Orem Splash Pools

If you live somewhere near Orem, you've got to try out the splash pools at Nielson's Grove. We were regulars there this summer because they are so safe and fun for kids. They also have a playground and HUGE swings. My good friend Heather and I always took a little picnic lunch and stayed a couple hours. It's always a great all-around experience.

Adelyn, with her best friend Jaron. Heather and I joke that this will be one of the pictures in their wedding video someday. :)

Preston didn't swim much, but she sure had fun hanging out and playing around. I love this picture of him.

A big cheese for the camera.

Preston attacking Tayson, Heather's baby. He'd better be careful though; Tayson is five months younger than Preston, but I think he may have already passed him up in weight. Fortunately, Tayson is a very mellow kid and is used to being picked on.

Wheeler Farm

I'd imagine that most 3-year old girls' favorite animal is either a cat or a dog, maybe a rabbit. Not my 3-year old! She LOVES farm animals, cows and horses in particular. Yep, they are her absolute favorites. I can't really explain it. "Old MacDonald" is STILL one her very favorite songs. Since she could talk, maybe even before, she's always loved to make all of the animal sounds. Needless to say, Wheeler Farm was quite a treat, both for Adelyn and for her parents because the experience is nearly free.

Adelyn can never pass up a pony ride. I bet it won't be long before she'll be asking for a pony for Christmas.

She also loves to feed the cows. She stood there waiting for 10 minutes or more, holding out some grass and "moo"ing at this cow before it decided to take her up on her offer. (I wish she were that patient with me. :)

FHE: Bowling Night

We had a great time taking the kids bowling for family home evening the other night. They loved it!

Look mom! Bowling balls! Too bad they're too heavy to pick up.

With bumpers and this nifty bowling rack, I'm pretty sure Adelyn bowled better than I did, as usual.

She loved her bowling shoes and was so mad when we had to give them back. She didn't understand that we just rented them for the game. They were sure fun to dance in though.

Preston didn't miss the opportunity to drive. He loves pushing buttons, so this was a real treat!

My Husband: The Master

Ryan graduated with his Master's Degree from BYU this past weekend. His major was in the Linguistics department: Second Language Acquisition and Teaching. He did his thesis on the effectiveness of using video, subtitles, and electronic film review to enhance the learning process of language study. It was such a great feeling to see him finish after so much hard work.

The kids were proud too. But Adelyn was a little upset that he didn't get to sit by us during the graduation. She thought that was a rip off. I'd have to agree with her. :)

The Graduate.

Oh, no! Now I officially have hood-envy!

Six Years

It is crazy to think that Ryan and I have been married six years already! Today is our anniversary. Where has the time gone?! At the same time, it feels like we've been married forever. We've grown a lot in that time and I am so grateful that he is mine for eternity. Here's a little journey back to one of the happiest days of my life...

Our first picture outside the temple after we were sealed.

I love this picture because Ryan looks like a giddy school boy. :)

He always treated me like a princess, and I truly felt like I'd married a prince. Happy Anniversary, Ryan, with many more great years to come!

My Little One-Year Old

Preston turned one on July 31st! We had such a great time celebrating. Adelyn LOVES parties and she was more than willing to help make it a special day for her little brother.

Ryan and Adelyn made Preston's baseball cake. They did such an amazing job! Even though it is hard to see, the middle of the ball says "Preston."

We let Adelyn help Preston blow out his candle before he had the chance to grab it and burn his little hand.

Once he got going with the cake, he made a HUGE mess. (I don't think ANY of it got into his mouth.) I love this picture because it looks like he has a perfect little goatee (the first one-year old ever to have facial hair!)

Can you believe how red his hair is getting!?!

Opening gifts. . .we got him a train set and some shoes; Grandma Rocque gave him some darling clothes. Thanks so much, Grandma!

The big Tonka dump truck Preston got from Grandpa Rocque is also a real hit. He loves to put things in it and push it around. He also used to like to climb inside it, until it dump him right out on his head. He's since decided that pushing it is safer than driving it.

Just one year ago, on his birth-day. He has brought so much joy into our family. What a sweet little boy. Happy Birthday, Preston!

I Ski, You Ski!

So, for those of you who don't know, I LOVE to water ski! I confess that I have been a boating mooch for as long as I can remember. Once I even went boating with a guy I met at a Saltair dance. I was pretty desperate to go, so I made my friend Amber accompany me just in case the guy was a criminal or something (like that would've helped that much anyway :). We obviously survived. But unfortunately, that was the last time I went (SEVEN long years ago!) until. . . our good friends from our Provo ward, Patti and Mitch, invited us to go out with them on their boat as a last outing before they moved to Wyoming for law school. We had the best day!

Ryan has never wake boarded in his life, but he was a total natural. He got up on his first try without any trouble and even tried a few little tricks. He's not as much of a fish as I am though, so he was ready to go home long before I was.

I tried the wake board too, and liked it, but I actually prefer to ski. I skied pretty much until I dropped, and I could barely walk the next day. (And I had to take almost an entire week off of running because I strained my lower back so bad.) But, it was well worth it!!! Thanks so much Mitch and Patti. You guys are the best! We are going to miss you so much!