The Random Continues

 These are more of the random pictures that I'm just unloading off our phones etc. beginning with this not so great picture of Grant riding Andrea's sheep at the Box Elder County Fair. We've made it a tradition the last few years to go to the Box Elder and Cache County fairs.

 This was one of the city's displays. I thought it was a clever idea.

 Another tradition is going to Cherry Hill with my family on Labor Day. For some reason we feel it necessary to try to take all the kids miniature golfing together in an effort to test our patience and the patience of everyone around us. Someday, we will all be able to go out in public as adults and not embarrass ourselves, and we will probably long for these days that seemed so chaotic in our lives. This was the first year that I truly felt like there was no one who even attempted to keep score. We were all just on a mission to finish without losing any of the children.

 With Josh's company, we had the chance to go to Rocky Mountain Raceway and do some drag racing. I'll admit that I was terrified to begin with... until I got in the car and realized that it was just driving-only faster. Josh and I raced three times and I (ahem) beat him twice. Then they had everyone race each other, and Josh and I both got eliminated the first round. What can I say? We are just both such cautious drivers, that it's hard to be so reckless. :) (Right... That's why.)

 The best part was just getting to be the two of us again, and not being parents for a little while. Every time Josh and I go on a date (if that's what we are calling work parties these days), I think to myself, "Oh yeah. I do like you."

 Just a random day at the park that my kids were acting especially cute.

 The older Grant gets, the more he steals my heart. Meili and I were talking one day, and she struggles with the idea of marriage. For about a year, she was convinced that she was going to marry Shasta in the temple. So we talked about all the reasons that that can't happen. So then just lately she asked if she could marry Grant, and I said, "No. You can't marry Grant, because he's your brother." And then I added, "And besides, if anyone in this family is marrying Grant, it's me." Yeah, someday, he'll think that story is totally gross. But I'm telling you, right now, he'd go for it.

 Yes. I'll admit it. Life is not bad with these two.

 This may only be hilarious to me. But Meili made a little strip of paper for each person in our family, and drew pictures of all the things that each of us love. This little scene, was part of Josh's strip. Yes, that is Meili, smiling, sitting behind Josh, while he's laying down, watching TV. Yep, that is life through Meili's eyes. (And her depiction is uncanny.)

 Grant got in to some of my lipstick. Let me tell you: that stuff was Perm.A.Nent.

 Another event Josh was privy to because of his work... A car dealership was hosting a hoopla to show off their new location. So Meili got her face painted, played on some bounce houses, we ate some hot dogs, ice cream, and popcorn...

 Josh won a $50 gift card in a pie eating contest. I'll say Way to Go for him, but for me? No thank you.

 Just a random picture of Meili that shows her beautiful face.

 More pictures from mini-golf.

The End of Summer

 These are just all the rest of the pictures that I have from the summer-mostly random stuff. First, I had to get a picture of Grant participating in his very favorite activity in the world. What is it with kids and water? Grant especially likes a sink full of dishes. Splash pad? Nope. Baths? Eh. Swimming? Okay. But give him a sink full of dirty dishes, and you can't pull him away.

 I think these pictures are from when Meili made Easy Bake Oven treats, and we were taking pictures of the sprinkles all over their faces.

 Grant came up with this one on his own. But it was good timing, because my sister-in-law Kami was due to have her baby any second. So we sent the pictures to her to wish her good luck!

We tried all summer to plan our annual camping trip with my roommate from college, Hope. We finally had a weekend that magically worked for everyone... and then Josh's brothers decided they needed to do the bees that weekend. I decided that since the trip was already planned, I was not just going to sit home, so I packed up the kids and we just went and visited the Hansens at their new house.

 We got to Afton Friday evening and spent the next 24 hours just relaxing, chatting, putting off all responsibility, and the kids enjoyed playing together-including building this fort...

 ...Playing Twister....

 ...And watching movies. I love seeing Meili get bigger and watching her making friends and starting to figure out her way in the world. The weekend may not have turned out as planned, but we managed to enjoy ourselves, and it's always fun to catch up!

 Grant came across this hat that my Grandma made him, and I didn't know he could get any cuter. But apparently there is no limit to the irresistability of this boy. Heaven help his mother!

 I believe that in this picture he's yelling "Go Aggies!"

 And on this one, he's on the line, getting ready to make the big play!

Love that boy!

Meili had her second 1st day of preschool. I wish I was one of those parents that said, "I can't believe she's so big! Just stay little forever!" But to be quite honest, she really seems like she should be in kindergarten to me. She's ready, I'm ready, and she would love it. But one more year hanging with this sweet girl isn't the worst thing in the world. I asked her what she wants to be when she grows up because she doesn't really talk about it at this point. So I gave her some ideas, and when she heard Dr. (like Doc McStuffins) for animals (as in horses), she liked that idea the best. I can't see that happening, but for now, I think that would be a great career path. But first she said that she wanted to be a mom. (And that's obviously the best thing in the world to be.) She's super excited about preschool. When I asked her what she likes about preschool she said," I like that I got a Frozen backpack. (You can thank procrastination for that one. Usually I don't go for "character" stuff-blankets, swimsuits, shoes, backpacks, etc. But I thought we could use her old backpack again this year until the night before, which meant that her selection was limited to whatever was on sale at Walmart. And she is over the moon excited.) I like that I have two teachers this year instead of one. I like the toys at preschool. And I met a new friend named Brookley." Her teacher has a castle room in her house! (Which pretty much won Meili over.)

I'm okay with Meili getting older as long as she stays sweet, and she promises to always be my best friend, and she continues to love school and be excited about life and believe everything I tell her :) Deal?

As for this boy... I haven't done updates for awhile, so here goes:
-He has moved on from his obsession with balls and now it is all about cars and trucks. It will never cease to amaze me that boys are born boys and girls are born girls. We never encouraged Meili to like pink or dresses, and we never pushed Grant with balls or trucks. It's in his DNA. 
-He is starting to notice colors. For a long time everything was blue, and now he switches between blue and yellow. And a lot of things are yellow blue.
-I think he talks a lot and can say quite a bit. But I don't know if I just know what he's trying to say. He's to the age that he will repeat most anything.
-He's not quite as interested in eating as he once was, but since it's the second time around for me, it doesn't stress me out one bit.
-He loves treats and suckers, and is very determined when he wants to be. He will not be distracted if he has his mind on something. 
-It took a long time for his canines to come through, but I think we're finally at the end of teething. Good riddance!
-He copies everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, that Meili does. Thank goodness that she is a good influence most of the time. In fact, from her, he picked up saying, "Watch!" and then performing a trick.
-We used to have this conversation regularly with Meili: She liked watching Winnie the Pooh, so she would come to me and say, "Pooh?" (Meaning that she wanted to watch Pooh.) And I would say, "No Pooh." She would come back with "Pigdone?" (Piglet) "No Piglet." And we would go through all the characters until she would finally realize that we truly were not going to watch Pooh. We're in that same stage with Grant, except with him it's Mickey. "Diddy?" "No Mickey." "Plu-o?" "No Pluto." "Minnie?" "No Minnie?" "Daw?" "No Donald." Oh these determined children!
-He loves for us to smell his feet and tell him how stinky he is, and he thinks it's so funny when he says, "Stinky Diaper!"
-He's such a happy, crazy, little boy who is so full of life!  

Cache County Fair

 This year, Josh and I had to split up "fair duty." He was working during the day, and I taught a class that night. So I took Meili on the rides during the day with Josh's brother Jared and his wife Amy. Then Josh went back with the kids that night for the rodeo and seeing all the animals. The above picture is actually backwards. We got food right before we left, and those kids were hungry! Meili devoured this scone that was the size of her head. And Grant got so sick of waiting for me to get him food, that he just went and sat down with another family that was eating pizza!

 Meili has been spoiled the last couple years with the unlimited pass at the fair. Someday we won't get one, and then we will have to explain to her that we would have to mortgage our house for her to be able to ride the rides at the fair.

 But, we'll enjoy it while it lasts.

 Grant, on the other hand, was not such a happy camper when he realized that he was not going to be able to ride on anything, no matter how many times he asked. I beg you, Fair organizers, please (with a cherry on top) have just one ride available for the little ones. I will sign a release that if they fall out of the train going one mile per hour, I will not sue. I will ride with him. I will pay for myself to go with him. Just let the child on a ride! I finally convinced the man operating the carousel to let Grant ride as long as I went with him (which I really don't think is that much to ask), but by that time, Grant was kind of over it, and I thought that if I took him on it, the water works would start all over again. So we just survived, with quite a few tears, and a lot of longing gazes from the fence.

 In case you're wondering, it's way more fun to go to the fair with my nephew William. He is excited about everything. And half the fun for him is calling your name and waving throughout the entire ride.

And, of course, Meili was decked out in her "fair attire."