Thursday, July 31, 2014

July Realities

July was a fun and different month for us. With Dan out of school for a couple of weeks, we really had SO much time that my thoughts were “we have some much time in the evenings, we need another kid” lol.

I have been trying hard to do better at Family Night. We have focused a lot on who we are and who our family is this summer. If we remember we are all children of God, we tend to treat each other better. We made lists of who each other is. It was fun that by the time we got to making lists of Dan and myself the girls had completely picked up on the spiritual aspect of it before we had even talked about it.

2014-07-14 18.32.17

I broke my 7th can opener for the year this month. I realized that I break them on the same thing – cans of chicken! The metal is thicker! I can’t believe I didn’t see it before!

2014-07-15 17.49.20

We had a play date with Maya and her mom Lora at our pool. Lora and I are made from the same mold in personalities. I love her like a sister and it was so much fun to have them over-

2014-07-16 13.23.222014-07-16 13.24.06

22 weeks!

2014-07-18 18.35.25

One of the last projects I needed to do on the house was painting my banister. It was the only thing left in the dated oak. For such a small space, it took me a week to prep, prime, and paint. Thankfully I didn’t have to sand (I love my primer). This is the half way mark.

2014-07-19 15.56.11

Our family portrait in chalk.

2014-07-19 16.47.34

Making love notes for Dad-

2014-07-19 16.47.38

Abi’s cute paining of her playing with her new doll in the house while it pours. I love her rendition of rain.

2014-07-19 16.59.14

Brooklyn’s precise painting – she took two hours to paint this. She is very meticulous.

2014-07-19 16.59.20

Fixing the gumball machine with Dad.

2014-07-20 11.09.08

These girls are so gorgeous and I love watching them as they slumber.

2014-07-20 17.49.562014-07-20 17.50.31

Our family night on what our family is and what we do. We then mulled over the things we talked about for a week and came up with a mission statement for our family. Next are some family laws we would like to incorporate.

2014-07-21 19.21.212014-07-22 12.39.472014-07-22 12.40.12

My finished work! We are so happy with it! It changed the whole feel of my house and now I feel like it is complete on the inside.

2014-07-22 17.30.09

My girls are getting so big. This day, they only swam in the deep end the whole time. Both are becoming fishes. It took B since the beginning of May to get herself even off the steps at the shallow end and now only likes where she can’t touch. Abi has gone from steps to knowing how to swim and dive pretty well. She even jumps off the diving board alone. She likes her puddle jumper to help her rest while swimming. It has taken a lot of patience and practice on their part and they have conquered for the year. I am so proud of them.

2014-07-23 12.50.432014-07-23 12.50.47

A fun summery design I created last week.

2014-07-29 10.40.422014-07-29 10.41.10

We had the case of princess pox!

2014-07-29 11.36.45

And remember how I talked how meticulous B is? Well, here is her underwear folding this week. It was all planned and laid out how she wanted it.

2014-07-29 17.44.53

Steamboat Springs- The Quote Wall

We always have a quote wall on our family vacations. Most of the quotes come out at night while we are playing games. But others come from just those random moments-

  • While driving to Steamboat and maybe it’s because I’m pregnant… “Does it smell like a baked potato in here to you?” …. Dan after a long pause…. “Yes, actually it does”
  • Dan punctured himself on a capri sun straw – C- “I’ll laugh if you’re bleeding.” D- “Actually, yes I’m bleeding.” C- busting up laughing A- “Is it real blood? Can I see?”
  • B was trying to say something to me “Arg arg” C- “No B, please use your words.” Abi- “Those are real words. Pirates say “Arg Arg”
  • C- This is the greatest vacation ever! (After blown tires, cut off fingers, dead batteries, bike crashes and fighting)
  • Erik- Oh wow! I thought that was a baby and I was really confused.
  • Abi- This is not what I expected at all. I thought it was going to be smooth and warm and soft (About tubing the river)
  • Marie - Seriously, Dan eats crap. (About finishing leftovers in the fridge)
  • Dan- I like the smell of jerky!
  • Marie – I could have been a zero.
  • Abi- I would rather wrestle than be saved.
  • Erik – WAIT! I have something big in the works.
  • Jerry – Nope, I’ll just wear my swimming suit.
  • Abi – I have a lot of gas in me (playing cars with Erik)
  • Jerry – I’ve never held a fish from Colorado.
  • That is hellarious!
  • Jerry – 649
  • Jerry – I just saved your bacon and you busted my buns!
  • Marie – Stop whining and play!
  • Dan – It’s your turn babe (not to me... but to my mom)
  • Jerry – Can you clone an asteroid?
  • Sam – I’ve never hear you snort Erik. Erik- I never have!

Steamboat Springs - the way home

It is always bittersweet leaving family – but for B and Abi, it was sweet.

2014-07-12 12.49.442014-07-12 12.49.48-1

Until we were all tired and threw some nasty tantrums at the Dinosaur Museum in Vernal. Both girls are squatting down and throwing some royal ones. I was waiting for them to cross the road holding hands and one child refused and the other got upset and screamed… and so on and so forth. Not cool--- in fact, it was over a hundred degrees and I was dying in my pregnant ways. But we did make it home in once piece.

2014-07-12 15.57.21

Steamboat Springs–the randoms

Our opening devotional was on the theme for the week – Kindness begins with me – we talked about ways to give kindness and throughout the week we’d give each other high fives for kindness.

2014-07-08 08.41.262014-07-08 10.42.43-2

Walks with Mima and Banka or bike rides around the resort were frequent and loved-

2014-07-08 11.41.26

Speaking of loved--- these two are-

2014-07-08 16.50.23

The girls hunkered down for an afternoon movie while dinner was being prepared.

2014-07-08 19.03.03

Dan brought me a “rock” from his camping trip-

2014-07-09 13.48.38-1

Floating the Yampa River was a favorite for all of us. It happened at least once a day and was just a blast. This is a series of Dan sending Erik over the edge.

2014-07-10 15.10.112014-07-10 15.10.15-12014-07-10 15.10.32-22014-07-10 15.11.102014-07-10 15.11.522014-07-10 15.12.31

Poolside was also a daily thing. We swam in the different pools daily and just enjoyed the intense sun at 10,000 feet.

2014-07-10 17.31.512014-07-10 17.31.542014-07-10 17.31.582014-07-10 17.32.03

Hello Kitty tongue tattoos-

2014-07-11 13.49.08

And the girls all asking Erik to play with them-

2014-07-11 19.31.58-12014-07-11 19.32.08

When the kids were put to bed, the adults played card games. Our favorites were Spaced Out and Play Nine.

2014-07-11 21.25.23

Sunday, July 27, 2014

Steamboat Springs–It’s a big Birthday Party!

All the granddaughters have birthdays in the summer, so Banka and Mima had a party for the girls.

2014-07-07 18.14.032014-07-07 18.18.38

Each girl got to put her candles into the cake-

2014-07-07 19.43.222014-07-07 19.47.312014-07-07 19.47.352014-07-07 19.48.032014-07-07 19.48.14-12014-07-07 19.48.14-2

Then they all got a present from Banka and Mima- This was so much fun to watch. They were all such good sports about it too-

2014-07-07 20.03.002014-07-07 20.03.112014-07-07 20.03.482014-07-07 20.03.522014-07-07 20.04.112014-07-07 20.04.522014-07-07 20.06.122014-07-07 20.06.532014-07-07 20.07.132014-07-07 20.08.16

Happy Birthday Girls!