MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.....and we are still married!

So.......after much toil and sweat and wailing and gnashing of teeth, our backyard is mostly done. And Ben and I are still married, but let me tell you there were times when we were like two little toddlers who could not agree on which disney movie to watch. Next spring we hope to get a fence, but for now we have a concrete pad which has several steps and then wraps around the side of the house and continues as a huge RV pad. Nevermind the fact that we don't have an RV and I don't predict and RV in our foreseeable future. We also got a sprinkler system installed, put a trampoline in the ground, had some concrete curbing laid around the house, and laid over 5000 sq ft of sod (with the help of wonderful people who helped us...bless them!!!) Ben worked his tush off putting this trampoline in the ground. We actually put it in the ground once, then had to take it out after we realized that all the dirt we were backfilling around it was not properly supported. What a PAIN! BUT....we now have a good retaining system and didn't have to pay $700 for one of those pre built systems.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I had the opportunity to go with these lovely ladies to a conference for work. We stayed at the Zermatt resort in Midway, which was interesting since I used to work for the architect that made the blueprints for the resort. I have spent hours looking at the resort on blueprints, but never saw it built. The conference was great! I learned a lot about labor and delivery. There were two other ladies from work there, and it was fun for us to hang out and learn some great things. We went shopping at the outlets in Park City, and I got myself in trouble at the Carter's store. Why is it SO dang fun to buy clothes for kids???

I had Ben take this picture because I realized that I don't have that many pictures of Malia and I. Here she is allowing me to taste her finger. She is such a chunky girl! Just tonight I gave her a taste of chocolate...and then another, and another, and another because she was so taken with the chocolate and kept opening her mouth wide for more. That's my girl!

Riley is decked out in his preschool attire and his Spiderman "packpack". Wow! He is so handsome and so cute! Whenever he has these shoes on, he likes to check himself out in our full size mirror. The other day I spied on him looking at himself front and back and he looked SO smug :) He knows he is a stud :)

We did the Onion Days thing this year. Unfortunately 10 tickets were $10 and equaled only about two and a half kiddie rides. Sheesh! I hope they pay those creepy carnival guys well. They at least ought to pay for them to get some of their teeth replaced. Well, the important thing is that we had a great time being together!

Her hair is trying really hard to come back.

And then I have a friend who can do THIS with her baby's hair! These two were trying to eat eachother before this picture was taken. Well, Kaylie was trying to eat Malia's PJ's, and Malia was trying to pull Kaylie's hair....because she's jealous and wants a little for herself.


I love this picture of Malia and her auntie Ciara. It's like they are having a little gab session and Malia is saying "Can you BELIEVE my mom only fed me NINE bottles today???"The Church family paid us a visit last Sunday and brought some delish cookies, and some sour cream, and some tortillas. Actually we invited them because they had all the ingredients we were out of, but hey we had fun :)

We're Still Here! (Just preoccupied)

AND MALIA HAS BEEN PREOCCUPIED WITH EATING! I JUST HAD TO DOCUMENT THESE THIGHS...SHE TAKES AFTER HER DADDY. IS THERE A KNEE IN THERE SOMEWHERE??? AND WITH HER DAILY FEEDING FRENZY IT IS ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE. DISCLAIMER: THE BRUISE IS FROM HER IMMUNIZATIONS...I DID NOT PINCH HER.SHE'S ALSO BEEN BUSY GROWING OUT HER HAIR. I PULLED THIS OUT OF THE HALLOWEEN BIN. IT BRINGS BACK MEMORIES OF HALLOWEEN THREE YEARS AGO WHEN RILEY WAS TOO LITTLE TO CARE THAT I DRESSED HIM UP LIKE AN ADORABLE LITTLE GIRL. I COULDN'T EVEN GET HIM TO PUT THIS HAT ON THE OTHER NIGHT....HE ABSOLUTELY REFUSED.

HER SMILES ARE COMING ABUNDANTLY NOW!

THIS IS UP AT A RESERVOIR IN SPANISH FORK. SHORTLY AFTER THIS SHOT WAS TAKEN, I SLIPPED ON SOME SLIME AND FELL IN AND THE INNOCENT BABE CAME DOWN WITH ME. OF COURSE I WAS LAUGHING HYSTERICALLY THROUGHOUT IT AND THROUGHOUT THE UGLY AFTERMATH. I ALWAYS LAUGH WHEN I'M SUPPOSED TO BE SERIOUS.

THE BEAUTIFUL SUNSET. I LOVE THIS RESERVOIR!

RILEY CAUGHT A COUPLE OF FISH AND LOVED TO REEL THEM IN. BUT HE WOULDN'T TOUCH THE FISH OR PARTICIPATE IN PUTTING IT BACK IN THE WATER. FUNNY THING IS THAT THIS FISH IN THE PICTURE DID NOT WANT TO GO BACK TO HIS HOME OR FAMILY. HE KEPT SWIMMING BACK TO THE BANK. EITHER HE WAS REALLY CONFUSED OR HE REALLY LIKED US. WHEN WE LEFT AN HOUR LATER HE WAS STILL THERE HANGING OUT AT THE BANK....NOT DEAD, JUST WANTED TO BE NEAR US I GUESS.

SHE SEES ME DRINK THIS SO MUCH (ALTHOUGH I AM CURRENTLY ON A DIET COKE HIATUS) SO NO WONDER SHE WANTS A SIP :)