Bridger's Birthday Feast

Today is Bridger's 8th Birthday. 

 I asked him if he wanted to go out to eat tonight or tomorrow night. 

He said, "I don't want to go out at all! It's a waste of your money and too unhealthy!" 

Looks like as he is turning 8, he's turning into his mother. 

Eden is 18 Months old

My baby is growing and changing every day. She is sweet and tender and I just love her to pieces.

Lately she loves:

MOM. She does not like to see me and not have me hold her. I am the nursery leader at church and she does not like to share me with anyone or see me leave the room. She screams and screams.

When I drop her off to be watched by someone else, they always say she screams for about 30 seconds and then is fine until she sees me again and starts to cry.

- She loves to dance in a circle and sing, "Let it go." It is her favorite song and she can't really say the words, but she knows the notes and sounds that it is obvious what she is singing. She loves Frozen

- She loves to give big hugs to everyone and licks for kisses.
From Afton's example, she has learned to have her hair combed. She climbs onto the stool, looks into the mirror and starts saying, "Ouwww. Oouuuwww. OUCH!" And apparently, that is the sign that she is ready to go. There is never a need to even touch her with a comb or a brush...she just thinks that is the normal routine of getting hair combed. 

She loves to play with Carter. Those two have a special bond and he knows how to make her laugh like nobody else can. It is so fun to watch and makes me smile. 

She loves to talk on the phone to dada and just loves my phone. She really likes to try to bite off the cover and I have several pictures of her selfies that are just her mouth.
Her speech has just started taking off, her words include:

 puppy, more, hi, bye, mama, dada, ouww, please, cheese, hot, eyes, door, mine, hat, banana, 

She loves to be thrown into the air and her sign to do that is raising her hands high above her head with a big smile. Since she is so light, it is easy to do for more than a few seconds.

She loves her boots

These two girls love their Daddy

She enjoys picking raspberries and strawberries and taking one or two bites out of as many apples as she can get her hands on.

Boots AND princess slippers- why not?

Eden's teeth -just one of the 206 pics I have- biting my phone

No More Growing UP!

Summer is going way too fast and one day I looked at all my kids and noticed something. They are growing up. All of them are growing up! And growing up WAY TOO FAST! I do not like. Not one bit. So, I decided then and there that I was making a new family rule. I called an emergency family council and announced: "New family rule. No more growing up. You have to stop. Today." There was an uproar of displeasure in my new rule and lots of disagreement. Bridger made a new goal that he would someday be taller than me, Carter decided he would make the same. Afton said, "NO way, Mom!" and Eden just squealed and banged on the table because everyone else was making a ruckus. 

I was really depressed that nobody agreed with my new rule, and decided I would take some pictures to savor my kiddos childhood a little more.

I now grin when they don't want to eat their dinner and congratulate them on agreeing with my rule. I explain that since they won't be eating they just won't have the energy to grow. Hurrah! My plan is working. (sometimes my reverse psychology actually works and they DO eat their dinner.) 

 Even though I can't make a rule to stop it, I still think it is unfair that they are growing way too fast.

And, I have the picture now to prove it! 

Afton actually sat still for me to do her hair one Sunday in July. She loves this blue dress and wears it almost every Sunday. (Yes, even though it is not pink, she still likes it.) 

She is just beautiful, and I am not biased either. This actually is a fact. 

These next few of Eden are from April 20th- around Easter, just after she turned one. I followed her around the yard and she just would not hold still for a picture. 

Her hair was just a poof ball all the time. Everyone loved petting her soft hair when it stood straight up, begging for attention. 

These were taken July 20th, only three months later. 

What happened to that little girl?!
Two more facts: She too, is beautiful and growing up the fastest.

I flipped out her hair with a flat iron, used pomade and hair spray. It looked so cute,
Then she went into the car seat and off to church.
 How could I forget about the car seat? Nothing lasts after she goes in there. Darn, so much for doing her hair. 

I tried to pose her. Thanks for the goofy face, Eden.

This is her newest smile that cracks me up:

The other fact is that my boys are growing up so that they absolutely don't like their picture taken and think that it is crazy to take them for no reason, so this is what I got from Carter and Bridger:

June 2014

Carter's Kindergarten Graduation

This year school ended on June 4th, too late in my opinion. Not much happens at school after Memorial day so the kids couldn't wait to get out. Although I went to school on the last day and while everyone was watching movies and having parties, Bridger's teacher was still instructing and kids were learning. I love his teacher! 

At Carter's graduation, they sang some songs which is always interesting to listen to 40 kindergartners sing and do actions all together. Bless the music teacher for getting the two classes to sing on Que as much as possible. 

Carter getting his diploma from the principal

Carter and Mrs. P his teacher. She is wonderful and we love her. 

Family picture at the graduation

Mom and Carter- obviously the forced "now you need a picture with your mom" one

Last day of school we played all day and night. Our neighbors always do root beer floats, so there were about 50 kids in the cul de sac and they played and played. Hooray that school is out.

Bridger brought home lots of stuff that I should have taken pictures of like his many art projects that he loved, his certificate for the "100 mile jogging club" he ran 115 miles this year during recess, the highest of anyone in first grade. A week or so after school he kept saying, "Mom, we need to go jogging." So I went with him one morning. We probably did a mile and he left me in the dust and he hasn't asked me again to go with him. He loves to run and I am proud of our budding cross country athlete. He got to go swimming and eat breakfast with the BSU football players because of his high mileage which were both pretty exciting to him. 

I did get a picture! Bridger with his medal and certificate

Bridger's mileage shoes which were displayed in the hall.

Cherry Festival and Farm stuff

We have been to the farm at least twice a week since summer started. I wish I could say that we've had lots of fun there. We have had some fun and done lots of work. That is why we bought it, (sometimes I need to remind myself of this.) It has been hot and tiring. Bridger helps lots, Carter helps some and Afton and Eden get mad that they can't help because they are too little. We do play lots of card games up there, which has been really fun. Carter has started coloring alot too... especially when it is time to go do some work. 

Emmett has a cherry festival every year. We stayed overnight that weekend and had some fun. 

Cherries are so yummy. Bridger kept/is keeping tract of how many he eats. I think he is up to 287. 

We like to pretend we are camping when we go up there. We have a fire and smores, I made tin foil dinners once.

Burned tin foil dinner. 

They weren't good, but we were starving so we ate it. 

Mom and Eden at the Cherry Festival Children's Parade

Family at the parade. We saw one of Ben's patients in it with his 4H steer. I'm sure now he is Ben's favorite one. 

Since we have become farmers, we have acquired farmers karma. Which is pretty much if something can go wrong, it will. I'm not trying to be a Debbie Downer here, but it has been really frustrating. 

I had the kids help with chopping down weeds. We had sprayed these, but the spray didn't work. So we went out in the hot, hot sun and mowed/cut them down. It was not fun. But we all worked hard and got most of them done one day. This day was super frustrating and a lot went wrong with most of the equipment not working and our water heater and fridge stopped working among many other things. I got really mad and yelled at the kids this day for not being more helpful. I could not sleep that night despite being exhausted. I knew I had to repent later because I felt so horrible that I would take out my frustration on them. I need to remember that they are little and don't know how to farm either. And, we bought this farm to have the opportunity to work along side our children and teach them how to work. I need to make more of an effort to make this a positive experience. I couldn't go back to the farm for a week or two after this day. It was just too frustrating for me and I needed a break and attitude adjustment. 

400 feet of tall weeds are an accomplishment for anyone- especially with young kids!

Half way done

Afton driving the tractor all by herself. 

Father's Day picture- the coon skin cap has made a reappearance and Bridger wears it often despite the fact that it is summer. I heard someone ask Bridger if it is real he said, "Of course it is! It says 'Made in China' on the inside!" 

Bridger's Lego creation- I think we have at least 400 pounds of Legos among 4 houses in the cul de sac The boys move from one house to the next working on their projects. 

Blurry picture at the park

Eden loves the swing and the slide

Bridger lost both front two teeth within a week. 

Afton wanted a picture of her teeth too- she can't be left out of anything her brothers do. 

My two Biker Babes- they love being outside with the big boys on their bikes too.

We have a bunch of bikes and other ride on toys/scooters/ boards/strollers etc that travel from garage to garage. Whats mine is yours is really true around here. 

Bridger and Carter are getting pretty good on a rip stick.  I've had the boys tutor me a few times and I can go a ways before I lose my balance. The boys passed me by though within a day of trying. NO fair. 

Apparently helmets are also shared. don't know whose that is that Carter is wearing

Ben has also mastered the rip stick. 

Summer in the street. Good times had by all.

Someone marked Eden right in the head with their dirty hand. I don't know when or who it was, but she came in like this. 

Soccer in the back yard. There were 13 kiddos back here this day. Love it. Play, kids, play! 

Johnson Reunion

Mid- June we went to a Johnson Reunion with my Dad's side of the family. I love seeing my cousins and we enjoyed this weekend. Eden had Hand-Foot and Mouth Disease and she had a BAD case. Poor little girl. She was so miserable. She had blisters inside her mouth, nares, upper lip, bum, feet, in between her toes,  and up to her elbows. Ben volunteered to stay home with her so we could go. I think he may have prayed just to have some time alone and off work. It worked out for all of us I suppose. 

There is a red-neck water slide close to where we were staying-irrigation plastic down a hill. It was really fun for adult and kids alike. 

Bridger and Carter going down the slide

At the lake - Johnson's love water.

We lined up this dock. We really needed a boat or 4 for everyone to play on. But don't worry, I have some creative cousins- they came up with some entertainment. They got a bike, put 2 life jackets on it so it wouldn't sink after landing, put a ramp on the end of the dock and whoever rode the bike pedaled like crazy from the top of the boat ramp down to the dock, off the ramp and into the water. We cheered and gave scores based on jump height and landing technique in the water. Like I said, we really needed a boat there. 

Cousin Riggin, Bryn and Afton with the water gun to her head. 

Candy Cannon

Candy everywhere!

This game of "rat tails" was awesome! Everyone got a rope and tucked it into their back britches and you run around stepping on others tail while protecting your own. Remember, we are creative! We laughed and laughed. I love acting like a kid sometimes.  

One night we did skits. This inflatable beard was from one of the grab bags they sold. I love it! Clay actually won it, but Grandpa Johnson wore it in the skit. 

Cousin Josh left alone to play in the dirt.
Boys+dirt=happiness

Afton at the town breakfast- we got there earlier this year so we didn't spend a whole hour in line- only a half :) 

Boat day

We went to the lake with Uncle Tim and his family. He called and said that he wanted to leave at 9 a.m. The day prior, it was 10:30 before Carter got up, so I was a little nervous about making it in time. But, sure enough, everyone was up, dressed, first 5's done and sunscreen on at 8:45 ready to go.

It was a beautiful day. 

Carter decided the day before that he was going to wakeboard very first. He kept telling everyone on the way there that he was first and when we got on the boat and in the lake, we stopped and without any hesitation, he got the board on, went into the water and was ready to go. He went twice and then not again for the rest of the day. One thing is for sure with Carter, when he makes up his mind, it is made. It is hard to convince him otherwise. 

Bridger picked up right where he left off last summer. 

Afton just loves to be "on Tim's boat." Especially with the giraffe life jacket. 

Eden did fine, not as easy as her sleeping in the car seat like last year, but she was happy. 

Bridger spent the majority of the day eating cherries. I think he made it up to 400. 

Roaring Springs

The boys got free passes to the water park. They expired on the 30th so we and the entire city went to the park that day to use the passes. It was SO crowded, but very fun. 

Ashlyn and Afton

Eden loved the lazy river

Bridger and Landon. Towards the end of the day when the lines shortened, they got some good water slide rides in.