Summer!

Winter seemed very long.  It's the first cold winter we've experienced since we left Utah in 2009.  We were just talking about summer the other day and I was asking when summer was going to start.  After a few minutes and Jimmy looking at me a little sideways I realized that it was summer.  We haven't had a summer like this in almost 5 years!  The summers in the last 3 places we've lived were all about the same- hot and humid!!  I didn't even realized that I was waiting for hot and humid to official kick off the summer.  Well, it's not going to happen!  Can I get a hallelujah?!!  (I would still pay the price of the humidity to live in Boston, just sayin'.)  So I guess we're in the thick of summer.  Glad that clicked in my head before the snow starts again!  Here are just a few photos from the past few weeks.  Just us, relaxing at home and enjoying being together.

 A couple things about Ali:

When she really thinks something is cute she'll say, "Oh my!"  

If James gets frustrated because we tell him no or something Ali will come up to us and say, "Don't make James sad."

If I do something to frustrate Ali she'll say, "Mommy, you made me sad."  This girl is a tender little sweetheart.  And I love that she not only looks out and sticks up for her brother but she can express her feelings.

It doesn't matter how often I bring out the tea cups, her eyes light up every time.  Love her!

 A couple things about James:
He can say (or tries to say) just about any word you throw at him.  His "I love you" is surprisingly clear!  I love to hear him say it.  He is pretty good at saying blue, cat, car, dog, ball and roaring when he sees something that he's pretty sure would roar.
He is such a great sleeper and never puts up a fight when it's bed time.  And if he wakes up in the morning and we bring him downstairs, he'll go back to sleep if Ali isn't awake yet.  It's awesome!
He is very sweet to Ali and will hand over anything she asks for.  He loves her so much and would do anything for her.
Something that I didn't record is the fact that James is conditioned to cry when he hears the song, "I Am a Child of God".  We used to sing it every night before bed but then we were sitting in nursery one day and they sang it during singing time, clearly not bedtime, and he started crying uncontrollably.  We decided to switch the bedtime song to, "I Love to See the Temple", but it soon made him cry too.  It has been a pretty funny couple months and they don't sing either of those in his (Ali's) nursery class anymore.  I try to play them on the piano as often as possible and it has helped him not break out in tears as much.

 Bananas on the stairs.  I love it when the kids are being really quiet and I find them doing things like eating bananas together.  These two are angels.  

 Swimming in the sink!

 Wheat pancakes and berries.  Heaven!