Exactly Why I Don't Scrapbook!

I have just spent an hour "playing" on the internet, looking for different blog backgrounds, changing font colors, changing the color of my playlist, blah, blah, blah... The point is, I don't make layout decisions quickly, AND I don't stick to my choices. When I used to attempt to scrapbook, I would spend FOREVER on a layout, only to pick things off because I didn't like how it turned out. So, here I am once again "picking things off!" You don't even know how many times I've cut and pasted different HTML/JavaScript's (whatever those are) into this silly blog. All I wanted to do was have a change of scenery for Fall! I still don't think this one is THE best, but I need to go to bed. Being at the temple this morning at 7 a.m. has left me a little tired all day! Good Night! Thanks for letting me go on and on and on!!!
P.S. Thanks Chris for the link to the Leelou blogs! Yes, I changed my background once again!

Learning And Growing!

Our lives have become a little busier than I'm used to! Alison is growing so quickly! At her four month appointment a few weeks ago she was 15 pounds 12 ounces and 26 inches long. The day before the appointment she had grabbed a popsicle out of my hand and started sucking on it. When her doctor heard that, he laughed and said she was certainly ready to start on solids. So the messy fun begins! The boys were big helpers when we gave her her first rice cereal. Kyle is learning not to gag her!!! They both love her so much! Chad started preschool at our Elementary School on the 3rd. He goes Monday through Thursday from 8:30-11:30-It's FANTASTIC! He doesn't turn 5 until November, so we have another long year before Kindergarten. He was so excited to start..he didn't even need me when he was walking to school. I have to sign him in, so I just followed him as he confidently walked right to his locker and classroom. Yes, he has a locker in preschool! So cute! Chad has also decided he is ready to ride his bike without training wheels! Jeff was gone when he first did it, so I had to push him and then snap a picture. We went that evening to the school and gave him more space to ride free! What a big boy! Kyle is trying to keep up with him as well! After a few crashes, he decided it would be more fun to play on the playground, so we'll get more pictures of him later! After a week of having Chad at school I had the "opportunity" to put Kyle in a preschool on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. (Something we BOTH need!) So my little guy started last Friday and he LOVED it! When I went to pick him up, he walked right past me to the car and said "I had FUN today Mom!" I didn't even have to ask! So, a few times a week, I will just have my little Alison, and my big boys will be off learning and growing without me! These new stages in life are GREAT!

End of Summer Fun!

This Summer has flown! I thought I'd better hurry and post some of the summer activities that I missed! WARNING: A LOT of pictures to follow! I take WAY too many photos! If you don't care about all of these activities...Don't click on the slideshows! About a month ago we headed down to Thanksgiving Point for $2 Tuesdays with our neighbors the Green's and the Bertola's. I had no idea about the Children's Discovery Garden or the HUGE waterfalls at the main garden. I hope these pictures will convince my family that they need to come up so we can go together!!! BEAUTIFUL!

We took our very first trip to Bear Lake with our friends the McMullin's. We ate pizza the size of Alison, played at the park, rode on 4-wheelers, played at the beach, and had a delightful time at their family's cabin! Chad's new thing is to talk about building a cabin with his Dad at Bear Lake! When I say we don't have money for that right now, he says, "We don't need money, we're going to build it ourselves!" And then I say it will still take money to buy the material. He says "I'm saving my pennies!" Oh, the lessons he will learn! So Bonnie, we obviously had a BLAST, and the cabin made a deep impression on Chad! Thanks!

My friend Bonnie also had us over to her sister's for a few swims! My boys LOVED swimming with their friends! Kyle even went down the slide and jumped off the diving board! Chad said he'd do it next year! :)

A few weekends ago we had our niece and nephews, Abby, Cannon, and Lincoln, over for the morning. Jeff was SUPER Uncle and pulled out all of his extra tile pieces and let the kids tile some pavers for the yard! They loved it!

Our end of summer Primary activity for church was a dunking booth! Can you say, FUN??!!! Chad loved watching and squirting people with his water bottle, and he climbed in at the end to play with his friends. Kyle kept wanting to get dunked. He'd stand in line and then back out when it was his turn. Finally he followed through with it and let one of the big boys catch him with me holding on to his hand. This was a super cool activity!

Now back on my "BAD DAY," we really did have a GOOD morning! We went to Thanksgiving Point again hoping to go to the Dinosaur museum for our friend Landon's birthday, but the line was super long. We headed over to the gardens again and discovered even more fun and more beauty! Thanks Jamie!

And last but not least, we've gone to the zoo a few times, most recently with my friends Bonnie and Camilla. I swear I would never leave our house if it weren't for all of these wonderful friends! This was the first time the boys rode on the new carousel and they loved it!

We've also had fun BBQ's with our neighbor friends, picked plums and canned plum jam for the first time at Jeff's Mom's, had a sleep-over at Jeff's brother Clay's house, rode bikes and played around the house, and played lots of Wii, but I have NO photos to share . . . imagine that! Chad starts pre-school tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. which means I have to start waking up early! I usually go back to sleep with Alison after she eats, and I don't get up until the boys do. I guess I need to become a morning person so Chad isn't late to school! HOPEFULLY, this will mean that I can get back into a good running routine! No more LAZY Summer days and nights!