How to eat a popsicle

Brought to you by Jason with assistance by Katie, Lizzie, and Grace.

First, choose your favorite color - matching to shirt color is nice, but not necessary

Next, you must perfect the technique, as brilliantly demonstrated by Jason:

Lick the popsicle

Make a funny face

And repeat

Try to keep your hair out of the popsicle. Hair is pretty, but not very tasty

Remember, the technique! Always lick the popsicle, never bite - it's cold!

When all else fails, make a mess!

A sunny afternoon at the park

Last week sometime Doug made a tennis ball cannon. Which of course meant that we had to test it out. So off we all went to the park to watch Doug. Unfortunately, the cannon was a bust, but we had fun anyway.

Here are the steps to creating the perfect "tennis ball cannon explosion - minus the explosion" experience:

Set up the cannon using any and all materials available at your disposal

Enter flammable liquid

Aim away from people and trees

Try to keep little fingers out of the way

Ask for help when try, try again doesn't work

When (I mean if...) the cannon doesn't launch the next best thing to do is to launch a volleyball at your nephew to release any frustrations

If throwing isn't your thing, try kicking

Make sure the nephew is alright

Then let him dance out the hurt

Trying to stem the tide

Robby, Jenny and their two kids left for the airport to fly to New Zealand earlier today. I did myself proud and only shed a few tears into Robby's shirt while giving him a hug goodbye. I'm positive that once I'm alone in my room with no one around and nothing to distract me that I'll ball my eyes out - which is why I decided it was time to update my blog. I finally got the pictures I've taken these past two weeks on my computer and I've posted them for your viewing pleasure. So scroll on down to see what's been going on here in good old Irvine. You may have to scroll past a few posts that you've read before, I post-dated them to the actual day that the pictures were taken.

Eating popsicles

The kids love popsicles and they are the best way to get them out of the house for a bit. Too bad it can get a little messy at times.

Chomping away. Grammy exiled them to the grass to try to contain the mess.

Jason looking too adorable

Shelly was too busy eating to look at me for a picture

Lizzie is too adorable!!

Close up of Jason's messy face

I was trying to get a good picture of Shelly's arm.

This one is my favorite. It looks like she cut herself and blood is dripping down her arm. That's just the hand she held the popsicle in.

After seeing what a mess the kids were, I decided to break out the kiddie pool to try and get them clean - it mostly worked

At least they had fun throwing cups full of water at each other

Emily at home

Everyone is way excited to have Emily home. We basically fight over who gets to hold her whenever we get the chance.

Uncle Doug with Jason and Emily

Grandma Gardner got her on her first night home

Emily looking too cute!

Jason checking out his new competition :)

He loves her and is too cute with her. The other day he wanted to hold her and whenever we tried to take her away, he held on tighter.

Emily Anne Schofield

She has a name! And she's home! Mark called while everyone else was at the family ward [and I was home alone enjoying the silence :) ] wanting me to bring some clothes and a blanket for the baby. So I quickly grabbed some things and headed out the door. Too bad I was so excited about seeing Emily again that I forgot that I would most likely have to head to my ward straight from the hospital... so I was a little late to church, but it was SO worth it! Anyway, back to my story. I got there and headed up the elevator - all the while with a HUGE grin on my face. The other people on the elevator looked at me funny, but I'm use to that :) When I got to their room, I quickly grabbed Emily from Mark and didn't give her back for a good hour or so. Rach, Mark and I had fun chatting, I got to help pick out her middle name (k, so really I just agreed with what they had chosen, but that's helping right?), and I told them all about what had been happening at home with Shelly and Jason and the other million and two people in the house (Seriously, there's a TON of us here. It's crazy!). When we were all ready to head home, Emily decided to make a huge mess in her diaper. So Emily has had her first bath, in the sink in the hospital room. She screamed the entire time. After quieting her down, we were again ready to go and so we did. Rach had to be rolled out in a wheelchair while Mark brought the car around and I became the photographer of the "leaving the hospital" experience. It was great fun! Now mother and daughter are both home safe and sound. And everyone rejoices!

The newest grandchild is here!

Last night at 2:20 AM Rachel gave birth to a 8 lb 12 oz baby girl!!! I am so excited to get to see my new niece! She doesn't have a name yet - but she will by Monday (that's when they come home from the hospital, Rach and Mark usually have a name picked out by then). Some time later today I'll take Shelly and Jason - and anyone else that wants to - over to the hospital to see the new baby and congratulate the proud parents. I figured I'd wait for them to call us, seeing as how they have had very little sleep and they might not want us coming at an awkward moment :) I'm just too excited to get to hold her!!!! I can't wait!!!