Keepin' Cool in the Pool

Kaydence, Ryder, Rustin, Kyndall and Kassidy

A couple weeks ago we went swimming at a friend's house. The quints have been taking swim lessons for about 3 months now (once a week) and they can't actually swim (at least not well enough to keep them from drowning), but they have become totally fearless of the water. I found these floaties last year (called "puddle jumpers") that I absolutely LOVE. The kids are able to do all kind of things in the water and the puddle jumpers really help keep them safe. They are even coast guard approved as life preservers.

1-2-3 GO! I love the "wave" reaction on this one

Kaydence cracks me up---she is such a little fish. She is fearless and loves the water---which is the complete opposite of how she was two summers ago.

Riley and Kaiya take a turn showing off their jumping skills

Keepin' Cool in the Pool

Spring Break--Part 2

If you missed the "Part 1" to our spring break adventure, click HERE.

One of the most anticipated activities of our spring break trip was swimming in Mimi's pool. This was the third time we have visited my parents since they moved into this house, but because of some issues with the county, the pool was not finished on our previous trips. Despite my mom's best efforts at pushing things along, the pool was finished just two days AFTER we left last summer. This time the pool was finished, but COLD! Only Riley was brave enough to go in the main pool, the rest of us wimps had fun swimming in the heated hot tub instead!

Ready to swim: Ryder, Rustin, Kaydence, Kyndall and Kassidy

Kaiya

Riley braving the big pool, despite the 54 degree water

Swimming in the hot tub

Tuesday was dollar day at the movie theater, so we decided to go see "Tangled". I think everyone in Mesa had the same idea---the theater was packed. With the high price of movies these days, we don't take the family very often. In fact, this was only the second time that I have taken the quints to the movie theater. (The first was last summer when we saw Toy Story 3 on our last trip to Arizona) We all loved it---definitely my favorite Disney movie. Ryder thought it was pretty cool that the main guy character's name was "Flynn RYDER"---a fact that he kept announcing to everyone around us.

After the movie we went over to a friend's house to pick citrus. My family lived in Arizona when I was in high school, and one of my favorite things about living there was the citrus. We had orange and grapefruit trees in our yard---there is nothing like fruit right off the tree! The kids had a blast! (except for Kassidy, who fell asleep in the car on the way over and slept through the whole thing...)

Rustin, Kyndall and Kaydence pick some oranges

Kaiya's "prize" grapefruit

The Pickin' Crew

Wednesday was Kids Day at the Rainforest Cafe---all kid's meals were $2.99. Usually when restaurants advertise "Kid's Eat Free" or similar deals, the fine print reads one free kid meal PER adult meal. With two adults and seven kids, it isn't such a great deal. At Rainforest, we could get as many kids meals as we wanted for $2.99. We took the kids to Rainforest Cafe when they were barely two-years-old and they were scared of all the animated gorillas and elephants. We have a picture of Kyndall eating with her head down on the table so she wouldn't have to look at anything. This time they loved it! In fact, at the end of the trip when we asked them what their favorite part was, this was it!

Looking at the big fish tank on the way in.

Kaiya, Riley and Papa

Kassidy, Kaydence, Ryder, Rustin and Kyndall

Mimi and Rachelle

Cute barstools! Riley, Kaiya, Kassidy, Kaydence, Kyndall, Rustin and Ryder

We tried to take a picture of all the kids in front of the elephant podium at the entrance to the restaurant. I tried to narrow it down to one to put on the blog, but Rustin was so funny in all three, that I had to put all of them. I have no idea what he is doing....maybe I should have left him there---he looks like he would fit in great with the monkeys!

Arizona has some of the most amazing sunsets! This was what the sky looked like when we came out of Rainforest Cafe.

............Stay tuned for the third, and final Spring Break post!

Spring Break--Part 2

Splish, Splash!

The past couple of weeks have been pretty relaxed---especially compared with the rest of our summer. It is the lull before the storm, I guess, since we have our big, big road trip coming up in week and a half (where we will drive all the way to Spokane, Washington).

I accidentally left my camera battery charger at my parent's house in Arizona and I have been going through picture-taking withdrawal! I have taken a few pictures with my cell phone camera but I don't have a fancy iPhone or anything, so the picture quality isn't always the best. I hope to get my charger back soon :-)

Last year at the end of the season I found this blow-up pool on clearance. The kids have been loving it this year. Because it was nice and sunny outside, I did manage to get a few good pictures with my phone.

Kyndall, Kaydence, Riley, Kassidy, Kaiya, Ryder and Rustin play with water guns in the pool

More Water Fun!

Riley

Kaiya

Kassidy

Kaydence

Rustin

Kyndall

Ryder

I can't believe how big and grown-up they are all getting! The quints will be THREE on Saturday!!

Splish, Splash!

More Road Trip Pics, Part 2

Last summer, we visited my parents just days after they moved into their new house. It was a short sale home and many things were not completed on it, including a nearly finished pool. We stared at the cement hole in the ground every day of our trip, telling ourselves that the next time we came to visit, we would be able to swim every day. Well, 10 months later, the pool STILL wasn't finished! There were lots of problems with the county and permits, etc. My parents tried their best to get that pool done before we returned home, but unfortunately the closest we came to swimming in the backyard was playing in a couple of baby pools! (five days after we left, the pool was finally finished and my parents assure me that on our next visit we will get to swim!)

Getting ready to swim: Kaiya, Kaydence, Ryder, Kyndall, Kassidy, Rustin and Riley

Water fun!

The little kids didn't seem to care that the big pool wasn't finished---they had a blast playing in the kiddie pools.

Rustin

Kyndall

Ryder

Just Chillin'---Kassidy and Kaydence

Kassidy and Kaydence

One of the kids favorite activities from the trip was a visit to the "Bouncy Jungle"---a large inflatable playplace.

And they're off!

Ryder, Kyndall & Kassidy

The big slide---fun for toddlers and parents alike! Mimi and Rachelle with Kaydence, Kassidy, Ryder, Kyndall and Rustin

Kaydence

Jump!

Riley

Kaiya

The big Velcro wall blocks were also a big hit. Rustin, Kyndall, Kassidy, Kaydence and Ryder

The kids ate all their meals at a little picnic table in the kitchen.

Riley's birthday happened to fall on the day of the wedding, so we officially celebrated on another day instead. Riley's favorite birthday "cake" is the Double Cream Lemon pie from Marie Callendars. Fortunately June is discount pie month at Marie Callendars so that works out pretty nicely!

Mimi, Tiare, Rachelle, Jayson and Riley

Jayson, Riley, Rachelle, & Kaiya

Riley got a kid-sized guitar for his birthday, which he was very excited about!

While in Arizona, we also packed in visits with as many friends and family members that we could.

Rachelle & Candice with Ryder, Kaydence, Kassidy, Kyndall and Rustin. Candice (aka Dr. Park) was the resident who delivered the quints three years ago. She has since married and is expecting her own baby (just one).

Shannon & Rachelle...Shannon was my best friend in high school and my college freshman roommate. It has been 13 years since we have seen each other, and it was so fun to get our families together!

Blast from the Past---this is Shannon and I moving into our dorm room our freshman year at BYU. Don't you just love the hair and clothes? How about those three-inch high shoulder pads?? I never left home without them!

We met some of my cousins at Chick-fil-a for lunch one day

One of my cousins has a new baby and the quints were totally fascinated by him!

My aunt and uncle own a Mathenasium, and since I am sure my kids are all child geniuses, we thought they could get ahead on their math skills while we were there. Actually, I think the only math they did was counting the candy pieces my aunt Jeanie kept slipping them when I wasn't looking :-)

When we realized that swimming in my parent's pool was not going to happen this trip, we found another pool to swim in. I got Puddle Jumper life vests for the quints this year and so far I love them---The kids still need lots of supervision, but I feel a little bit more secure with them wearing the life jackets!

Ready to swim: Riley, Rustin, Ryder, Kaiya, Kyndall, Kassidy and Kaydence

Ryder--the friend whose pool we borrowed just happened to have goggles in all the quints colors!

Kassidy and Rachelle

Tiare and Kyndall

Rustin, Kassidy and Kaiya

Eating push-up pops in the pool

More Road Trip Pics, Part 2