24th of July

Blake's first 24th of July! We went to I-Hop and then swimming! The Burrs, Longs, Childs, Jason & Sammy and Chelsey Rice were all there! Johnny made a zip-line and everyone loved it! Then he made a smaller one for the kids! We headed home and Grant napped and Josh worked on the bed! Megan came over to play with the boys! Blake was super tired because he did not nap well at the Reese's!! We got the boys in bed and Josh made a Wendy's run for the 2 of us! Then we slept through our rented movie!!

Allowance

We have spent the last 3 days pricing out frogs and bowls! Actually, Josh has been the main one! Different pet stores say different things, so we had to find the truth! Our findings: you can get African frogs and Beta fish without a filtration system! So Trent bought 2 frogs, food and a net with his allowance. We bought a bowl and Grant got a fish! Due to Grant's Deseret Book stickers he bought for $2.60, he owes us a little for his fish!

Trent named his frogs Oreo and Black-A. He changed them to Oreo and Trent! Grant named the fish Pabby, then Bob, then Fish! Driving in the car yesterday, he said, "Mom, I can't wait to see if Uncle Billy is at our house when we get home!" I said, "Oh, buddy, remember Uncle Billy was staying in the back house with Uncle Johnny! He flew home!" Grant smiled big, "Uncle Billy is my fish mom!" Well, sad to say, Uncle Billy was dead this morning! So Josh took him to the pet store and bought Bob Reese! By the time they got home he had changed his name to Crayon!

The morning after we got them Trent reported that the frogs snoring woke him up! I was cracking up! Come to find out from a neighbor with the same frogs, they do make a funny noise at night! I am going to sleep with them one night on my night stand so I can hear! Last night I was putting the boys to bed at 10:30 and I thought I heard the frogs! (It was actually distant fireworks!) Trent said, "No mom, you don't hear them yet, they don't go to bed until 10:00." He saw their eyes slowly close the other night as they went to sleep! So he said!

Sharing a soda

Grant bought some straws with his allowance! The boys were thirsty after swimming and decided to share a soda!
They started blowing and were thrilled with the result!!

Uncle Johnny was not impressed by the sticky mess; but, I would never leave a sticky mess!! So we washed it down with buckets of water!!

The Candy Shop

Our neighbors, the Ercanbracks, have 5 girls and a candy shop! The boys love it!! They call it the candy shop house! Even if the sign is not out, you can knock from 9 to 9! Storey and Quincy were running it today!!

Look Who's Walking

Three and half days ago Blake started to walk with a ball in each hand! I honestly believe the balls gave him confidence! He started doing short distances! Each day it was more and more walking and less crawling! WE ARE LOVING IT!!! It is so much fun!! He gets so excited and proud of himself!!

Becker Business

Trent picked up a hair off the carpet and handed it to me, "Here mom, you can put it back in!"

Our neighbor Michele Beeston told us her 16 yr. old son loves his little old white truck except for the Mexican seat covers! It was Joe’s truck in high school! We parked by Tanner’s truck at church on Sunday and Trent said, “Mom that truck is perfect for Tanner. It is so great except for the Chinese seat covers!”

The boys always take Blake’s silky “slip” and put it on their heads and say, “I’m in my bridal clothes!” They love to put towels around them, or bags on their heads, or shirts on their heads and say, “I’m a lady!”

If Josh or Trent burp, Blake cracks up! Then for the next 3 minutes he imitates the burping sound and laughs!

Blake has started dancing with his head and shoulders! We love it and he knows it is funny!

Vern was reading Grant one of Trent’s phonic books. The book says that Joe Mole was in his bed reading when Rick Rat came over. Before Vern read that part, Grant told him Joe Mole was reading scriptures in his bed!

Blake got a little piece of toilet paper off the roll, wiped the top of the toilet lid a few times and reached over to throw it in the garbage! I cracked up!! He spends too much time with me!!

Vern was telling Josh that he thought Jocelyn (Josh’s sister) should put glaze over the paint in the kitchen! Trent looked over at me and said, “Oh, the color of doughnuts!”

I heard Grant with some neighbor kids; he said “What team?” And the kids yelled “Wild cats!” They did it a couple of times! I was laughing and Trent smiled at me and said it was from High School Musical!

Vern (Josh’s dad) has been staying with us for a week! Grant is over tired and very bossy lately! When he wants something he says, “I need a mom, a dad or a Grandpa to get it for me right now!”

Josh helped Jocelyn get a house in American Fork for a great price! It is awesome! They are doing all kinds of work on it! We have helped a bit and Vern is helping too!! It is going to be beautiful!! Josh goes to Daryl’s in the morning to make sure that basement is finished!! Hopefully Jackie’s basement will be wrapped up here soon too!!

Mortgage Company Party

Josh had a summer work party up Ogden Canyon at Pine View Lake! We left Thursday evening July 9. Josh set up the tent and play yard when we got there! The kids were very excited so they had a hard time going to bed! Lying in the tent Trent said, “Why aren’t there any balloons at Dad’s work party?”

It was freezing!! I thought Blake would freeze in the play yard so I took Brandi up on her offer! Blake and I slept on Brandi’s couch in her trailer! He slept the whole night in 15 minute increments! Friday on the boat he could not get a lengthy nap either! For his sake and mine I think we are done camping for the summer! When Grant woke up he said, "Dad thanks for bringing us to your work party. We need to go to the cabin. We don't go enough!"

We saw Joey Sexton by the dock on a wave runner! Nice surprise! He and his boys came on the boat for a bit!! Erin made everyone a very nice lunch! Josh took Blake into Brandi’s trailer to nap and talked with Andy for hours!! I thought they were both asleep! I wanted to surprise Josh and took down camp! Although first I cleaned out the tent with a wet towel to get the sand from Powell that was still in there!!

The outhouse had the typical male female symbols on the doors! The women with the skirt and legs together. I took Trent to the bathroom and he looked at the door and said, “Mom I think this one is for ballerinas but that’s ok, we can still go in!”

Becker Business

My friend Courtney’s dad was attacked by 2 Rottweilers while trying to find a fishing spot in Circleville! We were with her when she received the call and took off to the hospital!! The next day at swimming lessons I was talking to Jenette (who had Courtney’s kids for the night) asking about her dad! As we drove away Trent said, “Mom you really care about people a lot!” I responded with the “people are the most important thing; Jesus wants us to love one another and help each other.” He said, “Grandma Gayle and Grandpa John really care about people too!” I asked, “How do you know that?” Trent “They taught you.”
Meanwhile, Grant had determined, “If Grandpa John was attacked by dogs we would fly to him and give him a present even though it’s not his birthday!” Trent’s response, “Grant I don’t think Grandpa will be attacked!”

Driving to the Dentist today for Trent’s appointment, Grant said, “Mommy will you ask Nick Groneman if 2 brothers go to the Dentist and only 1 sits in the chair will they both get a prize?” Nick was Trent’s soccer coach this past season! Grant usually refers to him as Nick Groneman or Dr. Groneman! Nick’s answer was a resounding “BOTH get prizes!”

I set Blake on the desktop by the computer! He was messing with the phone and got a recording! He held the phone in front of him and in a sweet voice started to talk back! I was cracking up!!

Grant was dancing for Blake while Trent got his cavity filled and Blake loved it! I was worried his laugh was so boisterous that Nick wouldn’t be able to concentrate! And by the way, Trent told me this afternoon that he really did enjoy getting his filling - - it was a “fun” experience!! Yes – anyone who wants Nick’s number I would be glad to hand it out!!

When Blake sees Josh he says, “DaDa” and smiles and laughs!!

I was doing an exercise video the other day and I was on my back! I had to put one leg in the air! I looked over next to me and Blake was flat on his back trying to put one leg in the air!! I could not believe it!! First of all he never lays flat on his back - - secondly he was laughing!!!!

Blake points and we love it!! He also put my cell phone to his ear!! Sweet thing also has had a fever for 3 days and I don’t know if its teeth or ears! He is getting at least 3 teeth on the top and possibly 2 more than that! I heard him grind the top teeth with the bottom the other day!!

4th of July

We drove to the cabin Thursday July 2 and Blake threw up in his car seat pretty consistently for about 20 minutes! It was heartbreaking!! Then Grant turned on the fireplace to warm up! After a bit turned it off and touched it with the back of his hand! We kept it in cold water for hours! The next day we saw the burn was pretty bad in one spot, ring finger, a little better on the pinky finger and just red burn all around in a big U shape! I think the water helped because he handled it very well!! Friday we let the roofer in then took off to swim in Park City with the Burrs!

That evening we went to the Oakley Rodeo which was a Blast!! It is a fun tradition my family has for the 4th! My boys could not believe Johnny was dressed as cowboy! They loved it!! I took Trent to the bathroom and we snuck under the bleachers to grab ankles! I used all my strength to lift him up over my head to get Josh! It was so much fun!! I got Paul and Grant! When Trent tried to get Johnny, he said, “Mom it won’t work, he has cowboy boots on!” I had to explain to Grant that it was me underneath who touched him!! At one point Grant slipped off the bench and Paul grabbed him! Scared us BAD!! Bleachers were not constructed for children! When the announcer wanted all the people from California to yell, Trent really wished Dominique was there to yell! Josh wanted a BIG drink from the gas station and I knew I wanted some and the boys would too, so I got . . .

Saturday July 4th
Josh’s family won the grand prize in the Children’s Parade on June 27! That meant we got to march in the 4th of July Freedom Parade in Provo! It was very fun! The boys rode their scooters and Josh pushed Blake! I could not bring myself to wave because I felt silly! We had a little rain and then lots of sun!! We hopped out of the parade by Evelyn so the boys could watch the rest!

After the parade we had a BBQ at the Stanton’s house! Grandpa Verne came by to drop off some outfits to the kids!

In Grandma Stanton's front room wanting to put their new clothes on!

Holidays are so hard for babies!!

We went to visit Grandma Laura and Josh bought her fish tacos from Betos! After that we swam with my sister’s for a couple hours! Josh ran to get Café Rio, Jill had Blake, and I could not get out of the pool! It felt so good to swim!! Grant and Blake fell asleep on the way home! Josh went to the basement to watch a little TV and Trent and I tried to do some sparklers! They were from the night with the Simmons and they were not working! (they had been rained on) The Condie’s pulled up at 9:45pm and wanted to take Trent to Thanksgiving Point Fireworks! He first said yes then quickly said no and told me, “It is a holiday and I feel like I want to be with the family on holidays!”

Quotes from Powell

I forgot two things I wanted to record from Powell! We had to get our boat checked at the Zebra Mussel Station! We were cleared quickly but I asked Josh, "If people launch without being checked and they're supposed to be checked, do you think they'll send the little police sheriff guy out to get them? Is it possible they are that organized?" Trent replied, "Mom is the police sheriff guy a midget?"

Braken Anderson came with the Burrs. Because of having 2 Braken's, the Burrs call him BA! So Trent said to me, "Mom that boy you call AB, I want him to come on our boat!"

One last thing - a Semi-truck pretty much ran us off the road! It was scary and infuriating! I called 911, told them it was not an emergency, and asked to be patched through to the Price Sheriff Department. Grant slept through most of this, us giving details of where we were, where he was headed etc. We were ticked!! Grant woke up and calmly said, "I am so glad we called 911!"