Sister time!

Aubrey is getting oh so good at selfies.

I love this one because you can still see all her little baby cheeks and chubbiness in her face.  I just don't see it anymore, so this made me happy.

Our Ethan got to go away on a whole bunch of campouts in June, and Daddy is always working, so the girls and I have spent some serious quality time together.

This particular night, we were watching a movie together after a day of swimming and being in the sun, there is nothing better than warm jammies and snuggling on the couch.

I love that London has her troll watching with us.  She got a dragon trainer troll from Nana and Grandpa for her birthday and man, she loves this thing!

I just had to snap some of these pics.  We were running late to church and sat in the foyer for the opening announcements and the passing of Sacrament, and I was just loving how the girls shared the chair and got silly together.

And I don't even need to tell you how much they love their daddy.

They were feeling particularly lovey this evening because they knew we would be leaving him for a few days.

Ethan was off to Trek, the girls went to Twin Falls, and I went to meet my nephew in Smithfield!

I dropped Ethan off early in the morning.  We were pretty awesome this time, no tears or anything, he was excited to go and be with his friends.  He gave me a hug, and then I stuck around for the prayer, and they were off!  I, of course, didn't even bring my phone that morning, or I would have had a picture of that cute boy right here!

I got home, and finished packing up the girls and myself, and pretty soon we were on the road!

It was a really good drive to Twin too.  The girls were entertained, they giggled together, and sang the songs together and talked about how excited they were to hang out together and to play with their cousin Liberty.

When we arrived in Twin, it was the perfect time to go get some McDonalds.  We went with Nana, and then Nana took the girls with her and I got back on the road.

 I had to get a picture of them to get me through the next few days away from them!

 And when I got to my sister's house, this is what was waiting for me.

 Is he not so precious??!!!  I was immediately smitten and I snuggled him forever!

He was not the first one out to greet me though, no that was William!  He is the funnest little boy and it makes me miss my little Ethan!

He wasn't too sure what to think of me at first, but then I got in his pool with him and he decided he loved me, and good for him, the feeling is mutual!

 Look how cute he is!  I think he thinks those dogs are his brothers.  They are both on the lookout for something.

 Also, he's in this phase of everything is a hat.  This was his most favorite hat-at least on this trip.

 He is just a giggly, happy, playful, sweet little boy and I love him to pieces!!

 Babies are great and all, but Tricia and I needed some quality time together watching pure trashy tv and eating cupcakes.  Look at these beauties!  They actually weren't as tasty as they appear, it was a little disappointing at least I was in good company!

I love chatting with my sister and catching up on everything and missing our parents together, and talking about kids together and our crazy families.

She needs to just come be my neighbor!

 This is the back of Emmett's head.

I love baby hair!  And I love baby selfies!!!

 Emmett and Aunt Nickie! 

 I love this kid!  I got to take a nap with him sleeping on me!  I haven't done that in so long!!  It was awesome!

 I think he is just politely asking me where his binky went, and would I please put it back in his mouth.

 I had so much fun visiting my sister!  Our visits are never long enough!!  I love that girl with all my heart, but I had to get back home and she had to get back to her life, and stop being force fed cupcakes!

I missed her the whole way home, but these two faces sure helped with that!

Look at those little smiles!

They had a blast in Twin Falls!  I don't know if they even had time to miss me!  They were so busy playing and swimming, and movies and the yummiest food, and Nana is the best, and Liberty is so cute, and Moroni is so funny and on and on and on....

We still had a busy day/drive ahead of us!

 I drove from Smithfield to Twin Falls which is about 2&1/2 to 3 hours, then I had to get these girls and all our stuff back to Boise, another 2 hours, and THEN we had to go up past Idaho City to pick up Ethan from Trek, ANOTHER 2 hours!

My butt was so tired of sitting!!!

But it was worth it to see THIS face!!

Look at him!  He is filthy, and stinky and smelly and sweaty, and I love him!!!  

It was so good to see him after days of not seeing him!!

 These are his Trek parents, Jared and Rose Watson.  They were so wonderful to him!  That put my mind at ease the whole time he was gone, the Watsons are such good people and I knew they would take good care of him, and they did!

 We had a yummy dinner with all the youth, and the leaders and the parents, and then we drove back home!

 And London found the perfect sling shot stick.  Leave it to her.

It was such a crazy fun week, but it was sooooo nice to get back home and sleep in our own beds and I got to just hug the stuffing out of all my kiddos!!

I think this was the first time my family was all spread out like that, and I worry too much about everyone, so it was nice to have everyone back where they belong and safely too!

Phew!

Field Trip

Our first trip to the Nature Center this summer, and it was a success!

We went with Arnold's and Ebeltoft's and the kids needed a good day out!  They were full of energy and silliness and it was just fun.

I loved that Ethan actually got silly and put the antlers on his head, I love this kid.  I hate this age though.  He is just so unsure of things right now.  I forgot how hard it is to be 12, I feel like he and I are going into uncharted territory together, and I can't tell you how good it is to have company like him to go there with.  We will figure out this tween/teen thing, and we will do our best to just love each other and laugh our way through it.  I truly couldn't ask for a better son, and it was so nice on this day, to see him acting like his goofy self.  

How I love him.

And we had to try on the sheep horn.

And cute little Wade with the skull!  I love this kid, he is so dang funny!

Finally, we got to see the snake!  And pet him and everything!

Every time we come, there is no snake handler, not this time, no siree she was there!

The kids were amazed, London thought she was the coolest lady ever, she wasn't even afraid of snakes!  And that's what it takes to impress my London I guess.

Jil had to touch it, she is a mom of all boys and they would never let her live it down if she encouraged them and didn't do it herself.

I could have cared less about touching it.

I think Angie was with me on this one.

Charlie and London getting their picture with a crane.  He is back there behind the glass.

They were all positive there was an otter under the bridge.  Look at London, she would have gotten right into that water if it was allowed.  She is so funny and so full of adventure, I hope she never loses that!  Unless it's with boys, then she has to stop right there young lady!!!

Look at all those cute kiddos!

Then we were off to the park and had a picnic and played football and soccer and let the kids play on the playground.

Luckily it wasn't too crowded so Aubrey just swung forever and ever and ever.

Look at those sunglasses, I love it, and I never get tired of not having to push her anymore!

Summer stuff

Chocolate Puppy

My sweet Aubrey is so in love with puppies!  She has every one of the Circo puppies from Target a few years ago.  They did a tan one (Mommy Puppy), a pink one (Pink Puppy), and a dark brown one (Chocolate Puppy).

Well, this last fall, Chocolate Puppy went on a shopping trip with us and did not return.  I have no idea what happened to that poor poor puppy, and Aubrey-being the amazing puppy mommy she is, has been worried ever since.  She has come to me crying about Chocolate Puppy, not once or twice but numerous times!  Poor kid.  Well, about a month ago she couldn't sleep worrying about him, where he could be, and if he's sad, or if he found someone to take care of him.  Just a stressed out mess!

That night, I went on ebay and wouldn't you know it, I found a Chocolate Puppy.  He was pretty cheap, so I bought him, and then sent an e-mail to the seller to tell her that she was making a little girl very happy!  She wrote me back and told me that she lives in Star Idaho, which is about 1/2 an hour away from me, but she would be in Meridian the next day and wanted to deliver Chocolate Puppy herself!

I didn't even know she was in Idaho!  She was just the cheapest seller!  I was so dang excited, it was so hard not to tell Aubrey!  The seller and I decided she would just drop by and let Aubrey know she had been taking care of Chocolate Puppy all this time and finally found us.  She wrapped Chocolate Puppy in wrapping paper and brought him.

When I called Aubrey to the door, she stared at this lady like it was the weirdest thing in the world, and then timidly accepted her gift.  When she opened it, I thought she was going to cry!  She was so happy, and screamed out, "CHOCOLATE PUPPY!!!"  The lady was giggling and for some reason she and I started to tear up!  I love when I meet a fellow sap!  Aubrey hugged the lady and thanked her for taking care of her puppy, the lady was so sweet, she told Aubrey what a good puppy he was and how much he missed her, and then they were on their way.

Chocolate Puppy has not left the house, and when we are home, he doesn't leave Aubrey's side, man she loves that puppy!  I am so happy I did this.  I kept going back and fourth, should I make her learn her lesson, or should I get her a new one?  Her sincere sadness and sleepless nights and concern for her beloved puppy pushed me over the edge.  

I am a sucker for this face.

 Slip and Slide!

London was so generous with her birthday money!  She wanted to get a backyard toy that everyone could play with, and when she found a three lane slip'n'slide that was it!  She knew we had to have it!

This was our first time setting it up!

Look at my kiddos, you would think they had never seen a slip'n'slide.  They have though, they just didn't take very good care of the first one.  This one has been treated like royalty!

 They were slipping and sliding for about 2 hours.  No fights, no "boredom" just genuine silly summertime fun.  This mom loved it.

Loved it!

 And the fairy garden has steps.

Just in case there is a fairy whose wings are wet, or not working so well.

She thinks of everything...

 And she took a picture of my delphinium.  I love this flower!  

I really need to go get like 5 more and put them everywhere, they make me stupid happy!

And Aubrey knows it, that's why there were approximately 64 pictures of my delphinium on my phone.  This one was hands down the best.