On the Pontoon...

We made it out.

Finally.

The boat is no longer virgin to the summer waters.

And guess who got to ski on the best water of the day?

Oh yeah, no one, because it's all relative when you're floating on Utah Lake.

But nevertheless, God was smiling down on us and gave us blue skies and warm sun in between the summer rains we've been having.

So here's what I was thinking out there while I pontificated from my windy vinyl perch...

And believe me, I know this is a lot of over thinking the whole boating experience but let's go with it.

-Boats are awesome.

-Kids on boats are awesome {mostly}

Introducing Daxi's new "Funny Face"... I heart it.

-Boat food is awesome.

-Bobbing in the water in a floatation device is awesome.

-Watching little tikes pee off the back of the boat and giggle themselves silly is awesome.

-Water skiing is awesome (way more awesome than wake boarding... that should totally be noted)

-All girls should steer clear of red one piece swimsuits unless they want to conjure up a comparison of their chesticles to Pamela Anderson's chesticles... not awesome.
-Good thing I'm a wild woman and wear a two piece.  My mama taught me right...

-There is an immense war of wills when your littlest feels that as the newest member of the crew he should be the Captain of the ship.  He did NOT want to be told he had to get out of the water.  We should have left him bobbing around like a tiny buoy.  It would have been easier. 

-Boat hair blows... both literally and literally.
But check out Grandmas!  I adore it. :)

-Regardless of the sport, you feel like a young, wild thing when you pick right back up where you left off at the end of last season and pop up on your first shot on your slalom ski.  It's a superficial little boost to the ego.

-Driving a boat is way harder than it looks.  And I am not awesome at it.

But check out our flagger?  All Bid-Ness.  Rad.

-RyGar is awesome at boat driving.  I am confident he will buy an incredibly awesome boat with perfect pass in the future so that his "other" boat driver will be more awesome.

-I am, however, an awesome trailer backer-upper.  And that is a talent.  Nay - a skill that few possess.

-Boats are a lot of work.  And I loathe the prep it takes to get out on the water.  But every single time we go I end up grinning from ear-to-ear, feeling so glad that we took the time to make it happen.

-When you go boating with two three-year-olds and a one-year-old... you need assistance.  Aunts & Grandmas are awesome.  Aunts & Grandmas that snap photos and hold snugly little towel wrapped babies are totally awesome.

-I am going to invent sunglasses that have an alarm that goes off if it senses you are about to dive into the water whilst wearing said sunglasses.  I can't tell you how many pair I have lost.  RIP sunglasses.  If I want to look on the bright side I tell myself that is a testament to how comfy Smith Sunnies really are... they're so comfy I forget they're there.  Dang, how do I get a blog where I get paid or gifted products for  my amazing endorsements?  I need to know because between Sonic and Smith Sunglasses - I'd be livin' large.  :)

See?  I've delved way too deep into the waves of thought brought on by boat ownership.  Or maybe I've been exposed to too much sun?  Or maybe it's dehydration?  Regardless... I'll be makin' waves and catchin' rays again, soon... On the pontoon.

{Or our elderly red and white Bayliner.}

Details... Shmetails.

Tootie Foodie...

So guess what?  I've kinda turned into a weird old foodie.  Does that just inevitably happen with all grown ups?  Like, your taste buds kill over and die off the surface of your tongue with sheer exhaustion from PBnJ overload and old age and you start liking "artsy" things that you would never in your life have even pretended to enjoy in your former years?  Geez, I come around slowly to this stuff, but I really think I'm having a moment of personal growth.

Here's what's the what... I am head-over-heels in love with frittatas.  (Which are officially the, "I'm not-coordinated-enough-to-flip-omelettes" version of fancy eggs).  My latest one involved fresh basil, smoked ham, parmesan and tomatoes.  I mean, who AM I?  I almost posted the recipe because I started drooling on the keyboard... but then I remembered, I'm just me, not Rachel Ray.

I also am totally digging new meat marinades that have crazy ingredients and I'm mixing fresh cantaloupe and blueberries with my cottage cheese.  You know, in general, just doing nasty things my Mom used to do, wherein, I would quickly stick my finger in my mouth and feign gagging.

Yesterday, I decided it would only be right to grill an Avocado and squirt a little fresh lime juice on top then add a dollop of Crema Fresca over it.  It was downright fantastic.  The earth is shattering.  I used to make the barfing sound at all Avocados... even in guacamole form.  I'm a class act like that.

So, you see?  We have on our hands, either the Apocalypse (get your weapons) or a woman who is finally coming of age.  You know, lead a horse to water and all that.

Now, let's even out the scales a bit... I did devour a puff of pink cotton-candy over the holiday, one bubble gum flavored shaved ice, and, of course, some Kraft Mac n' Cheese with the littles... and I enjoyed all of those just as much as my basil frittata.  I think.

And on a completely unrelated note but maybe related in that it is child-like?  We braved the water park yesterday.  We were there when the gates opened so we could get in and out and avoid some of the crowd, and victory of all victories... it worked!  I have a strong love/hate relationship with water parks... like equal parts {ewww and fun} & {thrilling and exhausting}, you know?

But regardless, the little people in my world ADORED it and for the most part rocked it out.  Kaelster was an animal.  Acey Boo stayed nice and cool at home with Aunt Kim.  And then there was this one moment with Dax & a plot of mud... let's just say, Daximus does NOT enjoy the sensation of mud between his toes and all toddler ninja skills are null and void when mud meets toes.  Period.

And so, there you have it... lest you thought I was not maturing... I am... but it's all relative.

Congratulations parents... You win.

Again.

:)

To Box or Not to Box...

We live in a place where you can literally walk to a park if you leave the front door and go any single direction.  West, to the school playground, less than a hundred yards away.  South, to the little yellow park, a hundred fifty yards away.  East, to one of our favorite parks in the big grassy hollow, just two blocks away.  And north, a little bike ride since it's just so much further... you know, three whole blocks.  Sometimes we have to pull out the four-wheelers to make it there.  Grueling.

So, I'm stickin' to my guns about not buying a swing set for our own back yard.  But where things get a little less black and white in my yard planning, is the beloved sand box.

To sand box or not to sand box?  That is the question.

No really, I need your perspective here.

On one hand, these littles of ours will shovel, build, dig & water, for HOURS in Grandma's sand box.  They play so well together.  They actually leave my parents garden alone since there is an alternative to digging out flowers and tomato plants.  They smile with pride at the many things they construct.  It is literally THE babysitting mechanism, and hence, the Richfield house has been dubbed, "The Sandbox House" by my little men.

On the other hand, I don't enjoy sweeping up sand.  I don't love cats and have been warned that cats adore sandboxes.  I could do without the constant sugary coating on every single naked little body part of three little sweaty boys...  But, you know.

Maybe it's worth it?

And if you say something totally sassy, like, "DUH -Look at their faces!"  Then I'll consider it totally  deserved.  Dang.  You know I have a tendency to pull out all the stops if you claim that I'm depriving them of a childhood right of passage.  So "BOMBS AWAY"... guilt trip me into it.

 I'm ready.

I think.

:)

The Fourth...

Let me just show you in sparkler writing how much I adore the Fourth of July.  I promise the message will transfer -- sparkler writing is a Universal language, you know.

Sure, I've raved about it in years past.

I mean RAVED.

And this year is no different in my complete affinity for all things Fourth of July in my Richfield.

Except that now I have this little posse of men that can fully dive for candy along the parade route, and catch fish in the famous fish grab, and spray their Daddy-o with a squirt gun in stealth fashion, and point to the night skies at their "bery faborite" colored fireworks... And so, thanks to them, my heart just sort of "sparkles" on the Fourth.  Pun intended.

Like I take snapshots all day in my head... willing myself to remember every detail.

"Oh, they rode their bikes all decorated up Patriotic style on main like they were big shots in the Children's parade --  They'll SO remember this when they're older just like I do!  I mean, it's their first official drag down main street, you know."

"Yes, they are lighting smoke bombs with their Daddy-o, and Grampa Hooky is teaching them to 'rain dance' through the big colorful plumes of smoke and they are just erupting with giggles." 

{Sidenote... it DID actually rain that night.  Just sayin'.}

"Yay, they are tasting Grandma's homemade icecream and then they'll retaste it thanks the film of vanilla sugar that is left on the roof of their mouths... that sensation equals Fourth of July night."

You know what I mean?

My Dad is the original photo bomber.   
And my hubs is the original dimple flasher.
#LuckyLady

These traditions are my traditions from my childhood book and I get to relive them with the RyGar and babes and I just sort of feel like a lucky little Lost Boy who never has to grow up deep in the heart of Never Never Land.  And everyone knows, that place rocks.

Kinda like the fish grab.  Which Kael completely dominated this year.  Little Dax Man had to call in the assistance of his big bro because they, "Just kept swipping out of his hands!"

 

Big brother stepped up, as you can see.  :)

P.S. Speaking of lost boys, we only had one all week long.  That, is no short of a miracle... but it caused a "make your heart pound out of your chest sensation" none the less.  We didn't have to look too long.  In the bounce houses he was, with no ticket, jumping like a happy little man with the paying customers.  Whatever will we do with you stealth little Daximus?

So it went - all weekend long.

A story book of red, white & blue full of heart-swelling pride in my home... my America... my family.

Sun, Family, Water, Stars, Food, Laughing... Not to mention tired kids and sweaty bodies... but really, the sweaty bodies and associated meltdowns were a given, yeah?

Virtual memory book pages of our own version of summer camp were written right before my very eyes.  I hope these things instill strength, adventure, reverence for family & fearlessness to try new things along with a desire to uphold some tradition.  But mostly, I hope these memories-in-the-making are an endless font of happiness for these little men of mine.  Because above all else I want them to be happy.  And happiness, in my experience, is fairly easy to whip up, if you gather the right ingredients.  

And one of those ingredients may or may not be total, unabashed flirtation with each and every pretty girl that passes you by.  He was so happy it made him somersault with joy.  And he kinda stole the show in his little squeaky shoes with his associated "HI BABY!"  Lock up your daughters... that's all.

So, a huge XO to my home town.  And do you know how much I love seeing all my home town friends with their adorable families?  It makes me so happy to wave at you across the street at the parade or say hello to you in the park and know that we all came from the very same amazing place.

And to my parents who always host the summer bash of the year... here it comes, in sparkler writing...

Y'all are rock stars.

Especially on a summer night in July.

Happy Birthday, America.

Summer Bucket Lists...

We have a little summer check list on the fridge.  Like the A-type personality that I am, I paid special attention to that list this past weekend and it's incessant calling for some check marks...

Rodeo, Cotton Candy & Snow Cones... Check, Check, Check.

Swimming Lessons followed by Waterslides with the whole Clan... Check, Check.

Keeping the littlest man entertained and OUT of the water every day for an entire 1/2 hour was a sweaty full-time job, I tell ya.

Movie Theatre with the Big Littles... Check

{Many thanks to Monster's University, a Gallon of Sprite & a Tub of Popcorn}

Sparklers & Pop Its after Mowing the Lawn & Working on Our Tans... Check, Check, Check.

And Check.

These massive "to dos" are anything but massive, but I swear, do you know what I remember most about summers as a kid?  Those little things like, making popsicles, floating boats down the ditch & sleeping on the trampoline... (Also things on the Ever-Important Fridge List).

And there you have it.  A weekend recap full of Check Marks. 

And soon, my very own Christmas in July... The Fourth!

Just look for a flag-waving freak surrounded by a little family of men all clad in Red, White & Blue.

That'll be us.

:)