Random Stuff and Water Fun for Memorial Day!

These are a few things that can be added to the list of: "You NEVER let us do..."
Wearing very un-matching things, just because they have the same sort of design, eating frozen yogurts on a stick and getting them every-which-where, building the BIG train track that I NEVER build, and allowing play-doh everywhere, including the mixing of lots of colors!

Polka dots... everywhere!

Trix yogurt frozen on a stick... and full of Red 40 and Blue... whatever!

Ummmm... forehead!  That's just lovely, Ella!  Which is why she was asked NOT to dangle it above her head!

This is the big track that takes me For-Ev-Er to build for not very much time of enjoyment before little sister(s) ruin it.  This track and I have a love-hate relationship.  I love that it makes my kids laugh and play.  I hate that it takes so long and that someone is always screaming about someone else stepping on it or pulling on it or... ... ... ...you get the idea!

It's true that I don't get the Play doh out as often as I guess I should, considering the creativity that comes with it, but... the cleanup for me is HORRENDOUS! 

Although, once in a while, we need to add a little color... and then some more... and more... to our lives!  Maybe if we zoom out on this it will be like a Monet.  A mess up close, but a masterpiece from a ways off!  Or maybe not!  ;)
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For Memorial Day, we crashed Colleen and John's!  But since they love having us so much, Colleen gave in and bought a BUNCH of water guns for a little (or a LOT) of FUN, and the kids... including the BIG KIDS (Damian, Chris, Uncle John, Josh... and even Leslie for a minute!) had a giant, long-lasting, fun-filled WATER FIGHT!!
Just watch the progression below, though, and you'll get the idea of just how long Ella lasted in the chaos.  (In other words... Not even 5 minutes!  Poor thing!)

She was at the door and ready to go in and even lose the suit just to get away!  For those of you who know her... she NEVER, and I mean NEVER wants to take off her swimsuit.  NEVER.  But she hates being shot at without a weapon that she can work properly in her defense.  She was having the hardest time getting a gun half her size to shoot water fast enough to rid her of her annoying brother!  ;)

Leslie was able to manage to get her out again for a couple of minutes, but just to survey the carnage, and then it was back into safety!

This surprised me.  Only because Uncle John is usually a get-it-done, no-mess-around kind of guy from the beginning, but he went easy on the kids... well... for a little while... as you'll soon see! 

This is only the beginning, and already Daddy looks like he's been "hosed" by Lexi and Braeden!  They had a giant target on anyone that was the least bit dry!

Uncie Chris... this just makes me smile.  All our Aunties and Uncies here are so much fun, and they are so great with the kids.  Always up for anything that will entertain them and make them laugh!

This looks... scary!

This looks even scarier!  She may be a girl, but every once in a while, she gets downright vicious and is a force to be reckoned with!

RETREAT!!!!!

And this is why!  Chris wasn't going easy anymore.  See the look.  WATCH OUT!!!!!

Add Uncie Josh and you have a trio of boys trapped in the bodies of men!

I love this picture!  I can see her laughing, even though I'm sure she came whimpering at some point to tattle.

It might help to actually SEE your target!  Yeesh! 

Now that's better!  Let 'em have it, Lexi!  The only girl actually IN the fight was able to hold her own!  Yay!

This is one of my favorite pictures EVER!  I can hardly ever get a smile like this on film.  Uncle John may seem quiet and reserved, but... if you give him "grand kids", that all goes in the toilet!  And thankfully so.  My kids just adore him.  And they could literally get away with ANYTHING on his watch!  He's such a softy!

Quick reFUEL!

This is SERIOUS!!!

Good Job, Lexi!  You show your Daddy who's in CHARGE!  (I really think she just waited until he was almost out of water and then backed him against a wall!!)

And HERE IT IS!!  The silly water bottle sprayer is DONE!  It's all over now... or is it??

And this is what he was spraying at.  COWARDS!!

Not very often do Lexi and Braeden team up together!  But it seems to be keeping Chris on his toes!  ;)

Um... Lexi isn't as good at spraying with the hose as Uncle John is!  Haha!

This picture makes me giggle every time I look at it, so I just HAD to share it!  BUT... looks can be deceiving!  It looks like she's shooting at Josh when you look at the spray of the water, but her gun is turned the wrong way...  still... her face cracks me up!  ;)

I know we didn't do any of the traditional Memorial Day stuff, but we sure did make a day of it!  When I was younger we would always make the trip over the mountain to Glendale and Orderville, UT to visit the cemetery where my grandma's family was buried; taking care to put out the flowers, care for the sites if they needed it, and always stopping at the Y to say hello to family and get a treat.  I used to LOVE the trips we would make in the big, brown truck when I got to ride in the back with the camper shell on, the windows cranked open, and a bunch of blankets down in the bed for me to sleep on!  All I really needed was some ice and a pack of gum, but I really did always love getting those candy bracelets and necklaces!  I have very fond memories of that, and yet it's something that seems so long ago.  Something that I have left behind, but that I feel like I need to start as a tradition with my children somehow.  We really do need to take time to remember those who served and gave their lives for our sake, and not only those that were in the military, but all our family that paved the way for the kind of life we are fortunate to live now.  I'll have to give some thought as to how I can make this an important tradition for my children... even if it's not ON Memorial Day.