Cheerleader Wannabes

Cheerleading camp equalled masses of little girls, straining the eyes to make sure your daughter and all your carpool girls were accounted for because it was super fun for them to sneak off and run down the high school halls, popsicle stickiness, but most of all, adorable dances and cheers to last a summer. Little Sally Walker was Sophie's fave and she played it with anyone who would oblige her.

Sun Valley - the perfect summer getaway

Mike and Jennifer Payne are always so generous in sharing their Sun Valley condo with us. We especially love going there with them, because not only do we love spending time with their family, but they also know all the perfect things to fill our days with. They have a weekend in Sun Valley down to a science, and I am so content just following along! This particular weekend consisted of swimming at the YMCA (which has a slide, a lazy river and fountains...basically enough stuff to keep the kids occupied for hours), Art in the Park (which attracts different, and in my opinion, better, artists than the Boise event...the price tags are a little higher too. You could even order your very own hut made of sticks!), and finally a night out at the Ice Show (headlining Evan Lysacek who makes ice skating quite manly!). The drive home was made a little more exciting with a stop at the old army tank sitting on the side of the road. Perfect photo-op for a boy who draws battle scenes nearly every day.

Maxwell is 8!!!

Older people always tell me, "Enjoy it, because it will be over before you know it", in reference to raising kids. I'm sure there is some truth to that, or else it wouldn't be said so often, or maybe it's because their memories are failing them! It's probably a little bit of both. I must admit that there are moments, or rather days, when I wished it was over before I knew it, but always, even on those days, Maxwell is my little nighttime cuddler and loverbug. He always has been, and I have told him that he has to be even when he is a teenager. It sounds a bit wierd to cuddle a teenager, so we may to have to make adjustments! As you can tell this is one of my favorite things about my boy, but another one of them is that he loves to have fun and he can have fun with just about anyone. His birthday party was no exception. We took a herd of boys to Wahooz for unlimited video games, miniature golf, laser tag, bumper boats and race cars. Then we topped the night off with dinner and huge shakes at Iceburg. I had to call and apologize to all the parents for feeding their kids dinner at 9:30 pm and getting them home at 10:30! Can you tell where Maxwell gets his fondness for fun? I think we wore Capri out, but the rest of the kids were going strong...after bubblegum milkshakes!

Sophie Turns the Big 5!!

Our beautiful Sophia Chere' Payne turned the monumental age of 5...monumental because school is right around the corner. If you haven't yet noticed, I love to throw big birthday bashes for my kids. Each year I tell myself that next year will be a family party only...but then my right brain rears it's head and changes my mind! This year we took the party outside of our house, which was a welcome change. We took a gaggle of girls to Rafiki, which is a super fun indoor play center, and then we herded the gaggle to Red Robin for dinner and dessert. Grandma Pat and Grandma Smith's attendance was so much appreciated, by Sophie, but even more by Steve and I! They helped maintain a very small degree of order! But who am I kidding...I love a little craziness during party time! The final picture in this very long post pretty much sums up how Steve and I felt by the end of the evening!!

She Did It!

We weren't sure if she would be able to complete the rigorous requirements, but we are proud to say that...Sophie graduated from preschool. We're kind of thinking Ivy League...or BYU (which in my opinion is Ivy League)! Sophie attended Grandma Janet's preschool for the last two years and loved it. She enjoyed each day and came home with many beautiful art projects. She also loved her carpool buddies, Spencer and Bridger.

San Diego to Calm the Nerves!

My good friend, Julia, and I were in desperate (a very slight exaggeration!) need of some sunny weather during our way too cold and long Boise spring, so we planned ourselves a little trip to sunny San Diego. Somehow the hubbies managed to work their way into our plans (!), and so the four of us had a crazy fun and relaxing weekend. We visited Sea World, where Julia and David got drenched on the water ride, and Steve and I managed to stay mostly dry. Julia says the after shot makes her look like Ozzy Ozbourne's daughter! We ate delicious food. Julia and I took super long walks along the beach every morning while the guys waited semi-patiently! We visited the History of Man museum...hence the Bigfoot picture. Steve and I were also able to spend an evening with one of my favorite cousins, Laurie, and her husband Michael. I always love spending time with her, and Michael just adds spice to everything!

Modest Bath Buddies!

Sophie had a playdate at Aubrie Johnson's house, which turned into a late-over (just shy of a sleepover) and these pictures are proof that they had WAY too much fun! Aubrie's mom wasn't sure how I would feel about the girls bathing together, so she decided to play it safe and have them wear swimsuits. Little does she know that we haven't yet discovered modesty in our home! But I'm glad the girls are clothed because otherwise I would not be posting them on our blog!