Talking

Anna is always babbling and trying to tell us all about everything going on.

My 30th Birthday

Yep, kinda weird, but I have officially left my 20's. When I was a girl I thought 30 was really old, but I don't feel old, just more mature and experienced in life. Being 30 is great. My brother Gabe mentioned to me on my birthday that this was the age that Jesus Christ began is ministry.

My 30th birthday was fabulous. I mean, you only turn 30 once. First of all I had a fun early birthday bash/swim party with my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins last week. Then on my birthday to my great surprise, my old childhood friends, Anna and Frances, came passing through town from California and stayed with us for a few days! I hadn't seen them for years.

We had a fondue dinner the night before and my favorite Thai curry recipe that day.
The best part of it all is we brought our friends, left Anna with a babysitter, and went tubing/rafting down the salt river. I love love love tubing down the Salt River. And of course, because of our curse, it rain for a bit during the adventure. :)
The next day we went to the Desert Botanical Gardens too! It was so nice having old friends in town. And Kent made my birthday very special with all the work he did to arrange everything and make things happen. Yea.

Our Dinner Entertainment

We never have to go out to a dinner theater because every night we have our own personal dinner entertainer. Sometimes we get to see comedy shows and sometimes they are theatrical and full of drama. But every night there is a new performance.

Cousins and Babies

Within a month of Anna's birth 4 of my cousins on my mothers side gave birth also. Here are 3 of them with me with our babies. It's so fun.

Within a year of her birth I also had 3 cousins on my father's side have babies and one sister in law. That is a grand total of 8 cousins/second cousins her age. Yea!

Lips or turtle?

Since Anna was born she has always had nice, big, kissy lips. Just love them. But lately she has been hiding those lips!!!

Yep, when she realized that bottom lip of hers was juicy and plump she thought it would work as a good pacifier. So she has been sucking on her bottom lip.

I think she looks quite ridiculous lately, like a old lady who took out her dentures.

or like A Turtle. Oh boy.

4th of July

On Friday the 2nd we went to Mesa's freedom festival where we saw some neat exhibits, presentations, art work, and plays on the founding of the nation and the Declaration of Independence it was really neat.

Sunday night July 4th we went to the park down the street where we could watch some fireworks in the distance. And for FHE we read the Declaration of Independence. I am very grateful for those men who sacrificed much to give us the great freedoms we now have and I want to strive to maintain those freedoms.

The Sillies of our Life

Whenever I come home from work or Young Womens and Kent has been babysitting Anna, I know I am in for a funny Anna surprise, greeting me as I walk in. It is so funny!!! I don't know how he does it, but I imagine that when he hears my car pull in he must quickly arrange some crazy Anna pose and then he always hides, as if she did it herself. Every time it is different whether she is sitting there by herself in a funny hat, or popping around a door. In this picture you can see what I walked in as I opened the our front door last night after young womens; Anna in her bomber fort with her bopper gun aiming at me. "Ahhhhh, please don't shoot me Anna, you can take me as your POW!"

Whenever we make our bed, we like to make Anna into the bed, and when we do laundry we like to play a spoof off, "Where's Waldo?" and change it to "Where's Anna?" Can you find her?We also think it is pretty funny and tease Anna about her drooling habits and her insatiable appetite for her fingers. Note: the drool dripping from her chin.

Motherhood

This Mormon Message on motherhood touched me.