UTOPIAN UTAH!!!

We are in Pleasant Grove, UT visiting Alan's family, having a blast, and the girls are scoring some SERIOUS COUSIN TIME!

(L to R: Brooke 2, Jane 5 , Emma 4)

Cute little Bruce (2 years).
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We've spent a lot of time outside doing things like Cherry Pickin' at Great Grandma (Emily's) house.

Emma and Jane:

Fast Friends. Dynamic Duo. Bosom Buddies.

We've been picking and eating FRESH PEAS from the vine. What could be SWEETER than THAT?!

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Renee and I took Bruce and Brooke to a toddler cooking class at the Pleasant Grove Community Center where they made Egg salad sandwich Pin Wheels and Monkey Cakes!
As they say in Utah, "OH FOR FUN!"

Brooke's Monkey Masterpiece!
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Pool Time!

Grandpa Byron gives SUPERB wheelbarrow rides!

Chillaxin' in the backyard.

Emma and Jane glued PVC pipes together with Grandpa Byron so the corn can be watered. He always has the coolest projects for them to help him with in the garden.

Nice messy face Brooke! She had a blast today just playing in the DIRT!

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Auntie Renee bought the kids "Kinder Surprise" eggs which Alan and his family ate when they lived in Germany. They are chocolate eggs with tiny puzzles, cars, animals and other toys inside. It was a fun, new thing to experience!

Alan said the eggs brought back memories of cutting class almost every day in junior high in Germany. . . hmmmm. . . . Let's not tell the kids about that, OK Mr. Law School?

We will be here for a few weeks so there will be MORE TO COME!!!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO THE MEN I LOVE

good memory!

Emma remembers Alan taking her to the zoo over a year ago and when they talked about Zoos at school, that was what she said. I LOVE how she wrote a backwards "z" in zoo below!

You go girl.

Carrots from the Garden!

This Is EPIC!!!

Remember that post I did a while back where I basically sold my mom out by revealing her disastrously messy craft room to you? Well Carli came to visit and the three of us worked for hours organizing and streamlining, until lo and behold-- you can see the floor! It's a miracle I tell you! A miracle!!!

Lazy Summer Days

Preschool Grad

After 3 years of preschool, Emma has officially GRADUATED!!!

I made this dress for her special day. (My mom helped with the zipper in the back-- it was too advanced for me!)

Emma's best friend this year was Nina.

They played "Amazing Grace" on the bells for us parents. It was beautiful!
Emma's teachers Ms. Fowler and Mrs. Conner played, too.

Mrs. Whitney, the preschool director, taught my sister Carli and her hubby Travis when they were 4.

Emma was in the afternoon class which was very small, but she loved it!
L to R: Jeremy, Nina, Isabella, Bridget, Emma
(some kids weren't there-- Carl, Gunnar, Brandon, Dominick)

My sweet little baby is growing up too fast for me. In fact, I bawled the whole way home. Emma said I could have the rock she painted to remember her by when she goes to kindergarten. I know-- more bawling!!!