June- Week 1- First Week of Summer, Zoo, Boondocks, Anna Tantrums

Forgot to post this cute picture of M and B sleeping at Mantua.  Not only are they in the same position, but this is MY favorite position to sleep in as well.  

Wednesday McKenna had a park date with some school friends.  Afterwards we took Camille with us to get smoothies from Keva Juice for lunch.  Later we had Camille and the Lewises over to run through the sprinklers.  

Thursday Dan got up early and washed our windows!  What a guy!  We also had a lovely swim day at the Winegar pool.  We had the missionaries over for dinner that evening and I gave Dan a haircut.  

Friday I did some running and weeding in the morning.  After lunch we went to two "end of the school year" parties!  One at the Roth's and one at Grandma's house.  

Silly cousins being silly! 

Saturday morning I went running with Sarah Jane and Dan mowed the lawn.  We quickly got cleaned up for the baptisms of McKenna's primary class friends, Bekkah and Renton,  Following this we came home and packed a lunch and headed to the ZOO!  We won tickets from a drawing at our dentist office.  We ate lunch as soon as we got there; Ben made that face out of veggie straws and vanilla wafers,  We also saw the three baby lion cubs and they were nursing!  So cute, I almost cried. ;) We were super glad our prize tickets included a train ride, even though it was a long wait.  

It was pretty hot. but we got some cute poses by the otter statue.  I love that Ben gives us REAL smiles now instead of the goofy faces.  And McKenna looks like she's 12! 

We got slurpees on the way home then picked up groceries.  We stopped by home and then headed to my Aunt Joan's for a potluck extended Thompson family get-together.   What a whirlwind day!!

Sunday,  Ben had taken the instruction book from one of McKenna's girl Lego vet sets, and he found all of the same pieces and made his own x-ray machine.  They are identical-ish!  Such a smart Lego loving boy.  

After church we visited the Alexander's and met their new baby boy William!  After dinner Anna fell asleep and we decided not to wake her up and we played games outside in the back.  Unfortunately, Anna did wake up and was up from 10:30pm-12:30am.  Arg! 

Monday McKenna started Summer piano lessons with her new teacher Sis. Novak.  McKenna also had a Summer fun party with her friend Marli from school.  McKenna and Ben started swim lessons also!  That evening we headed up to Boondocks in Kaysville to celebrate Dan's mom's BD for family night! We had pizza, cake, played mini golf, and lots of arcade games!  

Tuesday I took the van to the Toyota dealership because both my headlights were out.  We thought it was a fuse issue but turns out both had burned out at the same time.  Once fixed, we ran an errand to buy a birthday present for Ben's friend.  At both the dealership and the store, Anna threw some pretty epic tantrums with LOTS of screaming, all because I said no to something.  I got lots of nice looks and comments from well-meaning strangers.  My favorite was from a grandma who patted me on the shoulder and said, "She'll be a mom too someday."  That evening Ben went to Henry Alexander's BD party and we had the YM (teachers) over for some outdoor gaming.  

Anna enjoyed her Tiki Punch and almost made me forget what a stinker she had been. ;)   

May- Week 4- Backyard Final Product, Last Day of School, Memorial Day

Bethany working hard to pull up, but can't even crawl yet! 

Tuesday, I had a lovely brunch with my visiting teachers and the two other ladies they visit teach.  Yummy fruit, pancakes, and a breakfast casserole.  TONS of kids between all of us, but so fun! My visiting teacher, Andrea Walker, moved 4 days later.  Gonna miss her. 

Tuesday I also found out the results of my thyroid ultrasound.  It showed I have many benign-looking cysts all over my thyroid.  So the doctor put me on the second to lowest dose of thyroid medication and will follow-up with me in a month.  

That evening, Dan was interviewed on the news again and Ben had his last soccer game of the Spring season.  

 McKenna wanted me to take a picture of her pretty curls after we took out the pigtail buns.  

Wednesday after lunch we picked up friends Camille and Taggart to come to Hogan park with us.  It rained a little on us at first, but thankfully cleared up!  Later Anna fell asleep on me and woke up with a fever.  Thankfully medicine helped it go away quickly.  

 "Hi everyone!" 

 Here's a little progression of our backyard project.  Dan worked so so hard on this! He tore out a fence, broke up and hauled away almost 3 TONS of cement, automated sprinklers, leveled out the ground, and laid sod.  Then, once the sod was well established, he strung some lights!!  This is totally what he's been envisioning for a long time!  Well done my love!  We've already enjoyed several picnics and game nights back there! 

 Thursday, Ben got to go to the park in the morning with cousins Oliver and Henry.  At lunch time, Dan surprised McKenna and checked her out of school early (it was her second to last day of school), and took her and Ben to a Bee's baseball game!  They said it was quite hot and they all came home with little sunburns, but they had a good time. They rode the little train too.  I stayed home with the two cute girls on the bottom right.  :) 

 Friday was McKenna's last day of first grade!! I can't believe it!  She's had such a great year with awesome teachers and sweet friends!  She lost 4 more teeth (8 total), and definitely grew taller! 

 I missed several previous opportunities to take a picture with McKenna and her teacher, so I was brave and sent the digital camera with her to school.  My plan worked!  

McKenna and Mrs. Ally Poulton

 With Mrs. Forbes (the aid).  

The teachers even took a few pictures of McKenna with her friends Camille and Hyrum.

For the last day of school I got to drive carpool, so I decorated the van to look like a party!! 

 The kids liked it except they were all actually a little sad to be leaving school and friends.  

Even though Ben's last of preschool was 10 days earlier, here are his first and last day comparison pictures.  He has also grown lots taller.  

Other poses. :) 

After dinner Friday night, we played at a park in Salt Lake City and then went to Ugurt to celebrate the end of school! 

Documenting Ben's awesome writing and ability to sound things out!  "You are my best friend"

Saturday I went running (did I mention I'm training for a 10k?) and Dan helped two families in our ward move out. :(  The Walkers and Campbells.  We had a picnic lunch in our back yard.  I started sorting through McKenna's school papers then the kids went to the Alexander's house to play.  We had fast food dinner at a park and went grocery shopping.  

Sunday, after church, we headed up to Mantua to be with the available Webster family for Memorial Day.  

Monday morning, Dan went golfing with the guys.  

Everyone else stayed home and had a pancake and fruit breakfast. Later, we met the boys at the White Family Farm (Dan's maternal grandmother's childhood home).  It is a gorgeous farm house with SO MUCH land!  

Really?!?  Isn't it stunning?  And so much family history in there! 

After lunch, we swam and LOVED playing on this new pool floatie!  The uncles were the sharks and would attack the kids sitting on it.  Good times!

 

Later, we went to the cemetery to visit Dan's Webster grandparents.  We heard a history lesson about Memorial Day and some family history stories.   

 Then we went back to the house and enjoyed an awesome BBQ and celebrated the May birthdays.  Anna and Kate got along great playing with princesses.  

We just love making so many fun memories at Mantua!
We made a last-minute decision to spend one more night and therefore be able to help clean up more.  Everyone else had to get back home because their kids had school the next day.  We were lucky that McKenna was done.  

Tuesday we made it home by 9:45am.  We had Henry and Desi Alexander over to play that day from 11-4:30 (their mom just had a baby the day before) and I did lots of laundry. 

May- Week 3- Bethany 10 Months, Ben's PS Grad, Baby Mila, My BD

Sunday, Bethany turned 10 months!  I even tried a little clip in her hair.  

Outtakes

 Monday the kids had friends over to play while I did laundry and worked on end of the year teacher gifts.  

Tuesday Ben and Anna played at the Alexander's house.  I used that time, and while Bethany was napping, to organize and vacuum.  After lunch, we attended Ben's preschool graduation!  Grandma and Aunt Mickelle came, though we missed McKenna while she was at school. We loved Ms. Tracy and Ms. Paula this year and we're so glad Ben could have best friend Taggart in his class!  

 Ben led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance and did so well!!  They sang some darling songs and each gave a speaking line about how their baby animal says happy mother's day and happy father's day.  Ben loved taking deep bows during the applause!  

Ben also helped the girl next to him hold the microphone closer to her mouth.  He's a good helper.  And he unfortunately had an itch in his nose almost the whole time and looked like he may have needed a tissue. 

 Speaking part

My Mother is a Baker

5 Little Monkeys

Slippery Fish

Graduation Song

Ben also presented me with this cute pot he decorated.  

That evening Ben had a soccer game.  Aunt Pickle came and Bethany clapped when we clapped. :)  Dan ended up coaching that night because our regular coach was sick.  He did so well being enthusiastic and cheering with the kids.  Much better than our regular coach, in fact.  I guess I was too distracted to take any pictures though. :(

Wednesday I went running up and down my sidewalk while the kids played outside.  We watched cousin Hailey for a quick 25 mins.  

The weather was glorious that day!  So after school, I took the kids to Hogan Park.

Thursday Ben played at Henry's and then we had Taggart and Hayden & Avery Cardall over to play in the afternoon.  

This is Anna's favorite set-up lately.  Thankfully, she doesn't fall asleep...she just likes to be comfy.    

 Friday I had an appointment with an ear, nose, and throat doctor to check on my enlarged thyroid.  He ordered an ultrasound for more testing.  My sister babysat and helped Anna relax a little too well.

McKenna lost tooth #8 also.  Dan went on a campout that night with the YM so my sister stayed for the evening.  We of course had ice cream and binge watched 4 episodes of The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt on Netflix.  

Saturday we woke up to LOTS of rain so Dan's campout got cut short.  I went running, showered and went for my thyroid ultrasound.  I also had a meeting to try out some activities for stake girls camp.  We got news in the afternoon that our new niece had been born!  Welcome baby Mila!  Congrats Jake and Ailin!   

Sunday Dan's mom and sisters sang in our Sacrament meeting!  It was beautiful!  We made cookies that evening to welcome some new neighbors, the Reudters.  We had some big thunder and lighting in the afternoon and the Angel Moroni on the Bountiful Temple actually got struck! 

Sunday snuggles with my babies.  

Monday was my 32nd birthday!!  My siblings took me out for breakfast to Kneaders!  Mickelle also got me 4 different kinds of M&Ms.  Then I took the kids to a park until it was time for Bethany's nap. 

I still did laundry even though it was my birthday. ;)  I enjoyed Ben Lego creativity!  

Dan came home early and brought me some gorgeous roses and some much needed new socks! 

We went to watch McKenna in gymnastics for the last time before her Summer break.  

After that we went to the May Nelson Family BD party.  

May anniversaries! 

It's always wonderful to see and reconnect with so many extended family members each month!