Camping at Fort Buenaventura

We decided to go camping somewhere close so we could just get away. We decided to go to Fort Buenaventura in Ogden. We left on Wednesday night and came home on Saturday. On Thursday, Scott and the girls hung out at camp and went and saw the fort, the cabins, teepee's and went on several bike rides and walks. (I went to CORE Academy in Harrisville so I can keep my teaching license current.) Scott and the girls saw some baby raccoons and one had fallen and was stuck in some mesh around the bottom of a tree. The girls became really good friends with the camp host and he brought them over ice cream treats this afternoon! Mallory, Hayley and Brittney thought he was great (and so did we--they were so nice!). When I returned from my class, we went on a short bike ride before we had to head home for a few hours for a YSA Activity (a BBQ and Ultimate Frisbee). We made it back to Fort Buenaventura right before they locked the gates for the night!

Scott had to work on Friday, so he jumped on his bike and rode 1 1/2 miles up the road to work! The girls and I ran a few errands and then we went exploring some more. We visited the camp host again and gave him a little thank you for the ice cream on Thursday. When Scott got off work, we ate and then we went on a canoe ride all together which was a lot of fun. We saw carp in the water and we chased the geese around. We also went on a bike ride and threw rocks in the Weber River.

Scott worked again on Saturday morning and rode his bike to work again. The girls painted pictures, played, explored and rode their bikes. When Scott got back at lunchtime, we went on a longer bike ride on the path that goes all the way over to Riverdale. We stopped under the train tracks and threw more rocks in the river (the girls LOVE this). Every time we went on a bike ride, Mallory and Hayley both wanted to be in the lead. Hayley was trying to stay up with Mallory and she almost bit the dust going down this hill--there were two long skid marks and she barely recovered--we slowed down a bit after that! She would have needed some major doctoring up if she had crashed.

We had a great time! It was nice to get away but be close to home so we could go and do the things we needed to do! We're glad we found this nice little oasis so close to home (Scott nor I had never been here before)!

Brittney and her "new" bike with training wheels--Brittney LOVES her bike!!

Row, Row, Row your boat (the girls were singing this all around the lake/pond)

All set to go exploring with our binnoculars, bug catchers and nets!!! We chased a lot of butterflies, saw millions of box elder bugs and a few dragonflies!!

Talks and more Talks

Well, the past few weeks have been kind of crazy!! A few weeks ago, Nicole Mills (she is my visiting teacher and is in the Relief Society Presidency in our ward) called and asked if I would speak at our Ward Mini Women's Conference. She asked me to speak on prayer and scripture study-- well wouldn't you know that is what I have been working on and need improvement in. Yes, I pray and I read my scriptures but I know I can do more. Sometimes it feels I am just going through the motions. I told Nicole I would do it all the while feeling very inadequate!! I worked on my talk and did a lot of study and prayer so I would know what Heavenly Father wanted me to say. My thoughts kept going to Sister Beck's talk from Women's Conference at BYU in May. I decided to use it as the basis of my talk. Things really came together nicely in my planning! I went and bought the new Book of Mormon Institute and Seminary manuals to display. They are such great resources to study the scriptures with. I plan to use them in my study!!

Our ward Women's Conference was on Tuesday, June 8th. Well, on Sunday, the 6th, Brother Trommlitz called and asked me to speak in Sacrament Meeting on Sunday the 13th and take 15 minutes. You can't say no so I said "yes". I was given the topic of "recognizing the power of the Holy Ghost" which is also the theme for Primary this month. Well, Sunday night I started to feel very overwelmed!!! I decided to focus on my Relief Society talk for Tuesday and then use the rest of the week to prepare my Sacrament Meeting talk.


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Potty Training

Ok- so I decided since we have nowhere we really need to go today or tomorrow that we would stay home and teach Brittney to go potty on the toilet all the time (she has gone several times when she first wakes up in the morning and also right before getting in the tub at night). I still can't believe we might actually not have a child in diapers--it's been over 6 years of continuous diapers (and we've had two in diaper for quite awhile too). Too bad I just bought another case of diaper's at Sam's Club two weeks ago and I just opened it!!

I stress so much about potty training with Mallory. I bought "Elmo's Potty Time" DVD and we borrowed "Potty Time for Girls" DVD from the Library. I bought a Potty Patty doll along with bottles and training panties to make the doll go potty on the toilet. I bought the book "Potty Training in One Day" and I devoured it--I'm pretty sure I read it twice before I even started potty training Mallory. The night before the big day with Mallory, I reread the book and took notes so I would know exactly what to say and what to do to teach her to go potty. I bought lots of little treats and candies and lots of yummy drinks for Mallory so she would need to go potty. It all worked out and after two days so was pretty much doing great.

Hayley wanted to go potty by herself when she was just 27 months old! I kept trying to hold her back because Brittney was just one month old and Potty Training was the last thing I wanted to do with a newborn. Well, Hayley kept insisting and finally I reread my book and the next morning I stuck panties on her. We brought out Potty Patty and went through the steps and she pretty much trained herself.

Well, with Brittney, I didn't pull out my book. I didn't get Potty Patty out of the basement, we just kind of talked about things, put panties on her and we went to the bathroom every hour or so. Brittney was so proud of herself! I didn't buy any special treats or anything this time either and things still worked ! She was so excited and we called a friend or family member each time she went today! She did so good! It was nice that it rained pretty much all day so we were in the house and close to home! We'll see what tomorrow brings!!

Here's Brittney--so proud of herself!!

Hayley's 5th Birthday Party

Hayley was so excited for her Birthday Party! She has been counting down each day for a week and half. Hayley had 16 of her friends come! Everything went really well! Hayley wanted a Princess party and she wanted to invite girls and boys (the boys didn't seem to mind the Princess theme). We had several activities planned for the kids to do and it was also pretty relaxed. We learned from Mallory's Birthday Party last year that the kids mostly just wanted to play on the playset and jump on the trampoline. For Hayley's party we decided not to stress about things and invite the kids to play the games and do the activities if they wanted to or they could just play. We had Princess coloring pages for them to do when they arrived, we played a Princess Matching Game, we made Princess and Prince crowns, we broke a Princess Crown Pinata as well as presents and cake and ice cream. It seems everyone had a good time because most kids didn't want to leave when their parents came to pick them up! Hayley received some wonderful presents too. She received two baby dolls (she loves babies--she will be a wonderful mother some day), lots of art supplies, a jewelry kit, a beauty salon set, a slip-n-slide, a water sprinkler, bubbles, baby bottles, games, Polly Pockets, a hula hoop, Disney Princess dolls and play sets, and a water squirter. She had a wonderful time!

Jumping on the trampoline--there were a lot of little girls jumping at once!!

Hayley decorating her crown--I just love her facial expressions some times!!

Mallory and Abigale working on their crowns


Waiting on the rock wall for a turn at hitting the Pinata

Hayley taking a swing--she kept trying to hold her head so she could see out from her blindfold--I guess the Birthday Girl can do WHATEVER she wants!!

Hayley opening presents--ALL SMILES

Ivy, Hayley and Brittney--Hayley loved her Ariel Ice Cream Cake!!

Happy 5th Birthday Hayley!!

Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!

Happy Birthday dear Hayley!

Happy Birthday to you!!!

Hayley is soooo excited to be 5 years old!! She was all smiles all day today! She told anyone and everyone all day that today was her birthday!! Hayley got a new BIG bike for her birthday (it might be a little too big but she can ride it and she can grow into it)! She was sooo excited because it is bigger than Mallory's bike! Hayley was so excited when she found it in the backyard!

We love you Hayley!!

Doing Chores

Everyone does chores around our house nowadays!! The past few weeks I have started a new laundry routine. As soon as clothes are done in the dryer, I sort them into each person's individual basket or stick a hanger on clothes that need to be hung up. When I am finished washing and drying laundry, everyone goes down to get their own basket of clothes and then they are responsible to fold them and put them away. For now, this system has really been working for us. I know there are a few "faster systems" out there but I'm not quite daring enough to try them out!!

I snapped a picture of Brittney hard at work--she loves being big and having big jobs (let's just hope it lasts!!). She is very particular about how she folds her clothes--she has to finish folding everything before anything can be put away (I tried to hang up her clothes in the closet that were on hanger and I got in BIG trouble because she wasn't done folding everything!!)

Fremont Elementary Awards Ceremony

This morning at Fremont Elementary Mallory received an award for "The Most Accomplished Reader" in her class!! She received a certificate, two books and a bookmark!

WAY TO GO MALLORY!!

YOU ARE SUCH A WONDERFUL READER!!

(Sorry for the awful pictures--I didn't have a good angle and I think I need a few photography lessons!! Maybe someday!)