Crawdad Hunting

 My friend Amy was in town from Phoenix and we decided to take the kids Crawdad Hunting at Veyo Canyon. The kids had lots of fun trying to catch the crawdads with hot dogs and playing in the water. 

Funny thing the two girls stuck with it the longest. The boys lost focus before too long and wanted to be off climbing and exploring.

There were some bridges and stuff that the kids had fun playing on, but one of them scared me just a little bit it was just a bit rickety.

Summer Games, Scout Camp, Swim Meet

The last couple of days have been super busy and super long. We have had a lot going on, and I can't say that I have been the best about taking pictures. It could be due to the intense heat-lol.

Anyways Tanner's team went to a the summer games on Thursday and Friday. Thursday Landon and I both went up with him for the day. Chloe refused to go to a boring baseball game all day and asked Great Grandma if she could stay with her-she was happy to comply. Then on Friday just Landon went up with him. He did really well overall and was just happy to be back playing ball and out of his walking boot. He was the lead of hitter for two of the games and 2nd for the other two. He played 2nd, shortstop, 3rd and left field-he can't catch or pitch for two more weeks doctors orders. He made some great plays, had some great hits, and did an awesome job at base running. His foot was a little sore, so he sat on the bench a little more than usual and one time even asked his coach if he could sit out-which is very unlike him. They didn't do the greatest they went 1-3. Like I said though Tanner was just happy to be playing ball again though, and the summer game gift packs that each player got were a bonus as well.

Friday after his last game Tanner and Landon rode up to scout camp with the Bishop for a little while. They got home super late last night or should I say this morning somewhere between 12:00 and 1:00. They had fun though!

Friday Chloe and I spent some time together before her swim meet. I took her shopping a let her pick out a couple of things and we went to lunch at Jimmy John's her favorite place to eat. Then she had swim team pictures and a swim meet. My dad and mom came and spent the afternoon with us at the swim meet. It was fun hanging out in the tent, except for the fact that the sprinklers came on for a few minutes and soaked all of our stuff. My Grandma was also able to make it to see a few of Chloe's races, and our friends the Davey's came and hung out for most of the meet as well. You can tell that Chloe is well supported. Thanks Everyone!!!

She did such a good job. Her relay team to first. She took third in the butterfly. She took first in the  Individual Medley and even beat her time from last week by like 45 seconds. She went from 3:02 to 2:17. She took third in the freestyle. Before one of her races my dad told her to pretend a shark was chasing her. She is so funny, after that race she told him she felt one by her toe, but she kicked it in the face :)

Swim Meet Update

Chloe got her ribbons today from the swim meet Saturday. She ended up getting second in the freestyle. The other girl beat her by about a second. She is so excited to show her daddy her ribbons when she gets them as soon as he gets home from work she says dad come here I need to show you something :) We are proud of our little fish. 

Beat the Heat Hurricane Swim Meet

Chloe had her second swim meet yesterday. She was a little bit nervous because she had to swim the butterfly (which is kind of hard for her), and also do a 100 meter individual medley (which consists of a 25 meter butterfly, a 25 meter backstroke, a 25 meter breaststroke, and a 25 meter freestyle). The Individual Medley is super hard-I tried to swim one just to see what it would take and almost died.
Here's how it went...
Her relay team took 1st. A girl Chloe knows from school ended up being on Chloe's swim team, they are both in the advanced group and have become pretty good friends. They have a lot of fun and are always glad when they get to be on the relay team together.





























She took third in the Butterfly.

She took first in the Individual Medley. (This video is just her start of the IM it was to long to record the whole thing.)

 

She either took 1st or 2nd in the freestyle. We were timing the heats unofficially and she won her heat but there was girl in another heat who had a time pretty close to Chloe's. So we'll wait and see on Monday when they hand out the ribbons.

 Chloe is just like a little fish I couldn't keep her out of the water even when it wasn't her turn to race. This meet was outside so I kept trying to get her to sit under the shade to no avail. She was either wading in the pool, following her coach around, or wanting to go in the end where you warm up just for a minute.

Corbin Maxey Reptile Guy

The library had a special story hour yesterday where Corbin Maxy Reptile Guy came for a visit. It was pretty cool, and of course I forgot my camera so I found a few picts of him online to use-to bad I don't have pictures of all the awesome animals he brought with him. The kids loved it! After the show Chloe and a couple of her friends, that came to the show with us, picked out a bunch of books on reptiles to read. Chloe is of course now asking for a pet iguana-lol.
Some of the animals we saw were: Daisy (a small snake), Scooter-top picture (green iguana), Irwin (Solomon Island Skink), Charlotte (Rose Hair Tarantula), Humphrey (snapping turtle), Junior-bottom picture (Nile Monitor), and Bentley (17 foot long, 400 pound Brazilian Boa).

A Sad Sad Day

Today was a very sad day at our house. The kids both cried a lot today, and I would be lying if I didn't admit that I myself shed some tears. You see today we had to give our dog Licorice up for adoption. She has been a part of our family for the last 4 years. It was hard on all of us, but it was even harder watching the kids go through this and see how much it affected them. We had many reasons for doing this and in the end we know it was what needed to be done, but it didn't make it any easier. We hope and have been praying as well that she can find the right family for her, a place where she can have the attention and space she needs, so that she does not feel so anxious, crowded, and possessive of her space and belongings. We love her and will always remember her.

I took some pictures of her with the kids before my dad came to take her away. That way they can always have something to remember her by.

Swim team Update

On Monday morning when I stopped in to pick up Chloe from swim team, her coach came right over to me and said "your Chloe's mom right?". After that she told me Chloe needed to start coming to the advanced class, because she needed to be pushed a little bit harder and she didn't think she would get much out of the other class anymore. She also said to me "How come she was in the beginning class?" Well because Chloe didn't do the greatest at try-outs was my reply and this was all new to her, but that's Chloe for you she picks up on things so quickly. 

She also got her ribbons from the swim meet on Saturday and she was pretty excited about them, she said I can't wait to show Daddy!

Happy Birthday Chloe

Chloe's birthday was on Saturday and we had a party for her after the swim meet. Of course it was a swimming party with a dolphin theme.

Grandma Tawny came through with this awesome dolphin cake.

We played some games and had a dolphin pinata-remember the dolphin valentines box Landon made a few months ago?

 Then we had cake. We gave a cake to Grandma too, and sang to them both. Chloe was born on my mom's birthday so it's always fun when we can have them both together to celebrate.

 After the cake we headed to the pool, and the kids had fun splashing for the rest of the afternoon. Chloe had so much fun with all of her cousins and friends. Thanks everyone who came!!!

PS Taryn-When you guys left on Sunday Chloe came in our room a couple minutes later and started crying. She cried for like half an hour. She was so sad, and she didn't want Laney and Camille to leave :( It reminded me of Dawson a few years ago when Tanner had to go home. Later that day her and Tanner got in a little fight and she started crying again. She said this is the worst day of my life-I didn't get to go pick apricots at the orchard, my cousins left, and my brother hates me-Awww so sad. That night at bedtime she told me again that she really missed Laney and Camille and she wished they could stay together all summer.

First Swim Meet

Chloe had her first swim meet on Saturday. She was so excited for it, and just a little bit nervous. She was signed up to do 4 events-the 25 freestyle; the 25 backstroke; the 25 breaststroke; and a rely team. (for those of you who don't know a 25 is one length of the pool).

The day started bright and early-we had to be at the pool at 6:45 am. Then the waiting game began, this was the hardest part for her-waiting for her turn to swim. 

Her first race was the rely team race. Chloe was the closer so she swam last-her team took third!

Second up was the backstroke-this is her weakest race and the hardest for her. She took third in her heat and 8th over all.

Third race was the breaststroke. She took second in her heat and 4th overall. After this race we ran and got her a sandwich for lunch at her favorite place-Jimmy Johns.

Her last race was the freestyle-her favorite. I had to leave because I needed to get home and get ready for her birthday party, but Daddy and Grandpa stayed with her. So sad I had to miss it, because she won! 1st in her heat and we are pretty sure 1st overall, though they hadn't posted the final scores by the time they left. She did so good she beat the second fastest swimmer by at least 3 seconds and some of the others she beat by as much as 20-40. WOW!

We are so proud of her. She did a great job and is already looking forward to her next swim meet next Saturday. 

A Little about Chloe at 8

Chloe will be 8 years old in just a few days. She is so excited to turn eight and to be baptized. Ever since the first of this year when we went to the "Great to be Eight" program on baptism and activity days she has been looking forward to it. She talks about it all the time, she tries on her baptism dress, and reads her scriptures (even taking them to school on occasion), and she makes posters about the articles of faith. She is such a good example to us all.

Here are a few things about Chloe at eight years old...

Her favorite food is Sheppard's Pie. She also loves anything "healthy". I know weird for a kid right? Every morning at breakfast she asks me what she can eat that is healthy. Her Grandpa has taught her that the anything that is the color of the rainbow is good for her, so she is always looking for fruits and veggies to eat that are the color of the rainbow.

Her favorite color is blue.

She is very active. She loves to swim, roller-skate, play soccer, and do gymnastics. She also likes to read and draw.

She told me that when she is a teenager she wants to be a professional swimmer, then when she gets older she is going to be a dolphin trainer, and then after that she will be a mom with lots of kids. She loves babies, she would rather hold them then play with her friends. She really wishes she could have a baby brother or sister.

Chloe is happy almost all of the time, though she can have quite an attitude. She definitely is an independent and strong willed person. She is more of a leader type rather than a follower.
 She wakes up every morning happy and ready to go. She has so much energy that at times it is hard for the rest of us to keep up with her-it can be exhausting. She is a good example to us all to have a more positive attitude about life.