Stop Hugging!

Atticus was on a kickball team this summer for kids ages 3 and 4 with some of the neighborhood kids.  It was the greatest thing to ever be.  Complete chaos and hilarity.  The number one most repeated rule?  "Stop hugging!"  Interest in the game, the rules, running the bases, etc were very low.  But Atticus was actually a lot more into it than I expected.  He's not been exposed to a whole lot of athletic anything.  But Atticus loved it and he was pretty good.  And for at least 70% of the time, he was into the game.

First Day

Warm-Ups

"Stop Hugging!"

His face!

All running for the ball.  (He's number 4)

My friend, Christy took a lot of these pictures for the team and I love them.

Watching how far he kicked.

And running for home.

Just playing in dirt, as ya do mid-game.

I love the anticipation on his face and the play-by-play of his kick.

The only kid paying any attention

High-fiving our friend and coach, Heidi

Where I learn that my son has no idea how to smile for a picture.  Serious side eye going on.

Our neighborhood buddies.  Oaklee, Ellie, Hallie, and Evy.

And of course, Jonny always had to take a turn after cheering him on.

I Got My Flippy-Floppies

Another reason to love summer, the boat.  Both my kids had a blast on the boat with my parents and some siblings this year.  Pictures.

The first day we got to go it was super cold.  By noon it was only 66 degrees, (in July!) so we bundled up (and Jonny curled up to sleep)

Wearing an adult-sized jacket over his life vest.

Jonny sleeping under the dashboard, where all babies sleep.

Atticus snuggled up with Madi and Jimmy on our way home from our freezing day.

More pictures from other days...

See this car here?  It drives strait into the water and motorboats away.  It was so funny to watch.

While we clean up the boat, they catch the drips.

We got to go to Burger Bar!  Growing up it always made the boating day better if we could talk my dad into Burger Bar!

Atticus did a lot of boat driving this summer.  This day he drove us all the way from the dock out of the no-wake zone.

Avery came today!

We climbed to the top of the dike.

After doing some swimming, I changed Jonny to discover several smashed brine shrimp plastered to her belly.

Pretending to tube.

Atticus discovered the tube this year and loved it.

Grandma and I had to take turns riding with him.

He must've had a good day.  That's a toy car in his mouth.

Here they are practicing water skiing at home.

July Holidays 2016

So, after Christmas, July is my favorite holiday.  July.  All of it.  I love summer, and staying out late when it's still super warm, and fireworks, and watermelon, and miserably hot, boring parades, and cookie cake, and overpriced carnivals, and hot dogs, and fry bread, and hanging out with my whole family in Kaysville and Bountiful.

We had ourselves a good old fashioned Farmington/Kaysville Independence Day.  We hung out at my parent's house most the day then headed to my cousin Justin and his wife Megan's house for a barbecue.  After that it was off to the Kaysville fireworks.  (Those sure have become super crowded...)  We prefer sitting as close to directly underneath the fireworks as we can.  None of this sitting blocks away thing.  We like debris raining down on us.  Jonny did not like the fireworks.  She cried and cried.  It was my dad (her favorite) who was finally able to calm her.

We tried to take a very patriotic photo at my parent's house but the wind wasn't cooperating.  (Which Atticus found hilarious.)

Barbecue!

Jonny went from person to person mooching ice cream.

This is my cousin Jared's son, Liam.  I was raised right along side my Williams cousins, so this was fun to see.  Especially since I've only seen Jared about three times in the last 10 years.

Fireworks!

And more importantly, cookie cake!

Dear Old Davis High.

She was not a fan.

Using Grandma's special firework glasses.

Samantha belting along to Neil Diamond.

Scared little Jonny.

Atticus loves fireworks.  He gets so excited about every one.  He often jumps up and acts them out as well.

Pioneer Day is always spent in Bountiful.  I grew up about two houses and a Jr. high school away from the Bountiful City Park where the fair is held each year and where the parade route runs.  This year I spent about a million dollars at the fair so my kids could fish and go on some dinky little rides.  It was hot, and miserable, and we loved it.  After the fair we headed over across the street for the parade.  My dad owns a building right at the end of the parade route so we all (cousins and grandparents, too) sit outside of it for the parade.  It's not a bad parade either.  Bountiful celebrates on the 23rd instead of the 24th so as not to compete with Salt Lake's Days of '47 parade.  But that means that we get a lot of the Days of '47 Parade floats at our parade.  Afterwards, my siblings, parents, and I head up the mountain for more fireworks.

Fair train ride

I love this shot of him fishing for a prize and that woman's behind right in his face.  (Oh and Atticus was wearing his Captain America cape the whole day.)

With their fishing prizes.

She hated the ferris wheel.  Screamed for me the whole time.

Cousins at the parade.

(No one knew who that kid in the green shorts was.)

Waiting for the fireworks to start.  And watching an actual fire (to the left) on Antelope Island.

That's my sister-in-law, Madi, if anyone was wondering who the freak is.