moab 2015

This is one of our favorite places to be. The red rock against the blue sky and the fluffy white clouds has got to be one of my favorite sights. Moab holds a beauty that I have come to appreciate greatly. We haven't been for a few years and several of us were so ready to go. Even though this time of year the heat is already pretty unbearable, we took a risk and went the second week in June. Lucky for us, it couldn't have been more perfect. 

We enjoyed sun, rain, lizards, sand, hikes, nature, campfires, a bike ride, rain puddles, but most importantly family time away from the everyday. (plus we got to have Grandpa Morris with us!)

Plenty of pictures below >>

 :: The boys were so excited about writing up their own packing list, so for family planning night they got to work. I absolutely love these! (taylor and levi) ::

:: and probably my most favorite picture ::

mid 30s

Back at the beginning of June we celebrated daddy's birthday. He has officially entered his mid-30s. He is never one to make a big deal on the number, but he says it is kind of weird to be entering the last half of his 30s. 

Obviously our four boys absolutely adore him. Corbin has so many of his mannerisms, Taylor has inherited his artistic and creative abilities, Levi and Daddy are fearless roller-coaster buddies, and Rudger is a HUGE fan of his daddy. 

I don't leave the home in the evening often, but when I do...as I am walking out the door I can hear all five boys yell..."now it's time to PARTAAAAY!!!" I probably should be offended, but secretly I love it.

We could not do life without this man!

getting back

This summer it has been hard for me to sit down and document. I miss documenting the everyday on here. 

Today while driving home from piano lessons with the boys, we realized that we only have a month left until school starts again. This summer has been good, so I can't complain. I feel like we have found the balance between laziness and fun activities, but it still puts a lump throat to know that it is coming to a close.

So before I lose some of our summer memories, we are going to get them on this little blog soon. 

One of the best things this summer...Rudger has pretty much potty trained himself! 

our summer so far

So far we had a water party with neighbors, made sure to get reading in, had naps from staying up way too late, had a cousin lunch, vacationed in Moab, and had several of what will be many trips to Lagoon. So, so far so good. I am just not really appreciating that it is already the middle of June.

memorial weekend 2015

I really love memorial weekend. Like a lot! Last year it was the same thing. The older the boys get, the more I realize how great it feels to almost be done with school and have the whole summer to look forward to. But it's not just that, there is a feeling that is very real, it feels a lot like patriotism. I just love that feeling. 

{Having a flag to wave in our front yard is my favorite thing about our home}

This year Justin took off a few extra days before the weekend. We went kayaking while the older boys were at school {it was so tempting to just pull them out, but testing week is the wrong time to do that}

Justin did a little fishing while I finished planting some flowers, planted the rest of the garden, and mowed the lawn. We have had so much rain this spring that it was hard to find a time when the soil was not just mud. Before you think that seems totally unfair that he went fishing...first, he helped me a ton before he left, and I find it very enjoyable to work in the yard. So no worries.

 The boys watched a couple of shows, and while they slept Justin and I watched some interesting shows on Netflix. 'The Red Baron' and 'America: Imagine the World Without Her'

Monday most of Justin's family, plus Great Grandma and Grandpa, came over for an All-American barbecue. It was a most enjoyable afternoon with a lot of red, white, and blue.

:: my favorite was watching the boys make fruit kababs. Rudger's is on the far left, just a stick full of marshmallows ::

:: the alfalfa field in our backyard is the best right now, the boys LOVE going back and exploring ::

It was a happy Memorial Weekend!

easter 2015

:: these boys! ::

Easter was pretty awesome. My favorite is that it coincided with General Conference. So good food, plenty of treats, great messages, and just being home together made it a fabulous weekend. We decorated eggs, had fun getting together with the girls in the family during Priesthood Conference, had a fancy dinner, and the boys enjoyed two Easter egg hunts. (One being an extra special one that I'll write about later) :)

 :: shall we just take a closer look at our little elf ::