July 2013

Slowly but surely I'm catching up on getting these blog posts up to date. 

In early June I saw a facebook post about Kelly Clarkson and Carly Rae Jepson performing at the Stadium of Fire this year...and I knew Alexis would freak out. Plus I also knew that I was going to be out of town on the 24th for work, so figured I better make up for it and do something awesome with my kids on the 4th. I bought the tickets and than told Justin, so he couldn't back out (he hates crowds and probably would of convinced me to not go, but too late, plus we bought my mom a ticket for her birthday so she could come with us).  

Makenna came prepared with a backpack full of toys and it was a good thing because she was bored out of her mind, and fell asleep 20 minutes before the fireworks.

Alexis loved both Carly Rae and Kelly Clarkson's performances and completely lost her voice from singing so loudly.  I love that she has her little finger phone in this picture-Call Me Maybe!

Kyle just acted silly the whole time, as usual. At the end of the fireworks, he tells me that the coolest thing ever mom!

July has become of our favorite months because we get to see some of our most favorite people in the world for 2 straight weeks. This year I got to meet this cute little man and I pretty much just held him every chance I got. 

The kids pretty much spent all their time in swimming suits and soaking wet. 

Kyle ADORES Ethan and looks up to him so much. he just follows him around like a little puppy dog. Even though there is a 4 year gap between them, I think these two might be the closest cousins out of everyone. 

Makenna just loved having Ainsley around to play with and was super happy the whole 2 weeks because we spent so much time outside. 

One of the few moments I wasn't holding Owen, so of course that meant I was taking pictures of him instead. 

I think the boys have taught her some karate moves! Check out that form.

Alexis was not super happy about taking this picture, but everyone else was more than willing to smile for me...only because Katie and I bribed them with Pace's ice cream right before. 

It might be a miracle that I got them to sit still for 5 whole seconds. 

It was hard enough getting of picture of mine and Katie's kids together, but throw in Becky's kids and NOPE, NOT HAPPENING. Thank goodness for my zoom lens, I was able to get at least one picture before they caught me and all went running in a million different directions. 

Lucky Alyda got to have all her Meredith cousins around for her 5th birthday, and guess where we went...Yep, the splash park. I'm telling ya, these Meredith kids were all fishes in another life.

This little girl would not stay in the same place for more than 15 seconds and pretty much exhausted me and Justin...I actually think she thought it was a game and started to laugh every time we would have to chase her.  At least Justin got one of my new favorite pictures out of it...because a good picture makes it all worth it. 

The Fort Union splash park has some awesome toys for all the older kids and somehow I was the adult that got sucked into spinning them. That thing was so heavy and so hard to stop once it got going. I even had another dad come over to stop it with me and he ended up running right into the back of me (let's just say he got a little too close for my liking-the best reaction was Becky and Zach, because they saw exactly what I felt...enough said).   I do love that Alexis is the only girl on this toy, she loves anything that spins-just like her mom-even if it is full of boys, actually she probably liked it even more because it was full of boys.

Makenna was sad that I wouldn't let her spin with the big kids, but got over it pretty quickly when I showed her this spider toy. 

The only pictures of Kyle I get now is when he is striking a superhero or ninja pose. Whatever, at least I got a picture of all his cute freckles that started to pop up this summer (he's going to look just like his dad next year).

I was also approached about a new job with Stampin' Up while Katie was in town, and decided that it was a great opportunity for me and my career.   They asked me to attend their annual convention before I had officially started, just so I was prepared next year.  It was insane! There were over 6000 demonstrators, plus a good 500+ employees, and lucky me they had me work with my new manager at the craziest booth with the longest lines in the building. But this event definitely made me excited to start working with all these great people and for such a great company. 

But before I could officially start my new adventure with Stampin' Up! I had one more tradeshow to work with BasicGrey in Las Vegas.  I just adore working with Ann-Marie and Allison, definitely the best traveling buddies a girl could want. 

I was actually out of town on Justin's birthday so my cute mom took him out to dinner with the kids.  I do think Alexis picked though, because Texas Roadhouse is always her go to restaurant. 

And the day I got home I went and bought him a super yummy cake from Coldstone.

I also decided it was time to upgrade our cabinets and went crazy at IKEA.  

I love how they turned out, I won't even tell you how long it took for Justin and I to measure everything out and get them all attached (dang us for building a house with so many cabinets) oh and the fact that I am completely OCD and he is a perfectionist didn't help either. 

The day I got back from Vegas these two also started school. I'm still not sure if I like this year round school schedule...it was hard to wrap my head around going back to school in July.   I can't believe Kyle is a 1st grader and Alexis is in 4th grade.   I saw them walk off after back to school orientation and it hit me that Makenna will be in school in two years too....I'm really not sure how that is even possible.