Summer Time Fun

I feel like we have been so busy this summer playing and having fun.  That's a good thing.  Last month we were invited by our neighbors the Ristos to go out on Deer Creek for a Saturday afternoon.  It was so fun to get out on the water with them.  We have been saying for a few years that we were going to buy a boat.  We were actually planning on pulling the trigger last year, but those plans quickly changed with Lisa's tumor.  The way things are looking now we should be able to buy one next spring.
Living within 10 minutes of two great lakes is a great reason to have a boat.  Boating is such a great family activity.  Our kids really enjoyed being with the Risto kids.  The sun was shining, but the wind was blowing, so we decided to do the tube with the kids while the water was choppy.
Here are a few photos of tubing fun

Once the water started to calm down a little bit, Lisa tried her hand at wake surfing.  Here is Riley coaching Lisa on what to do.

She got up really easily.

But when she tried to let go of the rope she lost her momentum.  I love her reaction in this photo.

After Lisa it was my turn.

It's still new for me, so it takes some getting used to, but I was able to successfully surf for a little bit.

Me holding the Risto twins.  They were Valentines Day babies last year.

Blake was all smiles.  He did get in the water for a tube ride with me and loved it.

Cole decided to give surfing a try, so Riley was kind enough to take him out with him.

Cole really enjoyed it as you can see from his grin.

Then Aubrey wanted a try.

Riley makes the wake surfing look super easy and was a great sport for taking the kids on the surf board.

It was a really fun day on the lake with our neighbors.  We are already dreaming of next year with our own boat tagging along with the Ristos.

Most of the summer the kids are outside playing in the fields, running around, or riding their bikes.  We live in a great place for the kids to grow up.

Tucker played coach pitch baseball this summer.  We spent many evenings at the baseball field cheering him on.  He is honing in his skills and getting better.

We also had a barbecue with the Ropers at our house.  They were in town from Arizona so we invited them over for a fun evening.  Jen and Lisa have been battling a brain tumor and have grown very close.  Their kids are hilarious and are just as crazy as ours.

The cancer warriors.

Then we had another chance to go out on Deer Creek, this time with our friends the Smiths (Becky is my hygienist).  The temperatures were around 100 degrees in our valley so the water felt divine on that hot day.
Here is Becky with her baby Cru.  Notice all the little kids at the front of the boat enjoying the afternoon.

The captain of the boat, Jason.

I didn't take nearly enough pictures, but Lisa got up on the slalom ski.

After her I took a lap on the slalom ski. It felt so good to carve it up on smooth water. I gave the passengers in the boat quite the show when I crashed really hard at the end of my run.  They said I did a few summer saults and skidded on the water for a while.  Good times.  It's been a fun summer so far.

4 B's

Blond Baby Blake's Birthday!

Our baby turned 3 on 7-11. It was a joyous day 3 years ago, yet probably the most painful too. I went into labor early that morning and popped him out less than 2.5 hours later. We were at the hospital for 18 minutes before he was born. Beat my doctor and had nurse Holly deliver him. You can read all about his birth here.

 3 months old

 1 year

Then we skip to his birthday. I was too sick last year to get pictures taken. I just got new ones this past week, but don't have them available to scan and post yet. This is the group shot I got on a cd. I can pick up their individual pictures next week.

Blake is our super happy, smiley boy. I had plans to make him a cool race track cake, but with my MRI and doctor appointment being on the same day, he ended up with a double round chocolate cake. He and all the other kids loved it. We had a little pool party and Great Grandpa Foster's house with all his grandparents.

 Love the way his cheeks are puffed out while trying to blow his candle out. I'm pretty sure he did it, but Cole was sitting nearby and tried to help.

 A few gifts to open and then he wanted back in the pool.

 Tucker and Aubrey are doing well with swimming and Cole can float in a life jacket but Blake is still learning. At one point only Aubrey and Blake were in the pool and Blake drifted away from the stairs and side wall. He was on his back, and not drowning, but he was scared. Aubrey wasn't doing anything and I knew he wasn't going to swim back, so I jumped in and grabbed him. I didn't have to go under, but I wore a towel on my drive home. I'd rescue my children any day.

 We had Little Caeser's Pizza for dinner and cake and ice cream sandwiches for dessert.

 Calderwood boys. Cole and Tucker don't like to be left out.

 Foster side.

 He loves to fly with his Daddy.

I started potty training Blake 3 weeks ago and we have good and bad days. He's doing better than I expected. Cole was very difficult. But, last night I had to take out the carpet cleaner to clean up a big mess in his room. New carpet will be a purchase in a few years! Whoever thought to put light colored carpet in homes must not have kids. We love our Blakey boy and are glad he's a part of our family.

4th of July Fun

I know some of you have been waiting for me to post about my week long cancer camp excursion, but I am still waiting on the pictures that our camera crew took on the river. There are some good ones that I don't want to leave out. So, until further notice, I'll just play catch up with everything else we've been up to.

Starting with 4th of July. One of my family traditions that I've participated in since I was my kids age is to attend the Oakley 4th of July parade and rodeo. I took the kids up to the cabin the night before with my Mom so they could have fun at the cabin too. Then we drove down to the parade. We arrived early to get a parking spot on the route and walked around and let the kids play on the playground. A few families from our ward/neighborhood were at the parade too. Our bishop grew up on the parade route. My Dad surprised us by showing up at the parade as well as my sister and her family. Dan had a few days off work and they drove down the day before, spent the night at my house and surprised us all at the parade. The kids had fun being with their cousins. They didn't get to play with Ethan and Austin when Cody dropped me off at their house for my cancer camp.

 Heather bought us both matching cowgirl hats from the little street vendor kids.

 After the parade I took the kids home and they participated in some fun neighborhood activities like a big water balloon fight. Tucker is getting pummeled by Josie here.

 Lots of little bums and kids shooting water everywhere!

 My Grandpa, parents, Cody's parents and his sister and husband came over for our awesome Midway 4th of July BBQ and fireworks.

 Mickey, Kristin, Chris and Cerola with Cole photo bombing the picture. Notice how we block our circle off with our cars. It gets ridiculous when fireworks are starting and cars rush into our circle realizing we have a great viewpoint. We've learned from past experience and shut it down.

 Our friends, the Ashursts, joined us for our BBQ. This is Jessica and Joe. Joe worked with Cody at Outdoors Unlimited at BYU a long time ago. Jessica and I became fast friends and our kids get along well.

 Aunt Heather painted Aubrey's fingernails patriotic colors.

 Cody getting ready to cover the street lamp so that we have optimal viewing experience for the fireworks.

 Little cousins. They are 3 weeks apart.

 Some sort of sparkler arabesque I assume.

 Copy cat. Daddy is pretty cool.

 Watching our own firework display.

 Our entire crew set up for the show to start. It doesn't get started until 10pm so the little's were squirmy and tired.

 My pictures don't do the fireworks justice, but we are really only a 1/2 mile from the bottom of Memorial Hill and you can hear the booms loud and clear. Cody took a couple pictures on his phone at the rodeo, so if I ever get those from him, I'll add them on.  God Bless America.

 My Grandpa sent me the link to this song that I think is appropriate for this time of year.