Swimming Lessons

 The boys tried out for the swim team in May.  Chase made the team but Bridger wasn't quite ready with all four strokes.  But it worked out to be a big blessing because we were gone for most of the summer.  We've had so much fun playing!!!  But I still wanted them to have a little time in the pool so  I signed them up for a two week, 8 lessons at the rec center.  Chase was in the highest level.  He did level 6, which was a fitness class.  It was awesome because there was only one other girl in the class so it was basically a private lesson.  He's a fantastic swimmer!!!!  I'm amazed with his strength!

For the last couple of months, Bridger has been taking swim lessons with my friend Jenn.  She's a wonderful coach and it's been awesome to see Bridger make huge improvements.  He couldn't do any side breathing when he started and by the end, he could do freestyle and the back stroke fro 50 meters!!!  He is such a determined little guy!  She recommended putting him in a level 4.  He was the youngest in his class and it was a challenge for him but Jenn and I agreed that the level 3 would have been too easy.  He had such a positive attitude!  Everyday he would try so hard to keep up with the big kids.  He did a great job!!!!

Build A Bear for Bridger's Birthday

 Bridger has been planning for months to go to Build a Bear for his birthday with Grandma and Grandpa R.  The first day available after the coming home from the cabin was on Monday.  So Grandma and Grandpa met us at the mall for the celebrations.  Bridger immediately fell in love with the German Shepard.  He knew going in that he wanted a dog and when he saw the German Shepard, it was instant love.  He did a great job building it.  He kissed the heart and made a wish before they put it into the dog.  Then he brushed it after it was all filled.  Then he picked out a superman outfit for the dog.  It looks awesome!!!  Thanks Grandpa and Grandma!

 Mom and Dad wanted to make a party out of it so we went to dinner after.  Bridger choose the Cheesecake Factory.  He loved being sung to by the workers.  They even wrote Happy Birthday Bridger on one of the dessert plates.  It was such a fun night!  I think we have officially celebrated Bridger's birthday!

Bridger's 7th Birthday!!!1

 Bridger was a little disappointed that his 7th birthday was on a Sunday.  To make it worse, it was fast Sunday.  He was worried that he wouldn't get the red "you are special plate" so I told him he didn't need to fast and I would make him a special breakfast.  He wanted cinnamon rolls (homemade road rolls).  He was very happy when I got the red plate out.  Matt was home for a little bit so Bridger got to open a few presents in the morning.  He was very excited to get teenage mutant ninja turtle nunchucks.  He got a lego set that he put together all by himself.  I'm so impressed that he can do these bigger sets.

After church we went to the Adams' for dinner and a birthday celebration.  Bridger wanted marshmallow brownies for his party.  I went to cut him a small piece and he said he wanted a bigger one so I ended up giving him a really big piece.  He surprised me by eating all of it!!! Mikayla extended her summer vacation so she was still around for the party.  Mike, Amy, and Ashtyn came over.  We had a little birthday party with Angie before she went back home.  When I asked Bridger if he wanted to celebrate him birthday with Angie before she left he thought about it for a moment and then said "yes! Because I don't want to make her come back for my birthday."  It was so sweet.  

 Even though we had a few different celebrations, the main thing Bridger wanted to do was go to Kangaroo Zoo.  We said it was a no friend year so just Chase came and it was perfect.  It wasn't very busy.  Chase and Bridger jumped and played for over two hours.  They had so much fun just the two of them.  It was so fun to watch them play.  They are such good buddies!

Matt and I enjoyed watching the boys play.  

Island Park 2013

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Eli's heading to Oregon!

Kip called me the night of the 17th and invited Matt and I to go to the temple with Eli.  I was so touched that she invited us.  Matt was still up at girls camp so he couldn't come.  He wanted to go to the Draper temple.  It was nice because it was a very small session.  The spirit was so strong.  There was no doubt in my mind that Clay was there with us.  Eli has been called to the Oregon mission.  He leaves in August.  He will be such a great missionary!!!!

Brent, Becky, Eli, Kip and me

Eli joked that we could photo shop Matt into the picture and pretend that he was there. 

 I decided to not go up to the cabin on that Friday with the rest of the Richins family.  It was such a blessing because I was able to go to the temple with Eli and we were there for Eli's farewell.  All of our Minnesota friends came down for the farewell except Wendy.  It brought me to tears as I walked in the church and saw all of our Minnesota family.  It was so great to be together.  What a wonderful support we've been to each other.  They have been such a blessing to our lives.

We left for the cabin right after Eli's farewell lunch.  Matt was going to be able to say goodbye to Eli before he left but I would still be at the cabin.  So I had a tearful goodbye with Eli.  He's such a great kid!  I'm so proud of him!!!!

Great Times at Girls Camp

 Matt took off a week to go to girls camp.  He felt really strongly that he needed to be there.  It was right before the cabin so I didn't know if I could pull everything off.  But we decided that it was important to take our family up to girls camp and let them spend some time with Matt.  We went for a few days.  The leaders and girls couldn't have been nicer about our family being there.  We stayed in our camper and I felt so spoiled because everyone else was staying in tents.  They did have showers but they were ice cold.  We didn't have any hook ups for our camper so I did the ice cold showers.  They were freezing but I was so dirty it was worth it.  The boys had so much fun!!!!  Everyday was filled with activities.  The girls were so sweet to invite the boys to do everything that they did.  One day we had access to the obstacle course.  The boys were so brave and did everything they could.  Bridger got a big blister on him palm from the rope because he was determined to make it all the way across.  Chase loved the rope swing.  After swinging across a couple of times he decided to cook off so he purposely landed in the water.

 Every afternoon the girls would have "lake time."  Sophie practically lived in the lake because she loved fetching her ball in the water.  She would jump off the deck and swim out to her ball and then bring it back.  It was a great way to wear her out.  Sometimes the boys would swim out with her.  They had an awesome zip line that dropped you into the lake.  At first Bridger didn't want to do it but after seeing Matt and Chase do it, he decided to try it.  It looked scary to me but they are daredevils.  They loved it!!!!

Matt on the zip line.

Bridger dropping into the water from the zip line.

Chase dropping into the water from the zip line.  

 It rained and rained on us but luckily there were moments that it cleared up and we were still able to have lots of fun!  We had such a great time and it was wonderful getting to know the young women better.  I loved visiting with the leaders.  They are amazing women!!!1

Awesome Boys!

Bridger came down one morning dressing in the purple fuzzy socks and he has his ear phones in.  He was singing Imagine Dragon songs.  I called him my little hip hop buddy.  Then the other day he was running around the house with the red gloves on, shooting his bow and arrow.  He said he was being Robyn Hood.  I just love his imagination!  

Chase was given a reading BINGO card by his teacher on the last day of school.  Chase is trying to get black out by the end of the summer.  There are lots of different ideas of where to read.  One of them was in the bathtub.  Chase liked the one of reading under a tree.  I just love to see him reading.

Camping with some Great Friends!

A few of our neighbors organized a little camping trip (Okelberrys, Transtrums, and S. Anderson).  The Okelberrys reserved four campsites.  We were in a secluded area up the canyon.  It was so beautiful!!!  We went up Thursday afternoon.  The first day and a half it poured on us.  We cooked and ate our food in the rain.  By Friday, all of our stuff was soaked and I had run out of warm, dry clothes for the boys.  Plus I was freezing.  So I made a quick drive down the canyon and came back home for a warm shower and to pick up supplies.  The Okelberrys and Transtrums cooked dinner on Thursday night and on Friday night.  I've never had such delicious food camping!!!  The Okelberrys fixed cordon blue in the dutch oven with yummy cheesy potatoes.  Then we had a cobbler for dessert.  Then on Friday night, the Transtrums fixed ribs.  I'm normally not a rib person but they were incredible!!! The meat was so tender that it just fell off the bone.  They had coleslaw to go with it and then strawberry shortcake for dessert.  How awesome is that!!!  I feel like we got off easy because we had to fix breakfast one morning.  We did French toast with bacon and strawberries.  I felt compared to the dinners, my breakfast was inadequate!  It was so fun to spend some time with our friends.  We thoroughly enjoyed their company.  Belina brought up a funny jelly belly came that we played one night.  I laughed so hard my side hurt.  Every night we would sit around the campfire and roast marshmallows.  Belina brought up a sword or some kind of weapon for all the kids. So they created this fun game that kept their attention for three days.  It was so awesome!!!  Bridger loved camping with his best friend Brody.  I love the picture of Matt and Bridger sleeping.  I caught them taking a nap together and couldn't pass up the moment to capture it.