Family Swim

On July 3rd we attempted to go to the Lindon Pool, which is our girls' favorite. Apparently all of Utah County had the same thought and the pool was at capacity with an estimated wait time of 2 hours. We called the American Fork pool and confirmed they were not full so we headed over there. The girls had a great time, including Camille. It was her first time wearing a puddle jumper and once she got used to it she loved the fact that she could move herself around in the water. 

We went down the big water slide repeatedly, which Sadie can manage by herself so Daniel and I could each take one of the other girls down with us. It was really fun. 

Then the girls practiced retrieving their diving toys for a long time. After their eyes were significantly burning we left and had a family dinner.
A fun family outing with only a tantrum from Millie when we got her out of the pool. 

The Pond

The Cottles came to Utah and met us at the pond one day. I love that this pond is only 1/2 mile from our house. The water is a little cold, but the girls don't mind and you can't beat the views.

 The older girls helped Nick's cousin try to catch fish in buckets. They actually did catch one, but it was barely moving and they threw it back in. 

 Mills and Wems were really cute together but they are at the same stage of mobility- both want to be standing but can't do it very well alone. Luckily Camille was happy to lend a cheek to her friend.

 

The babies also enjoyed eating sand and splashing in the mini pool made by the big girls.

June Summer Fun

The last couple of weeks of June were HOT. We never got a spring in Utah this year. We had basically the same temperatures from February through May with lots of rain. Then in mid-June it was over 100 most days. 

One afternoon we met the Faucettes at the Springville splash pad.

While Sadie was at basketball camp with dad Lou chose to get donuts. 

Then the next week when they were at camp again she chose the same activity. Millie didn't seem to mind. 

If we were outside we had to be in the water. 

I enjoyed this series of pictures I got of Elise taunting Sadie and then getting hit by a bucket of water. 

One of my favorite parts of summer: visitors! In June I got to hang out with Mel for a day. We met at the splash pad for a couple hours, then came home and left the kids with a sitter while we had a 2 hour lunch and catch-up. 

Millie Monster

We are right in the thick of a lovable menace stage. Camille gets into everything and then gives you a smile when you catch her. We have to be sure the pantry doors are closed or everything within reach will be on the floor. 

Millie's other favorite is the trash can. She empties the trash, eating what she can and distributing the rest of the garbage around the kitchen. She has recently started throwing non-trash items into the garbage can. I went into the Nursery with her at church yesterday and watched her throw toy after toy into the trash can there. 

 Her hair has grown in more and continues to be fluffy and crazy. Usually she has a clump that sticks up in the back which I affectionately refer to as the Kate Gosselin patch.

Camille has also grown a couple more teeth with 2 more on the way.

And finally, in June Millie started taking 3 or 4 steps at a time and then diving forward. She never took any more steps than this and only ever did it with lots of prodding from us so I don't count it as walking. She mostly likes to cruise the furniture. 

Around the House in June

Family portrait by Sadie

Tea parties hosted by Lou. RIP tea pot. It was only a matter of time before the ceramic tea pot got broken.

Play dates with some neighbor sisters the same age as ours. They just so happen to be the nieces of my college freshman roommate. 

Faucette play time. These 4 play so well together. 

New hanging plants since our old ones died while we were in Texas. Not pictured: bringing our dead grass back to life after the Texas trip. Also, a friend of mine helped me plant a bunch of perennials and adjusted all our sprinkler heads so the flower beds were getting enough water. One month later and everything is doing so well. I get so excited about seeing things I plant actually grow.

Naked wandering child in our front yard.

Swim Lessons Round 1

The girls took swimming lessons for the first time in June. I meant to put them in lessons the past 2 summers, but it just never happened. The girls were more than ready.

Sadie was a little nervous on the first day when her teacher was using all sorts of terms she had never heard.

 Elise was giddy with excitement from day 1. 

 Both girls tried hard to do everything their teachers asked of them, but they weren't always so successful at the beginning. 

 Swim lesson time was slightly chaotic, as a section of the main pool was blocked off, but the rest of the pool facility was being used by the public.

The kids in Sadie's class could all swim, but would frequently end up on top of each other when they were trying to swim to the lane marker and back. Below Sadie is on the right. Elise made the best faces during lessons. 

One of Elise's favorite games was singing the monkey/alligator song and then jumping off the side.

 Both girls loved retrieving the rings from the bottom of the pool. Sadie struggled a bit because she had to dive down, but by the end of the 2 weeks she could do it. Both girls had a hard time relaxing when they were doing floats, but did a great job by the end. 

 Sadie and Lou asked every day if they could go down the water slide and I said no. On the last day Sadie's class got to go down it and Sadie was so proud. 

The girls are signed up for another 2 week session in July and they can't wait. 

Super Hero Readers

This summer I signed the girls up for a free super hero reading program. Their good friends, Jersey and Finn, are signed up as well, which makes it even more fun. Once a week we go to a reading/activity group at the library. During the week we track our reading and the girls get prizes for meeting their goals and doing other little things like drawing their favorite heroes and making book marks.

The first activity was a kickoff event with different super hero training exercises. 

The girls posed as local heroes, threw wet sponges at bad guys, and cleared out kryptonite.

 Another week they listened to super hero books and then made their own masks.

The girls really enjoy it and the prizes are actually great. They are for various free kids meals and treats in our area. We love reading and we love free treats.