Ballet, Camping, Walking and Labor Day

Ballet - Since Sterling has started school, Avalon has felt a little left out.  Aaron and I decided that she could use something special in her life.  I signed her up for a ballet class that starts in September.  She is very excited.  I took her shopping for ballet clothes the other day.  I think she is really cute in them and they are the smallest little ballet slippers.  Follow up note - Since I wrote this post and before I published it, Avalon started her ballet class.  She loved it.  There were four little girls in it and she learned some new moves.

Camping - The kids have been after us to take them to the ward camp out.  Aaron thought that maybe if we didn't bring it up, we could get out of it, but they kept handing out fliers in church with pictures of tents on them.  Our kids may not read, but they understand pictures pretty well.

Anyway, we headed up to the camp out Friday afternoon.  The kids were very excited.  The camp out was in a little pine forest about a half hour past Globe. So it took us about an hour and a half to get there.  When we got there, we set up the tent and then cooked hot dogs on the camp fire.  Sterling is a pyro and so he was loving the camp fire.  Avalon had never been camping before and so the whole thing was a new experience for her.  Truman had never been in the woods before and so he found it all amazing. 

After dinner the kids played with their friends from the ward.  Then we had smores and Aaron and the older two headed over to the evening program, while I put Truman to sleep.   We had set up the tent with a bunch of blankets and sleeping bags and air mattresses so it was pretty comfortable.  You can tell I'm from Idaho, I packed a bunch of blankets and it was still probably in the mid 80s when we went to bed.  It did get a little cold during the night, probably in the mid 60s.  Anyway, we slept surprisingly well considering we were all in the same tent.  The only problem I had is that every time Aaron would move, Truman and I would get bounced off of the mattress.

The next morning, we had breakfast, packed up and headed home.  It was a nice little camping trip.  The kids loved it and want to go back.

 Truman enjoying licorice.

 Yes, it was probably around 65 -70 degrees in the morning and we were all wearing coats. Pathetic, I know.

 My little Pyro.

Truman is 100% boy and loves balls.

Walking - As you can see in some of the previous  pictures, Truman has started to walk.  He also talks a lot and will say "Go" when he wants to get down and walk.  He also says "done" when he is done eating.  He says "Thank you", "Peekaboo", "that" and "No, no".

Here is a video of Truman:


Other Randomness -
Here is a video of Sparky the dog.


Labor Day Weekend -
We started Labor Day weekend by going swimming with my sister and her family.  It has been a really hot summer in the valley.  We have had 32 days of 110 degrees or above.  To say the least, we have gone swimming a lot this summer. 

On Labor Day itself we took the kids to the Arizona Sea Life museum.  We had a lot of fun looking at all of the fish and touching the starfish.  I forgot to take my good camera, so the pictures and video are off of my cell phone.  Sorry. . .

Sterling was selected as the Star Student in his class this week.  He was so excited.  He worked very hard on the poster to take to school.