Timp Caves

So much for my big plans of coming to Utah and relaxing. We have been on the go since we pulled in to town Saturday morning. But there is SO MUCH to do here!!! I guess we can hole up and veg. when we return to the triple digit temps at home....

Our family, minus Claire, conquered Timpanogos Caves yesterday. Last summer, we hiked the "Y" which was a feat. But this was even harder - and the kids made it! A mile and a half each way, 1,100 feet increase/decrease in elevation.

Touring the caves was exciting. We learned about Stalagtites and stalagmites, columns, cave popcorn and cave bacon. Coming back down the mountain was actually the hardest part, we were all pretty pooped by then.  But that's when the digging down deep to see what we're made of began...

On the way up, we sang (my lead) "Pioneer Children sang as they walked..and walked..and walked... and walked.... " the kids reluctantly joined in for one verse.  On the way down, Jake changed the words to, "Pioneer children cried as they walked...and walked...and walked.. and walked..." and shed a few tears while he sang. Then Tyler broke out his own rendition of "the ants go marching" but it was something about the dad whose knees were breaking...

I promised everyone a treat at the snack shop if they made it back in one piece - and we all got something in the end. It was a great event.  We actually love putting our kids through hard stuff to show them they CAN do it!  Here's to our second successful summer hike!

Boating with the Finkleas!

What a thrill!  For the second time in our marriage, 12 years, Tyler and I got out on a boat! And this time, we got to take the kids - which I have wanted to do for so long! Of course, I knew they would love it! We all had a ball.  And the best part was, we were with cousins!

Some of us got up on the wake board, and most all of us took rides on the tube! Claire thoroughly enjoyed being along for the ride and was quickly lulled to sleep on my lap while we bumped along the waves. Heidi packed lots of yummy food, the kids buried themselves in the sand and we soaked in the beautiful view of the lake against the Utah mountains.

What a day it was. Wish we could re-live that one over and over and over. Thank you, Finkleas!!!

Girl's Camp

I was asked to be the camp director this year. It was a whole new world for me since I've been in cub-scouts for so long, but what a treat! I was so lucky to get to know the young women and their leaders better, and to tag along on girls camp after so many years, since the last time I went I was a young woman myself! Everything we planned turned out better than I hoped. We had a wonderful time and made great memories, girls and leaders alike! :)

Pictures to come when I get home!

Little Bear - 19 months

I haven't written anything down about Claire in too long. She 19 months now, attending nursery and changing by the day. I thought I'd take this morning to post a few pictures of her and document what she is up to, and of course, the little sugar is right here by my side, hanging on me, climbing up my leg and trying to push buttons on the keyboard... time for a "yo" and a "baba". :) 

There. That should last 20 minutes.... here I go: Claire is speaking tons of words: mom!, dada, ASH, hot, wow!, GO!, Apple, goggie, birdie, cow, moo!, cat, show, bye-bye, book, shoe, where go?, oh no!, fish, ... lots. But she is in the habit of going "uh! uh!" to anything she wants so I am trying to help her speak more.

She also does animal sounds, points to all the parts of her body, "eye" is the cutest, and sings ABCs and E-I-E-I-O! She is adorable when she does. She also loves to play ring around the rosies and duck-duck-goose! So cute.

She loves to swim, jump on the trampoline, stand up on chairs, climb onto tables, push buttons on remotes, play with my ipad, read books, cuddle with blankie and drink her bottles (yes, she still takes a bottle). She also sucks her two fingers while rubbing the corner of her blankie across the tip of her nose.

She's in the season of experimenting with "NO!", and says that often, even when she means yes. She's also experimenting with hitting us once in a while or even pinching or pulling hair when she is mad and does it with a sheepish look on her face, already knowing it is naughty. When she has tantrums I have a mini tantrum right back - showing her my grumpy face, then saying "Where is your happy face?!" and show her mine. That usually brings her smile back.

We've started using time-out. It's incredible how kids' instinctively know what time out is. She was banging beaters against the wall the other night and I kept asking her to stop. By the time I got over to her I saw she had chipped off a bunch of paint and made dings in the wall. I wasn't happy - so that was her first time-out. I marched her into the corner and had her stand there. She wailed and all the family gathered around, everyone else to tell me how heartless I was being, but she got my message. And I've been using time-out ever since - only two or three times though.

She is precious beyond words to us. A joy, a gift, a treasure to our family. We all care for her and adore her. I can tell she isn't our baby baby anymore, but we are excited about her development and milestones. She is a good girl. We love you Claire!!

Big pictures

Ali was right. To make your blog pictures bigger now, you upload them under compose. Then once they come up, click on them to choose the size you want in the blue bar below. I like x-tra large. Dee, start making those photos of Eliana bigger so I can really enjoy her scrumptiousness.  XOXO And thanks for the tip, Sister. Do you think this will affect our blurb book uploads?

Swim Meet #1 for 2012

Growing up in Arizona means spending your hot summer days by the pool. I drop my kids off for swim team at 7am and they hang out there until 9:30am M-Th. When it's not their turn to swim, they read books, play keep away (from the girls) and play cards. It is their social connection during the months away from school, and makes all of us happy. But it is quite a different childhood than Tyler's or mine, as we grew up playing in the damp, rainy forests of our backyards in Seattle. Both are good.

Saturday was the kids' first swim meet of this summer. Ashley and Jake chose to get in on the action this year and join Luke on swim team. They are enjoying it. Ashley was sick with the flu this weekend so missed her first opportunity to earn a ribbon. But Jake showed up to win, and came home with his first blue ribbon!

Such a cultural thing these swim meets are. It strikes me every year as I see dozens of browned little bodies wearing goggles, nervously anticipating their next race. Families huddle under the shade of their umbrellas, guzzling water and sharing otter-pops with strangers as they battle the three digit temperatures. But we survive it.

Our family has been here almost a decade now. And we love it! Arizona is home. And swim team/meets are going to be a good piece of my children's childhood memories.