Pioneer Weekend

Over Pioneer Weekend, we had a neighborhood get together...it was so fun...so chill and not stressful...most of the people there were from our Ward (Church) but not all...but it was way less stressful than planning a Ward activity...no one was technically in charge...the event was announced on facebook and on notes on doors...anyone who wanted to come was welcome to bring their own chairs and a treat to share and fireworks if they wanted...we met on a side-street by some empty lots and someone brought a blowup water slide and someone else brought a bounce house...so cool! We all had a blast!

Fireworks!

Gavin getting in on the snacks.

The water-slide and yes some young women convinced me to go down it with them!  I was the only adult to go down it until I convinced my friend Emmie to go down it with me too :)

My sweet Cheeky Monkey and me watching the fireworks.

Owen

Don't you just want to squish his little cheeks?!

Connor Broke his Wrist

This happened back in June, but I don't think I posted about it yet...After Connor's baseball game he went to play at the park and fell off the monkey bars and landed on his wrist...I took him to urgent care where the wrapped up his wrist and told me to go the hospital for an x-ray...we found out he had a fracture in his wrist...we had to wait a few days for the swelling to go down and then go back for a cast. Connor was kind of excited for the cast...to be able to pick the color and have everyone sign it, but a couple of weeks later when he was invited to go dirt-biking with his Uncle Travis (one of his favorite things in the world to do!) and had to decline because of his broken wrist, he was ready to get that cast off! lol Connor was actually our first child to break anything...after 9 years of being parents...not too bad! Here he is showing his cast.

I drew a monkey on his cast because that's his nickname...also I just realized that's how he broke his arm falling off of the monkey bars...so it definitely fits! lol

Forgot to Post about Girl's Camp!

Last year I got called to work with the Young Women at Church just after they got back from camp, so this was my first year going. I was really excited because I knew it would be a great chance to get to know the girls better...we have almost 40 girls! I'm a leader over the Beehives...the 12 & 13 year olds and we have 17 of them so I'm always kept busy with them and didn't even know some of the older girls. I was so glad to get to know all the girls and spend so much time with them...I just love them! It's been such a fun calling for me to spend time with and teach these girls and learn from them too!

Here we are on our hike to the lake...most of the girls did great...we had a few girls complain, but we also had one really awesome girl who was tired herself, but gave piggy back rides to some of the girls who were struggling...she spent most of the hike back to camp carrying someone!  Wow!  What an example of charity.

These lovely ladies...what can I say...I love them and admire them too! Two of them were recently released from their calling and I'm seriously going to miss working with them so much! They're such good examples!

Here we are in our cabin playing games...love these girls!

On Thursday, we had to do skits...the girls all divided up into groups, and the leaders were supposed to come up with our own skit. The theme of camp was B.O.O.T Camp...Building Our Own Testimonies. For some reason, we as leaders just couldn't come up with a skit! The bishop was really starting to stress...out of desperation we tried to get an internet connection and look for ideas online, and we still couldn't find anything good. Finally, about 20 min before skit time we came up with the idea of having the bishop be the drill sargeant and yell orders that we "misunderstand" while his back is turned and then line up like we're listening when he turned around. These aren't in order, but here are some of our "mistakes" as new recruits....

"Rear March!"

"Attention!"

"Fall In!"

"Attention!"

"Ten Hut!"

"Bare Arms!" and "In Step!" and "Double Time!"

"Drop and Give me Ten!"

"Fall Out!"

To end it we sang a song to the girls that one of the leaders wrote...we sang while she played the guitar...even though we were stressed until the last second with no good ideas for our skit we pulled it off, and the girls liked it! Success!

Visiting Sherri, Pat & Baby Miles :)

Last week I was able to fly to California to help Sherri and Pat with their new baby! So fun! Miles Douglas Crandley was born on June 29th...Sherri went 13 days past her due date and had a 34 hour labor! Poor girl! She also lost a lot of blood so her milk took extra long to come in which meant lots of time nursing and pumping and supplementing feedings and very little sleep for the new Mommy and Daddy! Luckily, things are going a little more smoothly now and Miles is just the perfect, sweet little baby :)

Here are a couple of pictures of my kids when I was dropped off at the airport. When I was gone a couple of weeks earlier for a week at Girl's Camp Owen took a while to warm back up to me when I got back home. It was so sad. He wouldn't look at me or let me hold him. I don't know if he was upset/confused that I hadn't been around, but it just about broke my heart. The picture here of Owen is of him smiling right after I pointed at him and said, "Don't forget me this time, okay?" lol

Owen Messy Face

I think Owen really enjoyed his lunch :)  Strawberry Jelly....mmmmm :)

Lake Mountain on Fire

In June, the mountain by our house caught fire. The fire burned for about three days. The first day it was really smokey, but then the next two days the wind blew the smoke and fire the opposite direction of our house. Many homes got evacuated...luckily we were not one of them, but the next neighborhood over where we used to rent...they got evacuated...I was glad we moved! Luckily, no homes were lost, but the fire got within 20 feet of some homes! It was scary for those families I'm sure...I'm so glad no one was hurt and no homes were lost. The fire was amazing to watch, especially at night...it was almost beautiful in a weird sort of way to see the mountain lit up like that...

Father's Day

For Father's Day, Jason got breakfast in bed before we hurried off to our 9 am Church. We had a nice relaxing day together.

Baseball!

This year, all three big boys played baseball. A good portion of our Spring/Summer was spent going to practices and games...it got pretty busy, but it was fun. On Tuesday nights Gavin had practice and Jason was gone at the Church for his calling as secretary to the Bishop. Wednesday nights, I was gone for my calling at Church with the Young Women, and Jason took Connor to his practice. Thursday night we all went to Aidan's practice. Saturday, we pretty much lived at the park where the games were held! Gavin did well, but doesn't really like baseball. I think it just moves too slow for him. He can't stand to just wait in the outfield or wait his turn to go up to bat so this will probably be the last year he plays. He tried out for a year-round soccer team and made it! I think this will be more for him because he'll be constantly moving...Gavin's our little ball of energy! Connor did well with baseball too and got some good hits in during the season. He's our cute little lefty...as a typical season for him goes, he got to walk a few bases...coaches aren't as good pitching to lefties. Connor would never complain...just go take his base. Aidan was our cute little t-baller. He really liked learning how to hit the ball and remember which base to run to next. For every game, Jason had to stay right by Aidan either by the batting line up or out in the outfield...Aidan wasn't quite brave enough to do it on his own yet :)

Owen learns to walk

On Owen's birthday in April he took his first steps. In May he was really getting the hang of things and walking all over the place and refusing to crawl at all anymore.