Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon is BEAUTIFUL!!!!!

Mandy, Dani and I went out for half a day in June. We went in the morning. It wasn't quite so hot that way. Dani loved digging in the rocks.

She finally did find the perfect one and carried it with her for about 10 minutes. Haha!

She loved being able to wander around and explore. She did really well for the most part. Sometimes we did have to pull her back between us or pick her up, but she had a great time!

This was so funny! With the position of the sun, one side of this log fence was really warm to the touch while the other side was cool. She kept wandering back and forth feeling them both over and over. She just couldn't figure out how it was possible that they could look the same and not feel the same. Haha. It was so cool to see the wheels turning around in her little head. We kept telling her, "hot" and "cold" when she touched the warmer and cooler surfaces. She could have done this all day long!!

Such a big girl now! She doesn't even need my help drinking out of a water bottle... Surprisingly - she very rarely spills unintentionally.

June Bugs

Hooray for Family!!!! We tried to take advantage of as much family time as possible this month. Once first crop got under way we didn't see much of Travis. He was super busy and with all the things we had going on, on the side, we didn't get to ride with him much in the tractor.

Right before things started to get crazy we took a family 4 wheeler ride up the canyon behind our house. It was Dani's first time riding on it for more than a couple minutes and she really really had fun. We went for a little hike and enjoyed some time together and then headed back home.

What a big girl she is now!!!

We didn't do a lot of traveling around this month (we needed a break anyway). :) Dani and I did go out to Bryce Canyon with Travis' sister Mandy. (I'll write another post with all those pics).

We did stay busy though. Travis' brother, Kevin, and his wife, Sara, and their kids stayed in the basement portion of our house through first crop so that they could be out here with Kevin while he worked here through 3rd crop. The only problem was that we really needed to clean it out cause we haven't ever utilized that space and no one has really been down there for over 10 yrs. at least!! Sara was a HUGE help in getting it livable! It looks great down there now and we are so excited to start using it more regularly (it's surrounded by concrete and SO MUCH COOLER in the summer!!) Thanks Sara and Kevin for all your help!!!

Travis hurt his foot this month. He has just started training Bella (the farm's youngest horse). She wasn't so into the idea of letting him get in the saddle the second time around and just as he got up in the stirrup and was ready to swing over she threw him. He twisted, sprained, tore it up SUPER GOOD!! He was on crutches for a week (thanks Roni), then a cane and now he's just gimping out the rest of it. ;) He's doing so so much better. I think we are almost to the point that I can start giving him jobs around the house again with out feeling guilty (Muahahaha)!!

I guess that wraps it up for us here and the month of June! Stay tuned because I will follow this post up with one with the pictures from Bryce and our 4th of July! :)

May Flowers - With Busy, Busy Bees!!

READY, SET, GO!!!!!!

KICKIN' BACK!

We feel like we've been pulled just about every single which way this month. It's all been for good causes and we wouldn't do it any differently. We were glad that we could be there for so many special moments this month but we are TIRED!!!! We'll have just a few weeks to recoup and then we'll be diving head first into first crop. Time to rest up and get the house clean so that it can at least be functional through our busier days and nights when I really will be too tired to care! Haha!!!
Mother's Day weekend we ran up to Salt Lake so that we could see all my siblings and be able to talk to my brother when he called from his mission. It was so good to see every one. There was great food (as there ALWAYS is) and of course plenty of laughs and games. Dani got to meet her Aunt Jessika (my sister) for the first time as she had just returned from her mission a few weeks earlier. It was great to visit my family. Now that we're older I love every opportunity that we have to get together! A full house at my parent's is some of the best times in the world!!
Chloe, Dani's cousin from Travis' side of the family came up to Salt Lake and spent a day with us. Roni, her mom, picked her up that afternoon. Dani loves having little friends to play with!!


The following weekend we were back up in Salt Lake for Jessika's homecoming talk. She did GREAT!!! It was wonderful to have time to visit with all of the Bates family that was able to make it. We got some cute pictures of Dani with her Aunt Jessie! Welcome home Jess!!!



Saturday the 21st was D.J. and Whitney's wedding!!!! They are so cute together and we were so happy that we could spend the day celebrating with them.
They put on a great party for their reception. We hope they had a good time cause we did! ;) I achieved a personal best - dancing the entire extended version of "Boot Scootin' Boogy" while holding Dani on my hip!!! Definitely earned that cake! :) Travis and I also got in a few swing dances which was a lot of fun. We really miss dancing. Too bad there's no where to go anymore.

Travis' and Dani's first daddy daughter dance.

Justin, Jacque and Rachel came and stayed with us the weekend of the wedding. We had some great meals (thanks for always bringing a great recipe with you when you come down!) and some really fun times. The two girls played really well together. No pulling hair, biting, kicking. ;) Good thing they are both really good girls!

The final weekend in May held just one more trip. This one was last minute up to Salt Lake on Sunday night and back Monday morning. We got some hand-me-down furniture. (Thanks Tom and Natalie!!) It was a quick, quick trip but it's always good to visit with friends!!!

When we got home with the new furniture we rearragned all the furniture and had a lot of cleaning to do! How cute is our little helper??! :)

That should basically wrap up our month. We got a TON of rain!!! A lot of days indoors. We're looking forward to Summer, sunscreen and more time in the park!!!

Hope things are going well for all of you too! :)