Visiting Teachers

My awesome visiting teachers took me out for frozen yogurt tonight. It was so sweet of them and it was fun to have some girl time and to actually chat with them without all of our kids running around! I'm so grateful for these ladies and their consistency in checking up on me and their down to earth personalities. I've loved getting to know them!

Babbling, Naps

Ryder is a talkative boy lately and I love hearing him babble. He's getting better at using words as well. He's really good at dada, uh-oh, ball, and bye and he's trying to get better at please ;). He also loves making animal noises for cows, birds, bears, horses, and today he learned to caw like a crow. It was cute! 

I had Kade and Tenley take a nap today because they've been fighting a lot more than usual lately. They both slept over an hour and have been much happier since! In fact after I put Ryder down for bed tonight I came out and found them reading together!

Gymnastics

I took the kids to the gymnastics place today so they could run around. They love going there and even Ryder enjoys exploring. It was fun to see them all have so much fun!

Summer Reading Programs

The kids and I went to the library today to get them signed up for the summer reading program. Each week that they meet their reading goals they get a prize. They're excited!

My kids

It's been a good week! My kids have been pretty good, although Ryder is always mischievous these days! He loves taking off on his own and discovering new things which just means I clean up a lot more messes lately. I know he'll grow out of this stage eventually.

I'm loving the 6 year old and 4 year old stages. They are so good at trying to be obedient and they're also pretty independent as well. And they still love me and love for me to read books to them and cuddle with them. I may be wishing for Ryder to grow up in a way, but I'd love for Kade and Tenley to stay exactly where they are! 

Roosters

We decided to take the kids out on a fun date tonight. We played at the park, threw rocks in the river, and ate dinner at Roosters. It was a fun date!

(I need to buy Ryder some manly glasses so he doesn't wear Tenley's all the time!)

Cool Weather

It's been pretty hot lately and it's only going to get hotter next week so the 70 degree weather today was heaven sent! The Rec Mobile was at the park right by our house so we walked down so the kids could play again. Then Tenley, Ryder, and I spent a lot of time on the tramp while Brad and Kade played chess. I'm so glad we were able to enjoy this beautiful day and the beautiful weather together!

The Rec Mobile

One thing I really love about the Summers here in Lewiston is the Rec Mobile for the kids. It's put on by the Parks and Recreation department and they go to different parks throughout the week for a few hours each day to organize and supervise games for the kids. Kade really loves it and was excited to participate today. They had an obstacle course through the playground that Kade had fun doing. He was even able to convince Tenley to join in on some games.

Family Scripture Study

Today was a long and busy day! After breakfast the kids helped me clean the house. It's been good to add some chores into our daily routine since its Summer time and they've been really helpful so far. Then we met some friends at the beach and they all enjoyed playing together. Ryder loved splashing in the water. And then Kade had another late baseball game tonight which is always fun. 

We got home late and the kids seemed a bit sleep deprived but we took the time to read scriptures together anyway and I'm so glad we did. Normally when we read scriptures the kids hardly ever sit still and it doesn't seem like they are really listening, but tonight they each cuddled up to me on either side and listened. Kade followed along and asked lots of questions. Right now we're reading in Alma chapter 43 and Kade wanted to know why the Zoramties became Lamanites. And we got to talk about Captain Moroni and how he prepared his armies with good armor. Kade said, "I bet when the Lamanites saw the Nephites they were probably like, 'Yikes! Let's get out of here!'" It made me laugh. 

I loved being able to discuss the scriptures with the kids. I hope they learned something from it.

Good Coaches

When Kade played t-ball last Summer in Indiana he had the best coaches. They really helped to teach Kade the basics and to love the game. I was sad that we wouldn't be able to keep having them as coaches since we were moving and was worried that he wouldn't get anyone as good as them. But as this baseball season has progressed I've really grown to love his new coaches. His coach is so patient and positive with all the players and he makes sure to correct and teach them right after a play if needed. Baseball season is the best! Ryder loves being outside and playing in the dirt, Tenley loves playing at the playground, Kade loves playing the game, and Brad and I love watching the game. It can't get much better!

Travel Buddies

We made the long 10 hour drive from Salt Lake back to our home today. Kade and Tenley have become really good travelers since we seem to do it so much. They entertain themselves with coloring books, toys, games, or movies. They even pack their own backpacks with all they want to keep them entertained on the drive and I love it! 

Ryder, however, is a little too young to be able to entertain himself. And since his favorite form of entertainment seems to be exploring the house and being outside , it was really hard to entertain him in the car. But he was pretty happy when I was sitting next to him. We played patty cake a lot and cars. He's really good at making car noises. And he loves pointing to the cows out the window and saying moooo which is adorable. He also liked to share his snacks with me which was sweet and we read lots of books together as well. He was getting good at making all kinds of different animal noises by the end of the day! It was really fun to have so much one on one time with Ryder. He is a sweet boy and I love him so much!

My Dad, My Husband, Family

I love Father's Day and the chance to celebrate all the amazing men in my life. It was especially special today to be with my Dad and to see my Grandpa!

My Dad is the best. He's always treated me and my siblings well and he's always treated my mom special as well. His example showed me the kind of guy I wanted to marry and I found a great man in Brad. Like my Dad, he never yells, he treats me really well, and he takes the time to teach and play with our children. I feel so blessed to have the kind of Dad and husband that I do. I love them both and I'd be lost without them.

We had a great afternoon with all the family. A yummy dinner and a lot of talking, and the kids did a lot of playing. And Tenley took a lot of pictures! It's been so great to be with family!

Herriman

Today we had really fun day in Herriman where my sister and her family lives. It's my sister's birthday today so it was fun to actually be with her to celebrate! My nieces were in a parade this morning so we went and watched that. The kids had fun and got a ton of candy! Then we went and swam at the reservoir which was cold but really refreshing! We hung out all afternoon at my sisters house and had Cafe Rio for dinner. It was such a fun day!

Mount Timpanogus Caves

Today we hiked to the Mount Timpanogus caves with my whole family. It was so good to see them all! We haven't seen them since Thanksgiving so I'm really grateful we're able to be here for a bit.

The hike was hard but the kids did great! And they loved the caves. I haven't been there for over 10 years (the last time I was there I was on a date with Brad ❤️) and it was really fun to go again. Kade is a rockstar hiker! He loved hiking with Brad, learning about the cave and answering all the pop quizzes. He got to sign his name in the hiking book afterward as well. 

The rest of the day we just relaxed and the cousins played together a lot. It was fun to see Ryder and Ali connecting.