July! What the Heck!

 Okay I'll summarize the best I can, since I really want to catch up on this blog thing.

The first half of July was filled with fun.  Cody was gone, so I needed to entertain the boys by myself all day.  I decided to start taking them to $1 movies on Wednesdays.  Tristan would sleep on my lap and Tal enjoyed every minute of every movie we took him to.  His favorites were Turbo and Despicable Me 2 (I would bring homemade popcorn in my purse too (shhh don't tell anyone).

Talmage: Learning how to button his own shirts, first time.

Talmage: First time HE initiated eating his own vegetables.

Talmage: First time going to the dentist.  It was  a great experience.  No cavities, but he has an underbite (like a Bulldog) that the dentists say's we'll keep an eye on.  Sometimes they grow out of it and sometimes you need major braces for it.  Cross fingers grow out of it.

The 4th of July we spent the entire morning and afternoon at Island Water Park with our friends the Nielsons.  I bought season passes for me and Tal best $40 I could've spent (we ended up going about 20 times that summer).  

We hurried home and made potato salad.  We had a BBQ with The Hunters our neighbors and did fireworks.  I provided the kids fireworks, sparklers, eyballs, snakes etc They provided the big fireworks and put a show on for all of us.  You can see the perspiration on Tals forehead...It was miserably hot even that late at night!

Tristan was fast asleep in his crib across the street.

Trying to spell USA.. Not working!

The Grand Finale.

Morning of my 30th Birthday.  Cody was gone...but that did not stop my sweet thoughtful husband from surprising me with a scavenger hunt.  Extremely hard clues making me find each gift through out the yard and house.  Very good hiding spots.  Chocolates in the bottom of my guitar case.  Itunes gift card inside his boxing gloves in the garage.  Magic bullet outside in the clubhouse behind the tools toys. Necklace and earrings in the air conditioning vent.

Waking up was a nice surprise, snuggling with my babies in bed.  Talmage helped feed Tristan breakfast and they remained fairly clean.

I am a spoiled woman.  We skyped with Cody when he had a minute.  I got lots of nice texts, phone calls, facebook, emails etc. I can't believe I'm officially 30 years old now.  It feels like a milestone for some reason, even though I didn't do anything spectacular.  I have to say, so far this year does feel different already.  I must be growing up...slowly...but surely.

A few days later.  I decided to go to a Grizzlies home game with a bunch of my friends.  Tal really enjoyed watching.  Later when all his buddies came, they just ran around not even paying attention to the game.  Heck, neither did I.  Just had girl talk. The tickets came with a couple passes to Wild Waters Park and Blackbeards Family Fun Center miniature golfing, hotdogs,  and sodas.

Tristan: First time in the dishwasher (unfortunately not his last).  I love how he decided to be exra dangerous and find a plastic bag to put over his head.

We fortunately got to have Cody home for a quick one nighter and two days that next weekend.  We made good use of his time home.

We first went to the Fresno Chaffe Zoo, where we scored some tickets to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, good for a year.  We never win anything, that was awesome.

Went through the carwash for Talmage and Tristan's first time.

Picked some of our very first vegetables from our very first (Thriving) vegetable garden.

Finished our home improvement project.

Before... 

(got for free from a lady from the ward who was moving and didnt want them)

After...

Practicing our golf skills...look at that par!

Then played some "real" golf with Daddy.  Another first.

Helping his son cheat.  What a good Dad.

That was only the first part of July.