Summer Lovin

First of all, I added this picture of the four kids to show everyone how adorable they are together. Eric and I feel very blessed to have such amazing and beautiful children. Also, I posted it because it's a small miracle to get four children all looking and smiling at the camera at the same time, on the first try!

Tyson has become fascinated with photography lately, so he really wants a digital camera for his birthday, among a list of other things, of course. We'll have to see what the 7 year old gets on August 23rd. It is hard to believe he is going to be seven soon. We have been talking to him for a year or two about reading the Book of Mormon before he is baptized (with help obviously). We will start on his birthday. He is already very excited to be baptized and really wants fancy scriptures like his Mom's. Here are some of the pictures he took when he climbed up to the cabinet and retrieved the camera. Nothing is safe in our house anymore!


Well, he's no Ansel Adams, yet. But, I think he did very well for a first unaided try.

The kids have had fun this summer adjusting to the new girl. They have accepted her so easily. A few days ago, Eric was sitting with Ella and Chase. Cambrie and Tyson were doing something in the same room, but a part from them. Eric asked Chase, "Where's your sister?". Chase responded by pointing at Ella. Its a small thing, but it does warm the heart. Ella is growing fast. In six weeks, she has gained 2lbs and 4oz. Her face has almost healed. You can barely see the circle on her cheek anymore. Just when the face looked good, she developed the same fungal rash on the back of her head and neck. Now she is on a strong, oral anti-fungal medicine that will take two months to clear up the issue. She also developed a giant knot on the back of her head. We thought maybe she had hit her head on something, but the doctor said it was just her lymph node acting up to fight off the tinia capitis on her head. Last week we lovingly referred to her as our little medical mystery head.

Ella loves the playroom. She has never seen so many toys in her life. Her favorite is the little alphabet desk seen in the pictures below. Eric only had to sit her on the desk one time before she figured it out. She climbs in and out of it at will. She is so funny. She is always putting clothes on on top of what she is already wearing. One day we went to the pool and I left her in her little sundress until we got there. As I pulled the dress off, I saw that she had put a pair of Cambrie's underwear on over her diaper. We all got a big laugh out of that one. As I write this, she is wearing one of Cambrie's swimsuits around her neck. She sure thinks she's something!




We all went to the zoo a few weeks ago, and Ella really enjoyed her very first zoo experience. She even helped brush the goats. The zoo has two new baby zebras and two baby orangutans that are so cute.


We put Cambrie and Chase in private swim lessons for the past few weeks. Chase is so crazy around the pool. He will just jump right in, even if no one is around to help him. Cambrie's preschool teacher, Miss Nickii, taught swim lessons in our pool, so we just rolled the wagon over there in the mornings. It was so nice. Chase and Cambrie did very well. They can put their heads up to take a breath while they are swimming, but they don't like to. They are so stubborn. They will swim and swim under the water until they are so low on oxygen they absolutely have to come up. I can't believe Chase can stay under for as long as he can. Here is a picture of the four of them at the pool. It's pretty cute, especially Ella's little head just peeking up above the baby pool wall.