The Itchy Butt Excuse

My cousin Martin came to visit us in Weiser for a couple of weeks during a few summers when we were young teenagers. He was from a big town and loved to come "work" on the farm. I remember my Dad mentioning one time that we couldn't come back home from the farm even in Mart feigned an excuse like he had an itchy butt. We were to get our work done before we could play later. This became a joke in our family. An excuse for just about anything. In fact, Mart probably worked harder than all of us during those summers. Plus he got his first BB gun and lots of stories that must be retold for years to come.

So I had a good little laugh when Stella came out of her bed late one night saying that she had an itchy butt (I don't know how much longer she'll allow me to tell her stories). She'd already had a shower, but insisted that she needed a bath. She found my shower cap and went to it. I think she just wanted to stay up later. And her hair got wet anyway. That's what happens when you plunge the shower cap in the water and try to put it back on your head.

BBQ at Teener's

I love this laugh.

But first, swimming . . .

. . . and Mart tossing all the kids.

And Lyvi being sad that she didn't get to swim.

Kimbal finally learned that he can't escape my camera.

And Lyvi's smile returned when Mart agreed to toss her too.

Thanks for the BBQ Teener!

Family BBQ

My brother Adam and his wife Jenny and their kids Brennan (10), Kaiah (8), Kimbal (3), and Alyvia (20 months) came to vacation in Arizona a couple of weeks ago! They voted and they chose AZ in August (they've obviously not watched the weather recently). We were so excited to have them come! Plus, they brought Uncle Ian with them too!

We started the week out with a big ol' family barbecue at my cousin Doug's new house in East Mesa. Swimming, delicious food, lots of kids, lots of detailed cop stories from Adam, lots of interrupting questions, and lots of awesome cousins!

Whitney, Doug, Adam, Maeser, Martin, Teener (is Mart really taller than all of us?)