. We saw lots of fun shops and lots and lots of hippies. Oh, and a few marijuana shops. Those crazy UC Boulder kids.



A view of Boulder from the mountains above


The next day we spent driving through Rocky Mountain National Park. Now, I live in Utah surrounded by mountains every day, but these mountains were above and beyond what I'm used to in Utah. It was gorgeous!










We saw sooooo many wild animals during our drive through Rocky Mountain National Park and in Estes Park. We got right up next two quite a few HUGE elk, little animals called marmots, and lots of others, but the coolest animals we saw was this whole huge family of beavers. Some crazy lady on the street of Estes Park stopped us and said, "Oh! You have to go see the beavers!!!!!" We thought she was strange, but we followed her directions and found the most amazing stream that was home to at least a dozen beavers. We saw them chewing on trees, swimming, eating, making their dam, etc. One of them got just a foot away from me. My camera battery had died by this point in the trip, but I got tons of pictures on my iphone. Which haven't been transfered to the computer yet, so sorry. But it was pretty neat.

Randoms

Here's a few random pictures from various things this summer.

Oh sweet, silly Kylee. She was soooo slow to learn to walk. She took her first steps at 18 months! But even after she knew how to walk, for a while she would walk on her knees everywhere. Here she is walkin' along on her knees, even when she knew how to walk on her feet.


She loves to dress up, whether it's other people's shoes, headbands and bows, sunglasses, hats, or even Batman masks.


I've never had a child fall asleep while in their high chair til this little girlie came along.


During "Lehi Round-up Days," we went to a fun party at the park.




Austin and his friend Drew at Monkey Island


Kylee and me at Monkey Island, ready to go down her favorite slide


One afternoon we headed up American Fork canyon with my mom. I love that place, it's so beautiful!! We found a random little spot that was perfect for Kylee to wander around and for the boys to do a little hiking and exploring.
I love how much these boys love eachother.



What a view! This is what we saw when we got to the top of the hill we hiked up:


Austin collecting rocks to throw in Tibble Fork Reservoir

Independence Day Weekend

I think 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays, right up there after Christmas and Easter. I love all the yummy food, swimming, parades, time with family, fireworks, red white and blue, and feeling patriotic about our great country.
This year Adam actually got to have work off for the 4th (shocking! I don't think this has ever happened, unless the 4th was on a Sunday or Wednesday!). We spent all Sunday evening with Adam's family in Mapleton. We ate tons of great food and homemade ice cream, set off huge fireworks, and the kids played outside and went for rides on Papa Steve's Razor. On Monday, we played outside and headed to my family's house in Saratoga Springs for another amazing dinner, fireworks, s'mores and more. It was so much fun, but so exhausting!
Exploring Grandma and Grandpa Winn's yard



Just back from a long "adventure" with Papa Steve, all the way to Spanish Fork!


Uncle Landon and Ethan


Austin asked me to take a picture of him, he just melts my heart

Cousins waiting for fireworks to begin


The first sparkler of the night!



The girlies loved their little chairs


Uncles Tyler and Landon trying to get Kylee in on the fun


Beautiful sunset in Mapleton


Roasting marshmallows at the Izant's


Yummm, s'mores!


Kylee loves this old firetruck my parents have, but gets so frustrated that she can't get it to go where she wants it to go


Every time we visit my parents' house, the boys lure Papa Dave to the basement and have him play good guys/bad guys Legos with them FOREVER. And he's way to nice to ever say no. And you'll notice Kylee behind them just chillin with one of her toys


Ethan enjoyed being the one who got to pick the fireworks


They loved the fireworks! (notice that Austin is absent in all firework/sparkler pictures, he is DEATHLY afraid of them, poor thing)