Richards Family Reunion

We had such a great time at Huntington Reservoir! Kami and I ran our much-anticipated 1/2 marathon. Our husbands cheered us on the whole time and were our water boys and GU boys. But they did NOT take ANY pictures >:( ... so they dropped the ball there! I would love to blog about the whole race, because it was awesome!!! But I need to fit in all these fuN pictures.



Ruggedly handsome with porcelain doll.




Ike and dad fishin' for crawdads.


Where would Ike be without his Buzz?

Me and the big kids.



Miley took this picture of Grandpa TimTom. I love it!
We had so much fun!
...and then they cra-aaaaaaashed, boom!


We had a family auction to raise money for next year. Hopefully we can get the bouncy house and slide again!!! For the auction, I donated little girl hair bows and bracelets. Every little girl was able to get some bling-- yay! I won some old beads and necklaces that belonged to Muzzer (Don's grandma). I am so excited about this. I can't wait to repurpose those beads into bracelets and necklaces for my girls. I plan on doing the same with Grandma Kay's beads (Don's other grandma who recently passed away).
I love Don's family so much! They are all loving, supportive, and fun to be with! Can't wait 'til next year!

Bear Hugs

The U.S. Surgeon General recently published a 5,234 page report in which researchers concluded the following: "Hugging is non-fattening, naturally sweet, and contains no artificial ingredients. It is wholesome and pure and, most important, fully returnable."

Golf Ball Hunting

Don has started a new tradition in our family. Every Sunday after dinner, Don has taken the kids golf ball hunting at the course down the street. It's nice for the kids to be out of my hair for a while. And the kids, of course, love being with daddy. Miley takes her Dora the Explorer backpack that carries:

-drinks
-snacks
-magnifying glass
-sunglasses

Miley makes sure to wear her polo shirt (referred to as "golf shirt"), and sandals. Her and daddy like to putt barefoot, so sandals are the best option.

Today I joined in the hunt! With Ava and camera in tow, I watched and relished every moment.






{The water looks yucky in this picture, but that's because they kicked up all the sand.}
{The water is surprisingly clear at this golf course! :) }

"Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum! Delicioso!" --Backpack

At the end of our walk, we took our balls to the 16th green to practice putting. With our sandals all in a pile, we took turns holding the flag and tapping the balls back and forth. On Miley's first attempt, she sunk a 35 ft putt! Don has high hopes for her. :)

Magic Sewing Machine

Not too long ago, my sewing machine went ka-put! Really dead! All of my sewing projects had to go on hold. My precious scraps of fabric that had been poised and waiting for my creativity to kick in had to go back in the hall closet. Granted, my living room was cleaner, but I was sad thinking about my broken sewing machine. I thought about all the half-done projects that I would never be able to brag about.

(sigh)

Then one day (last Wednesday), a miracle happened! at Enrichment Night, a sweet lady from my ward announced that she was getting rid of a sewing machine. I sat in stunned silence for what seemed like an eternity (probably 3-5 seconds). A free sewing machine?! Could I be so lucky? I don't even think I prayed about that one yet. Could I be so blessed? I looked around the room. No one had made an effort to stake their claim. So, with shrugged shoulders, I slowly raised my hand. The sweet sister was quick to explain that it hadn't been used much, but it was an older machine. That secretly made me even happier. I was picturing an old, ivory-colored Kenmore with 2 or 3 simple knobs--one like my mother's.

The next Day:

I stood looking out of my window, excitedly waiting for my (new) sewing machine to arrive. And to my crazy-jump up and down-surprise, this is what I got!



I love, love, love, love, LOVE it!

Miley was watching quietly as sweet sister's husband set it down. She tapped me on my leg. It was the shy kind of tap that told me she had a secret. When I bent down, she whispered, "Mom! We have a magic sewing machine!" My sweet girl...

One of our favorite bedtime stories is called The Magic Sewing Machine. It's about two orphaned children who make magic happen through their mother's sewing machine. And it happens to look just like my (new) Singer! So now I tell everyone that I have a magic sewing machine.


And YES, it is magic! The first thing that I saw as I opened up the sewing cabinet was the exact color of thread that I needed for my latest project! Rust-orange. I haven't been able to find it anywhere, but somehow, my magic sewing machine knew what I needed! :)

A Day at the Pool

We had tons of fun at the Rec Center over Memorial Day weekend. Miley is so brave in the water--just like her dad! She is a little daredevil who likes to stay under for as long as she can and pull stunts like this...

Ike is more like me, clutching on to the side of the pool (or dad, as this case may be!).

He worked up enough bravery to slip down the kiddie slide. But it seemed like he wasn't having much fun--what do you think?

Even during snack time he kept his wary-concerned face on. Ohhhh, my sweetie. I love that face, even when it's pouty!



Ike--still clinging.


I didn't think it was possible to live in St. George and be so white!

Fab-U-lous!

"Fabulous" has been the theme for this Mother's Day. My mother-in-law, my grandmas, and my own sweet momma are all about FAB! And I guess it runs in the family, because I am now fabulous too!
It is all thanks to Don and his unrivaled ability to take a hint. I love my Mother's Day present from Don. Check it!
Oh yes! It is the most funky-awesome thing I own. So, as my mothers before me, I am now coming in to my fabulousness!

Star light, star bright...

I love St. George at night. Especially right now, the weather is perfect!
One of our favorite things to do as a family is watch the stars come out. We snuggle under a blanket and tell stories or sing songs. Baby Ava joined us for the first time the other night.
She had a ball. You can tell she adores her big sis.
But who doesn't adore Miley?