Birthdays, Yellowstone, et al.

Well, summer seems to be flying by and we're still just as busy as ever. We celebrated Mommy's birthday and Aunt Chelsea's birthday together at a "Burger Bash" in Tooele. My Aunt Valerie, who is the Food Editor for the Deseret News posted the event on her blog on the Deseret News website. For those interested in seeing me chomping down on the gigantic burgers I made for the event can read all about it by clicking this link:





http://www.deseretnews.com/blogs/1,5322,5000025,00.html?bD=20090806





We followed that up with a great trip to Yellowstone. We went with Grampa and Grandma Nash and we stayed in Jackson Hole. We made two trips into Yellowstone over the course of two days and had a lot of fun. Owen was very patient during the car trips and even tried to drive the car himself!



Here are some of the great pictures we took while on our trip:

We had a really great time and we were sad when it was time to come home and go back to work. It wasn't all that bad, though. Owen really missed his doggie Lily. She had to stay with Grampa and Grandma Higham while we were in Yellowstone. He would walk around the house with his hands raised when we would ask, "Where's Lily?" He would then walk around looking for her. He missed her so much he began making new friends in Yellowstone:

Once we got back it was time for more birthdays! On Wednesday, Mommy and Owen went down to SLC to not only pick up Lily but to also celebrate Grampa Higham's birthday. They had a big party in the park and Owen got to play with his cousins Ryan and Layla. But most of all he was reunited with Lily who has hardly left his side since she's been back!






So we're pretty much tuckered out. But we can't rest on our laurels for too long, next weekend is Layla's one-year birthday and then we have a family reunion and then it is Aunt Collette's birthday and then who knows what after that!

We've Been Busy

It's been busy for us. One would think that after the 4th of July things calm down a little bit. Well, they sure haven't for us. And good ol' Owen has been right smack-dab in the middle of it all.
We had a fun trip up to Bear Lake one weekend. We didn't just enjoy the lake and the beach, but we also took a trip to Evanston and watched the horse races! Owen loved every minute of it.






Though he loved playing in the sand most of all, he still took to the water like a fish. He wasn't scared or nervous at all. In fact he quite enjoyed the warm water at the lake.








We may have to take another trip up there before the summer is over.
In between trips to all over the place, Owen made his first successful attempt at eating corn on the cob. He really quite enjoyed it. Of course anything that will inevitably make a mess, he is all for anyway, but the corn tasted pretty good!

Summertime just isn't summertime unless there is some corn on the cob involved at some point.

Next it was time to head for Tooele to ride in the parade for the 24th of July festivities. Owen rode on the float for the 7th ward, which is the ward Dad grew up in. He sat with his Grandma Nash and a few of his cousins. Grandma said he was a waving machine throughout the parade.





Right after the parade, Owen and Mommy headed for SLC to spend the night with Auntie Collette and Ryan. The next day was Ryan's baptism and we sure were excited to be there for his big day!

Owen struggled to stay still as Catholic churches tend to be a little more quiet and reserved than the LDS wards Owen is used to going to. But we still got to see most of the ceremony. Problem was, Owen was just having too much fun. Staying up late to watch fireworks, playing with his cousins instead of taking naps, etc. So that by Sunday afternoon just in time for the baptism, all of the excitement had finally caught up with him.But he was still able to ham it up for some family photos, though.



We just hope that second wind kicks in soon, because this weekend we have the big burger bash for Aunt Chelsea's birthday down in Tooele and then the next day we'll celebrating Mommy's birthday! Then the next week we'll be taking our vacation to Yellowstone with Grampa and Grandma Nash! When we asked Owen if he was ready for all of this, all he did was give this look:

The Last Few Weeks

Well, like most people we are staying pretty busy this summer. With mild temperatures we have been having a lot of fun. We've been to Lagoon, fishing, numerous trips to Salt Lake and Tooele and had one heck of a Fourth of July bash up here at our house this past weekend. So without any further ado here are some of the pictures we have taken the last few weeks:















Here are some pictures of our trip to Lagoon. Owen loved every single ride and had a hard time getting off of the rides. He just wanted to keep on riding.

















The very next day was "Huck Finn Day" at the park and we did a little bit of fishing. Owen caught two fish! But he was mostly excited to swing on the swings!















Next we had a stop in Salt Lake and Tooele for Father's Day. Owen got to visit with two of his Aunts: His Mommy's Aunt Mary from Texas and Dad's Aunt Janice from Maryland. He sure loves to see his family from all over the country! But mostly he just played and had a grand old time!

















We finally had a weekend off and it was great weather so after we did our yard work we finally got to play in the kiddie pool Owen got for his birthday. Mommy set it all up but before she could put water in it, Owen climbed and just started playing. Eventually we got the water put in it and Owen had a grand old time!

















Then it was the Fourth of July Weekend! It started off with a pool party at the Aquatic Center with all of the people Mommy and Dad work with. We also got to go and watch the fireworks! Grandma Nash, Aunt Chelsea, Uncle Travis and Aunt Janice all came along with us and we had such a great time! The next day everyone else came up and they all stayed the night! We had quite the crowded house, but we managed to find room for everyone.
We had a big BBQ with hamburgers and Owen's favorite hot dogs! We stayed cool playing in the pool and then walked down to main street for the Cruise-In. Owen sure had a swell time hanging out and playing with everybody!

Once the festivities died down and everyone went back home, Owen was finally able to catch his breath and take a well deserved nap!

Owen Goes Fishing

Last weekend Grampa and Grandma Higham, Auntie Collette and Ryan came up and we went to Bear Lake for some fishing.
While it didn't rain, the wind was so bad that the waves on the lake were gigantic. It was a little bit cold, too.
Despite the adverse weather conditions, we still toughed it out, set up our chairs, put our poles together and got ready to get frustrated.
Every time we cast a line it got snagged in between rocks. Dad finally had enough after having to cut his line fo the sixth time and retie a new hook and sinker he decided to call it a day.
In fact, the only one who caught anything was Grandma Higham. She caught two fish on one line (she used two hooks) and then a while later caught another fish. Unfortunately all three fish were carp (though they were pretty big). Here's a picture of Grandma with her two fish she caught at one time. Grampa and Dad horn in on the picture to make it look like they caught the fish (actually they were taking the hooks out to throw the fish back in).

Owen didn't do much fishing. He mostly stayed bundled up and sat in Mommy's lap, unless she went fishing, then he sat with Auntie Collette.

After a while of not catching anything, we headed back for home, but not before we stopped and had a raspberry shake while we were still in Laketown. Afterwards, Grampa and Grandma and Collette and Ryan stayed the night with us and we ordered hot wings from Wingers and watched a movie. The next day after breakfast we all got ready and went to the movies. Dad wanted to see Star Trek but he was out voted and instead we all saw the movie "Up".

Owen seemed to enjoy the movie, but not as much as he enjoyed playing the straws on everyone's drinks and licking the tops of the seats in front of him. He didn't wear the 3-D glasses for too long, but all in all he had a wonderful time. Especially afterward because he was such a good boy Dad bought him a toy--a Darth Vader action figure! Owen thought it was the coolest!

Owen's First Baseball Game

This weekend was Great-Grampa Higham's birthday. He invited us down for lunch at Chuck-a-Rama and then we decided to go the Bee's game afterward while we were down there.



Owen got to play with his cousins, Layla and Ryan and got his first introduction to the game of baseball.


Both Owen and Layla ate and acted like big kids while the rest of us enjoyed some good eating at good ol' Chuck-a-Rama.









The whole crew was there and Owen was happy to see all of them. He showed off his new baby signs that he has learned. He learned "fan" and "duck" and he has picked up the curious habit of of putting his hands up and shrugging his shoulders whenever someone says, "What happened?" this usually occurs after he has done something naughty like throw food on the floor.






When we got to the ballpark we saw it was an exhibition between some little leaguers and the "mascots" from around the state. There was the Grizzly bear from the hockey team, the fox from the Utah Flash, there was the bumble bee from the Salt Lake Bees, the dinosaur from the Ogden Raptors and some bird-like creature representing a team from Idaho called the "Idaho Falls Chuckers." He didn't look much like a chucker to us. But most importantly was Owen's favorite mascot, Big Blue from Utah State! We were so excited to see Big Blue we had to go down to the dugout to get a closer look and cheer on Big Blue!



A little while later, Big Blue came up to stands to see us! So we got our picture taken before he was rushed by a crowd autograph seeking kids!






After a while Big Blue came down to our seats to see us again. But it wasn't long before more kids showed up and poor Big Blue was stuck in the aisle for about an hour signing autograph after autograph. Before he left, though he gave Owen one more big thumbs up and we told Big Blue we would be seeing him at the football games this year!

All in all the games were a lot of fun. It was a double-header and the first game was a pretty poor showing by the Bees as we got wooped by the Reno Aces. But the second game was a real barn burner. In fact it went into extra innings, we only stayed for one extra inning before we decided we had better head back home (it was already 11:00pm! WAAAAY past Owen's bed time!) Unfortunately we missed the Grand Slam homerun by the Bees that ended up winning the game. But we made it home by 1:00.

The next day, Owen was in dire need of a bath. All of the sticky messy junk food at the ball game really did a number on him. He seems to really enjoy chocolate flavored licorice!

But as much fun as the ballgame was, nothing is as fun as bath time for little Owen. Besides turning off the TV while Daddy's trying to watch a show, bath time is his favorite thing in the whole world!

MORE PICTURES!

Angie took Owen's one year pictures for us a week ago. We love them she does such a good job. These are just a few more great ones.

Owen's 1 Year Picutres