Idaho Trip and Lucky Peak

We didn't plan on any summer vacations this year. Traveling with infants and working around all their naps is hard. BUT fortunately we ended up taking fun last minute getaway with the cousins in Idaho!  Carissa and Braxton rented a boat for the weekend and invited us and Whitney, Rusty and Payton to join them on the lucky Peak reservoir. We decided it sounded too fun to pass up and would take the inconveniences of having an infant in stride! Glad we did. It was so fun! I'm glad we took the effort to let t he older kids enjoy a little summer vacation and not have a baby hold us back...

We stopped in Jerome on the way up to visit my Grandpa Schenk and the kids' Great-Grandpa! They love the birthday cards he sends and had been asking to go visit him. We had a snack break on his front lawn.

We also took the kids to Shashone falls. Brian, Calvin, Isaac and I walked around reading the history plaques after seeing the falls, but the other 3 kids went back to the car. We wondered why in the world they would do that after such a drive....come to find out they didn't know where we went and went back to the car and locked the doors and were scared we had left them or gotten lost that whole time! I felt bad, there were  a lot of people. So although I could see them, they couldn't see us!

Boating was a blast. The kids loved every minute (except Isaac, who couldn't nap well...but what the hey)

Rusty did some fishing. I had plans to cook up the fish but we never got around to it :( We were so busy and always seemed to be pushing the limits on the kids' schedules that by the time we were done at the lake, all we wanted to do was get them in bed!

All our kids had a turn at kinking out on the boat. Something about the rocking, the wind blowing, sound of the water, playing hard and getting to bed late.... it all started to make people's heads nod. Jackson was our flag guy and loved the job.

We stopped by Brian's Grandpa's grave in Burley after we visited the farm and his uncle Tim. We've been reading a lot of life stories lately from his book and now the kids can put a place to the stories.

The trip was short and sweet and a total blast! We were excited to get home though. The trip home was a long 10 hour ordeal with frequent stops and crying children who were sick of the car. The trip home is never as fun as the trip going!

yoga babies

You know this fun stage of movin' and grooving'? Here's some fun pics of my kids at about the same age doing some fantastic yoga moves! Unfortunately none has picked up on the practice like their mama! 

 Up Dog- Eli

Down Dog- Isaac

 Chaturranga- Calvin

Happy Baby- Zoey

Child's Pose- Jackson

See...yoga is as natural as, well, being a baby!

7 is heaven!

Isaac is 7 months. I love this phase of baby-dom. He's sleeping solidly, eating well and liking breads and cereals and crackers along with the pureed things. He's trying to crawl and chews on everything. He loves kicking and splashing in the tub. We have yet to see his first tooth, but I think it's coming soon! It's a lot of fun to see him grow and I can't believe how fast these months have gone. A few favorite photos of this month....

4th of July

The 4th of July is a much anticipated holiday around here! We spent the week making paper craft decorations and getting the yard spruced up. The morning of the 4th, I got up early and went for a run. Then we enjoyed our tradition red, white and blue waffles. The berries and cream are always the hit of the morning.

After breakfast (and Isaac's morning nap) we went for a hike up battle creek canyon to the waterfall. It was quite a hike for our kids' little legs, but they made it! Zoey struggled the whole hike, but it wasn't until that night when she was too sick to even enjoy the fireworks that we realized she was as sick as she was :( . We thought she was just tired and whiny, and now it all makes sense! I feel bad for pushing her not knowing she didn't feel well!

When we got home, we all took naps to get ready for the late night of fireworks and decorated our patio for the party. I wish I had taken pictures of our creations, but we were too busy enjoying the celebrations! We had pinwheels, rockets, banners, wind streamers, etc. We were all decked-out in the red, white, and blue! These aren't the ones I made, but the images I patterned mine after...

After dinner, we packed up for the firework show at the PG high school. It's an awesome tradition our kids love to do. They love playing with the glow in the dark rings while waiting for the show to start. Grandpa Gray treated the kids with cotton candy. Don't you love Jackson's one front tooth! ha ha ha. Zoey started feeling sick and within the hour we had waited for the show to start, she wasn't feeling  up to sticking around anymore to see the actual show! Brian took her home and Jackson, Eli, Grandma and Grandpa Gray and the Bell cousins and I enjoyed the show but it would have been more fun with the rest of the crew there!

We hoped she just had an earache that would resolve itself or that she could pass through the weekend until Monday when I could take her into the Doctor, but after fighting constant fevers and complaints of her "neck" hurting (which is why we thought it was a crick from sleeping weird or ear problem) we finally looked at her THROAT and saw her tonsils were swollen to the point of them almost touching! Brian finally took her into instacare on Sunday and got her on meds. This summer has been so rough on the kids! I don't understand why we are getting sick all the time!

Plumeria

Brian has been gifted with a green thumb, as we well know. His latest success has been getting a plumeria from Hawaii to bloom here in our Utah backyard! It smells divine! It also makes me want to go back and visit the Island! A year of tending has paid off, I had my doubts, but he persevered and now we reap the benefits!