Sunday in Idaho Falls

The boys and I went to Idaho Falls for the afternoon on Sunday. We ate delicious sandwiches at Ann-Michelle's and the kids had a blast playing together!
 Tom and Brynn
 Tom and Mom-Mom playing "Giddy-up Horsey"
 Good Catch, Todd! Dallis is flying through the air!
 DeArton gals. 

Wild West Weekend!

We had such a fun Saturday with our friends Kevin and Becky Ward and their cute little son, Owen, from Pocatello, ID! The boys have a really fun time together and we just love hanging out with them.

Our day started with a fun trip to the Logan Aquatic Center where everyone loved cooling off in the swimming pool.

(Clockwise from top Left) Gordon had a blast in the water!-- Chris and Tom sliding down the twisty waterslide-- The men and the babies-- Whee! Look at Chris going down the big slide!


Later that evening, we drove to Preston, ID and went to "That Famous Preston Night Rodeo". A parade is held each night before the rodeo and the rule is that participants should throw candy. Needless to say, that part was a big hit with the kids!

Tom waving to a parade entry-- Kids scrambled to grab as much candy as possible-- Chris had to keep Gord on a short leash!-- Poor little Tom got pelted with a tootsie roll. I guess that's the price you pay...

We left Gordon and Owen with a babysitter, and the four adults and Thomas spent the rest of the evening at the rodeo. We enjoyed famous "rodeo burgers" and had a blast watching the real cowboy action! Our favorite parts were "bull-dogging" (cow wrestling!), Barrel-racing, and, of course, Bull Riding! We had so much fun that we plan on making this Western adventure a tradition!

I can do it all by myself!

I just had to show off these cute pictures of my big boy Gordon! He can't stand to let me feed him anymore, so I've finally given in and just let him have the spoon. Yes, I know his shirt is very dirty-- this is what happens when you let your little goober feed himself! Don't worry, I change him when we go out... :)

 
 
  

Nature Walk

Days like yesterday really make me miss the Pacific Northwest! I remember last summer when we actually complained that it was 85 degrees! Ha!

Yesterday, it was 99 again in the valley, so the boys and I headed up into Logan Canyon for the afternoon. It was still hot there-- 94 on my dashboard thermometer-- but the shade of the trees and the cold rushing river helped to make it feel cooler. We went on a short nature walk on Riverside Nature Trail, but Gordon was more interested in picking up rocks, sticks, leaves, bugs, etc. than he was in walking along. Thomas, on the other hand, was more interested in running really far ahead, to the point that I would get nervous and have to call him back. I think next time I'll bring the wagon and strap them both in!

The highlight of our afternoon was crossing the road that a stream runs right over. The water is shallow enough that the boys could run across it-- which they did, about a hundred times! We stayed and played in the cool water for about a half an hour and by the time we left, they were both soaked through. It was kind of a mess, but can you imagine a more delightful way to spend a hot summer afternoon?

  

Sunset Bike Ride

 
 
We started out with the plan of taking the boys on an evening bike ride on the trail at High Creek-- listed as "easy" on the Logan travel guide website. After a nice long drive through really beautiful country, and up a somewhat forboding gravel road, we decided to ditch our High Creek plans and head back down the road and take a slightly easier ride on a paved country road. As we enjoyed the leisurely pace of our ride, we enjoyed the beautiful country setting, complete with farms and a large herd of cattle. It was a lovely evening! 

Thomas and Gordon

Aren't they such handsome boys?
 
  

Buzz cuts!

Today we took the boys to get their hair cut. They were both pretty good-- especially Thomas-- and we couldn't help but take them to ColdStone afterward. When we got home, I took some "after" pictures-- you can see how Gordon first tolerated, then got very annoyed at Tom's hugging. Funny little kids!

 
 
 
  

The many funny faces of Tommer

 
Thomas is such a little ham! We love all of the silly faces he makes when he's in front of the camera. After each picture, he has to see the camera and comment on just how funny he looks! 

Gordon's funny hair

 
Gordon has the thickest blonde hair I have ever seen on a one-year-old. We have already cut it three times and it just keeps growing. It's nearly impossible to tame-- most of the time, it just sticks straight up. Today we tried to comb it down and you can see the effect. Oh well-- he really is our Baby Einstein! 

Adventures at the Dinosaur Museum

One of our favorite places to visit with Grammuh and Grampuh is the Dinosaur Museum at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, UT. The kids had a blast running around the museum and interacting with the many hands-on activities.

 



More than anything, these cute cousins just loved being together!

More fun pictures with Family

Grammuh sent over a bunch of great pictures taken by Grampuh while the family was together. Here are some of my favorites:



Chris took Thomas fishing for the first time with Uncle Andy and Grampuh at Silverlake. They left very early in the morning, and Tom got a little ancy, but they had a great time-- and what a beautiful day! Later that evening, we enjoyed the most delicious fresh trout dinner ever!

My three cute boys in the hammock.

Popsicles!

It has been so hot the past few days! The thermometer in my car said 99 when I went to pick the boys up from Sara's house.

"It's too hot to do anything," I complained to Thomas.

"It's not too hot for popsicles," he replied. Truer words were never spoken!

July 4th Weekend

We had a blast over the 4th weekend in Salt Lake City at the Hansen's. All of the Hansen siblings were there-- for the first time since Emily's wedding almost three years ago! There are six cousins now (and Baby Hale on the way!) and it was so fun to watch how much the kids enjoyed each other. The families are:
Gary (Grampuh) and Marilyn (Grammuh) Hansen from Salt Lake City.
Heidi (Hansen) and Andy Myers from Chandler, AZ and their children Sophie (7), Audrey (5) and David (1).
Us!
Andy and Amanda Hansen from Milwaukee, WI and their son Tyler (2).
Emily (Hansen) and Jon Hale from Fort Collins, CO and their baby on the way!

It was so sad to see everyone go home, but we are looking forward to our next Hansen reunion!


The backyard was the perfect place for the Birthday picnic!



Tom and Audrey had such a fun time playing together!



Sophie is so cute with Gordon! She is great at getting him to giggle.



Gordon and Tyler practicing their concert duet. We think these little guys look like brothers!



Grammuh's tire swing was a huge hit! It was so fun to watch the kids push each other.



Bedtime stories are much more fun when they're read by a favorite cousin! (Sophie and Thomas)


Chris had to work on the 4th, so I went to Salt Lake with the boys to hang out with the fam. We went to the street fair in Sugar House, then to a yummy lunch at the Olive Garden, and finished up the evening watching fireworks from Eastwood Elementary. It was a really fun day!

As you can tell by his face, Thomas is just thrilled about getting his picture taken.



Gordon, look at Mommy! I just couldn't seem to get a good picture of him on the 4th. Oh well!



After a very long, hot wait in line (with some of the world's friendliest people), the kids enjoyed every second of their time in the bounce castle!