Memorial Day 2012- I yuv it

On Memorial Day (and other days) my parents pay to have a flag put up in their front yard. Fox thought that the flag blowing in the wind had to be the best game that anyone had come up with. He would chase after it, giggling, with arms outstretched as the wind whipped it out of his reach.

Occasionally he would catch it and hold on to it. 

Not knowing if this was unpatriotic or irreverent or something, I would ask him to let go.

To which he would reply by hugging it tight to his body and saying, "I yuv it."

I figured you can't get more patriotic then that so I would let him do it.

Until he got bored and would let go to chase it again.

 You gotta love the look of pure joy :)

btw- I did 3 more "Utah" post below. Check em out...if you want. If not, that's cool. 

And there are more to come...later.

Grandma Wendy's house

My Grammy Pugh has always been the best at keeping photo albums. She has a small bookcase full of pictures from when we were little. One day I was looking at them and got inspired to take more pictures. I loved to see the backgrounds in these old pictures, and remember how things use to look, to see the awesome close and hairstyles we had, and to remember everyone together. So I decided to take some random pictures that may help my kids remember stuff. So here are random pictures of Grandma Wendy's house.

 Honestly, I don't know what my Dad is doing in this picture. But I'm not going to lie, it makes me erupt in to little fits of laughter every time I see it. I love it. (Emma is taking the picture, btw, that's why it's angled up) 

 Me and my Mama

Dinosaur Museum!

You know what I like? I like it when some one works someplace and can get me stuff for cheap or free. That's the best. Well, luckily Sophie is the coolest sister-in-law in the world, and she works at Thanksgiving Point and could get us into stuff for 1/2 price! It was brilliant! So we spent a few days at Thanksgiving Point while on our trip in Utah. On this particular day we went to the Dinosaur Museum. I've been once before on a 1/2 price Tuesday and it was PACKED! This day was much better, and the kids loved interacting with all of the many displays! 

 Mal and Fox going through a cave

 Emma being a dinosaur in a cave. Scary!

 The gang that went- minus Grandma Wendy, Lisa, and myself.

 Emma had "wings" in half the pictures I have of her

 I just like this picture of Sierra. I would try and get the kids to look my way so I could get a few pictures that weren't the back of their heads, it never worked...but Sierra was always good to smile and pose for me. (hehe)

 Nice picture in front of the giant, man-eating shark

 Scary picture in front of the giant, man-eating shark. 

Emma has the best scary face...always has. I wonder if that should make me worried.

Fishing at Utah Lake

The day we arrived in Utah we got a call from Jake and Charlene (Tony's brother and wife) saying they were down from Montana, so our first stop in Utah? Utah lake, course! The kids had a great time catching fish and playing in the stinky duck mud. And it made for some beautiful pictures!

 (Jake kissing the fish)

 (Emma pretending to hold the fish she caught. She didn't want to touch it.)

 (Charlene, our designated snag undo-er)

Grammys Carnival

If my clock is correct it is the wee hours of the morning, a few minutes after 5, and I can not sleep. I don't know if it's these new pills my mom has me on or the anxiety that I feel that soon, once again, my life is going to make a dramatic change, but my mind refuses to sleep. Besides, my spot in my bed as been over taken by a beautiful, dark blonde, little lady who has been woken up by nightmares.

 Even though it is still dark the birds are chirping and I can hear the constant flow of water from the ditch that is outside. It is beautiful. And even with anxiety and nervousness, I can't help but think how wonderful life is and how ridiculously happy I am.

 Today is Grammy Pughs carnival. I have helped put on this carnival since I was in my early adolescence, if not earlier, and it had happen a few times before that. We have missed a few years here and there, but as I try to think of an accurate number of how many times we have done it, the only number that comes to my mind is...a lot. She loves it. The people around her who come love it. My family who runs it has a love/hate relationship with it, but ultimately I think we love it, if not just to see how happy it makes her.

 Every year Grammy buys thousands of prizes, hundreds of drinks, hot dogs, nachos, cotton candy, and popcorn. We get out multiple tablecloths, shower curtains, tables, PVC pipe, games, a giant home maded plinko board, prize wheel, and bean bag toss cut out. We set up large tents, tons of chairs, a small swimming pool for a duck pond, milk bottles, a board with balloons for darts, curtains for a fish pond and countless other things. We scramble to find people to run booths. We read back through the carnival book (yes there is a carnival book) to see tips and suggestions from last year; things that will make the carnival run more smoothly, things that were mistakes, and things that were a success.

 We sit outside and watch as Grammy's yard becomes an infestation of people; kids with sticky, blue cotton candy mouths, grocery bags stuff to the brim with toys, prizes and candy, parents who laugh and talk to one another, extended family who come to support, and loving friends who come to enjoy. They love it. They love her.

 Grammy sits at the head of the carnival, the ticket table, where every person who comes must go. They maul her. Hugs are given, laughter is shared, love is traded, and deep debts of gratitude are expressed. She shines. This is her element. She doesn't hold back. She gives all that she can give. They know it, they accept, and they love her all the more for it. It is beautiful. She is beautiful.

 And even though we, who run it, inwardly moan and complain whenever we realize that the carnival is coming up, we do it, because we know that we are the beams, the scaffolding, that holds this beautiful woman, and her beautiful vision up.

 One day I want to be just like her.

Hop-hop-hoppin'

We are getting excited to go to Utah.

I keep telling my kids, "Are you excited to go see Sierra?"
"Yeah!"
"Are you excited to go see Grandpa Bundy?"
"Yeah!"
And on down the line until everyone gets covered.

Right after one of these times, when I had been asking Fox if he was excited to see everyone, Fox began to jump around. He was hop-hop-hoppin' and then would pause and say, "Mom, I'm Grandpa Bundy!" I thought that was kind of funny, and wondered why Fox thought that Grandpa Bundy jumped around like that. This went on for a few minutes until he turned to me and said, "Mom, I'm Grandpa Bunny...no, now I'm Grandpa Lion."

We've taught the kid his full name. I wonder if he really thinks his Grandpa is a bunny, and that he's named Fox Bunny. We like our animals in our house...

Last day of school party

Emma had her last day of preschool yesterday. So we had a last day of school party with some our friends (even though Liam and the other kids still have 2 weeks of school left). We did an outdoor scavenger hunt, played pictionary with end of school words, and made some twinkie school buses. They are made out of twinkies, mini oreos, starbursts, and black frosting. The first picture is mine, and what I envisioned the school buses looking like. Then the kids took over and made their school buses super awesome with as much frosting and cookies they could fit on to them. ;) 

Liam's "after picture" turned out blurry so this is his in between picture. He looks like Jon to me in this picture. Weird hu? I never thought he had much of the Bundy look in him. But Jon's an attractive guy, I'll take it ;)

Pretty sweet party if you ask me.