What to wear on the first day???

Molly has been stressing over what to wear for her first day at preschool but I think she has finally decided on an outfit. Check it out for ideas for your child:

The Tarantula

We finally rode the Tarantula--the train that goes from Grapevine to the stock yards in Fort Worth. It was over 100 degrees outside, but we had fun anyway:) The train ride is an hour and a half long, but don't you worry... it is hijacked by outlaws along the way. I thought that was the cutest thing. A group of old men dressed like cowboys come riding up on horses and shoot air guns. The train comes to a screeching halt and the outlaws get on the train. One outlaw rode up alongside Molly's window and gave her a bullet. She thought that was the coolest thing. So did I. Soon after the outlaws came, the Sheriff showed up. He fought the bad guys and saved the train! Yea!

The stock yards were hot but full of entertainment. We were able to watch the cattle drive right down the middle of the street. I never get sick of seeing gorgeous Texas longhorns! Then there was a gun fight in the middle of the train station with the same outlaws. It was a such a fun show, but super loud. Their gun shots echoed through the alley.

Porter loved being strapped to his Mama the whole time. We stood in front of the misters for a good half hour. Molly was a great sport and wanted to explore (touch) everything. I put Blake in charge of her because it was too hot to keep up. We had a great time!

I love Texas!

PS: There was a little part of me that pretended like I was on the Hogwarts Express. Platform 9 3/4 ;)

Loungin' in my Pee-Jays

Daddy gets tackled by the kiddos when he gets home.



Looks like someone is getting a little tired... Time for bed.

Splash Pad!

Ready, get set... GO!




Colleyville just put in a Splash Pad at McPhereson park. Grandma Libby invited us to go this afternoon and we had a fantastic time! Molly really outdid herself. She ran and ran and ran... and then she danced. She was so happy that she danced through the water. I even caught a good jump on camera. Mr. Porter was confused and thrilled all at the same time. We'd love for all of our friends to join us sometime, so let us know when you're up for some fun!

My Tired Face

We see this face often... play hard, fall hard

Really?

Last night was a little crazy. Blake ended up sleeping on the couch because Molly would not get out of the bed after wandering downstairs around 2AM. Porter woke up and I went to tend to him in the other room. I came back to this:



Seriously, how does such a small little girl take up SO much room? I woke up with both children in my bed and a husband on the couch. Not a fan.

Welcome to Zion!

Oh it was so fun to see all of my family! The Smiths have an annual reunion at Zions National Park and it was our 55th year--that's impressive! I was amazed at how much I had missed the canyon. I haven't been to Zion in three years. Molly had a blast playing with her cousins and it was so fun to see her new friendships. Matthew and Daniel, her first cousins, never left her side and they were often found rolling pennies down the hill or catching tadpoles in the river. We love to put our chairs in the Virgin River and sit and chat forever. Catching up with all of my cousins takes a while since I have over thirty of them. Oh, and gotta love reunion food!!

The Durfeys (my extended reunion which includes the Smiths) were asked to be in the Springdale 4th of July parade and we made our own float. It was so much fun and Molly got to get decked out in patriotic gear and throw candy from the float. She was way too shy to throw the candy, but she rode on the float sitting next to Mafew-Danel (as she prounounces their names as one) and had a fantastic time.

Porter grew quite attached to his pack that was strapped to the front of me. He enjoyed being strapped to his mom but able to see everything that was going on.

Blake's sister, Brett, came down from BYU to join us and it was wonderful seeing her. It is always fun to see Molly with her Aunt "Bit" because they are two peas in a pod. Brett was very attentive to Molly's fun-o-meter and helped her out with the reunion crafts and river time. And, she always made sure she had a buddy in the pool!

Saxon was a joy to be around (my brother Tyler's son). He is crawling and trying to stand up now. Tyler called it Baby WWF when Saxon mauled Porter on the floor. He is 28 pounds at 9 months compared to Porter's 16 pounds at 6 months. But when the family saw Saxon their first reaction was, "He looks exactly like Tyler did--CHUBBY!!:)

We had a great time and can't wait to see everyone again. Happy Summer Vacations!