Here is a bit of what we have been up to this sweet, simple, joyful summer!
Emma rode a camel at the zoo... Elizabeth almost rode one, but she got cold feet at the last minute. She gave one of the zoo camels a big wet kiss, though. Wish I had gotten that on camera!
The whole crew at the zoo, minus the picture taking, sweat-dripping, red-faced Mamma, of course.
Bubba-Biscuit is getting so big! He is such a good dog, and makes me feel so much safer, as he barks loud and vicious like whenever anyone is near the back-yard. Good boy, Bubba!
My Young Women had a Temple trip, and we took pictures of all the YW in front of the Temple. We'll frame those pictures for them as gifts, later this year. The girls came with me for this trip (we didn't have a babysitter, with all my family involved in Ward activities, and all my Young Women at the Temple). So while the girls went to their session, we went to a nearby park!
I can't believe I used to think New Mexico was so ugly! I love the beautiful sky, the warmth of the people and the weather, the blessed monsoons during the summer afternoons, the mountains, the Rio Grande, and this beautiful Temple.
The girls outside the Temple, taking their turn in front of the camera. This is the ONLY moment while we were there that one of the YW/YW leaders were not running after one or both of them for me, so I could take pictures!
Emma and Elizabeth both have chores around the house. Elizabeth is especially excited about doing her jobs. She unloads the clean laundry from the washer to the dryer, and unloads the dry laundry from the dryer to my laundry basket, or more usually, to my couch (see prior post).
Walmart here is closing out their sewing/crafts/etc department, and I snagged a bunch of cute little crafty things for cheap, cheap, cheap! We have enough little fun projects to last us all summer, in addition to the crafts Emma is working on to sell for her college fund. (See ETSY store link on the sidebar). These little dinosaurs were .47 cents each, and provide nearly an hour of creativity. The girls just kept painting and painting and painting!
Emma's primary teacher gave here these crafty little paint-them-yourself sun catchers for her birthday. Emma shared with Elizabeth, and they each did two or three of them.
Speaking of Emma's birthday, this is the cake that Caty. C. made for Emma. Emma chose the colors, and the style. Caty makes all kinds of cakes in all kinds of shapes and designs, and sells them to make money for band camp and girls camp. I love, love, love to do cakes, but didn't mind turning it over this year, between the heat, and Caty's talent!
Emma's birthday present from me was a party at Chuck E. Cheese with her best friend Collette. Mom and Dad and Camilla also came, along with Collette's Mom Chris. Here is Elizabeth eating pizza "her" way.
Elizabeth went on this "horkey" ride over a dozen times. She is my daughter! She absolutely loved this. Wonder where I can get one for my own?
Emma and Collette pose for the Chuck E. Cheese cameras. These two met at the daycare we go to, and became best friends. Everyday, they would hold hands, and skip around together, and whisper in each other's ears, and giggle, and laugh, and have so much fun. Then Collette stopped coming! Emma was so very, very sad! I tried finding their number in the phone book and watched for them every time we went to Walmart... the gals who worked at the daycare saw them there every weekend, but we never did! Finally at the end of the year, I talked the owner of the daycare into giving out their phone number, something she wouldn't ordinarily do... Collette had been missing Emma as much as Emma had been missing Collette! You should have seen their faces, and heard their cute little conversations as we drove them to Chuck E. Cheese! Priceless!
Best friends having even more fun at Chuck E. Cheese!
Hope your summer is as magical as ours has been!
