31 Going on 18

 Chant turned 31 on August 14.  He told me that he still feels 18.  And most people say he still looks it.  Lucky him!  I hope this amazing man knows how much the kids and I appreciate him and how grateful we are for all he does for us!  We love you so much!  Here's to a great year ahead!

One to Remember

 School starts Tuesday, which means summer is almost over.  This has truly been a wonderful summer.  We have done a lot of fun things:  a trip to Bullfrog, two trips to Ashton, a family reunion.  But amid all the fun travels, we have had a pretty amazing summer just being at home.  I have to admit I was nervous what this summer was going to be like, worried that all I would hear are whines of "I'm bored!" or constant fighting.  To my immense relief and delight, that hasn't been the norm.  Of course there have been little tiffs here and there, but I would expect nothing else.  But honestly it hasn't been that bad.  The "I'm bored!" refrain has only graced us with its presence in the last two weeks.  When I heard it the first time, I silently thanked that little phrase for staying away for so long. 

This summer has been filled with bike rides around our house, games of Dead Man on the trampoline.  It's been spiced up with picnics on the porch, camp-outs under the trampoline, and long afternoons of building neighborhoods on the Lego table.  Mornings have been spent watching mom sweat to her exercise video of choice or sometimes even joining in.  Television has been a little diversion in the afternoons when they are hot and tired.  But it's been a treat for them, not a fight to have it turned off. 

This summer holds a special place in my heart.  It's been filled with the sounds of my beautiful children playing prince and rockstar, house and animals, explorers and spies.  (Brinnley is always the Prince; Porter is often the mom; and someone is always Logan, mostly Ainsley, and Maddie, mostly Porter.  If there is a baby, it's Canyun, Riley, or Isaiah.  The animal of choice is whatever was talked about on Wild Kratts that day.  Of late it's been wolves.)  It's been a summer of sweaty heads from bike helmets and Ainsley's favorite blue and purple patchwork hat.  It's been a summer of carefree hair, which honestly we are lucky to brush, and mismatched outfits.  It's been a summer of laughing.  These three have been each others' best friends.  They have looked after each other, played well with each other, loved each other. 

One of my favorite memories with the kids and me would have to be reading The Phantom of the Post Office.  I read it out loud to them in the front yard while the kids weeded my flowers and Canyun ate grass and played with cars.  We read it under the trampoline while lying on our stomachs on a blanket listening to pounding of hammers on nails of the house being built behind us.  We read in snuggled up together on the loveseat.  The kids listened intently for clues and squealed with excitement when they figured out the mystery.  I love sharing my passion for reading with them.  I love seeing them be invested in characters and what will happen to them.

I love you my beautiful children!  I hope it was a good summer for you.  For me, it was a summer I hope never to forget! 

Cousins are the best!

 July 21- 26 we went back to Ashton to spend some time with cousins.  My brother and sister-in-law were lucky enough to go on a cruise and three of their kids came to Grandma and Grandpa's house while they were gone. 

We had so much fun!  Here are all the younger cousins ready for church. 
(Brent, Lily, Brinn, Ainsley, and Porter)

 One day Mom and I took the 5 little kiddos to Upper and Lower Mesa Falls.  We took a few little hikes, climbed some rocks and trees.  You know, exploring. 

 And they happened to come across a huckleberry patch right by the picnic table.  Score!  We all had purple fingers and tongues.

 Lily found this shell and we didn't think anything was inside, but the next thing we know the shell was on the move.  It was actually pretty fascinating watching how it moved. 

 A summertime trip to Ashton would just not be complete without a trip or two to Sand Creek.  We were lucky to have Madison and Logan with us for a few days.  They always make things fun.

 I had to post this picture as proof that Grandpa actually does know how to do dishes, even though it doesn't happen very often.  No more claiming ignorance! 

 Logan's birthday is July 21st and he got a lot of awesome new Lego sets.  He was so good and let the kids play with him.  They had so much fun that after we got back Brinnley used some of her Tooth Fairy and saved birthday money to buy a set of her own. 

 Thank you Logan!

 This was a rare moment when the kids were not playing Legos or outside in the playhouse playing restaurant.  Truly they were outside most of the time.  I was pretty impressed with the patience Ainsley and Brent had to set up all those dominoes. 

Thanks Grandpa and Grandma for a great visit!

She's 6!

 Ainsley girl turned 6 on July 17.  I still can't wrap my head around that.  In my mind Brinnley is 6 and Ainsley is 5. 

For her birthday she got a Barbie vet center and a new animal to work her magic on.  He is a hampster named Nibbles or Hammy.  As soon as she opened it the kids were upstairs setting up their room as a vet's office.  They had a waiting room and they even made a sign for the door.  It said "Brinnley and Ainsley's Vet Office.  When your pets are hurt we are here."  SO cute!

 Instead of a cake, I attempted to make microphone cupcakes.  I was supposed to use mini ice cream cones, but I couldn't find them anywhere.  So we had to use two donut holes instead of one.  But it still worked out and Ainsley really liked them.

 Pictures with the birthday girl before having cake.  Teran and I just got back from exercising, so I look awesome!

 Love this face!  She was seriously excited about these cupcakes.

I think they were a success.  Happy birthday sweet girl!  I love you so much! 

Smile, it's picture time!

 Before leaving camp Sunday we got all the different groups together and took pictures. 

My nephew Brock came up Saturday and spent the day and night.  I am so glad he came.  It's when you are on your own and have to make an effort to come, that you realize it is up to you if you want to stay connected to your family.  I am so grateful Brock made that effort and that we were able to see him and his sweet sons, Braxton and Chandler.

 All the boys:  Chandler, Brock, Logan, Dalton, Lance, Luke, Easton, Gavin

 The little kids:  Braxton, Ainsley, Brinnley, Porter, Chandler, Lily, Brent

 The big girls:  McKenzie, Maddie, Lacey

 The Grown-Ups:  Kasey, Tracy, Dad, Mom, me, Chant, Brock, Kirk, and Christi

 Girl Power!

 Boy Power!

The dynamic duo Maddie and Luke.

I love my family and being all together.  Thank you for a wonderful weekend of making memories!

Downata Hot Springs

This year we had our annual Whitmore Water Wars at Downata Hot Springs July 6-8.  It was a great place.  They had a kiddie pool and slide that was perfect for Porter.  Ainsley swam all over with her little life vest on, and Brinnley was her usual fish self all over the place.  We had so much fun with all the cousins together.  That was the best part, being together.

Lily, Brinnley, Brent, and Ainsley didn't need the pool, they were having fun splashing around in the water run-off.

Chant and Kasey were the camp cooks, for this meal anyway.

Brent and Tracy.

Grandpa.

Maddie and Logan.  Can you tell she just woke up?

Kasey and I each brought a bag of props for putting on skits.  We divided up into 4 groups and then got together to make a plan for a skit and figure out how to use those props.  The kids were all about the costumes. 

Brinnley, Maddie
Logan, and Porter.

Ainsley kept picking on Easton.  Was Dalton a little jealous that Ainsley was picking on him?

I don't know what he's doing, but I love this picture of Porter.

After a fun day of swimming we put on the skits and sang a few camp songs.  I had no idea that my mom was such an actress.  She won most dramatic roll of the evening.  And she earned it!

Tracy had all the little kids in her group for the skit, and she did a great job with them.  It was such a cute skit!  Brent was a wizard and Lily was the princess.

Grandpa pulled off a pretty good George Bush and Maddie made a mighty fine Baby Gaga.

These kids had so much fun!  I think that sitting around the campfire talking and doing skits was the best part.