Summer Fun!!

We had a lot of fun this summer playing with the puppies. The cousins always came over to play with them, give them baths, or to help feed them. I couldn't have done it without them and Mike's help. We made cupcakes from the box and decorate them with frosting and sprinkles with the cousins.
Teryn, second cousin to Mike
Hayden, second cousin to Mike
Raegan, second cousin to Mike
Taylor, second cousin to Mike
Kaylee (My friend's daughter; that I have been watching over the summer just here and there. So fun! She loved playing with the cousins too.)

Katelyn, second cousin to Mike
This where we made volcanoes with a Homemade Clay recipe I found online. Then we filled them with vinegar and baking soda. The cousins loved it. We sat on the porch steps and watched them explode. They didn't work as well as we would have liked but we then decided to just put vinegar and tons of baking soda in a cup to watch that explode. It worked really well.
Matthew's Great Aunt Laverna; Mike's side

Matthew is our little artist. He loves to play with paper and to paint. I will just put a bunch of different types of colors on his paper and then he will smear the colors all around. Then of course he has to crumbled to the paper after he is all done painting. We have been doing tons of fun swim parties with the Mike's second cousins. Matthew loves to watch the cousins and to play with them in the swimming pool. We did water balloons, running through the sprinkler, water fights, or just relaxing in the swimming pool. It has been so much fun and really good for Matthew to get use to the water. He loves the swimming pool now. As soon as you put him in he lays on his belly and start moving his arms around like he is trying to swim. He loves playing with the swim toys. I made goop with Mike's cousin, Raegan. She loved playing in it. It is so easy to make. The recipe called for corn starch and water. We do it to the consistently that we like with both ingredients. Then you add what food coloring you would like. Simple and so much fun.Matthew loves going to his Great Aunt Laverna's house and playing with her. He now loves to ride her Mule (side by side). All we have to say to him now is, "Matthew you want to go see Laverna and go v-room, v-room??." He gets a big smile on his face while kicking his legs and we will open the blinds in his room so he can see the Mule parked outback her house. He loves going for rides when at first he would hate to go and would cry and start shaking in his hands and body. Laverna found out if she held him really close to her body while holding his hands and would have the person driving the Mule go really slow then he was just fine. Now he will go slow or fast on it without it bothering him unless he is really tired then we know it is time to stop and he is ready for a nap. Sometimes that is how we get him ready and relaxed for his nap by taking a ride on the Mule. He is so fond of Laverna and has had such a bond with her ever since he was little. When he sees her at church on Sunday he will start clapping his hands, starting vocalizing, and jumping up and down in our lap. If we are sitting close to her then he has to crawl to her and say Hello during Sacrament. And while in Sunday School he normally sits in her lap while eating his snacks. He loves her so very much. I love seeing him get so excited to see her.


I am kind of sad to see the summer come to at end with all the kids going back to school. They have kept Matthew and I entertained and have been great company to be around. I have enjoyed watching Matthew play with them. He loves other children.