Hello Springfield!

OK, so this is a total rip off from Annie's blog. But anyone who knows me will understand that I had to take advantage of the chance to create myself as a Simpson. I wouldn't say that I'm obsessed with the show (I hardly ever watch it on Sunday nights - reruns may be another story), but I absolutely love the characters. Homer is a classic figure on TV and he really seems to get better with age. The fact that The Simpsons is still going strong after 19 years - it debuted when I was in Jr. High - is a testament to it's ability to provide us with a sense of ourselves. I'm sure I'll provide a movie review in a few weeks (I hope I get to see it by then), but without further ado, Jared as a Simpson.

A Fish and a Pig

With all of the recent events we cracked out the video camera and filmed the kids. Here's the setup: Kennedy has been enjoying her swimming lessons and Alex has been reveling in his birthday celebration. And now, for your Saturday matinée we are pleased to bring you a double feature: Kennedy the Fish and Alex the Pig.

Kennedy the Fish

Alex the Pig

When it Rains, it Pours

Even though I'm glad we've had several recent thunderstorms to save us from the summer heat, it seems as though we have a black cloud hanging over our home for the past week. It started last week when we learned that the air conditioning on the Xterra had gone out while we were on vacation. With the temperatures in the 100's for most of July there's no way we were going without air in the SUV. A mere $250 dollars and we were back in the cool.

On Monday our basement sink suddenly filled with water mixed with a mysterious black sludge. As much as we tried to plunge out the clog nothing seemed to work. Wednesday (no way I'd call on a holiday) we hired a plummer and for 10 minutes of work we paid $130. Problem solved.

Yesterday, Tara was catching up on the laundry when the dryer stopped working. We knew we were living on borrowed time, since the appliance was 30 years old. But now we're down another major household item and we've already spent our emergency money for the month. Good thing there's 12 months no interest, no payments. I know, I know - we hate doing it too.

The other little gem from last night was a problem we've had since the spring. The main water line to our house has enough of a gap around the pipe that water can get into the basement. I've tried to seal the gap with caulk, tar, and some kind of foam, but with the torrential downpour last night we had a little river in our laundry room for an hour or so. I know I need to patch the foundation where the pipe enters the house, but it means digging a four foot hole in the front yard and I'm not in a big hurry considering the summer temps.

I hope I'm not tempting fate by writing about our week of home repair/problems. Still, there's not much more that home ownership can bring our way for the rest of the month....Is there?

Banned

With a statewide ban on fireworks in Utah this year, we decided to spark up our own fun and spent the day geocaching. I know it's been a while since you've read of our exploits with this minor obsession, but now is the time to share. Rather than staying close to home we headed North and into Davis County. I figured it was the best way to get some company on our hunt since both Jared and Ross live in Kaysville. Splitting the difference in our trip was the most gas conscious way to make everyone happy.

Caching was relatively easy today. It could be due the fact that I only entered in waypoints for simple caches that were all normal containers. When you have 7 kids with you it really helps if they can find some treasure to trade. It also helps when you schedule a few caches near a park so the kids can go play. I think this was the real highlight of the morning, either that or the Happy Meals at McDonald's for lunch. Oh well, I guess there have to be concessions when you're dragging the kids around to look for hidden boxes in the 98 degree heat!

The Little Munchkin is one year old

I can't believe that the little guy is actually one year old. Alex is such a shrimp but he is growing so fast. We celebrated his first birthday with some swimming at Murray pool on Saturday and a small family party on Sunday. Alex was as charming as ever and seemed to have fun at his little party. After dinner, we had cake and ice cream. The best part of the night was letting Alex dig into a huge piece of cake. He was pretty tentative at first, but as soon as he got a taste of the frosting, he went for it. I was surprised at how much he actually ate. The little guy threw it down like a pro. His Nana made the cute baseball cake and it was delicious! After cake and ice cream, we opened presents with help from Kennedy and Liam. He got lots of clothes and toys and was spoiled by everyone. After a quick bath to remove the frosting and cake from his hair, he hit the sack. A fun birthday for a special little guy.

With Alex turning one, I have been a little sappy, thinking about how much we love him and how he has changed our lives for the better. From the beginning, he has been a blessing. He is such a good kid, always happy (well, almost always), smiling at everyone and melting hearts with his big blue eyes and long eyelashes.

Some of the things that I love about Alex:
-the way he giggles when his sister does something silly
-his eyes
-the way he spits out his food when he is done eating
-his very fast crawl, especially when he knows I am trying to catch him
-his very healthy appetite (the kid never stops eating and he is a stick)
-the way his eyes light up when daddy gets home
-how he says "mamamamama" and every once in a while "mommy"
-the way he knocks everything over and makes sure that if isn't on the floor and he can reach it, it will be within seconds
-his great smile
-the way he chases a ball across the room and tackles it
-his bear growl
-the spitting contests he has with Kennedy in the car
-how he hangs on to my shirt when I hold him
-did I mention his eyes?

Anyway, I could go on and on. I love this little guy and am so thankful to be a mom to two great kids. Happy first birthday, Alex. I love you.



Check out this slideshow for all the action of Alex's birthday.