Swimming Lessons

We had swimming lessons again today. This is the last week. Here is a video of Gracie doing the back stroke and TJ swimming by kicking only, and seeing how long he can hold his breath.

I finally got a good picture of Gracie smiling in the water! Hi everybody!!!

They took TJ into the deep end today. He had to swim out to his teacher and back. You can't see him, because he is swimming...but that splash is him! I'm such a dork...but I'm just SO proud.

In Gracie's class today, they were teaching them to dive off the wall. Here she is ready to dive. And below is a video of her dive and swim back. She is in the rainbow suit. I am so impressed with her water skills.

And this is a shot of the little boy who belongs to the lady who watches my kids for me. His name is Xander. This is his first year of lessons. His mom, Casey, takes the kids to the pool once a week, usually. They love it. Thanks Casey for all you do.

Lost Tooth

TJ finally lost his front tooth. This is his 3rd that he has lost. The thing has been loose so long! He just wouldn't wiggle it. I knew it was ready cause it was starting to bend like the other was pushing it out. So, last night I grabbed it and pushed. It popped right out. I asked him today if the tooth fairy came...he said she gave him like "5, 6 or 7 quarters".

Boating again!!!

I know you have to be tired of the boating pictures, but I have to share this one. Tony tells me I am picture crazy. But at least I can look back. Anywho.....TJ got brave enough to jump in yesterday!!! Here he is.....

And here is a little dolphin we picked up....

And here are my 3 most precious floaties in the world. LOVE YOU GUYS!!!

A close up of the kids on the tube.

Swimming Lessons

I got some new pictures of the kids at swimming lessons on Friday. Summer went with me to watch. Although she got to hot and wasn't really interested. Gracie & TJ love swimming lessons. Gracie's class is working on the back stroke, and TJ's is working on the back float and the normal forward stroke. Gracie is usually in the deeper end, and farther away. So it's hard to get pictures of her.

So here are Summer and me on the side lines.

Then here is TJ floating on his back.

And here is the happy little boy.

And here is Gracie doing her back stroke. I never could get a picture with her hands in the air.

Here she is again....still out there with the blond headed teacher.

The kids are doing very well. I am so glad that they are not afraid of the water. That is a terrible feeling to be afraid. At the same time, it's a little scary to know they aren't afraid of the water. I keep a very close eye on them when we are around water and no life jackets are on. I am paranoid, but that comes with being a mother I guess.

Summer's mother, Jennifer, will love this, but it's too funny not to tell. I think Summer could have a future in pedicures. LOL! She got hot while we were at the pool. So pretty soon she was under the bleacher. After a few seconds I start feeling her picking at the dead skin on my heels. I looked down there, and she was concentrating really hard on getting it off. I just thought...ok. Then pretty soon she was lifting my foot so she could get it a little better.....and then she was taking my shoe off!!! LOL! I asked her if she was having fun, and she said yes. So, I just let her be. Within a couple minutes, she was taking my other shoe off, and starting on the other foot. Embarrassing, yes. But still funny. I am in serious need of some moisturizer on my heels. I think Summer would agree.

Thanks for the pedicure Summer! We hope you had a lot of fun while you were out here.

Just Like Me Doll

Gracie has been begging for an American Girl doll. She really wanted one that you can pick to look like you. We got close....she has medium skin and short, light brown hair. Unfortunately, we couldn't get the right color eyes. But at this point, Gracie didn't care, she wanted one SO bad. I finally ordered it for her last week. It came on the 24th. She was so excited! She has taken that doll everywhere with her. We haven't decided on a name yet, so I'll keep you posted.

Here are the 4 "kids": TJ, Gracie, Dolly, and Summer on our way to the lake.

We ordered pajamas so they could match. There are all sorts of outfits that we can get for the doll and Gracie. (Gift idea!)


Dang she is growing up fast! I keep telling them to stop it...but they WILL NOT listen to me.

;)

24th of July

(If the slide show has quite....simply hit the x in the upper right corner of the black area, and it will restart)

For the 24th of July, we went to Starvation, on the boat. Our niece Summer was out visiting, so we took her with us. This was her first time on a boat. She had a blast!!! We all did!!! It was a beautiful day. The water felt so good. Once we got out there, we all jumped in. Summer wasn't quite sure, so she clung to me. But soon got brave enough to only hold on to me with one hand. Gracie was jumping in. TJ still isn't sure about jumping in. So.....Tony threw him in. I think TJ liked it and thought that was fun, but at the same time was a little scared. Gracie of course had to be thrown in as well. She thought that was great.

When we first got on the boat, Summer was laughing her head off every time we hit a bump. She was so fun to watch and hear, so Tony hit every wave he could. I got a video of it. Unfortunately you can't hear her, but you can see it.

We all took turns riding the tube. First up were Gracie & TJ. We had them go first so Summer could see how it worked.

Summer wanted to go with Uncle Tony. I was driving, so I didn't get a video, but I did get some pictures which you can see in the slide show above. Once we were done with the tube...we got out the knee board. I got proof this time. And I am getting good at it. I can get up pretty fast now. This is a scary picture. Tony was having a hard time with the camera, cause I had left it on video. So it took him a while to get the shot, and the area we were in was pretty wavy, so I was having a hard time bouncing around. The shot he got was when I was coming down from a bounce, so I'm trying to hang on. My face is lovely. Still....here is the proof!

Then Tony took his turn and got up as well. I actually held the boat at a good speed so he could do it. WOO HOO!!! I'm learning.

Swimming Lessons

The kids started swimming lessons today. I forgot my camera...again. So we try the cell phone again. I'll get more pics tomorrow. But I thought I'd share these. The kids love to swim. That's mostly what Gracie wants to do when we go out on the boat. Anyway...here the fishies are.

TJ is at the wall. Gracie is talking to her teacher out there in the water. She just got done swimming to him.

Summer

We've been enjoying the boat quite a bit. We take it out most nights, after work. It's been a blast. We finally got a tube, and the kids love it. TJ is a little small for it, so he has a hard time finding a comfortable and safe spot. But he has fun. I had a ton of fun on it myself. So did Tony.


Yesterday, we went to Starvation. I have forgotten my camera the last few times, but yesterday I had my cell phone. Of course I didn't remember it until TJ was too cold, and wanted off. So here are a few pics of Gracie.



I've been trying the knee board. It took me one try and I DID IT!!! Can you believe it? Neither can I! Of course there aren't any pictures...but I'll get some proof. It's pretty fun. Quite a work out though. My stomach muscles have been sore for days. Such a wimp....I know.

Flaming Gorge

Yesterday, we headed to Flaming Gorge, for a day out with the boat. It was a beautiful day. I never realized how large the Gorge is. We only got about 1/3 of the way up it, and that took us a few hours, just cruising along. You'll never believe what we forgot! The kids life jackets! So crazy. I've been taking them out of the boat each time we go out, so they have them to go swimming with their babysitter, Casey. So there they sat yesterday! Dah! Luckily, there was a marina shop there at the dock, and they had some for sale. Whew!!!

So once we finally got going, our captain, for the beginning was Tony. He got some new swim trunks for the occasion. I picked them out. They are lime green. I'm not sure he cared for the color, but I sure like it. Unfortunately, you can't seem them in the pictures. LOL!

The scenery was amazing. It is really pretty up there. Gracie was spotting all sorts of bird nests. We came across some ducks, which are fun to watch as the boat gets close. They dive under the water, and you don't see them again for a while. The picture here does not do the scene justice, but here is Gracie, Kim & Julene in the bow of the boat.

For some reason, TJ was hanging out in the back, by himself. So, here he & I are. Towards the end of the ride, we were sticking our hands in the spray off the side of the boat. He thought that was pretty fun. After we couldn't reach the spray, he would turn and rub it all over my face, laughing his head off. Silly boy.

Gracie asked every time we slowed down, if they could get into the water and swim. I think I have a couple of fish kids. The water was cold, but it didn't seem to bother them much....well, TJ was pretty dang cold. He stayed close to the boat.


Gracie and TJ really wanted me to take a video of them. So here it is. Gracie jumping off, and TJ swimming. Enjoy!

For a portion of our cruise, I was the captain. It went pretty well. I'm still trying to get used to how it handles turns and such. I hit one wave, that slammed us down pretty hard. The boat seems to have gotten through my abuse, however. Hey, I'm learning.....slow down when hitting large waves head on!

Tony was taking pictures at this point. So here is TJ, again in the back. And the lovely wake. The water was a beautiful green color, and so clear. You may have noticed in the pictures of the kids, how well you can see their legs. When I got in the water, I was amazed at how well I could see the bottom of the boat. It was amazingly clear water.

And here is the bow crew again. Look at that view! Kim was giving us a geological tour/lesson on the way to the gorge. I'm not sure if he was still pointing things out here, but he had some interesting points on the way up. It's amazing the history that is in that canyon.

Here I am again.....laughing at Tony. I don't remember why...but hey.

Before we finished for the day, we headed over to the dam, and bridge. Here are a few shots with the bridge in the background. There was a big bird's nest on the top of the arch.....which is what Julene is pointing at. Do you love her neon yellow cast? If only it was orange, then we wouldn't have had to have a flag...just hold her arm up! (She said it, not me)

While we were in a wide open point, Tony attempted the knee board and wake board. I really don't have a clue what I'm doing so I wasn't very good at trying to pull him up. He's never tried to wake board, and it's been a long time since he knee boarded, so he never got all the way up, but he got close. When he first got out there, and I was throwing him the rope, TJ asked him, "Dad, if you die...who gets all your stuff?" We all got a good laugh out of that. To be fair, he wasn't being mean....a few days before, we had taken the boat to Sandwash Reservoir, and our friend was out trying the wake board. He said if he died Tony could have all his stuff. So TJ thought that was pretty funny and applied it to Tony's attempt.

Perhaps next time, I'll try the knee board. I unfortunately have ZERO experience in the water sports area. So, it should be a hilarious event. Okay, actually, I have been on a tube, and tried ski's once in Lake Powell, but never made it up. They say anybody can knee board. I won't be surprised if I can prove them wrong!!!

The Boat

Tony & I have been discussing getting a boat for quite a few years. But, we always had something else to work on first. Well, we are planning to go to Lake Powell in August with some others, and we decided it was time. We've gone to the boat show for probably the last 4 years, and we knew what we wanted. The hardest decision was do we want a ski or ski/fish. Ski won! Who wants fish guts in their boat? EWWWW! So, after some discussion about motors and lengths and such....here she is....the "Gracie Loo...and TJ too", and the truck.
And here is the happy owner..Tony! He was loving it. We took it up to Strawberry Reservoir the night we got it, and cruised around for an hour or so. He was so excited. Doesn't he just look so good behind that wheel?

The kids first and foremost, had to sit in the front. No airbags here...front seat is allowed!!! What a view they had.

Okay, this shot isn't great, because the sun was getting low, but you get the silhouette and you can see the wake. What a beautiful wake huh?!? lol

Thumbs up for this boat. Tony was a pro in no time. I think he could drive anything after a couple seconds of trying. And I mean SECONDS!



Here is Gracie and Arrow. Arrow was a pain in the behind, but he was funny to watch. He of course loved the wind in his face, but his beard is so long, it kept blowing back in his eyes. Dang hair!

And TJ too! Co-captain at this point. Look at me mom!

Holy Cow...a picture of me. Not that it's that impressive, but there is proof I was on that boat, with the wind in my hair!

So, about the boat....It's a Reinell 220 LSE. That's about all I know. Ha! It has the tower for all the fun toys. And we got few fun toys. They were out of tubes however, so we still have to get one of those. We have 4-5 lakes/reservoirs within 10-30 minutes of us, so we plan to take it out quite a bit after work.
Next come operating lessons for me. Keep your fingers crossed.

Baptism

Saturday was Gracie's Baptism. It was a nice day. She was excited. She kept asking all morning if it was time to go. Her Great Grandpa Baptized her. Here she is in her white jumpsuit, ready to go.

And here we all are.

After she was ready, we headed back to the Chapel. There were 3 wards doing baptisms at the same time that day...so we all had different rooms to use. Our neighbor, and 2nd counselor, Jared conducted the Baptism. There was one other girl in our ward, who was also being Baptized Saturday. We sang a song called "When I am baptized". And then a lady gave a talk about Baptism. Then we were off to the font. Here is Great Grandpa helping Gracie into the font. (I wasn't sure if I was allowed to take pictures, but the other mom did...so I figured it was okay.)

And here they are just about to start the prayer.

Quick as could be she was put under and brought back up. She was all smiles....and all wet! We quickly got her changed into a new dress for the occasion. Isn't she pretty?

Then we went back to the Chapel for another talk about the Holy Ghost. I should mention that during both talks, they kept asking the girls questions about being Baptized and receiving the Holy Ghost....Gracie was always ready to answer. Everybody mentioned how impressed they were with her knowledge. So, after the talk, the confirmations were performed. Great Grandpa also confirmed her. Then we sang a closing song called "Scripture Power".

Afterward, we went home for a BBQ and some visiting and playing. The Wii was a hit. I had rented Mario Kart the day before. It's pretty fun. See how hard they are concentrating?

Another thing worthy of mention, was that my BFF, Francine, came out for the Baptism. I haven't seen her in so long, it's disgusting. It was so fun to see her and her 2 kids, Emily & Sam. They are both adorable. This was the first time I have seen Sam. How sad is that? But he must have know that I was like his 2nd mom, cause he took right to me. So did Emily. So, here we are.....

Gracie wanted a picture with Francine as well.

And here is Francine with her kids and Gracie behind them.

We had a great time with all who came. Thanks to EVERYONE for helping with the BBQ. It was so Yummy! My neighbors were SO impressed. They said now that they know we are eating such great food when family is over....they'll have to drop by more often. lol