Family and fireworks

Since a lot of Andrew's family was together this weekend for his newest nephew's baby blessing, we had a mini family reunion on Saturday! His brother Chris rented an inflatable bounce house with a water slide, so all of the kids played in that for quite a while. I went down it twice and decided bounce houses are just not as fun for adults as they are for kids, especially when you have to crouch down just to crawl inside it and end up covered in mud and grass.

Which is why I spent my time sitting in the kiddy pool. At first, it was just me, Franklin and Isabel. (And clearly I need to get out in the sun more. My legs are blindingly white.)

Then a few more kids hopped in.

And that was when I got out of the pool and stood by Andrew as he took shot after shot of kids going down the slide. I think they turned out pretty well.

The kids had a blast playing in the water, and it actually cooled off quite a bit in the afternoon -- which was great, since I didn't put on any sunscreen. Oops.

We finished off the day with streamer and parachute fireworks in a nearby field and then the colorful sparkly ones back at the house. Since Andrew took most of the photos in the post, I am proud to say that I took the firework pictures. The ones I planned on didn't work out on July 4th, so I'm glad that Utah has another holiday in July for makeup firework pictures.

Even baby Amree loved them! She was clapping her hands in delight.

Pictures I took of the kids playing with sparklers tonight will hopefully be up tomorrow. And you can check out the pictures of Glacier National Park on Wanderlust and Weekends, too. I'll be adding photos of Bannack State Park soon.

Happy birthday to Andrew!

Happy birthday to Andrew today! He is 26 now, meaning we are no longer the same age (though we only were for about two-and-a-half months).

We celebrated by going bowling, driving up Millcreek Canyon and eating at our new favorite restaurant, Bombay House, yesterday. And today was pretty low-key. Andrew's mom made him his favorite angel food cake, and we enjoyed dinner at their home and played with a few of our nieces and nephews. What post would be complete without photos of cute kids?

I swear, Andrew and I did take more pictures of the other kids besides Taylee (the brunette), but she is the camera's darling and will pose for every picture (while the other kids were turning their faces away).

Happiest 26th to Andrew! I love him so much and am glad he's my husband for eternity. He teaches me something new all the time, and I love watching him with kids. It's always fun to celebrate with him.

For Mom

I have a great mom who has always cared more about her kids than herself. She went without new clothes or shoes and made do with what she had, content to be sure that we all had clothes that fit and the things we needed for school. I'm sure she would have loved a new car or a new dress for Easter, but it was much more important to her that we had what we needed and wanted, even if she didn't.

I am not a mom yet, but I want to be just like my mom when I have kids -- caring much more about my family than myself, always making my kids breakfast and sack lunches in the morning and greeting them at home with a smile after school. This isn't meant to criticize working moms; I know that it is impossible for a lot of parents to stay home with their kids. But I loved having my mom at home while I was growing up and knowing that she would be there if I got sick or forgot my lunch or wanted her to bring a special treat on my birthday. I was thrilled to have her come along on field trips or meet me outside when I came up and around the corner from the bus stop.

I'm not a big fan of Mother's Day, to be honest. I don't like hearing Primary children sing (scream is more like it -- sorry, but that is NOT music) in church and, unfortunately, seeing how frustrated my mom gets on that day because she doesn't feel appreciated as a mom. It's not always a happy day, even if you are a mother, because you often hear stories about amazing women and sometimes wonder if your work is really making a difference or if you actually measure up -- even though you shouldn't compare yourself to other people. It's human nature to wonder whether you're good enough.

I am, however, grateful for a day that makes me reflect on my wonderful mother (and mother-in-law, who is just minutes away when I am missing my own mother terribly, like today). I love you, Mom! I know I'll never live up to your incredible legacy, but I want my kids to be as proud of me as I am of you.