So obviously I'm way behind... I realized that I haven't posted anything since July about anything we have actually been doing other than moving! So I'm going to try and throw it all together... When I finally downloaded the pictures from my camera, I noticed they started back on the 24th of July. So I guess that's as good a place as any to start. We woke up and I turned on the parade. One of these days when my kids are a little bigger I would actually like to go. I have always just thought it would be fun! We decided to take the kids up to This is the Place Park.
It was ridiculously HOT but all in all it was a fun time. I think the kids all enjoyed getting to do something we don't normally. We rode in a covered wagon, the kids tried walking on stilts, and they had a pony ride (which Ben and Ella enjoyed- Grace and Felicity, not so much!)
We spent a lot of the end of July and first of August in our backyard playing. We set up the water slide and the pool and enjoyed cooling down! Ashlee, her boys, and my mom stopped on their way to Arizona. Heather and Ethan came up from Pleasant Grove to join the fun! We had a great time spending time together. (Also, at this point I must thank everyone for all the last minute cleaning and putting up with being out of the house for hours on end!!)
This picture is classic Ben. Always dressed up in some garb! I think the goggles really helped on the slide and the wet sweatshirt helped keep him warm! I think this must be some mutation of my dad when he was little. Grandma Betty has told stories of my dad always being dressed for the occasion.
Ben decided to become a daredevil! One day I was told to come and see what Ben was doing! Ask me if I had a heart attack seeing my little boy standing on the seat of his bike riding down the road! Let me just say a mixture of Robert and Myself is a dangerous combo! And we wonder why our kids are like they are!!!
We had a first day of school... Ben was trying to act unexcited! Ella could hardly wait to get out of the door!
Just before the move, Stephen called to see if Robert and Ben wanted to go on a jeep ride! They went up to this lake(I have no idea of the name....I think it's up some trail in American Fork Canyon). They all really enjoyed themselves.
And then the move... thus, another first day of school. The kids are on a traditional schedule here. They seem to be really enjoying school and I am enjoying the time to spend with just Grace and Felicity.
The highlight of living where we do is that the kids get to ride the school bus. They are really enjoying this too. The other morning I was late getting Ella's hair done and they missed the bus. They were upset that Robert had to take them to school. Go Figure!
The little girls love the freedom of wandering out here. There is really not much in the way of traffic so they can roam freely. Though, the freedom often means it could take hours to get back to the house. 
Ella has lost her first tooth. She is so very proud. It has now been a month and her permanent tooth is growing in and she still acts like it happened yesterday. She will be very excited to know that I have posted the picture.
Grace and Felicity are longing to be big girls... They get upset when we drop Ella off for dance because they want to go to. Grandma is the hero at our house because she has gotten them dance leotards and tights...Just like Ella's. I have to be careful to hide them because they would wear them all day, every day if I would let them. I do let them get into them often and they spend hours dancing around by themselves and with each other. 
!What a great thing to have a built in play mate!
And lastly, for this post.... Every Labor Day weekend, there is a kids rodeo here. The kids have participated in the past and one year we almost had to bring the 2 chickens they caught to live in our backyard. (I wonder if the city had an ordinance....If not, I'm sure the neighbors would have insisted on one!) Anyway, we learned that Ben was too big to do mutton busting and if he wanted to enter he would have to ride a cow! I was surprised ...I actually asked if they had a city kid clause. Anyway, he got on and rode it... for the whole 8 seconds. There were at least 20 kids who tried and only 4 managed to stay on. Ben ended up in 3rd place!!! I'm still working on figuring out how to get the video on but I have promised Ben that I would and so there will be more to come on that!!!!
I guess that city slickers have some cowboy in them too!!!
