Art City Days 2011

Four generations of parade watchers.
The hot air balloons landing a street away.

Nati & Brax tolerating the little kids ride.

Braxton & Cameron being brave.

Born and raised in Springville, I have been to almost all of Springville's Art City Day's parade's. Partly because Grandma Beth is pretty insistant that I take her every year and partly because I like to see old friends and acquaintence's from my high school days. I admit, I am eager to see who is larger than they were and who is missing some hair. It's awful, I know, but.... This year during the hot air balloon launch, while I was getting ready for the parade, I heard quite the commotion outside and glanced out the back window to see a couple of the balloons landing in my neighbor's front yard. Had I known they were going to give free rides to kids before trying to take off again (which didn't happen - they had to pack them up right there) I would have taken the kids over. Nati, mom, Betty & I went to the parade. I asked the boys if they wanted to go and got the following response "I saw a parade once." Jason has them trained well. It was fun all the same. Betty, in true form, yelled "Play something" to the different bands. We took the kids to the carnival on family night, which is so awfully crowded but they had a good time. Good times!!

Red, Blue & White.... Devils - let's fight!!

It was Art City Days again and time for Nati to cheer for good ol' SHS. She looks forward to it for months. It is so fun to see her and 80 other little 5 year olds shake it and cheer with all their little hearts. The funniest thing was that she went to the practices followed by the Cheer Spectacular and kind of forgot about it. Then a couple of weeks later we were driving down the road and she yells "Red, blue & white.....Devils let's fight." Yup, she's the future of SHS cheerleading!

Rainbows on her face

It's amazing how so many colors look so AMAZING on one little face. Natalie got into my very old make-up - the one I use for Halloween and any other dress up events. She got into it and went to town!! I have a lot to teach her before the teenage years.

Lost

We live in a day and age when a computer and the internet is needed to function in life. I don't consider myself a computer junkie - yes, I check my email daily and yes, I check facebook daily and yes, I might google a bit as well but I don't spend hours on it. I do what I need to do and move on. Well, that being said, I have come to realize how much I need it. About 3 weeks ago, while I was on vacation no less, Jason called me and said that we had a virus that had taken down our main computer and his laptop. I had my laptop with me but as soon as I got home it was infected too. Oh the sadness!! I have been going days without checking email. It has been torture. I have girls camp coming up and have needed to google ideas (a perfectly legitimate cause) and haven't been able to. A good friend has let me come over and use her computer - thank heavens because my parents (love you) have dial-up and it takes a while to find stuff. Just when Jason thinks he has it fixed it comes back with a vengeance. It is one bad, ugly, mean virus. We have had 2 friends who I consider to be computer genius's look at our virus and one of them now has it on his computer. Jason has been spending hours everyday trying to get rid of it. I get a little angry at people that start these things. Surely there are better things to do than ruin others computers. So - with great sadness, I don't have any pictures to post. I have lots to tell but need pictures to show you. We have been so busy this summer doing such fun things but until the evil virus is gone I can't do more than this. Keep checking back and maybe if we all cross our fingers our little problem will be fixed soon.

Nati's Doll House

Nati was the beneficiary of a lot of fun stuff from a good friend of mine. This is her favorite thing - the doll house. She has had so much fun with it all. There are so many fun things to put in it and she is always rearranging the furniture and having little converstaions with the people. I love listening outside her room to her fun time with the doll house. Huge thanks to Amber for making Nati's day!!

Live wElle 2011

Live life, live it wElle

The little dots are the balloons. Nati loved it!

Brax just finishing his race.

Nati and her little friend, Lindsay. All ready to run!!

All smiles!!

My amazing mom & I.

Kelly & I.

My favorite race of the year!! It's only a 5k but I love, love, love it!! The spirit of the whole thing is amazing. My kids have ran it the last few years as well. Dylan ran the 5k along with my mom & I. Dylan beat his time from two years ago by almost 5 minutes - yeah Dylan!! I only had one goal - to get under 25 minutes. I didn't care if it was 24 minutes and 59 seconds, I just wanted under the 25 minute mark. Things were going good, I was feeling good..... until I got close enough to see the clock showing 25:05. Oh the sadness!! I got 25:09. 10 seconds short of my goal. Next year I will do it for sure. Brax & Nati both ran their races so well. Brax was excited that he wasn't 2nd to last this year and Nati - well, we were just happy she ran hers. Mom took 2nd place in her age group. She did so great!! The event always ends with the releasing of the balloons to the song "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", which always makes me cry. Such a great day and such a great event!!

He's moving up!

Well, he's done with elementary school. His graduation was last week. It was a perfect little ceremony - the student council told about different memories of grade school, the teachers said a few words and then they handed the certificates out. Apparently he is referred to as Dylan Dillpickle Carter because that is the name they said as he got his certificate. All of the 6th graders got to stay at the school after for a late night party.

Best Buddies - we love Wyatt. They are together more often than not. He even called me "mom" the other day.
with Mrs. Snow - great teacher. She came into a hard situation 2 months into school and did such a great job.

me with my boy who is almost (do I dare say within an inch) as tall as me. We are so proud of him. He did so great all year long and had so much fun on student council.

Him with his crew of friends.

The student council got to tell about a memory from their grade school experience. Dylan told about the 4th grade Mother & Son Dance.

with a proud grandma.

This was on their certificate. I love the quote.

Wow! He's moving on to Junior High. Before I know it he will be driving and leaving on a mission. We are so proud of him and don't know what life would be like without him - maybe a little less driving for perpetrator and a little less worrying about all of these girls that show up here or call him - but it's all worth it. He's a keeper!!