Gramma's Creek

We went to my Grandma's house earlier this week for a luncheon with my cousin, second cousin, and their 3 kids. I have long been promising my boys a chance to get in the creek in Grandma's back yard so after the others left, I took them down and we got in the frigid creek.

I remember doing this when I was a kid and it was fun but oh so painfully cold, but it felt pretty good on a hot summer afternoon.

Cratey is not sure he wants to get back in! (Pics are out of order, sorry.)

After your feet go numb, it really is fun. Stratton didn't want to get out!

Cratey perched on the side again.

The happy picture.

The not-so-happy picture!

This was when the boys first stepped in. Mill Creek is just runoff from the snow up in the mountains. Now it's September so the water is pretty low, but still cold and being little boys, it came up to their thighs - mid-calf for me.

We took this picture and then the boys wanted out. Then after being out for a minute, Stratton wanted back in. Since Stratton got back in, Creighton wanted back in too. So they got back in and Stratton played around, exploring up and down, while Creighton tried to hug to the sides and stick to the high rocks to keep him out of the water as much as possible.

Maybe it'll be a little warmer and more fun next summer!

Labor Day Fun

Monday morning we got up and went up Big Cottonwood Canyon on a family hike. I use the term "hike" loosely, as it was really more of a walk, stop and throw rocks, walk 10 more yards, stop and throw more rocks...

Proof that I was there - gotta take my own pic!

I love the mountains!

My little mountain goat.

This kid had a rock in his hand the entire rock - as soon as one was chucked in the water, another rock took it's place in his hand. He was obsessed!

Can't get enough beautiful scenery pics.

My Sweetheart. And this was Keely's first experience in the baby backpacker and she did great. (Love that carrier - it has been awesome and been on many adventures with our family.)

We also went to the Natural History Museum, went for ice cream at Arctic Circle, watched a family movie, walked to the park, and dropped by a family party for one of the young men in our ward. Busy day, but we loved spending it together!

Keelian's Foot

It was such an idiot thing to do and I should have known better. I was cooking dinner and had her in the baby bjorn, facing forward, on the phone with mom Rogers, and reached up high above the stove to get a cookbook and it dragged Keely-Belle's foot across the hot burner. I burned a spot just bigger than a quarter on the top of her right foot. She kind of cried and I felt her foot and it felt hot, so I went to the couch to sit down and look at it. When I saw what I had done I started freaking out, "I burned my baby! I burned my baby!" (I would be hopeless as a paramedic.)

Ric had just come home from work and had the presence of mind to do something about it. He grabbed her from me and ran to the kitchen and started running her foot under cold water. I called Candace (family burn specialist due to a couple of her children having had bad burns) and she told me how to take care of it. Keely was an angel and really didn't cry too much over it after we got it under control.

A few days later the blister popped and so I took her to the doctor, just to make sure I was caring for it correctly. They seemed surprised that I wasn't very upset about it and that made me worry that they were thinking they needed to call child services because I didn't seem appropriately remorseful. But by that point it was three days after it happened and I wanted to tell them that this was my third child and probably wasn't the worst thing that had happened or is going to happen. Is that bad? The good news is that the doctor said she probably won't scar, so things are going fine as soon as we get it all healed over.

Keelian's First Cereal Experience

I fed Keelian her first cereal meal a couple of weeks ago. She's been giving all the signs, but I haven't really done it because the boys were such spitters that they didn't do well with solids until about 6 months. Plus, it's time consuming and I've been so busy. But we've done it a few times and she really likes it. The first time was a mess, but she's catching the hang of this eating thing pretty quickly. And whenever she watches me or the boys eating, she just smacks her lips constantly, eyes glued to the food going in our mouths. I think getting her started on solids and getting Creighton progressing on potty training are going to be my goals this month. Heaven help me keep my sanity!

Love this picture - wish it was a little more in focus!
This is her poor little burned foot. More on that next time.

Think Pink!

On Saturday we had a family party at grandma's house with my mom's extended family. So fun to see family! My cousin's wife has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer and so we had a pink party to show her our support.

One of my cousins found this bracelet somewhere. It says, "I love boobies! Save a breast." And he said that the $4 he paid for it went to support breast cancer research.
We all wore pink. And some of the boys shaved their hair. (As Wendy will be soon losing hers, due to chemo.)
A good looking mohawk is a serious and precise business.
We did pink tattoos, pink nail polish, pink streaked hair, and such. This is Wendy teaching another cousin how to do the tattoos.
Yes, I had to go D.I. shopping to find pink for my boys and hubby, but they were all very good sports about it! I have to say that I really admire Wendy for her positive attitude and sense of humor about it all. We're praying for you, Wendy!

Summer is for Swimming!

The boys did swimming lessons for a couple of weeks and loved it! One of my young women teaches private lessons and they took them from her this summer (Stratton has taken from her older sister for the past two summers) and she did a fabulous job with them. Stratton can now swim by himself for almost the entire length of the pool, and Creighton has come a long way towards being comfortable in the water and even doing some strokes. I am all for private lessons; I think it is very worth the investment. (Or maybe I just have had really good teachers for my boys!)

Fourth of July in Murray

I know this is way after the fact, but I just wanted to post a picture of me and my running boy. Stratton and I both ran in the Murray City fun days festivities. I ran the 5k with my dad (our first race together and Dad totally helped me make my goal of running it in less than 30 minutes - I ran it at about 29:50 or so). After me and Dad's race, there was the kids' fun run (1/2 mile) and Dad, Sharlee, and I ran it with Stratton. He did a great job! It was his first race and I was very proud of him.