Natalie is 6!

Today was another busy day - a repeat of yesterday - Mel and Abi are at Young Women camp, Corey had volunteered to be the male on guard at the camp, so he was up there over night. Hyrum had driver's ed at 7 this morning. I left here at 6:30 with him - Driver's Ed is out at Taylorsville High School from 7-10. Corey was headed back just in time to be able to pick Hyrum up, so that was nice and saved me a trip. Ethan left at 8:30 for his ACT class, which went from 9-4, then he went straight to work 5-close. Lily had a day camp today from 12-9, Wes had Little Big Band at 4. Corey took him cause was going to sub in Crescent for Ethan at 2. Corey practiced the sax a bit to warm up his chops after he got home with Hyrum. Then after driving down he found out it was sectionals today so he didn't need to be there, and the sectionals were cancelled anyway, so that was kinda too bad he lost that time for no reason. It was nice of him to be willing to sub last minute for Ethan though. I've been home with HSNODP. And today is a fun day cause it's Natalie's happy birthday! If you zoom in on her in this picture below, I think she looks pretty funny.

So Natalie is 6! Corey has been up in Park City this week with some of the kids, including Natalie, but she wanted to be home for her birthday, so they came home yesterday around noon and we've been hanging here. I set an alarm this morning to go get her a birthday present. I did already have one gift on hand, but I ran out to get ice cream and donuts for her "cake" - when I had it all ready, we went to wake her up and sing.

Natalie! It's your birthday! Do you want donuts?!? Hurry before Owen and Daniel eat them all...

I only got 8 donuts. Ethan had his before he headed out for his ACT class, and Owen and Daniel had already eaten the frosting off of theirs and were ready to go for another. That's when I said basically told everyone to get up or lose their donut to the toddlers. Make a wish!

I bought her toys when I got the donuts. I've never bought toys from the grocery store, but it was a pretty good experience! Most of the things I wanted were on sale, yay. I got her a few Toy Story 4 toys, a Super Hero girl, and coloring books and crayons.

The other gift was a little school house Calico Critter knock off brand from Target. I originally bought it thinking it would be for Lily, but then I decided to save it. Good call, Natalie loves it.

So then all the grandparents came by with presents and then Natalie played all day. The last birthday tradition, new this year, was to see Iveth and her family. Abi had dropped off a blanket to them that we had in our car after the 4th of July fireworks. Then we were texting and when Iveth knew we were home, she and her kids came by. I had cake, they brought ice cream. And with that last birthday visit out of the way, Natalie was willing and Corey and the kids were going to head back up to Park City. We were able to talk Iveth into going, so Corey took her two boys up and Maria stayed with me and Daniel for a little bit. I kept them busy playing with the water in the back yard so they wouldn't notice everyone was heading out without them. Then Iveth ran to run a few errands and pack, then pick up Diego at work to let him know they were going to Park City, fun surprise haha. So I'm here with Ethan, Daniel and Peter. Ethan has his ACT class tomorrow, and I'm going to stick around until Abi and Mel get back from their girls' camp tomorrow around noon. Then we'll probably head up to Park City to join in the fun. Should be tolerable with another mom up there helping keep eyes on the toddlers.

Oh, and it's Wednesday, so we got to hear from Joseph. He called earlier than usual, he was able to see some of the birthday fun. He is training again. I showed him Peter and he Peter didn't have his shirt on and Joseph said "That is a white baby... I haven't seen a white baby for such a long time!"

I thought that was funny. But things are good in Guate and things are good here at home, so we're all good. We'll prob have a little extension of the birthday fun up in Park City tomorrow cause they left the ice cream here before having a chance to eat it! Happy birthday Natalie!

4th of July 2019

Happy Independence Day  Here is my favorite picture from today.

Natalie was holding Peter and he was trying to grab the flag but couldn't do it.

So Natalie helped him out and that one got a good wave of the stars and stripes. A good enough picture and appropriate enough to put on Instagram. I don't post there a lot, but there ya go, Happy 4th! We woke up early to go to the community fun run. Always a shame to wake a sleeping baby...

Hyrum hurt his back at Youth Conference, so he didn't want to run, so he carried Peter while I chased after and then encouraged the kids. I told Hyrum he didn't have to walk the whole thing holding Peter, he should take a short cut. He opted to take the sidelines after walking down the street, and then after a break he walked back to the start/finish line.

I helped Sophi this year, she did great. (We took a short cut though, so we didn't do the whole thing, shhh)

Abi ran with Diego and his kids. They wondered how Sophi and I had gotten ahead of them! But they quickly passed us up and hurried ahead.

Wesley pushed Daniel in the "not a jogging" stroller. He did the whole thing and got a good workout!

Lily nice and red in the face.

Iveth ran with Owen, so nice.

Group Pic at the finish line!

I can't remember why Mel and Natalie were so far behind, but Natalie was ticked cause she was tired so she didn't want to finish, so Mel made her, which Natalie didn't appreciate.

Peter is proud of Ethan and that he came this year... 

Giving him a big wet slobbery kiss to congratulate him on the good job he did.

Mel brought stuff for face painting again.

Lily helped.

Mel made a little card with different options for the children to choose.

Daniel got a flag on his face!

Enjoying the pancake breakfast.

Hyrum and I both passed again.

I don't know if Hyrum had already eaten or not, but I got my fill at home with some of the amazing July peaches at Costco - in July they are sooooooo juicy and delicious! So I was good and full and was able to keep an eye on kids running around. Lily and Wes got a little creative with the paint. Hyrum put a Batman and Robin thing on Wesley's calves, funny.

Wesley played To the Colors again, like last year. Lily and Wesley got a little creative with the paint - Lily is Avatar.

Then I made Wes stage a pose for the camera since I didn't get a good pic of him as he was playing.

There was a long line for breakfast. We killed time waiting for the parade to start.

Sophi's face painting

Abi brought patriotic fingernail polish and had her own little station for customers.

Daniel's siblings got a little too creative with him as their canvas.

He was having a good time until he tripped and fell and scraped his elbow.

Hyrum took Daniel home for me, Iveth and Diego agreed to keep and eye on the kids.

Have fun at the parade!

I saw a little bit as I left. I thought the Ghostbusters part was fun.

Daniel at home was mad at the world for the pain it had caused him.

I tripped on a bad part of the sidewalk during the fun run, so I showed him that I understood as I pointed out my scraped knee. He didn't care about my owie, all he knew was that he was in pain.

Later tonight, I took kids to the Holladay fireworks with Iveth and Diego. 

Natalie's pretty butterfly face -

They closed the playground an hour before the fireworks started, and that made Daniel mad. He kept trying to escape to run back there.

I agreed to follow him while Hyrum watched Peter (so nice to have big kids helping)

I just let Daniel wander and eventually he agreed to come to me and we went back to our blanket, where Maria comforted him.

Mel went and got grapes and food at Harmons, including a coconut Pie, which she fed to herself and Daniel by using her paintbrushes for chopsticks.

It rained earlier in the day today, and the clouds were looming and it looked like the fireworks everyone tonight could be rained out, but it was good. And the grass wasn't even that wet either. We made a master plan for our departure so that we wouldn't be stuck in the parking lot for 45 minutes trying to get out. Our plan worked perfectly!! We came in 3 cars - our van, Iveth and Diego's van, and Corey's car (he stayed home to work). Plan was: as soon as the fireworks finished... for Mel, Diego, and Me, to grab Owen, Daniel, and Peter and run to the cars. Iveth, the big kid helpers, (Hyrum, Wesley, Abi) and the other kids were to gather the stroller, the blankets, and everything else, and start to walk toward the cars, and we would be in the cars and on our way out of the traffic jammed parking lot and they'd be able to hurry and jump in and we'd go. It worked great! The only bad part was us being in the way of traffic briefly as we put the stroller in the back. But it was great, much better than our departures in years past.

We made a good team! It was a nice day

Summer Monday

Good morning. Happy Monday. Today started off with violin for Sophi. I actually like having the lesson on Monday, it helps to get the week started of on a productive foot. Owen was awake and came with me. He played with their train the whole time.

Peter came too.

Other than that it was a low key day. Iveth took some of my kids to the library, so I'm going to count that as our outing, ha.

Abi, Sophi and Natalie went. They made catapults or something.

And when I took Sophi to violin, I dropped off Wes to do yardwork for Corey's parents. After he was finished doing chores for them, I was aware that his cousin and friends had wanted to surprise him and take him out for a snowcone or something for his birthday (tomorrow). So he was gone all day. We went to a park over there in Holladay after picking him up. The little kids loved that.

They love going to this park in Holladay.

It is by the field where we usually watch fireworks on the 4th of July.

Eventhough we go to the fireworks here almost every year, I have never walked over to the park before. I'm usually just chilling in a folding chair heavy with child.

So this was my first time seeing it up close, and it is a really cool park! I can see why the kids really like it and often ask to go there. Daniel climbing up the ladder to the slides -

Daniel was so cute, he invited me to go up with him - "It's really fun!"

We'll come back again now that I know how cool it is. So we headed out once it was dark, Wes had a long day, it was a good day. More party-ing tomorrow with another birthday!