More celebrating!!!

Yesterday we started celebrating by going to the parade. We had to go the day before and put our chairs out. I know in the city this is the norm, but in Gunnison we usually show up 15 min before it starts and get prime seating.

The kids had a lot of fun. Paislee was really calm and just sat in the chair and watched, while my niece and nephew were going crazy for the candy.

According to Heath, Riker liked the pretty girls in their
dresses the best. He liked the "eye candy"!

A reindeer from the North Pole came to check on all the kids.
His antlers are so velvety and neat.

We entered Riker baby into the diaper derby at the park and he won 1st place. He won a cute little stuffed turtle and is really proud of his 1st place gold medal!

We were so hot after the parade and diaper derby that we all piled into the back of our truck to go back to our house and have hot dogs and let the kids play. We looked like total hill billies!!!

We had a wonderful 4th of July celebration and hope that you all did too. We are grateful for our freedom and the land we live in. We are grateful for those who are making a sacrifice to make it possible to have freedom as we know first hand how hard it is. Papa (my dad) is currently serving in Iraq, my brother Ben and Heath have served in Iraq and Heath just finished a tour to Afghanistan in Feb.

God Bless America

What a Celebration

Riker baby is a total terror!!! He is in to climbing all over everything. These are the things I managed to find him climbing on today. In addition to these he climbed on the step stool in the bathroom to get to the counter. I am getting really nervous that nothing is going to be safe. He is just like my niece Harmonie and I will next find him hanging from the kitchen light fixtures!

Riker on the picnic table checking out the horses in the back yard.

I'm afraid one of these days I am going to have to tell Heath that we need a new dishwasher. I guess I am going to have to start doing the dishes when he is asleep. He knows every time I get into the washer.

Little Miss Paislee said "look mommy" and I looked over and there she was with a fork prong up each nostril. She was pretty impressed with herself.

Friday night we kicked off the 4th of July weekend with dinner at the high school. It was a yummy roast dinner with plenty of food. This is Dave and Linda, our kids adopted grandparents. They are our next door neighbors but our so good to us that we consider them family.

This is Mollie's baby Ellie and I at the dinner.

Mollie got the task of sitting next to the girls at dinner. What a lucky lady!

Mom and Riker baby.

Little Hunter eating his ice cream on a wooden spoon.

We then went to the auction (I think my favorite part of all the celebrations) I bargained for myself and purchased a beautiful western pic of a old worn boot in a old wood barn frame. I love it and am going to have Heath hang it tomorrow. Mollie purchased herself a little blue heeler puppy that Aaron was not happy about, but it all worked out. They sold it to his brother and now everyone is happy :)


We then listened to Merrill Osmond and watched fireworks. They were incredible. It is the 150th year celebration for the Gunnison Valley and they went all out. We had a lot of fun.

What a Do!!!

Riker and Paislee got their haircut yesterday. Riker looks like a whole new man. We were hoping to not cut Rikers hair until his 1st birthday, which is on the 23rd of this month, but when stangers start telling you that your baby's hair is out of control then it is time. I had my friend Angie do his first "official" haircut. I cut 2 inches off when he was 6 months old. Now that he has had his haircut, he looks just like our nephew Hunter, who is a cute little guy.

Paislee is an old pro at getting her hair cut. She was so excited to get it cut because Angie always gives her a treat.

This is Riker Baby's out of control hair do. I went the day before and got his 11 month pics done.

Riker was such a trooper. He did really well. He was really interested in watching Angie so he kept turning around to see her.

I am pretty sure that Riker knew he looks handsome. He had such a cheesy grin on his face and he keeps rubbing his hair.

The whole fam is coming for the 4th of July, including my cousins. We will have some fun new pics to post next week. I hope everyone has a great 4th of July and remembers those who are serving us, those who have, and those who will. May we all remember the freedom in which we enjoy.