OUR 4th of July

I started out the morning with a 5K Run, with some friends. Here are a few (right-Jodi, my good friend and YW president in my ward; left-Jamie, my cute friend and neighbor...she's a BIG time runner, so this was a breeze for her; and then her sister-in-law came too).

Last year I walked the 5K and felt much better about running it this year.

I couldn't believe how many people from our small city of Riverdale ran it.

I would guess somewhere around 200.

I thought it was actually a FUN way to start my day of celebration!

After the run was our BIG city parade (it lasted just about the perfect amount of time-40 minutes or so). The kids LOVE getting lots of candy and seeing a few familiar faces pass by.

We headed down to Utah county later in the day and spent the evening with Quinn's family.
Ame and cousin, Ella


Momma and her boy

Ash loved grandma's old small trampoline

And once we started lighting fireworks...the mischief began
(can you just see it in his face)

He kept trying to get to the firecrackers, from EVERY angle

all the kids took turns CHOOSING which one they wanted Uncle Kaleo to light next

Once in while Kaipo took a front row SEAT to check things out

We had tried to (last minute) get stadium of fire tickets, but had no luck.

The BIG draw this year was Miley Cyrus. Ame was VERY bummed she didn't get to go!

But we still had a FULL day of FUN, with friends and family.

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I tried to take a few minutes and explain the importance of this day with my kids,

why we celebrate and what FREEDOM really means. It is a huge concept for kids to understand, and appreciate.

I did a little googling and researching, myself, to spend a little time contemplating this

momentous day and its oh so important meaning.

Here are few thoughts that touched me:

The story of the birth of the United States is thrilling and inspiring,

full of heroes and their words and deeds.

With these memorable words, Thomas Jefferson, at the age of 33, laid the cornerstone of

the United States of America.

We hold these truths to be self-evident,that all men are created equal,

that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,

that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

John Adams said this in a letter to Abigail Adam:

I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival.It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty.It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward for evermore.

AND SO WE DID!

To all those We love ... Hope you had a Happy 4th of July
(we missed you Grandma and Grandpa Asplund-WE LOVE YOU)

MORE swimming

On Tuesday, we packed a lunch and met my sister Karli to enjoy some fun in the sun time together! The aquatic center by my moms house, in North Ogden, really is KID friendly. The only thing it isn't really is MOM friendly. Maybe just not so much when you have 3 kids all interested in a different spot of the swim area. I told Quinn after returning home... it was fun, but I don't know if I will try that WITH all 3 kids again, without an extra hand (or two)! I realized this was the 1st time I had taken all three adventurous kids swimming this year.

I have taken Ame and Kaipo, but not WITH Ash too.

Ash LOVED the water and did NOT want to sit still to play too long with cousin Kaiya.

She was such a good little girl. Just sat there with Karli and splashed in the water.

My experience was somewhat different...

Following Ash's EVERY exploring move, while trying to keep a watchful eye on Kaipo-who kept going deeper and deeper into the other side of the play area. Ame TRIES to keep Kaipo in close range to her, but that just turns into a pulling and pushing experience between them.

The pool doesn't allow arm floaties, so I felt somewhat less stressed about Kaipo when

I found the FREE life-jackets to borrow.

Ame was disappointed to find out that she wasn't quite 48 inches,

which meant she wasn't quite tall enough to go on the BIG twisty slide.

But everyone found lots to explore and do.

And most importantly...we ALL kept cool (and NO sunburns)!

This was the biggest HIT for Ash

All in all, it was a VERY enjoyable day (just NOT relaxing)!

more swimming

Thank goodness for generous friends, with all the heat we have been having, who have invited us over for a swim! In addition to swimming with Katie and her kids on MOnday, we (along with another family) were invited to our Previous Bishop's house, for a fun family home evening activity of swimming and treats. We had such a great time...we just missed daddy, who was teaching.

The kids loved going down the slide

swimming with friends

and jumping off the diving board

The kids loved it when mommy even took a dive off the board and

recued their goggles from the bottom of the pool.

Didn't get it on camera (a little hard to when you are doing the dunking and the picture taking), but Ash loves to take a plunge UNDER the water too.

I kept dunking him under the water. He couldn't get enough and was having a blast!

We were so grateful for the great time we had swimming TWICE in one day!!

Robinson Friends

We have been so lucky to get together with our great friends the Robinsons, twice in the last week. Unfortunately BOTH times I forgot to take pics. How could I do that with all the fun we were having. They came up to our house for dinner last week and then we went down to their place to go swimming this week. It is perfect for our kids to get together, they are almost exact ages and have such a great time together.

Ame and Savannah are inseperable the second they get together and are such cute friends! Kaipo and Cooper are SOO much alike, maybe a little too much!

They both get a "taste of their own medicine", while playing together.

Luckily we didn't have too much fighting, mostly playing.

And Julie and her cutie pie daughter, Ava, joined in the fun.

Ava just fits right in with both the older girls AND the boys (who are close in age, with her).

Such fun times we have had with our great friends. We hope to be able to see them a little more often, since we have such a good time together with them.

Quinn and Ryan "conveniently" fit in a round of golf too,

while Katie, Julie and I got to chat AND juggle ALL the kids.

Nothing better than sharing good food, with great friends!

(since I didn't get any pics, I borrowed a few from Katie's blog...thank you)

Outside

This is a little past due (sorry Ash-mommy kind of forgot to get it on video until today), but Ash is FINALLY walking. He has gradually taken more and more steps. But just this past week he has started doing it ALL THE TIME. I forgot how quickly they just become a pro at it! This milestone, sad for me to say, really makes him feel NOT so much like my baby boy anymore.

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For some reason, this utility box, between the neighbors house

and ours is a favorite playing spot for Ame and Kaipo.

They must think it is like a little stage for them to perform on.

And they both LOVE to be the shining star!

Here they are flexing their very large muscles.

Ame is just BEING Ame


Kaipo is leading and singing VERY loud & proud
"I am a Child of God"

And once again...our boy doing some cruisin'

Swim Lessons Wrap-up

The kids got to PLAY on the slides the last day of class. The indoor slide is a BIG twisty one and Ame was too scared to go on her own, as were most of the other kids, so she went down with her Substitute Teacher (we were sad her REAL teacher was sick on the last day). Afterwards she said she could have EASILY done it on her own, but she couldn't go again cuz they blew the whistle to get out. Maybe next time BIG girl!

Ame has made some great improvements this time. She is proud of herself

for what she has learned, and so is mom and dad! Way to go little mermaid!!

Kaipo LOVES being in the water!

I was very impressed at how well his teacher did with Kaipo and she
was VERY patient with him. He did GREAT for his first independent lessons.
He really LOVES to put his face in the water too!

As you can see from the video, OUR biggest challenge was getting Kaipo to STAY on the step when it wasn't HIS turn. Mom got a little TOO frustrated sometimes, watching all the other kids sitting so properly on the step and having to somewhat calmly ask Kaipo repeatedly, "Stay on the step and wait your turn". Sitting still is just NOT possible for this little guy! We are glad you enjoy the water soo much, and hope you always will be our little fishy. I am really proud of your accomplishments with swimming Buddie. Way to go!