Summer fun!

On your MARK...

Get SET...

SPLASH!

I've been working a lot more lately and kinda feel guilty about my time away from the boys. So on my days off I try to take the boys out to have as much fun as we can! Lately it's been lots of swimming. Mason and Noah both LOVE the water.

Noah does this OVER and OVER and OVER again. Someday if I ever own a pool I want it to have a beach entry.

Mason absolutely loves jumping off the diving board. I am still working with him on using his arms and legs at the SAME time while swimming. For now he's content on just treading water :)

Hopkins Family Reunion

Every other year we have a Hopkins Family Reunion! My mother's side of the family get together for a few days. This year we went to Flagstaff, and the Grand Canyon. It was really good to see family and catch up. Plus the weather was WONDERFUL! We did all kinds of fun activities but what I enjoyed the most was visiting and relaxing with the Fam. What I enjoyed the LEAST was chasing after my children up and down hotel hallways!
It's crazy to see how your family grows, develops and changes. I can only imagine how Grandma and Grandpa Hopkins (my mom's parents) feel as they sit back and watch their posterity multiply and grow! It makes me wonder what my little family will look like in 40 years.
I sure hope it'll look a lot like this:

(My brother Nathan [upper left corner of this picture] has his arm around his wife Erica and little Ella who aren't in this picture.)

The Two wonderful people who started it all!
Maryann and Dale Hopkins:

We went to Snow Bowl and rode on the chair lift. The boys LOVED it!

Mason and Noah kept waving to people on the other side of the lift passing by while yelling "Hi!" Mason also kept announcing to strangers on the lift that he fell and hit his head?!?! (Which surprisingly did NOT happen?) Where do they get this stuff?

At the top we went on a small hike and just enjoyed the scenery.

... YES he did actually use the highest toilet in AZ!!

Back at the hotel we "enjoyed" some FREEZING cold pool time!
My cousin Matt, his wife Shealyn, baby girl Alyce, and adorable baby boy Preston.

The Grand Canyon!!

On the drive into the Grand Canyon I was amazed at the wildlife just hanging out on the side of the road!!! Crazy!
Noah and Ella are best friends! This is how cousins should be! How sweet was Ella to lend Noah her pink doggie backpack? (Of course Ron made me take it off him pretty quick! But still cute!)
All in all we had a wonderful time and I look forward to seeing the whole Fam again in 2012!!

Too young for this?

NO. We have NOT really started potty training Noah. But... he has been interested in the toilet lately so I figured... why not? Right now I am just doing the "preliminary's". We just sit in the bathroom (he sits on his potty) and we read books. Occasionally he puts his bear up to try the potty out. (Sorry Grandpa the State Farm shirt for his bear is in the wash.)

Thanks Grandma Joyce for the awesome "Big Boy Potty Book" both my boys LOVE it!

I read somewhere that when they have a poopy diaper you should "plop" the poo in the toilet and flush it down while your toddler is watching. Although I think that's DISGUSTING we tried it this morning. All morning long every time Noah saw the toilet, he'd look down in the bowl and say "Bye Poop!" and wave. I thought that was kinda cute!