WARNING: Its a long one!!!

Afer I finished uploading pictures, I realized that they are in reverse chronological order and I didn't want to move them around, so I'll tell the story in reverse! We had such a fun time in Tropic. Lainey and I both loved being down there and were grateful we could spend as much time as we did with my family!

This picture was taken the Sunday after we got home... she was so tired, she fell asleep with her Goldfish crackers in her hand! Lainey and Gramma April- look how good they match... and it wasn't even on purpose!

Josh took this picture... isn't it sweet? We went camping at Pine Lake on the 4th of July and Lainey loved being out in the wilderness. She had a good time collecting rocks and pinecones. When we were getting ready to leave, we had the doors open in the Jeep, and as we were loading in, we found a little line of rocks inside the door that I guess she wanted to take home!

This is another picture Josh took... The old and the new... We took the old one down for Lesha to use since she'll be 16 in January and we didn't really have the space to keep it up here...

4th celebration at the Tropic park

She sure loved that snow cone! She loved the big bathtub! We don't have one yet, but after this trip, I think we might have to get one!
July 3rd was my grandpa Art's 91st birthday (He's the one with the cane... his brother Al is the other guy...) They're both just a couple of 'old farts'! It was great to be able to visit them while we were down.

We went to the swimming pool in Parowan when we were there visiting Grandma and Grandpa Evans... It brought back alot of fun childhood memories!
Here, Lainey is flirting and waving to some boys... hmmm I wonder where she gets that from?!

I had tried several times to catch Lainey making the 'lamb' sound on video, and finally did! Logan and Lesha are raising lambs for 4H and Lainey loved them! The first minute of this clip is really the best part, but I think it lasts for about 2...

Like I mentioned earlier, Lainey loved the big bathtub! She would try to eat the bubbles by putting her face in the water... It was so cute!

Pictures for Dad

So we are in Tropic for the week... yes, again! I've got to get my fill before I become a full time teacher in August... Lainey went swimming for the first time today in a big pool and she had a blast! I was nervous to have her in so much water, but it was a lot of fun!

"No, No Lainey!" This is a naughty moment caught in picture... She thinks its funny to get into grandma April's plants and eat the dirt.
I thought it was adorable that she took her little beau-dog puppy toy to see the real dogs...
We've had a lot of fun so far and I'm sure I'll have more pictures to post in the upcoming days... Josh, we miss you and love you so much. Thanks for letting us have a little get-a-way! Kisses!

Taylorsville Dayzz and other pics...

So today was a fun break from the norm. Its Taylorsville Dayzz this weekend and they have a parade, carnival, entertainment, the whole shabang! Lainey was quite interested in the parade. She would wave at almost every float that went by.

Lainey's cousins Abby, Ben, and Colin were there too. She loves being around them!

She had her first taste of poptarts, and I think they were a hit! She ate a whole one by herself!


At the fair/carnival they had a petting zoo. Lainey loved seeing all the little goats and pigs. They had a llama and a donkey too. She did freak out a little when a mama goat got to close. She clicked her tongue at the llama because she thought it was a horse, and she would bark at the goats. I guess its the size thing.This was from the other day... Isn't she adorable? She likes to brush her teeth with me and watch me put on my makeup. When I put on my lipstick, I say Mmmmwwahh, and Lainey says it too. The other day she kept pointing to her books and saying 'mmmmwwahh, mmmmwwahh' and I couldn't figure out what she wanted. Finally I realized that it was a book that has a picture of lipstick in it. She is so smart!

She found this little towell in the laundry and I put it on her head. She thought it was pretty fun! I love her poses, too.

Josh is such a wonderful dad! He loves to take care of Lainey when I need a break. This was from the other night when he put her to bed. They really are the loves of my life.
It has been so fun to play outside this last week. Lainey has enjoyed playing in the pool and I've enjoyed getting a little bit of a tan! Josh got to come home early on Tuesday because of a power outage in Park City, so he got to play with us too. It was so good to share our normal day with him! He works so hard and hates that he misses so much of her day. He is always willing to take her when he gets home. We love going on walks, swinging, playing outside with the puppies, anything to get out of the house if its not too hot.

Lainey and the Ducks...

There once was a little girl who loved ducks. She played with ducks in the bath, she read books about ducks, and she even had a ducky towel. One day, her mom and dad took her over to the river by their house to show her something very special. The little girl could not believe what she saw... ducks! Ducks of every size, shape, and color! There were mommy ducks, baby ducks, daddy ducks, grandpa and grandma ducks, too. There were even a few families of geese. The little girl was captivated by the noise that the ducks made and was soon 'quacking' back at the them.

Her mom and dad kept the ducks close by feeding them bread. They gave a piece of bread to the little girl to feed the ducks, but the little girl decided she was hungry too, so she ate it instead. The little girl loved her new feathered friends, and she returned each week to feed them from that time on... well until the city put up a sign saying that we couldn't feed the ducks anymore because it was causing a rat infestation...

Mama

I LOVE BEING A MOM!!! Even on the rough days, Lainey just melts my heart and changes my attitude. She has been really jabbering alot lately, and I love it! She says "Awww" when she hugs her monkey, baby, duck, bunny... anything soft and cuddley. She does this 'Ohhh' like in "Ohhh, how cute!" when she sees something she likes (I have bought her an outfit or two because of this reaction) and the other day, she said 'Ohhhtut' Josh and I looked at each other in amazement... Our little girl is talking! She now says 'Mama' when she wants me, which is so wonderful. I love spending my days with her and I am really sad they are numbered. School begins on August 18th for me, and although I am looking forward to using my degree, I am so so sad to leave Lainey. She truly has been such a huge blessing in our lives... mine especially. I remember telling Josh before she was born how scared I was about raising a baby and how much it will change our lives, and he just reassured me that everything would be great and life wouldn't change that much.... eh, wrong!!! Life is unrecognizable from what it was a year ago, but it is so much better! It has been tough, I'm not going to lie, but Lainey has kept me sane... in a way :) She has given me something to look forward to each morning, helped me be more organized, helped me lose 60 pounds, and made me a better person. We are more focused on our family and the values and faith we want instilled in our children. Isn't it amazing what happens when you become a parent? Anyways, just thought I would share my thoughts :)

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day!

We spent Father's Day with my two favorite Dads... My dad and Lainey's dad! We went to Tropic for the weekend and had a great time hiking Bryce and just being out of the city.
My mom drives for the Shuttle at Bryce during the summer, so she worked her magic and got us into the park for free!

Lainey's new horse from Grandma April and Grandpa Layne... she clicks her tongue every time she sees it. She can even dismount it the right way! What can I say... Its in her blood!

Here's another 4 generation picture... My mom's mother, Hazel Evans (87), mom, me and Lainey. My mom looks awesome, don't you think? She's lost like 26 pounds on weight watchers in the last two months! Way to go mom! They just got back from a Hawaiian cruise that they went on for their 25th anniversary. They brought back some fun clothes, jewelry, and a tie for Josh, and some awesome pictures!