Favorite Shots

I have an amazing friend who recently took a photography class, so I asked her about it.  It turns out it sparked my interest enough to take the class too.  I'm sooooo happy I did because I learned a lot and my pictures have definitely improved.  Here are a couple of favorites.

Roy Days

We took in Roy Days last Saturday.  We started with the breakfast put on by Brock and his awesome girls basketball team, then headed for the parade where we saw Papa John's Stake Float and got a ton of candy.  Then we went to the park and let Alex ride some rides and ended up at Jodie's house for swimming and good food.

This is the Place Heritage Park

Aunt Jenny is working at "This is the Place Heritage Park" again this summer.  We took the opportunity to spend the day there with the kids and see her.

Just for fun:  Tammy actually worked there a few years ago so I dug this photo out of her in the drugstore. 

Waiting our turn for the train.

This train looked so awesome riding along the little lake.

Here's Jenny with Nancy in front of the schoolhouse where she was working for the day.  Great job Jenny!  You're a great teacher!

My Babies

The Marathon Celebration

We always say that we can't imagine life without our "little buddy," Johnny.  Having your first two children 18 months apart is crazy some would say, but now we wouldn't have it any other way.  Johnny is such a sweetheart!  I love it when he misses me and gives me a big hug resting his little head on my shoulder.  He just lays there and doesn't move for a few minutes.  I just cuddle with him and enjoy it while I can.

He just turned one year old on July 1st and we had a few celebrations for him.  Because of our family reunion, Jeri and Dennis were in town, and we had a big family picture taken.  Since it was the night before his birthday, we decided to take advantage of all being together and had a party with cake and ice cream (mind you, we had just returned from our Idaho reunion so I picked up a store bought cake).

At first he was timid about digging in.  He wasn't sure about what to think of his hands getting so messy either.

He got over it though

Bathtime

There is a very sneaky person in our neighborhood who likes to send birthday wishes by anonymously attaching balloons to your mailbox for you to find when you wake up in the morning.  Thank you so much for the balloons whoever you are!  Balloons alone provide hours of fun to a one year old.

We spent the day of his actual birthday with Aunt Jodie and cousins Tripp and Ridge.  They have an awesome baby pool with a slide and all.

Johnny's cousin Ridge is only 3 weeks older than him.

And now for another party with the Thorups.  We held off a few days to have this party because we wanted Jamie's cousin Mindy to be able to come.  Aunt Tammy didn't actually make it though because she was in labor and ended up having her cute little Grace on the 2nd.  (Some fun joint birthdays are in our future... congratulations!)

This little guy is all boy.  He gravitates to the trucks and balls when playing with toys, and ever since he started to get around, he has loved to find the hammers to play with at Grandma Thorup's house.  So, when I saw this wooden toy that you hammer the balls into, I had to get it.  Grandma had the same idea and got him a tool bench toy with a hammer.  He is set!  I have to say that it's also nice that Alex and Johnny can each have one while playing together so they don't fight. 

Here is the cake I attempted to decorate for him.  I'm a fan of the "Rainbow Chip" box cake with the different colors in the frosting, so that's what he got... come to think of it that's what Alex had for her first birthday too... okay, and second birthday.  Hmm, I think it's time to change it up next year.  We added some "polka dots" with pb M&Ms and Mini M&Ms.

Someone must love you, Johnny!  Or I guess someones.  :)

Reunion

Every two years we have a family reunion with my father's side of the family- the Henrys.  It is so fun to see everybody, and I love that my siblings that live out of state come.  We had some fun activities this year including a little movie night where each family put together a video to talk about what has been going on in their lives recently.  We started the morning off by making and shooting off rockets.  I made a rocket and wrote on it: In Memory of the King of Pop.  I shot it off once... that was for you, Michael.

Alex loved launching her rocket over and over again.  Of course after it lands, you have to go retrieve it from wherever it ended up.  Here is Alex running back after retrieving her rocket.
We like to honor our ancestors by trying our hands at the good 'ol caber toss.  Pretty good form, Alex.
Nice toss.

Alex was soo excited to swim!  She jumps into the water every chance she gets.
A little water game action... filling the bucket with a sponge.

You all know how water games go... they naturally lead to a water fight.
What are husbands for?

Father's Day

I know Father's Day was about two and a half weeks ago, but I wanted to share a couple of pictures from that great day.  My husband, Jamie, is such an amazing father!  He treats the children with so much patience and love, but let's be honest... he doesn't know how to act any other way.  I traced Alex and Johnny's hands and feet and Alex was so excited to give them to her Daddy.

Johnny gave us a little show at the end of the evening... notice the bills in his back pocket.