The McCormack Swimming Pools

So far this summer we have not had many opportunities to go swimming because of the rainy weather. There was one particular day when our little Gracie Girl was playing with us and it was supposed to be nice and warm so I told the kids that we could go swimming. Of course then it ended up raining the entire day - but I kept my promise and the kids all went swimming - in the bathtub. They all seemed pretty content to splash around in the comfort of our home rather than freeze their bums off at the local outdoor pool. As for me I was just happy to see that the jets still worked after sitting idle for so long. ;)When it did finally warm up for one day I surprised the boys by breaking out their outdoor swimming pool. The plan was to fill it up in the morning so that the sun could warm up the water during the day and then the boys could go swimming in the afternoon. (Yeah I know there are some moms who put warm water in the pool to begin with - but I am not one of them.) Anyways, of course the boys could not wait for the water to get warm and they ended up swimming and playing in the water the whole day.

Camping at Rockport State Park

Two weeks ago we went camping with seven other familes at Rockport State Park. It took me about three days to get ready for the weekend trip but it was all worth it. We left Friday afternoon and returned home Sunday afternoon. Although it rained off and on all weekend we all had a really good time. There were tons of kids for the boys to play with, plenty of room for them to ride their bikes and plenty of mud to play in. The boys didn't even touch the bag of toys they had packed for the trip which was a sign they had plenty of other things to do. My friend Sarah organized everything to where all the families pitched in at meal time and we all ate together like one big family. Everybody had so much fun and I can't wait to go camping with all these friends again.

It's Raining It's Pouring

June is turning into a very wet month for us folks out here in Utah. I can not recall a day this month when it did not rain - which I guess has been good for our grass and vegetable garden but not so good for pool time. :( Last week we met our friends Sean, Gracie and Sarah at the zoo and enjoyed strolling around watching the animals in the rain but just before we were leaving it started to downpour and we ended up getting drenched.

We spent one day at the mall with Sean, Gracie and Sarah because of the rain as well. We enjoyed lunch and let the kids run around Dino-Land before we decided it was time to get in our own therapy - shopping. Every penny I spent I can honestly blame on the rain. :) That evening the six of us enjoyed a nice dinner at Buca di Beppo and the kids actually managed to eat quit a bit - I was just thankful no one was sitting too close to us because they all seemed to be a little wound up. Then it was home for the much anticipated bath where Lucas thought it would be funny to lock his little brother out of the bathroom....... Knock! Knock!
LET ME IN!!!!
YEAH!! That is much better - he just loves his bath.

Puppy Dog Tales

It never ceases to amaze me just how quickly time goes by now that I have two little boys. Add a vacation in to the mix and the time whizzes by in the blink of an eye. Our vacation time in Wyoming is usually spent visiting my mom, my brother and my three sisters not to mention the extended family and friends that call the windy state their home. I always get stressed out trying to make sure to fit everybody in without leaving anyone out. This time we spent a couple of nights with my brother Robert and spent a mandatory day walking around historic downtown Laramie. I love shopping at the Maurice's there and always spend more money than I should, the Curiosity Shoppe that carries all sorts of nick knacks and most of all the Chocolate Cellar - yummy. Robert, Shelly and I also took the boys on the footbridge that goes over the railroad tracks in hopes of standing over the passing trains but I think all the trains were on strike that day. It was still fun none the less.

We then spent three nights with my mom - otherwise known as Grandma Janice. At first Landon was not sure what to think of my mom's dog Tabby mainly because we do not have any animals and so he is therefore not used to being pawed and licked and sniffed. It took about a day before Landon would walk up to her and initiate any type of contact and after that they were buddies. Mom said poor Tabby Dog spent the day after we left her house just walking around sniffing and looking for us. :( Maybe one day the boys will have a dog of their own - even if it is when they move out on their own.

The last three nights of our trip were spent at my sister Tonia's house in Cheyenne, Wyoming. They live outside of town where there is lots of space for the boys to run around wild and that is just what they did. Lucas loved racing his cousin Kathy around the house multiple times and helping his cousin Destin feed the steer. After being up close with so many cows this last trip Landon is now fluent in 'moo' tongue. One of the highlights of the trip was being reunited with Steve after being away from him for an entire week. The boys grabbed on to daddy and didn't want to let go.

Kathy Graduates High School

So I am definitely a little behind on my posts but here we go again. One of the highlights of our trip to Wyoming was watching my niece graduate high school. The older Kathy has got the stronger our relationship has become. She is such a bright young lady with a good head on her shoulders and I am truly very proud of her. We also got to visit with my nephew Kent since he was able to take a leave from the Marines where he is stationed at Camp Pendleton in CA. After Kathy walked across the stage her parents had a big graduation party for her with lots of family and friends. Lucas and Landon enjoyed playing outside all day with all the other kids and also got a kick out of feeding their cousin Destin's steer. We all look forward to our next visit to Wyoming at the end of July.

The Farm in Nebraska

It was two weeks ago yesterday that the kids and I made the 5 1/2 hour car ride to little Laramie, Wyoming for the first time this year. Steve drove the three of us half way to Rock Springs where we then met my brother Robert who took us on the rest of the way. I don't remember when exactly we started doing our trips like this but it allows me and the kids to stay and visit family for an extra week before Steve then drives all the way to Laramie the following weekend to pick us up. Once the kids are a little older I think I will then be able to make the trip without another adult but until that time I sure do appreciate all my family members who have taken the time to make the scenic drive to Rock Springs for lunch. ;) And of course my loving husband who has made this all possible - even though I am sure he enjoys the quiet time right after he drops us off.

The day after arriving in Laramie we then made a short trip to Nebraska to meet my brother Robert's future in laws. They live on a Ranch outside of Gering where they raise cattle and we were fortunate enough to be there on one of the days they happened to be branding. The entire Revelle family was so welcoming and we had a great day playing and eating good food.

Lucas loved that they had a trampoline and 4-Wheelers and there were tons of other kids for him to play with. As far as the branding went...neither boy was too keen on what was going on. I think the noise the calves and their mommas made because of being separated was a little much for both Lucas and Landon.I loved being there for the experience!! The black calf below was less than a day old so I enjoyed watching it try to walk around on wobbly legs but kept my distance from the very protective mother.

We also saw two snakes in the front yard while at the ranch. The first little snake was quickly taken care of by Aunt Shelly wielding a shovel and the second quit larger snake was handled by her brother who carried him into the field, gave him a smack or two and sent him on his way. Needless to say I would much rather have Shelly in my corner.

After a long day of play, I think we all could have crawled up on the trampoline to take a nap. A very special thank you goes out to the Revelle family for being so kind and opening your home to me and the boys. We look forward to visiting you all again.