July Miscellaneous 2018

So July of 2018 may go down as one of my most favorite months, ever.  There were holidays and vacations, and bike rides, and plenty of family time.  I would go to work on Monday,  exhausted from all of the fun, then work hard for several days so we could start playing again.   There were so many big events, but in between, there were plenty of daily, smaller moments that really made the month complete.

Whenever I leave on an early morning bike ride, Tim always gets my bike down from the hook in the garage and then pumps my tires.  While I am getting organized he usually waters the flowers then often goes inside to go back to sleep.  On this particular day, we were rewarded for getting up so early with double rainbows and the most beautiful skies.  What a perfect start to the day.

These four are nothing but trouble,

And always have the best time together.

Lazy Sunday afternoons means watching

Bible Stories in mom and dad's bed.

Scariest dinosaurs let loose on WalMart

We have had some plant trouble this summer...most of our outdoor flowers died while we were on vacation, and I don't do well with indoor plants.  Tim has graciously taken over all of the plants and flowers and thanks to his constant attention, they are all now thriving.

He even takes care of the garden and our Pinocchio tomato.

Lately Ruby seems to make it into our bed more often than not.  She kicks, and rolls around, and tries to lay right on top of me.  But neither of us has the heart to send her away when she is scared, and the truth is, I kind of love having her snuggle up to me and knowing that I am her place of comfort.

Taylor and Tim spent a Saturday afternoon biking up Provo Canyon.  They stopped at Bridal Veil Falls, and saw amazing scenery.  Their overall ride was about 25 miles which was quite impressive.

Ruby loves the new classes they have at the gym daycare.

It's always good to document your french toast and unicorn. 

Ruby has struggled a little this month with controlling her temper.  When she gets frustrated with Luke she has been scratching him and the poor kid has ended up pretty marked.  We have been trying to work with her to stop the scratching, but in the meantime, have also cut her nails super short. 

Luke lost his second tooth and is now missing a tooth in the same spot, top and bottom.  He says it is perfect because he can put his straw right through the gap.

Because of the need for a babysitter, Tim and I almost never ride together.  But, we signed up to ride a 50 fundraiser for Blue Haven Foundation which supports the families of fallen police officers so we made arrangements to be sure we could go.  Jami arranged for matching jerseys and we were able to ride with her, Jarin and Cory and about 20 of their friends and family.  Tim blew a tire with about 8 miles to go, but other than that, everything was smooth and we had a great time riding 

After Luke and I had such a great date at Nickelcade, Ruby wanted to go there for a family date.  We raced motorcycles, played skeeball, and of course, were constantly on the hunt to win more tickets.  The kids loved it and left with several small prizes for their efforts.  

And of course air hockey, always a favorite.

The kids truly look forward to Sundays at Grandpa and Grandma's house all week.  Running wild with cousins is their very favorite activity.  Now that Gavin and Juniper got chickens, Santaquin is officially the most magical place on earth. 

After a quick sleepover, Tim and the kids dropped Brycen off for EFY.  Even though he is staying in the dorms and we don't see him, it somehow makes everyone feel better to have him so close.