4th of July
We went to Tiffany and Nathan's for a 4th party. It started with breakfast and we had so much fun playing on the giant water slide that they rented.
We were home for fireworks that night. I think that because all of the big firework shows were canceled this year everyone bought their own to do at home. They were everywhere and were so incredibly LOUD! Sadie was not a fan and I ended up going in with her and Lyla. We think watching fireworks from a far is much more enjoyable. I am thankful for this beautiful Country that we live in and for the many freedoms we enjoy! I am especially thankful for this family of mine!
taking a break from the sun...
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| Tiffany and Nathan and their cute family. They were so kind to let us join in their Meldrum family bash. |
Finn lost one of his front teeth while we were there! I love this kid's smile so much. I call it his "Finn grin" I sure hope getting big teeth doesn't change that!
He and his friend Benny are now both missing the same tooth!
Then, one week later he lost the other one! One day Sadie was saying she needed more money and Finn said..."you just need to lose some more teeth!"
This girl was looking so cute for home church the next day, I had to get some pictures...
Peekaboo!
just hanging out with a zucchini from the garden...
Another fun adventure. This time we went to Hidden Falls. It was super fun! A quick little walk to the falls. We had fun playing in the water and climbing all over the big rocks.
Happy birthday Brian! 44 years old! We celebrated with donuts and ice cream. We are so lucky to have you. We are thankful for all of his hard work to support our family.
Family camp out at Tanners flat campground. We had such a fun time camping just our little family! We checked in Monday afternoon and spent our time setting up camp, exploring the camp site, eating yummy tin foil dinners and roasting marshmallows. We were a bit shocked that the kids liked the tin foil dinners, but they loved them! I don't think I have ever heard them oooh and ahh over food the way they did about the these. I guess it is true that everything tastes better when you are camping. We had a great site with easy access to the river. The kids loved going down to throw rocks. It also had giant rocks that of course were great for climbing!
When we first arrived, Ava got out of the car, took a deep breath and said "mmmm smells like nature!"
This girl was covered in dirt the ENTIRE time we were there! She kept saying "I like this game!"
Tuesday morning we woke up and ate yummy breakfast and then loaded up to meet Grandma Terry and Grandpa Roger at the Albion Basin to hike and see the wildflowers. The flowers were BEAUTIFUL!
Ava and Lyla were asleep before we even made it down to the lodge!
After hiking, we headed back to the campsite for a little bit of card games, friendship bracelet making and relaxing. Then we headed to Lisa Falls to cool off a bit. There was hardly anyone there. The kids had fun playing in the water and exploring.
That night we roasted hot dogs and marshmallows.
The mustard exploded on Sadie.
Campfire selfies....
We spend that evening by the fire making up silly stories and singing songs. This moment was by far my favorite of the whole trip. Just enjoying time with my most favorite people in the beautiful world.
Finn all tucked in for the night. The kids slept so well the second night. I think we were successful in wearing them out!
Two cute girls packed up and ready to go home. This was such a fantastic getaway. This year has been a different one to say the least and we haven't been doing our normal summer trips and activities. This was just what we needed! It was amazing too how well everyone got along while we were there! The kids had their moments, but overall everyone got along much better than they do at home! It was magical. Don't worry though, the fighting began before we even made it home!
We got home just in time to celebrate Lyla's 2nd birthday!
It is crazy to think she is 2 already. This girl is everyone's favorite. She brings so much joy and happiness to our home. Whenever the kids get hurt or sad they immediately want a hug from Lyla to make it better. She is smart as can be! She talks so well and people are always surprised at just how well they can understand her. She knows her colors( yellow is her favorite), can count to at least 12, she is starting to identify some letters, and she totally holds a pencil the right way! She is always surprising us with the things she knows. Reading is one of her favorite things and would be happy to sit and read with someone all day. Hide and seek is her favorite game and will play with anyone who will join her, and it is hard to say no when she says "Let's play hide and seek. My turn to hide first. Cover your eyes and count!" She loves to watch shows and probably spends too much time doing it! (4th child problems) Some of her favorites include, Daniel Tiger, Mickey Mouse Club House, and Super Why. She is also definitely beginning to show her age and is becoming more and more demanding, outspoken and sassy! We had cake and ice cream with Both sets of Grandparents and Tiffany and Nathan and kids. It took her just a minute to figure out the present thing and she had lots of help from her siblings. After they were all open she said "I want to open more presents!" We love this girl so much and are beyond grateful she is a part of our family! Happy Birthday Lyla Lou!!
Cute Ava and Drew...
Random July...
We have had a good little garden this year. We planted carrots, onions, lettuce, grape tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, peas and cantaloupe. The carrots have been my favorite to harvest. Seeing the kids with these giant carrots (at least the tops are giant) just makes me laugh! Whats up doc?
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| This carrot even had legs! |
Cute kids in the pool....
My friend Kelsey and her kids came to visit. It was so fun to catch up with her and see her kids. It made me so happy to see our kids playing together. We spent one day at Tiffany's letting the kids play while we all visited and then came to our house the next evening for root beer floats and more playing/visit time.
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| Sadie, Sammy and Harmon |
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| Ava, Allison and Finn |
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| Mikey and Beck Kelsey brought this creepy head with her and the kids hid it in my bed. When Kelsey and I lived in Provo, we would have fun scaring each other with this. We named her Hexis. Now the kids are enjoying hiding her around the house. |
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Just wanting to document some of the crazy things that are new because of the Corona Virus....Now they have one way traffic at the grocery stores. I always finding myself going down the wrong way! It will be interesting to see if this is something that will stay and become "normal". You would not have seen this even a few months ago!
Random July....
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| Lyla loves hide and seek and usually her hiding looks a lot like this. |
cool kid...
Ava in the bathtub with her swimsuit and goggles...
Sadie and her friends had a "fun,fit Friday" They did lots of exercise including a whole hour of zumba. This was all their idea and they had lots of fun doing it.
Even Lyla joined in a little bit...
This has been my face for the last couple of weeks....Our school district announced that they will be opening schools in the fall for class Monday-Thursday. As much as I want my kids to go back to school I have felt very confused about whether that was the best choice or not. Obviously I want to do what is right and safe for our family and for others. This pandemic business is crazy stuff!
After much thought and study and prayer we have decided to send them back to school. Hopefully all will go well. I never thought I would be having to make decisions like this. It has been a fun month. It is hard to believe that summer will be over in just a few short weeks.
