Take me out to the ball game!

Grandma Chantry took us to an Ogden Raptors (minor league) baseball game. The tickets were free so we knew we wouldn't have to feel guilty if the kids hated it and we had to leave after one inning, so we thought it was worth a try. However the kids loved it. We got there a little early, got some good seats and then waited as we sweated in the hot sun. When we found out the game was delayed a half hour we splurged on snow cones. Yum! They were delicious and kept us nice and cool too!




The game started and the kids were so excited. Once we showed Nathan how to keep track of the strike and ball count by looking at the score board he kept us all on track. He was so interested. The innings went pretty fast and we got to see a home run, some great base running and some fun pitching too. The kids got really into it and would chant and cheer. Liz loved the upbeat music they played between innings. It was just fun to watch how excited they were.

The boys went down by the fence to see better. A lot of kids enjoyed sitting there. I thinkt hey were hoping for a foul ball.

Well, when nine o'clock rolled around and the fourth inning ended with the Raptors ahead by one Liz said, "Let's leave now and I can leave happy." We had a very tired Megan, so we agreed. It was a great night.

P.S. The Raptors ended up winning 11-4.

Stake Pioneer Day Celebration

Today was our Stake Pioneer day celebration, and it was wonderful! There was a flag ceremony, a bag pipe solo of "Come, Come Ye Saints", the Primary children sang two Primary songs and the Stake President shared a message. There was a real strong spirit there. Then we had the Children's parade. The parade had each ward's primary marching in a group. IT was a couple times around the stake center and was perfect.

The Primary singing "To be a Pinoeer" and "Pioneer Children Sang as they walked"

Mike, Liz and Nathan marching with friends

Mike's favorite part. When he saw this pull into the parking lot before the festivities he was jumping up and down with a huge grin! Then he was even more excited when it joined the parade.

ME marching with Megan and another cute girl in our Primary

After the parade came the highlight of the morning. The fire fighters watered the lawn with the truck and any kid, big or small, who wanted to could get wet.

Michael wasn't so sure about getting wet, so he and dad were on teh outskirts of the water. He got pretty wet still, but enjoyed watching the Pumper Truck spray water.

Nathan ran right through it all. After only a few minutes the water was inches thick on teh lawn and all of the kids were having a BLAST!

Liz liked the rainbow . . .

And preferred the popsicles

Megan enjoyed her popsicle too.

All of us in front of the fire engine

Mike with dad and a fire fighter. He was so happy!

Beat the heat

Well, summer is finally here. It is acting like July and it is getting hotter and hotter. The kids love to slip and slide and it is a great way to beat the heat. It is easy to set up, the kids get nice and wet and it is easy to clean up after too. Here are some fun pictures of the kids playing.

Megan loves the water! She skips down the slide and plops into the pool at the end.

It is so cute.

Nathan is our most tradtional slider, going on his stomach, head first into the pool!

Michael is a little hesitant, walking down the slide, then going to his knees into the pool. He stays cool though.

Liz wants to slide on her stomach, but is always too nervous to actually do it. She has the knee-sliding down though.

This is MEgan showing us the slip part of Slip'N'Slide

Nathan shows us how it is done!
Michael getting wet!

Liz knew I was taking pcitures so she put on a show. Ta Da! (but she still was careful not to get her face wet.)

Microwave Popcorn

I LOVE popcorn! It is a great snack, and pretty good for you (until you add lots of butter and salt, or tons of caramel topping, but we won't worry about that right now.) Anyway, I have a hot air popper, but somehow lost the little measuring cup/lid that goes on top, so it is a bit of a pain to use lately. I also like the light oil flavor of the popcorn popped in a pan, but popping popcorn that way is a pain.

Solution: My sister has this cool microwave popcorn popper thing and we tried it out on our visit. You simply add kernels, a little oil and put on the loose fitting lid. In just a couple of minutes . . . delicious popcorn. Note: We had something like this when we first got married, but you needed to by replacement 'Discs" to set in the bottom so that the thing would work. I hate stuff like that that needs replacement parts constantly, hence the current hot air popper that we own.

Anyway, I haven't gotten around to getting the cool bowl my sister has so the other day I googled "pop popcorn in the microwave." and this is the link I found.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Microwave-Popcorn:-Home-made,-cheap-and-easy/

I have tried it lots and I am hooked. It is so easy and so cheap and I don't even feel ripped off if not all of the kernels in the bag pop because normal kernels are so incredibly cheap. I have also heard a few times that chemicals in microwave popcorn bags have been linked to cancer. Whether or not this is true I do like that with this method I know exactly what I am eating when I eat my microwave popcorn. Try it and enjoy!

Swimming

Nathan's birthday falls right with the 4th of July every year (go figure!), and so every year we get to celebrate up with Grandma and Grandpa Chantry, which is great because for his birthday this year he wanted to spend the whole day in the pool. Well, the weather wasn't fit for an ENTIRE day in the pool, but we made it in the pool twice on Friday and once on Saturday. It sure was fun. It was even more exciting when Uncle Jason and Tandi brought him a great Pirate ship. What a great couple of days!

Nathan with his goggles and snorkel. By the end of the weekend he would put on the mask and stick his face under the water.

Michael is still a little unsure around the pool, but spent more time in the water in the last two days than he did all last summer combined.

Megan has turned into a little fish. She must be taking after her Aunti Michelle. IS there something about the name?

Liz is pretty independent in the water, though she still loves her water wings, and she doesn't like going uner.

The kids LOVE playing with dad in the water.

Nathan floating around.

Liz practices her kicking.

Michael alone in the water. He was kicking towards the stairs. This is challenging for him, but he is learning that he can do it.

Megan loved kicking around on her own. She is getting more stable and goes all over the pool. She said, "I am a fish."

Here the kids are on the pirate boat. They could pretend to steer, wave the swoard and shoot water from the "cannon". They had a blast. Dad and Jason made huge waves and Jason couldn't help but talk like a pirate. It was so fun to watch and really made Nathan's birthday so cool!

My Nathan

I can't believe that my little boy is seven! From the moment we decided to have a baby I knew Nathan would be a boy, and I am so grateful for the wonderful boy that he is. He never ceases to amaze me! Here he is on his blessing day. He was about 2 1/2 weeks old. He is so handsome!

Here are a few things I love about Nathan:
- He is eager and active about life. He loves to play outside and run and learn to do new things. HE got a basketball and baseball glove this eyar and is eager to improve his sports skills. HE tries so hard at whatever he does!
- Nathan loves to read. He devours books in huge numbers, and reads them over and over again.
-Nathan loves to solve problems. HE likes to play with puzzles, play
- Nathan loves the scriptures. He believes what mom and dad tell him, but when we have a scripture to back things up it is amazing what it does for Nathan. He wants to do what is right and is such a good boy.

Nathan can't wait to be eight, to be baptized and become a Cub Scout, but we are going to help him have a great year of being seven.