Happy Birthday Casey!

Casey celebrated his 32nd birthday last Thursday.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY!  Caleb was excited that it was someones birthday - but he sure didn't understand why dad had to go to work & we didn't eat any cake!  I gave Casey some cash-o-la neatly taped together & stuffed in a tissue box.  He has been buying parts to build a gun & I think with all of his birthday money he can get the rest of the parts.  I hope he is excited.  Saturday night the weather was perfect for a picnic at Pioneer Park with Casey's family.  Mona made really tasty sugar free apple pies...but I made sure there was a cake there for my Caleb to enjoy.  The boys wrestled...the girls chased babies...and we all ate until we were stuffed.  Casey shares a birthday with our nephew Logan...I love trying to get a picture of the two of them together every year.

 It sure has been a warm summer!  We haven't ever had our swamp cooler on this much.  I'm not excited to see our Brigham City bill.  We do what we can to stay cool.  The kids have been playing outside in the water and we have been to the Brigham City pool a couple of times so far.  Angela gave Caleb Blake's old Iron Man costume & the boy loves it.  He wears it all of  the time & I have to tell him when to take it off because he is getting all sweaty.  Caleb & Allie usually get along really well.  The love to help me bake and love making milk bubbles with their breakfast bowls.

 The girls are finally getting some longer hair!  I can pull it up into a single ponytail or clip it off to one side.  It is so curly in the back...they will have mullets in no time.  Taylor LOVES animals and she loves things around her neck.  Binoculars...necklaces...keys on a string...bubbles on a string...you name it.  She also loves hats.  She says MOM, CAR, THANK YOU, and she loves to fold her arms, give kisses and play "I'm gonna get you!"  Whenever we say that...she just comes running for us screaming.  It's adorable.  She also has started hugging her stuffed animals. It's so cute! They both wave bye bye & are working on blowing kisses.

Rylee loves climbing into the stuffed animal basket, loves to comb her hair, my hair or Taylor's hair, she loves the water, says MOO, MAMA, BOOK, THANK YOU, WELCOME, and she loves pointing to pictures in books & reading to herself.  Both girls LOVE going to play outside.  She also loves playing "I'm gonna get you".  Their diaper pictures are of them after they ate their first ice cream sandwich all by themselves! 

Water!

Why is water so fascinating?  We went to Logan a week or so ago & ate at Fredricos (I'd give my ham & cheese salad a solid 7 out of 10...something wasn't quite right) and then we went to first dam to feed the ducks.  In all of the times we have taken Caleb he has not once wanted to get into the water.  This was Taylor & Rylee's first trip & there was zero hesitation.  Taylor was a bit more timid about it than Rylee was.  It was a cute, fun moment.

 Caleb's first fishing trip!  For a couple of weeks Caleb has been asking & asking to go to the store & buy a spiderman fishing pole.  I have no idea how this idea formed in his brain - but Casey took him to the store & got him one.  We headed to Mantua reservoir to test it out.  Caleb actually casted quite well!  No hooks were involved...the pole came with a weighted fish at the end of the line to practice casting.  The mosquitoes ate poor Rylee alive.  I was an idiot & didn't pack mosquito spray.  Getting a picture of the twins together is becoming quite the task!  I posted the best one I got of the adventure.

Zoo!

I have a zoo problem.  I just went last September & I just went again this month.  I always want it to be FABULOUS & it is always just so-so.  I think that Caleb had a good time though & he had my undivided attention because I left Casey & Taylor & Rylee at home.  Who went you ask?  My mom, Angela, Griffen, Blake, Ashley, Eva, Caleb & myself.  My aunt Sandra was even brave enough to meet us there! 

I couldn't believe how much it was to get into the zoo!!  I was lucky because I happened to say to my mom when it was my trun to pay that I couldn't believe how much it was & the guy next to me said "Hey...I happen to have an extra coupon if you want it."  Ummmm.....yes please!  It was pay for an adult & a child gets in free.  Thanks guy!  We started out the day with the train ride - L A M E.  We then headed to the bat cave...bats are slightly creepy...and then to the playground.  Grammy let Caleb & Griffen & Blake feed some ducks & Caleb got to pet a snake & a tortoise.  He loved it.

The new Rocky Shores exhibit was open & it was so nice!  The seals were my favorite & the polar bear was pretty awesome also.  My mom & Sandra took time to smell the roses by the giraffe house...and it appears that Sandra got dressed in the dark.  Angela noticed her shoes were different & it was hilarious.  Sandra said that she remembered putting one of each on to see which was more comfortable & then forgot.

Seeing the tiger chow down on some meat was awesome.  Blake loves meat....cooked though.  After the zoo we went up the canyon a bit & ate at Ruth's Diner.  It was pretty tasty & they had a fabulous outdoor patio.

Angela had to stop at City Creek to exchange a necklace.  It was nice there!  We didn't really shop around,  but I'd like to go for a date one night....cause Casey would love it there...um yeah...rethinking the date night comment already.  Caleb loved all of the fountains & he LOVED his chocolate/caramal dipped marshmallow covered in mini m&m's (nemah-nems) from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.  We paused for some pictures by the gorgeous flowers at Temple Square.  Angela was looking around & said "How is it freaking possible that there isn't one weed here??"  I said "Beacuse - it's Holy ground & weeds can't grow on Holy ground"  She said, "Are you serious!!??"  Oh Angela....I heart you.



fathER's day

Happy Father's Day Casey!  My dad was headed to Alaska on Father's day so we celebrated with my family last weeked with burgers & some softball.  I love burgers.  We had Casey's family over on Sunday for fabulous BBQ chicken, potatoes & fruit.  I made Casey a divine fruit pizza for dessert.  I love it when desserts turn out so pretty!  Such a shame that I think I am the only one that enjoys that part of it. :)  The kids & I gave him a camp chair, a shirt, & a couple of parts for his gun that he is building.  He was slightly giddy.

 He told me the other day that he was glad we had girls.  How cute!  He has 2 brothers...no sisters, but he said he's glad he didn't have any because he imagines they would have been full of drama.  Hopefully we won't be in for to much drama down the road.

 He sure loves his little boy - & this little boy loves him right back.

Caleb has been soooooo sick.  We thought it would be nice to go to breakfast last Friday morning...we were wrong.  We headed all the way to Logan (I needed to go to Sam's club) to Angie's.  When we got there, Caleb said he needed to go home & take a rest in our bed.  Not a good sign.  We got our table...and I ran Caleb into the bathroom just in time to toss his cookies.  Poor kid.  We headed home instead of eating (after I got some FABULOUS sheets from Sam's...I love them)

He didn't throw up the rest of that day but Saturday & Sunday were full of nothing but P U K E.  He couldn't keep anything down.  Water...coconut water...powerade...apple juice.  It was so sad.  He was so thirsty too!  After the Father's day festivities Caleb was screaming in pain & saying his stomach was hurting - so I took him to the ER (without insurance.....eeeeeeek!).  He was dehydrated & his glucose levels were to low.  They took some x-rays...took some blood....did a urine test & put an IV in him to get him hydrated.  He had a virus.  It's always a virus.  Actual diagnosis was Acute viral gastroenteritis with volume depletion.  Say that 10 times fast.

TODAY - he is officially feeling better & even went to see Madagascar 3 with Grammy, Angela & Blake!  What a lucky boy.  I hate when he is sick - he is so tiny & really doesn't have much fat to fall back on for reserves. 

He was cute at the hospital.  he wanted to know if the Dr was angry or nice.  The lab guy was so nice getting the IV in (with minimal drama from Caleb...I was surprised!)  He didn't want to leave after we were there for 3 hours...he just wanted to stay & take a rest.  At home he kept laying on the floor...I wonder if it's a lot cooler on the floor, but his sisters were "bugging him" so he kept moving back to the couch.

Caleb & Allie & I managed to bust out these adorable wind catchers the other day.  The kids helped cut the ribbon, stuck on the stickers, & watched intently as I hot guled the ribbon to the can.  I think they turned out very cute!

Somedays....

I honestly wonder how I survive.

One of the girls new favorite things is to sit on each other.  Usually one is laying down & the other plops down on top of them & the one on bottom screams their face off until I come to the rescue.  It's quite comical.  This instance - they were actually just enjoying each other.  DARLING!  Rylee has her hands up.

I love when Taylor (left) & Rylee (right) enjoy their nightly bottle.  I'll be sad when this routine is over.  They get so excited & run into the front room and wait for their drink.  It's adorable.

 My daily struggle is keeping the freaking pantry door CLOSED.  No one understands why this is a big deal except for me.  Casey, Caleb & the kids I baby sit NEVER shut it.  It sends me!  Taylor & Rylee destroy the bottom shelves if they ever get the opportunity.  This night - they found the box of goldfish crackers.  They were in heaven.  (Taylor standing, Rylee sitting)

 Once in a while - Caleb joins them for their night cap.

(sing this) "I looked out the window & what did I see???  Caleb standing out there in his skivvy's."  He asked if he could water my flowers - I said sure.  He ended up drenching himself instead.

 Little Miss Rylee enjoying the plethora of stuffed animals.

Another daily struggle?  Keeping the wipes out of reach!!  They love to empty the container...suck on them...chew them...I swear when they poop their butts should already be clean!!  Taylor was really excited that she got this far with them.

 "Helping" with the dishes yet again.

Taylor's new thing is the TV buttons.  Caleb has a panic attack when she pushes one if he is watching his new favorite "The Avengers" cartoon series.  His favorite is ironman.  When ironman is in his suit - he asks his Artificial Intelligence Computer Program (Jarvis) when he needs something.  Just tonight at dinner Caleb said "I need more milk Jarvis"  (he was talking to me)

 I love when kids put things on upside down.  Cute, cute, cute!!!

Pre-Summer Fun!

A few weeks ago we went with MaLynda, Jess, Zack & Aliyah to baby animal days in Kaysville.  Caleb LOVED the train ride (he got to go 2 times!) & the bouncy houses.  He even got his face painted!!!  It was a fun afternoon.  Baby animal days in Logan is MUCH better though.  We went to Red Robin to eat afterwards....I love that place.  Casey & I ate there all of the time when we were dating - ahhhhhhh - the good ol' days :)

We filled up the pool for Caleb the other day & he had a lot of fun.  When the girls woke up, they also thought it was fabulous!

Two little cute girls splashing away!

 Cute lil' bums :)

 Caleb LOVED getting Casey drenched with the hose.  The water was FREEZING!!!

 This is the mess Taylor made after eating her first big chocolate chip cookie all by herself.

 Oh my.  I don't think I was supposed to have boys.  SNAKES!!!  This little boy has panic attacks around dogs....won't pet a horse....makes me carry him around any cows (which is understood...I want someone to carry me around cows also)....but he adored this snake that Blake & Zeke helped him catch at Mantua reservoir.  He had absolutely no fear.  Picked it right up...talked to it....named it Rylee....and gave it a kiss. 

 Over Memorial Day weekend we had the shortest camping trip ever.  I prepared a TON of food for the long weekend....but when the forecast is for a butt load of rain - it is forecasted correctly.  I will NEVER chance that again!  We set up our tent in Blacksmith Fork canyon & then it started to rain & the canvas tent just wasn't keeping the water out enough.  So - we packed up & came home.  Total time away from home?  4 hours.  That is not a typo.  4 (F O U R) hours.  Casey's parents ended up throwing a tarp over the top of the tent & slept snug as bugs in rugs - so I'm glad we left it up there! 

Here is the 1 picture I got of Caleb's camping trip.

 I don't understand children.  They want to eat EVERY SINGLE NIGHT.  Why????  Taylor & Rylee love spaghetti.  I hate the mess - but when it makes them happy, I'll deal with it.

 When I serve them spaghetti - I make sure it falls on a bath night.  Taylor is standing...Rylee is sitting.