Getting With It!

I am finally catching you all up on the little "sneak preview" I mentioned a few weeks ago. I don't put things off, do I ?
The girls' first snow cones of the summer. This is one of our favorite things about summer, and the girls (and Jim) absolutely love them.
Avery couldn't get enough and was sucking every last drop out of her cup.

We took a lovely Sunday drive after church to Cave Falls. I hadn't been for a while and forgot how close you can get to the water. I dressed the girls in tennis shoes but should have put them in water clothes and sandals 'cause they all waded in the water. It was freezing, but the girls didn't care. Avery actually fell all the way under, cut her leg on a rock, and got a face-full of water. She shivered the rest of the time!

It was such a nice afternoon and the falls are really pretty. We could have stayed for hours just skipping rocks and splashing around. Jim and I should have plopped down some chairs and read a book while the girls played.

I love this picture. The girls adore their daddy, and Jim adores his girls. He always tries to teach them something on our little excursions-this time he picked rocks out of the water and turned them upside down to show the girls the bug larvaes on the bottom. It was actually pretty cool because we could break open their little cacoons and see the bug forming from a little worm. He told the girls that when these bugs hatch, the fish jump out of the water and eat them. And that's what his fly-fishing is all about-duplicating these bugs and trying to fool the fish! (Didn't you all want to know?)

Ashtyn lost her first tooth a couple of months ago. It finally got loose enough for Daddy to pull it out. Ashytn freaked out cause she thought it would hurt a lot and was screaming! Jim was trying to wait 'til she stopped crying, but I told him just to pull it since her mouth was open anyways. It popped right out of course, and Ashtyn calmed down 'cause she didn't even feel it. She also had to have the tooth right next to it pulled by the dentist because her two front permanent teeth were already coming in behind her baby teeth in the wrong spot. We definitely need to start saving for braces now!

And by the way, that strange stomach flu I mentioned-it started the morning of Ashtyn's dentist app. I had to call my dad to take her because I couldn't leave the bathroom for more than 2 minutes for almost three hours(so glamorous, huh? But I did lose 5 pounds that day!). I felt so bad cause I couldn't even go hold Ashtyn's hand during her first tooth-pulling. But my dad was amazing that day. He took all the girls to swimming lessons, brought them home to get dressed, then took them to lunch and to the park (and no, my mom wasn't with him). I was so impressed, and Avery even through a couple of little tantrums for him. Ha, Ha-she is a little monster! The girls love their papa!

Swimming lessons were such a blast (hell no!). It was Jordyn's first year, and she cried for the first three days. I had to pretty much just drop her into the pool. She absolutely hates to be cold (can you blame her? She doesn't have an ounce of fat warmth on her body) and her lessons were pretty early so it was chilly. I lied and said Ashytn was 5 so she could be in Jordyn's class to help her. Good for Jordyn-boring for Ashtyn. She already knew everything they taught in that level so didn't gain much from the two weeks. Oh yeah-while Jordyn was crying cause she didn't want to be in the water, Avery was crying cause she couldn't get in the water. She's not old enough yet, so everyday for two weeks, we stood outside the fence while she cried cause she wanted "to get her swimsuit on and go swimming". (Ashtyn is the one floating on her back, and Jordyn is the first one sitting on the bench by the edge of the pool).

Can I take your order? You are all just dying to find out what my new job is right? Well, even though I swore I'd never go back and got a degree so I wouldn't have to do this again, I started waitressing a couple nights a week at my parent's restaurant. They have been really shorthanded most of the summer and I thought we could help each other out. Who doesn't want a little extra cash, huh? I've actually quite enjoyed it! It's nice to see the same customers still coming in after 8 years. It's also nice to have adult conversation and come home to a clean house and kids in bed. I also get to work with my sister both nights so that is is plus! At first I was a little embarrassed to admit I was a waitress again: I'm 28, I have three kids, my husband makes 6 figures, I have a college degree, and I'm a waitress again. Doesn't it sound kind of funny? But oh well-I got over it fast cause who really cares in the end? I'm a damn good waitress and have been making killer tips. I'm thankful that my parents have this great business and am appreciative for a job in this crazy economy. So anyway, if you are in town, come visit me at good 'ole O'Brady's on Thursday and Friday nights. (By the way, I tried to curl my hair this particular night, which I never do and have no idea how to, and this is how it turned out. Aaahhh-I even burned my neck with the curling iron!)

This is my new "mommy vehicle". I traded in my Yukon (sniff, sniff) 'cause I saw no reason to have three cars. Jim had to buy a little car (Honda Civic) cause his office moved to Rexburg and his huge Diesel Dodge wasn't exactly the best gas option for driving up there everyday. We were filling up his tank every five days at $140. Not smart! (On top of my $110 every week for my Yukon) But he insists on having a truck, especially now that we have horses. So I decided I could drive a truck for a couple of years until we have another kid and need more room. Jim got rid of his huge Dodge, and we found this beautiful thing. I actually like it a ton-way nice model with leather/heated seats, sunroof, 6-disc cd, all the options. And now that gas has gone down a little, it was a way good decision! Hey, guys dig chicks in trucks, huh?

So anyway, sorry for the long post, and I know I didn't cover everything, but at least I got this info. down to put in the record book. I hope all of your summers were great and that fall is off to a good start! (Damn this cold weather!!!)