Big Surf

Thursday we headed to the water park for some fun. We had told Theresa we would probably only spend and hour or two there because we didn't want to be in the heat that long. Five hours later we headed home. We had that much fun!

We started on some kiddie slides in one of the kiddie pools. Here is Dakotah coming out.
Autumn enjoyed them so much, it was hard to get her to stop and swim with Madi and I.
Such a face!
Madi decided to be brave for a minute and try one slide. She freaked out a bit and ended up turning herself around and landing with her head going in the water first. She didn't go again.

She may not have gone, but gave me the thumbs up that I actually got the picture so she could show people she did go.After that pool and after the boys met back up with us from going on all the big slides, we headed to another kiddie pool. This pool was like ankle deep for me as where the other was about knee deep. I love this picture of all my little kiddies on the gator.
These slides were more Madi's taste and she made sure I got pictures of these too.

This was too cute a shot to pass up. I wonder if they were discussing the fun of the day so far.

Had to make sure I got a picture so everyone could see I was enjoying it too.














Ok, this is a slide that straight drops, it was cool looking. I took pictures of my boys, hubby and brother going down. Now yes you can't tell who is who, but I know who's slash is who's. Starting on the left.... My brother RJ (it's cool that you can see him under the water shooting through it), next Colby then Dakotah and lastly as well as the winner of the biggest spray.... Rodney.
This is how Rodney looked after that ride. I see the kid in him out for the day having a blast with his boys. I love it!
Madi was very confident with her life jacket so she actually swam around the pool and started dunking herself under the water.
Then she decided to be ornery and told me she was going to splash me and she didn't really care that she was going to get my camera wet. See that little fist.......

this is what that fist did and she didn't get the camera but I managed to capture the water beads mid air and I think it's so cool.
Goofy girl with her daddy. These two together melt my heart!
We also spent and hour in the wave pool which I left the camera behind for so I could have fun. Rodney and D shared a raft, Colby and RJ shared one and then I laid on the middle of one with a girl on either side of me. I wrapped my arms over their backs and we rode the waves and never flipped. It was so much fun and my favorite part of the day.

Pool Side Fun

Well of coarse being in Arizona we were bound and determined to get in a bit of swimming. My aunt Marilyn was kind enough to allow us to come to her house when ever we felt like it.
My very own pool boy :)!

Dakotah did amazing! He tool off the floaties and took off swimming in the deep end. He was able to jump off the edge into the deep end and swim off. It was awesome to see him gain strength and confindence.
Here he is swimming like a fish.
Autumn had victories of her own. She got to where she was comfortable with jumping in as well and allowing her head to go under the water. She also was comfortable with swimming into the deep end with her floaties on.
Madi took some risks as well but did it only for pictures then she was done. Here she is going off the diving board which she started out by sitting and kind of floped in to her dad. Funny stuff!
I got in on the fun as well.
Here is one of Madi's attempts at bravery.....
and in she went which she wasn't really wanting but it was so good for her.

I love swimming in this pool and have enjoyed it for so many years, since I was 14.


Mister D hanging out in the deep end and so loving his journey with his swimming.
Here is Rodney doing a flip into the pool and no matter how this looks like it ended bad, it really didn't.
Dakotah decided he wanted to try the flip as well. It was very funny to watch him gain his courage to do it. He stood on the edge of the pool attempting to do it about 10 times before he actually just got it done. He actually did really good too. I won't even try the flip, so way to go Dakotah.

In all we made it to the pool at aunt Marilyn's 3 times and had such a blast. I love swimming in pools and most of all with my family. My husband even commented on how he loves watching me swim cause of how much fun I have with the kids.

Flag Staff

After a wonderful day at the Canyon and an adventurous dinner we headed back to the hotel with some sleepy kids (no matter how much they tried to convince us they weren't).
Mister D in his bed with his new Grand Canyon animal. He got the bed to himself since Colby slept in my parents room with my brother.
The girls in their bed ready to go night night. The next day we woke up and met up with one of my cousins (I have more than I can count) and had breakfast. There was a Scottish Festival in town that day that my cousin was participating in a tug of war, so we headed up to watch.
The festival was entertaining and we had the opportunity to watch my cousin and his rugby team get their rears kicked in the tug of war. My cousin is the anchor (the back one). After witnessing his defeat we walked around and enjoyed some ice cream and the girls getting their faces painted.
As this picture well shows, after 2 very full days right off the bat, we had some wore out kids.

A Grand Canyon Adventure

Saturday the 18th we got up early in the morning and headed up north in AZ. to see the Grand Canyon. In all the years I have ever lived in Arizona I never went to the Grand Canyon so here was my opportunity. It was amazing! God's beauty was so in our faces and I loved every minute of it. What a wonder He has given us to enjoy.





It was surprising how close to the edge you could actually get, like I mean if you wanted to jump.... yea you could cause there is nothing stopping you. We actually took this opportunity to tease my mom (Theresa) and make her yell at us. I know people might not understand why we would want to make her yell at us, but it's actually really funny. We walked quite a bit this day and we were on the South Rim. We managed to find our way into what was called the Canyon Village for some souvenir shopping then onto the area where they have a hotel and you can see the canyon some more.They had been waiting a few weeks to see this and they enjoyed it.
Me and my hubby.

The fam.The kids with grandma, grandpa and uncle RJ.
Mom, Me, Dad and RJ (isn't he a cute "big" little brother, I love him so much).
This was an amazing day and the kids were fantastic with all the walking we did and in the heat that we weren't real used to. At the end of the day we headed south a bit to Flag Staff where we had dinner at a funky restaurant that had singing waiters. It was so much fun.

Some Beachy Fun!

This past Sunday after church and lunch, we packed up our kids as well as Kim and her girls and headed for some much needed water fun at the beach at the lake. Now by this time last year, we lived near the water but this year has seemed to be cooler and just not swim worthy so when the weather was hot and sunny we were all about it.

Dakotah and Bre goofing off and this is the beginning of a game of chicken.
Go guys go!!! This was so much fun to watch and Dakotah made sure to warn me not to drop my camera in the lake since I am floating in a tube taking pictures in the middle of the water. It was funny!
Chelsea enjoying some much needed male figure time with her uncle Hot Rod.
Of coarse between Dakotah and Rodney the time is bound to come when kids start flying. Dakotah loves this!

Bre had no choice, but enjoyed it just as much as D did.I love this one, he was coming right for me when he got tossed.
My beach baby, she doesn't spend too much time in the water. She is more about getting some sun and playing in some sand.
Yea, when I bought these goggles for her my intent was for the purpose of water play, Madi's intent is to just look goofy sitting in the middle of the sand making castles while wearing them.
Even Autumn joined in on the beach goggle action (another one who doesn't go in the water).

This was what was a fun time watching! Autumn and Dakotah had a water fight for about 5 minutes that was so entertaining to Rodney, Kim and I. He started it as I plainly caught on camera.......and she ended it with him tucking tail and running for the water since he knew she wouldn't go in. Good escape plan on his part.
Now we head for vacation in good, hot o'l Arizona. We have plans for family, Grand Canyon, water parks and much more, so stay tuned in a couple weeks. I'm outta here!!!! :)

Some Summer Tid Bits and Quick Garden Update

Here are a few things that make up our summer......


These are called Watermelon Pops and the kids and I made these the other day. These were so much fun to make, so kids friendly as far as the kitchen goes and the hubby LOVES them. They are lime and strawberry gelatine, cream cheese and cool whip, and chocolate chips. Such a frosty, tasty treat.
This is what I found on my kitchen floor the other day. I ran outside to get my husband to come in and save me since I don't care for things that crawl. By the time we came in Kim (my sis in law) had already scooped this guy up in a cup. I have never seen a salamander before now.


Now for a garden update from your local rookie gardener who is just having a blast....

I went into the garden fro 2 reasons.... first to see if there was anything I could incorporate into dinner so Kim could enjoy some yummy fresh veggies. Second to make sure I harvested anything that would be ready to harvest since I won't be around next week to do so. Here is the bountiful harvest. 4 zucchini, 3 crooked neck squashes and below is Rodney's banana pepper.

Quick Garden Update

Monday evening I went out into the garden and was able to harvest 2 very nice zucchini. I am now looking at zucchini bread recipes to make. I also pulled one cherry tomato off the vine and ate it right away. It was so yummy! Everything is growing so good. We have about 5 Buttercup Squash, 10 more zucchini, 10 summer squash and tons of both cherry and regular tomatoes. The corn is growing tall as you can see in the above picture. I think our tallest one is maybe 5 ft or close to it. They are now getting their tassles so I guess that means the corn is soon to follow. I am excited to report, that we have lived in this house for 3 years now and every year it's a new discovery. When we first moved in it was the pear and apple tree. The first year anniversary it was that the tree in the middle of the pear and apple tree was also an apple tree but it just produces fruit every other year and black berry bushes along the pasture fence line. Last year (year 2 anniversary) we found a peach tree of some sort in the pasture. I think they are white peaches, but small like apricots. They make a yummy pie that's for sure. This year, year 3 we found black raspberry bushes amongst some seriously tall grass we have never mowed because there is a pile of bricks over there. Anyhow, Rodney spotted them, weed wacked a nice path for me and then I found that they are everywhere and I even have to go into the bean field to get to more. Everyday I go out to pick newly turned berries and manage to get about 1 to 2 cups. I have enough now to make a batch of jam and a couple pies and the picking isn't even over yet. God has surly blessed us with this house and land. He brought us here to a home that has such peace to it, big land for the kids to grow and all the fruit you can imagine. It's right across the field from our church and the hunting is quite nice as well. It's such an adventure to live here and have the opportunity to live off the land. Our kids seem so happy here with the freedom to run outside, have adventures and be as loud as they can. I know if and when the time comes that God moves us from here we will, but I have such a hard time ever seeing us anywhere else and it would be so hard to leave.
I look forward to see what next year has for us, who knows maybe we will have chickens!