Look at this girl

How could you not smile when you see this face! Once of Sophie's favorite things is taking a bath. She LOVES it. If she's ever in a bad mood that she just can't shake, I always opt for the tubby. It never fails to cheer her up. This morning she was particularly silly for some reason. She had piggy tails yesterday so her hair was crazy. She just kept looking at me and making that "cheezy" face. Then she would laugh, and make it again. What a riot. She is such a doll! I can' t believe how big she's getting. She is starting to talk a little and I know she understands most of what I say to her. Man, I love this girl!

Youth Conference

I have served in the Young Women for most of my adult life. It's an awesome calling and I am grateful to have it. Teaching is the hardest part, mainly because the Laurels tend to be too cool for the lessons sometimes. (like I can complain since I was too at that age) But it's a great opportunity for me to have a "do-over" since I'm sure I didn't do it right the first time.

This weekend is our Youth Conference. Since we are a small ward up here in Layton, Ut. somehow we got permission to go river rafting! We leave tomorrow morning at 5 am and drive up to Jackson. We are camping at a site not too far from the river. Thursday we are going on a hike, playing "get to know you" games, and having an awesome speaker. (Ryan Flitton!) Then we have 2 times scheduled on Friday to run the river. Everyone that wants to will get a chance to go and some people twice. That night we are having a spiritual activity and testimony meeting. Then Saturday we clean up and go home. I'm really looking forward to it! I was put in charge of food which is totally stressful, but I have a lot of help so it should be fine. I hope we can really make it a good testimony building experience for the youth.

an Ode to "The Office"

We are going through major Office withdrawals now that the season has been over for a few weeks. We watch that show religiously and definitely feel a void now that it's over. One of our favorite episodes is the one when Michael comes back from Jamaica. He isn't supposed to let on that he was actually there with Jan, but of course that doesn't happen. So while we were in Cancun we took this picture in honor of one of our favorite shows:

True Office fans will need no explanation!

What a great show! We can hardly wait for season 4 to start so we can once again fill our Thursday night with a little bit of totally inappropriate humor! One of my favorite things!

"Weirdness"

There is something about me that I don't really like, nor do I understand it. I am not able to handle when plans change. I am a pretty mentally organized person and I map my days out pretty well. I think most moms have to. So when I have something planned in my head to go one way, and for one reason or another it changes, a chemical or something in my body goes off and I can't control it. I get frustrated. That's why I get so stressed out about throwing parties. Because inevitably something will not go as planned. Anyway, what brought this whole evaluation on was our summer solstice celebration. We had planned it all out, and of course it didn't go that way. The fact that it doesn't really matter, and that it's all supposed to be fun doesn't out weigh the fact that plans got changed and the frustration set in. All in all, we had a good time even though we had to skip the hike and almost missed the sunset. I always enjoy being with our friends though and that's what really matters right? I wish I could get passed this but for some reason no matter how hard I fight it, that frustrated feeling sets in and I have what Logan and I have termed "weirdness". If anyone has any tips on how to avoid "weirdness"- please let me know!

Here are a few pics of us at sunset on summer solstice. . . the longest day of the year!

Happy Summer Solstice!!!

I don't know if you are aware, I wasn't until one of my friends informed me, but today is summer solstice! I wasn't exactly sure what that meant, even after he explained it to me, so I decided look online. Here is the best explanation I could find:

"In the northern hemisphere, the longest day of the year (near June 22) when the Sun is farthest north. In the southern hemisphere, winter and summer solstices are exchanged. The summer solstice marks the first day of the season of summer. The summer solstice is the longest day of the year, respectively, in the sense that the length of time elapsed between sunrise and sunset on this day is a maximum for the year."

So what does all this mean? Of course. . . PARTY! We are always looking for an excuse to party! It's a soup party and then a hike! We have to stay out to watch the sunset on the longest day of the year right! I'm so excited and I know it will be a blast. I'm sure I'll have pictures to show on tomorrow's post! Man I'm loving the Summer!

Summer Days. . . Oh what fun!

Man we are loving the summer around here. My kids have a hard time staying inside all day, but they aren't very good when I take them places so the winter was a little tough. We are LOVING the summer though! Ayden is so happy to play outside with the neighbors all day long. They come in for a little while and have a snack or watch and show and then they're back outside for some more fun in the sun. We got a little green pool a few weeks ago but Ayden pulled it out of the garage and then my neighbor ran over it with his bike and it popped! So a few days ago I decided to spend the cash and get a nicer one. Its pretty big and it even has a bench in it. The kids love to fun down the hill and take a flying leap into it. And of course I never say no to a day of chillin in my swim suit catching some rays!

{Ayden in the new pool with his best friends. . . Madi, Bronson and Bridger}

I never knew how fun it is to have a house. When we got married we lived at my parents house for 2 years where we didn't really have any friends. Then we moved next door and mostly hung out with my family. Then we moved to the apartment in SL. (which we called a ghost town most of the time) Now we live in this awesome neighborhood where at any given time (especially in the evening) people will be out in their yards or out walking and more then happy to stop and visit with you. We have made so many friends and we feel so comfortable here. And that always reassures us that this really is the place we are supposed to be. We just love it here!

{Our friend Texie Brown invited us to a local concert to see her dad's band play}
{we were so lucky to have J-rock with us!}

Fathers and sons

Logan and Ayden had their very first father-son overnighter last weekend! And from the looks of things, I think they had a great time and plan on making it a more frequent event! Logan wanted to go to the cabin last weekend but he had to be back for something on Saturday night. Since the Hammer girls (Sophie and I) are more high maintenance then the boys we decided that we'd sit this one out and let them have some male bonding time. Then Logan decided to see if his brother would like to bring his son and join in on all the fun. They left around 4 on Friday and got back around the same time on Saturday. It was a total success! They went hiking, played in the river, had a water balloon fight, and watched movies. What a fun thing for these little boys to remember. And what great dads to devote their weekend to their sons! They are great guys!

Cute pic

I snapped this cute picture of Sophie and I just had to post it. What an angel. She is so much fun. She makes me laugh every day. She is starting to talk a little- when I go in her room when she wakes up she always say "HI". She also says something that resembles "thank you" when I hand her something. She calls for Ayden and Riley sometimes too. I think my favorite thing is her silly face grins. What a fun thing, to have a little girl. I'm so glad that she's mine!

IKEA. . . we love you!

So I have been dying to go to IKEA ever since I heard that it was coming to Utah about 2 years ago. I went with my sister in New York and I fell in love. I decided to get my neighborhood friends together and take a trip down there. We actually got a babysitter for the kids (except the babies) because we wanted to actually enjoy it. It was awesome! I love that store. I got some totally fun stuff and I stayed within the boundries I set for myself. (spending wise) We had such a great time and I'm so glad I have friends up here that I can hang with. I'm excited to head down there again when I'm ready to organize my scrapbook stuff. What I great store!

My little Buddy

Sometimes I can't believe I get to hang with this little man all the time. He throws fits sometimes and definitely acts like he's 2, but for the most part he is the sweetest little guy. He has a good heart, he just knows what he wants. He makes me smile.

When Logan left for the gym this morning he said "I want my dad". I told him that daddy had to go work out so he could be strong. He said "Ya, and get some big muffles, huh!" (muscles) What a fun way to start the day!!

Yesterday morning I was cleaning the kitchen and I turned around to see this-

Ayden wearing a floaty, holding a balloon and a bubble blower. What a great guy. He never ceases to make me laugh. I love being his mom, and I know there are many good times to come.

My signs

I started a little hobby of making signs. I started out by making a FAMILY sign that I put in my basement. (I believe I posted a picture) Then I made one for my mom for Mother's Day that said LOVE. I used her favorite color so she could put it anywhere in her house! I don't have a picture of that one though. Then my friend Michelle had a birthday and I had to make one for her because she loves stuff like that. Hers says LAUGH. And finally I was preparing for Sophie's party and I needed decorations so I decided to make one for her that says SISTER. I used it at the party and now it's on the shelf in her room. It's really become a fun hobby and I love having little projects that keep my creativity flowing! (not that I have all that much!)

A successful day!

I am one of those people that usually gets stressed out very easily. I made a goal that I wouldn't get stressed out as I was preparing for Sophie's party. I tried to get a few things done every day this week to feel more prepared. I asked for help with the food this time which helped a lot. And lo and behold. . . it was a total success! We had a great time! The weather was great. We had a few activities to keep all the kids busy which was so nice, and I really think Sophie had a good time!

We planned to have the party start at 11:30 in hopes that we'd actually have everyone there and ready to eat around noon. We had rings that squirted and a battery operated bubble blower for the kids, and most of the adults stood outside and watched the video Logan made of Sophie's first year. We had a bbq with burgers and hot dogs cooked to perfection by my neighbor Ryan with the help of Logan. After everyone ate we opened presents, which is always craziness with all of those kids. That's why I make Logan do it. She got the cutest stuff though, lots of toys and fun summer clothes.
Then came the cake. I don't know why both of my children were shy about diving into their own cake. If I had put that cake on the floor that morning when I was making it, she would've dove head first into it, but since everyone was watching, she was very timid. Once we got her in her highchair and gave her a chunk, she really got into it though.

All in all, it was a wonderful day! I want to thank all of those who made a special effort to drive up (leave work) and celebrate with us! We really appreciate you! And also a special thanks to my awesome neighbors (the Flittons & Browns) who help with tables and chairs, picking up balloons, decorations, and food! You guys are the best and we are so grateful to live here! Thanks to all for helpingSophie have a really great first birthday!!

Sweet little Sophie Lynn. . . Happy Birthday!

My baby girl is one today! I didn't think it would affect me like it has. I was so excited for Ayden to be one and it seems like time went so much faster this time. I'm almost a little sad because she is getting so big. She is an absolute dream child though. She has her moments (in the high chair especially!) when she likes to scream at the top of her lungs to get a little attention, but other then that she is the happiest child you've ever met. She smile for perfect strangers, and melts their hearts with her crazy dimples. (thanks dad!) She loves her family, she has a special face and noise for each of us. She is starting to say things and try to mimic us, which is an absolute riot. She loves to play with other kids and always laughs at them. She is starting to climb up and down the stairs on the back porch, and she'd give anything if I'd let her roam free outside so she could eat dirt. She brings so much joy to our lives and we are grateful every day to have her in our family! Happy Birthday Soph!

Strawberry City

We have the most outrageous strawberry patch in our yard! It produces so many strawberries, it's crazy. It's not possible to pick them all. I spent about 30-40 minutes out there picking them today for Young Women and I didn't even put a dent in the patch. We even had to dig up some of them because they are taking over the yard. I guess you can't complain because at least it's not weeds right!

The finale

Thursday: We were pretty worn out from our busy day on Wednesday, so Thursday was a chill day. (we didn't have kids, weren't they all!) We laid around most of the day, at the pool and also at the beach. While we were at the beach we joined a group to play horseshoes. It was actually pretty fun, and I wasn't as awful as I thought I would be. That night we took a shuttle into Cancun so we could check out the city. It was pretty fun. We met some cool people on the shuttle and we had a good time. Its a pretty busy city, lots and lots of people. It was a really fun night.

Friday: This morning we woke up to that feeling of craving our children. We didn't get to talk to them very much because it was so expensive. Over breakfast we talked about them and how excited we were to see them. We spent more time laying out by the beach and pool that day. We had our last dinner reservation that night at the Steak House. It was really good too. Then we headed out to the beach. The whole week we talked about going out at night to sit and listen to the waves. It was really romantic, although it didn't last long because I got cold.Saturday: This morning we woke up to the feeling of excitement that we would get to see our kids that night!! It was the perfect length of vacation because it was totally relaxing, and long enough that by the end we were completely ready to leave. Check out was at noon but our shuttle to the airport wasn't until 4:30. I guess that happens a lot because they have a hospitality room where they keep your luggage for you and showers for you to use. We checked out and then headed back out to catch our last little bit of fun in the sun before we had to leave. We took a lot of last minute pictures of the resort. We really wanted to be able to remember how beautiful it was. Then we got ready and headed off the the airport. My mom was kind enough to come pick us at 11:30pm when our flight got in. We decided to stay down in Orem that night and drive home the next morning so we didn't have to wake the kids.

Needless to say, I was an absolutely fabulous trip. We couldn't have asked for anything more. A special thanks goes out to the Rife household (especially Nana) for making it all possible. We wouldn't have been able to have such a great time if we weren't comepletely sure that our kids were safe and well cared for. You guys are the best. And to anyone out there who is contemplating a trip with their spouse- I highly recommend the IBEROSTAR Resort in Rivera Maya. I know you won't be disappointed!