Summer!!!!

Oh boy.  Where do I start? Maybe I should just do some bullet points and then pictures... That might be easier. Haha!

- it's been HOT

- I am huge

- Phoenix is naughty and awesome

- We live in a great place

I've said it once, I'll say it again, Phoenix does summer better than anyone I know! 

Hanging out and Granny and Pa's house.

At the Red Iguana with Mom and Gramma Floyd.  SO great to have them out in Utah for a few days!

Phoenix at the water park.  And that guy who photobombed the heck out of this picture... Good one guy.  Good one. 

Phoenix, Karrigan, and Clayton obsessing over the mystical garbage truck. 

Ohh my gosh.  And it happens so fast.  One minute you have a silly 2 yr old running through the sprinkler... Next minute, you've got redneck Paul Bunyan with little chiclet teeth.  The heck.

Phoenix's first true meeting with fireworks on the 4th of July was hilarious.  He was not one bit scared and would scream war cries when the next one was about to be lit.  He literally talks about them every day and has stashed a sparklers box in the corner by the TV that he gets out and holds when he wants to reminisce. HAHA

This was me almost 2 weeks ago.  I suppose I ought to take another soon..

It's just, I mean, yeah it's cute a super pregnant lady.  But really it's more like a super wish my baby would come out of there soon type thing.  But it's cool. 

OHHHHHH.  You're bad!! You're just.. You're SO BAD!! Black blasted nail polish all over the bathroom AND kitchen.  I don't want to talk about it. Hahaha

I don't normally sneak into his room for any reason, I don't want to awaken the gremlin child that he turns into from about 1030 pm- 600am... But I did tonight and couldn't help but tuck him in a little extra and snap some pictures, while my heart overflowed with a love I didn't know existed 'till he did. 

Just playing in the neighbor's sandbox.  This has become almost a daily occurrence.. Shade, toys, a lounge chair, fenced in yard, and sand. Win. Win. Win.

You may not be able to tell, but this kid's ear swelled up so big and ruddy when a bee stung his poor little ear :( it was a real sad time. What was almost worse was waking him up from his Benadryl stupor afterward!! Ohh holy drunk-grump! 

Can they get any more cute?? I submit they cannot! Phoenix almost killed himself on Sunday in front of half the neighborhood when he thought he'd show off just how fast he could go and nearly hit the Gundersen's brick mailbox. Hence, toddler helmet 1.0..

He and his friend Kaylie upon discovering and seriously studying a caterpillar. 

So.  That's pretty much summer in a nutshell for us.  It's great.  It really is.  I don't know what I would do if we couldn't go outside and be active... Many say being pregnant in the summer is the worse.  I disagree! The winter months in the dungeon are WAY worse!! Just my two cents ;) 

June in Bloom

Well the rains have finally ceased and the world is SO GREEN!! Wow.  I don't remember Utah being so lush.  It's absolutely beautiful.  The flowers are all blooming and the hummingbirds and buzzing bees are happily bouncing from flower to flower :) I love this time of year.  I have never been a huge fan of the middle of summer or winter, but I sure love the changing of the seasons.  Spring and fall are so exciting to me.  I often have allergies through the summer too, so that doesn't help summer get any brownie points for me, either. Hahaha.

So we have been busy, busy lately.  Now that it's been nice out, we have been out and about and doing lots of work outside.  Seriously, if I had my way, I would hire a nice maid to clean inside and I would just work outside all day.  Plus, I hate the smell when I do the dishes.  Is that so weird?  The smell of food mixed with soap makes me want to BAAARF. Haha.. Such a waaany.  

We have been going up to the south fork park in Provo canyon a lot lately.  We have now renamed it "The Shire", mostly because it looks like a little taste of Hobbiton, and also, because my little hobbit and his friends run around it all day ;) 

I'm sooo grateful that we live so close to the canyon.  There is something about the mountains that just does us good.  I've always said that the two places I have felt the spirit the strongest was in the temple and in the mountains.  I used to backpack all the time and when I would lay next to a lake with my hands behind my head in the mountainous wilderness where there wasn't a man made sound in the air... And look up at the brilliant sky full of stars... I would just feel my heart overflow with joy and peace and love for my God.  I hope my kiddos gain that love for the mountains and nature like Josh and I have :) 

Anyway, lately Phoenix has been sneaking off to our friend's house two houses down the street, to see his favorite baby sitter Eve, and her siblings. They are a neat family!!  They all know how to work hard and play outside and they don't mind Phoenix running around them screaming, when they are trying to drive down the sidewalk on their scooters or ripsticks haha :). This summer, they are going to Guatelama for almost a month to help build a school and tend kids.  Pretty neat!

Phoenix has been into EVERYTHING lately and has seemed to forget what the word "no" and "NO!!!" mean.  Sigh.. And he regularly takes advantage of the fact that I have a huge belly and can't run after him like I used to.  The neighbors are getting used to him being at their front or back doors knocking.  He has no shame.  And thinks it's great to be invited in to play.  While I'm still running around the house hoping he hasn't done just that and apologizing to whoever it is that he has barged in on.  Good thing we have pretty awesome neighbors. Haha.. Hmm.

Our backyard is fenced, but the gate is broken. We have been trying to decide the best thing to do in order to keep Phoenix from escaping and finally I got fed up and put a bike lock on it.  Well it doesn't tighten super well and Phoenix found that out on day 1 of it being on, so while I was chopping veggies for dinner, he attempted a break out.  Well he got his body through, but his head was too big. Next thing I hear is a humiliated wail come from the back, so I go out and look.  There's Phoenix on his hands and knees with his head in between the gate and it looks like this kid is in the stalks.  It was so dang funny.  Our bishop was out and he was walking over laughing his head off.  It wasn't tight around his neck or anything, but he was sure stuck.  It was hilarious.  Needless to say, he hasn't attempted it again, but we have got to find a better system.  Haha! 

Also this week, we had some family come through and it was great to be able to see them and have our kids play together.  I LOVE friends and family!

 

Storms and Smiles

This has been a wild few months for the weather, here in Utah... But who's suprised, really?  We had a horribly dry winter and everyone was really worried about water shortages and wild fires.  Well we were asked to fast for rain and we did and wow!!! Talk about a testimony builder!  We have received 3 weeks of rain and more in the way!  I'm so grateful to see the Lord's hand in our lives and the blatant answer to prayers we've received.  Here is a picture of Phoenix in the chair on the front porch.  We were watching a thunderstorm role in (as shown)

We also have had lots of fun with friends and cousins lately.  Phoenix has started to enjoy playing with friends more and it's so fun and funny to watch! 

Yesterday, I watched James most of the day.  It was fun to have him :) he is so funny and crazy! When Em came to pick him up, they stayed a while and had dinner with us.  Then the two boys completely lost their minds and ran around the house laughing and screaming and wrestling, etc.  Em loves to play silly games like this with James and Phoenix was half impressed, half terrified.  Hahaha

Maybe I can try those tricks in a few months.. Haha ;) it's always great having family over.  

Speaking of family, Ben and Whitney have moved to Colorado for the summer, for Ben's internship with HP.  We will really miss them!  We had a dinner for them the week before.  I made pizza on our awesome pizza stone and a pizookie for dessert.  It was yummy and great to have them, as always ;). A few days before they left, Whitney ran the Ogden Half Marathon!!! She kicked butt and did it in the pouring rain.  I'm so impressed.  Ben would have ran it with her, but got injured and couldn't :( so hard, but we all know he had that one in the bag! ;) 

Phoenix discovered the delicious and addictive snack of graham crackers dipped in milk while we were at my mom's house, the other day.  I'll let the pictures show what he thought of it. 

First you take the graham.

Then you dip the graham.

Nomnomnom

And chase it with the rest of the milk. Make sure to spill out the sides of your mouth, like a barbarian.  Hahaha

At night, Phoenix has been really loving cuddle and story time with Josh.  It's not the same if it's with me, (which he very vocally tells me) when Josh is at work at night and I get to do the reading.  

See what I mean? Tough to beat that.. Especially with a big belly that really makes it hard to snuggle the way he wants to. Haha!

I am doing really well this last trimester of Robyn's pregnancy. Staying busy is so key!  If I let myself get too lazy, I feel gross and even more exhausted than if I had been up and at'em.  I'm lighter this pregnancy as well and I can definitely feel that! I was getting into pretty darn good shape before I got pregnant and I kept staying active this pregnancy, which is something I didn't do with Phoenix.  Im really hoping it'll make for s better labor and recovery!!  But let's be honest, at the end of the day, I am looking and a lot of times, feeling like this: 

TOASTED. Hahaha

Birthday Din Din

 So it was my birthday this week, so Josh and I went out to dinner by ourselves!!! It was great!  We went to this Belgian cafe I have been wanting to go to called Burges Waffles and Frites.  Delicious.  I got the Turkey Bacon Avocado waffle sandwich and Josh got the club.  We ate outside on Provo Center Street, right across from the new Provo City Temple that is being built.  It was a beautiful day and I just enjoyed myself so much.  We ended the meal with the "Waffle Monster".  A real live monster, as you can see from the picture.  It was so yummy.  A big thanks to Ben for watching Phoenix!  He sure loves uncle Ben!!

Huckleberry Coburn

Once upon a time, there was a young boy who wished he could live outside.  All he wanted was for his mommy and daddy to sell their belongings and home, buy an RV, and travel to all the national parks and forests for the rest of their lives.  Then they would all be traveling hippies and live happily ever after.

 Yep, that's my kid.  He literally does not care what the weather is like, as long as he is outside in it.  Sometimes I wish that it was that easy.  "Okay Phoenix go play in the backyard while Mommy gets some housework done...or cooks dinner... or anything else she's supposed to do!" Haha.  But he is too smart and has waay too much wanderlust for that.  We are up in the canyon, visiting different parks, feeding animals that aren't ours.. Hahaha.  We have such a good time.  In all honesty, I am so grateful for Phoenix's love of adventure and challenge.  It keeps me from getting lazy ;)

His favorite place by far, is the Provo River and its tributaries.  He just LOVES water, fish, nature, water, rocks, water.. you get the idea.  If he is anything like me, he will love to cliff jump into the water before too long!  I'll be so proud.. Hahaha

Every once in a while he sees fish in the river and gets SO excited!! "OOOO!!! shish!!! shish!!"... As in "fish", "fish.  Haha.  Lucky for him, there is a fish pool below Bridal Veil Falls that you can sit right next too and feed and touch the fish.  That first picture up there?  Yeah that is after he threw every last goldfish he had to the fish and got splashed in the face by 3 different fish fighting over them.  Ahhh.  The joy.

We were up the other day and found a park up a side canyon that was heaven!! It is called the South Fork park.  No one was there.  No one!  We had the whole thing to our selves and we just wandered around the creek and into the woods and chased birds and ate lunchables.  It. Was. Awesome.  Phoenix cried his eyes out when it was time to go.  Whenever we pass the turn off to go up the canyon he reaches his arm out and presses it against the window and says "GOOOOOOO!!!!" and gets hurt feelings if we don't "GOOOO" up there.  Hahaha

I am getting excited for warmer weather so we can spend more time up there!  I'm sure he is too ;)

April Happenings

Things are getting more fun these days, now that winter is on its way out... Mostly.  We had a huge storm on Wednesday the 16th and received much needed and prayed for snow in our mountains and in the valley as well.  It didn't stay too cold for too long though, so I think most of the plants and fruit trees will be okay down here.  In Logan and Ogden... I dunno.  They got 8 inches of snow!  I especially love how every Utahn looses their minds over the fact that we have a snow storm in April!!  Hello?!  How long have we lived here??  I have thought about my past birthday weather and it is always something different!  But many times, I remember SNOW.

So for the first few days of April, Phoenix and I got to go up to Ogden for a few days to watch Jennifer while my mom and brother went to California.  My dad was home a lot of the time, but he had lots of big projects he was hoping to finish while I was there, so I took care of Jenn and the house while he worked.

It was a lot of fun and so exhausting!  Haha.  It made me think of how it will be when baby Robyn comes.  I'm used to getting a couple hours of alone, quiet time while Phoenix takes his nap.  When we were tending Jenn, she waited for nap time to barrage me with questions and conversation.  I was so tired I would try to not fall asleep while we talked.  I love her.  She is hilarious and she knows it.

I loved being able to cook for dad and the rest of the family when they got home.  I tried to spoil him ;)  Here is one of my breakfasts for him.  Mascarpone and strawberry crepes.  He said "Oh Boy!!", followed by NOMNOMNOMNOM.  Success.  Hahaha

I also was able to take Phoenix up to the famous Weber State duck pond, where the geese get their way and the ducks wish longinly that they were as pushy and tall as the stupid geese.  (This of course is coming from years of experience at the pond and many a goose bites on the backs of our legs as we made a run for it after they crowded in on us, honking rudely!)

Well I stood corrected that day.  I have never met such darling, sweet geese in my LIFE!!!  Phoenix was in heaven.  They ate softly out of his hand and let him pet their necks!!  I was in shock.  Then I jumped in on that and got some great videos of our goose friends.  It was a blast.  Phoenix didn't even try to jump in the water, like he usually does.  It was such a good experience and we were all sad when I was out of bread, goldfish I found at the bottom of the diaper bag, and old bits of banana muffin that... I am not sure when or where those were from.  We never wanted to leave!


Josh came up on the Front Runner for conference and Easter.  It was good to have him there.  Phoenix is growing to really LOVE daddy and was out of his mind excited, number one, to see daddy and number two, to see the TRAIN that brought him there.  He is obsessed with transportation.  Helicopters, airplanes, trains, trucks, boats, etc.  When he got to Ogden, we made a traditional stop at Farr's Ice Cream parlor by the Ogden Temple for some numnums.  Phoenix got bubblegum ice cream, which was a huge mistake because he thought the bubble gum bits were not supposed to be there and spat them all over the table and us.  Josh got the classic burnt almond fudge, and I got the legendary...black licorice ice cream.  Oh.. A bit of the celestial kingdom right there.  Sigh..

My mom put a sand box with all sorts of fun toys for the boys to play with while they were there.  Phoenix threw almost every toy off the deck within the first 20 minutes and then dumped sandy water all over himself and James.  It was so typical.  And so fun for him until he realized that he was cold and wanted to get out of his clothes... So he sheepishly stalked over to me, not wanting to make eye contact. Hahaha

When we got home after a fun Easter weekend, Blake and Heather's youngest daughter Faith, had her birthday party at Chuckie Cheese.  Phoenix was so excited.  We walked and and he goes "ohhhh WOW!"  and bolts.  Hahaha.  Funny enough, he did NOT like the little rides they had, but instead, LOVED all the games.  He especially liked the basketball shooting games and the skee ball (is that what it's even called??) We wasted all of our tokens on those.  In the end, he had enough tickets to buy himself a tiny little pterodactyl and was so proud of it.  He held it the whole way home and insisted on taking it with him for his nap.  Haha.  We haven't seen it since.  Oh well.  Out of sight, out of mind for that kid!

That week my most favorite companion from the mission Sister Hogge (now Melanie Roberts) came to visit with her family.  I was in heaven.  There are certain people that you just click with and they make you want to be a better person and you just love life when you are together... Well she is one of those people for me!  She has two darling kids and Phoenix loved playing with them.  He is getting to be really social and loves to play chase and hide and go seek.

I made some pretzel buns the other day and they turned our really yummy!  We ate them with a few different meals and they went well with all of them.. Josh's favorite was dipping them in nacho cheese.  I loved them as the buns for the turkey burgers we had with them.  Oh!  Delicious!  I'm so grateful that I am loving being a homemaker.  I never thought I would be a very good cook or bake my own bread, etc.  But that is becoming a big part of who I am and I love it.  It brings me joy and I love that it brings others joy too ;)