This is our new and current adventure. It has felt like we have been grasping at every opportunity this year, and this is one of them. So far selling fireworks has proved to be fun, profitable, and a great way to get to know more people in the area. Now, if the temperature will just stay below 100 degrees, we will be thankful!

Caitlin + chocolate = happy baby

Last night we were all craving scookies. Mike mixed up a brownie batter and poured it in the scookie pans. He had quite a bit of batter left over, so he just gave the whole bowl to the kids! Very happy kids! The funny thing is we still managed to eat both the scookies with ice cream on top. Yum!

Paint!

It is finally time to paint the house. I have been on such a learning roller coaster! Doing the trim ourselves was quite a challenge, but I managed to figure it out...and it actually looks pretty good too. Heaven bless Carrie for coming down for 4 days to help. We were suposed to be painting, but because we were behind schedule Carrie ended up doing a lot of sanding and calking. Yuck. Not the fun job. That's just how much she loves me! The cousins had a wonderful time playing while the three adults took turns tending and working. Aside from getting sick and passing it along to everyone else, it was a very productive week. Monday I had a grand adventure with a paint sprayer. I had never used one before, and now that I have the hang of it I love it! 5 hours to prime the entire house, 4 hours for each coat of the white. Nice! Today I rolled the first coat of wall color. Rolling definitely takes more time, but the end result will be very nice. One negative side effect of a paint sprayer: Overspray! I laughed so hard when I saw myself in the mirror after that first day!

Trip on a budget

Due to time and financial constraints, our planned camping trip to the Grand Canyon got axed. But that doesn't mean the Barlows are giving up on fun! We put together a creative weekend getaway on a budget and came up with a great family trip.
Friday we went to Sandy to a TNT firework selling orientation. Let me explain a bit here. We signed up to sell the fireworks in the stand in front of Gunnison Market this year. One week of long hot days, but it should be fun and it will bring in some extra cash. Now, you may not think that an orientation sounds like a great family activity, but you would be wrong. Brats, chips, drinks, popcorn, cotton candy, door prizes galore, music, cheering, etc. These TNT people are serious about making their business fun. I won a garish American flag sun hat and a water bottle just for waving my arms and hooting. The kids were so excited about all the free food and cotton candy!

So after the orientation we spent the night with Dad and Jan. It's always nice to visit there, and we all enjoyed their fabulous last-minute hospitality.

Saturday we woke up with the thought: "What should we do today?" After throwing out a few ideas we settled on the zoo, and the copper mine. The boys have been looking forward to seeing the dinosaur displays, and were thrilled to get to go so early in the summer. Mike got online and discovered buy one get one free coupons at Les Schwab. So we stopped by the tire store for the coupons and hit the zoo. The weather was perfect! We enjoyed the animals, but the anamatronic dinosaurs stole the show! If you get a chance to see them, we recommend it!

after an ice cream stop at arctic circle we drove west to the Kennecot Bingham Copper Mine. I had never been there before, and neither had the kids. What an amazing site! I'm a nut for museums, so this was a real treat for me.

Lots of random pictures here. The kids were so cute and I just have to share.

After the mine we went back to Sandy for the TNT firework show. Again, BBQ with all the trimmings. Then some fire extinguisher training (Joshua needed help pulling the trigger, but loved putting out a real fire) and an AWESOME firework show. Don't know if you've heard, but aerial fireworks are now legal in Utah. That means we will be selling the "big ones" that rocket into the sky, and let me tell you , they are amazing! It's like stadium of fire in your own back yard.

After the show we drove straight home and hit the sack just after midnight.

Awesome weekend with fun at every turn, and the whole thing for less than $70 and a little gas. Nice!

House update

For those of you trying to keep up with our big summer project, *aka building a house* here is a little update. These pictures were taken about a week ago. Since then the brick guy has finished the brickwork in the front, and the drywall has been finished and textured. Trim and doors are in the garage waiting for Joe's special skills, and after that Carrie and I attack the place with a paint sprayer. I can't believe how fast the whole process is going. It has been very fun and stressful all at the same time. But in the end, we will have a beautiful and comfortable place to call our own. Thanks to everyone who has so generously donated their time, blood, sweat, and resources to help us out!

Summer is here! *finally!!!*

Summer finally decided to show up, and with it came all the outdoor activities we have been itching to do for months now. Here are some pictures of our first few days of sunshine.
Caitlin and Spencer (the next door neighbor) are only 4 days apart. They both LOVE to swing! Giggles and smiles all around with this arrangement.

Andrew and Lincoln (also a next door neighbor) are just a couple months apart. They held hands all the way to the park and back singing their own versions of silly songs and taking their own sweet time.

We have never done the "summer buzz" before, but around here it seems you can't find a boy under 15 with hair on his head once the sun comes out. So we decided to join the crowd. What an adventure - I keep wondering who the little bald boys are in my yard till I realize its my own children!

Out comes the sidewalk chalk. I'm sure the next rain storm will wash it away, but that's all part of the fun, right? The boys and I had a blast coloring in the cool of the evening.

A Week of Joshua

Pinewood derby week is always an adventure at our house, but this year it was really special because Joshua is now a cub scout! I don't think I have ever seen him so dedicated or passionate about something as he was about this car. Yes, Mike and I helped him alot, but he did most of the work himself. And guess what? It was a winner! It was fun to see Joshua enjoy being the very best - hands down!