July 24th

 We celebrated July 24th like real pioneers!  Luckily my mom had these cute pioneer clothes in the costume box at her house.  That cute little skirt and bonnet that Sammi is wearing were mine when I was about her age.  They thought it was pretty fun for a few minutes, but I made them stay in their clothes for my own selfish entertainment.

 We made butter!

 Ben and my dad were doubtful that it would work, but boy were they wrong!  They were messing with my mom who happened to throw me a pioneer birthday party when I was about 7, and she is an expert butter-shaker.

Then we humored the boys and went fishing in the Uintahs.

 Steph caught a fish!

 And Grandma kept the girl warm since it was actually pretty chilly up there.

We were really feeling the lack of bathrooms.  Sammi may have had to leave a little something under a tree...perhaps even the same tree her mom left something under when she was about 3 as well.  Overall though, a very successful Pioneer Day.

Three!

We snapped a few pictures of Sammi while we were at my parents' new house in Midway for her big birthday!

I love this picture of E.  He was just being silly, and I snapped one picture of him and it turned out darling!  Those are his golf clubs slung across his back.

Sammi's 3-year-old interview:

My favorite food is: cake

My favorite thing to play is: Ariel

The best show is: Ariel

The coolest person on earth is: Ariel

The thing I am most excited about for school is: wearing my backpack

The thing I do best is: be Ariel

If I could go anywhere in the world, I'd go: to Kindergarten

My favorite color is: pink

When I grow up, I want to be: Belle

My favorite song is: Song of a Bird (My Heavenly Father Loves Me)

My favorite book is: Rainbow Fish

Three words that describe me: smart, pretty, happy (with help)

When I was little, I used to: bite my Ariel

My favorite season of the year is: Fall with the leaves

The best thing about me is: I like to play with my friends

The snack I like best is: fruit snacks, banana, pineapple, popcorn, raspberries

One food I dislike is: Black raspberries (blackberries)

My best friend is: Kennedy (cousin) & Emerson

If I had one wish, it would be: a pineapple

My best memory is: Meeting Ariel at Disneyland (with help)

Sammi's 3rd Birthday

The beautiful birthday girl

 The day finally came! This sweet girl has been counting down ever since I had my birthday because she knew hers was next!  It was the most magical day for her, I think.

Emerson had a few little jealousy issues leading up to her birthday because he feels like his birthday was FOREVER ago, but it really helped to have him in on some birthday secrets because he felt important.  He was really good on the actual day and only had a few 'harumph' moments where he was jealous it wasn't his birthday.

Daddy had been on call the night before, so it worked out nicely that he got home around 8 that morning and was a good sport to take naps in between the birthday festivities.  We went to see Despicable Me 2, and then had lunch at Brick Oven before heading up to Midway to spend the rest of the day with Grandma and Grandpa J and Steph up there.

Almost time for presents!

It's time!!!

E being excited for her

She was so thrilled with her presents!  When she opened her bike she kept saying, "I can't believe it.  I can't believe I have my own bike!"

 Here she is with her loot.  Sparkly pink shoes, new colored pencils, Ariel doll clothes, a big-girl booster carseat, Ariel Duplo Legos, a new bike, helmet, and a darling Sofia the First doll from Uncle Scott & Aunt Ashley.  She is one lucky girl!

She couldn't wait to have cake, and when the time finally came she was ecstatic.

This was almost an epic cake-fail.  I tried to do big purple rosettes around the side, but the frosting just fell off and melted, so I ended up having to smooth it around and toss these candy pearl beads on that I had in my cake decorating stuff.  At that moment it became a "special Sofia the First cake".

As I said, thrilled.

Doesn't it look like all her dreams are coming true at this very moment!?

After she ate the frosting off the top of her long-awaited cake, she got to open her presents from Grandma and Grandpa J.  She got little princess dolls with the awesome clip-on clothes.  It was a gift to make girl and mother happy because she can change the clothes herself!  Such a magical day.

*The next morning she woke up and asked if it was still her birthday.  I had to tell her no, but then she looked worried so I had to reassure her that she was still 3 and still got to keep all her presents.

Happy 3rd/4th of July!

 Yay. I'm 27 now.  I received so many thoughtful gifts on my birthday, but my favorites were probably the sweet pictures an letters from the kids.  They were so excited to give them and help me celebrate my birthday.  I just love them to pieces!

 And sweet Ben got me an iPad mini for my birthday, along with a very sweet birthday letter as well.:)

 We got to go on a date while my parents tended the kids in the afternoon, and then we all went to dinner at Joe Morley's and had cake and ice cream.  My mom was sweet enough to order this amazing cake from Mrs. Backer's bakery downtown.  Their cakes are so beautiful and taste amazing!

 The kids were eager to help me lick off the candles after that whole singing business was done.

 We finished off the night with some fireworks and went to bed so we could get up early for the parade the next day...

The boys and Steph were good enough to go early to find a place to watch the Murray parade.  There are so many psychos who set out chairs like 3 days in advance and then almost get in a fist-fight with people who are normal and come to find a place several hours before the start of the parade and blame them for moving their chairs when really it was the huge rainstorm.  Not that I speak from experience or anything...

E ready to get lots o' candy

The fam and Aunt Karen and Uncle Craig

The girl in her Fourth-of-July finery

Hooray for America!

Ben was disappointed that my mom didn't get pegged in the behind by a piece of candy launched from the Senior Citizen bus like a few years ago, but I would say the parade was a success.

After the parade we headed up to the Christensens' cabin for a few hours and then came back for a barbeque at the Johnsons' house with the Healys and then headed to fireworks.  It was a long but fun day.

Catch-Up

 At the end of May, this big fella graduated from Preschool!  I can't believe how tall he is getting to be.  Sometimes he wakes up in the morning and I swear he has grown another inch.  He has loved Preschool and is mostly excited about starting Kindergarten.  He is a little nervous about it, but in the end I think he will love it too.

 Sammi had to get her backpack on and take a picture with her big brother.  She will be starting Preschool in the Fall and is thrilled to be going to school just like her brother.

E and Sammi at Preschool graduation.

The big graduate!

 In June, we also got to see Ashley and baby Rowan.  The kids were super excited to meet their new little cousin, (the first on the Johnson side).  He is such a good little baby and very good natured to put up with his crazy big cousins.

 Emerson somehow got it into his head that he and Rowan were going to have a sleepover at Grandma and Grandpa's house, so after he and Sammi went to bed, Ashley stuck Rowan in the pack n' play in E's room and we took a picture to prove that the boy cousins indeed had a sleepover.  They seemed to have a great time while sleeping. :)

 Also in June the kids embarked on the ward Fathers & Kids trip.  They went camping, just the 3 of them, overnight.  The kids kept reminding me that we have FOUR people in our family but only THREE were invited on the camping trip.  They were really excited, and Daddy took great care of them and brought everyone back in one piece, unburned from the campfire.  I was pleased, to say the least.