New Primary Presidency

So Kari Kieffer, Megan Laurie and Laurie Ann Thomas have been released. Our new President is Trisha Jones, Andria Lewis, and Christy Smith are the new presidency and I am still the secretary and Jenette Hougaard is still my assistant secretary. I have to say it is a BIG adjustment for me. It's hard to go from working with one President to a whole new crew and how they do everything different. I'm struggling. I hope I find my fit and flow soon cause I'm not loving this. And I know that is so bad for me to say.

Pioneer day

On the Saturday before Pioneer day our ward had a really cool activity. We all met at the new sports park that is being built by our house. We divided into companies and then made the 1 mile trek to the church. We were supposed to be pioneers. I know it wasn't a long walk, but it was hot outside and the kids were hungry. It seemed much longer than a mile because all the kids did was whine and cry and Lexi and Chloe just threw fits and screamed the whole way. They cried because it was hot, and because they just wanted to eat something. At one point TJ was pretty frustrated and said we need to just turn around and go home. Once he said that I seriously had a flash of how pioneer life would have been. It wasn't easy for them. They were hot and tired and really hungry from lack of food. They couldn't just turn around and go home. I told TJ no and we pushed on. We made it and once there we played games and ate yummy food. I was so grateful at that moment to live in this day. I am so grateful for such wonderful, faithful, courageous and strong pioneers that gave everything they had for all that we have today.
We celebrated ourselves on pioneer day by grilling fajitas, playing badminton and shooting off some fireworks.

Hike to Diamond Fork Hot Springs

The other weekend we thought it would be a good idea to go to the hot pots. It was a stretch for us because the hike was a good 5 miles round trip and I knew that would be pushing it for the kids. But we went anyways even though it was overcast and sprinkling on and off all day. It was about an hour into the hike that I realized it was not such a hot idea. We were all tired and we were never getting there. At one point TJ said to turn around. We couldn't do that. Finally about a half hour later we got there. It wasn't like I had remembered (I have only been there once). It was not very kid friendly and it wasn't a hit with the kids. We stayed for a bit and had our snacks. On the hike back down it started to rain on us and so I carried Lexi so we could go faster. She was wrapped in a towel to stay dry. After a little bit I stopped for a break and went to set her on her feet. When I THOUGHT she was standing I let go of her (her arms wrapped in the towel so she could't break her fall), She wasn't standing, I basically just dropped her face first onto a muddy rock. It sounded like 2 rocks hitting together. I for sure thought I had cracked her skull! I picked her up, her face covered in dirt and blood.  I have never felt SO BAD! She screamed forever! We were lucky however because no concussion and no stitches needed. She had a huge goose egg and plenty of cuts but nothing major. I carried her down the mountain in the rain for another 2 miles. It was the longest hike down to the car. 

I really felt like the worst mom ever. 

If you ask the kids about that hike not one will say it was fun in anyway.

Sometimes our so called "good" ideas aren't really good at all.

When we got home we had a sitter come watch the kids and TJ and I went to his cousins wedding reception. It was nice to get dressed and eat free cake and hang out together. After we went to dinner at Los Hermanos before we called our date good.

Lexi

One of my favorite things about Lexi is that she LOVES to cuddle. 

All of my kids have and still do so I am very lucky.

Lexi loves to sleep with me, face to face, while she strokes my face or run her fingers through my hair. 

She is too sweet.

Bridal Veil Falls

TJ and Ian were both out of town for work at the same time which left Tessa and I home alone with the kids trying to stay sane. One day I had her over for dinner and the kids played and we watched the Bachlorette (I'm embarrassed to say I even watched one episode of that show). Anyways another day we went up to Bridal Veil. The kids took their scooters, which made me nervous that someone would end up with a brain injury (due to me being an awesome mom who doesn't even own any helmets). We played in the water for a bit and collected rocks and then we went up to Vivian park and had a picnic lunch and played on the playground. I took the girls to see the exact spot where TJ had asked me to marry him. They thought that was pretty cool, especially Chloe. She just loves a good romantic story.

While we were there, a nursing home was there with their patients fishing. The kids were so excited to see them catch fish. They wanted to hang out and just patiently wait for the next fish to be caught. They were pretty fascinated by it.

Good Times

I have not been the best cook lately. Or the best anything for that matter. I am feeling lazy and tired and I just don't want to do a whole lot but sit on my tush. Luckily the girls think it is awesome to have ramen noodles for dinner. And whenever we make them they HAVE to sit together on the pull out cutting board. It's so cute. They just sit and chat and slurp their noodles.

I picked up these cute beanbag chairs from my neighbors yard sale for a whopping $4!! I made a little reading area and put all of our weekly library books in the middle. I love how so many times during the day I can find any of the kids lounging in them reading books. I'd have to say that those chairs were a GOOD buy!

Swimming lessons

Swimming lessons this year were good. I saw some good improvement.

Chloe was a little nervous about going, not surprising. She clung to me when we waited for her teacher. She just cried and didn't want me to leave her. Luckily she had an awesome teacher who stepped right in and made her feel ok. For the first 3 days she did this. Even though after each day she beamed and smiled and raved about how much she loved her class. She made a new friend, a boy even. She can now hold her breath and go under the water. Her biggest improvement was though letting go of me and  trying new things. I am still nervous about kindergarten. On the last day they were able to go down the BIG slide with their teachers and of course Chloe cried and said she would never go. 

She went and loved it!

Tallie did too! Tallie is doing great at holding her breath and can glide under the water pretty far. She is getting better at floating too.

It's a BOY!!!!

It was absolutely driving me CRAZY waiting for this day to come!

Even though the last few weeks I had been feeling like this baby was a boy anyways I needed it confirmed. I am SO excited for this little guy to come to our family.

Everyone is excited!

It's crazy though because after having 3 kids already I feel like I am having my first all over again. 

I don't know what I am doing here.

Boys are foreign and everything in my house is pink.

It will be a fun ride.

Can't wait to meet you little Trey...or Ty...or...?

The 4th of July!!

To say that Tallie was excited for her 1st race would be an understatement.

She was so happy to go pick up her race packet and get her shirt. She set her alarm and even slept in her running gear so that she would be ready to go right when she woke up. 

She did GREAT! I had asked her if she wanted either dad or I to run with her and she said "No, I want to run it myself." Her and Elena ran together the whole way and she is already talking about doing again next year. Chloe also wants to but she wants me to run with her.

 I had made the girls 4th of July dresses this year out of TJs old work shirts. They turned out so cute!

 Tallie wanted a skirt.

 I love having girls to dress up this way. I know one day it won't be cool to wear anything 'mom' made so I'm trying to live it up while I can.

We had a street party later. Each family brought their own meat and a side dish to share and fireworks. It's really cool that we live such a place that things like this are possible. It was a lot of fun. Until Lexi turned her sparkler upside down and palmed the hot part. A blistered hand didn't make out for a very fun rest of the night for her...or for me. But after she was able to go to sleep we stayed up a bit until it was dark and lit some bigger fireworks. Tallie and Chloe thought that was cool. It was a long day, oh and we saw "Mirror, Mirror" at the theater during the day too. We were all exhausted at the end of the day and went to bed dirty and happy.

Bear Lake (mini reunion..shhhh, don't tell)

The Garretts, Richardsons, Shaws, Fredricksons, and us met at Bear Lake and stayed in the KOA cabins. It was so fun to be with the family. We joked that it was the West Coast family reunion but we keep it on the down low so not to offend the East Coast family. 

Summer crafts and dancing waters

So sometimes I feel that summer is all about friends, which I am all for, but sometimes I feel like family time is lost and I don't want all my kids childhood memories to be of just friends. I also felt like TV was  overtaking our lives. If the girls didn't have a friend over or the tv on they complained to me all day that they didn't know what to do and that they were bored. They wanted me to tell them how to play and to entertain them. UMMM kids should not have to be entertained all day and they need to know how to entertain themselves and use their imaginations. I want my kids to like to play together and become friends themselves. So we turned off the TV completely for 1 week (haven't watched much since that week was up either) and we started doing crafts everyday together. We made marshmallow structures, sock puppets, paper castles, etc. I limited friend and guess what....? My kids are playing together and being happy and not whining and fighting nearly as much! It's been great. I have LOVED watching the three of them play together and getting along.

Going to dancing waters was on the summer to do list and so we did. We took the orange boat that TJ used to play with in the irrigation canals at his grandmas house growing up.