Girls' Camp

Last night was the white shirt dinner and bishopric night at girls' camp, so Tim and I went with the rest of the bishopric and their wives up to Pine Top. This is the 3rd year Tim has been in the bishopric and we've been up there for the night. It never ceases to amaze me what girls' camp is like for these girls, and how it is NOTHING like the experiences I had as an awkward teen...

First, they get to stay in cabins, and there is a pool there...seriously. When I went to camp, we got tents that we set up ourselves. Then comes the real difference: they have COOKS!!!! There's a big lodge that has a kitchen, and when it's time for a meal, you just line up and get served by the cooks. Last night they had pork ribs, baked potatoes, and fruit--all prepared and ready for you to just eat. This is not camp!! Whatever happened to each girl making her own meals on her little home-made tuna can stove?? They just have it too easy!

It makes sense to me, though, why all these girls seem to love camp more than I did as a girl... Perhaps I would have liked it better if I didn't have to cook anything and I got to go swimming! Plus there are no chiggers in Idaho like there are in Texas...

We had a fun time, though, and I wonder if this was our last trip up there as a group.

Baseball scare

So Ryan had baseball practice tonight, and Sydney always plays with the other little girls there. Tonight she was playing with my friend's little girl most of the night, but when practice was over, her mom couldn't find her...she had wandered off or something. I figured she was on the playground on the other side of the school, so I got the kids in the car to go home...I wasn't too worried...

Then as I was about to pull out of the parking lot, SOMETHING made me feel like I shouldn't/couldn't leave and I should make sure she was o.k. So we all got back out of the car. Turns out she wasn't on the other playground and no one knew where she was. Everyone there started looking everywhere...in the ditches behind the baseball field, in trash cans...we were getting desperate. Afer 25 or 30 minutes, my friend finally called 911 and as she was describing what her daughter was wearing, I found her hiding in between some big rocks, perfectly quiet and still. I had just been checking the front doors to make sure she hadn't gotten inside the school. It was a miracle I saw her--she was so still and so hidden. Apparently she thought it would be funny to hide from everyone...

Anywho, I'm just so glad I stayed and helped look for her and everything is o.k. I had feared the worst, and was reminded of that HORRIBLE feeling you get when you don't know where one of your children is. Hopefully next time we have baseball it will be less dramatic.

Clip clip here, clip clip there...

So, it's official: my new addiction is Picasa collages....

Today I attempted to give Jake his first haircut. It's been hanging over his ears for a while now, really bothering me, but I've been afraid of how it would turn out, what with him most likely not sitting still and all. But today I at least tried. I focused on the hair around the ears and in the back around his neck. He WAS very wiggly, as expected. Probably should have waited til Tim was back from Scout camp and he could help hold him down, but it's not too bad, if you don't look too close. My other fear was also realized...

He looks older now. :(

Clap, clap, clap

Jake learned to clap on command last week--how smart is he?!? You forget just how cute all the little things like clapping and waving Bye-Bye are! He gets so excited when he can actually do what you are telling him to do! I know I've said this before, but he is such a fun little guy! He just makes me smile. :)

P.S. So do these cool collages from Picasa...I think there will be many more of them in the future!

Trying picasa again...

So I've been playing with Picasa today trying to figure out how to do cool collages like my Uber-cool niece Megan, and I think I've finally got it...can't wait to do one of Jake!!

By the way, if you can't tell, these pictures are from Sydney's Preschool Graduation a couple of weeks ago. And if you couldn't tell that, then I'm a little worried about you!

Swimming surprise

So I go every morning at 6am and swim laps and do water aerobics with my friends Greta and Lori. It is so much fun and a really good workout...one of my favorite parts of the day. Well, on Tuesday, Lori and I got there and hopped in to start our laps. We swam to the other end, then on the way back to the starting end, Lori goes, "There's something in the water!" I looked ahead and saw what looked like a cross between a huge rat and a gopher (or maybe it was an R-O-U-S from Princess Bride) swimming along the edge...seriously! It was awful! We jumped out really quickly into the freezing wind and watched the thing dive down into the water.

It never came up.

After a minute or two, I went to check what had happened, and found it lying on the bottom with its legs and arms sticking straight out. NASTY!!!! We promptly left, of course.

Thankfully it was gone from the pool the next morning and once again we could swim.

Interesting that Greta always misses the exciting pool adventures...makes me wonder if she's behind the rat this year and the frog last year (another story). Funny how she was mysteriously missing both of those times......

Preschool Graduation

Sydney has had such a great time at Preschool this year! Her classmates were mostly girls, which she loved! She made a lot of friends and learned so much! If you're looking for a great preschool, Little People's Preschool rocks!! (You're welcome, Raquel!! :) )

Sydney was so cute at the graduation. The kids were facing into the sun and she was just blinded. I went up to her to take a picture before it started and she said, "Can I have those?" and was pointing at my sunglasses. How could I say no?? I think the pics are even cuter since she has the shades on! They sang several songs and said nursery rhymes that night. It was awesome--you could hear her above every other child! That girl loves to be heard! She just makes me laugh all the time (except for the times she's driving me crazy...)! Now she's off the kindergarten this fall...so big!

She made so many friends at preschool this year. Here are a couple of them: Allie Bowman and Mackee Koehler. How cute are they?!?