Emma's School Clothes

While Lauren and Landon were in Las Vegas, I took Emma school clothes shopping!  We rarely get the opportunity to shop without one or both of our little helpers, so this was a treat.  We started by eating lunch at the Olive Garden.  We never eat there, so it was kind of fun.  After lunch we headed to the mall and shopped at JC Penney.  Everything Emma tried on, she liked!  We had to pare down her choices so we stayed within some kind of a budget.  She still ended up with about 4 shirts, 2 pairs of jeans, a pair of shoes and a new Jansport backpack.  She seemed super happy with her purchases. 



This shirt actually looks better in person.  She says it reminds her of a cowgirl shirt.  The pants are skinny jeans and she loves how skinny they make her look.



She picked out this cute vest/shirt to go with her skinny jeans.



This is a weird choice for Emma, but she LOVES it.  The print is actually tiny little elephants.  She wants to wear it for her school pictures.

These jeans were only around $12 at Downeast.  They were having major clearance on denimn, so we were happy!



This purple shirt was one of my favorites.

We found these PE shoes at Target for only $7.48!  We've been looking for shoes for months for her.  We tried Payless, JC Penney, Big Five, Famous Footwear, and online.  I thought I was going to have to bite the bullet and spend lots of money, but amazingly we found these size 11 shoes at Target on clearance and she actually liked them!  She has wide feet and I don't think she technically wears size 11 with all shoes, so it was a challenge to find the right fit.

Emma's Bike

Emma has been babysitting twice a week this summer and earning about $40-50 a week.  She decided she wanted to buy a bike with some of her money, so after camp we drove down to Idaho Falls to see if we could find what she wanted.  We found this cute cruiser at Walmart (after Emma had scouted it out online).  She loves it and we made her day by agreeing to pay for half of it.  (Anything to keep our little couch potatoes active!)

Girls Camp

Girls camp came and went, and I couldn't be more relieved.  I've been dreading it since January when I officially found out I was pregnant.  I successfully lowered everyone's expectations for my ability to contribute meaningfully, so I just did whatever I was told when I got there.  As stake leaders, we went up a day earlier than the girls, arriving Monday and leaving Friday.  Landon was asked to be the cook for the stake leaders, so the two of us planned and prepared all the meals for everyone.  A friend of mine on the camp committee had a camping trailer, so she let Landon and me use that rather than sleeping in the stake cabin.  We hooked it up to a power source, so we had air conditioning!  It was a record-breaking hot week, so the trailer served as a "sick room" for leaders and girls suffering from heat exhaustion and dehydration, in addition to our personal living space.  Landon had gotten a chest cold just before camp, and I caught it on the 2nd day up there.  We hacked and coughed all day and night the whole week.  I had given Lauren my camera to use on her trip to Las Vegas so I didn't take any pictures.  Emma was supposed to take pictures with her camera, but for some reason didn't take any.

The week was more fun than I expected, but the pregnancy factor, being sick, being hot, sweaty, dirty and tired really contributed to exhaustion by the time we got home.  It's been about 10 days since we returned and I'm just now getting back my energy.  (Thus the long break between blog posts!)  I'm excited that Lauren gets to go to camp next year with Emma.  Emma had the time of her life at camp and it seemed like a great transition for her to sleep away from us in her own separate cabin, yet we were still accessible.  I think by next year she'll be over her issues and comfortable enough to spend a week away without us.  (Tylenol PM is a great invention!) 

This is Emma's scripture bag.  We started a new tradition this year with "pin trading" at camp.  Each ward created their own ward pin and the stake created lots of different pins to add to the trading.  The girls were able to mingle and make new friendships by trading pins with each other.  Each girl also gets their own scripture bag containing a new Book of Mormon that they use each year at camp.  They carry these bags around everywhere and have opportunities to stop and read for a few minutes throughout the day. 

Emma is on the right in the purple shirt.  Each ward chose something from nature to represent them at camp.  Our ward chose "peacocks."  This was their skit.  It was really cute.  The stake was "bees" and we had a skit where we also wore tu-tus.  Super happy no one has a picture of that.

Cookout on July 4th

After the parade, we went home, ate Five Buck pizza, took 3 hour naps, then met up with the Bates' at Eagle Park campground, which is the local campground that smells like sewage.  We had a successful cookout there last 4th of July, so we did it again this year.  Not much competition for a good spot.  Last year we joked about starting a garment burning business for good Mormons who just can't figure out how to properly dispose of their underwear.  This year, both the Bates and the LeFevres brought a bag of underwear to burn after the food was cooked.  (Is that bad?)

Here's Landon looking really happy to have his picture taken.

We made dutch oven potatoes and peach/raspberry cobbler to accompany our hotdogs/bratwurst.  The Bates brought frog-eye salad, chips, baked beans and ice cream to go with the cobbler.  It was a delicious feast!

The kids, roasting their hotdogs.

Justin and Jenny--our photogenic friends!

Sparklers before the Rexburg fireworks!  The fireworks show went off at 9:30...just before we arrived to watch them, and before it was completely dark.  They ended about 3 minutes later.  Nice one Rexburg.

July 4th Parade

On the 4th of July we attended the Rexburg parade, as we always do.  Landon set out our 4 chairs--roped together--the night before, right under a big tree.  When he showed up at 7:00 a.m. to sit in them and save our spot, they were gone!  Someone had taken or moved them.  He drove all around looking for them, but ended up going to Walmart and spending $60 that we don't have to buy new chairs!  He was sooo mad!  The road was lined on both sides with people's chairs the night before, but our crappy, ripped chairs were the ones that were stolen.  We ended up directly across the street, right in the sun on a concrete pad that absorbed the sun.  Perfect!  Just before the parade started, Emma and Caroline were walking around and found our roped-together chairs about a half block from where Landon had set them up.  We packed up the Walmart chairs to return, sat in our old chairs and bad-mouthed whoever moved them.
So Lauren has been practicing 2 hours a day, 3 days a week since school got out so she could march in the parade this year!  She's a member of the Madison Summer Band flag guard or whatever the flaggers are called.  She LOVED it.  We're definitely going to participate next year. 


Here's Lauren, after marching, holding the flag she gets to keep forever.  She learned some sweet flag skills that I'm sure she'd demonstrate if you're interested.

This is a video of Lauren marching with her flag.  Unfortunately she didn't do her routine near us, but she sure is cute as she marches by.

She had just finished marching and came to sit with us.  She was sweaty and exhausted but so happy.  She loved it!

This is Emma, my sweet little 13 year old.

This is a man who, when he says he's in a rage (like when his chairs were stolen), has the voice of a TV golf announcer.  It's kind of funny.

Kiwi Loco (frozen yogurt place) threw cups of yogurt to the crowds and Lauren caught some Huckleberry frozen yogurt!  Lucky!

This is the summer band that marched together with Lauren's flag group.  She had intended to do the marching band, but when she realized they were a little more advanced than she was, she decided to switch to flag.  She is so happy she made that decision.

Crib and Quilt

Jane gave me this quilt!!!  Her mom made it, and Jane bought it from her at their family reunion auction thing.  I love it!  I secretly hoped there would be some way I could get my hands on a quilt made by Jane or her mom for our baby.  This quilt will be all the visual stimulation the baby will need!  It even matches Lauren's walls and the crib itself.  Perfect!

By the way, don't you love our crib?  Lauri gave it to us and I think it is beautiful!  It has a drawer underneath that Landon was able to repair.  I'm planning to put blankets and crib bedding in the drawer.  The crib turns into a toddler bed, so we're in good shape for several years!  Also, take note of the crib bumper and pillows.  My friend, Sara Jenson, recovered a crib bumper she already had with brown dimpled minkee fabric and I LOVE it!  Emma is very concerned about any bedding or pillows in the crib itself after we watched a segment on the Today show about the dangers of SIDS.  Chances are the baby will be in our bed until he's older anyway, so I think the bedding will just be for looks for a while.

Visit from the LUKES!!!

Jane and her girls came to see us!!!  She left Rhett at home with his dad to do some "man stuff" and brought Jessica, Samantha and Ashley to see us and to come to the baby shower!  We stayed pretty busy and had so much fun that Lauren had 2 major meltdowns, a sure sign that we're having more fun than she can handle.  The Lukes stayed at our house, then when Kristen and Manase "surprised" us the Saturday morning of the shower, they had to stay at a hotel because there was no room at the LeFevre Inn.  I'm so glad both Jane and Kristen came...it made me feel loved.  And really tired.
When the Lukes arrived Friday afternoon, we took all 5 girls to Evans to get manicures, which I think they really enjoyed.  Then we took a 30 second spin around the Farmer's Market, because we were already getting tired.  We came home and had Papa Murphy's pizza for dinner.  Poor Landon was lucky to get 2 pieces of pizza when he got home from work at almost 7:00, because we were all ravenous!  The Luke and LeFevre girls know how to put it away.

Saturday morning we ate Paradise donuts and bacon (to balance the sweetness, of course) for breakfast!  Yum yum.

 After the baby shower and the Finaus had arrived, we all went to Big Jud's for lunch/dinner...strategic meal timing so we didn't have to make 2 meals.

Does it get any more fun than this??

This bad boy serves 3 hungry LeFevres enough to make us need to lie down.

I love how white Kristen is compared to Manase.  We compared the whiteness of our legs Sunday morning...we are both so white that our legs literally have undertones of blue...like a winter scene.

Trying to stuff yet more food into our bodies with a waffle-cone finish.

Pretty Samantha ate a grilled chicken salad at Big Juds!  No wonder she's so thin.

My red-eyed buddy Jane flashin' the peace sign.

Lauren and Ashley get together and it's headaches all around!

Baby Shower!!

I had the best baby shower on June 30th!  My friends, Jenny and Erin planned it and carried it out at the Meadow's clubhouse.  The theme was "B is for Baby, Blue and Brunch," or something really close to that.  The decorations were beautiful and the food was delicious.  There were about 30 attendees and more children than we wish would have come, but oh well.  (Seriously!  Why do Mormons think that everything is a ward party and everything comes out of the ward budget and people can eat as much as they want and not even RSVP?)  Jenny and Erin did almost everything, then Jenn Jones did a whole lot of helping, and Heidi Christensen couldn't come, but added a "scene-stealing" carved watermelon fruit bowl.  I got a lot of clothes for the baby, and visited with lots of friends.  I know what I need to buy now, based on what I didn't get, so that actually helped a lot.  After the party was over, I was reminded how blessed I am to have so many friends and such good friends who would work so hard to do something so nice for me. 

This is the blue "candy bar," which had to cost a fortune.  So cute.



Lemon water...the container was huge and the guests only drank about 2 inches of the water.  After the shower, we had Manase carry it over to the sink because it was so heavy.

Adorable little party favors with blue candies inside for the guests to take home.

Heidi Christensen made this beautiful watermelon baby carriage filled with fruit!  She's amazing!

There were donuts from Paradise, and Jenny made these delicous little "quiches."

There she is, making the quiches!  (Doesn't the kitchen look exactly like my kitchen?)  Jenny and Erin were busy behind the scenes, keeping naughty children away from overeating and misbehaving and making the party perfect for me.

Emma, partaking of the feast.

Jessica Luke, eating fruit from Jenn Jones' beautiful fruit tray! 

This is such a cute bib, made by my friend, Amy McCoy.  She made a red one too, and gave me some really cute denimn overalls.  One of my favorite gifts.

Large Marge.

A friend, Ashley Thueson, who Lauren babysits for now and then.  She had her 4th baby--Phinneus--about 6 weeks earlier.  She has an Emma (born on Valentine's Day!), Eliza (born on St. Patrick's Day), Titus, and Phinneus.  Like our name choices or not, at least they're not crazy-ass names like Titus and Phinneus.

Some of my friends!  (Candi McFadden--Stake YW pres., Elizabeth Crisp--book group friend, and Nancy Rowberry--YW leader in the 14th ward and employee at Kennedy, plus Jenn Jones standing in the back.)

Kristen, Oliviana and Manase--they actually love me enough to drive 4 hours  for the baby shower!  I was very touched that they would do that for us!

Sheep Falls

Landon is going to camp this year as the stake camp committee cook, the priesthood representative for the 13th ward, and the 2nd year hike leader.  A couple weeks ago, he and Emma went on the 2nd year hike with another family to check out what they would be getting into at camp.  It is a hike called, "Sheep Falls," near Cave Falls at the southwest corner of Yellowstone National Park.  The 2nd year girls who went on this hike last year complained so much about it that Emma was really worried about it.  After the hike, Landon and Emma were both feeling much better about it and think it will be a good experience.

 

The cute little hikers.

Odds and Ends

Landon received 3 pedicure coupons from one of his 3rd graders for Teacher Appreciation week.  They were meant for the girls in his life (us), which we really appreciated!  It was a fun experience for us!

Emma made this "Dutch Baby" or, as we call it, a German pancake.  She saw the recipe on Cook's Country or America's Test Kitchen.  It was different than our typical recipe, because it included lemon juice and cornstarch.  It was delicious!

Emma is growing an herb garden this summer for her yearly gardening project.  This is basil, but she's also growing cilantro, parsley and chives. 

Middle Names

I have a ton of posts to make, but until I feel like doing that...we're soliciting feedback on some baby names.  We have definitely decided to go with "Levi," but we're not 100% sure about the middle name.  I'm a quick decision maker, so I could choose one and be done, but my good friend is much more indecisive.  (I had to force him to accept "Levi" over "Willy.")  So here are the top contenders:

1. Levi Stewart LeFevre--Landon's great-grandpa's name was Joseph Levi Stewart.  
2. Levi William LeFevre--William is also a name in the LeFevre family history.
3. Levi Landon LeFevre--Trying to keep the name Landon in the family.
4. Levi Barrington LeFevre--A long shot, but it sounds dignified and it's my favorite grandpa's name (and why can't I have a family name thrown in the mix?  I'm also related to the kid!)
5. Levi Golden LeFevre--See justification for #4

I would say that the order of the names is the ranking for how we feel about them.  #1 is a strong contender, as is #2, but since my friend can't make up his mind, I'd love your feedback.