Oh, to be a Kid

Jozlyn has always had quite the imagination and today I learned what has been going on in her pretty little head. I asked her if she wanted me to put a movie on for her while I cleaned and she said, "No, I'll play with my imaginary friend." I asked her what her name was...Sally. She has brown hair that's in two braided pigtails. She wears pants and a long sleeve shirt. Sally plays with Jozlyn when no one else can. She then told me how she daydreams while on the playground at school. She said she was running in Candyland (really the school field) and started getting sleepy from the candy poppies (sounds like Wizard of Oz huh?). She laid down and fell asleep. Her friend Whitney woke her up and she was back on the playground. I don't think I ever had a great imagination and I found myself quietly wishing I could pretend to be somewhere else. Every time I hear about something new in Jozlyn's imaginary world I absolutely am enthralled and ask her to explain all the details. I have vowed to never squash her creativity no matter how old she gets or how weird it is. I love to hear about her little world inside her head and wish I could be there with her. I have to say that nothing beats having a little girly girl like mine. Love you Jozzy Bear!

Haylie Jo gets her 1st haircut!

Yes, I know that it's weird that my 5 1/2 year old has never had a hair cut. You all know how slow blond hair grows and it wasn't until she was 3 that I could do pigtails. About a year ago Josh mentioned cutting Haylie Jo's hair short and I just couldn't do it. She's my baby and her hair finally had grown long enough to do fun stuff with it. I had change of heart. Her hair is really fine and thin and I knew that a cute bob would make it look fuller. So, we did it! We cut off 6 inches. Haylie Jo absolutely loves her new do. She told her Aunt Brooke, "Aunt Brooke, isn't my hair so cute? I knew it would be cute, that's why I cut it. Isn't it cute though?" It definitely fits her. Here are some before and after pics.

Before. Her hair was in a bun for ballet. That is why it looks so full and curly. It normally does not look like that.


After! Doesn't it just suit her?


Haylie Jo and her cute new do!

Eastern Idaho State Fair 2009

We are definitely not a fair family. In the past, Josh and I always skip the fair. Josh hates crowds and after 7 years of marriage, he's starting to rub off on me. This year, Josh's parents Bill and Yvonne asked us to go with them on Labor Day. We reluctantly agreed. It was pretty cold that day and there were swarms and swarms of people, but we had fun anyway. The kids loved seeing the animals. In the petting zoo, there were puppies for sale and the girls each got to hold one. Here are some picture from our day of fun (kinda).

Bill and Yvonne helping the girls feed the goats.


Haylie Jo and Daddy holding a puppy.


Jozlyn holding her puppy (it's windy, can you tell?)


Jozlyn milking the pretend cow.


Haylie Jo tried milking the cow too!

Back to School

Yes, the girls started school almost a whole month ago. I am that behind! Jozlyn was so excited to go to 1st grade and Haylie Jo started Kindergarten! At White Pine Charter School they have all-day kindergarten so to see Haylie Jo go was bittersweet. I will miss having her around all the time but I know she is in good hands and is learning skills that will benefit her whole life. Here are just a few pics from the first few days.

Waiting for the bus.

Getting on the bus.


At school waiting for the first bell.

Bear Scare Update

Remember the scary bear story on my last blog? Well, I found out more. My dad talked to the other cabin owners that share our gate, and asked if they had been picking any of the huckleberries that grew over where the cattle grazed. They said they hadn't been eating them, but they had seen a huge (they said it was HUGE!) mother black bear around the cabins lately eating the berries! The kids told us where they had seen the bear and it was only yards away from where they were playing. I just had to thank God that our kids were kept safe from harm that day. I wonder if the cows distracted the bear enough for them to go unnoticed or whether they were not seen as a threat. Whatever happened, it simply sickens me to know that anyone of them could have been seriously hurt, and especially my Haylie Jo who couldn't bear to part with her $2.50 flip-flop from Old Navy. I told her, "If you ever see a bear, you run and scream like crazy. Leave the shoe behind!"

Friday Getaway

Last Friday, the girls and I went up to Palisades Lake to go boating with my family. We had a blast! My dad's friend came up too and had the most awesome tube anyone had ever seen. Jozlyn and Haylie Jo thought they were so brave. Haylie Jo was the first to want to ride the tube and everyone soon joined in. Jozlyn got so brave she stood up while going fast!

The scariest thing happened while we were there. While we were waiting for my dad to hitch up the boat, the girls, my niece and 2 nephews went off to explore a little. Soon, we heard them screaming and turned to see them running down the hill at full speed. Jaxon shouted, "We saw a bear!" Haylie Jo lost her shoe and went back! I was never more scared than I was at that moment. I just knew a bear was going to come out of the trees and eat my little girl! We all yelled her name until she came back (with her shoe) and we jumped in the car. A narrow escape from such a dreadful death!

Jozlyn and Haylie Jo with Great-Grandpa Anderson


The girls on the boat!


Haylie Jo swimming


Jozlyn swimming


Haylie Jo on the tube. Can you see her?


Jozlyn tubing too!


My dad with his life jacket on like a diaper. Do they ever grow up? :)

Does TV Brainwash your Children?

Do any of you think that watching TV brainwashes your children? A few years ago many people would have said yes, but now, with all the technology that helps us gain new information, TV couldn't hurt right? Well, consider the conversation I had with my girls over dinner tonight.

Me: "Jozlyn eat over your plate. That food will stain."
Jozlyn: "Yeah, everything stains."
Haylie Jo: "Especially white. Everything stains white."
Jozlyn: "Except with Oxy Clean. Oxy clean gets rid of stains."
Haylie Jo: "Even on white. Oxy clean gets stains off white."
Jozlyn: "And it's safe on colors, even red!"
Haylie Jo: "It gets stains out of everything, even carpet."
Jozlyn: "Maybe it would get that juice stain out of our carpet."
Haylie Jo: "Oxy Clean gets the toughest stains out."

Jozlyn and Haylie Jo in unison: "So mom...can we buy it? Can we buy Oxy Clean?"

I had this eerily feeling that someone coached them, and I felt like I was watching an infomercial. So, I ask you again....Does watching TV brainwash your children?