Mill Creek Canyon

We got the opportunity a couple of days ago to go to Mill Creek Canyon with my in-laws. It was fun. Drew got to dunk the boys head in the river and I got to take pictures for my blog...see how we belong together. He does the naughty stuff and I take a picture of it. :)

Exhibit A: Satchel getting dunked

While we were there we got to roast hot dogs and make s'mores...LOVE s'mores. It was Emma's first taste and she was just as in love as I am. Don't we make the ultimate mother-daughter duo?

Other Pictures:

Pops - Gehrig took this picture.

Grandma Sproul and Emma

Gehrig with "Antlers" (Satchel is in this everyone-has-to-have-bunny-ears phase and Gehrig was having none of it. I thought it was funny though because Satchel couldn't content himself with just one set...oh no, it had to be two.)

Highlights of Lagoon....

Lagoona Beach was fun even w/o the tubes (stinking $5 a tube - who needs them). Not to mention that Emma finally got over her aversion to water.

Emma rides on her first merry-go-round and to be truthful...she got a little freaked out. Oops.

Emma learned to drink out of a straw now she can start having her own Slurpee...okay maybe not quite yet.

And FINALLY, the boys didn't fight...I know it might not seem like much but for us it is a miracle. It was so nice though. They stayed in line together holding hands and would clothes-line anyone who tried to butt in line (thank you wrestling videos). Those are my boys!

Lagoon

So if you ever wondered what we would look like "way back then" (I have no idea what time period it is suppose to be) well then here we are. It truly is amazing how much the camera puts on a person...no I think it was the EXTRA puffy dress the gal at Lagoon picked out for me...no, I am just fat. My head doesn't look that bad though, so therefore I posted it. :)

Lagoon was really fun. It was our stakes Lagoon Day. We got to see friends from before our ward split and those that still have to suffer though seeing us every Sunday. We went to Lagoona Beach first. The boys (and I mean all of them: Andrew, Satchel & Gehrig) had a ton of fun. Even little Emma enjoyed herself and she has been afraid of the bath ever since we visited Arizona and I had her dunked (I know, I am a mean momma. Really I was just trying to get her all wet. Instead I scarred her for life....). After that we (meaning Andrew) took the kids on a few rides. I love theme parks and roller coasters, but for some reason I was not wanting to ride any of them today so I spent the time with Emma. Finally after spending six hours there we went home exhausted and sunburned (okay, both of those were me). :) I will post pictures when I finally download them from the camera....hopefully that won't be too long from now. I know you are on the edge of your chair with anticipation.

Well, I am officially old....

On Saturday I turned 28 and clinically depressed. I know, I know, I am still young. You know though, that only old people say that (love ya Dad!). :) Seriously though I still feel like I am 23 or at the most 25. Now that I am nearing 30 I feel like I have to be more...more...more like my age. How depressing is that? I guess that means that I have to stop watching Disney Channel (without my kids), stop living on Slurpees and chips (come to think of it...it is starting to catch up with me), and stop throwing tantrums when my kids are (it really makes them mad :) ). Oh and I guess I did have plans to go to the release party for a "young adult" book (Breaking Dawn)...but you know the more I think of it I don't think there will be chaperons. Someone needs to be there to make sure all the teenage girls don't go crazy...that is something like a responsible 28 year old would do isn't it?

On the brighter side, I did have a nice birthday. We had gone camping the night before and arrived home on my birthday. My sister came up and we went to the craft store and got Slurpees. Then we just hung out until she left. Then I was starting to feel old again....so the family and I went and got hair cuts. The gal who cut my hair is so cute and I love it when she does it because she is so good. Anyhow, she said that because it was my birthday that she would style it for free...Heather likes FREE. Then later that night we fixed dinner and watched Penelope. It was REALLY cute. In fact I watched it on Sunday again because I liked it that much. Oh, AND Andrew gave me the most awesome jewelry box for my birthday (I keep telling him that I need one) and he got it engraved with words from "our" song (The Book of Love - Peter Gabriel --It is on my song list). I did tell him that it has WAY too much room so he better get shopping though. :)

Camping....

A few friends from our ward were camping up in Logan Canyon and so we decided to crash their party. We ended up only staying one night but it was really fun. The boys loved being there and busied themselves with telling scary stories, digging in the dirt, and playing with their friends. Emma was in love with the camp fire...thank goodness I had a good hold on her. Really she was just excited about everything because it was all new to her. In fact, she took the longest to go to bed because she was just bouncing in her playpen and talking.

(Emma trying on our friend Mark's hat)

Me, being the good mom I am, packed poorly. It is so hot where we live that I didn't even think that it would be cold in the mountains. You would think that I had never camped before! In the morning we all kind of lingered in our sleeping bags - in part because of my poor packing skills. Finally we got out and made pancakes on our new stove...you might notice that my pancakes are burnt...I was still trying to figure out what the correct temp was on that thing. Anyhow, we hung out for a little bit and then went to the lake. They had canoes and everything but we decided just to walk around for a bit and then came home (the flip-flops I was wearing weren't best for hiking...).

It really was beautiful and fun to hang out with friends. We are glad we were able to go.



(Andrew's biking buddy and friend Tim and his little one Gracie)

(The lake by where we camped. Doesn't it look beautiful?)

(Another friend of our family - Jason and his girls fishing... and yet another thing we didn't think to pack.)

Bowling is finally over...can I say that I am happy????

For the summer I wanted my boys to be able to do something fun, other than hanging out with their awesome mom... Anyhow, I came across Hilltop Lanes that has a program that enables kids to come once a week and bowl 2 games for the whole summer for only $25! They were on a team with friends and it was really fun. At the same time though it was REALLY crazy.

All the kids love to bowl but they don't always like to wait for their own turn. Then there is the fighting over who's turn it is and followed by someone inevitably smashing their fingers by not listening and sticking their hands in the ball return shoot. After that is the injuries sustained on the way to the lane (slipping and doing the splits, and sliding into the lane with the ball).

The best part though was watching them grow and learn a new skill. Initially they were all pretty uncoordinated. Thank goodness for the bumpers because it could have been really awful. But now they can actually send it down the middle. Not to mention that they each have developed their own style.

Gehrig likes to do what I call the "Fred Flintstone". Which means that he basically picks up the ball and launches it down the lane. He throws it by far the hardest and is more often getting strikes and spares.

Satchel is more careful. He calmly approaches the lane and lines up. He is more fluid. The ball doesn't bounce when he is up as it does with most kids and adults...it glides. He picks up more spares and occasionally gets strikes as well.

They really have come a long way and have enjoyed playing. Unfortunately the bowling alley is getting renovated and they decided it would be easier if the leagues weren't playing. They did refund $10 though of the original $25 so I was happy. I guess now I will have to find something else to entertain them with.

(Satchel getting a strike.)

(See that blur...that is Gehrig running with the ball.)

(Their team - Baleigh, Satchel, Kaylanee, & Gehrig)

(Emma - trying to get out of her stroller....she was rather good about that..being in her stroller I mean.)

Twilight....

Hi, my name is Heather and I am addicted to Twilight. I will just come right out and say it...especially because a countdown for Breaking Dawn is now on the blog. :) I know people don't think it is literary genius, but I don't really care. I like the way she tells the story. I like the characters (who wouldn't --come on now). I am eagerly anticipating the release of the 4th and final book. In fact, I am going to the release party with friends. I told my husband that since he goes out and plays boardgames with friends that I will be there until midnight and then will be reading the book until it is done....Have I ever mentioned that I have an obsessive personality? I have to know the end. Then I can re-read and enjoy everything. What does my wonderful husband say after I drop that load on him? "Well, don't read it in the car. Tell your friends that they can all come over and read on our couch. That has to be more comfortable." Isn't he the sweetest? I guess he has his manias and I have mine and the best thing is that we are still able to support and love one another regardless, right? :)

Addicted....

So, I have decided that I am addicted to blogging...I know, a few years late. Anyhow, I love to find the cute paper and what not. If you don't have a blog you should. It is SO fun...to make anyhow, I don't know what you are thinking when you read it. :)

Happy 1st Birthday Emma!

Yesterday was Emma's birthday. I can't believe that she is already 1. After church and Andrew's meetings we went down to my mother's house and had cake with Mom, Aunt Breezy and Uncle Dustin, Great-Grandma Mandarino, and Lisa. Emma was a little hesitant with the personal cake that we had gotten for her until Daddy rubbed her face in it. As soon as she had gotten a taste that was it. Before she was done it was in her hair, on her face, and in between her toes. I bet you didn't know how soothing it is to squish with your feet.

After leaving Grandma "Rino's" we went to Grandma and Grandpa Sprouls. There we ate dinner and following that Grandma surprised Emma with ANOTHER individual cake. This time she was all business knowing exactly what to do and quickly tried to devour as much cake as she could before it was taken away. Sadly the cake was not placed between her legs on the floor, as was the first time, enabling her to paint wonderful artwork in frosting with her toes.

(Please excuse the crazy hair...it still has a little bit of cake from the first time in it and the evil glint in her eye...well, that is just because she is on sugar overload and is living it up.)


One would think that that much sugar would cause fits, or at least throwing up. Alas, only diarrhea the next day. Poor baby, but I think she has learned not to binge. :)

The Name of Our Blog....

Well, who knew that Rock Band could inspire a blog, right? In our spare time Andrew and I love to do things together and one of our favorites is playing Rock Band. He is the drummer extraordinaire and I am the gal belting out the words....I know, the same girl who took choir in Junior High and didn't sing one word. :)

Anyhow, we are totally awesome and have fans all across the country. I have been so paranoid by stardom that I have gone to wearing disguises in public and hired a body guard with dogs to parole our property. Also, we have decided that like Brangelina (for those not-in-the-know: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie) we are going to be selling the rights for our next child to be photographed (not that I am currently pregnant). As for the children already here we are slowly integrating them into the band. Satchel and Gehrig together make one complete bass guitarist and occasionally help out on vocals. Emma is currently practicing her guitar solos since she is still crawling. Which is perfect for thrashing around on the ground during a really good set.

We are thinking about touring, but with school starting soon it just doesn't seem that feasible. If we end up changing our minds I will be sure to post it though. :)

Welcome....

I am just barely getting this up and running. I hope that you will enjoy looking in at what we have been up to...I will try to keep it interesting. :)