Swimming Lessons and Gymnastics

This summer Julia had two weeks of swim lessons with one of her friends, and did a once a week gymnastics class at the local community center.

Julia loves to swim at our pool at home with her floaty vest, but we discovered that her fear of putting her head under water was a huge deterrent to learning how to swim this year. Maybe she'll be more reasonable next year? She refused to put her head under the water, which means we were always trying to get her to cooperate with jumping into the water (because her head would go under water) and floating on her back (because she felt like her head was going under).

After the first week I really worked with her at our pool at home (and in the bathtub) to help her realize floating on her back wasn't that bad. So the second week she did improve her back floats and was almost able to float on her own. She still had a hard time with jumping into the water, although she at least attempted it a couple times after a lot of coaxing and sometimes chasing her down. Besides jumping in and back floats she really enjoyed learning how to kick and blow bubbles and the playing around with her friend that small children require to keep them happy during swimming lessons.

Here she is cowering in the corner because she doesn't want to take her turn doing back floats.

After swimming lessons ended she started a once a week gymnastics class. She loved doing gymnastics. The class did some actual gymnastics, but a lot of fun moving around stuff to get them active too. I think all the running around and somersaults and jumping is right up her alley. 

I also think it taught her some good listening skills because they had to watch the coach very closely as he told them what they had to do for each station. The coach would go around and have a child demonstrate what to do at each station set up around the room, and then he would let them go at it on their own and help wherever anyone needed help. If he noticed someone wasn't paying attention when he was explaining he would call them out on it! Julia learned after the first day (with me calling out a few times to remind her here and there) to look at the coach when he's talking and pay attention!

She caught on really well to what you needed to do at each spot and usually was coordinated enough to get it done right.

Her class with their completion ribbons on the last day.

A video of one of the last circuits they did.

Woody and Natasha Tie the Knot: Part II

Woody and Natasha had their reception at a home in Hemet. Everything was lovely. But since it has been so long since the wedding I don't really have that much to say...so enjoy the pictures.

The kids especially loved the dance floor and broke it in as soon as we got there even though there was no music.

Cutting the cake

A look back at what was really going on outside their little love bubble.

The kids moved on to the tennis court when it started to get to crowded in the main area.

Tyler enjoys some treats.

Brother of the groom

Some real dancing, Daddy Daughter and Mother Son

And a conga line to get the dancing started.

The bouquet throwing

Woody and Natasha Tie the Knot

The reason we were in San Diego in June was to attend Robert's cousin's temple wedding. Woody and Natasha were sealed in the San Diego temple. Natasha is from Hemet, so the San Diego temple was her temple growing up. 

I love going to temple sealings. It always reminds me of my sealing, and then I think about all the other sealings I have been to and feel so grateful for the knowledge that we have of eternal families. Robert's been extremely busy at work this month and it's nice to know I get to see him for eternity at least! Just kidding, kind of. Seriously though, I really felt the spirit testify during the sealing of the truthfulness of the gospel and God's love for all his children. What a beautiful day!

Waiting for the bride and groom to come out of the temple.

Here they come!

Hannah was looking adorable.

Julia spent most of the wait rolling around in the grass. At least there were no grass stains.

Does it bother anyone else that the large option and extra-large option for pictures is so different? I feel like they need another size in between. After we took pictures with the photographer we took our own pictures of all Robert's siblings and their families who were there in front of the temple.

San Diego: Playa Pacifica Park

After Woody and Natasha were married in the San Diego Temple in June we went back to the hotel, checked out, met Steve and Wendy for lunch, then had a couple hours to kill before we had to drive up to Hemet for their reception. 

Lunch at Chipotle

We decided to go to one of the beach front/bay parks nearby to let the kids run around.

The bump under the towel is Julia.

Let's count this as my six month belly shot. Actually this may still be 5 months.

 Dave also took out his kite and Jess and he flew the kite.

 Micah just enjoying being free to run around.

 Tyler and Nate splashed around in the water. Julia wasn't really interested in the water, so she played on the playground and then played on the grass.

We think Julia may have been stung by a bee on her foot because she was playing barefoot on the grass near some wildflowers and suddenly yelled out. She spent a while hanging out on the chair before we left. Honestly, I forgot all about it until she reminded me last week about "the time I got stung by a bee." She was the fine the rest of the evening and I don't think we even did anything to help her foot.

Robert wasn't feeling well that day so he mostly sat in the shade in a chair, but he did manage to get up for a few minutes and take all these pictures and show Micah the camera.

Bryce Canyon, Mossy Cave, Sandberg Ranch

A few pictures from after the Wheat Family Reunion. David and Jen came with us to Bryce Canyon before they headed home.

 Micah back at the Ranch trying to get used to walking on ground that is not level.

 After David and Jen left we had a day to ourselves before my family arrived, so we went on a little hike to Mossy Cave.

 Last time Robert went to Mossy cave he went with my cousins and not me. When he got back I asked him if the cave was mossy and he said, "what cave?" So this time we took the other path away from the waterfall so he could see where the trail gets it's name. Here they are in the mossy cave.

 Afterwards we stopped at the park in Tropic to eat lunch and play before heading back to the Ranch.

The Old Ranch House

Julia enjoys the tire swing

Micah had plenty of admirers once my family got there. It was Memorial Day weekend so there were quite a few people who had decided to come down to the Ranch for the weekend.

On Saturday night we were sitting by the campfire and saw these stars appear on the horizon as the sun set. We remarked that is seemed a little unusual to have three bright stars in a triangle like that, and that maybe they were planets. Turns out we were right. Reah came down to the fire, heard our conversation and told us she had heard on the news about a rare planet alignment that weekend. Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury were all lined up in the tightest triangle until 2026.

 Also on Saturday some of us drove up to Otter Creek for the afternoon so the boys could go fishing. We just hung out by the water for a while. It was so windy I couldn't decide if the kids needed jackets or not, so here Micah has on his jacket and Julia is wearing a t-shirt.