We got back from Idaho which was the highlight of the summer for all of us, but the rest of August was still so much fun and filled with sweet moments.
We got back just in time for Kid Fest. Nate was working so we went to see him and do all the fun things the city had to offer.
First was the petting zoo
Paige and Baylor raced through the blow up obstacle a few times and we got a free coupon from dad for a snow cone that we all enjoyed.
Baylor was super excited to get her face painted and it looked so good. It is amazing to watch the artist do it. She is quick but so good. Paige was getting a little old for it I guess and didn't want it on her face and opted for her arm to be decorated. We asked McCall if she wanted one and she kept saying "no face" and the artist was kind enough to give her a quick heart of her leg which McCall loved and kept pointing at.
We spent a couple days at the lake with friends. This one was with the Emily and Natalie. The older girls had fun with floaties and jumping off the dock. Natalie was pretty sweet and was really trying to help teach Baylor how to swim. McCall was content to roam around and test to see how far she could go out before I would call her back in. :) Another day was spent with ward friends and we had 2 paddle boards and a kayak and it was a really fun afternoon taking turns going out on the lake and visiting.
When I have been home, I've been doing weekly group playdates/adventures for anyone in the ward. For this one we hiked to Franklin Falls. It was really nice. I had a back pack for McCall and Baylor had a rough time getting there, but once we got to the falls and she was playing on the rocks and water and she didn't want to leave.
I turned the big 35 this month! I invited family over dinner and Margaret asked why I was cooking on my birthday. I just really wanted my lasagna and breadsticks. :) It was delicious and I bought a Costco chocolate cake for dessert.
A house across from us was dealing with an eviction and we were doing our daily walk/bike riding and there was a cage sitting out in front of the house with something in it saying FREE. We got up to it and there are 2 leopard geckos and the sign pretty much said take us or we are going to be left out here to die. It played at Paige's heartstrings and she really wanted to save them and keep them but was unsure if she was okay with taking care of them. We had a long conversation about what was required to take care of them and she was unsure but really wanted to make sure they were okay and didn't die.... So we now are the owners of Zeus and Zip. We'll see how long they last and who knows we might get rid of them down the road to a better owner but for now the girls really enjoy them.
An evening of balloon fun. These last few weeks of summer have been heaven. The girls are pretty much out every day playing outside with friends. The evenings have been amazing with kids from other houses playing out in the road together and playing in the front yard. It is sweet to see all these kids playing together and just soaking up summer.
Paige got braces! It's been a long time coming. We started going when she was 8 or 9 and would go every 9 months to see how teeth were coming in and how were jaw was growing. 6 baby teeth and 4 adult teeth got pulled and now we finally made it the the day. We are on an 18 month journey. She was super excited for them and the day of the nerves got to her. There were some tears and emotions and a little pain in the tight spots with getting the brackets on but she made it through. The first week was a little rough since they had to put a stopper on her back teeth so that her overbite doesn't hit the brackets in the front. None of her teeth really touch and where the stoppers are was really sore. She didn't eat much besides really soft foods for the first 3-4 days. She has now branched out a bit and is slowly adjusting to the longer teeth brushing process and having metal in her mouth. She has been a champ through this whole process!
We had one super rainy weekend which of course led to puddle jumping. We even went over to the lake to find more puddles and the girls thought it was fun to walk in the lake in their rain boots. We got back and I had to dump water out McCall's boots because water was sloshing around in them. :)
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Paige started piano lessons this summer and the house is right next to Clark Lake. So while she is doing her lessons, Baylor, McCall, and I have been wandering through different paths around the lake. It has been so nice and the time flies by.
I got to go help this amazing group of youth do baptisms for the dead to kick off the new school year.
The last summer event for the city was a back to school night. There were inflables, minute to win it games, raffles, food trucks, and a video game playing session. I took Emily and Natalie with us and the girls all had so much fun. Paige and Emily won a minute to win it game and got some awesome prizes. The three older girls had fun wandeirng around and getting in the police car and getting free prizes from booths. Brett and Eliza also showed up which was fun. They all had fun going through the inflables. We ended the night by going to McDonald's for a hot fudge sundae. It was a really fun way to kick off the weekend and celebrate going back to school.
McCall was not a fan of the fire truck.
Then to end August we went on a little outdoor adventure to Kanasket Palmer State Park. It's always a beautiful place to explore the river, climb on rocks, and enjoy time with my sweet family.
She is looking so grown up these days.
McCall loved any rock that looked like a slide and it say "Go Wee!"
This girl loves sticks, rocks, and water so she was a happy camper.
15 years this next week with the best guy in the world!
More rock sliding fun.
These three girls are the cutest! (On a side note: McCall is the hardest child to get pictures of. She is usually too busy or distracted by the world around her to want to stop and look at the camera.)
How did I get so lucky! These girls have my heart!
August was such a fun-filled busy month!
