This is the first year {THE FIRST YEAR} in the nine years Wyatt and I have been together that we did not have plans with his family on the fourth of July. It was as if the universe was turned inside out! We hardly knew what to do with ourselves.

Luckily, the Engh’s took care of that.

Barbeque. (√Check).

Back yard games. (√Check).

Ice Cream Sandwiches (√Check.)

Sparklers. (Check).

Lovebirds. (√Check.)

Friends and Neighbors. (Check).

A fireworks show to light up even the most loathsome soul. (√Check. √Check.)

It was such a blast! We feel grateful to be invited to such events. Thanks Kellie!!!!

This was me:

6:22 am . . . really? REALLY? REALLY?

Walk in from working out. Come around the corner to catch Cal doing this.

Kissy kissy bye bye hubby.

Baby Sunshine comes down, wild haired. Carry her back upstairs, pour breakfast for her and her brother.

Make the bottle for Everett. Go in to greet him.

He stinks. Blow out. Awesome.

Nakie baby and I take a shower.

Kids are done with breakfast. Time to change bums. One, two, three.

Time to get dressed.

Wrestle Calvin into his selected outfit (why are you wearing that winter jacket again?) – while holding baby Everett on my lap. He’s suddenly turned clingy.

Clothes on, shoes on, walk down the hall. Suddenly, Calvin is wailing!!

He wet himself (in the misadventures of potty training). He does not like the wet.

This time I put Everett down with another bottle, back down the hall to Cal’s room, strip him, dress him again.

Everett must have finished the Bah. He’s crying, and crawling, down the hall towards me.

“Olivia, go get the hair brush.” I eye her tangled locks.

I pick up Everett. Olivia has already begun to whine about having her hair brushed.

French braid/pony tail thing is not so neat or so cute. Raise my eyebrows in defeat.

Pick up Everett (still crying) again, down the hall. Now we’re really on our way.

Everett regurgitates all over himself and ME!

No way we’re getting changed. Spit up is a fashion accessory in my life.

Wipe us down as best I can. Outside.

Dig out bikes, helmets, and wagon. Ready for a walk.

Round the corner to Kellie’s, not home. We play in her abandoned back yard, alone.

Home again, into the car. Gotta run some errands. Bank, Credit Union, in-laws for Calvin’s long lost – not urinated on – shoes. A visit to Daddy’s office.

The sight of him makes all the children wail. They want to play with daddy. Maybe an afternoon visit was not such a good idea. Home again.

Lunch. Bananas? All gone. Remember this morning?

Corn dogs? Sure. With ketchup please.

Fold the laundry. Change the laundry. Curse the laundry.

Dinner? Oh yeah. Sigh with over whelming underwhelmedness.

Dinner, Baths, Bedtime. Please bedtime.

TV, computer, ready to start again?

This past weekend was the fourth of July. To celebrate Wyatt and I decided to go to the Oakley rodeo. (We’ve wanted to buy a cabin in Weber canyon just outside Oakley, and thought the rodeo would be a good family tradition to start). Then we found out our friends from our ward were also going to the rodeo. To make a long story short, we spent the weekend at their cabin outside Heber, and all went to the rodeo together. It was sooo much fun. Friday night we hung out and played games, and Saturday we went fishing at Jordanelle and then BBQ’d and headed to the rodeo.

Fishing at Jordanelle	At the Engh’s Cabin
The Oakley Rodeo	Wynn, Weston, Alea & Heidi

Then Wyatt’s brother Wynn invited us down to Arizona to finish out the Holiday weekend at his place. We jumped a flight early Sunday morning, and spend Sunday, Monday & Tuesday there. Wynn and Heidi are a lot of fun–they’re very laid back, so it’s great to go visit them. We went to the pool a couple times, and just generally hung out, and relaxed. On Tuesday (the Fourth of July) we went to fireworks at a local church. Olivia wasn’t too impressed though. She fell asleep half way through them, and even managed to stay asleep through the finally and cheering from the crowd.