Girls Camp

If you really know me you know that I LOVE girls camp. Truthfully I love the whole Young Women's organization: activities, Youth Conference, Personal Progress, etc and girls camp is just the culminating event. A typical YW attends girls camp until she is a 4th year up to a 6th year - I however was a proud 8th year girls camper in my home ward, and then I got married and have not been for 5 whole years!- so my plan when I got into a family ward was to tell my bishop that he could call me to whatever calling he wanted - but I WOULD be attending girls camp. Well, before I could give my not-so-subtle-hint, I was called into the YW - what an inspired bishop!

Thanks to my wonderful mother-in-law and the fact that Megan takes a bottle like a champ - I was able to attend girls camp for one day - next year I will be there all week for sure! I serve with some amazing women and we serve amazing girls.
Here is a group shot - minus a few


Here are the leaders that attended the camp. Mindy, me, Natalie, Heather, and Holly
and here are our "jazz hands"


Our (very conservative) stake presidency did a rap about virtue for the YW. Full disclosure: I actually started to cry watching them do the rap because I was so touched that these men would subject themselves to that type of humiliation and go so far out of their comfort zone to try and touch these YW. I gained a testimony of how important these YW are to our Heavenly Father and it is our job to do anything and everything we can to help them gain a testimony of their great worth and their role as women and mothers. I gained this testimony during my years at girls camp and I hope to be able to help assist the YW in my ward in gaining their own.

Good People

These are some of the best people I know in the whole world. They are my ward friends from BYU. They live all over the country now - and some of them just happen to be visiting their Utah relatives all at the same time - so we got together. It was wonderful! Almost all the kids on the bench were born and blessed in the BYU 169th ward and now they are all so big and tall!

I know it will NEVER happen, but I wish everyone could have been there. We loved our time we spent in Provo (see post)- especially with such good people. I truly feel that these women knew me in a way no one else does - we all served together, struggled together, were poor together, had babies together, had no time together... and it was all wonderful. I love you all (and all of you that weren't there too)

Names:

I may not be able to name all the new kids - I will do my best

Bench Left to right:

Ethan Bourne, Addie Millar, Andrew Curren, Rachel Curren, Corinne Braley, Brock Herbert, Noah Herbert, Oakley Palmer, Brennin Palmer, Callie Palmer, and Oliva Kendell

Adults/babies in back left to right:

Karen and Alex Bourne, Sabrina and Chase Millar, Jess and Cara Curren, Heather and Shane Braley, Jamie and Megan Herbert, Amber Palmer, and Elizabeth, Clolie, and baby boy (name?) Kendell

24th

We started off our holiday weekend by going on a family picnic in the Oquirrh Mountains. We have been trying to find fun things to do where we live - rather than always driving to Sandy. The Oquirrh Mountains are beautiful - Brock is convinced that the copper mine is a volcano.

Then after naps we went swimming - no camera - but I think you got a good idea from the last post.

And then we did fireworks with all our neighbors. And then... something very unpredictable happened... Brock held a sparkler!

I would have bet my life that he wouldn't have touched the thing - he loved them and did about 15 of them. Just when you think you know your kids...

We love our neighbors and neighborhood - we feel so lucky to be where we are - it is what we have always wanted.

Garage Sale

For any of you Utah people I am having a garage sale at my mom's house this Saturday. I don't have a TON of stuff - but my mom's house is the PERFECT location since it is right on the corner - so if any of you have stuff you want to sale, come sale it at my mom's house this Saturday (July 31), I am planning on starting around 7 and going until around 10 or so.

Adventures in Swimming

I decide to take all three children swimming. I had wanted to go all summer - but was nervous to take all three by myself. I could never find anyone to go with me - and it was mid-July, so I just went for it. Before we went I told Brock that I was going to pack us a lunch. He decided to take matters into his own hands, when I came back down stairs he had made us a peanut better and jelly sandwich. His first one. He was so proud - he even used three pieces of bread!

Yes he is wearing pants - even though it was about 95 degrees - he insisted... weird

Before I left I figured Megan would sleep the whole time in her car seat (at least I HOPED she would). So I took a picture of her in her cute suit - in case she never made another appearance.

And I was right. She slept the whole time!

And if any of you know my boys you can guess what they did the whole time. That is right...

This.

Brock spent an hour in the shade watching all the people jump off the platforms - he would cheer and clap for each one. Noah just walked around in the kiddie-pool about shin deep the whole time. About 15 minutes before we left I FORCED them to go down the water slide with me (because I wanted to go down - I LOVE that kind of stuff). And of course they loved it and we went 6 times in a row. My kids are silly - so cautions - but end up loving it.

So we did leave with our hair a little wet.

Then we went the next week and I brought help. Our neighbors Paige and Devin came with us - I LOVE them as neighbors, they are so helpful and fun - and my kids LOVE them too.

And Miss Megan did make an appearance for about 10 minutes this time.

And this time my kids literally jumped right in - both of them! They spent almost the whole time in the pool or going down the slide - it just takes them a while to get used to things.

I am planning on going every week for the rest of the summer.

Fun at the Herberts

When we lived in Provo we saw Grandma and Grandpa Herbert pretty much every week at Sunday dinner. My kids loved it and pretty much felt like it was their second home. My Mother-in-law is great - she has gone out and bought all these toys for her grand kids (ours are the only ones that live here) - she potentially has more toys than we do.

Since we have moved we hadn't been back to their house (sad I know). So we went a few weeks ago and it was wonderful. Debbie was all ready for us and had the boys making their own waffle cones - they were in heaven!

Happiest boys in the world!

Grandpa Herbert with Megan

It was a great afternoon!

Saturday Nights

Saturday nights are our favorite nights to go do things. Everything is pretty much empty - we love: Discovery Gateway, The Aquarium, The Zoo, Jump'n Jacks - you are like one of 5 families there - it is great. A few weeks ago we went to Discovery Gateway - it was the first time I had Megan with us - I wanted to do a "test run" with Jason there to see if I could go with all three by myself - I think I could - I have good boys.



Don't mind the TRIPLE chin - Megan was looking at me all night like this - I had to get a picture. I remember Noah like this. (wow - I just pulled that picture up and they could be the same baby - I hadn't really relized that before. Memo - Always have a bow on Megan)


And if ANY of you know my boys - you can guess where we spend almost all our time at Discovery Gateway - the balls!

Jason stood there and fed them balls all night - what a good dad!

So if you have a fun place you like to go - try it on a Saturday night - I bet you'll be pleasantly surprised.

I'm Hungry

That is all I hear from my 3 year old boy - "I'm Hungry". I knew boys eat a lot (my brothers sure did!), but I thought it was when they were teenagers, if Brock is starting NOW - we are in big trouble. I give him meals and snacks that count too - cottage cheese, whole grain everything, if he has fruit... chances are it has peanut butter on it, etc. Then five minutes later he is practically in tears because he is "so hungry".

Megan has decided to sleep her life away. When should I be concerned? Don't get me wrong, as a mother of three, any child who wants to nap... be my guest. But for the past 4 days or so she has slept around 20 hours a day. She is almost 3 months old. Strange. I miss her when she sleeps so much.

And Noah... I don't really have anything to say about Noah right now... I just didn't want to leave him out. He is wonderful - I love this age, he makes me smile all the time. He has two sayings that I just love, "Wrestle me" and "outside play" - those two phrases sums up our lives right now.

And while I am just rambling (I had no intention on blogging about anything but Brock's appetite), I have always been an "on the go" mom. Especially since we started out being in our apartment - we HAD to get out EVERYDAY. So it is just in my routine now - an activity everyday. But everyone was telling me to slow it down after I had Megan - that I was doing to much and it would stress me out more. So I did. For the last 3 or so weeks we have only been doing an activity once or twice a week and staying home the rest. And I HATE it. It makes for incredibly long whinny mornings. Everyday I look at the clock to see if it is almost lunch time and it is 9:45! But now I am out of the "going out and doing" mind set, and the thought of waking Megan up from her nap (although now is looks like she could use a wake up) - pack everything up and go out in the heat - doesn't sound fun either. I am stuck between a rock and a hard place. I need to get back in the habit. And the WORST part is (if you haven't had enough of my complaining) I have ONE person in my life who inspires me to get out and do stuff... and if you read my blog you all know who that person is... Karli. And yes - she is moving to Boise in like 2 weeks. I cry daily. I am devastated... but of course extremely happy for her and her family and this wonderful opportunity, blah, blah, blah. I will miss her terribly.

Poll

I have a fun little poll on my sidebar - so check it out!

And yes... you can only pick one!

I would love to know what some of you pick... feel free to leave a comment about what you picked and why.

**Some of you have commented - which is great - but didn't vote, remember to vote.

Baby Foster

My sister Katie had her baby yesterday. She was such a trooper - he was 8 lbs 11 oz! Almost a whole pound bigger than her other babies. I had the wonderful opportunity to be there when he was born. I have never seen a birth or even seen another woman in labor - it was fun being on the other end of things. It really is such a miracle -especially this little guy. When his head came out the umbilical cord was wrapped very tightly around his neck - he was all blue. The Doctor did an amazing job at staying calm and keeping everyone else calm. After a minute or two the nurse and doctor got him to start crying and we all breathed a sigh of relief. He doesn't have a name yet - but he is so cute and we are excited to have him in our family. Good job Kate!

He is bigger than Megan is right now! (but Megan is longer) So we had to get a picture. Apparently you are not supposed to bring babies anymore to the hospital - but they let us make a quick exception. These two are two and a half months apart.

Fourth of July

We had a busy fourth of July. First we went up to Brighton and walked around the lake with my family.

My dad, mom, little brother Daniel and little sister Ashley. Plus my sisters family (not pictured) - a very pregnant Katie, Travis, Audrey, Brad (also in pic)

We could not get Noah to look at the camera - he just wanted to get "in" the water.

Megan did great the whole time in her wrap.

The "hike" was great. It is a planked board walk almost the whole way around.

The kids loved throwing rocks in the lake

Cool Uncle Daniel. These kids just think their Uncle Daniel is a rock star - I can't wait for Michael to get home so they can get to know him again. (It will take the pressure off of Daniel - he really doesn't know what to do with these kids.)

My little sister Ashley and my mom

Then we went to my parents house for a BBQ.

Here are some of the cutest little fourth of July girl I have ever seen.

The kids jumped on the tramp...

Ate some hot dogs...

and roasted some marshmallows.

Then we watched some fireworks with our neighbors back at our house. For the first time ever Brock liked the fireworks. In years past he has cried and just wanted to go inside - but this year he said, "mom, I love fireworks". Noah of course liked them - he is fearless.

Brock and Noah with some of their new friends Wes and Ivy Jones.

We had a great Fourth of July - it is days like this that really recharge my mothering battery. My days are often monotonous with little praise or thanks and while I try to find joy in motherhood in the day-to-day chores and activities, it is sometimes hard to get psyched up about Lego's for the four-hundredth time - but a walk around a lake, teaching my boys about the joys of smores, and seeing Brock enjoying fireworks for the first time gives me the boost and reminders I need to recognize the everyday joys in my life. (wow - that became a lot more in depth and cheesy than I had planned)

On a note about our country. I have been feeling guilty about writing a post titled "freedom" and then minimizing it by criticizing Provo. All weekend the History Channel (my favorite) has been showing programs about the Revolution. I have been brought to tears and amazement at these men who sacrificed their lives for our Independence. These men were lead by God and died so that we would be free. It is something we hear about and sing about in elementary school - but seems to have little impact in our day to day lives - and in truth the Fourth of July has little to do with them. It shouldn't be that way. I felt a deep gratitude for them this weekend and I owe them a lot. They were good, brave men who did what needed to be done. I respect all people who can do that - I pray that I can have that kind of character.