Anyway, I have neglected to share some pictures from this last month. Some good ones. We went to Alta with Jen and Zak last month to view the last gasp of the wildflowers. It was a great day. Got home a little later then expected, but we got to see some beauty and it was lovely. It was also fun to watch Ellie and Zak “hike” all over the place they were on a mission. Not really sure what the mission was and I don’t think they knew what their mission was either but they were having a good time following the little trail and exploring. Ellie picked out her outfit that day and when we got out of the car some people commented on how adorable she was. I just smiled and said thanks. Then I turned around and saw that she is pretty adorable. With the hat and glasses she looked to me like an old lady in retirement years all ready for her cruise or something.  A- dor-a-ble

and here are what some of the flowers looked like…

Next up Owen, Ellie, and I visited the Wasatch Co Fair. It was a brief visit since it was a sweltering day and well the Fair was well lets just say it was typical for Heber, I digress. The high light and the reason I’m even mentioning it was that we found Soda Pop the Clown and she does an incredible job at painting faces. She turned Ellie into a beautiful butterfly for the day. It was so funny when she showed Ellie herself in the mirror she was a little stunned I think and wasn’t quiet sure what to make of it she didn’t really smile or react in any way but she wouldn’t stop staring at herself or let go of the mirror. When we came home she finally started to smile about it and she had to go in the bathroom and stare at herself some more. I was afraid of what was going to happen with time when it started to smear and wear off but she eventually asked to have it washed off. Oh my though she truly thought she was a butterfly for a little while.

A few mornings ago I walked out on the porch to see what Ellie was up to outside and found this scene

She didn’t know I was there. She was deep into what ever was going on with that crayon and her little book, not sure if it was a list she was making, a picture she was drawing, or some thoughts she was recording, but it was a nice little moment.

And Owen, well he has had some moments this month as well a few firsts. Like getting in the bouncy seat, eating cereal, giggling over his sisters silly antics, and his first cold.

I have to put this one up because he is so stinking cute in his new hat from Bada and Papa

yep stinking cute

and one last one for good measure of Ellie reading to her baby

On Monday her true Birth Day. We invited our neighbors Zak and Jen to join us at the splash pad. Ellie and Zak had a ball sans the scrapes and bruises from slips and falls. Ellie is timid around the water in true girly form not wanting to get water in her face. Zak showed her how its done by charging through the fountains and sticking his face right in it no matter how cold it was. Boy vs. Girl through and through. We topped off the afternoon by visiting the bounce houses at the PCMR. Their favorite hands down. Pure three year old bliss.

I’ve been thinking about the last year with Ellie as I’ve been waiting for pictures and videos to download for this post and I have to say She takes my breath away. She is so smart, beautiful, innocent, and loving. I don’t think I’ve shared how she comes up to us randomly and tells us how she loves us. “I wob you” is how it comes out. I get tingles every time. At night when we are settling for bed if you lay down with her she snuggles right up and hugs and it is so wonderful. She makes my life so much more rich and I am a luck Momma.

Amalga put on a good fried chicken dinner Friday night at the town park and fireworks later that night. Grandma and Grandpa’s neighbor Tad invited us down to his patch of land at the “river bottoms” to view the fire works. Once Dad got us parked in the right place we had a great view of the fireworks over a bend in the Bear river. Wish I had taken my camera for that one. The following morning we went back to the park to attend a pancake, ham & eggs breakfast. After the breakfast the youngsters in the town put together a sweet little fair including bounce houses and little homemade games such as Plunko, go fish, ring toss, etc. Ellie and her cousins had a blast soaking it all up and playing their little hearts out.

I see London I see France I see Ellies underpants

After all the game time fun we gathered up the kids and sent them off with Gary and Grandpa to ride in Grandpa’s shinny 67′ Chevy Malibu for the town parade. Grandpa had just got the Chev all “cherried” up with a nice wax and such so it was a perfect addition to the wee parade. Look close at the pics you can see the by standers reflections off that slick black Malibu. The parade was precious to say the least so fun and small and neighborly. There was a ton of candy tossed about on the roadside. Our family filled up a gallon size baggie full of salt water taffy.

After the parade we came home to Grandma and Grandpa’s for some R&R. Later in the evening we lit off some of the fireworks Jon, my brother, brought. It was Ellie and Owen’s first firework experience as they usually can’t seem to stay up late enough. But the cousins kept us alert. Owen let out a few cries and Ellie didn’t quite know what to make of it. She sat on the blanket for a little bit then ran to Grandma and finally ended up in Grandpa’s lap trying to ignore the pops and sparkles and find a comfortable place.  All while the McKenney cousins were hooting and hollering for more.

We all had a great time and Gary and I were impressed with Amalga’s little holiday and happy we were able to join in a true small town celebration. The evening ended with a bit of a sour note as my Mom was feeling progressively sicker and sicker. Finally she had Dad drive her down to the emergency room where they found that her gallbladder was filled with little stones and one was already trying to be passed. So my poor mother who is still recuperating from knee surgery had to go through two procedures one to remove the stone and one to remove the gallbladder. She is home now and all is well, and that better be it for her 60 year maintenance.

Owen has been practicing his rolling like a mad man and holding his head up high.

He is also working on his communication. Getting the “thppts” down pretty good.

* Park Silly Sunday Market on Saturday (How silly is that?)

* Toddler temper tantrum mega melt down over balloons

* A visit to the garden

* Last of the Louisiana Gulf Shrimp BBQ

* Impromptu dance on the porch

* Viewing fireworks from atop a TL ridge while enjoying a PBR and Oreo pairing, and sleeping wee ones in the back seat.

* The morning scramble to get to the parade

* Catching up with best friends

* Enjoying PC Parade on the 4th of July (not the 2nd, 3rd or the 5th)

* Yummy Buffalo Burger and Bloody Mary’s for lunch amidst 3 diaper changes

* Cracking up over how my baby boy looks so manly in his muscle shirt

* A stroll to the park to listen to some live music

* Two snow cones shared with the Wee One

* Two days of sheer “bounce house” joy

* Reaching a milestone, Owen’s first complete roll over (so glad he timed it so you could be apart of it Bada)

And just for kicks here is what we found sprouting up in our bath tub the other night…

HAPPY FATHERS DAY GARY, PAPA, and GRANDPA

We participated in Craft Hope’s Project 8 this week. I cut up some old rags and sewed them into appropriate size squares with ribbon loops for hanging. As I was doing this my children were napping and I was trying my hardest to focus on putting out “good thoughts” into the Cosmic Soup for all who are suffering from the Gulf Coast Oil spill animals and humans alike. It was a small, easy way to feel helpful.

I also found this the other day as I was wandering through the blog-o-sphere. Check it out you might be inspired to contribute some “help” as well.

“To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter…to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird’s nest or a wildflower in spring – these are some of the rewards of the simple life.”
~ John Burroughs

“It’s a very fragile world, she told us So we walk carefully everywhere we go and we promised to remember as long as we could.”
~ Brian Andreas, Storypeople

Click here to view the embedded video.

Ellie had so much fun with her cousins she was so wiped out by the end of each day. We had a tie dye party, a tea party and a pizza party. Along with some Birthday celebrations and Mothers Day. Ellie and McKenna fast became best friends. Ellie followed her around and would repeat everything she was saying. One night they were in the bath together and suddenly Ellie started crying to get out saying she was scared. Mark asked McKenna what had happened and she said all she did was cross her eyes. So, Ellie doesn’t like crossed eyes they creep her out a little bit. Bailey tried it on her a little later and she still got upset. Such a funny thing to get scared over.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Listen to Bailey in this video she had my Mom and I rolling and tearing up with that British accent.

Owen did very well too. He is such a good tempered baby so easy to please. He gave everyone some big smiles. We weighed him on the scale while there and found out he is a whopping 13 lbs. He is growing like a weed! His wee socks don’t fit him anymore. I almost feel like we skipped over the whole newborn phase with him save for the late night wake up calls. Although he is finally giving us 5 to 6 hours at night now.

I think a special shout out to my brother-in-law Mark is in order. We was so good to us all week driving us around from store to store, waiting patiently while we shopped, taking care of all the kids and lending a hand when in need. My sister is fortunate to have married such an awesome man. They are in Texas now as I type celebrating the completion of his dissertation. He has worked so hard the past few years to earn his PhD. We are all so proud of him. Check out the “Marcercial” the military  TV network did for him.