Labor Day Weekend 2018

So...camping is not my jam.  We have only been a few times since we got married and Ruby has never even slept i a tent.  In exchange for him committing to a 50 mile bike ride with me, I had promised Tim that I would camp sometime this summer.  Somehow our schedule always seemed full, and none of us were too motivated to go so it didn't happen and by September 1st, I thought I might escape the summer of 2018 without going camping.  Tim and Andrew, our neighbor have talked about going several times and one weekend they said they were going and suddenly it seemed really lame not to go.  We had just seen the Christopher Robin movie and one of the lines had been playing in my mind ever since: "Doing nothing often leads to the very best something".  Tim and I decided that doing nothing was exactly what our little family needed.  We headed up Provo Canyon to meet up with friends and from the moment we arrived, had a great time.  We roasted hot dogs, ate s'mores for dinner and breakfast, and sat by the fire for hours while the kids played.  The leaves were just starting to turn colors and gave us a sneak peek into fall.  We had a full moon and when I left the tent in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom I was stunned and how beautiful everything looked in the moonlight.  The entire camping trip was glorious and turned out to be an amazing "something" with the best memories.  

We went with our friends Janae and Andrew which was perfect because their kids, Brooke and Knox are almost the same age as ours.  It was so fun to watch and listen to them all play.  They hiked, collected glass and shotgun shells, made up games, and generally ran wild the entire time we were there.  Watching them experience the magic of the wild, outdoor life was so perfect that it made the entire camping trip completely worth it.

Roasted hot dogs and s'mores,

The best reason to go camping.

I took a few packs of glow sticks which were the perfect entertainment

We all survived the night, and even got a little sleep.

Tim was really the happiest camper.

Nature agrees with this flower child. 

Luke and Knox spent all morning hiking around the hills and looking for clay pigeons.  When they found one that had not been broken at all, it was like the biggest treasure.  

For as long as I can remember, I have spent Labor Day in Payson celebrating Onion Days...parade, carnival, park, etc.  It's what I did in high school, college, and as an adult.  And this year, we went to Lagoon.  It almost seemed sacrilegious to ditch Onion Days, but we let the kids vote and they chose Lagoon.  I was a little disappointed because it is fun for me to see friends and family in Payson, none of the cousins were going to be there so the kids weren't as anxious to go to the parade.  When we left for Lagoon, we were a little worried about how busy the park might be, but it really wasn't any worse than on a busy summer day.  The kids rode all of their favorite rides  and we all had so much fun.

The dinosaur drop is one of Ruby's favorite rides and we always go together.  After waiting in line for a bit, she told me that she didn't want me to go on the ride with her.  I told her there was room for me to go with her, but she said she wanted to be brave enough to go by herself.  A small part of me was a little hurt and sad that she didn't need me, but mostly I was just so proud of her.  I wondered if she would get nervous once the ride started, but she just laughed and held her arms up and looked like she was having the time of her life.  Such a brave little wild one. 

Tim loves the train.

Usually when we go to Lagoon we don't let the kids play any of the carnival type games, but this time they were just so excited about the chance to earn a prize that I could't tell them no.  Luke found an "Everest doggie" that he won by kicking a soccer ball at a target.  He was so happy about earning his own prize and told everyone about how he did it.  

Ruby chose a balloon/dart game to play because the price was a pin panda that she thought was "so adorable".  She threw several times and the worker was quite surprised at how many she popped.  

Turns out the new pets loved the rides as much as the kids.  

And they were perfect for cuddling.

They posed for the picture, but then go too nervous to ride The Bat.

It took a little bit of convincing, but Ruby finally joined the family party on Bambura.  I worried that she might hate it, but she laughed the entire ride and begged to go again.  It's now our family favorite.

After a day of playing, we had dinner with Grandpa and Grandma, and then stopped to see Brycen and Erika who were working.  The perfect ending to a great day.

August Miscellaneous 2018

This year the end of summer has felt extra dramatic and sad.  Our summer break has been so fantastic - the best I can ever remember - and I just didn't want it to end.  We had to say goodbye to late summer nights and kids running wild, and were forced to try to get back onto a reasonable schedule.  The funny thing is that the kids don't seem to be as sad about the end of summer as I have been - I guess whether it is summer or winter, their life is still pretty carefree.  As with every month, we had a lot of big events, and plenty of small but great moments of every day life.

On one of my Saturday bike rides, I took a new road and came around the corner to find these longhorns just hanging out in the neighborhood.  They were so fascinating to me that I had to stop to get a few shots.  The steers kept looking away but after a few mooing sounds, I got my shot.

At the beginning of the summer we started an incentive program to help the kids stay motivated to do homework and keep up on the skills they had learned over the past school year.  They each picked out a new pet and then worked on a checklist of homework and chores to earn their prize.  It worked like a charm - the kids earned a few new friends, and I loved that they kept up with a little learning.

Ruby was so excited to be invited to her friend Taylor's birthday party.

Tooth #3

Feeding the ducks is always a good time.

This hat was a summertime favorite!

Ruby loved the fancy ponytails that grandma did.

Cutest little farmgirls,
Ruby loves spending time helping Juniper with the chickens.

We got some official photos from the wedding,
What beautiful memories!

Grandpa and grandma gave the kids a new swing which they love.

Sunday afternoons used to be for napping, but lately the kids think they are just too big to go to sleep.  We have compromised and told them that they at least need to rest.  Now, after church they come home, have lunch, and then gather up all their pets, pillows, and blankets and camp out in our bed watching Bible stories.  It isn't quite a nap, but it lets all of us relax for a little bit.  Did you notice the teddy bears in this picture.  Katelynn brought them to the kids as a thank you gift for being in her wedding.  The t-shirt on the bears has the kids' individual names and a thank you from Katelynn and Dylan.  The kids adore the bears and have had the best time packing them around, changing their clothes, and basically making the bears part of the crew.

I absolutely love watching these cousins together and hope they continue to have adventures together for the rest of their lives.  I've started labeling most of my photos like this as "Sunday Shenanigans".

Ruby took advantage of the carnival celebration at the gym.

She loved showing off her face paint to all of the Whitesides.  We all met up for dinner and Cherry Hill water slides, but unfortunately only ended up with this one picture.  I guess it was because we were all too busy having fun in the water. 

Hope and her friends had a spa afternoon and pampered the little girls with make up and manicures.  Ruby came home so excited - she loved being part of the big girls' fun.  And of course, she had to show off her beautiful nails to everyone she saw.

Oh this poor girl just needs a doggy of her own.  She tries to approach nearly every dog we see and begs me to ask the owners if she can pet the dog.  Ruby often says she is going to be a pet doctor and I think it's a very real possibility.  For now, she will have to settle for the dog at Old Navy.

The boys wanted a picture of their "matching" plain outfits.

What a lucky girl Ruby is to be so loved. 

Ruby and I went to orientation for "click click", or Upstart.  Ever since Luke did preschool on the computer two years ago, she has been really excited for her turn.  She loved all of it, the testing, the badges, and of course, she loves the silly songs and games that make it so fun to learn.  

Fall soccer season has started and we are all having the best time - the kid love playing, and Tim and I are working hard at becoming the best soccer parents.  Both Luke and Ruby are on teams with several friends which makes it fun and they both have great coaches.  Ruby's coach Miss Tara is really working hard with the kids on skills and I have been impressed at how much they have already improved.  Luke has an official coach, but Tim has filled in and coached most of the games which Luke loves.  I'm already feeling sad that their season is only about 5 weeks long.  

Oh Baby Penelope, you have stolen my heart forever.

Turns out that school days are pretty great days. 

And Ruby and daddy have had plenty of fun while Luke is gone.