Pool Party!

I'm finally getting around to blogging some of the fun pool pictures our friends took earlier this year. Dallin had such a blast with his friend Andrew and his family in their pool and going to Friday movies!

Giant blow-up animals are the hit this year!


I think they are Jousting...


Riding Puff the magic dragon,


and Shamu!

McDonald's Play Place...

is Dallin's restaurant of choice when we stop to eat or just get some energy out. He was such a good helper with Maura.


I was surprised at how brave she was to just go crawling around through the tunnels. She started out a little cautious, but forgot about that as she started to have fun.

It was a little slippery, and she was focusing...


standing was even more difficult.

She is now a stair-climber! I'm SOOOO glad I don't have stairs!



Going up is easy, coming down, not so much.


She got stuck several times and couldn't decide what to do.

Horseback ride

On our last day in Wyoming, Rae took Dallin and me on a ride up the mountain. Kelly got up extra early to help saddle the horses for us.

Dallin rode Candy,



Rae rode Bell (Kelly's crazy horse)


and I rode Lady...see the ears?

Rae was a great wrangler, stopping to open gates and helping Dallin. Dallin did a great job all by himself! (Note the beautiful tail braid Rae spent hours doing)


The Jr. Princess herself!

Brady chases a calf!

We spent a day at the Jr. Rodeo in Thayne watching the Mutton Bustin', Calf riding, keyhole race, pole bending, and barrel racing.


Dallin didn't do any events, but he and Brady rode Lady around the parking lot.



Okay, I 'm totally stealing this from my sister's blog...she had such great pictures and a super story...here goes:

Brady chases a calf!

Because we knew that we were going to spend the entire day at the
Jr. Rodeo, we decided to sign up all the kids to compete in an event -
just to make it more fun. Brady was a great calf chaser. He bravely
chased down the calf - grabbed the ribbon from his tail - and then
let go of it because another kid had a hold of it too! Brady is just
such a nice kid - he wouldn't keep a hold of it. Gave it up to be the
nice kid. Kelly is always encouraging him to be more aggressive in sports
- but I'm really glad that he's always the nicest kid around


Chasing the calf!

Cowgirl

Rae is a barrel racer! She is having a blast this summer with barrel racing.
She goes to barrel club each week and really works at improving her time.
She is riding a new horse this year - Lady - and so she has been really
working at getting Lady to put up some fast times. They are getting there.
Barrel club is on Thursday nights and every Thursday Rae bounces off
the walls with excitement - just can't wait to go to barrel club.
Grampa Jonesy and Colleen have been great about taking her and we really
appreciate it - Rae is having a great time! She was able to compete this
last weekend in the Jr. Rodeo in Thayne. She didn't place, but she did get
her fastest time ever. She was waaaay proud! Way to go Rae Rae!

First barrel


Second,


Around the third barrel


Taking Lady home!



It was so much fun to see Rae in action! She is such a cowgirl. She love every part of it down to the spurs on her boots! (That's exactly what she spent her barrel racing prize money on-new spurs.)

Brannen Guy Fullmer

We got to know Brannen really well this summer! He is such a cute little guy! He has a fun personality and such funny expressions!


He is finally growing in to his face! He has such big eyes, mouth and ears, it took his head a little while to catch up to them! He sure is cute.

Our Flakey cousins...

The flake boys had a family vacation and stopped in Star Valley on their way through. They rode horses, went to the lake, and played in typical Flake style!

We convinced Kelly to arrange a "hay ride" for us up to the Grover cemetery.


Kelly borrowed Farmer Jeff's tractor that he restored and his wagon and we all loaded up for the short ride.


Dallin LOVES his big boy cousins ( and his cute girl cousins too!) Dallin, Laramie, Morgan, and Connor.


Back row: Laramie, Tyrel, Connor
Middle: Morgan, Reese, Payson, Brady, Chantry
Front: Dallin, Jocelyn

Walking the Pigs

This will go down in history as the summer of the pigs. Jeff (my sister's neighbor) is a closet farmer. He convinced his kids to raise pigs for 4-H and sell them at the fair to earn college money. Rae and Brady jumped on the band wagon. Little did they know what lay in store for them! They had to wash them, feed them, weigh them, and walk them. It turned out to be quite the project.

Jeff helping Dallin and Brady learn how to "walk" the pigs. They used a pole to tap the side of their shoulder to guide them where they wanted them. I was surprised at how frisky the pigs were when they went out for their walk. They would run from the boys and jump and play around.



Jeff giving some instruction.


Dalllin did a pretty good job, but the novelty wore off fast (sadly the smell did not).


He had to run pretty fast to keep up with this pig...I think they named him Bacon. Hee Hee


Evidently, buying livestock at the fair is something many business owners do. They write it off as a business expense and they pay top dollar for the pigs. Some pigs are sold for thousands of dollars! NO, I am NOT going to raise pigs in my back yard. The smell is just not worth it!!

Baby Central

Mookie and Brannen are buddies...well, Brannen tolerates Mookie as long as she doesn't poke him in the eye or anything. We found the exersaucer a much safer place for him than on the floor.



She still tried really hard to grab him and poke him and make him cry.


He does "startled" very well. Oh, Mook is a little distracted...


not for long, gotta get that little boy and pinch him!


Nope, still no teeth...what you see in her mouth is just shiny spit. Her gums are still pink and smooth.

Snorkeling

One of the fun things Dallin's swim teacher did this year was teach the kids how to use a snorkel and a mask. She hid some toys that looked like clams around the pool and the kids had to collect them. When you opened the clam there was a picture in it. The kids had to find the matching pictures. I love the creative ways the teacher helps the kids to learn fun skills.


Dallin was one of the best swimmers in his class, but not one of the best listeners. He really wasn't interested in learning strokes, more interested in just being in the water.


They also learned about water safety and how to float in life-jackets and how to rescue someone who is drowning. The teacher was really good at making things apply to them. Instead of trying to jump in and save someone, she taught them how to lie flat on the edge of the pool and pull them out using your arm, or a life jacket, or a pole and even what to do if someone was unconscious! They then had a test and practiced! They did a terrific job!

We made it! We finally got home yesterday, July 27th. It was a long trip, and we loved it. We left Gina's house on Tuesday the 22nd, visited our friends the Radfords in Logan, then to temple square and my brother's apartment in SLC.
My youngest brother David and Dallin on top of the conference center.

That night we headed to Jennifer's house in Eagle Mountain and stayed the rest of the week. We went swimming, to an aquarium, saw movies and Dallin played hours of game cube with his little cousin Jude. It was so fun! Then off to Mesquite NV to see our friends the Juliens, then home. WHEW!

Adam was so happy to have us home! It was nice to sleep in my own bed and put my clothes in a dresser for a change. Now back to real life; laundry, house cleaning, yard work, and baby proofing! EEEEEK!

Cowboy

While hanging out with cousins, Dallin loved dressing the part.


He loves to pose for pictures!

Too many photos!

I think I took over 350 pictures in the past 3 weeks, mostly I'm trying to figure out my camera! I think I need some smart photographer to teach me the best way to take pictures using my camera. These are some of my favorite ones, not because they are super pictures (some are fuzzy and not the right color) but because of the content!



Love the gigantic toothless grin!


We've almost worn out the hat, we've used it so much.


Dallin is such a super big brother.


The Mookie learned how to do stairs (only going up, the going down part involved a lot of bruising).


Hee hee, Adam and his cool hat.


Love the cheeks.


This grin just makes me giggle.


Her contribution to the bicycle parade.


I'll post more pictures in a more organized fashion as I weed through them....only 340 to go.....