week 30

A cute family picture by Oak

Our friends (who used to live her) came to town and we went swimming with them.

Then we went to our other friends shaved ice truck.

Oak learned to knit with out a hoop.

As we were trying to get ready for our long drive to Utah the next day our power went out because of lightning. It made it a bit tough to finish getting things ready in the dark but it finally came on about 9.

On the way to Utah we stopped to stretch our legs really quick and found this sigh. Mac loved it, Oak was being a grump.

At our halfway point we stopped at McDonalds where the kids made these friends. They were sad to say goodby, but a few hours down the road we happened to stop at the same rest area at the same time. The kids were so excited to be reunited.

Hanging with cousins.

We went to Utah to be there for my nieces wedding. She was such a beautiful bride.

The wedding luncheon was across the street from the cemetery where my dad is buried so we all stopped really quick together.

My beautiful sisters and I.

We were just missing my brother Chris

So we saw this guy at the wedding reception and I couldn't place where I knew him from. I asked Oak and she knew immediately he was from the show Granit Flats. Then I spent the whole evening wondering if it was really him. Finally I got comformation it was him and mac went right up to him with my phone and said "I loved you in Granit Flats can I get a selfie with you!" And this is the outcome.

It was my brother's birthday while we were there and we had a little surprise birthday party for him. It was so fun to just sit and chat with my family. It was one of the best visits I have had with my family.

These cousins are 3 weeks apart.

Cousins.

We needed a break from cousins so we went on a drive to go see up close a few temples.

week 29

Tickles from dad before he left for work.

Just having fun together outside.

On Tuesday of this week there was a field fire on the hill at the end of our street. We live in the country with  a lot of dry fields and where the wind blows hard. Thankfully the fire was caught quickly and we live very close to a lake for two helicopters to get water do dump and three airplanes dropped retardant on and there was NO wind. So it only ended up burning about 20 acres. But it could have very easily spread quickly and reached our house at some point. Our neighbor told us to prepare to evacuate. So we tried to gather all the things we knew we could not replace and packed bags with two days worth of clothes. In the end I realized that I didn't even care about anything but getting my family out if it really came down to it.

The kids entertaining themselves while we wait for grandma to get her hair cut.

week 28

Sunday

Oak loved her baseball cap from baseball so much she wore it to bed for a week straight

The kids finished the library summer reading program, thanks to audio books, and received their shirts.

Oak made herself a tea party during quiet time.

The kids wanted to build forts in their rooms to sleep in. Mac never ended up sleep in his because he didn't think it was comfortable.

oak slept in hers for a week straight, but she is used to sleeping on the floor in my room so she didn't care.

week 27

The Lakehouse...

Both the kids really got kayaking down this year and spent a lot of time doing that.

Daddy had to head home early. None of us were very happy about it.

Having to say goodby for the week.

Grandma started a new tradition which was campfire entertainment and s'mores. She had the kids prepare a skit or song or jokes to share. It was so much fun. Oak had been working on learning the song Grand Ole Flag so she sang that.

This year I bought journals for the kids just for the lakehouse and I had them write in them every night the things they did. I will have them write in them every year. And then they can remember all the fun memories they made.

None of the grandkids were at grandma and grandpas for Easter so Grandma decided to do the egg hunt at the lakehouse for the 4th of july.

We stopped at my aunt's house on our way home from the lakehouse. My kids adore her and she adores them.

maybe a year ago Mac had asked her to paint him a Civil War painting and she followed through. It is amazing and Mac really loved it.

She also knows Oak so well and made her the softest pillow.

The day after we got home the kids had their first baseball game. They really loved play Junior Giant baseball this summer.

Then we went on a rock dig with the local rock enthusiasts. We didn't come very prepared and had no shovel or bucket. But a nice lady let us borrow her shovel and we found lots of the rocks we were looking for. I can't remember the kind of rock it was but it was a rock you can only find in the town where we live.