Summertime and the Living is Easy

I have really enjoyed this summer so far. Now that Andrea is old enough to enjoy more activities I want her to experience everything. First off, the boat. Ryan's Dad has given us his boat, which has made Ryan so happy. I can't tell you how many hours he has spent fixing it up and cleaning it. Ryan has loved every minute, although I am growing a little tired of it, I just want to go play. Last month we took it for a test run and it was a good thing we didn't invite friends yet. It ran for 10 minutes and wouldn't run again. Long story short, Ryan has fixed it and another test run is in the works. Andrea loved the boat! She loved standing in the seat and acted as though she was queen of the water! I couldn't get her to sit down, she wanted to see everything! So once we get the boat running great I know she will definately want another trip!When her and I are just spending our days at home she has really enjoyed her little pool, and I mean little! It's just right for her size though, and she refuses to sit in it anyway. She still loves to stand it in and splash or she loves to go get leaves and branches and make a pool/leaf stew. I thought maybe if I put Bracken in it with her she would get the idea that it's okay to sit, but no luck! At least he loved it!

We've already taken 2 trips to the zoo. One with just us, and one with Grandma and Grandpa. The photos of Ryan and I are unaccessable at the moment, sorry. But here is one of her with Grandma and Grandpa. It was so cold when we first got there (even though it was July) we had to get her a sweatsuit from the gift shop. But I think Grandma and Grandpa always love the idea of getting her whatever she needs, and we all appreciate it! It's so much fun now to hear her say "Mumpy" (Monkey) or "Burry" (birdie) when she sees the animals.

Every year I like to do a hot dog roast up the canyon with friends and this year I was excited to let Andrea join in on the fun. We got her own camping chair and she loved her first hot dog, I didn't realize she had never had one before. I dressed her in grubby clothes so she could get as dirty as her little heart desired. Needless-to-say, she took full advantage!

Our last excursion so far this summer was swimming at Deseret Peak with Amy, Roland, and Brigitta. I'm sad I didn't get a picture of all of us. I was surprised when Andrea kept wanting to walk further and further into the water. She would get so frustrated when I would bring her back, so I thought I would see what happened and she got even more upset when she started swallowing water, what can you do?

As you can tell I'm just loving life and that may be why I don't post as often as I should. But I hope you all enjoyed this summer recap.

4th of July

Well another year of watching the parade at my parents house. I have really loved the tradition ever since they moved the parade route. We always invite Ryan's parents as well, so it's a great family moment. This year because Andrea enjoyed it a little more, and didn't fall asleep, I decided to sit on the curb instead of enjoying the shade on the porch with the adults. Although Andrea has thinned out enough she probably could have worn her shirt from last year, having a new 4th of July outfit is always fun (Ryan calls her my live Barbie). Here is a picture with Daddy last year...
And this year...

It's so fun to see how she's grown. She loves her new flag! Although her word for it sounds more like a prejudice remark (just drop the l). Even Amy and the kids were able to join us this year and I thought it was sweet that Brigitta wanted to sit with us girls. Brigitta was so cute about making sure Andrea got the candy that landed closest to her, but you'll notice there is some pieces still in the gutter.... Brigitta said that was no one's candy because no one is sitting there :) Plus, she made sure that all of our necklaces matched each of our outfits best.

Although Andrea did stay awake this time, she was pretty worn out by the end. We were going to head to the park for the activities but she just didn't make it! That night we did some low budget fireworks and although she enjoyed them, they just weren't too spectacular. Each year gets more and more fun and I can't wait until she loves the holiday as much as Ryan and I do.