Learning Time! Pipe Cleaners and a Pringle Can

I've been finding fun learning activities on Pinterest and other sites lately and figured I better start doing them!

This is our first little game.

The idea originally had a strainer, but the one we have doesn't have round holes and just small slits. So I improvised with a Pringles can.

I poked holes in the can and had Tanner stick pipe cleaners through them.

He loved this little activity and will help develop his motor skills further!

I also loved my hair this day, so had to post a picture of it.

The back of my hair wasn't great, but still pretty good for my first try!

And this picture is just dang cute.

BBQ in Ogden

Last weekend our friends invited us to a BBQ at their home in Ogden.

They had all kinds of stuff set up in their backyard, including this awesome kiddie pool and slide.

This was by far Tanner's favorite part of the night.

And we learned he is quite the daredevil.

Loving the water

Even after we got him out and dressed, he kept trying to go back in.

Splash Pad with Cooper

We got together with Copper and Aubrie again and went to a splash pad.
Cooper's next heart surgery has been planned for September in Minnesota, so we are trying to get together as much as we can before they go. He's not going to be able to do much after surgery since winter is coming and you don't want a kid right out of heart surgery out and about in the cold and germs.

Anyway! We didn't take many pictures while we were in the water in hopes to protect our phones, but Aubrie got this adorable one.

We stopped for a snack and of course Tanner wanted what Cooper had and not what I had for him...
So he got his first Oreos!

These two are such studs.

Cooper was kind enough to share.

Family Dinner up the Canyon

We went up City Creek Canyon and had tin foil dinners with my family one Sunday.

It was a really hot day in the valley and it felt so nice to go up the canyon and cool down.

We went on walks....

(not even sure if you can see this, but Tanner and Kollin are down that road)

 Tanner with Grandma and Grandpa Cannon

We threw rocks into the river with the cousins

and also Aunt Bippy and Grandpa

We blew bubbles!

Tanner kind of got the hang of how to do it...

Grandpa tried to keep the bugs away

And we just had tons of fun!

Kisses

Sorry, I couldn't figure out how to rotate the video. But it is still cute!

Painting the New House

Many of you may know but if you don't, we are going to be moving in the next few months. We are no longer able to afford the mortgage on the house we are in since Kollin's mom moved out and we don't have that extra rent payment anymore.

So we are going to go and rent out her basement for a few years!

It is a cute house that Kollin's aunt bought and has been fixing up. The upstairs is looking awesome and they have already started on the basement where we are going to be.

It is a lot smaller than where we are now, but I'm not worried at all. I think it will be very nice and cozy.

We decided to pain our room and the kitchen/living room areas the same colors that we already have at our current house.

I wanted a new color for Tanner's room though, so we chose this.

We were going for unisex since we never know if we are going to have another baby while we are living there, and they will be sharing a room if that happens.

After it was all said and done, it dried a lot brighter than we were expecting so it's still growing on us. There is a chair rail that splits the room in half and we only painted the lower half, so it's not as bright as it could have been.

I forgot to take before and after pictures, but I'm sure I will eventually.

While we were painting we put Tanner down for a nap upstairs in Kathy's room. He was being fussy since I'm sure he wasn't happy about the new surroundings so I left the TV on for him.

I went up and checked on him and he was doing this.... 

Not even sure if he slept at all! Oh well...

Happy 4th... 3rd of July!

This year we celebrated the 4th of July on the 3rd.

We went to Great Grandma and Grandpa Richens' house for a BBQ and to watch fireworks.

 When we got out of the car we noticed that it was really leaking something. It looked like water, but had a pink tinge to it. Kollin figured out that it was the water pump or possibly a hose that came loose.

So we got it towed so there wouldn't be any further damage done. Good thing it should all be covered under the warranty!

 After we got done eating in the backyard, one of Grandma and Grandpa's neighbors came over and invited us to come over and bounce in their bounce houses they had.

The kids loved it!

And Tanner especially loved the slide.

We set up chairs and blankets on the side of their house where we had a perfect view of the North Salt Lake fireworks.

 Tanner was getting pretty fussy and squirmy before they started since it was a ways past his bedtime.

But right when they started?....

It was so nice that he sat and watched instead of screamed at the loud booms like he did last year.

Kollin had to work on the 4th and didn't get home until around 5. That was actually kind of an early day for a normal work day. But his manager was saying that he wanted everyone off by 3 on the 4th. So I wasn't too happy. Oh well.

When Tanner went down for his nap, I blew up the kiddie pool (thank you air compressor!) and filled it with water so the sun could warm it up a little.

After Kollin got home we all went out and took a dunk.

The water was not as cold as it would have been if I had waited to fill it right then.

I know, Kollin's farmer tan is fabulous!

Tanner had lots of fun splashing and soaking me.

All in all, it was a nice (mostly) relaxing 4th of July!

Discovery Gateway with Cooper

Cooper is one of our sweet little heart friends. I fell in love with his mom when I first met her at the heart mom dinner earlier this year and we have been getting together on play dates occasionally.

I am bound and determined for Coop and Tanner to be best friends. It would be so cool since they are both heart kids and will understand each other. And it is pretty awesome if they ever go swimming together they will have the same scar!

We all went to the Discovery Gateway Children's Museum one day. Aubrie (Coopers' mom) has a membership and had told me that Cooper loves it so Tanner probably would too.

We had such a blast! 

On the upper floor out on the balcony area they have a real Life Flight helicopter. Cooper and Tanner were able to climb around in it and sit in the pilot's seat.

That was one memory we never would have wanted, but it was so sweet to see our two little heart heroes playing around in it.

Neither Cooper or Tanner were actually flown in a helicopter. Both of them were transported by Life Flight though. They were both transported by ambulance, and Tanner had his private plane ride to LA.

This thing is like a xylophone with wooden pieces. We sat them on top of it and let them whack away at it.

THIS I think was by far their favorite. There was this entire area where there is nothing but all of these balls and all these different things you can do with them. Some you could put in a tube and it would suck it up high above you and go down in twirling tubes.

This one you put the balls in the holes and you can see them go down to the lower level.

We had so much fun!