Happy Pioneer Day!

I remember celebrating Pioneer Day as a kid and everyone--parents and kids-- dressing up in their pioneer attire. We'd go to the ward or stake celebration and have a big parade and sing songs and have a big potluck dinner outside. It was always so much fun and I will always have great memories of that.

Well, here we are all dressed up for our ward's July 24th Pioneer BBQ... unfortunately, our ward was lame and we ended up being the only ones dressed up. All the announcements and handouts building up to the activity said to be sure to dress up for the children's parade.

There was no parade.

No children's songs.

No anything to recognize the day!

What a shame!

It's sad what it has come to. It's like we've forgotten the true reason we, as saints, celebrate the 24th of July. Either way, I think my family will dress up for years to come in honor of the pioneers--to recognize what they sacrificed so we could enjoy the truth of the Gospel in our day.

Happy Birthday, Alice!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ALICE!

WE LOVE YOU!

A Day at Zoo Boise

We took the kids to Zoo Boise on Friday and had a lot of fun together.

A Walk with the Fam Damily

A couple weeks ago we had a little extra time together so we took the kids over to the dam at Lake Lowell for a little walk. It was a really hot day and all the beaches were packed so we didn't even try to go over that way. We didn't stay too long because it was just so hot but it was still fun.

Kate and Sam really enjoyed being able to get out and run.

Checking out some crazy birds flying in and out of their nests.

Funny thing about this is we told them to turn around for a picture and they held hands on their own. Cute kids.

And of course no family outing would be complete without a picture of the whole Fam DAMily!

It was fun being able to spend just a little more time with each other.

Little Squirts

2 little squirt bottles + 2 little squirts =

endless wet fun!

Sam likes to drink it and Kate likes to squirt herself in the face.

Alice got in on the action too...from the safe side of the window.

Long Nights

Why, oh why, can't I just get one full night of peaceful slumber? Oh yeah. Because I end up playing musical beds all night. It's always one thing or another...Sam gets up and starts walking around half asleep so I need to intercept before he walks into a wall or something, Kate needs to go potty or lost Pinky (her teddy bear) somewhere under her covers, or Miss Alice starts crying and I need to rock her back to sleep. Sometimes I just cave in and put her in bed with me even though I can't sleep as well when she's there. Whatever it may be, it doesn't seem to matter. It all just equals a horrible night's sleep for me.

When about 8 o'clock rolls around, way too soon might I add, I tend to feel kind of like a zombie.

But then I feel her soft hand touch my face.

I turn to look at my beautiful baby lying next to me. She looks at me with her unforgettable blue eyes and smiles. Suddenly, all the hardships of the night just seem to float away and I am there in that moment with her as she greets me, "Good Morning" in her own little way. She reaches again and I kiss her hand.

It's going to be a good day.

The Big 2-8

Yesterday was my 28th birthday and it was pretty much just business as usual around here with a few exceptions...

got to sleep in 'til 9

birthday call from my brother Nathan

had blueberry muffins and juice for breakfast

Joe went to work

made the beds

birthday call from Mom and Dad Williams

blogged

did the dishes

swept the kitchen

vacuumed the Family Room

cleaned the microwave

birthday call from my friend Carlie

let the kids watch a cartoon so I could clean in peace

put the baby down for a nap

cleaned the bathroom

used the wrong blue spray on the mirror

had to clean it 2 more times to get it clean...used Windex

did 4 loads of laundry

put away 2 other loads I've been putting off for way too long

changed who knows how many diapers

lunch for the kids...the standard pb&j, cheese and carrots

lunch for the baby...Gerber pears and pineapples

lunch for me...leftovers

scheduled visiting teaching appointments

kissed too many owies to keep track of

enforced a time-out for hitting

made up with hugs and kisses 2 minutes later

finally took a shower

birthday call from my brother Jared and his wife Caitlin

sister-in-law Michelle came over to visit for my birthday

Joe came home from work

birthday visit from Mom and Dad Chandler

hung out with Michelle

had my favorite kind of birthday cake...yellow cake with chocolate frosting (thanks to Mom C)

dinner for the kids...dino nuggets, fruit salad and toast

found out Joe arranged for a babysitter so we could go out!

dropped the kids off with Grandma and Grandpa Chandler

had free frozen yogurt at TCBY

went on a walk at Lake Lowell

walked around one of my favorite stores...Cost Plus World Market

picked up the kids

put the kids to bed

read a little "Breaking Dawn" (book 4 from the Twilight series)

hit the sack