Last Hurrah

Labor day weekend to me means...
Last true summer vacation opportunity
A Monday, when everyone else is leaving, lake trip
Last day to wear white? Right?
Last feeling of freedom before school. Wait no school this year? Oh yeah, Jed's DONE! Did I mention how ecstatic I am?
The corner before fall holidays. (Only 3 more weeks until Halloween decor Ashee)
The beginning of less 100+ days. When did the weather start being so much a part of my life? I almost bought a farmer's almanac the other day in hopes that it would report a cooling trend.


We celebrated with a family vacation this Labor Day weekend in SLC and with a squeezed in trip to the lake. (of course)


ALL the Wheeler cousins. Note how happy my little pet is. It's practically impossible to get 11 children under the age of 9 to take a decent picture. Jara's just sad because she had to stand by all of those boys!
AND
The Wheeler siblings, minus a Jesse. Isn't that a cute family photo, they always look great in pics none of this.


Jara and Jack were able to spend time with great-grandma this weekend. Jara told me she "loved her old grandma Wheeler." We were afraid she might be shy towards her, since the last time she saw her was when she was 14 mos, but she talked her ear off for 3o minutes or more. Grandma probably had to do what my grandma did and turn down her "ears."
Jack is sporting Star Wars gear, he is happy to have boy cousins. Boys=no princess dresses and testosterone geared toys.

Monday-Lake

My little babies are growing up, they tubed! AND actually liked it!!! I was amazed, hence the numerous exclamation marks. Jara even requested increased speed, her actual words were something like this "FASTER, JED, FASTER." Times like these make me realize how much of their father they have in them. I was too scared to go tubing as a child-well actually I was terrified of everything about the lake. I was a weenie, okay sometimes I still am.

The boys driving. Jara told me "mom's don't drive boats." What kind of a anti-feminist am I raising?

I told you I could wakeboard, not as good as Jed, but then again no one is as good as Jed.

And yeah I'm white, but look at that amazingly, glassy water, perfect.

I'm laughing in the second picture, I don't know if you can tell, because I knew in about 2 seconds I was going to eat it.

Happy Labor Day!

Sunday Evenings

I won't tell you what happens all day Sunday, because it involves wailing and gnashing of teeth, but in the evening right before the sun goes down, peace resumes and due to the unusually pleasant weather yesterday, we enjoyed the great outdoors AND each other.

Jack can swing now!!! Jara can all by herself and I'm just happy my bootie fits on the swing!

I'm not sure what I was pointing out here but we were very intent. Possibly plotting against the neighbor's evil little rat dog that desecrates our lawn. grrr

Dr. Jekyll feeling the love.

These are my favorite two pictures. The look in Jara's eyes, while she's plotting how to send Mr. Hyde down the slide, and the look in Jack's eyes when he is feeling particularly mischievous are the true nature of my little pets captured for all to see.

Jack is so loving, he gives many hugs throughout the day, they range in variety from:

excited-I'm-going-to hug-you-so-tight-and-then-bite-your-shoulder hug

lazy hug (what you see in the above picture)

happy hug, which involves a big smile and a quick hug

sad hug, includes crying and burying of the face

You will not see Jed is these pictures, he was shooting some of them and also trying to get the cat's to be their usual level of loco'ness' so I could photograph them for all to see but it was a futile effort. Selfish little beasties.

BTW-Jed's camera is awesome, I've been studying up on photography, I have a long way to go but I thought the evening light for these pictures was perfect. (I didn't even edit one-maybe I should have)

Jara's Niche

Jara attended little girl cheer camp this week. (We gave in after she prayed about it for a month, I dropped the ball signing her up for piano lessons and her gymnastics classes were shut down by the county, long story.)Anyway, she fully embraced her inner cheerleader and took her performing very seriously. I was afraid being in front of a huge crowd would intimidate her, but she didn't miss a beat. I was also afraid I'd have her clinging to me or running around in 3-year-old lala land but she payed attention and told me "cheerleading is so, so, so fun mom, lots and lots of fun." Jed and I are doomed.

Isn't she precious?!!!

All the girls performing their last routine/dance, my little cousin Tori is on her right, she's darling and was so nice to hold Jara's hand and help her. Oh and I think another one of my little cousins is behind Jara, (little Terra) also dahhh-lingg.

So, so , so fun

Focusing. Those HS girls could get her to do anything. You think one of em would let me borrow the uniform? I could get some serious respect around here, if I could fit into it a cheer skirt. (probably from jed too. haha)

Terms of Endearment

This morning as I'm in the bathroom getting ready for my day I hear...

BAM-BAM-BAM, Jack has the carrot bat, Easter bunny was so kind to give him, and is testing the durability of my furniture. "AHHHH AHHHHH," he murderously rages.

I ignore carrot-bat-noise, Jara is positioned safely within eyesight, and the furniture will survive for 5 more minutes, we are in a hurry to get out the door, as always.

Jara, ignoring her instincts of danger, decides to survey the scene

what occurs next is a moment of true endearment as she properly deems her brother with a new title...

"Jack-you evil little monkey."

Here is the princess and her evil monkey back in March during a good day of dress-up.

How could you ever suspect this little monkey of evil?

PS-Later on in the day she tells him "You drool like a dog, quit holding my Sophy."

River Rats

*these are the moments i want to remember with my little pets*

not the moments that involve timers blaring, visitors knocking and puke, all occurring simultaneously of course

Accomplishments

Joshlyn & Jed
Watching ALL of Avatar in only 2 nights instead of the proposed 3! Yeah, we're getting old.

Jara
Dressing her brother in full princess regalia AND her Sophie. (The notorious donkey)
Not only did she dress him in a two piece set complete with accessories, she showed him how to do this on his own so now he can "be a princess anytime too!" The poor child. Anyone want to rent me a little boy to play trucks with him?

Jack
Tattooing his abdomen and chest with purple marker. I'm thinking this was to boost his manly status after the princess episode.

Yippee for us.

Flood Season

The state of Nevada is forever posting flood watch posters advertising the danger of a sudden downpour and you always think "yeah, yeah yeah but it doesn't rain here." The great irony being that when it does rain, a summer thunderstorm, the land is so SHOCKED it rejects the water and you end up with class 5 rapids in your front yard. Okay maybe not that bad, but its still alarming to see a body of water running down your road bigger than the so-called "river" that floats through town.
However, since no damage was done, it was really quite exciting and amazing; might I also add refreshingly cool. 79 in August!!! Wahooo. I felt like rolling in our grass like a dog and doing leaps through the air. I didn't want to go to sleep and wake up to a real August day.

We got home too late to take a "true" picture. The above picture was taken as the water was going down and it was very dark. This rush of water was running across the street from us and blocking the intersection to our road.


Here is what it looked like the morning after trying to get off of our street. Lots of mud. Lots of fun. And to think we used to have a paved road.

Here is the wash down Gubler. It was filled almost to the top of the bank and the water was running verrrry fast. I wouldn't let Jed drive through it on our way home. Even though I scoff at the flood control pictures I really don't want to end up the poster child for one.


This is the same wash as the first picture, the next morning. As you can see it was very full. It was actually roaring, I enjoyed the sound, it dulled the screaming of my unruly children. Very tranquil, the sound of running water that is, not the screaming. Although the trickling of a brook is not tranquil, that sound just makes me have to pee.

Remember: Stay out and Stay Alive

Haha I just remember that is the slogan for abandoned mines. I don't know what the flood motto is, I live in a state with too many dangers.