July

July was a stay at home month. The kids had summer school and I had house projects. It was pretty boring but I tried my hardest not to be jealous of everyone and their summer travels. It was hard.

Adam got new glasses. His last pair fell in a lake and that was a sad day. 

 I tried on some glasses at Warby Parker. They made me look like an architect, no?

 Noah lost some teeth and had bed head every day.

 Noah wanted to do a lot of games on the phones. The screens are kicking my booty this summer and I'm not thrilled about it.

 It was gloomy all month. When it's gloomy, I can't eat salad. But the sun came out a few times and the only salad I ate was this: arugula, burrata, tomatoes, s & p, lemon, olive oil.

 A green dragon was spotted in the blanket basket.

 I drank a lot of watermelon juice.

 The day the kids got out of summer school, the sun decided to get nice and hot and we went to Green Lake and swam with some summer school friends. It finally felt like summer!!! I was a happy gal.

 Sienna's still on a handstand tour across the world, ahem, across our town.

 I give it a shot every now and then.

 Noah fell off the merry-go-round, sliced the back of his head open and had to get 7 staples. It was horrible. These pictures are purposely vague because I can't stand when people post photos of open wounds online. This was after it was all done and they'd put ointment on it.

 This was after triage while he was waiting to see the doctor. See that ring of blood around his neck? I've never seen so much blood coming out of someone in real life! Awful!

He cried a lot but when all was said and done, he healed well and fast and he got his staples out a week later! Amazing how his little body reacted to that traumatic event. I've been lucky to not have to visit the ER yet with these kids! I've gotten off easy. I'm so glad it wasn't worse for Noah.

House projects: 

I finally hung these horse prints I've had for awhile. I love them so much.

 Kids helped me hang some shelves in one of the bathrooms.

 I finished the kids' bedroom decor.

Adam did a TON of work laying down paver stones on our front porch area. I'm amazed at what he accomplished. He has worked on it for many weekends and it's finally coming to fruition!

 J.F. Monkety made an appearance so I had to take a photo, obvs.

 Adam rented a stone saw and cut all the border stones. Wow. If you'd have told me when we got married that one day my husband would be using power tools? Hubba hubba. It would have made him even hotter!

 All set in stone!

It's happening, people. Someday we will have a grill and a table and a bench. Hopefully the weather will still be okay when that day comes. Stay tuned.

Utah Trip: A Wedding and a Baptism

We took the kids out of school a week early and drove to Utah for my niece's wedding and for the kids' baptism. On the way, we did a lot of handstands. Sienna is obsessed with them and sometimes I joined her.

We picked up Uncle O in Boise on the way down.

We slept at Heather's in Twin Falls.

Heather's hubby, Tyler, a dentist, helped Sienna pull two teeth that have needed to come out for awhile.

Noah's loose tooth was a stubborn bugger, so it almost came out but not quite.

In Sublett, Idaho there is a terrible gas station that's the only stop for miles. It is rarely open and when it is, its snack selection is dusty, there's a victrola in the middle of the shop, and there is no public restroom. There are alpacas, llamas and mini-horses outside for petting and there's a sign that berates you about how cruel it is to even think about feeding the animals anything but animal food. It's a God-forsaken, hostile place. But we were coasting on fumes and lucky to find a gas pump anywhere. And I guess the animals are cute. HANDSTAND!

I hadn't visited my alma mater, BYU, since I graduated in 2004. I planned a specific stop for us to walk around and get seriously nostalgic. Loved. Every. Minute. Provo is so beautiful. I loved living there, walking up to campus while gazing at the mountains that surround you. Lovely place.

Inside the Wilkenson Center where much lounging, meetups, eating ensued many years ago.

Owen went here, too, and we made the connection that he and I spent most of our time in the HFAC building - he doing music and choir, me doing communications classes and going to events in the performance halls. 

A mint brownie and Brother Brigham. How long until this university changes its name? I fear Brigham Young was too controversial a figure to last forever here. Lion of the Lord....your days may be numbered. Just a hunch.

The kids were counting up all the Y's they saw.

Creamery on 9th! It was hopping and the ice cream was yummy as ever.

HANDSTAND

Adam and I revisited the spot where we met circa April 2003. On a grassy knoll between the Richards building and the Smith Field House. We didn't start dating until a year later ..... look at us now!

Adam has been to campus several times since graduating and one of those times was last year when he went with some of his swim team alumi friends to celebrate the opening of the new swimming pool. He's showing it to the kids here...

He told Owen all about the records board. HANDSTAND.

A screen shot from Owen for good measure. The mint brownies at BYU Cougar Eat are truly spectacular. I've made them many times at home and they do not compare.

Kids enjoying the creamery ice cream...

We celebrated my niece, McKenna's wedding to her beau, Kallen. Stunning couple.

Fun to see my whole fam, minus Allen.

My sister-in-law, Wendy, Mother of the Bride, giving a lovely speech at the rehearsal dinner.

Sistahs gotta chat.

The happy couple wed in the Provo City Center temple.

The Gentiles and the young hung out in the visitor's center next door during the ceremony.

We also stole away to the Provo Farmer's market and visited this bakery, Fillings & Emulsions. I walked right past Elder Dieter Uchtdorf at the market, possibly the most widely loved LDS apostle, so that was fun. He's that handsome silver fox we all know and love!

Owen got a cruffin. I got a kouign amann.

Noah and Robyn.

Sienna and me.

Adam and Robyn.

Roger helped Mark with his boutenniere. How on earth do you spell that? Uh. Too lazy to check.

Kallen & McKenna emerge victorious!

SNACKS.

Mark and the fam! Love these guys!

Family's all dressed up! Quick, take a picture!

Heather's kids and mine. Cuties all around!

Owen, me and Heather.

The reception later that evening in SLC.

The next morning, we visited Adam's grandparents in SLC and spent the morning with them.

Always lovely to see them. They played Scrabble and the kids showed off their newly acquired school yearbooks.

After that we drove to Roosevelt and stayed a week. I hung out with some old high school friends of mine, Shanna and Jennifer. Always great to see them!

We had a day in the mountains with Roger, KarieAnn, Hunter and Izzy and my parents. Good times!

We loved Izzy's dog, Brodie.

We visited Stillwater Dam.

Adam's parents came to visit us in Roosevelt and hang out a few days before the baptism.

We did the potato gun.

The day of the baptism, Adam's sisters Natalie and Julia also came with their families.

KC baptized Sienna and my dad baptized Noah. We did it at the church I grew up going to, and the font where I was baptized. It was nice to walk down that memory lane.

This was everybody who came, plus Rog and Karie and fam. So nice of them to make the effort to come. It was a lovely ceremony.

The next day we went to the Dinosaur National Monument.

All of the Ware cousins minus two in Virginia.

Hailey, Natalie, and Julia.

Plus Grandma Diane!

These cousins played so well together. Our time was too short!

Hailey pushed Lambers on the swing.

Last time at the Roosevelt pool.

We drove back to Seattle and stayed at Heather's on the way again. She and her kids treated us to snow cones.

Saved the 10 hour driving day for last. Noah slept 5 hours of it! Amazing.

Loved the trip! Always good to be home...