Emma's First T-Ball Game

We signed Emma up for T-ball this season and have had a great time watching her play.  Her first game was cancelled because of weather, so it was held the following Saturday.  We had so much fun!  Emma's first at-bat was awesome.  She hit the ball a few feet, then ran forward and picked it up before the other team could do anything.  Dave was helping all the batters on our team, and he talked with her for a minute before she tried again.  But it must not have worked, because she did the exact same thing all over again!  It was a riot.  Then, as she was getting ready to try once more, a helicopter landed right behind us!  We all paused briefly to watch it land and then Emma swung, connected, and actually ran to first base.  :)  She played a great game and definitely had fun in the process.

Getting ready to whack the ball right outta the field.

She's serious about her short stop position.

Our little ball player.

The helicopter was landing for a health and safety fair the community was holding at the community center right by the baseball fields.  We hadn't known about it, but were sure glad to be able to go.  The kids got to sit in the helicopter, a firetruck, and an ambulance.  They were giving away brand new bike helmets and free lunch.  The kids loved watching the police dog and jumping in the bounce house.  We ended up staying for a few hours just enjoying all that was offered and visiting with friends.  The only problem with the day was that we never sun-screened anyone.  Thankfully, I was the only one who got royally fried!

Exploring the fire truck.  Our backdoor neighbor was one of the firemen at the event.

Hopefully we never have to ride in one of these for real.

The day was awesome, and it gave me yet another reason to love living in Star Valley.

Circus Circus

The first-graders at Thayne Elementary put on a  program called Circus Circus for the end of the year.  Carson was asked to be a circus announcer, and boy did he do an amazing job!  I was concerned about how he would handle being in front of so many people since he refuses to sing in sacrament meeting or participate in the primary program.  I thought that if I practiced his part with him it would make him more hesitant to perform.  So, I had no idea what his performance would be like.  He was SPECTACULAR!!  He spoke clearly and was easy to understand.  Plus, he had great expression.  Mrs. Matijczyk said that he was a wimpy announcer when they started, but he'd become fabulous!  I'd have to agree with the fabulous.  Carson and a girl named Anna took turns introducing each circus act and brought lots of energy to the show.  Grandpa and Grandma Robinson were able to come watch the performance, which made it extra special.  After the show, the teachers held a reception where families could eat and visit with each other.  It was a great afternoon! Our family went out for ice cream that night to celebrate Carson's awesome performance.

What a great circus announcer!

Waiting for the show to start.

Welcome to the circus! Take a seat.  The show will begin shortly. Welcome the enormously electrifying elephants!  Check out the mischievous monkey!  And now enjoy the circus parade!

Watching the show with Grandma Mona

 

Lots of congratulations from Grandpa and Grandma Robinson for a performance well done.

Memorial Day Dutch Oven

On Memorial Day we headed up to the Ranch to do Dutch Oven with Grandpa and Grandma Robinson.  We'd found a recipe to try and were excited to see how it would turn out.

Yummy!

Hey good-lookin', what you got cookin'?

Dave also put together an apple cobbler that we knew would be heavenly.  The meal ended up taking much longer to cook than we'd thought.  We were so hungry by the time it was done, but it was definitely worth the wait!  It was certainly a do-againer.

Fishing Firsts

We spent a good chunk of Saturday morning fishing on the Salt River for the first time.  We'd invested in fishing poles for the kids and Dave (along with a super-expensive non-resident fishing license since we haven't lived here a year yet) and decided we'd better start using them.  The kids were so excited, especially Carson who received a tackle box from Grandpa and Grandma Jex for his birthday.  Emma and Carson both practiced casting in the parking lot while Dave and I got things loaded in the van.  Our first spot was just up at the road from us.  Carson got a nibble, but otherwise we were unsuccessful.  This spot was hard for Joely because I didn't feel good about her running around with the river so close and high.  But Emma and Carson were perfectly content casting over and over, hoping to lure those little fishies onto their hooks.

She must have been concentrating hard on her fishing, because her tongue was out most of the time!

This little stinker had no problem expressing her frustration with the fishing experiment.

Could she stick that lower lip out any farther?

There's that smile we love!

We decided to try another spot along the Salt and found a perfect little hideaway.  It was flat enough that I didn't worry about kids accidentally falling into the river.  Joely could play happily and I could set my chair up and keep an eye on everyone.  I would be content fishing here on a regular basis.

Even Joely got in on the fishing action.

We didn't catch any fish, but we had a great few hours enjoying the river (and hey, nobody fell in, so we did pretty good)!  I think it's something we'll be doing often over the summer.

S'mores and a Moonrise

Memorial Day weekend was approaching, and we decided that it would be better for everyone's mental health if we stayed home and enjoyed Star Valley.  Given the number of tour buses, RVs, and boats going by our house, the rest of the world wanted to come here for Memorial Day anyway.  We might as well enjoy it too!  We kicked the weekend off by grilling hamburgers up at the Ranch with Grandpa and Grandma Robinson.  As darkness approached, we started a little campfire and roasted marshmallows with the kids.  As a bonus, we got to watch the full moon rise over the mountains. AMAZING!

Peeking over the mountaintops.

Emma helped Dad get the fire going.  She was ready for s'mores!

Enjoying each bite.

MESSY!

 

Playing 'til the Storm Hits

I love the beautiful views where we live.  Seriously, I see amazing, breathtaking scenery every day.  Even when it's stormy, it's beautiful.  The kids wanted to play outside, so we went out to enjoy the last few minutes before the storm hit.

She's figured out the climbing wall and can get up it all by herself.

Apparently, he thought I wanted him to wink.  I have about 4 pictures of him winking in this same pose. 

Being super girl on the swings.

At about this point the rain starting coming down.  It became a mad scramble to get into the house!

Dandelion Wishes

Baseball season has begun here in Star Valley and Carson and Emma had their first practices last week.  Emma was so excited to play.  The weather was perfectly beautiful at the Thayne ballpark!  Joely spent her time picking dandelions and making wishes.

I shudder to think how many new dandelions will be growing thanks to her hour of wishes!

So glad I get to keep this cutie forever!

 Carson played with friends and Emma soaked up every minute of her practice.  The weather was so perfect that we stayed for awhile after just to enjoy being outside.

Happy little ballplayer.