Snap Shots of Summer

Our summer can be summed up in three words…
HOUSE, WIGGLES, and FAMILY.

HOUSE:

After deciding to build a house instead of buying, we felt like it would be smart to do some of the work ourselves to save even more money. Some days I would have said that was an awful decision. But I really think it was a good thing for us. Not only did we learn a lot, but it was rewarding to work on our own home! Heath is a roofing and hardwood laying expert, we learned the basics of electrical wiring, we now know how to tile showers and floors, and we experienced the full process of painting.

We couldn’t have done it without wonderful family and friends. Jake Hatch, Anthony Bleazard, and Nate Reasch were our electrical, roofing, and painting experts we relied on. Our parents put in loads of time helping too. We should be moving in by the end of September!!!

WIGGLES: 

Saying Jack is wiggly is an understatement. The 7.5 month old Captain loves to jump, army crawl, kick, grab hair and earrings, wave his arms in the air, rock on his hands and knees, roll, and get his hands on anything in sight. He doesn’t stop moving. There are too many “squirrels” to watch and investigate. And I know it’s only the beginning. My little stinkbug has learned how to use his helmet too. He’s going to have a painful awakening when he no longer has his protective head-gear. The days of sitting still are gone.

Jack’s latest sounds have been mma mmaa mmaa and da da daaa (I encourage the mma mmaa mma sounds every chance I get:) He has also discovered how to spit. He spits when he eats green beans or peas, when I wipe his face, and in his car seat… just because he can I guess. Jack is a graham cracker monster. He can gobble down an entire cracker in no time. He also loves loves loves peaches just like his mamma.

Daddy’s little bear likes to be roughed up too. A little toss in the air, tickles, or “gentle” wrestling with dad always brings a smile to his face. He has been such a trooper while we work on the house. Unlike Mom, it didn’t bother him one bit to arm crawl all over the dusty floors.

I could go on for pages about our Captain. He brings us so much joy. I recently attended a craft night for Relief Society. The quote on the project I did sums up what Jack does for me:

“While we try to teach our children all about life- They teach us what life is all about.” Thanks for the lessons Captain.

FAMILY:

We were able to have lots of fun times with our family this summer. Here’s a condensed summary.

· Crawfish catching at the Grantsville Dam with Jake, Tanner, Brie, and Easton.

· Surprise Birthday/Father’s Day Party for my Mom and Dad- best surprise ever. They had no clue.

· Hammond Summer Games Birthday Party for Jake & Tanner- Slip n’ Slide, twinkie eating contest, arm wrestling. Oh yeah.

· Echo Triathlon- We did a relay with my mom and took 2nd place. I swam, Mom biked, Heath ran, and Jack coached us.

· Olympic Park- Thanks to my little sista, who works there, we were able to live it up at the Olympic Park for free. Heath smashed the ropes course record and I felt like I was going to die on the bobsled. 75mph in a metal sled does not feel good.

· Ping-Pong, Ping-Pong, Ping-Pong.

· Story time w/Uncle Heath- Easton, Mack, and Jack loved having Heath read storybooks to them. My heart would melt.

· Mexico Trip- Heath traveled to Mexico with his brother and our nephew Bayden for some medical stem cell treatment. Heath was the translator.

· Dutch Oven cook-off- We entered the contest over the Fiesta Days in Kamas. Took 1st place in the dessert category with our Citrus Cake. :)

· Visit to the Hatchs- Jack, my mom, and I took a trip to Gunnison for a visit. We got to see their newly finished basement. Beautiful! I’m going to hire them to finish ours:) Jack loved the attention from his cousins. Bronco riding on cousin Jed’s back was a hit.

· 4th of July Grantsville Fun Run/Walk

· 24th of July Kamas Fun Run/Walk- Heath placed first in his age group.

Summer was wonderful. Looking back on it is a great reminder to me of how blessed I am. I have amazing family and friends, two handsome boys, and soon a home to continue creating great memories in.