Damage Walk Through

Trying to get ready to start moving here in a couple days...today was the damage walk through...I wish I could just have the keys today instead of waiting until next Monday, but it is what it is.

Hogle Zoo

After Mimi's swim lesson is over, she has a little time to wander and play while the other two finish theirs.  She likes the hill behind the pavilion behind the pool.

After lessons, I help the girls shower off, and I end up soaking wet every time.

Leiden has been asking to go to the zoo for a while, now, so today we headed up there as soon as lessons were over, sunscreened up, and bore the heat!

It was actually a really great day at the zoo.  It has changed a lot, even since we were here a couple years ago, and we had a lot of fun.  Many of the exhibits have been changed, and it's both better for the animals in them, and better for the people viewing them.  Win win.  And what is it about metal statues that draw children like almost nothing else!?

Here they are in the bald eagle nest...both the bald eagles at Hogle Zoo were injured in the wild, and now live there, unable to fly, but alive.

At the zoo right now, of course, are the lego animals.  They are pretty cool...I don't know if they are lego throughout, or lego layered on to an existing shape, especially with the large ones...but they are still really cool.

It really was a great day.  We got to see the elephants squirting mud on themselves to stay cool, we got to watch two sea lions playing in the water literally inches from our wide eyes, giraffes being trained, and many other things.  Very fun, and I'm glad I got a membership!

Signed a lease this evening!  Very exciting.  I provided the promised offered amount, and signed it all up tight.  I will get my keys on July 1, and we can move in!

I have so appreciated my parents and my uncles for letting us stay with them until I could figure something else out.  We have enjoyed their company and the stability their home provided during a transitional time.  This will leave us a little over a month before school starts, and hopefully we will find some friends quickly.

Offers Panning Out

Got an interesting text, tonight...heard from the landlord about the house in Sandy I liked...she said they would like to consider my offer...this was unexpected, and very welcome!  I am excited to talk to her and her husband tomorrow morning and see what comes of it!  I'm glad I made my tempting offer.  I don't know if the other family fell through, or if they changed their mind due to the offer.  I guess it doesn't really matter!

Swimming Lessons!

First day of swimming lessons for the summer!  The girls have been very excited about this day...so Mimi has her preschool class at 8:50 AM, while the other two have their respective classes right after at 9:25.  They hung out poolside...a little chilly, but they toughed it out.

Mimi apparently LOVES her class, but she doesn't tend to listen very well to the teacher.  She plunges ahead, sometimes literally, and is just happy as a clam to be in the water. 

Each of the girls and me. 

 

Mimi is hard to take self portraits with...I can see her wrinkling her little nose up on the screen, and apparently I wrinkle mine up in solidarity. 

The older two are equally pleased to be back in the pool. 

I think this will work out quite nicely for the girls.  I wish it were closer to my parents' house, but we are looking for a home in the Sandy area, so maybe it will work out in the long run.

On the house hunting front, I found a house that I actually really like.  It's in much better shape than the vast majority of rental homes I have seen...it's only been rented once, so it hasn't been trashed.  I will be filling out the rental application and hoping it might work out.  I had the bright idea of calling the landlord and presenting them with a tempting offer, so I did it...I offered to pay a year's rent up front, as I have no paperwork showing any kind of proof of income yet.  She was clearly interested in the prospect, but told me that they are already talking with another family and working through their application.  It was worth a shot, and I asked her to let me know if the other fell through.  So the hunt contintues.

Found this little guy on my brussel sprouts plant outside today.  I am always surprised at how much they eat!  Almost half the leaf is gone!  After I took the picture, I called the girls out to see it, and then oversaw his removal to a plant I am not invested in!  I wonder what he'll become...

House Hunting

Saw a house for rent I really liked today...now I have to fill out this giant application form.  We will see how it goes...

Swimming!

This has been what seems like a long time coming.  I had wanted to get the girls in swimming and was too slow on the uptake.  I guess there are a lot of kids here in Utah?  And that means that swimming lessons fill up quickly.  Like before I can even register.  Registration started at 5:30 AM (!) for one location.  I forgot, so when I got up and raced to the computer, all the classes I needed were already full.  I have been searching and searching, not wanting to do private, or at one of the swim schools, but beginning to resign myself to that likelihood, when I finally found one that might work.  We went up to Alta Canyon Sports Center this morning, and lined up to register them...we made it to the desk, and lo and behold, they were able to get in!

Mac had these glasses, and we thought it was funny on Mr. Watermelon.  Totally random and has nothing to do with anything but humor.  :) 

We had friends over again, today...good thing.  It keeps the kids busy and playing.  They like sitting in the dry kiddie pool on the deck and playing that it's a boat.

The house in Minnesota closed today, so I no longer have a home.  :)  But I've got some cash, now!  Everything went smoothly, and I was able to stay here in SLC with some presigned documents, and just wait until the business was done.  I think I'll start looking at homes in earnest now.

Bubbles

Mac is thrilled--it's a big day for her!  She has finally figured out how to blow bubbles with her gum!  She has been doing it all day, and I finally caught one on camera.  Yay for Mac!

Pina Colada

We've kind of gotten a lot of slurpees since we moved here...they are really good.  The girls love to get them, and so do I...especially when the 7-11 has my favorite flavor!  In all the weeks/months we've been here, I've only seen it at one 7-11! 

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day, Dad!  I love you so much, and am so glad you are my father. 

Here at my parents' house, we have been using my big screen tv and Roku box to watch shows.  Seeing as I'm not going to be living here forever...they have come to the conclusion that they will need a big screen of their own when I go!  To that end, I got my dad a Roku box for when that day comes.

Took the girls to Gardner Village today.  They wandered around with us and were very good sports while Grandmere and I looked at things.  I'm sure they were pleased with the fudge they got at the end, too!

They liked these women's hats.

We had a full house of girls today!  The Stoehrs in our ward are moving!  Their little girl, Jocelyn, has been a good friend to Leiden.  We had her and her sister over to help out their mom get some moving stuff done.

Gateway!

We met up with Naomi and her kids this morning at the Gateway splashpad.  They wanted to wear their suits, and they actually got in the water!

Happy little faces!

The girls kept getting cold, so I sent them down to lay on the hot concrete.  It really works, and it brings back many memories of being a kid!

After they were done, they got back into their clothes.  Mac is a cheese.

This was a great morning there.  They kept having the special songs come on with the coordinated water show.  The fountain shoots up REALLY high, and Mimi loved it.

Love to see Naomi wherever and whenever I can!

HOT day today.  The girls wanted to go to the church parking lot and ride their bikes.  They didn't last long, and we headed off to get a Slurpee.  Mimi likes to wear her helmet around.  At least she's prepared for any eventuality!  The sweet child makes me laugh on a daily basis.

Until the Cows Come Home

Today Leiden was read in in Sacrament meeting, and she was welcomed by the ward and received her Certificate of Baptism.  The primary gave her this cute little gift...a bag of several different kinds of gum, including a bag of bubble gum--'Chews the Right'!  So cute.

We went to dinner up at my Uncle Mike's tonight.  Just as we were getting ready to leave, the cows started coming home.  Uncle Mike asked Mimi if she would like to go see them.  She was all for it, so she and Mike took off down the road holding hands to the cow run.

The cows were not happy about the humans watching them go by.  They were loud and balked at the spot where we were, then they would muster their courage and run by.  The little baby cows were particularly afraid of us.

Baptism Day!

The big day is here!  We have wanted it to be absolutely beautiful for sweet Leiden, so we have worked very hard on decorations for the house, the food, and the dessert table.  The colors are cream and pink!

We made a little over 20 of these balls, and glue-dotted each little hand cut 'fish-scale' on to make them.

There are pink flowers and accents all over the house. 

Before we got Leiden changed, we took some pictures for her big day.  Here she is with Bapa. 

And here she is with me.  She was so excited and so sweet. 

Now she's had a chance to change into her little jumpsuit... 

The girls were pretty excited to watch the font fill up. 

Leiden and Bapa, ready for the main event. 

It was such a beautiful baptism.  The talks were given by our home teachers, President Stanley and Brother Al Long.  They did a great job speaking about baptism and the Holy Ghost.  Leiden was baptized without any bits not making it under the first time, and she didn't come up sputtering, either.  Bapa gave her a wonderful confirmation blessing.

This is everyone who came to the baptism, minus President Stanley and his wife.  We had a great turn out of support and love for Leiden.  I had several friends attend--Naomi all the way from Arkansas!  and friends from the ward in addition to family.  Look at all of us! 

The whole bishopbric came, which was very nice, and these are the men that stood in the circle to confirm little Leiden. 

After the baptism, we adjourned home to some awesome food and treats!  I have been thinking about this dessert table for months!  I hand fringed the giant streamers for the back drop, and you can see the chandelier cupcake stand...There were rice krispie treats, mini cheesecakes, cupcakes, cream puffs, strawberry popcorn, and gumballs.  It turned out so beautifully with all the pink and white. 

We had a great time eating and playing with friends and cousins.  I am so grateful for everyone's attendance in support of Leiden, and me!  It was such a beautiful day, and I am so proud of Leiden and the choice she has made.  I hope she stands by it for the rest of her life, and allows it to become the foundation for further covenants in her life that will help her get back to Heavenly Father someday.  I love you, Leiden!  Well done!