Author: Emily

that THESE are parked outside our front window.



And don’t be jealous that they have been working outside my house for the past 2.5 hours.
AND don’t be jealous that I thought my boys would just be LOVING them, and aren’t.
I should have run when I saw them coming, like a few of my neighbors did. But I didn’t.
How was I to know that my boys ONLY like to watch big constructions machines when these awesome construction machines are NOT in front of their house. That they only like to watch these big machines from the comfort of their car seats, when we are driving past them, and I can’t stop for more than 5 minutes. You would think that all the crying and pouting that takes place when I pull away, would mean something!
And now I am starting to get a headache from all the loud pounding and my house shaking (at first it was fun and I was loving watching them, but they just kept going, and they seem to be getting slower and slower, and it is so LOUD)…
So really, Don’t be jealous….and advice to my other fellow Pleasant Grove-ites, if you do see them coming. Run. Run Fast.

A few months ago, Tucker gave a talk at church during Primary.
He has give quite a few talks, and every time I am surprised at how comfortable he is infront of his peers, sharing his talk.
As we were preparing for his talk, we asked him what he wanted to speak about, and of course, it was Captain Moroni. That is his favorite Book of Mormon Hero.
The reason I thought about this, is because I came across this picture he drew for his talk. It is a picture of Captain Moroni, and I thought I would post it because it makes me so happy to see.

We were shopping and saw this old School Photo Booth. We have not done one of these for AGES, since we were first married. Toph found the change in my purse, and while we were waiting for our pictures to develop, I just thought, “How fun are these? Way Fun.”
Truman didn’t quite make it in the Photos, but we decided it would be the perfect excuse to come back and do another one.

and Counting.

Something that I loved before, but really love now.
Graphing Paper, please take a look:

This took Tucker almost 3 days to do. He worked incredibly hard.
I love when he finds things that he loves doing, and hold his attention for along time that don’t include mud.

Tucker has a new obsession. It is not just robots any more. It is..
“Transformers, more than meets the eye, Transformers, Robots in Disguise”
My good friend Michelle lent us some DVDs of the Old School Transformer Cartoons from when I was growing up. TUCKER LOVES THEM.
Everyday he saves his TV time to watch these DVD’s. He just sits in front of them all bug eyed and I cannot get his attention during a 20 minute episode. He doesn’t move, and hardly blinks, he is so intent on catching everything that happens.
He now wants to color only Transformer pictures, builds transforming robots out of his Legos and pretends that he is helping “Bumblebee” (one of good guy transformers that looks like a yellow Volkswagen beetle.)
Tucker still loves Robots, and I think that this obsession will last a while–I can see how a 4 year old boy can just loose himself in that fun world of things not being as they appear.
Thanks Again Michelle!

With in the Phillips Family, we have almost One Birthday Every Week from the end of July to mid-September, so many fun birthdays, and so many people whom we love.
We have already celebrated a few, and will celebrate many more!
Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear:
Mikey Turned 2!

Picture taken by Lexie
Dallin Paul Turned 18!

Sophie Turned 4!

Patrick will be turning 30!

Picture taken by Lexie
Nora Will be 2!

Picture taken by Lexie
Owen will be 2!

Picture taken by Lexie
Brian Will be a year older 🙂

(funny thing, almost all pictures we have of Brian, he is either eating, or doing something funny….)
Happy Birthday to you!

After placing the last post for the day in the ground for the treehouse, there was a small mud pile where we are trying to make the ground deeper for the sandpile. We brought the hose into the sandbox, for mixing cement, and I guess (I was inside cleaning up lunch), Tucker filled the bottom up with water, made mud, got all muddy, and climbed in to play.
I don’t know what it is, but my kids love the squishy mud. They can’t resist it, and I cannot say how many times this summer they have made mud pies. But usually it is a little water and alot of dirt.
Not this time, by the end, Tucker looked like the Swamp Monster.

Look how BEAUTIFUL!

Slowly but Surely, are treehouse is rising from the ground! There are 4 of the 6 posts in the ground. and the beginning of the floor. We are really starting to progress, I had no idea the process that was involved in the art of treehouse building (and to be quite honest, this process is not as fast as Tuck would like, he is ready for the magical powers of his treehouse to wisk him off on adventures, just like Jack and Annie)
and it may not be “beautiful” to others, but seeing it just makes me feel so happy inside.
You see it makes me feel so proud of my Husband. He is such an amazing man, and I have always known this, but to see him conquering this project, for our boys, makes me realize this even more. I have seen him spend HOURS researching treehouses on the internet and figuring out which lumber to buy, measuring out the land, mixing cement, working closely with our boys showing them how to use the tools, makes me just fall in love all over again with this amazing man.
So to me, this treehouse is beautiful now, and is only going to get more beautiful, and will always be a symbol of a fathers love for his boys whenever I see it. Every family needs there own “Treehouse” every now and again, to break up the hum-drum of life.

I never new we had a photographer in our family, but as always, Tucker just has to be learning and doing something constantly. After a quick overview of how our digital camera works, he was off to capture the world. I was in the house, and Toph was out in the yard, he kind of just wandered… Here are a FEW of those pictures
We are calling this exhibit. “Thru the eyes of a 4 year old.” 🙂
Enjoy….