Summer Fun

When Danny and I contemplated moving back to Utah from California, we often thought of lazy summer days by the pool.  Well, moving in the middle of November didn't exactly afford us that opportunity at first.  But finally summer arrived!  During the first week of June, Papa opened the pool for the first swim party of 2012!  And a party it was...

Uncle David, Aunt Millie, and Ruby joined us for the afternoon, and the kids had a blast.  Luckily for me, Millie brought her camera and was kind enough to send me a few pics of the afternoon's fun.  Thanks, Millie!

We got these cool water wing vests at Costco this year, and they are fantastic!  Even though they totally stay afloat, Claire and Johnny wouldn't leave the stairs.

Sophie, on the other hand, was a little fish!  Surprised much? :)

This was also Luke's first time at Grandma and Papa's pool, and he was so completely overcome with unmitigated excitement that he fell right asleep.  And stayed that way.  :)

Just a week or so after the inaugural swimming party, we decided to introduce our kids to the joys of running through the sprinklers.  I remember running through the sprinklers almost more than I remember swimming as a kid.  So much fun!  We invited Uncle David, Aunt Millie, and Ruby to join us for a delicious dinner of BBQ Chicken Legs and Mac&Cheese and enjoyed the summer evening.  

On a side note, Sophie and Johnny got sunglasses to match Claire's cool shades she got from Grandma Candy for her birthday.  Our kids' futures are so bright, they have to wear shades... :) 

The kids were skiddish around the water at first, but eventually warmed up to it.  Well, Sophie warmed up to it.  It took a few more sprinkler experiences before Claire and Johnny were very into it.  

I'm pleased to announce that Claire, Sophie, and Johnny are all now sprinkler pros.  :)  Gotta love summer!!

Too Cute For Words

Very Important People From California

During the first part of June, we had a couple of very special visitors.  On Thursday the 7th, we enjoyed a wonderful visit with our dear friends the Davis Family!  My sweet friend Beth, who was one of my closest friends during our time in Lancaster, drove almost an hour out of her way with 4 of her kids, just to see us.  And I suspect to get her hands on our cute Luke!  :)  It was so nice to see them all again, and the kids took off and played like we hadn't been gone at all.  I didn't feel like we'd been gone six months either.  Beth and I were able to sit and visit just like we always did, without much catching up at all.  All thanks for Facebook, I'm sure. :)  Beth was also sweet enough to bring some gifts for Luke and I.  Luke got a rockin' pair of BYU socks from the BYU Bookstore and I got a fun book about motherhood.  A passion both Beth and I share.  Before we knew it, it had been a couple of hours and our visit had to come to an end.  I'm still kicking myself for not getting any pictures.  Thank you Beth, for coming all the way to Utah to visit us! 

The next day, we had our other close friends from Lancaster come and visit.  The Overs were in Logan visiting her family, and they also drove about an hour to come and spend the afternoon with us.  Claire and Sophie waited for weeks to see Lizzy!  Claire went around telling everyone that "a very important person from California was coming to visit".  It took Lizzy a few minutes to warm up to the girls again, and I think that was only because it was so overwhelming to be back together again.  Poor Lizzy has been left without any girlfriends since we left, and has missed our girls desperately.  But, a few minutes and a slice of pizza later, the girls were back at their old antics.

Even the boys played together.  When we moved, Johnny was still making Bryce cry whenever he could.  Little tormentor.  Now, he appreciated having another boy to play with!  Those two are too cute.  Seriously, the dimples almost put it right over the edge!

Before we knew it, four hours had passed.  Danny and I LOVED just sitting and visiting with Jon and Andrea, and again it seemed like we had never left.  Well, there was the matter that both of our families had expanded since we'd seen each other.  Mason joined their family just two months after we left, and he is as cute as ever!  And Andrea was anxious to meet Luke.  The two of us had so much fun holding each other's babies.

But alas, the time came to say goodbye...for now.  We had to snag a picture of the kids together (minus Mason and Luke) before they left.

These girls are such good friends.  Hopefully, they can stay that way for years to come.

It took Johnny a bit to realize that they were leaving.  Once he did, he wasn't okay with it at all!  So, he figured he'd make Bryce stay.

But when that failed, he went with the man hug.  :)

It was sad to see them go, but we're comforted in knowing that Andrea's family will always be in Logan, which isn't far away at all.  And we have our plans to be back in Cali next summer, and one of our stops will for sure be the Over's.  Seeing the Davis and Over families made us realize again how immensely blessed we were during our brief stay there in the Mojave Desert.  We truly made friends that have become family to us.  

Luke's Church Debut

There are few things I love more than my handsome baby boy in a sweater vest!  Luke did great on his first Sunday, and was nothing short of a major distraction during Relief Society.  That's my boy... :)

Everybody Loves Luke

During the first couple of weeks of Luke's life, he had a lot of people to meet.  Grandpas, Great Grandmas, Uncles and Aunts...you name it.  Here are a few pictures:

Grandpa Richard and Grandma Ruth Ann came to visit on Memorial Day.  Grandpa Richard was excited about another big boy to play BYU Football someday!  They were also here to wish Claire a Happy Birthday.  We snagged a quick picture of the kids with these grandparents, but Johnny wasn't in a cooperating mood.  

Aunt Katie was particularly fond of little Luke during those first few weeks.  There was quite a bit of snuggling going on!

On Memorial Day, we also went to visit Great Grandma Call.  She was staying at Legacy Rehabilitation Center for a little bit after a nasty fall.  She was excited to meet this newest great grandchild.  She thought he looked just like his Daddy...ridiculously cute!

Aunt Jessie had a cold during the time that we were at the hospital, and so decided against coming to visit while we were there.  We appreciated that, though we missed getting to introduce Luke to her and Uncle Devin.  We got the chance during Claire's birthday party, though!  Aunt Jessie loved holding Luke.  I think she's just about ready to hold her own little girl come October!

So many of our family and friends were excited to meet Luke, and unfortunately I didn't get a picture of everyone.  But it's safe to say...Everybody Loves Luke. :)