Adventurous eaters

Last night Josh went to visit someone and they sent home some jalapenos from their garden. Being the boys they are, he and Aaron decided to each eat one.
Getting ready for the bite.

Recovering from the bite.

Taking a second bite to finish it off. Why!?!

Feeling the burn.

The remnants of their eating adventure.

The aftermath of man vs. food

After that second bite, Aaron drank and drank and drank.

He kept saying that his throat was hurting. I wonder why. :) I really don't know why he took that second bite...I would never have taken the first one.

He was so pitiful for a few minutes. I think he stomach hurt more from drinking so much than from eating the jalapeno.

He said he'll never eat another jalapeno, but Josh is trying to talk him into making it an annual tradition. Boys!

Aaron was so sure he was sick that he spent a little time in the bathroom. Fortunately, nothing ever happened. Man beat the food this time.

The Dixie Staaaaampede!

One of our favorite places to go is the Dixie Stampede! The food is good and the kids are captivated by the show. It's so fun to watch them clapping their hands and cheering for their side. And they love to drink out of their boot cups all year round. Here's a few pictures from the pre-show.
Jacob his popcorn and drink more than the show.

Abigail loved to see all the animals.

They loved it!

We think it's funny how 'into' it Aaron gets. Last time he was moving to the music. This time he was a little more subdued but nonetheless enchanted. Can't wait till next time!

Cousins

This summer we stayed at Josh's parents for a bit and the kids got to visit with a lot of their cousins. They camped out on floors together, played all day (usually nicely), and got into a decent amount of mischief. :) It's great to spend that time with family!

Abigail was born to be in the country. Shoes....what are shoes?!?

The three musketeers! Aaron, Trent, and Hayden.

Emma and her cousin Hope.

Jacob had a blast playing on the slip 'n slide! He thought everyone was his friend. :)

Abigail at Pre-K

Today was Abigail's first day at Pre-K. She does the afternoon session so all morning she kept asking when we were leaving. She was so ready to go....and it was so cute! The only problem was that Jacob wanted to stay and play.

Getting ready to go...

Jacob and Abby walking up to the school.

Waiting to go in.

She was so excited to have her own desk!

Jacob fell asleep on the ride home. I imagine he'll be taking naps in the afternoon since there's no one to play with. Maybe I'll join him. :)

A day at the beach

While roaming the country this year, Emma brought it to my attention that she had never been to the beach. In fact, none of the children have ever been. The beach just isn't my favorite place....the sand, the salt, the heat. Yuck! However, I didn't think that my negative view should effect my children's life experiences. I mean, everyone should at least have been to the beach--especially if you live within two hours of one. :) They had a blast. And after four hours of playing, the first question they asked me when we got in the car was "When can we come back again?" I would count the trip as a success!
Jacob didn't like going in the water. However, the sand was his favorite friend.

On the other hand, I to keep telling Emma and Aaron to come closer. They loved going out as far as they could.

Aaron, as always, was fearless in the water. I'm sure he had to have swallowed a gallon of water. When we got in the van, his only complaint was that his eyes hurt. I guess salt water will do that.

Jacob with his Aunt Wendi

Abigail was all over the place. She would play in the sand a little and then flit to the water...never going in too far. I sure hope it doesn't take me another 8 years to get back to the beach.

First Day of School

Emma and Aaron have been so excited to go back to school...I know, strange children right?! This morning both of their alarms went off at 6 a.m. (mine was set for 6:30) and by 6:30 they were ready for school. They don't have to be at school until 7:50 but they talked me into letting them eat breakfast there so they could leave at 7:30. I made them stop when they were leaving so I could snap a few pictures. However, they weren't very cooperative. I am so grateful that they love going to school and learning. I'll enjoy it while it lasts because I'm sure it will all change one day.

After they had left for school, I loaded Abigail and Jacob into the jogging stroller (which can be called a walking stroller for the next 6 months) and we took off. Since I had my Garmin on and could measure the distance, I let Abby be in charge of the direction. Only one problem with that...after going where she told me too, I still had to walk all the way back home. What was going to be a 4 mile walk turned into a 5 1/2 mile walk. After lunch, I cleaned the garage out and worked on getting things ready for the yard sale on Saturday. I felt productive yet very tired!

Happy birthday, Dad!

Over the last few years (really since Josh and I have gotten married), the relationship between my dad and I has grown so much. When I was a teenager, we weren't the best of friends. After we got married, for some strange reason, Josh really liked my dad. He encouraged me to work on developing a better relationship with him. At first, it was a bit awkward trying to IM on the computer with him or carry on telephone conversations, but I can now say that I enjoy talking to him and love the time that we get to spend together. My dad is wonderful man who is a great father, friend, and advisor (when I need him). Happy birthday, Dad!

Family time at the cabin

Papa and my Dad (doesn't he look excited)

Part of the crew. For some reason, this year we didn't get a whole group picture. Aren't they a good looking crowd?!

My cousins, Andy and Katie, my Uncle Jeffery and Aunt Susie. We had a lot of fun getting to know them better and beating them at cards. :)

My sister Michelle and her fiance, Billy Hannah.

Papa riding the boat.

My Monkey

Aaron has always been a climber. When he was younger he hang from the table, countertops, or even the door handles...anything he could hold on to. Once he got a little older, and I got a little braver, I let him climb trees. He loves going as high as he can and will just sit there. If I go outside to look for him, more than likely I should just look up. Aaron's all about the monkey business.

Everyone is special!

For some reason if one of our children is invited to do something with a friend, the others think they should do something special too! Yesterday was one of those days. Aaron went to a movie with a friend for his birthday and Emma went to a friend's to play. Which left Abigail at home pitching a fit about how life isn't fair...quite entertaining. Jacob started singing the same song (figuratively, of course) and soon we had quite a chorus going.
In an effort to restore happiness, Josh took the remaining children (Abigail and Jacob) on a bike ride. It was short because everyone got hot...but they all came home smiling.

They came back into the air conditioned house and read books for a while. That evening all of the children felt like they had gotten to do something special! Way to go Dad!