Milestones and Fun

We've had a great week! It has been very full of doing and accomplishing for our kids. It's one of those weeks that brings into perspective for me just how big (and little at the same time) my kids are.
On Tuesday we started potty training Kate and she has done awesome!!! So proud of her. Only a handful of accidents total. Hooray! And I'm so grateful that she has been easier so far than Isaac was. Guess that's a girl thing, huh? Not going to call her "trained" yet, but well on our way.
Yesterday Isaac started riding his bike without training wheels. He is a fairly cautious kid so I was interested to see him ride just until he felt a little out of control then stop himself. Steve feels like Isaac's approach is similar to his own when he was learning to ride. Isaac has been pretty brave when he has crashed, even when he plowed into a thistle in the field next to our place.
Steve and I are people that very much like a certain amount of control, especially with regards to our children, so these milestones are milestones for us too. It always stretches me a little to have to let go and let my kids take charge of themselves in certain areas, but they have done great. So proud of them.
Today we went to the Homestead for some Pioneer Day activities. Very hands on activities that were great for the kids. Taffy pulling. Ice cream making (in ziploc baggies). A petting zoo. Lunch down the road at the timpfreeze (thanks for the tip Lloyd family. It was good!)

Wild Things

Would you believe this is the closest known relative of the elephant. (So said the sign)

A little lunch break.

Lovin' those statues.

Bring on the sun, baby!

Looking at the baby elephant.The scale said our family
(all together, mind you) weighed as much as a newborn elephant.)

We surprised the kids with a trip to the zoo. We told them we were going someplace for a picnic and away we went to the zoo. It's not often that we can do things like that.

It was our best trip to the zoo. Meaning, it didn't rain and the kids were really into it. Plus, we stayed there longer than the other times we've gone.

Kate's favorites: the monkeys and the elephants. Quote of the day: "He likes me!" (Said as the chipmunk scurried away :)

Isaac's favorite: the train ride, and all the animals. Isaac was a little concerned about the animated dinosaurs, but assured Kate that they wouldn't eat her. They were a little scary, and enormous to a five-year-old.

Andrew was a champ. He was so happy! People kept smiling at him and he would smile back.

Other things we've been up to:
- Steve painted and organized our garage! What a project, but oh so nice to have done.
- Finished up T-ball.
- Andrew turned 5 months old, learned to roll over (July 1), and got 2 big teeth, finally. All these within a week's time.
- We have been enjoying Kate's renditions of various Disney songs, including "Mother Knows Best" from Tangled. This is laugh your head off stuff, if you can listen in without her catching you.

Fun times!

We've been up to lots of fun stuff in the last month or so. T-Ball, Family Vacation, planting flowers, Independence day stuff! It almost makes me tired just thinking of going, going, going!

Steve's family had a reunion in St. George at the first of June. We saw the tabernacle and splash pools in the park next to it (and got good and soaked), swam, "hiked" Zions, had fabulous food(!!!), and visited with family. I was really sad to come home - I felt like I could've kept going like that for days and days!

We had a blast with the Newbold clan on the fourth of July. We went to the parade, swam, BBQ'd, and watched "Fi-ver-werks." (The pronunciation courtesy of Kate.)

I am so grateful for good times with family! Hope your summer is filled with these times, too.