She's Terrible.... Whoops, I Mean She's TWO!

Why don't I have mellow, happy-to-be-here, content, relaxed children? Why do my children know EXACTLY what they want and are determined to get to their goals? Why are my children so intense? I mean, really. I am the most mellow person I know. I go with the flow. I adjust easily and am happy with whatever happens.

And then there's this little magical spell that happens at the age of 2. Every personality quirk intensifies! Oh, you should see this little Camille. (Actually, she's quite tall and has large hands and feet. She's really not small) I don't know how to describer her............... Quirky. That's the best word. Some days she'll tell you what the cow says and other days she'll look at you like "That was a stupid question. I'm not going to waste my time answering you."

Some days she runs around laughing and playing and other days there is nothing that will even break a smile on her face. (Tempting to throw her back in bed) Some days she's the greatest eater and other days she holds out thinking I'll give in to her demands for candy. (Not this mom. I'm tough. Stop laughing.)

But I have to say that we have all thoroughly enjoyed having this little girl as part of our family. We love watching her grow and we all get a kick out of her quirkiness. And because of her, my other girls can't wait to welcome another baby into our home.

Yellowstone

53 of my aunts, uncles & cousins gathered together in Yellowstone National Park for a wonderful family reunion. Since my grandparents passed away almost 2 years ago, this is the first time we have all been together. What a joy. The relationships are strong and FUN! You should've seen all the little kids running around. That used to be us. Now we're the grown-ups keeping kids in line while our parents sit back and enjoy being grandparents. My grandpa & grandma Guymon built a beautiful family with ties that are strong. What a blessing.

Summer Wipe Out

We have 7 days left of summer. Where did the time go? I'll tell you where it went for me - down the toilet..... literally. We are having baby #5 and I have never been this sick before. I've spent more time lying down, trying to settle my stomach and running to the bathroom than I have enjoying the swimming pool, lazy days or fun activities that summer should be. Oh well. Must mean the baby is healthy. Due date: mid-February. (Pray for a boy)

SWIM!!

So, when it's 107 degrees outside (no humidity though for our friends back east, down south or in Ohio), we put our suits on and JUMP into the pool. The bottom picture is Troy's dad. He & my mother-in-law came out to watch my kids while I was at camp. Thanks Mom & Dad!

Notice Amanda lost her first tooth? Yeah! After watching practically every single friend in Kindergarten get a visit from the tooth fairy, she was very anxious to pull her first one out of her mouth.

Girl's Camp a success!!

What a great week we had! Our theme was "O, the Places You'll Go" by Dr. Suess and each level had a different Dr. Suess book. The stake leaders were "The Sneetches". Don't you love our costumes??? We performed a skit before every single meal, which meant we changed out of our normal clothes and into those costumes 3 times a day!

While those in Fresno were suffering with 105+ degree temperatures, we were basking in nice warm days in the mountains next to a beautiful lake. And we really can't call this camping since all of our meals are made for us, we have plenty of hot showers and electricity and my room is located in a houselike structure complete with air conditioning, a private bathroom and a refrigerator. Yeah - really rouging it - just the way I like to camp.

Didn't your mother ever teach you not to play with your food?

What kind of mother do these children have anyway? (Aren't these pictures going to be so much fun to scrapbook?!!!)

A trip of a lifetime

On Thursday morning I drove Natalie to the airport at 5:00 am to meet up with my parents. Then they were off - just the three of them. My parents decided that when each grandchild turns 12 they will take them on a trip anywhere they want to go. So, Natalie decided to go to the Galapagos Islands. She had researched so many different places around the world and chose this trip because of being able to see animals, being able to go out of the country and also because she knew my parents had never been here before.

The Galapagos are off the coast of Ecuador and getting there really wasn't too big of an adventure. They are currently on a ship that will visit the many islands. They'll sleep and eat on the ship and tour the islands during the daytime. We've only heard from them once since they left and it sounds like they're having a great time. While on mainland Ecuador, they went to the equator and my mom balanced an egg on a nailhead.

This is such a fantastic time for my child to share with her grandparents, creating memories that will last her entire lifetime. We really miss Natalie around here and can't wait to hear about all the details of her trip.