Our Summer - Part one!

June 10,11, 12 - Capital Reef

This is a picture of most of the gang. We have been friends with this gang for years and years and I hope it will continue! It was a lot of fun to spend time with them and let our kids play and get dirty together. I fell in love with Southern Utah after this trip...can you believe it, I never knew Capital Reef existed!

Just beautiful!

Goblin Valley/San Rafael Swell - June 24, 25

If you have never visited this place, you are missing out! It is so cool! I have never seen anything like it! I could have spent at least all day there, and probably much, much longer! (Stratton would have definitely been right there with me all day, he LOVED this place!)

We had three babies on our trip and they were quite the troopers!

Marley knew how to cool off!!!

June 27th

It was Blake's birthday, but Marley's birthday party! Thanks so much for coming, she loved every minute of it! She is now 4!!!

There are so many things I love about Marley:

*She is spunky

*She is social

*She loves her family

*She tries to make people smile if they are sad

*She shares

*She loves candy

*She loves praise

*She is funny

*She works hard at learning new things

*She is sassy

*She reminds me of me (that is good and bad)

*She makes up her own songsHere is a snap shot of little Torah enjoying the swimming pool!

June 28th

Marley's birthday! She is 4!!!

What did she want for birthday lunch? A watermelon filled tortilla.

REALLY! AND she ate it!

July 4th

This is the only picture I took this day...who knows why? My little brother came home from his mission and I didn't take one picture! I am terrible!!! Happy 4th!!!

Bear Lake - July 8, 9

The kids ask all year long when we are going to go to Bear Lake and play in the sand. That is about all we could do at Bear Lake this year. It was a bit stinky because the water is SO high and is making all the grass die, but it was still a good time.

Marley has been doing tumbling and loves and and we do go swimming every day, along with a session of swimming lessons...There is never a dull moment in the summer!

Happy Birthday Elder Miller!

Elder Miller, we hope you have a really great day!

I had a work meeting today and since I work from home, my kids can be with me (what a blessing!) Anyway, the kids were being very quiet outside in the backyard. I went out to see what was going on and they were going through the recycle bin! They were finding all the things I have thrown away that they brought home from school. I do keep some of their stuff, but I can't keep it all! I felt like scum...worst mom of the year. Anyway, I'm glad they weren't playing in the garbage!!!

Every day Stratton lays out his treasures on the counter. This is what he had in his pocket last week. (I admit, I throw these away too - but after a few days...) A group picture of the kids. Torah is sick right now (double-ear infection) and she doesn't look too happy, but Strat and Mars LOVE her!!! They ALWAYS want to play with her and make her laugh. I'm so glad they like each other (most of the time!)

Torah is 7 months old!

Torah is 7 months old. Time is going too fast and she is growing too fast! She gets around quickly now, even though her crawl is not conventional. It is like she has a peg leg and one good leg to crawl with. I have to watch her very closely so that she doesn't get into any mischief, or crawl right down the stairs. We absolutely love having her around! She is will laugh and giggle...for kids only. If an adult tries to get a smile out of her they will be working on it for a long time. Torah just stares at adults...even mom and dad sometimes. She says "mamamama", which totally melts my heart! Lastly she has started pulling herself up on things and just yesterday she started letting go and standing for just a split second before she falls on her bum. I am so proud of her, but I want her to SLOW down. She is barely 7 months old for heaven sake!

tORAH iS mOVING!!!

She has been rocking back and forth and up on her knees since she was 3 1/2 months old. I thought for sure she'd be an expert crawler by the time she was 5 months old. Glad it didn't happen! Now she is 6 months old and yesterday she started moving. It isn't a crawl and it isn't fast (that is the good news!). She gets up on her hands from a sitting position and then one leg gets into crawling position. The other leg is still in the sitting position...or maybe it is like a cane for support. Either way she scoots with that leg still crossed and gets to where she wants to go. Sure it takes her a while to reach her destination...but she is moving! I didn't want it to happen this fast, my other kids didn't crawl until they were at least 7 or 8 months. I guess she needs to see what is happening around her!

(By they way...isn't that picture cute! My sister-in-law's neighbor took it. Bittersweet Photography - what a great job!)