Summer Fun!

Photo Shoot with Daddy!















New Play area on our deck for Kyla


Patio after- upgraded from a hottub to a wading pool!


Patio before


Worn out from all the hiking!


Mommy and Kyla in the mountains


Smelling the pretty flowers!


Kyla and Daddy out on a hike


Kyla and Daddy on another hike!


Kyla is now taking swim lessons and having a blast in the water. She is in lessons twice a week with a great instructor named Crystal. Crystal is well known in the area for teaching babies as well as children with special needs how to swim. Kyla's first lesson was a huge success. In her half an hour lesson she was floating on her back with little assistance, swimming under water and kicking her legs for a few seconds, jumping from the side of the pool and blowing bubbles under the water. The class is a lot of fun, there are six babies/toddlers and their parents in the class. Much of what Crystal teaches the babies is through playing with them while singing songs. Her instructor was amazed how well she was doing and could not believe that it was her first lesson. Several times during the class she told Kyla that she was a natural swimmer. Kyla had so much fun and was smiling and laughing during much of the class. Our second lesson did not go as well, Kyla only wanted Mommy and would not go to the instructor. However, she still was happy just playing in the water. We are so excited to have Kyla in swim lessons this summer and enjoy watching her have so much fun swimming. Jon will be doing the lesson with Kyla on Tuesday so I will take some pictures of them to post.

Over Memorial day weekend Jon, Kyla and I were able to spend a lot of time together. Jon has been so busy at work lately, so it was very nice to be together. We sold our hot tub and in it's place put a small wading pool for Kyla and a water table for her to play with during our hot summer. It will be much more enjoyable to have this play area for her since we rarely used the hot tub anyway. Over the weekend we also took Kyla on her first hike in the backpack. She had so much fun on the hike and was smiling and singing the entire time. We are happy that she has been enjoying her time outside so much. Both Jon and I like going on hikes and walks and just being outside, so we are happy that we can do this with Kyla too.

We took Kyla for another hike this weekend and she again loved it. We are so happy to be able to get her outside and have her enjoy it so much.

Kyla's Ninth Month

Out for a walk at Red Butte Gardens


Madeline and Kyla in matching swimsuits


Making Bam Bam mad!


So Tierd!


Pretty Tulips!


Out with Grandma at Thanksgiving Point


Playing with Madeline and Mason in California


Loving the sprinklers at California Adventures


Mater and Lightening McQueen


Fun in the sun!


Enjoying Newport Beach!


Beach Babe!


Playing in the sand with Mason!


Mickey Mouse!


Jasmine and Aladdin!


Kyla is now almost 10 months old, it is so hard to believe that in just two months she will be turning one. We have had a fun 9th month with our baby girl. She is now walking everywhere, her balance has improved a ton and she is even turning corners while walking. We are amazed at how strong and determined she is. We have been getting nice weather and spending a lot of time outside.

My mom came to Utah to visit us for a few days and then I went to California with her and Kyla to visit my sister and then my mom came back here again for a few more days. It was great to spend time with my family. The school I work at was closed for a week and a half due to the swine flu, there were 30+ cases in Park City. The school closure was nice for me since it allowed me to spend more time with my mom and take a longer trip out to California.

Kyla had a great time with my mom being in town and also loved her time in California. In California we spent one day at Disneyland, one day at California Adventures, a day at Newport Beach and a day shopping and playing around the yard in the water.

At Disneyland Kyla's favorite ride was It's a Small World. She also really liked Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Carribean. On the rides her eyes were as wide as could be, she had a huge smile on her face and she would jump up and down. Kyla also got to meet Mickey Mouse while there. At California Adventures she did not go on as many rides, but loved playing in the water fountain. Kyla has so much fun playing in the water.

At the beach Kyla had a wonderful time playing in the ocean and with the sand. She wanted to do everything that her cousin Mason did. Kyla also played in the water table and hot tub at Marcie's house with Mason and Madeline.

While my mom was in town we spent a lot of time playing with Kyla. We were having very nice weather and went to both Thanksgiving Point and Red Butte to walk around the beautiful gardens.

Kyla and I were back in Utah for our first Mothers Day. Jon, Kyla and I had a great brunch at Red Butte and they gave me a very nice diamond swiss watch as a mothers day gift.

Kyla has had a lot of fun lately with all of the vacations she has been able to go on and the amount of time that she has been able to spend with our families.

We are looking forward to summer and being able to get outside and spend a lot of time together as a family.

Below is a tribute to mothers that a friend from the moms group I am in e-mailed to me. As a new mom I have not experienced much of what she wrote below, but know it will be coming someday. I love being a mother and enjoy every minute of it, but I don't think anyone but a mother can understand the love, fear, care and hard work that goes into being a mother and raising a wonderful child.

A Tribute to Mothers

Somebody said it takes about six weeks to get back to normal after you have had a baby. Somebody does not know that once you are a mother, "normal", is history.

Somebody said you learn how to be a mother by instinct. Somebody never took a three-year-old shopping.

Somebody said being a mother is boring. Somebody never rode in a car driven by a teenager with a driver's permit.

Somebody said if you are a "good" mother, your child will "turn out good".
Somebody thinks a child comes with directions and a guarantee.

Somebody said "good" mothers never raise their voices. Somebody never came out the back door just in time to see her child hit a golf ball through the neighbor's kitchen window.

Somebody said you do not need an education to be a mother. Somebody never helped a fourth grader with his math.

Somebody said you could not love the fifth child as much as you love the first. Somebody doesn't have five children.

Somebody said a mother could find all the answers to her child-rearing questions in the books. Somebody never had a child stuff beans up his nose or in his ears.

Somebody said the hardest part of being a mother is labor and delivery.
Somebody never watched her "baby" get on the bus for the first day of kindergarten or on a plane headed for military "boot camp".

Somebody said a mother can do her job with her eyes closed and one hand tied behind her back. Somebody never organized seven giggling Brownies to sell cookies.

Somebody said a mother can stop worrying after her child gets married.
Somebody does not know that marriage adds a new son or daughter-in-law to a mother's heartstrings.

Somebody said a mother's job is done when her last child leaves home.
Somebody never had grandchildren.

Somebody said your mother knows you love her, so you do not need to tell her.
Somebody is not a mother.