This is how we roll...

We have to be in the water constantly!  This is at Sand Hollow with Marty's sister and kids...who came into town to see us!  It is only 15 min. from our house.



I love this place...reminds me of a mini Lake Powell....red dirt, warm water..red rock surroundings.  Liam was lost in his own water world for a while.





While Marty's family was in town...(his Mom drove out too) we were
able to participate in the sealing of Diane (Marty's mom) to her
 deceased brother and parents in the Salt Lake Temple. 
 It was a really
 neat experience.  I love these guys!



Here is some more of our staying wet episodes!  The only and best way to jump on the tramp...getting HOSED!  The kids love it but Marty gets more of a kick out of spraying them I think.

Swimming Lessons.   This place is the best.  It's the largest indoor/outdoor pool in Southern Utah.  It's mostly indoor pool with lots of kid friendly agenda. Most mommies don't prefer it cuz they can't get their tan on...but for me...I've had too much of getting my tan on.  See HERE.  So it's PERFECT for swimming...no reapplying the sunscreen every hour here!

Another fun place I love is this river/splash pad/park in downtown St.
 George.  It has shade trees and tables and chairs and a long river of water
 with big rocks embedded.  This is a great place to stay cool and wet and
 it's FREE.




This is how I spent my 31st. birthday!  At Del Taco for 2 hours and Walmart for another 2.5 in Cedar City!  Yeah...who doesn't enjoy that !  ha.  Our van broke down on the way up north for the fourth and we had to stick around for it to be repaired for 5 hours!  We could only go within walking distance while we waited in this industrial part of town and we didn't even have a stroller.  gag.

 

When we finally got to my Mom's they had a cake for me (thanks JAMI)
 and a little party ...it was 10:30 at night !  My poor Mom waited up to
celebrate with me...how sweet is she.  Love you family!

The next morning my mom had scheduled for Jami and I to get pedicures.  We went to Mindful Women in Ogden and it was amazing.  I've only ever had them at a mall or someplace silly ...THIS was a real spa experience and it felt SO great.  Dont' mind my ugly stub toes. !  ha!  This made the- drive from he__ - the previous day worth every minute.

PLEASE note the look on Liam's face in the first picture...I know it's not the best quality but that expression is priceless on his face..!  Fireworks really bring it out of them!  He and his cousin Owen are a year apart (Liam being older) but they are the same size and they LOVE each other.  Kissing cousins and best friends.

Ruby tried her hand at face painting and she did a pretty good job on her
 cousin Courtney.  She held up the mirror for her to see and Courtney
 exclaimed...."that doesn't look like a tiger!".  Ruby was not offended or
 deterred...she just moved on to the other side to paint a dragon.  We went
 to a parade in Morgan with the cousins.  Charlie wanted to take a 'walk about'
 (as you'd say in Aussie).  He would not stay put until the candy started coming!

On the night of the actual fourth we drove back down to St. George and
 went with our friends Ricki and Tony to the Sun Bowl where they have
 live music (which was pretty dang impressive) and a lot of dirt.  It's usually
 sodded in so there is grass to sit on but this year they'd left it dirt and the
 kids were completely covered by the time we went home...nothing like
 a bath at midnight!  And SO, SO thirsty...we did not bring enough water! 
 The fireworks were the BEST I've EVER seen though.  We were right under
 them.  It was awesome and well worth the grit.





Charlie cried when they started the fireworks...but luckily I had his
 'blankie' and he was comforted enough to enjoy the rest of the show.  
 I'm starting to see more resemblances between Ruby and I.  She used
 to be TOTALLY Marty when she was little, but besides Liam taking over
 that position-totally and completely-(he is like a mini-Marty)...Ruby doesn't
 look as much like him anymore.  Bottom right shows our live-in (when we
 hang with Ricki and Tony) babysitter for Charlie.  Karlin probably only
weighs 10 or 20 pounds more than him but totes him around
EVERYWHERE , and ALL NIGHT.  When she's around we don't see him,
 they played in this stroller most the night...it is SO nice to have her! ha!