September

We started September off with an extended camping trip over Labor Day weekend with my family. We set up camp next to this gorgeous little stream. We hadn't been there for very long before the kids speared this fish!

We thought that taking the tent (instead of borrowing the tent trailer that needed a lot of work) would be the easiest option. It was super easy to set up but didn't make for the best sleeping conditions. We ended up leaving a night early because we just couldn't make ourselves sleep that way for one more night.

We made lots of fires and spent lots of time exploring in the woods.

Heath and Amberlee came up for the day and of course we swarmed Avree and never left her alone.

We took a lot of turns on Grandpa's four-wheeler.

Over all we had the best time! We played games, who new Laura is amazing at strategy and won't hesitate to throw her team mates under the bus to save herself. 11 year olds these days are ruthless! We cooked huge meals on the camp chef, read, played sports, relaxed and just enjoyed each other's company.

Later in the month we went to Lake Powell with Dustin's family. When your dad is a contractor most of your vacations start out looking a lot like this.

Three hours later, after lunch on a pile of 2x4's, a few walks trying to avoid muddy puddles, and lot of asking, "What's taking Dad so long?" we were finally on our way. 

We had a great time on the lake but only have one picture to show for it. Luckily Aunt Meagan was on top of things and took this for us.

September is my favorite month: nice weather, a return to structured schedules and BIRTHDAYS! A miracle occurred on my birthday this year - Mckay let Jessie hold him!

She was practically his mom before her mission but he changed a lot while she was gone and it took a long time for him to warm up to her. (Being distracted by the phone may have played a part in the miracle.)

And of course Dustin's birthday finished off the month! Man, is he getting old. Shelynne and the kids happened to be in town from Cincinnati which made his birthday extra fun. Dustin's parents had a big dinner to celebrate. 

August

In August it took us a few days to get used to having all three sisters together again. So we decided we needed some bonding time. We dropped Trevin, Libby, and Mckay off with our mom and headed out on the town with just us girls. We shopped, ate, binge watched Netflix and did manicures. Laura was excited about it even though we made her sit in a car seat.

I actually had the stomach flu that but I wasn't going to let that ruin the day. Jessie volunteered to drive so I could relax a bit. Freshly returned missionary drivers are hilarious. She only asked me to get out and guide her once.

Later in the month Trevin and I went to Salt Lake with my Mom, Jessie and Laura to do some school clothes shopping. Libby didn't get to come but she was happy with stuff we picked out for her. In fact she was so happy she insisted that she needed to wear the shoes before school started and immediately scratched all the gold off the toes! Ugh!

What's summer without running through the sprinkler in Grandma's backyard?

For Uncle Bryce's birthday the kids drew him pictures and wrote him some adorable notes.

 

We tried to continue our most adventurous summer ever by doing more hiking. We headed up to the cabin the weekend of the bow hunt hoping to see some deer. Well we never saw even a doe but we did see a lot of other wild life. The top of the list were hundreds of Horny Toads! Trevin caught a bunch of little guys and one huge guy! He carried them all the way back to the cabin in his hat! Libby was very attached to Bowser (that's what we named the big one). It sat on her shoulder while she ate dinner and she was very sad to have to let it go before we headed home.

Libby lost her first tooth while at Grandma's house. After that she couldn't stop losing teeth. She had no fear and just ripped them out! She lost four bottom teeth and two top teeth in four months.

And then the dreaded event occurred. School started! Trevin started first in third grade with Mr. Shirley. He was so excited that he got the teacher he wanted but none of his friends from last year were in his class. He was nervous but made new friends and still see's his old friends all the time. It worked out perfect!

 Libby started kindergarten a few weeks after Trevin. She has Mrs. Ekker and loves school. It is hard for her to get up early for morning kindergarten but she is getting better at it. She's always been so stubborn and never wanted to do any learning but now that she's in school she's getting used to homework and learning to love it.

Trevin's new teeth grew in just in time for school pictures while Libby lost all of her teeth just in time!

Even though school had started it didn't mean summer was over. It just had to be saved for the weekends. Since we only had Saturday's to be adventurous we had to make the most of it. So on the last Saturday of the month we borrowed Dustin's parent's boat and spent the day at Sand Hollow.  I was in Heaven! 

  

     Libby really did have fun even though she is giving the camera one scary death glare. Mckay never gets in the deep water. He just hangs out on the boat and watches everyone having fun. Some time it wears him out just to watch us.

                          

  

July

We babysat cute Avree for a few hours one July morning. Let's just say she will never suffer from a lack of attention. We just can't stay away from her cuteness! Having a niece that lives in town is so fun.

Our Fourth of July celebrations just wouldn't be right if we didn't start the day off watching the parade at Grandma Murray's house on Main Street. Hopefully after the house sells we'll still be able to watch the parade there, not owning the property doesn't seem to stop anyone else from taking up the front yard!

My parents and Laura were in the parade with the All-Star Team. Laura sneak attacked the innocent parade watchers and got us really good with her squirt gun.

We had a few minutes to wait while the softball girls got picked up and the rest of the family met back up at Grandma's so we played in the back yard for a bit.

Of course again we couldn't leave Avree alone.

Once our fourth celebrations were over we spent as much time as we could enjoying our house since we would have to leave it soon. We had just finished the sandbox and never had enough time to ever get tired of it.

The most exciting part of our July was when Jessie came home from her mission! Well I was excited at least. Dustin and Mckay were just too worn out to stay awake when her plane was delayed.

Avree and Jessie had never met, since Avree was born while Jessie was serving in New York.

She finally arrived and I was so excited I couldn't hold still, thus why all of my pictures are blurry.

Libby and Trevin had been waiting so long to see her again. Mckay on the other hand is still warming up to her. She was Mckay's second mother before she left but 18 months is a long to for a baby to remember someone. The rest of the family is SO glad to have her back!

It wouldn't be summer without a few trips to the park.

Then the time came for us to move. We got everything moved just in time for the stomach flu to ravage the whole family. 

We spent the last two weeks of July taking turns being sick and unpacking.