Summer in FULL Swing

I love summer. I love the water. I am sooo glad my son has similar feelings. I just hope I don't burn him out with all the swimming we are doing.

Here are some of our Swimming adventures thus far!

Ash and Ashdon

For Ashley's birthday at the first of the month we took the boys swimming, and we BOTH forgot our cameras. Luckily I had a few shots on my phone and got some cute pictures of the boys.

Ashley and Ashdon going down the slideMe and Axel (I know its probably the best picture of us EVER)

Later that week we hit up the Jensen pool! (photo courtesy of Ashley's blog) It brought back sooo many memories of my teen years, it got us thinking that we need to have a reunion with all the "girls" there! We ran into a girl we went to High school with, and she had 3 kids now! Crazy!

Spanish Fork with Hilary's Family

We also hit up the Spanish Fork pool with Hilary's kids and then the Hawaiian Ice snow shack, which although their cones are GREAT looking, they ALWAYS tip over. I don't think I have ever been there where one of the kids I am with doesn't have their cone tip over. They are ridiculous.
Axel missed the snow cone part, its not even that far from the pool, but the time we got there, he was out!

Story and "Axel, Axel, Axel"

Then last week Cousin Story came over and we had a day in the little wading pool. (don't mind our trash and construction pile in the back, I know makes for some real CLASSY photos)

They both loved it, but Axel really likes to splash and Story did NOT like that, she kept trying to get in and then he would splash her and she would come running back to me yelling "Assel, Assel, Assel." and then some gibberish, like she was telling on him. Funny stuff.

Story telling on Axel, She was not to thrilled he was splashing
Axel just being a boy. But do you see the water everywhere? He was being pretty crazy!

But she got in eventually and joined him.

To get them to smile at the same time I had to sing. I think this is where I messed up the words to "Go Go Go" from Backyardigans-

Then her mommy came over and we went and got snow cones from Summer Snow in Orem to celebrate something exciting :) No pictures of that, but the kiddies loved there kiddie cups full of shaved ice. (don't worry dad, no flavor added)

Then the next day after a LONG day of trying to get Kory's car fixed and Detailed for father's day, I was pulling out of Supper Sonic Carwash and BAM! I was rear ended. Luckily nothing but a few scratches, but when he hit me I was like "YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!" Isn't that how it always goes? Seriously.

Spanish Fork Reservoir with Hilary's kids

Well anyway, after that we headed over to the Spanish Fork Reservoir with my sister Hilary. It was fun, and Axel liked the water but not the sand. He loved playing with his cousin Nicolas. He just thinks he is so neat, he always wants to do what Nicolas is doing, and I think Nicolas likes that.

That night as a family we went to our Stake picnic, and it was really fun...

Axel got a little fresh with a neighbor girl. He just lunged at her. Can you tell by her expression?

He also enjoyed watching the rockets, and playing with Carson and Kelsey. (We are kinda lucky, in that way. When I was pregnant with him, I was in YW, and the girls were really excited about him, I was worried it would fade as he got older, but they all really still love playing with him) He loved his snow cone..

But he WOULD not try the cotton candy. He refused, even though I know if he tasted it we would have LOVED it. Kory was pretty happy about that.That pretty much sums up what we have been doing, lots of fun for sure.

adrenaline RUSH

So I just checked my email, and turns out Axel is in the running to be one of the Readers Choice finalists on Parents.com (from that photo contest I entered Axel in a few posts back, where he gets to fly to New York, I know fabulous right?)

So they sent me an email saying have your friends vote for him against the other kids from his week! By following this link

http://photos.parents.com/category/vote/photo/360435

So I was like ok, so I followed the link, and saw that his photo already had over 2,000 "likes" from Facebook members. I was so flattered and excited, I mean it IS a very cute picture, go HERE to look if you don't believe me. But I was so surprised that he had so many likes before we even had a chance to see it in the contest. I just wanted to thank you all for voting and making it happen, WE are sooo close but not quite there yet, so I NEED your help, I need everyone to go VOTE HERE, you can vote here everyday if you would like, and feel free to pass it on!

Thanks and one more time...
VOTE HERE

SPLASH

Sometimes I get what I want :)

ENJOY!

The first week of lessons is over, and what a good first week it was!

nicknames

On Sunday night at dinner with the in laws, we had a discussion about nicknames. Particularly not so nice ones my husband and his siblings had given other children around the neighborhood growing up. :)

It got me thinking a lot about nicknames. Usually nicknames are given to you by someone else because they represent something about you. ie a hobby, skill, trait, quirk or physical characteristic. I have had a lot of nicknames in my life given to me by other people, probably at least one in every category. I have been given shorter versions of my name and longer versions of my name. I have been given names that rhyme with my name even.

But our conversation made me think about two names in particular that I have been given to me that like a lot of nicknames have "stuck" whether I like it or not.

The first, was given to me by my 3rd grade teacher, Mrs. Steele: I remember when she gave it to me, we were at parent teacher conferences, and she handed my mom the paper with the words on it "princess of perfection". Now to a 3rd grader THAT is a pretty cool title, and I remember at the time thinking I was pretty special. But now that I am an adult, I think my teacher was trying spell something out to me and my parents. That maybe ALWAYS having an organized and clean desk, (I remember kids in my class asking me to help them organize theirs like mine) immaculate pencil box, (my markers and crayons were ALWAYS color coordinated), and cursive exactly like the examples, WASN'T always a good thing.

But who is going to seek help for the daughter that never has a messy room?

Fast forward 9 years, and I am about to graduate high school. In all my life I have NEVER been more busy, more consumed and more stressed than I was my senior year. A lot of kids tend to go part time their senior year, do less, get a part time job, you know that sort of thing. NOT ME. I was on Dance Company, on Drill Team, the Social Representative on Dance company in charge of all the parties, on the year book staff, in advanced Multi-Media where we competed and did big projects, not to mention I had all my other classes too, where I was determined to get a 4.0. and then there was all the other aspects of my life, boys, friends, church (in no particular order of course.) By the time I graduated high school, I had been given 4 academic letters and 1 athletic letter, and I was to say the least BURNED OUT. Anyway, I had asked one of my teachers to write a letter of recommendation for me and I remember reading it and going through it and was pleased by all the things she had said about me, and then I came across the part where she said "Amy is a natural born WORRY WORM" And I remember thinking WHAT? What is that supposed to mean? I was ticked. But my teacher was right, I was and still am, and always have been.

Anyway, neither of my names were terribly rude names, as like lets say "Baboon face" but I think they do say something about me, where my own "Achilles heal" is.

So lets fast forward another 9 years, and am I doing any better? Have I overcome my over stressed, overworked, perfectionist self? No, not really. But I am trying to be better about letting things roll off my shoulders. Those who know me are probably thinking, really Amy? Are you REALLY doing better? And I would say, yes yes I am.

One of my sisters said to me the other day "If Amy says its too much, it IS too MUCH"

I know I am doing a lot this summer, I see that when I talk to people and their mouths drop, or they say things like "wow, I don't know how you do it." Sometimes I don't either, and sometimes I have those days were I want to run away. I think we all do. But this is who I am, I enjoy being busy, I enjoy helping others out, I enjoy using my talents to grow and learn new things.

But my point to all of this, something that I didn't learn in high school, that I am TRYING to learn now, is that it is IMPOSSIBLE to be perfect. It is IMPOSSIBLE to do everything that is asked of us, or everything we want to do, so why try right? Because, all we need to do is our best, and the Lord can help us where we fall short.

Even if we don't get everything we think we need to get done, we don't have too. It hasn't been an easy lesson to learn for me, as I am independent and stubborn, but I am trying to humble myself and apply the atonement here in my life so I and those around me can be happier.

I'm gonna fro up...

Swimming lessons start tomorrow, and my stomach has been hurting all night. I just know I wont be able to sleep well tonight.

wish me luck, I am so nervous.

Don't forget to check out the posts below, I have been blogging a lot lately....

PLEASE PLEASE with A CHERRY ON TOP!

Ok folks, as MANY of you already know, sometimes I do things that are a little off, but sometimes these things turn out profitable. Like one year I listened to the radio every morning on my way to school just so I could win prizes. And I did! 12 of them to be exact.

Today is on of those days. I decided to enter my baby in a contest, and even tho there are a million other babies in the contest, stranger things have happened. When I did it, I got this adrenaline rush thinking "what if"! Even if no one goes and looks at my entries, he is still eligible in the cute one, but if I get a bunch of people to go view them, he is also entered into a popular one.

I have my heart set on it a little too much, I keep daydreaming about flying out to New York (a place I have never been) and spending a couple of days there with my family, and watch as people gawk at how adorable my baby is. I don't know it may seem really superficial to some of you that I am wishing for such things, but wouldn't it be so fabulous?!

And then you all would get your Parents magazines and see Axel on the cover in all his cuteness and can say "Hey! I know that kid!" SO, it's a Win Win for all right? Even if you don't know me and you stumble across my blog, I would greatly appreciate all the help we can get! Oh and if you love us that much feel free to spread the word too...

Anyway, I know its a long stretch and I know some of you probably have better things to do, but I am just asking you to go HERE, and take a look, click a "LIKE", and maybe make a comment or two on how adorable our Axel is... pretty please!

Thank you much!

nevermind (to be read in Eeyores voice)

To the post below, I take it back, I still DESPERATELY WANT that camera, but turns out my other camera is not something I would feel right about selling. You see we got that little SD card in the mail yesterday and it doesn't work in our camera, and its not because the SD card is a dud, you see a year ago when I bought it I threw my SD card from my other camera in it and had the same problem, so I assumed it was my SD card. So we ordered this one this year, because last year it just didn't work loading pictures over and over again.

Anyway, sad day for me, but I wont be selling that camera after all, and I probably wont be getting that other camera either. No matter how hard I try to justify that I NEED it, I really don't. Maybe next year!

ahhh I WANT THIS

I REALLY REALLY REALLY NEED this for my swimming lessons! I am putting it out there in the universe in case someone out there decides they want to give it to me...

I am also considering selling my other point and shoot camera (with SD card for $40)

so I can justify buying this one, I only took like 20 pictures last year with it so it really is like new (we bought it refurbished for 50 so it has a small dent on the front) It is just for swimming lessons. It takes really good pictures actually like this....AND we just ordered a BRAND new memory card for it that hasn't even arrived yet. 4mg, which I will throw in for FREE!

Anyone tempted?