family date

Last week our little family of four went on a date. We wanted to do something festive, something that felt very much like summer. And more than anything, we wanted to have some fun as a family. So we packed up the kids, smuggled some Micky D's in the diaper bag (we're bad people), and hit up a matinée.

We ate our hamburgers while the previews played. Then we watched "Despicable Me." The kids were totally engrossed by it. (Sadly, this includes Jolie. She couldn't take her eyes off the screen- granted, it's an entire wall wide. Still, I felt a teensy bit guilty... ) We adults thought it was pretty great, too. It's funny. Go see it. Anyway, it was fun. Both kids were totally well behaved and absolutely darling. James would get "scared" when the movie was particularly loud, but I think partly he just wanted to hold me. :) Luckily, Daddy doesn't mind snuggling with his little girl, so it all worked out all right.

After the movie, we went to Casper's Malt Shoppe for ice cream. James got pink. We weren't entirely surprised. (He really is a total boy in lots of ways, and/so we're not in any way concerned about this... but his favorite color is currently pink. I can't bring myself to tell him that it's not such a macho choice. We'll clue him into all that in good time.) It was a blast. James was thrilled with the whole experience.

We all had such a wonderful day together. Thank you, Derek, for working so hard so that we can not only live and pay bills but also splurge on fun family dates. And thank you, too, for the fab idea of this date! (It was totally his plan; he's way more fun than I am.) I love that we all are friends. Sure, we parent first and befriend second. And granted, our kiddos are tiny. But I think we'll be alright in the end... that we'll be buddies when all is said and done. And that's a happy thought for sure.

Here are some pictures from our date.

(Jolie wasn't really scared, just looks it. May have been the flash.)

Mmm. I love these guys. Once again, I'm glad they're mine.

Here's to many more happy memories... and lots more family dates!

why I love this picture - and a bit about berry salt lake

This summer has been lots of fun so far. We've done a ton of fun things, spent a good amount of time together as a family. Derek has been going to summer school- which is the sucks, but even with that and work, he's had a decent amount of time to spend with us (mostly because I'm not working this summer. It gives us a couple extra evenings together). It's been really nice.

One of the things we've been able to do is attend Howell Campout in Bear Lake. James was very excited by the prospect of going to "the beach." But he couldn't wrap his head around the name of the place. He kept calling it "Berry Salt Lake." :) Close enough. It was cute.

We didn't actually camp. We went up one day and mostly hit up the beach with Shawn and Mindy and their kids (LOVE them!). It was a fabulous day- minus the horrid sunburns we all came home with as souvenirs. (Hint: Sunblock should not be applied pre-road trip and should be reapplied at some point during a day-long sunshine adventure!) I'm a bad mom. Or mostly, a bad sunbather. The albino in me just isn't experienced enough to know how to do a beach day. Oh well. Live and learn... and possibly get cancer.

We did have lots of fun, though, like I said. After the beach, we went up to the cabin to say hello to the fam. It was good to see everyone. It seems we just don't see them all like we should. Then we came home to sleep (great choice with small kiddos) and came up again the next day.

I love Bear Lake. I love how busy it is in the summer and how isolated it is in the colder months. I totally want to live there. Except for the immense love of here. I love it here. (Warning: tangent ahead!) I'm so glad I came here, so glad I met Derek here, and so glad we made this place home. I miss my family like crazy, though. I always want to pack up and move to Arizona (sorry NM), but then I realize that we'd be leaving so much behind here, too. I couldn't bear it. So we stay. And hope for the day when the cash flow is so great that a plane ride every month is comparable to pocket change. (Derek keeps saying he's waiting for me to make us rich; I say it's his job, so he'd better get crackin. We have this play argument often, lol.)

Anyway- fun times. Berry Salt Lake, we love you.

And now on to "Why I Love This Picture." It's fairly obvious. Look at that little darling. She's the sweetest, most well-tempered little thing ever. She makes my heart nearly explode with love. I cannot stop kissing those cheeks. I love her little smile in this picture, and I love how chill she is just kickin it at the beach (she really was an angel the whole day... though that's really not unusual for her). Then you look a little closer and see two small figures in the background. And now my heart's a goner. My little family, captured in this little memory. It was a great day, but moreso- these are great people. I love them all so much. Heavenly Father gave me the perfect husband; He knew just who I needed and sent him my way. Then He gave us the sweetest, funniest, most perfectly fitting children to complete the group. And we get them forever, as long as we play nice. It's amazing to me. I really love these three people. I don't deserve them, but I couldn't live without them. They are my air, and I am so, so glad they're mine.

Sniff. Ahem. Oh, and did you notice the rockin' 1980s layout? That's right. I'm hip. I'm totally reviving the poofy bangs today, too. You just wait and see ... ;)

Look at me! Now I'm THREE!

Can you believe James is three already? I really can't. He's growing up way too fast! I keep asking him if he'll stay a baby - just for me. I try to cuddle him and rock him and coo at him. He'll humor me for maybe a minute, but then he's ready to be a big boy. And he really is. The other day, I found him sucking away at a lil' box of rootbeer milk. I asked him where he got it and he replied matter-of-factly, "I got it from the box!" He had climbed up to the table, wriggled a box free, removed the attached straw from the box, removed said straw from its plastic wrapping, inserted the straw (without spilling), and proceeded to drink! All by himself! (I realize this is not genius-in-the-making behavior and that probably most three-year-olds can do this stuff; it's just that I tend to baby James and therefore am super surprised when he up and matures without my permission.) Then when he had finished with his milk but still had some remaining, I was going to take it from him... but he said, "No, mom. I'll just put it in the freezer." He meant fridge (at least the mix up is a teensy bit baby). Then he freakin' opened the fridge, put his milk inside, then shut it- again, himself! I'm constantly amazed at what this boy can actually do all by himself. What a big boy.

And what a big tangent! Sorry. Anyway- short story long, my little boy is growing up... whether I like it or not. Here's proof.

(More pictures to come... when it's not past 1am!)

We've been doing a lot of this lately...

{James and his buddy Kona}

Fab photos thanks to Aubrey Seeholzer and

her awesome camera. (Thanks, Aub!)