Elitch's

Grandad and Gammie took us to Elitch's on Tuesday.  It wasn't too hot and everyone had a blast.  An amusement park doesn't hold quite the usual thrill and excitement when you're pregnant, but I loved watching all the kids have such a great time. 

Hope was, as always, adventuresome, and loved all the rides.  Rob and Leah took her and Jared on the "Mind Eraser", the roller coaster where your legs just hang.  Hope was just tall enough this year to ride it and officially declared it to be "awesome".   EJ was up for lots of rides too.  She's tall for her age, so she was able to do a lot of things that probably aren't really meant for two year olds, but she loved it!

Before bed EJ told me, "Mommy, when you get older you can ride the ferris wheel and the ride that gets you all wet too."  I guess she thought I was sitting out the rides because I just wasn't "big enough".  Truth is, I was TOO big for most of them!

Cracking up the Cashier

Today when we were paying at Sprouts:

Hope is putting the bags into the cart and EJ, being ornery, reaches back from the front seat of the cart and tries to hit her.  She misses Hope, but hits her own arm on the cart and starts crying because she hurt herself.  Hope looks at her and says, "That's called Karma!"

The cashier, the bagger, as well as the lady in line behind us couldn't stop laughing.

My reaction was more of a cringe as I heard my own voice being projected from my 8 year-old!

A New Camera and Reasons to Use It

I FINALLY got my new camera.  I've had birthday money set aside for a new camera for almost two months and yesterday I finally made the purchase.  I had the opportunity to really test it out today at Hope's Girl Scout Horseback Ride and our church's Field Day.  It was a long day, but lots of fun!

Getting on "Babe"

Made it!

The troop coming back up the trail.

Feeding the horses on the Hayride

Driving the Tractor

The Girls

Hope and Madelene on the slide at "Field Day"- EJ wanted NOTHING to do with it.

Driving the train

Climbing after snowcones (can you tell hers was blue?)

Face Painting

Face Painting done - Rainbows and butterflies and Mickey Mouse

EJ decided to try the slide with Hope - she loved it and did it over and over and over!

Finished the night with pizza in the back of the car!

I LOVE my new camera and LOVE my adorable subjects!!!

Bieber Fever

We have some great friends that asked Hope and I to join them in their suite at the Justin Bieber concert.  Hope and I knew exactly ONE Justin Bieber song that had been sung by someone at her school talent show.  But when you have a chance to spend a night with great friends in a suite, you just can't pass it up!  Well,  Hope had a GREAT time at her first concert and only got a little upset that I wouldn't buy her a $40 Bieber shirt.  Sorry - i don't even spend that much on my shirts.  I loved watching her dance and sing along!

Nonnie, Hope and Bailey with "Justin"

Hope and Chantelle

The countdown is on!

Can you tell I was tired!!

OMG!!!  It's Justin!!

The song that we knew:

4th of July

We had a great 4th of July in Albuquerque.  We went swimming with Big Pappy, Ben, and Bryce, had a great BBQ courtesy of Big Pappy and then went over to some of their friends' house to watch and shoot off TONS of fireworks.  All of this and I got almost NO pictures.  These terrible shots from my cell phone are all I got from the whole weekend!!!

GT did, however, get some good baby pictures!

Baby Boy Harper ~28 weeks

Keystone

Brandon's company had their Summer Regional Meeting in Keystone last weekend. Luckily, for us, his company includes the family in the fun! Brandon had some meetings to go to and I had a couple to attend as well, but the rest of the time was for fun, fun, fun! They put us up at a great hotel, fed us great food, and even had wonderful, fun child care for our children so we could have dinner and go to a wine and cheese party just a cheese party for me, darn it! without kids!

We had great lunches, a "hoe down" dinner, an awards dinner with DELICIOUS food, shopping, paddle boating, feeding ducks and fish, swimming, arcade games - besides lack of sleep, a good time was had by all!

Checking Out the Ducks

"Chicken Dancing" at the hoe down!

TIRED, but did not want to stop dancing!

H and B swimming (Taking the pic from our room while EJ slept)

Ready to Paddleboat

Feeding Ducks and Geese - EJ kept holding food out for the geese and everytime she'd yell "That geese bited my finger!!!", like it was a big shock to her each time. :)

On the lake

Ready to go!

Thanks, Edward Jones, for a great weekend!!