Beating the Heat

Scott has devised a new way to stay cool this summer:

He blew up the air mattress, and soaked it with the hose.

Laying on the wet mattress and spraying himself with the mist funtion on the hose seemed to do the trick.

Kate joined him to see what all the fuss was about.

Then Leia got in on the action.

I will admit I also followed suit and tried it out. It certainly was cooler. Kate invited Willow D over to try out the fun.
She had no complaints!

Jump, jump, plop!

Oh These Girls...

These two girls keep us busy and in this heat we haven't had much down time, but the few moments of calm we do get is delightful.

They either start the day rolling around together on Kate's bed or in Leia's crib, depending on who gets up first. Either way the first thing they want is some sister bonding time.

Kate's important decision of the day: which panties to wear.

A nutritious breakfast (beating the heat at Fred Meyer).

Leia exploring her toys without competition.

Working on sitting up, it's coming along.

Sprinkler Exploration

Kate has never embraced the sprinkler but with this heat wave she was willing to give it a chance.
Step 1: Contemplating the situation.

Step 2: Testing the water with her hair (that seemed safer than using her hands or feet).

Step 3: Here goes nothing!

Step 4: No Hands!
After a few more runs she was an old pro. Later on she cleaned her feet and attempted to fill a bucket with the spray. This resulted in getting sprayed in the face and was quickly aborted.

5 Months and Doodles

Leia turned 5 months a few days ago. It is awesome to see her developing and hitting new milestones. She is rolling, sitting up (for short periods), and standing holding onto the couch. She also now has enough hair for a doodle. Fountains Away!

Slide Burn

We took an afternoon to check out Park City Resort. They have a lot to offer in the summer. It is like an outdoor wilderness amusement park. We had passes for the Alpine Slide so we decided to check it out.

You get to take the chairlift to the top of the slide. Papa Scott, Skyann, Scott, and Kate went up first.
This is a picture of the bottom of the slide. It curves high up the mountain and starts at the top of the lift. You can see Papa Scott and Skyann in the third slide from the left and Scott with Kate in the last slide on the right.

Here is Papa Scott and Skyann whipping to a stop at the end. The girls has a blast! They wanted to go again so this time Scott rode with Skyann, Gigi rode with Kate, and I went solo. Scott and Skyann derailed and toppled a bit at the top of the slide. Scott with his ninja reflexes burrito wrapped Skyann with his body to protect her. She came away scratch free (but with a bonk on the lip). Scottie however....

He got some pretty gross burns on his leg and arm. They were even more disgusting the next day when he took the gauze off. Two days later it looks like he might have sprained his ankle as well. All in the name of fun and protection.

A little more Park City

These are dresses that Skyann bought for the girls at an auction. They enjoyed the ties at the top. Leia looked like a watermelon =)

Today was a fun filled day. We hit the park and did some climbing and swinging.
Kate loved running across the bridges.

Then we hit the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory for some ice cream. Kate choose Superman flavor, it's like eating a sugary rainbow.
Leia practiced standing. She is going through Jumperoo withdrawl.

Diane and I snuck out to do some shopping during nap time. We had a great lunch and the afternoon flew by. We headed down the mountain in the late afternoon to have dinner with a family Diane knows. They made us a fantastic BBQ and we enjoyed the company. They had horses that Skyann and Kate got to ride after dinner. Skyann rode by herself and then took Kate for a spin.
They had a blast. Kate wanted to go again and again.
Leia: " Really mom? Another picture?" At least Gigi was in for a smile.
Scott and Kate got in some swing time, we may have to get one of these at home.

Only one more full day and then we head home. We are heading back to Park City Resort for more fun and hopefully no more injuries.

Park City

We are currently in Park City, Utah with the Florida Bradleys. Our first full day was lazy. We took naps and a couple leisurely walks but that was about it. Today we went to Deer Valley Resort to ride the chairlift and do some hiking. We took on a bit bigger hike than intended but it was worth the challenge. We rode one chairlift halfway up the mountain and then hiked 1.8 miles with a 14ooft elevation gain to the top of the mountain. Skyann hiked the whole way on her own. Scott carried Leia up in the Bjorn and I carried Kate up in a backpack. My legs are smoked! Once at the top we rode a chairlift back to the middle, had lunch, and rode another chairlift back to the bottom. Then we drove into Salt Lake City to visit the beloved Apple store and pick up Diane from the airport.

I'm on vacation!

Leia working on her rolling. She has mastered back-to-front now.

Checking out flowers on our leisurely walk.

Enjoying the enchantment of water and sticks.

On the trail!
Almost at the top. Kate and Leia both napped in their carriers on the way up.

Doing a little rock climbing to reach the absolute top.

Leia sleeping arrangement. She loves it.

Tomato Ice Cream

Kate assisted me in making mini Caprese salads on toothpicks. She lost interest pretty quick but continued on her own tangent....tomato on a toothpick, or as she called it: ice cream.

Taking a lick.

If you make two you can tap them together.

Here's one for you mom!

For Willow