Late Night Swing

It was 11:30 at night. Wes was on shift at the fire station. Neither Emerson nor I were the least bit tired. I thought a late night swing from the apricot tree would be fun. I wondered if I was being a bad mom for keeping my toddler up so late. He giggled, he laughed, he smiled from ear to ear as we swung in circles, back and forth, side to side, high and low. As I carried him back into the house, he wrapped his arms around my neck and said, "I love you, mamma!" I knew that I was not a bad mom at all.

Eggs and Uglies

My mom and dad had some unexpected visitors these past couple of weeks. A robin had built it's nest under my parent's backyard deck and laid it's delicate blue eggs! The nest was on top of a support beam but under the floor board of the deck. It was completely impossible to see inside the nest unless you had a double jointed neck and a head the size of an orange. I had to raise my arms up and hold my camera steady and aimlessly to take pictures, hoping that I would be able to capture something good!

I think robin eggs are the most beautiful color! It makes me want to paint something in my home this color. I don't know what, but I will find something. I kept a piece of shell just in case I needed to do a color match at Home Depot! 

Both the mommy robin and the daddy robin would sit and keep a close watch on nest while sitting on the back fence. Anytime someone, or something (i.e. dog), would go in the backyard, the parents would dive bomb and attack them! They were getting really aggressive and my mom had to start letting the dog go to the bathroom in the front yard!

they wanted to protect these little "beauties"?

Every pregnant mother wonders what her baby is going to look like and worries if they will be cute. I bet this mother is really sad.

I guess the saying "a face only a mother could love" rings true in this situation! 

Every time I raised up my camera, they would open their mouths! Yes, little robins, I do have barf in my mouth, but it is unfortunately not for your dinner - it is merely from looking at your featherless bodies and holes in your head!!!

I love this picture of the tiny beak coming up out of the nest! I'm sure the mommy would have been in there feeding them if I wasn't standing there interfering and trying to amuse myself! 

They kind of look like they are singing to me in this picture!

Still Devoted!

That's right folks! I have not given up on my New Years resolution! Do you remember it?

"1. Enter something in the Utah State Fair in hopes of being rewarded a ribbon."

Ahhh. Now do you remember?

Today I logged onto the fair's website and checked out the entry form for being a "competitor" in the exhibition. Oooo - that word just sounds so scary and intimidating! A competitor? As some of you may know, I am not the competitive type. At all! It's a blessing and a curse, really. The only person I EVER try to compete with is myself. Anyway, as a virgin exhibitor, I think I may make some de-lish cookies. I figure I will be up against some pretty serious bakers (remember this is the STATE fair - not some rinky-dink county crap!) but looking over the rules, I think I might be able to handle it!

Pretty easy right? We'll see. I thought it was a good idea to go simple since it is my first time entering. Maybe I'll move on to butter sculptures or carving a fireplace mantle for next years project! 

If anything else, it will get me a free ticket into the fair so that I can ride this with my 2 favorite boys:

This picture gets me so excited! I love everything about the fair! The food, the freaks and the fun!

-So, does anyone want to do it with me? 

-Anyone brave enough to compete against the whole state of Utah?

-Why is this a goal of mine? I have no stinking idea.

Kickoff to Summer!

It makes me really sad that my own neighborhood lacks adventure and community oriented activities. (No offense neighbors, but this neck of the woods is pretty slow paced and dispirited!) So it's a really good thing that my sister and her neighbors let us piggy back on all their activities and fun! 

Each year at the close of the school year, my sister and her husband help ring in summer with a huge neighborhood food fight for all the kids...and whomever else decides to show up! Every year I would see her pictures and hear her stories and be envious of how much fun they were having. This year I wanted to be a part of it and a part of it we were! 

Setting up! The kids gets so anxious and it was hilarious to watch them try to resist sticking their hands in everything until the countdown!

3...2...1...GO! 

Lucy and Abby - my honorary nieces! Looks like they got it good! (Kim, I hope it's o.k. to post pics of your girls on my blog! In swimsuits!) 

My real niece - Isabelle. She had her fair share of fun!

And this is how they wash off!

You would not believe the smell after it is all done! The worst combination of foods covering the ground! Ugh...watch you step!

After the food fight, it is tradition to set up the longest slip and slide known to man!

My nephew, Nick, hijacked Emerson and took him down much to his chagrin!

My nephew Joey sporting some good moves down the slide!

My niece Hollie and nephew Toby going down sibling style!

Don't even think for a minute that my sister and I didn't take a turn...or 5. "Hands in the air like you just don't care!"

And I may have let forced Emerson to go down a few more times.  Look at that face! He was terrified but I think he secretly liked it. I think. I love to click on this picture and look at it over and over and over.....

hehehehehe

Yeah, I think a move is definitely in our near future! 

(P.S. My brother and his family are in town, so if you were thinking all those nieces and nephews belonged to my sister, be rest assured they are not!)