Independence Day

July 4th came and went like a flash, but was so fun.  We spent the day at Grandma Kim's playing outside and eating lots of good food.  Then we lit sparklers and watched all the fireworks in the valley from Traverse Mountain.   

 Alpine fire by day.

 Alpine fire by night.

Eddie's Blessing

Austin blessed Eddie today.  The words he spoke were words of truth and testimony.  Many family members attended the blessed (pardon the pun) event.  Eddie didn't fuss or cry, and neither did Maddie!

Shhh, It's a Secret

Today we spent 4 hours in Little Rock Canyon looking for Cecret Lake.  After hours of wandering, we never found it.  Meg decided that is why the lake got its name.

 Walking back to the car.

Sisters' Weekend

This past weekend Eddie and I flew to Houston and spent the weekend with Whitni, Lyndsey and Joanna.  We have 17 children between us, and our sweet husbands stayed home and watched them all. Mostly we sat and chatted about successful/ heathy recipes and children.  We did have time to eat delicious meals and 10 pounds of candy, swim in the canal and visit "The Strand" in Galveston.  Hooray for sisters.  Hooray for children.  Hooray for vegetables and candy.  And hooray for supportive husbands that made the weekend divinely therapeutic.

Already planning next year's retreat.

Body Cast

Meg came to me and asked if she could use all the saran wrap -- Maisie broke all her bones, and Emily needed to make her a cast.   

Maddie's #3

We love our Maddie-girl!  Tradition states that the birthday person gets to choose who says the prayers.  Maddie chose herself at both morning and evening family prayers and all three meal prayers.  

We celebrated Maddie by swimming and eating hambergers for dinner.  Maddie helped Meg make her pink Dora cake.  Maisie and Nick took two bubble baths with her.  Eddie and Andy read books to her.

You Should've Seen the Other Guy

 (This morning I had my six lovely children in the BYU bookstore.  We came to the stairs that led to the basement, so I asked Maddie to hop out, then carried the double stroller with Eddie in his infant carrier, down the stairs.  I thought people were staring because I was so strong.  I then realized they were staring  because Maddie was walking beside me with her bruised face.  I didn't tell them that she is bruised because she fell on some stairs -- with the way I was carrying Eddie, they probably already knew.)

Summer Fun

One week of summer is already gone; I can hardly believe it!  Because Austin is home a bit more, we've been quite adventurous.  

Andy went fishing and caught a catfish.

 Standifirds blessed Lucas.

 Hiked Lake Mary.

 Made 100% fruit pops.

 Swam in John's pool 3 times.

We walked to the mouth of the canyon.