peace out summer 2016

This summer was two weeks longer than most so we tried to take advantage.  We took off for most of August...BYU sports camp for a week at my mom's, a week in Bear Lake with cousins and then Boise/McCall, ID.  The best part of all of it was just letting my kids play outside.  Cooler temperatures and not being stuck inside.  Spending time with my family.  Being with good friends.  It was a healing month for me.

 My mom sold her house so this was our last visit there.  I will miss it because of all the memories of my dad and Kristi but it is a painful place to be in a lot of ways.  I'm glad she's found something new that makes her happy.  Breakfast at Grandma's before sports camp...

Bean Museum is a stop every summer bc Aunt Katy is the coolest.

Oh and here's the spray park where I thought Ruby had been kidnapped by a pedophile when actually she was eating behind a tree.  Who taught her the peace sign, btw?

Sodalicious after camp each day for Aunt Katy's 40th birthday list.  Every time I told myself I only needed a diet coke and every time I ate three cookies.  WHERE ARE THE DRIVE THRUS WITH BAKED GOODS IN LAS VEGAS???

Got to see Lane for dinner and it was business and laughing and endless talk as usual.  She is so beautiful and humble and happy.

Me, Ruby and I just realized: Jesus.

One night my car was so gross I asked Lennon to vacuum it out.  He ended up detailing my whole car and then Grandma's.  One of the cutest things I've ever seen.  He was out there until the sun went down.

And then there was the 4 am hike up Squaw Peak with Ann Dee.  It was pitch black the whole way up and I was waiting for a bear/cougar combo to eat us and for our faces to be on the news that night.

But we made it.  I loved it.

I love that my mom plays with my kids.  She talks to them, reads to them, knows them.  I don't have nearly enough pictures of them all together.

I got to visit Brother Norby.  I am so thankful he survived the Brussels attacks.  He is and always will be a very special person to me.  Ruby liked him too.

Does it get any prettier than Provo in the summertime?

This was the night I pawned three of my four kids off on Tommy and he handled them like a champ.

Bear Lake girlfriend who played with him all morning.  Thanks little girl.

All day, every single day.

This was taken on the Boise River.  Fun to see where Tod served his mission and fun to show the kids what a river looks like...

 After a weekend in Boise, I headed to McCall with the kids.  Was greeted by three of my favorite friends and 16 kids total in our cabin.  There aren't many people I'd be willing to do this with for a week but I'm already excited for next time.

Lisa taught me how to snap chat (filter) on the first night so be prepared...

It was a lot of time in the car but worth it.  I want my kids to know what life is like outside of Las Vegas.  Lennon got up on a wake board for the first time this year and it turns out Larry is a maniac on the tube.  I am thankful for my family and friends.  This summer I really learned that happiness can coexist with heartache.  I lost my sister but still have so much.  Trying to focus on that.  Fun summer...time for school and schedules and sports.