The good old days!!

I loved this past week.  I enjoyed making some of my favorite summery treats.  Which then brings back the memories of the good old days.  The long summer days of playing at my best friends house, and stealing eating all their home made fruit leather.  We would eat so much of it her mom started to lock the door to the food storage room, but we all found a way to get back in and keep eating the good stuff.  I miss those days.  Anyway on to other things.  My mom, and I ...plus the kiddo's woke up around 6 the other day, and headed over to the stake farm to get some apricots.  We got our far share, then headed home to make our apricot leather.  I love that down here, leather consists of putting it outside to cook, instead of the hot stove.  So I also choose to make me so Strawberry leather, while I was making our strawberry jam, that the girls love to help with.  They could do it all by themselves it so easy.  We even bought the liquid pectin this year, so we just had to stir it in (no cooking on the stove needed) Yes!!!  We have already been through 2 jars of jam, and well the leather gets eat'in just like in the good old days...I just need to hide it from myself.

We live In the....

Water!!!

(Swimming lessons) summer 2012

As soon as we returned from Disneyland.  We started our swimming lessons.  We go every morning for 2 weeks.  The kids really enjoy going to the Stratton's pool for swim lessons.  WE are lucky we know them, because they fill up so fast, people start calling them in February trying to secure a spot.  The kids are close to passing off all the levels they offer.  Preston goes to the fist class at 8 for the last level.  Shaylee goes at 8:45 for the next level up, and Addison goes at 11, but they passed her up 2 levels, because she is above her age group.  She did awesome this year, with learning all the different strokes, treading water, and diving.  So we are pretty much at the pool from sun up, tell lunch time.  Then we usually end up swimming in the afternoon as well...up at moms.  Preston has also been doing the Hurricane's Swim team.  He goes everyday all summer from 10-11 and learns how to do competitive swimming, then they do some meets throughout the summer, he loves it, my kids are little fish though.

 

What happens?

Our Science Experiment!

 We decided to try one of the many science experiments I have pinned.  I knew this one would be easy because all you need is a bar of Ivory soap,and a microwave. We had to really watch our soap, because it would grow so fast it would grow right off our parchment paper.  So we had to keep putting it back in the middle of the microwave.  The kids had a blast seeing what happens to the soap when it gets really hot.

 We called them our white puffy clouds.    Ivory soap seems to work the best for this little craft. 

Last game!

Baseball 2012

Preston had a great year playing machine pitch baseball.  He loved playing short stop right next to the machine because, everyone seemed to hit the ball in that general area, and Preston would pick it up and throw it to 1st.  He got so many outs that way the coach would sometimes make his switch spots with someone so the other team could get a man on base.  He really is starting to enjoy baseball, and had some really good hits.  He has to try out next year for a team, and they play live pitch, so it should be a learning year for him next year.

 This was the last game of the summer, so a lot of our team was missing. I think we had about 12 boys so there is a little over half pictured.

  Preston Summer 2012 (8) years old.  2nd grade year.

Monson Family Trip Day 5!!!

Sea World

(Day 5)

Yea, we made it to Sea World.  I had been looking forward to this for my little family, because we had never been there before.  They loved the Zoo when they were little so I thought they might enjoy this.  We started the morning off with some Family pictures taken at the resort.

 After that we started the walk over to the park.  Our family and Quin and Dani walked together.  The morning was very cold windy and overcast.  Right when we got there we (i mean Quin) went on some rides with the kids.  Then we ran straight to the dolphin show.  I really enjoyed this show it was probably my favorite.  We sat in the last to rows for the soak zone, and didn't get wet at all...I knew we wouldn't...but boy were the kids upset.  The next show wasn't for a little while so we had time to walk through the sea turtle and Shark exhibits.  They were both really cool.

On our way to the next show we ran into flamingos...I've never seen them in real life....awkward little birds.  Their bodies just don't want to cooperate with them.  Addsion loved them though because they were pink (of course).  The next show we saw was this Circus de ola or something like that.  Uncle Joe got called out of the audience to help out to see who was the strongest man.  He went up against another man, and totally won, but we are sure they asked this man before hand to help out with the show.  So they needed him to win.  Joe was awesome, and kept the crowed entertained copying what the clowns did.  We all loved it (especially the kids.)

 I mean look at Joe getting into it.  How could they have not choose him???

 After that show we had to run to the Animal show that had Dogs and Cats.  The kids were very insistent on getting a front row in the the soak zone so they could get wet.  They were disappointed because they hardly got wet at all.  After this show Grandpa and I went to save seats for the Shamo show while everyone else went outside the park and ate pizza grandpa had brought.  The Shamo show was fun and the soaked zone got really wet.  There were no seat down in that area.  Darn it.  But we did get good seats.  By this time of day it was really hot. So my kids wanted to get closer after the show to see if they could get wet.

 

 they did.   Addison and Shaylee got drenched and loved it.  We for sure thought Preston and Dean would from this picture below.  but they wave wasn't big enough.  Look how close they got especially with two whales.  Dean's in the white shirt and hat, and Preston is in front of him.

 After Shamo we had time to kill before our next show so we went to the Mantra petting place.  (note to self).  Remember Preston does not like to touch anything the moves or is alive.  It will save you a lot of drama, and tears.

 on another note.  The rest of the kids really enjoyed getting up close and personal, I even got to feel a few.  They feel really weird. but I loved it.  We knew after this episode we would be heading home after the last show.  So onto the sea lions (seals)  We were all getting really burnt by this time, because the morning was so cold and overcast No one put on sunscreen.  The show was good, Preston loved it and laughed the hole time.  We then caught a ride back to the resort with quin and Dani who had called dad to come pick them up.  We then put on our suits and headed to swim again.  After swimming we laid around for awhile, because we were so tired, then headed off to eat, and home to bed.  

We left the next morning about 8, because Dean had 2 lesson's to prepare, and I also got to teach, so we knew we needed some time to get that done.  We had the most amazing time, and cant believe it's over.  We made so many great memories with the Monson family and enjoyed every minute of it.  Thank you so much Grandpa and Grandma for all the extras you did to make this trip so special for our family, and all the hard work you put into making sure everyone was happy.  We love you so much.