Cam's Solo Summer Trip

Cam got to go to Idaho alone for almost an entire week with Granny & Grandpa. He was gone from June 20-26. Because Abbie (Ryan's daughter) is close to Cam's age, this week was sort of like a vacation for her too. Granny & Grandpa spoil them both and let them do a lot of fun things. (In a few weeks when Gavin & Owen go, Avery will get in on all the action.) Cam got to watch Abbie play in a few softball games, they ate at Burger King, got ice cream sundaes with Aunt No'el, played in Ryan & No'el's pool, and then they took their annual trip to West Yellowstone and Island Park. First stop was Big Judd's. They bought one giant hamburger, divided it in four, shared french fries, soda, and ice cream cones!

Then headed on to Island Park to stay at the Martin Family Cabin. On their way, they drove through Mesa Falls. When they got to the cabin, they made "Rock Families", sat on the dock, and enjoyed each other's company.





The next morning they drove through Big Springs and toured Johnny Sack's cabin on their way to West Yellowstone. They also stopped at Quake Lake, toured the museum and watched the movie that told about the earthquake.



When they finally made it to West Yellowstone, they were privileged to see High School Musical at the Playmill Theater. Cam loved the Fudge and got his picture taken with Sharpay! He has watched Disney's HSM about a million times since getting home. My mom got her picture taken with John Peter Lewis...who was on American Idol a few years ago.




Cam really had a great time with his grandparents but we sure missed him at home. We have started relying on him for help with the other kids and it was a little hard without him. Aunt Callie & Mike met my parents in Tremonton to pick Cam up on Sunday afternoon. Callie sent me a text letting me know when they had exited the interstate. Immediately Gavin & Owen went to wait for Cam on the front steps. Even though they wrestle, tease, bicker, and fight on occasion, those 3 boys really are the best of friends! It was fun to see them be reunited. Thanks to my parents for making Cam's summer exciting! Gavin & Owen are anxiously waiting for their turn!

First Camping Trip

Last weekend we went on our first camping trip with 5 kids! Wow! Our friends, Steve and LuAnn Petrovich, have a tent trailer that they let us borrow which made "camping" with the babies so much better.

We wanted to take the trailer out for an overnight trip so that we could get the feel of it and know what we'd need for next time. We were looking for a close campground, somewhere that would only take an hour or so to get there, so that if there were any problems, it wouldn't be a super long trip back home. We decided to head toward Heber City. My cousin, Nikki, lives in Heber so, since neither Spence or I was familiar with the area, I called to get her expert advice. She suggested I look into the Wasatch Mountain State Park in Midway, knowing there were multiple campsites, fishing for the kids, and it was close to Heber. She also told me there was a Crater to see, Dairy Keen to eat at, and Deer Creek Reservoir nearby.

So Friday after Spence got home from work we took off. We drove through Park City and arrived at Wasatch Mountain in good time. We found a good campsite and Spence quickly set up the trailer while the kids explored our little area.



Then we loaded back up in the car and drove into Heber for dinner. We took Nikki's advice and ate at Dairy Keen. Besides their world famous burgers and shakes, they had the greatest soda pop dispenser that I wish I would have taken a picture of. You touched a screen to choose a basic soda (they had everything you can think of) and then another screen came up with flavors that could be added. I had peach Sprite-zero! YUM-O! We shared a fresh raspberry shake...even Harrison & Madi got a taste!




We took a few pictures in front of their train and then headed back to camp. Heber Valley is a beautiful area. We really enjoyed sight-seeing on our way back. We got back to the trailer, prepared the sleeping arrangements, and then I got the babies ready for bed while Spence and boys started the campfire. We made a lame attempt at S'mores and then sat around the fire and watched it burn. We even got out our emergency flashlights (that look like light sabers) and let the babies play with them.




The following morning we decided to head out pretty early. We stopped to let the kids fish. My dad used to have a quote printed that said, "Fishing holes are not for serious fishing...they are quiet waters for reflection. They are for the very young and the very old. Fathers take their sons to fishing holes...they take their fathers, also." I used to make fun of him for that quote but as I watched my husband fish with his sons, it came to my mind. Nobody caught anything that morning but it was a good experience. I just sat back and watched (while the babies slept in their carseats.)










It took A LOT of work to go camping for just one night and we learned a few things for future trips this summer:

#1...Plan to go for more than one night. It takes about the same amount of effort to get packed and ready for one night as it does for multiple nights. Then when you get to the campsite, you can actually relax, knowing you'll have time to enjoy the trailer, campfire, exploring, etc.
#2...If at all possible, find a campsite where you can pitch a tent for Cam, Gavin, and Owen to sleep in. Having 7 people in the trailer was just a little big crowded.
#3...Try to start the making of s'mores before dusk. Roasting marshmallows with 3 eager boys without much daytime left can be stressful. If you begin the process a little earlier, it will be more enjoyable for all parties.
#4...As difficult as it is, try to keep the babies on their schedule. In our case, Madi didn't want to go to bed until well past midnight. That makes for a very tired momma!
#5...Expect accidents to happen. Gavin tripped and skinned his knee & hand, Owen fell and bonked his head on the picnic table.

That being said, we've already planned our next outing. Luckily, this time around we'll be in Bear Lake and my parents will be there to help out!

Fun at the Laundromat

While preparing for a recent camping trip, I decided that all our sleeping bags and blankets needed to be washed. I did NOT want to do a million loads of laundry at our house and decided it would be worth it to go to a laundromat. Can you believe it's the first time most of my kids have ever been in one? They thought it was so interesting to watch the big front-loading washing machines because they could see the water and suds and were thoroughly entertained. Then we moved the items to the dryer and they couldn't get enough! Not something I want to do again anytime soon but it was a mini adventure for the Styer boys!

Cub Camp & Picnics

Cam went to Cub Camp the first weekend they were out of school, June 10th & 11th. Spence was lucky enough to go with him. They went to the Jurassic Journey & SuperHero Achievements and Cam enjoyed it all. He even got to buy a new whip, wooden snake, and lots of candy from the scout camp store. He has such good scout leaders and really enjoys being a cub scout.

While he was gone to cub camp, Gavin, Owen, the babies, and I decided to take a picnic and meet our friends Whitney, Berkley, and Sovie at the park. Gavin & Owen basically inhaled their sandwiches so they could get to the toys. Berkley was happy to follow the big boys around. Madison, Harrison, and Sovie were happy their moms had walked to the park so they could chill in their strollers. I always enjoy a lazy day at the park with good friends so hopefully it was the first of many walks, picnics, and fun!

Kids (and Moms) Bowl FREE!

If you haven't already heard about this great deal, you can go to www.kidsbowlfree.com and sign up your children to bowl free! I decided to upgrade to a Family Pass because it was $24.95 (one time) and you got a $25 gift card to a local restaurant. Um, yes please? So every week I get coupons delivered to my e-mail address for 2 free games for all of my children and up to 4 adults. We do have to pay the shoe rental fee but that's okay by me. We took our first trip to the bowling alley a couple of weeks ago with the Petersberger Family. By the middle of the first game, we realized that the bumpers would be helpful to anyone still in elementary school. Honestly, Kama and I could've used them too! The kids had a ton of fun and have been begging me to go again. And since it's free...we'll go as often as our schedule allows this summer!

Cam, Gavin, & Owen

It seems that I'm constantly updating this blog about the babies...how big they are getting, new things that are learning, etc. I guess it's because they change on a weekly basis. But, as this is our family journal, I need to make more of an effort to concentrate on my big boys too. We went to a Well-Child visit for them on June 15th. Yes, this visit should have been done closer to the kids' birthdays but since I felt like we were at the doctor's office multiple times for the babies, I just put it off. So here we are, closer to the boys' half-birthdays than their real birthdays, and finally going in for a check-up.

Cameron is a very healthy 9 1/2 year old boy. He loves to be outside, riding bikes, hiking & exploring, playing with friends. He has been such a big helper this summer with the babies. Sometimes Spence & I have to remind each other that he is only 9...we expect a lot out of him, sometimes too much. He has become our babysitter whenever we run errands, as the boys would usually rather stay home than go to the grocery store. He is RESPONSIBLE and we appreciate him a lot! He is 55 1/2 inches tall and 82 pounds. That puts him in the 85% for both height & weight.

Gavin is so energetic. He has no fear and sometimes makes me a little nervous at the things he'll try without hesitation. He likes to follow Cam around, explore, jump on the trampoline, and ride his bike. He is 48 inches tall & weighs 51 pounds. That's 80% for height and 65% for weight.

Owen is so brave. Before the doctor's appointment I knew that he'd be the only one that needed any immunizations. I talked to him about it before we went in and told him that he needed to be tough. When it was time for the nurse to do the shots she asked him if he could count to 10. She had him shut his eyes, hold my hands, and start counting slowly. By the time he reached 8, she was already done. He did not cry, whimper, or even flinch! I was so proud of him. He is 42 inches tall & weighs 40 pounds. That's the 70% for both height & weight.

These boys are growing up so fast. They keep us busy throughout the summer because we all like to have fun! I must admit I'm a little anxious for school to start so that I can relax a little. :)

9 Months Old!!!

It's hard to believe that these babies have been on this earth longer than they were in my belly! They are so much fun, each with his/her own personality. We went for their well-child check up and had to snag a few pictures while waiting for Dr. Sheri.





At 9 months, here are their stats:

Harrison~19 lbs 7 oz (40%), 28.5 inches (75%), 18" head circumference (75%)
Madison~17 lbs 15.5 oz (40%), 26.6 inches (30%), 17" head circumference (40%)

Han is very good at army crawling, rolling, smiling, saying Da-Da, and taking a binky. He is starting to be a better sitter and we finally had a break-thru in the eating department. If you read my blog regularly, you'll remember that Harrison had a total dislike of all food, other than breast milk. At play group one day, someone suggested that I buy a self-feeder. I'd never heard of such a thing but it's like a little net that you can put any type of food in and the baby can suck on it to get some of the taste without the texture. We tried it that night and soon had an eater! We discovered that if he could put it in his mouth, he'd eat it which made for a few messy meals. But now he's happy to sit back and let us spoon-feed him and he pretty much likes everything, especially YOGURT!

Madi is still a petite little princess. She gets doted on regularly and hasn't found it necessary to learn to crawl yet. She is great at sitting, saying Ma-Ma, picking up cheerios or other small foods, drinking out of a straw, and getting her way. She is often found in dresses, skirts, bows, and piggy-tails (AKA horns). She likes all things girly and is attracted to earrings, necklaces, rings, and anything shiny. She recently started scrunching up her nose and it is absolutely adorable!

They both have very red hair and very blue eyes. Dr. Sheri said that their eye color will probably stay! Who knows about the hair! Trips to the store, library, church, basically anywhere take a little longer because people love to stop us and look at them. One elderly gentleman recently stopped me in Wal-Mart to look at the babies. He asked if we'd go over to the next row to show his wife, which we did. He told me we had made his day!

We are excited to spend more time outside in the double-stroller, taking walks, playing at the park, and frequenting the swimming pool. We invested in some 85 SPF sunscreen to protect Harrison & Madison's creamy white skin! Hope it works.