Just another glimpse...

What in the holy heck am I doing blogging 12:10 am?

I have stuff to accomplish tomorrow!

I need to go grocery shopping/gear gathering/pack for girls camp tomorrow morning, find my camp schedule (where in the world?), finish the laundry, pack the kids, get together a Sunbeam lesson, figure out a skit, and make a dozen phone calls. 

But you know what I did tonight instead of tackling any one of those things on my list?

I went to book club and ate French cheese and fig jelly with nuts, fruit, and crackers.  We discussed English literature, and life, and laughed at high school reunion stories (it's that time of year after all).  Meanwhile back at the ranch, Darin was putting our 3 littles down to bed.

When I got home, Darin and I watched an amusing movie.  After IMDBing the whole cast we talked about this and that while getting ready for bed.  We opened windows, checked on kids, snuggled until his breathing was heavy and even....pretty darn near perfect evening till my brain turned on. 

My mental list is now officially recorded, so hopefully after I post this I will be able to sleep.

Until then, here is a glimpse of July

SUMMER REC

Iddy Biddy Ball for Soren

Basketball for Bub

Bub is fairly hesitant to get in there and play, but he is always observing and with Bub that is key.

I can't really tell if he likes something or not until he has observed for quite awhile.

Case in point: I have been encouraging him to try a kart wheel for 2 summers now, he profusely refused every time....I walk into the living room one spring day and he is doing kart wheels across the floor.

You just never know with that kid....he keeps you guessing.

Lacrosse for Miriam

(I have never in my life worn a mouth guard)

She is one of only 3 girls who signed up for the entire session.

She says she loves it.

Soren usually gets out earlier than the other two, so we sit and watch for awhile.

SWIMMING LESSONS

They have all improved by leaps and bounds!

Bub made the largest gains since last year.  That boy became a fish.

Soren as always charmed the teachers.

They are all excited to sign up again next year...but there is a snag.  We got the bitter sweet news that Miriam has officially graduated from Cynthia's swim school.  She is excited to move on but doesn't want to take lessons anywhere else.

I am going to go try that sleeping thing again...

Time Keeps on Slippin'

So this happened over the weekend.  

and look what 18 years does!

{4 of the kids not included in the picture!}

Thanks for hosting Eric and Laura!!

Just Stuff

Every summer I look forward to dinner with 2 of my Boston Mission sisters.  Sister B married a really great Elder from our mission who grew up in Centerville so when her family flies in, Sister P drives up from Utah County to meet us at Gardner Village for dinner.

We shut that place down....laughing and crying and laughing.

I love those ladies. I love the fudge at the candy shop. I love the fried green tomatoes

It's some serious good times.

This last move put us right down the street from Sister B's in-laws so we are now even closer, which wasn't an accident.  After years of driving to pick her up for these get-to-gethers, I noticed how nice the area was.  Everyone waves to you, it's beautiful right down from the mountains, the homes are well taken care of but not pretentious {well, maybe a few are, but the owners are super nice!}.  The area is within walking distance of the kids school {which is also right by the Police Department, AND the Fire Department another reason I love the school}

Home buying in this area of Davis county is hard.  Homes are on the pricey side and when you do find a gem you have to put an offer right away because they go fast! Darin and I are NOT go by the gut kind of people...we are search ponder and pray {or meditate} then search some more, go on a jog,  a bike ride, talk about it some more kind of people.  

This home got me in the gut.  I loved it no jogging needed, and I already knew I loved the area, and the school. AND it reminded me of my childhood home.  SOLD!

So this year when Sister B came, we still went out to dinner and laughed until the place shut down  {why don't we ever take pictures?} but we also got our kids together a few times during the week.  

They hit it off too which is always such a relief!

We went swimming.

We took them to the Natural History Museum {of course...}

To Beyond Glazed for donuts.

...for the Black Hole challenge!

Then they came to our house so Elder P could reminisce about trading his markers for a pack of Garbage Pail Kids at our new house {which his mother made him return} and jumping the fence from neighbors yard to neighbors yard.  It was fun to hear stories of him growing up around here.

So here is to many more years of mini mission reunions! 

Antelope by Moonlight

Darin and I signed up for the Antelope by Moonlight bike ride, which meant I needed a new ride!

Still loving the Madsen {with the kid hauling bucket} for family rides, but if I was going to keep up with Darin for 24 miles in the middle of the night I needed something new.

{I not only needed a bike, I had never ridden more than like 8 miles, never in the dark}

So I blew all my fun money on a matching bike! 

Darin laughed when he saw the bike that worked with my short-legged body, it kind of does look like a child's bike....but I am in love! I have never felt so comfortable on a bike! 

AND THEY MATCH, which I dearly love, and Darin tolerates with affection.

They forecasted rain....but nope.

Clear skies and a full bright moon to ride with.

This ride gives prizes for crazy lit up costumes.  Very entertaining to watch, but really not our {Darin's} scene...but he did put on the matching t-shirt I had laid out for him! 

Compromise, one of the many reasons we work so well.

I heard an estimate of between 1500 and 3000 riders being thrown around that evening.

I don't know for sure, but there were a lot of people there.

Darin and I got in our groove passing people and finding our own pockets of solitude among the other riders.  Some had music playing, everyone was super friendly. 

Finished! 24 miles of beautiful Great Salt Lake views, while the moon shone down!

We are so glad we did it, we needed some bonding time amidst this crazy busy summer.  Although Darin is faster than I am, and much braver downhill, I would say we are compatible riders.  It's fun to add to the list of activities we enjoy doing together.

THANK YOU Alicia for staying over with the kids, only to be awoken at 1 am because we forgot our house keys.  Soren woke up later in the morning, when he saw me he crumpled in disappointment and said "WHERE IS ALICIA?!" I reassured him she would be here when he woke up so he turned over and went back to snoozin. Alicia is dearly loved around these parts.

The rest of the weekend....

The boys making Grandpa's birthday fruit pizza.

Playing at the cabin.

Grandpa taught Miriam to drive the dirt bike.

FIREWORKS!

{it did not rain, apparently my lens is super dirty}

We snuggled in the back of the truck while....

these guys huddled in the trailer.
{this picture made me laugh really hard}

The Second 4th of July Parade

We reserved a good spot....

Made Madison's boyfriend match us.

Waved at the Miss Pleasant Valley contestants.

Nabbed all the candy we were thrown!

{it's probably still at the cabin and will stay there until Christmas when Grandma finally just throws it all away}

Grandpa getting hit with water...he asks for it!

There are mixed feelings about water from parade floats...I am personally in favor of it because it's always so hot! I got hit this year as well because I yelled "Go Utah!" to a BYU fan.

Calculated taunting.

Little Miss Pleasant Valley Days

That first day at the cabin we ran Miriam down to the Little Miss Pleasant Valley Days Pageant. 

This is a cute little {although getting bigger!} pageant for the girls camping or staying at cabins for the weekend.  As you can imagine it's very causal.  Miriam is a bit more prepared than some {you just show up and enter}, but that's mainly because she has been coached by her Aunt Julia. 

First Runner up!

Her questions: "What would you take to a desert island?"

"My Mom and my pet rats" {She probably won't be getting off that island}

"What makes you special?" {everyone was asked this question}

"I persevere"

July 4th

 Grandpa's Parade!

We don't usually do attend this parade, but Grandpa doesn't ask for much so if he wants his posterity in a parade then gosh darn that is what he gets!

I love my small town heritage.

I love being from Carbon County and contrary to rival history, I love Emery County too. 

I loved watching the parade with my sisters singing "Gooble Goble One of Us! One of Us!" {google it} in our matching Porter Paint t-shirts {thanks to Spectrum Paint Supply}.

I loved seeing the great-grandkids in the back of Grandpa's green truck that Uncle Damon and my dad miraculously got up and running.

 Here is the whole (blurry) clan...

Afterwards, I loved driving up to Scofield where it was cool, and quiet.

Darin put up the hammock he had made the day before we left, so we relaxed and enjoyed the stillness before the party began to arrive!