Smile!

Stella actually has an even bigger smile than this, but here is what I was able to get!

She is a cutie! Presley can get her to smile more than anyone else so far.

Cooling Off.

I was going to get domestic and make homemade popsicles (I found a recipe that just looked too good). But after not having quite all the ingredients I settled for ICE popsicles.

It was a good thing I made the peopsicles with water . . . they were drippy in the heat! Presley enjoyed hers on the deck. Eventually she ended up using the popsicle to cool off by running it up and down her arms and legs.

Maybe we will try making vanilla pudding pops next--sounds yummy!

Independence.

What a great thing! And what a stage Presley is going through--she is very independent (or at least wants to be). We spent the 4th at several family functions. Traditional breakfast at my mom and dad's, annual lunch and water fight at the orchards with extended family, and an evening BBQ with Chris's side of the family.

It is too bad I forgot my camera, but we did have a fun and exhausting day of activities. Presley was even dressed the part in a red, white, and blue dress she called her "flag dress".

Uncle Paul and aunt Ali with P at the rodeo. I think Paul was hungry.

Mor Mor sharing what I hope was NOT Mountain Dew with P.

Just before the 4th Presley and her dad attended the Oakley Rodeo with family and friends. It is something we are lucky to go to every year. Stella and I stayed home and spent some quality time together--sleeping!

I can see clearly now.

We spent the other morning washing our VERY dirty windows. I use 'we' pretty loosely--Chris did the hard work this year (I did it last year). Presley helped dad by standing on the bottom rung of the ladder and I made sure all the screens were out so they could also be washed.

Thank you honey! I guess I will finish up the job by washing the insides.

Potty.

If Presley could be potty trained that would be great! Her latest thing is to poop right while I am feeding Stella, convenient right? She is finally starting to understand that she is dirty when she is wet (the dirty=poop thing is pretty easy to understand, even for a kid).

Presley can hold hold it, she just won't let it go! The other day she went for a nap dry, woke up 3 hours later dry, and another hour later was dry. We sat on the potty for a while but nothing happened. Finally another hour later (and a big glass of watered down juice) she wet her diaper. 5 hours!

The crying is because we needed to put the potty chair away and go run some errands.

When Presley had her potty out the other day she was showing her bunny how to use it. She likes to set up the step stool right in front of the little pink potty and put her wipes on it. Normally we only use the step stool to get up onto the big potty with the potty seat on top (this is what we will use when we finally get around to the actual training).

Elusive.

I have tried for nearly a week and a half to get a picture of Stella's smile. She doesn't do it often but it is there--usually first thing in the morning or just after finishing a good meal (all times when my camera isn't too handy). Between smiles, eating, diaper changes, and crying, Stella is still doing what babies do best--sleep.

Stella first started smiling just before the 5 week mark but was confirmed by someone other than her mom on her 5 week birthday. Since then she has smiled for both sets of grandparents, her mom and dad and even for her big sister. The smile is a big, gummy one with squinty eyes and all!

I can't wait for Stella to start smiling more and more--a giggle would be great too!

Backyard Fun.

When we were little we would run through the sprinklers all summer long. Later, we got a pool and we would still run around outside and then jump in the pool--getting grass and debris in the pool. This wasn't fun for my mom who cleaned and managed the pool systems.

We go to the pool up here quite a bit but it doesn't have a shallow end for P to play in and Chris and I have to constantly hold her. So this last weekend, with the sun and heat in full effect, we got out a blow-up pool, put it on the lawn, and let Presley play with the hose while it filled up.

To get in or not?

Kick, kick, kick!

Presley had quite a blast and was completely at home in the water. Running around, kicking, splashing, drinking out of the hose--this is something we will definitely do again!

When in doubt.

All of you know that Chris and I had a VERY hard time picking names for our two lovely daughters. By random, dumb, blind luck or from somewhere deep in my subconscious we happened to name both our daughters after my cousin Daniel's two dogs!

Yes, it is true and it is a good thing we are dog lovers. I remember discussing with Dan that his dog's name was Presley at our grandfather's funeral and maybe even perhaps joking that if I ever had another girl I would name her after his other dog--but I am not sure. This wasn't planned--we just liked the names.

So, when in doubt name your kids after your family or friends dogs! Roxy is up for grabs if anyone needs a girl name!

Summer Solstice.

Summer is finally here, and with temperatures to match! Friday was the official first day of summer and we spent a lot of it outdoors. We took our first trip to the pool at the Homestead. I had just found Presley and Stella swim suits the day before so we had to test them out. Stella and I watched as Presley and dad splashed around in the water. It was a bit cool because the pool is shaded in the late afternoon. By the time we left Presley's lips matched her new suit--blue!


Here is dad teaching Presley how to patch a bike tire. The patch didn't work but Presley was thoroughly interested in helping with the process.



We also played with bubbles but that wasn't nearly as interesting as all the fun stuff dad has in the garage to play with (this time it was the air pump).

Happy 39th!

Since dad was out of town for his 39th birthday (he is always gone for Mother's & Father's Day and his birthday) we got to spend today celebrating. Presley wished her dad a happy birthday first thing this morning and then we were off to Park City for some outdoor fun!

Presley was finally old enough to ride the Alpine Slide so she and Chris hopped on the lift. Presley is no stranger to the ski lift--she went skiing with us several times before she turned 1. Chris would strap on the Baby Bjorn and we would all ski down the slopes at Sundance. This winter Presley is excited to go skiing by herself!

I didn't get to go on the slide but instead waited at the bottom for the photo opportunity. All the way down the slide Presley kept saying "We're coming mama!".

Unfortunately they couldn't go too fast because the boy just ahead of them was going really slow. They even had to stop for a bit and Presley got to pick a flower.