JMac's First Movie Night

A couple of weeks ago we had a movie night for FHE.  This was a very exciting event as Jack has never had a movie night before.  In fact, I don't know if Griff and I have ever really sat down and watched a movie with him ever. 

Griff had picked up "How to Train Your Dragon" from Red Box, and after going for a walk together we popped some popcorn and settled on the couch together to watch it.  Jack was hilarious the way he just cozied right in between Griff and I on the couch like he knew just how it was supposed to be.  He then quickly claimed the popcorn and spent the first half of the movie happily mowing it down.  Griff and I had to laugh every time we looked at him. 

After the popcorn was gone, we were introduced to a whole new Jack!  Watching all those crazy vikings fighting dragons was just too much for our naturally energetic little man.  He had to join in.  It wasn't long before he was jumping from couch to ottoman to couch to floor.  Then he suddenly ran over to the book shelf to get a book.... We were confused at first until he promptly started wielding books like battle axes and chopping at Griff and I on the couch!  He has never done anything like that before.  It was funny, but definitely put the kabosh on violent movies (even G rated ones) for awhile.  (As a side note, the violence hasn't surfaced again, but then, he has been watching Dora the Explorer for TV time ever since...)

Who Wants to Go Swimming at the Great Salt Lake????!!!

Well... we did! :)  Erin came to visit this summer with swimming in the Great Salt Lake on her "to do" list.  She was sick of people finding out she was from Utah and then wanting to know what it was like to float in the famous Great Salt Lake.  I have to agree that it is rather pathetic that I have lived in Utah for 18 years now, and I have never done more than drive past the Great Salt Lake until now.  So we jumped on the internet and read about inviting "white sand beaches," floating in "turquoise water," picnic facilities, and fresh water showers and decided this sounded like a fun day out.  One hot July day, we pulled on swimsuits and packed a cooler full of food and an umbrella for the beach intending to spend a lazy day in the sun while the kids enjoyed playing on the beach.  Well, the beaches were a beautiful white sand... under a thick layer of gnats.  The picnic facilities were nice... but a serious trek from the beach.  Floating in the water was amazing (seriously).... but turquoise was a stretch.  The water was warm and comfortable... but made Jack cry when it got in his eyes... over and over and over.  The verdict?  A must have experience for locals... every ten years or so.  :)  

On a serious note, it really was fun to spend the day together.  And I learned all sorts of interesting things about the Great Salt Lake from the visitor's center.  I do think that older kids would have had a blast floating in the water, too.  I wish I could have floated for longer myself.  But this wasn't the best activity with babies and toddlers.  And forget the umbrella and sand toys.  They won't get used. 

Jack loved this buffalo.  He kept asked to ride it, and here he is giving the buffalo a kiss. :)

The kids were excited that there was a movie playing at the visitor center... of course, it didn't take long for them to realize it was a documentary and not a Disney.  Although I think Ben liked it still.  Oh Ben made me laugh so hard this day.  We were all miserably slogging through hot, ankle deep sand on the long trek to the beach.  All the adults were carrying some sort of equipment (diaper bags, toys, umbrella, towels) as well as a little kid or baby.  Well, Ben had it at one point and told me he wanted someone to carry him.  I felt sorry for him and said, "I know, bud.  We should have brought the daddies, too."  Then he asked if I could carry him.  I told him I couldn't because I already was carrying Jack (along with a whole bunch of other stuff), and then I pointed out that everyone else was carrying a baby or small child, as well as lots of other stuff, so they couldn't carry him either.  He looked carefully at each person, like he was measuring my words against the evidence of his eyes.  Then he turns to me and says, "Aunt Brittany could carry me."  I guess Brittany looks a lot stronger and tougher than the rest of us!  Go Baba!  I chuckled the rest of the way to the water just thinking of it.

Baba and Gabe

That's Erin, Eliza, and Ben out in the water with Gabe splashing around close up.

I think that the raisins were the highlight of Jack's afternoon.  Well, after the buffalo.

Camping in the Uintas

The last weekend in August, Matt and Amy organized an awesome camp out at the Mirror Lake campground.  They hauled their horses up, and Amy made a super yummy sloppy joe dinner (click HERE for the recipe). 

This campout was SO fun!  I mean, SO SO SO fun!  We had done a lot of day trips into the mountains over the summer, but this was the first time that it worked out for us to go overnight.  I forget how much I love the sleeping over part... enjoying the campfire, sleeping in my toasty warm sleeping bag in a tent, waking up to go fishing, and coming home to make a big pancake breakfast.  The only two things that would have made it better is 1.) if mom were there.  We really missed you, Mom!  and 2.) if I could have ridden the horses.  I am really missing not being able to ride this pregnancy.  I am already pining after next summer's rides. :) 

Jack did fantanstic.  We snuggled him up warm and popped in a sleeping bag in his pack and play, and he slept all night.  I hope this new baby will be a good sleeper, too.  Jack also loved playing with his cousins, riding the horses, and eating all the treats that were laying around (including juice... which he really does consider the ultimate treat ~ funny little boy!)  Wesley and Jack cracked me up with trying to get in the water constantly... they would start by just stamping the inch deep water and before you knew it they were thigh deep.  In fact, I think Matt and Amy finally threw in the towel and let Wesley basically go swimming. :)  Wish I some pictures of Wes soaking but happy.


Here is Jack enjoying some carrots to offset all the junk he ate.  I love how big he opens his mouth when he eats.  It cracks me up!

 

Dad and Griff making smores...

...and Amy and I eating them. :)

Mirror Lake was just beautiful first thing in the morning!  But completely without a hungry fish.  Well, I think we caught one or two on a fly and a bubble - definitely not what we expect from the Uintas!  After breakfast and some rides, we went to Lily Lake and killed it!  It was overcast and the fish were biting.  It was awesome.  I just love fishing. 

After the morning fishing, we made a big pancake breakfast complete with bacon, eggs, and juice.  Mmm...

I stayed back at camp and watched the little boys while Dad, Matt and Griff went for a ride.  

Jack and Wesley were thrilled to be led around on Coltrain afterward.  I mean, seriously thrilled.  Those little boys are going to be cowboys!  (Wish I got a pic of Dad and Griff riding, dang it!)

I went to change Wesley's diaper and came back to find Jack sitting on this log with a piece of licorice he had stolen from the treat stash and happily playing with the leftover pancake batter... you can't really tell, but he was finger painting on the log with the batter and wiping his fingers on his shirt.  It was pretty cute so I didn't get too worked up.  (But I did take the batter away.)  What a great way to spend the last few days of summer!

A Few More Summer Pics

I was scanning through my blog and realized I didn't post any pictures from when Melanie visited in July!  It was SO fun to have her here with her boys.  I have missed them SO much this past year.  These are a few pictures jumping on the tramp in my parent's back yard.  This first picture of my mom with Wesley is one of my favorites.  And I LOVE Bridger's big blue eyes in the second.

I always think of Mel's boys as being little, but they really are growing up.  It was a blast getting to hang out with them.  And they were so sweet with Jack.

 

Another evening we went up American Fork Canyon for a campfire.  I think I spent as much time running after Jack as enjoying the company. :)  He's such a crazy little kid.

I think we are so lucky to live so close to the canyon.  It is seriously beautiful!  I can't wait to go up for campfire now that the leaves are changing, and it's cooled off.  I wish these cute boys could go with me again...

Beautiful Lake Powell

A rainy day is probably a good day to post pictures of Lake Powell.  :)  I'm already missing the sun!

Griff's parents invited us for a second trip to Lake Powell on their houseboat in August.  It was heavenly!  Jack had had the whole summer to get used to the water, so he had a lot more fun in August then in June.  He also LOVED having his cousins there.  We got lots of sun, sand, and water and way more sugar than any one person should eat in a lifetime.  :)

We anchored the houseboat right next to Sand Hill.  Beautiful and fun!  It was killing me that I was pregnant and couldn't do much.  But it was really fun to play with Jack.  Everything is so much more fun with kids, isn't it?!

Cindy bought this little blow-up pool for the kids.  You'd think with a whole lake to play in, this wouldn't get much use but it definitely did.  Especially when the hose was turned on to fill it.  Jack thought playing with the hose was hilarious!

And Chet enjoyed the shade and watched the craziness...

~Tubing~

Tubing was a blast!  Well, maybe because it was the only thing I got to do.  And pretty tame at that. :)  But it was SO fun to see Jack's happy little face yelling "Wee!" He especially loved it when Kara rode with him because she laughed and squealed the whole time, which was totally contagious. 

Hanging out on the Caribbean Island.

Travis went into Page and bought plastic to make a slide for the kids.  It was a BIG hit.  Even Chet went down a few times...

 and Cindy!

 But mostly Kara and Jack went down it a million and a half times.  They were so cute going down backward, forward, sideways, on their backs, and on their bellies.  Sometimes these antics were on purpose and sometimes they weren't... which was VERY entertaining. Kara called Jack "Turbo Boy" when he wore that yellow outfit.  We thought she said "Turtle Boy" which fit pretty well, too.  She was "Pink Fish."

The boys went cliff jumping near the houseboat.  Griff jumped a few times... I think the highest was 50 ft?  It looked so fun... ah, next year.

Devin skiing and Travis wakeboarding.

Griff and I even got to play games most days while Jack took a nap on the top of the houseboat.  It was blissful!

Nelly and Cassidee with phones in hand, of course. :)

And these are my two favorite people in the world!  Aren't my boys handsome?

We celebrated Teneil's birthday on the lake.  Happy B-day Nelly!  

The foot washing basin was Anika's private pool. :)

Grandma and Anika

Ok, Jack was so much fun in this little suit!  He started swimming in it by the end of the week.  He would just run into the water and keep on running when his feet left the sand.  It was so funny to see those little legs churning under the water.  Not the most efficient way to swim, but it got him around.  And it was so cute!  He'd swim out to me, then push off me and swim back to shore... over and over and over.  A couple weeks later I took him to Lindon Pool and he was totally content to swim by himself in the lazy river.  He got so he could really maneuver himself around.  It made me excited for next summer!

 All the fun made naps essential.

And we even got a beautiful rainbow after a rain shower.  I think the most beautiful rainbows I have seen have been at Lake Powell.

Griff was excited that his back wasn't hurt this trip.  He still went easy on wakeboarding to be careful, but it was fun to watch him jumping.  And Jack liked to watch him and shout, "Go Daddy!  Yay!"

The little swimmers and me. 

Kara and Jack enjoying watching the wakeboarders from the back of the "boat boat" (as Jack calls it)

Randy let Jack sit on his lap and "help" him drive the boat a lot.  Jack got a little dangerous, because he kept trying to push down on the gas when no one was watching.

Ah, we already miss you Naughty Lady!  Can't wait for next year!