The Secret

My sister is really into photography and over the years I've learned a few things from her, like the rule of thirds, lighting and color issues when printing. She always takes really great shots of the herself by just holding out the camera at arm's length. See when I try to do the same thing I end up with the goofiest looking pictures and I tend to look like I gained 50 pounds in that one shot! (Something I don't really need.) So I asked her what the secret was...

You take the picture while holding the camera above your face...NOT below!

Above - will help you look thinner and it shadows your features better.
Below - will help you look bloated! And it will most definitely enlarge any hint of a double chin...not something any of us want.

After learning this fun new trick I started playing with my camera.
I took this one of me...(And Yes, I took it from above.)

Thanks for the tips Sis!

Vocabulary

So my kids have always had a vast vocabulary, and the things they do/say astound and amaze me every day. But since Aaron started preschool he's probably been the one that has surprised me the most with some of the words he chooses to use.

(And no, I'm not talking about the "bad words" he may or may not hear Mom & Dad use).

About 2 years ago he started saying, Actually & Besides.

This month he started saying Vehicle...I don't know where he picked that one up.

And the other day he was drawing a picture of outer space with a rocket and planet Earth...

then he drew little dots on earth and said, "I'm drawing these little dots on earth...

they REPRESENT the houses."

WHAT?

How did he learn the word "represent" and then proceed to use it correctly?

Oh ya, he listens to his super-smarty parents talk all day, that's where. :)

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Our First Garden!

I was ready to call it a huge success - that was before our intense lightning and hailstorm early this morning. Thankfully we snapped this pic last night...before the decimation! The storm ruined my east flowerbed, (which I was mostly growing as a "test kitchen" anyway to see what I like and what grows well in my soil.) And sadly, it destroyed our garden. We won't have any grape tomatoes and I'll be really surprised if we turn out any regular tomatoes. (Thanks Kathi for sharing yours this year - I LOVE garden tomatoes!) We picked our corn too late anyway, so I wasn't too worried about those guys, we did end up with enough for one dinner. But the carrots, oh the carrots, we harvested those tonight for FHE...the kids had so much fun and they were our one success...a HUGE-ORANGE success, check it out:

Mosey, right before she ate some dirt ... Babies!
Always eating things they're not supposed to!
Drives me crazzzzy!

In this picture she's chewing on a corn husk...see what I mean?

Our huge, ORANGE success!

Just look at that pile of carrots! I'm proud of you guys. You and Dad planted an awesome garden and Mom faithfully watered every day.

Aaron is holding the winner for fattest carrot, Bekah is holding the weirdest shape - we decided hers looked a lot like a nice pair of legs, and Emma is holding the winner for the longest carrot!

I found this poem in my book, The LDS Mother's Almanac

by Janene W. Baadsgaard (but I don't know if she wrote the poem).

I found it rather fitting for this post.

Gardens

I'm thinking of planting a garden.

I don't know what size or what shape.

I've never planted a garden before,

I don't know what depth or what space.

Have you seen the seeds of a carrot,

Like flecks of dust in my hand?

Can this tiny, crying baby

Really someday become a man?

I'm thinking of planting a garden.

I don't know the best time to sow.

Who will be the water and sunshine

So my tiny seedlings will grow?

Have you seen the size of a woman

Like flecks of love in his hand?

Can you see the circle of families

As numerous as grains of sand?

I'm thinking of planting a garden

With stars, moon, and sun in my hand.

I will harvest the sons and daughters

Of the master gardener of man.

The Tree House Museum

Another highlight of our time with cousins was visiting the Treehouse Museum in Ogden.
This place is incredible! The kids really enjoyed it because there was so much to do!
Besides these cool ground maps, there was a music and art area, a castle, a hospital, a farm, a school house, a mock oval office, a story book area, a little children's theater and much more! And if you go on Friday night (like we did) between 6-8pm it's their discounted night and adults are only $1!

Utah Rocks!

Giant game of chess anyone?

Calligraphy for Emma and

big drums for Bekah!

What a blast! Thanks for the fun memories

Aunt Marian and Uncle Randal!

Gone Fishin'

The kids went fishing with Grandpa and their cousins who were visiting from out of town.

They went to a hatchery - where I'm told you're guaranteed a catch!

This was the kids first time fishing, so I think it was a

good idea they had a successful experience.

Here's their catch of the day:

The Dancing Queens

Rebekah's Summer Dance Performance.

"Now what was I supposed to do with this thing again."

"Oh Ya!"

This...
Too Cute!

So Sweet.

Before the start of the second dance Rebekah ran up to me in the audience,

all the time I'm shrieking, "No, no go back to your mark."

Then she said, "I just want to give you a hug."

The entire audience "AWWWed"

It really was precious.

Bekah, you did a great job! And we're so proud of you!

After the performance Emma turned to me and said,

"Mom, can you take me out of art and put me back in dance?"

A Favorite Family Tradition

Our annual summer vacation to

Beautiful Bear Lake.

We LOVE this place!!!

This year we discovered a new fun place to play...

The Garden City Park!
We also made time to stop at
Rick's Springs in gorgeous Logan Canyon.
We explored this fun cave before going home.

Don't forget all the Beach fun...

And the wave runners!

(Maybe next year Mo can take a real ride with us.)