July

Black Beauty's fist time at the drive inn! Last summer was the first summer in a long time that we didn't make it to the drive inn, but there's just something about getting home and 3am in the morning that screams summer. This year we saw Boss Baby 2.

The other thing on our Summer Fun list was a sleepover on the trampoline! I decided that I'm too old to sleep on the tramp and my kids are still too young. I left to go nurse Kohen when he woke up and then Kasen came in crying around 1:30. By 4:30 am Tai woke up crying and when I went out to get her I fell down the last step on our back porch. 4 days later I had a big beautiful bruise on my thigh.

Megan was in town from Alabama so we had our annual summer Jr. High reunion (also didn't happen last year). This year we met at the Draper Splash Pad and realized that we had all 15 of our kids there, 15 years after graduating high school together! I'm so glad it worked out for all of us to be there.

Kyle's family has been going to the Nephi Rodeo for quite a few years now, but it had been 5 years since we've been with them. It worked out this year though and Kasen was especially excited for the motorcycle riders at the end! The flying cowboys.

This right here is just another reason why I will support the Rodeo over the NBA or NFL every. time. Kasen is left handed and may have the wrong hand over his heart, but I love that we didn't even have to tell him to put his hand over his heart. I'm proud to be an American. I love the USA and I love the flag that represents the greatest country in the world.

Kasen and Tai finished their second session of swimming lessons this summer and Tai is FINALLY bobbing her head under the water like a boss! I'm so proud of her. They've also been swimming at Knox's house all summer long again and loving it.

Kasen and Tai both collect rocks and bring them home no matter how many times I tell them they need to stay outside. I finally let them paint all their rocks one day, but they ended up painting lots of other things, including Peeka. So I got to give Peeka a bath that day.

We've been to the splash pad by our house a few times now. Mostly so that I can visit with my friends. One of which was Kathryn Anderson, from Australia! I met her when I was 2 so she is probably my oldest friend. She was so sweet to be my pen pal and write me letters for so many years. Last year she ended up moving to Eagle Mountain! How small of a world is that?! Kasen and Tai had so much fun playing with her 2 youngest kids.

We also tried out the Saratoga Springs Hot Spring for the first time. I've already been to Lava Hot Springs, Mystic Hot Springs, Meadow Hot Spring, Crystal Hot Springs and the Homestead Crater. I'm a fan of soaking in hot springs! This one was so much warmer than I was expecting, looks clean enough, doesn't stink and it's close and free. I like that it's shallow enough for Kasen and Tai to touch too so they had fun playing in the mud. We went back just a few days later with Marissa and Stephanie. It felt especially nice that night because I'd hiked to Stewart Falls that morning!

It's a 3.4 mile hike and I'm proud of myself for carrying Kohen on my back the whole way there! Kasen and Tai rocked it too!

We lost Kohen's hat on the way up, but luckily found it on the way back down. He was on Kyle's back on the way down and fell asleep. He was OUT!

My favorite was Tai telling me that, "Hiking is making my breath out of singing power!"

I love that Tai is always singing and rhyming with nonsense words. She sings Frozen with me when I tuck her in bed and when I call her a silly goose she calls me a silly chicken. 

When she gets upset with Kasen she calls him Kasen Liddiard and it's the best.

We've just about finished our summer fun list and in August Kyle switches from graves to day shift, which will be most especially fun for me!