My Country Tis of Thee and God Save the Queen!

Oh boy, we have been busy and having fun!  I don't take pictures as often as I should though!  But here's what I've got!

So far this summer has been filled with lots... LOTS of swimming!  Mason is a pro now, and Brenna is learning strokes and diving and is really good at diving for rings!  They are little fish and would swim for hours every day if I wanted to!  I don't have pictures of any of that though.  They wear their goggles now and look really cute though!

And how about this little guy?  I could seriously eat him up.  Sometimes he drives me crazy, that much is true, but I was shopping with him and Owen today while Brenna was at an art class, and he was just so funny and cute and it was a lot of fun.  I can't often say that about a shopping trip with kids, so I was really enjoying it.  

This is him ready for his overnight date with Grandma!  A few months ago Grandma had an overnight girls night and Mason was SOOOO sad!  So Grandma was so sweet and took Mason to a play of Shrek and then had him over to sleep.  He was in heaven and did really well and had a blast!  Even though the play was late and he fell asleep for the last little bit.  Fun memories for this little boy!  And since he's the only boy (who's old enough and lives close by) he got 100% of Grandma's attention!  

This time Owen was sad to be left behind... for like 2 minutes until he forgot.  Brenna was very sad though!

So proud of the smily faces she makes on the fridge.  

Seriously?  haha ok, so I think my kids are cute.  I'm hanging on to this baby face as long as humanly possible!

Silly faces... Brenna's new favorite type of pictures!  And she does a pretty good job too!

And that brings us to the 4th of July!  The best day of the year in these kids opinions!  It was actually a really perfect day!  We woke up early to go to our ward's pancake breakfast.. these kids will do anything for pancakes!  We got there right on time too so we could watch the flag ceremony.  I had to mumble a bit through the pledge of allegiance, but I'm getting the hang of it.  I actually got very emotional this 4th.  With the firefighters who died and left so many families behind and the moment of silence we had for them, and also I've been counting my blessings lately, not the least of which is being so free, it's been making me emotional... or maybe it's hormones, who knows!

ANYWAY!  We had a very nice talk with the kids about our freedom and our country, and it was special to me!  (And we included that Canada is the same good-ness and blessed too!)

Then when we came home I did a very patriotic hair-do for Brenna which she rocked all day!  Do you see the star?  It wasn't quite as obvious as I had hoped!

Then we went off to a movie.  Our new tradition since last year.  Apparently it's everybody else's tradition too because the movie was sold out at two times before we could finally get tickets, and we had to sit in the very very front row!  But Despicable Me 2 is cute!

Then home for naps, and then off to the big family dinner!  This is the first time we've done something like this and it was great!  Good food, lots of family, swimming with a water slide, and fireworks!  The kids were seriously in heaven and Brenna told me today that she wishes that the 4th could last forever.. haha silly girl.

Yikes!  Apparently I'm a sissy because having the kids twirling sparklers around was really scary for me, but I guess it's very safe and normal.  Or such is the feeling of everybody!

So, we've been having fun with family bbq's, swimming, summer movie program, Brenna's art class, swimming, and getting ready for Canada!  Which honestly is taking up way too much of my brain time and I think I will be way over prepared, and anyone who knows me will be glad I'm gone!  haha but really we cannot wait, it's hot hear and we miss family!  Can't wait for Canada!  And the day after we get home, Brenna starts school!  I cannot believe it!  My little girl *sniff, sniff*  *yippee!!*  haha it's a mixed emotion, but she is so ready and excited and so I am too!  Coming soon, pictures of her in her school uniform!