Beach Bums

Every time I have my kids near water, I wonder whose kids they are. They both love the water and are completely fearless about diving right in. I was never like that. I'm still not. On Saturday, we had a few hours free in the morning, so we quickly headed up to Pineview for a little swimming. I thought they would burst from excitement before we got there. Good thing it's a short drive! As expected, Annie and Cole got right into the water and had a blast. It was a beautiful day and we wrapped up our picnic lunch right as the breeze started blowing and dark clouds appeared.


Cole loved his green bucket and every time he came over to the beach towels, he would fill it up with water and drag it next to the towels so he could clean his feet off before he stepped on the towel. Annie wasn't quite so thoughtful and scattered sand everywhere she stepped.

You can't see this picture very good (I was sitting in the shade), but Annie looked adorable in Cole's goggles. Both of my kids love goggles.

We had a great time and can't wait to go back. It was worth all the sand in our car and the load of laundry. No one even got sunburned, so it was perfect.

Cascade Springs

A few summers ago (actually 11 - yikes!), my friend Brooke and I spent a considerable amount of time in Heber City. On one of our visits there, we went to Cascade Springs. Cascade Springs is a beautiful place. This is a picture from that day. If you look closely, you'll see that I haven't aged at all (I wish). Actually, if you look closely you'll see that cameras have come a long way in the past 11 years.

Last week, I went to Brooke's house and we took our little tykes up there for a picnic and some kid-friendly hiking (walking trails). It was a perfect day and the kids had a great time. Cole is always excited to see Brooke's little boys, and now they are old enough to play along with him.

Here's a shot of all four of our kids. The best one of the day - they weren't exceptionally cooperative for pictures (especially Cole and Jackson). We took this picture in the same spot as the one of us above - but for obvious reasons, we made them stay by the rock wall and not climb over it and out onto the rock in the water.


My little flower girl. I know I'm partial, but could she be any cuter? She picked dandelions to share with Carter and Jackson.

Annie's favorite part of being there was all the explanatory signs. She stopped to touch each one and would point to the letters on it and say, "A - C - N - R..."

This is the only shot of Cole smiling...and of course his eyes are closed. He and Grandpa Clair must share some strange genetic trait!

Thanks for going with us, Brooke and boys. We had a great time. Cole can't wait to come back.

Hallowed Ground

When I was in the 8th grade, I memorized the Gettysburg Address. Our teacher offered us the opportunity to memorize it for extra credit. I don't think I needed the extra credit, but I loved this particular teacher and wanted to make him happy by memorizing it. It has stuck with me all these years. It really is a stirring speech. I have loved it even more since I visited Gettysburg with my friend Brooke and her cousin several years ago. In the speech, he notes that the struggles of the soldiers who fought there have hallowed the ground. It's true. Gettysburg has a very hallowed and reverent atmosphere.

I've felt that feeling in other places too. I have always loved cemeteries. They are so peaceful and such a great place for contemplation. I spent nearly every summer morning in the cemetery of my hometown since we moved pipe in the fields surrounding it. Rarely did we go there without stopping beneath the tallest pine tree to glance at the graves of ancestors us children never even knew. Pearl Harbor is another place that is hallowed by what happened there so many years ago. The memorial they have built there is a great remembrance, but it is the spirit of the place that gives it such power. When I am in places like these, I am amazed that surrounded by death, my soul is alive with such intense feelings of peace and joy.

For my family, another hallowed place is the family farm. While other people may visit there and simply recognize the beauty of the rolling hills and green fields, for us it is more powerful than that.

Last week, my family went on a cook-out to the ranch (we missed you Aunt Kar and Daddy). My sister, Kelli, and I took our bikes and rode on the top of the mountain that divides the Dirty Head side of the farm from the Stink Creek side of the farm. It is a breathtakingly beautiful ride on a hidden away trail surrounded by sage brush and Indian Paintbrush with wide open views of every part of the valley. Few people ever see Cache Valley in such a way and I'm grateful we made the effort to take it.

My children and their cousins love the ranch too. It's like heaven for a child - they just run and explore and never want to leave. Cole hunkered down under a tree with his cousin and announced he was sleeping there when he heard it was time to leave. I loved watching my children play and remembering all the times I worked and played with my grandparents out there when I was younger.

My ancestors for four generations have farmed out there. For me, the ground is hallowed by their hard work and dedication. I'm grateful for their sacrifices and their lives. Their bodies may lie in various different places, but the power of their spirit lives on in the places they loved.

Dear Louisiana,

I would like to clarify something. You and I? We are NOT friends. I don't care for gumbo, I'm not a fan of crawfish, I think swamps are creepy, and I hate muggy weather. You do nothing for me but steal my husband. For this, I am not thankful.

I would like you to know that I am a realist. I understand that travel is part of his job and blah blah blah. But seriously - one week of every month? Are you crazy? This is not a divorce. You do not get 25% custody of my husband. I would never have married you in the first place. And any judge who knows anything about Mardi Gras would deem you an unfit parent and grant you supervised visitation only. That means I should get to come too, but somehow I'm always stuck at home.

You would think that you would at least try to offer me something in return for the sacrifices I make in your behalf. But no. All you have ever given me is tacky Mardi Gras beads and a slightly annoying neighbor. You couldn't even let me have the nice Tabasco company kitchen gifts my husband picked out! Sneaky maids had to take them. That is just so rude.

The only nice thing I can say about you is that my husband appreciates your hospitality. Thanks for taking him fishing out in the gulf. Thanks for filling him up on Southern delicacies so I don't have to eat them. And thanks for teasing him about being the only one in the entire state who doesn't liquor up each night at dinner.

If you could do me just one little courtesy, I would be very grateful. Please return him safely to me. That's all.

Sincerely,

Katie

PS - On behalf of my daughter, I would like to thank you for those tacky Mardi Gras beads. She finds them charming.

We Love the Sun!

Okay, we probably won't love the sun so much by the time July rolls around, but we sure have loved it the last few days. Yesterday was a "scorcher" according to Cole, so we spent the afternoon soaking up the sun while the sprinkler cooled us off.

Cole remembered from last year and dove right into the fun.

Annie was a little hesitant. Here she is clinging to my leg. She got the hang of it fast, though, and outlasted Cole.

For Family Night, we had a luau.

Except not a real luau since our roasted pig was actually just regular ham and we didn't cook it in the sand. But we did have ham. And pineapple kabobs. And Paradise Punch. Annie and I even dressed up for the occasion in our best luau gear. The boys weren't quite as eager to dress up.

Annie learned a little hula dance - she's shaking her hips and waving her fingers in this picture.

Grandpa Clair stopped by for a visit and got in on a little luau fun. He even got nosies from Annie, so it was certainly worth stopping by.

Not to be outdone, Daddy got a kiss from his girl...

...but then he told her "no" and made her pout. Turns out our little sweetheart is a pretty good pouter. It also turns out her daddy would do just about anything to make her stop. Could be interesting to watch that little scenario play out the next few years.

And lest you think our family night was all fun and games, you can check out our lesson here. All it takes is a good story to get Cole's attention.

lazy days

Sometimes the best days are the ones when you don't really do anything. Last Saturday, we spent almost the entire day in my parents' backyard. Grandma got out water balloons, the hose was running all afternoon, and there was a giant pile of dirt near the playhouse. Everyone was either soaked or covered in mud or both by the end of the day. I don't think we even had any fights since everyone was so busy!

Things I Didn't Expect My 4-Year-Old to Say

I wrote both my thesis and dissertation on children's language development. Specifically, I wrote about what parents can do to help children develop good language skills. I thought this might come in handy in case one of my children needed help learning to talk. As it turns out, it hasn't really been too necessary. Cole could talk the ear off an elephant. If I could have seen the future, I think choosing to write about how to keep your 4-year-old in bed or teach your 4-year-old to use a quiet voice would have been more appropriate topics. We sometimes look at each other in exasperation when he hasn't taken a breath in five minutes, but really we love to hear the things he comes us with. One of the funnest things about having an early talker was listening to him describe things to us when he was younger. It was fun to know what was going on in his head. Here are some of the things he has said in the last couple of weeks that have made us smile...

"Mom, where do you think the female that duck will mate with is?"

"Can you show me where Kolob is?" (Said while looking at constellations with me)

"Water on the rocks, please." (In response to being asked what he'd like to drink)

"Annie, you are exquisite." (Floyd says he must have heard this from me, but I'm not convinced. It sounds like my Great-Grandma Daines to me, but she died almost ten years ago so who knows where he heard it. It is true, however, that Annie is exquisite)

"Do you think if Pluto collects some of the matter around it that the scientists will let it be a planet again?" (He took it a little hard when we told him Pluto isn't a planet anymore - we had to read from an official science website the reasons why before he would be convinced)

"Do I look like a Cyclops?" (Said while covering one eye with his hand)

Although we sometimes would like it a little quieter, we wouldn't trade all his talking for anything. Thanks for being our little teacher, Coley.

Self-Portrait by Cole