Toes?

Ammon is five months old now and has really discovered his toes...this is one of my favorite things that babies do...plus don't you just love his big blue eyes?!

Family Reunions!

We had two family reunions this week...lots of fun in the sun! Wed - Fri we were down in Moab for the Stum reunion. It was HOT and we got eaten alive by mosquitos, but it was fun to see everyone. Mark had fun mountain biking on his new bike and taking Josh and Holly river rafting, we all had fun hiking in Arches, and enjoyed lots of time in the pool. This was Ammon's first time swimming and he really loved it - he even fell asleep twice while swimming! Personally I would have preferred a different location (lots of heat and sun aren't that baby friendly) but I did really enjoy visiting with all the cousins we haven't seen in a few years.

We got home Friday night around 11:00, then Mark flew out to Chicago for a work conference, and the kids and I headed to the Black family reunion Saturday. We skated at Classic Skating for the morning then spent the rest of the day at the Scera park eating, playing games, having water fights, launching rockets, visiting, etc. It was lots of fun but we are so worn out! I'd love to say thank goodness today is Sunday (a day of rest) but with Mark out of town and four kids to manage, that's not really what I'm experiencing!

First Cabin Trip of the Year

We finally made it up to Grandma Stum's cabin! This is always a much anticipated trip and really lets us know that summer has arrived. We were glad the snow finally melted and the roads were clear - we were starting to wonder if we'd ever get to go the way this Spring has gone. We saw lots of deer - even one that came up to eat within 15 feet of the cabin while we were watching out the window which mesmerized all of us. There was also a cottontail bunny living under that cabin that we saw several times, and hummingbirds that didn't seem phased that we were near. The kids enjoyed playing with Grandma and Grandpa Bishop, building things with popsicle sticks, lounging in the hammock, and sailing boats down the stream. Even without running water we still had a great time...

"Mom where is my...?"

So I have to say that I hear those words at least twenty times a day (minimum!) Oh, let me add that I also hear it another twenty times from Mark: Honey do you know where my ____ is? So this entry is in honor of all those moms/wives who spent at least 50% of their memory keeping track of where everyone else's belongings are! Whoever said that a photographic memory was a requirement for marriage and a family?

Oh, another favorite..."I'm Hungry!" I won't even start on how tired I get of this phrase. I have no hesitation in giving a kid a snack if they've eaten at meal time, but it really just drives me nuts when they won't finish their plate at meals because they're "full" and then within a half hour I hear the dreaded words. Anyone else get annoyed by this?

Well the whole thing that started this entry was a funny thing Holly said a few minutes ago that really made me laugh:

"Mom do you know where my crap book is?"
"You're crap book?"
"Yeah, my crap book...you know the one I got at preschool?"
"Oooh, your scrapbook!! It's on the counter!" (I could barely get it out through my giggles)

I guess the reward for keeping track of everyone's things is that you get to hear gems like that!

My Happy Boy

So we've captured a bunch of cute pics of Ammon lately - he seems to really like sitting in the bumbo and watch me cooking. Don't mind the purple bumbo...it's borrowed (thanks Jessica!) and don't mind the spit-up on Ammon's shirt...no excuses there! He's sure growing up fast; he was 15 lbs at his 4-month checkup - no wonder my shoulders & back ache when I lug him around in his heavy carseat all day!

Ella loves her little brother! So much that Mommy has to keep a close watch to make sure she doesn't "smother" him with affection - literally! He really likes having her play with him when she remembers to be gentle...