"I'm So Sorry for you Canada"

So this is the biggest thing to ever happen to our little family...
Yahoo News Article about Libby and Sarah's Newscast
It was posted the day before yesterday and already has 85,000 views.  Amazing!
Good Morning America wants to Skype interview the girls early next week.  The comments on their video are hysterical.

Trip Post #3--Outside play

Libby is learning to hula hoop.  It is so fun to watch!

I have been so excited to see the kids all have so much fun playing outside at Grandma & Grandpa's house.  It makes me really want to finish our grass and playset plan at our house.
Anyway, here are some of my favorite pics from their adventures.

My nephew James taking a skinny dip in the pool.  He loves to be outside, and I think this influences my kids. 

I took some jumping pics.  They love jumping off the rock wall.  

I was trying to get a triple jump of all of them at once.  They (of course) jumped one at a time.  

Batman to the rescue!

Libby is an intense jumper!

James LOVES the word Basketball.  It was almost his first word.  Kind of funny since his parents are thespians and not at all sporty.  But James will play with a ball  (and any ball is a basketball) all day.  

Super swinger!

Ben doing a little yoga in the grass. 

Sarah posing...love this girl!

Trip Post #2--Lagoon & other festivities!

I packed our schedule for this week.  Monday, we visited my bestie from my mission.  Tuesday we went to the "Bubble" (now known as the South Davis Rec Center) and then to visit my bestie from high school and his family.  Wednesday, Lagoon!, Thursday 4th of July started, then Friday, the actual 4th of July.  It was busy and fun!  Even though we were out late on Monday, and even later on Tuesday I was shocked when the kids were still going strong at Lagoon at 7:30 pm.  I was ready to crawl into bed and sleep for weeks.  It was amazing!

Libby and Sarah had a blast playing dress up with MaryAnne's daughter Elsie.  She turned them into princesses.  Libby even let Elsie do her hair, so she must really have a magic touch!

We had dinner with MaryAnne's family, and Libby ate 3 pieces of corn on the cob.  (But was still "starving" at bedtime when we got home.)

I couldn't believe how excited and happy my kids were to ride all the kid rides at Lagoon, and even some more intense rides.  Libby and Sarah's favorite ride was Bombora, a roller coaster that is not just for kids.  I was super impressed.  Even Ben loved the kid rollercoaster "Puff."  There was only one ride that caused some issues.  Sarah asked and asked me to go on the dinosaur ride.  I was flabbergasted when I realized she was talking about one that lifts you up and drops you.  It is a kid size version of the Tower of Terror.  I didn't know if she would like it.  But Grandma and Rachel took them on the ride.  Sarah loved it, but Libby cried the whole time.  

The girls were great at helping Ben enjoy the rides.  There was lots of saying, "This is AWESOME!"

Ben actually didn't love this ride.  During the ride he started shouting that he wanted to go on another ride he could see from his elevated position.  

I spent a fair amount of time with this cutie!  This is before our first ride on Puff!

Ben chose this dog for his carousel ride.  He didn't want me to hold onto him.  Mr. Independent.

The girls named their horses.  Sarah's was named :Silver Crystal.  Libby named hers:  Velvet Flower.

After our skyride, the kids played in the fountain.  Sarah wasn't into it.  That is when she had Grandma take her on Ladybug Bop.  

Libby and Ben got thoroughly soaked.  I was HOT and the water felt SO good!

Ben loved this ride.  He sat in the dragon he called "Puff" several times.  Most of the time he was the only one on the ride. 

Happy 4th of July!

I have always loved the 4th of July in Centerville.  I haven't been here for the 4th for a really long time, maybe even since I moved to Seattle in 2002.  It was a full day and a half of celebrations, complete with a children's parade on the eve of the 3rd, a 5k fun run in the morning, a chuck wagon breakfast, a parade, some recovery time from the heat!  Then we had a BBQ with the Thorne family (a tradition since the 1980s), and some great fireworks in the evening.  It was literally a blast!

Grandpa got to drive his tractor in the Children's Parade.  He was happier (possibly) than any other kid in the parade!  I wasn't sure if the weather was going to cooperate--just about an hour before the parade there was a huge wind blowing and some rain falling.  But it cleared up, and even though the sky looked ominous, the weather was perfect!  

The girls helped me stamp their shirts to make them 4th of July star shirts.  (I did Ben's for him :)

Never could get all 4 kids looking...

Sarah rode the 4 wheeler in the parade.  She did a great job.  There were about a thousand kids, and I didn't see her run into anyone (unlike some other kids in motorized vehicles.)

Ben's favorite new pose.

On Thursday we also prepped for our race by doing something I learned from my running coach and marathoner extraordinaire, Linda Garbo.  You need Race Nails!  

Libby rode the 4 wheeler home from the parade.  She did cheers the whole way!

All kids got a Pace's Popsicle after the race.  These are a yummy Bountiful specialty.  Ben wasn't eating his, so I took care of it for him.  He was SO unhappy when he realized it.  He even threw himself into a bush.  It had been a long week!

"Flat" ladies getting ready to race.  I had to get everything all laid out so my mom could get the girls ready during the 5k that Rachel and I were running.  

Race time!

Ready to race.  I did pretty well after a slow first mile.  I ended up finishing as the 41st woman.  Not in the top 5 in my age though.  There are some fast ladies around here!

The girls and grandma made it down.  I was so pleased with the outfit combo!  I painted on the stars to our shirts and their shirts.  

Libby was one of the first girls to finish (maybe the 1st or maybe the 2nd.  I thought she was first, but Rachel thought there was another girl just ahead of her in the pack).  Either way, she turned on her jets!

Sarah didn't do as well, but that is because at the starting line, she lost her shoe.  Poor thing!  There were a few tears. 

Ben wanted race nails too, but he only got toenails "so dad wouldn't be mad."

We watched the parade at the end of my parents' street.  It was hot!  But so fun to watch a parade with bands, dancing groups, and lots of taffy!

We did some awesome fireworks.  Ben got a little spooked.  Libby eventually went inside too.  Grandma helped them watch from her window.  

Sarah stayed out for all the fireworks!  She even helped light some.  Even if they were noisy.  

Trip Post #1--Lots of Potty Humor

I vowed not to leave it to the end of the trip to post...and try and remember everything that happened in 3 weeks.  I have already forgotten so much.  I posted a big facebook album with lots of pics of our camping.  I am really enjoying some things about this trip.  I knew it was going to be awesome when I packed:
NO STROLLER,
NO PACK N PLAY
AND MOST ESPECIALLY NO DIAPERS!

Ben is a potty rock star.  He loves to look at the "snakes" he creates.  I was a bit worried about the camping bathroom situation.  But 2 things were in our favor.  1.  He thought that there were alligators in the potty and he was excited to feed them his poop.  2.  It was actually a good smelling porto potty.  Seriously.  Smelled like cinnamon.  On the second day when he went back to go potty he said to the alligators, "You're welcome for my poop."  I just about died.
He does wait a little longer than I would like sometimes.  Today I wanted him to go before we went into sacrament meeting (which is last at my parents' ward).  He didn't want to. I asked if he had had any water to drink in nursery.  He said they had pink water (some punch I assume).  I got really excited and asked if he wanted to see if his tinkle would be pink.  He was so excited he instantly decided he had to go.  I am really enjoying taking him because he gets so excited to be successful.  He even says, "I am so proud of me!  Are you proud of me mommy?"  YES!

Libby and Sarah are loving the trip too.  They have been playing outside non-stop almost.  We definitely need to get our swing set up at home.
Sarah also loves to put on shows for people.  So here she has an amazing audience.  She had Bryn and Brian dance to the "Rabbit Tango" song as she sang it.  She gave them special moves to do and then changed them just before the dance started.  It is, unfortunately for them, a long song and she knows every word.
We have had some interesting Libby/Sarah conflicts during the trip.  In the car the kids get to pick the movie in a rotation.  When it was Libby's turn she wanted to watch Willy Wonka.  Sarah FREAKED out.  Wouldn't have it.  We had to spend 15 minutes calming her down and getting Libby to choose something else.  Finally, it was all calm.  They watched something else.  Then it was Ben's turn to choose.  He said in a cute sweet little voice, "Willie Wonka?"  I think he did it just to see what would happen.
Libby was super funny when we pulled into the camp site.  She said, "Are there snakes in Utah?"  I said yes, and she freaked out.  Didn't want to get out of the car, afraid to walk to the river.  Then after she did, and didn't see a snake, she was over it.  Just like that.  Love kids.

Ben's dinner one night was composed mainly of pickles.  Definitely related to their auntie Ray Ray.  

Ben was into taking pictures of me.  I looked REALLY good by the end of 3 days with no shower.  Gross.  And smelled good.  

Ben was super into posing for pics. 

The Persian Princesses

A few pics from the road.  Getting started.   

Burger Kings and Queens

Ben was excited to sleep in his new sleeping bag.

I found a snail for Libby to salt in the garden at my parents.  She was pretty excited.  

Grandpa got a new toy that Sarah can ride on.

This is the size of rock the kids wanted to toss into the river.