Gone Fishin'

Well...not exactly. Saturday night we took the girls up American Fork Canyon to roast hot dogs and make s'mores, along with some friends - Scott and Lisa Richards (Ashlyn, Hailey & Whitney). While we were running errands earlier in the day, I came across this Barbie fishing pole. I'm not sure if London was more intrigued by the idea of fishing or the fact that the fishing rod was pink. (I've really got to help my girls find a new favorite color!)

Right next to the picnic sites in the canyon is a mountain stream. We've watched other people catch fish there before, so I figured why not test our luck. We bought the pole, floaters, hooks, and bait. London and Kennedy could not believe we were using REAL, LIVE WORMS! Good luck getting either of them to touch one!

After I baited the hook and handed the pole over to London (because she had been practicing casting all afternoon), she promptly cast the line clear across the stream, the hook stuck in the trees. It was a great cast, but that mountain stream sure was cold!

With another hook baited, we tried again, and again, and again, and again. Not a thing. London got bored and bailed. So Kennedy gave it a whirl. She caugth one right off the bat - a nice 18 inch long stick! So much for fishing! At least I have soccer!

And if you are wondering, I'm really not trying to turn my girls into Tom Boys, just trying to expand their cultural horizons!

London, Miranda, Kennedy, Ashlyn & Hailey cooking dinner.

London always has fun roughin' it in the mountains!

Kennedy and Ashlyn roasting hot dogs.

Where are all the fish, Dad??

Kennedy fishing - notice the others got bored and took off!

Cute girls - having fun in the mountains!

Soccer Time!

One of the many joys I find in parenthood is seeing the excitement and eagerness of our children to try new things - especially when that new thing means you get pink soccer shoes! (They're black with pink accents.) London is going to play soccer this fall for the first time. She's seen various teams practicing in the field behind our house so she has some idea of what it is that she'll be doing. But I don't think she was quite prepared for all the fun she would have shopping with Daddy for the proper gear.

Perhaps I splurged a bit, but hey, I have a kid that's interested in sports and I'm going to nurture every bit of that for two reasons: its not dance; and Title IX (see NCAA scholarship rules)! Besides, Miranda officially declared soccer as "Daddy Duty"!

Seriously, London and I have had a lot of fun and quite a bit of bonding time kicking her new soccer ball around the back yard and working on some of the very basic fundamentals - NO YOU CAN'T PICK UP THE BALL WITH YOUR HANDS!

London is catching on very quickly. Official practices should start next week with games every Saturday begining September 6. Stay tuned for updates as the season progresses.

As for London's level of excitement...well, you can be the judge!

First Day of School

Its hard to believe that summer is already coming to a close. Seems like the last thing I remember was siting by the pool in Newport Beach in early April. Now I'm being told that we're already a full week into August and I only have a handful of memories of the interim. (There are quite a few great memories, but this summer as been a blur!)

What's even harder to comprehend is that my Babies are off to school! This is London's second year of pre-school, but our little Kennedy took the leap on Thursday and plunged into school-life as well. Where does the time go??

Miranda dropped the girls off at their respective classes and I arrived a few minutes later. As I peaked into the different class rooms, neither London nor Kennedy could care less that Miranda and I were loitering outside of their classes. They settled right in and started making friends. (I guess its a good thing that the girls enjoy school and like to learn - check back with me in 10 years!)

Oh, and for those keeping track, that's two in a row for Regan. Watch out Miranda, I'm catching up!! :)

Even though both girls have friends in their classes, they were excited to go to school together.

London and her friend Addison (left)

Kennedy and her friend Ainsley (left)

Getting Ready for Baby

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned to Miranda that we should update our blog. Afterall, a lot has happened since the last posting: London turned 4, Miranda and I enjoyed a week away in Las Vegas, we had a Guth Family Reunion in Indiana, and plenty more summer adventures to share. I have also be traveling a lot for work and my new role in the Young Men's organization - so my comment was met with an invitation (or should I say a challenge) to create a posting of my own.

So here it is - My Very First Blog Posting! You are a part of history in the making!

As we prepare for the new baby (the jury's still out on the name - don't get me started on that!) there's a lot to do. Miranda has done a phenominal job of "nesting" and organizating all of the baby stuff. I have to admit, so far my role has been relatively easy! My one (major) task has been the renovations of the nursery (yes our house is barely a year old and we are already renovating!!)

Since this will be Girl #3 and I REFUSE to have another pink room in the house, we had to get a little creative. Here are some pictures of the nursery before, during and after the work.