Happy 4th of July!

July 2009:

We enjoyed watching the Kaysville Parade to start off the July 4th Celebrations. It was over-cast, but that made for pretty mildly warm day.

Rusty and Grandpa Mehr

Great-Grandma Sheffield, Uncle Connor, Grandma Mehr, and Sienna.

Sienna really got into it.

Brothers: Uncle Connor and Uncle Garrett

"Hey look Ma, No hands!

Camping!!!

July 2009:

We've continued an unofficial tradition starting from last year of camping around July 3rd-July 4th up at Doc's Flat in Mantua, UT. Last year it was me, B, and Matt and our families. This year it was me, B, and Ben with our families. It was a good time, just chillin', eating hot dogs and s'mores and watching the boys play with each and get dirty. All in all, it was fun just to hang out with friends. We missed Matt (Heywood) and Josh (Harper) and their families though.

Sienna really enjoyed little Josh's camp chair. I think she sat in it alot more than he did.

Li and Jess

Li, Jess, Becca, B, and Ben

All the boys lined up to take turns getting water squirted into their mouths by Boyd and getting all wet...

...so they just decided, "to heck with shirts, we're gonna strut our stuff." Pictured left to right, Asher, Josh, Rusty, and Evan

"Look! In the Sky! It's a bird, it's a plane, it's...

So Amber and I brought back this Superman T-Shirt from Six Flags last summer. Here is a shot of two "Super-men," Grandpa Peterson and Rusty last summer. Since we have brought it back, it has been his "woobie" (equivalent of a baby blanket that the child becomes addictively dependent on). It's one of those shirts that every time it is clean, he is putting it on and wears it for 1-2 days before it gets dirty and has to be washed again. It's now getting holes and is fading quite a bit, but Rusty feels like a Million Bucks in it. It's gonna be a sad day when we have to get rid of his Superman shirt.

Yep, you'll always be a "Super" guy, Rusty.

More Swimming!!!

June 2009:

Well, like I said, the kids favorite thing to do is to go swimming so we found ourselves back in Bountiful enjoying a hot Summer Day....

...And this time Uncle Connor and Aunt Lacie joined us. Can you guys believe how big Connor has gotten. He has really taken off (in height) this last year. "Whoa Connor, put those away! We didn't buy tickets to the Gun Show." Notice that Rusty is now wearing a life-jacket. For more explanation on that, see the story in my earlier post "Swimming"

Rusty thought it was great of Aunt Lacie to join him at the pool. He sure loves his Aunt Lacie!

The Fam, poolside.

Lacie's Graduation Celebration...

Congratulations to Lacie "La-Quisha" Mehr. Class of 2009!

Sisters

Mom, Lacie, and Dad. "Hey! Look everybody! I just matriculated! (Inside Joke)

Sienna peruses the Menu at Robintino's as we celebrate Lacie's graduation from High School.

Sienna, Daddy, and Grandma Sheffield

Swimming!!!

May 2009:

So if there is a silver lining in my time of being unemployed, it has definitely got to be how much time I am able to spend with Amber and the kids. It seems like when I started working for Fidelity Investments moving forward, it was so competitive, there was more money to be made, so I was working alot. And it's not that I enjoy being unemployed, I have been looking for steady work since February of this year, but this economy doesn't make it easy to find a good job. It has been extremely frustrating and a bit depressing to the ego. But if there is a sure-fire way to cheer me up, it's to see my kids smiling, laughing, and having a good time. One of the things that they enjoy most is swimming. There is a pretty big indoor/outdoor pool in Bountiful, close to where Amber's grandparents live which we really like to go to.


A quick story about this picture above. You can see a barrier separating the kiddie pool where Rusty, Sienna and I are, from a lazy river that encircles the entire indoor pool. Well, right after Amber took this picture, she went to go put the camera away so that she could join us in the water. I thought Rusty was right there next to me, and it seemed like only seconds had occured when we all heard the Lifeguard's whistle going nuts and the Lifeguard jumping into that lazy river. Rusty had climbed on that barrier and jumped into the lazy river. He was pulled under the water and away from the point from where he jumped in by about 30 feet. That scared the living day-lights out of Amber and I. And after the initial embarrasment of "who is that boy's parents to let something like that happen" and Amber later commenting "and here I was a state championship swimmer and swim coach," it really hit me hard how bad it could have been. Life is so fragile and it doesn't take long for any tragedy to happen. Rusty is fine, but it was a nice little reminder to us about how precious our children are, and how much of a blessing it is to have a loving Heavenly Father watching out for our family.

That boy is gonna wear a life-jacket until he is in his 20's!!! That or until he learns how to swim.

Tacos Al Pastor!!!

Okay so, a little explanation is needed. When I was on my mission in Mexico, I discoved my most favorite food in the world...Tacos Al Pastor. Basically it is a type of BBQ'd pork they would rotisserate with a pineapple on a spit. Then the Taquero would chop some off the side of pork and grill it up for you and serve it on corn tortillas. If somebody were to offer me one meal of anything in the world, I would have them fly me to Merida, Mexico for Tacos Al Pastor and an Apple Soda called Manzanita Sol. So you can imagine my excitement when one of the ladies who works with Amber, (and who is also from Mexico originally) told her about a new Mexican Restaurant that was opened at the Junction in dowtown Ogden which served as close to authentic Tacos Al Pastor that she has tried in the U.S. I had to take a picture of them. This is what they looked like served in Mexico. They weren't as good as eating them in Mexico, but they also did not disappoint.