July 2016

With Summer in full swing our July was filled with tons of fun.

It started with the annual Bee's Baseball game with the Payne/Lingwall clan.  This is always such a fun night!  

On the 4th of July we randomly decided we wanted a small town celebration so we met up with our friends, the Nielsen's, and they showed us around their hometown Delta.  Small town parades and carnivals are the best!

Tess kinda fell in love with Sam... and I'm okay with that. 

After all the festivities, they took us to The Rez for some swimming...

And I got to take my early birthday present out for its maiden voyage and it was perfection...

When we got home, our neighbors invited us over for an outdoor movie and then we all lit up the cul-de-sac! 

Tess was and wasn't a fan of the fireworks.  They scared her but if I took her inside she would cry and say, "Fireworks."  So I'd take her out again and she hated it.  

We got to spend some time with our cousins this month who currently live in Maine.  It was a wonderful month of seeing them as often as we could!  I loved how Davis just snuggled right up with me...

This little lady started climbing out of her crib.  I thought for sure we were safe for awhile cause she hadn't shown any signs of getting out and then suddenly I'd come in to get her from her nap and find her like this...

And sometimes like this.  Not sure why the back corner of her closet but she was often found there.

So we had to transfer her to a toddler bed much sooner than we had planned but she did so well with it.  She understands quite a bit so it can be a lot easier to reason with her (when she wants to be reasoned with, that is).

More time at Blackridge Pond.  We spent as much time swimming and outside as we possibly could!

Tess Turned 2!!

This birthday girl is a whole lot of fun and trouble wrapped up into one little body.  

• She is very observant of her surroundings and the people around her.  And then she mimics the things she sees and hears.  
• She is the biggest sweetheart one second, (giving hugs and kisses, asking if you're okay) and then can turn on you in an instant (hitting has been a major problem with her).  
• She has the best manners and always says, "Scuse me," "Bless you," "Tank you," "A welcome."
• She is obsessed with the TV and we really have to be careful with her or she would watch all day long.  Her favorites are the old-time Mickey Mouse episodes, Monsters, Inc, and Minions. 
• She loves fruit snacks and refuses to eat vegetables.  She loves most fruit although she will choose strawberries or raspberries over anything else.  
• It takes her awhile to get comfortable with things she doesn't know.  She hated swimming at first and she refused to even stand on the trampoline by herself.  Now she asks daily to swim and jumps on the tramp like a 2 year old pro.  
• She is very sneaky and if we turn our backs for a second we can guarantee that she is doing something she shouldn't be.  
• She loves saying good night to the moon but will settle for the stars if we can't see the moon. 
• She can sing several songs like "Let It Go," "Lost Boy," and "Try Everything." 
• She is very friendly and will often pick someone in a crowd that she will be friends with for the day.  Lately she will stop random people and ask,"Whats o name?"
• She loves nursery and had no problems going without us.  After she will say, "Nursy fun!"
• She loves doing puzzles, coloring, and reading books.  
• She is constantly meowing and nuzzling faces like she is a cat with the added bonus of a lick or two as well.  
• She loves her sisters... most of the time.  When they left for school she would ask me all day, "Where Quincy? Where Addie?"  At night before bed she says to them, "Give me hugs." They definitely have a special relationship. And yet that love can quickly turn into hate... especially since Quincy loves to tease her.  She has learned to defend herself in any way she can.  
• She can be clingy....but only when we are around.  She has no problem when we leave her with babysitters or in nursery, but while we are with her she demands attention and will follow you around (or wait outside the bathroom door) to get it.  
• She really is a whole lot of fun and we love her like crazy.  

We had a fun day celebrating Tess with presents, Frozen decorations, doughnuts for breakfast, and grandparents over for more presents and dessert.  

Had another epic hangout with Sara and her kids.  Her dad built this train so we rode it to the nearby 7-11 for free slurpee day.  

It was so fun watching these girls together.  It's pretty amazing when your cousins are your best friends!  

And Aunt Sara sure won over Tess when she took her down the ginormous slide in her parent's backyard!

We spent the night at my parents house one night so I was able to meet up with Angie for an early morning session at the Brigham City Temple.  Sisters and temples make for a great combo!

Then we got the kids together later to play and Grandma was more than willing to take the littles down the slides!

Addie's baseball season finished up this month and it was fun to see how much learned during this time.  We couldn't have asked for a better coach than Coach Jack and it showed in how much the team improved.  

Family night out at Highland Glen... chasing bunnies and being weird!

Quincy got a visit from one of her best friends from California.  She has missed Kaylena so much since we moved back to Utah and it was so fun for them to spend some time together again. 

We enjoyed many a day in our backyard throughout this summer.  I complain a lot about the amount of work this yard takes but then I am reminded that we reap many beautiful benefits from that work. 

I had one request for my birthday... Deer Creek Reservoir.  There is nothing better in the dead of summer than being on the water.  I took the girls out paddle boarding quite a bit, we swam around, and enjoyed the sun.  It was a great way to spend the day. 

Afterwards we headed into Heber to eat at the Dairy Keen and then shakes at Granny's.  The fact that the girls got fake mustaches in their kid's meals was a bonus! Such a fun way to turn 33!

We were super lucky to have a night with 2 more of our favorite California families... The Derham's and The Johnson's. Oh how we have missed these people!

 (Levi, Ruby, Avery, Sydney, Grace, Nolan, Weston, Addie, Quincy, Tess, William, Josh)

(Kristin, Olivia, Me)

 Addie decided that she was enjoying paddle boarding as much as I do and asked if she could learn and try it on her own.  So I took her out one weekend and she killed it.  She wants her own board now and I can see enjoying this with her for a long time to come!

Fun night at the Roundy's with the Payne family.  They turned their treehouse slide into a waterslide and the kids had so much fun with it.

Carson took Tess on the slide...

Let's just say she wasn't thrilled with the end result...

The Olson's 24th of July bash.  My sister sure knows how to throw a party and they go all out with this one!  We had to leave a little early and we could still see their fireworks from the freeway!

Sweetest sisters...

Faith In God Activity.  The primary kids picked up donations and put together school supplies in backpacks for refugee children.  They also wrote notes of encouragement for their school year.  We also had some fun activities going on and it turned out to be a great activity.  Serving others and having fun!

Devin flew in from a business trip on our Anniversary so we decided to meet him downtown.  While we waited for him to arrive we stopped in at the Church History Museum...

And then together we walked around Temple Square.  Tess saw a bride and groom and said, "Princess! Pretty!" And then went right up and talked to her about her pretty dress.  The bride told us she made her day!

This Man. This Day. This Place.  11 years ago our eternity began and to say I'm lucky is a massive understatement.  Couldn't ask for a better person to spend forever with. 

July was chock full of fun and came and went faster than I could believe.  I'm usually sad when the end of July comes but we had so many fun things planned in August that we were looking forward to that July seemed to pass even more quickly.  But it definitely was a great month!