Blogging?

To blog or not to blog that is the question?  My parents left on a mission to Mongolia last month and so I pick up this blog again to keep them updated and to keep as our family record.  I hesitate to start blogging afraid I won't continue but here I go.  

First a little catch up for the past month. (warning- picture overload!)  Abbi chose to get her haircut for locks of love.  At school they were doing an assembly and with some peer pressure she decided she wanted to do it.  She has never cut her hair more than a few inches so I was a little unsure about it.  But it was for a good cause.

Before

Before

The cut

Before and After

I wasn't sure how I felt about giving up my only girl's long hair (I actually like coming up with new ways to do her hair) but it's cute short.  It is however, a pain to get look nice.  She's got this funny wave and blow drying it is something we never had to do before.

We've also been busy with swimming lessons.  The first lesson there were a few tears shed which was more distressing for me as a mother than I liked.  It's been good though.  The kids (mostly Gavin) have stuck it out and it's become a good experience.  Hard things are good.

We had fun celebrating my youngest brother Kurt's birthday at the drive in movie.  This has become a fun tradition for us.  

We were lucky to get to see some of our favorite friends, the Petersons for a day.  We love when they come to visit from Arizona and it was definitely a highlight of our summer.  

 Tom and I celebrated 14 years of marriage on July 1st.  We took Blake and went out to our new favorite sushi place- Sapa.  Oh my goodness.  If you love sushi you must go.  We sat out on the patio and once again, it was SO yummy!

My brother Scott and his kids came over one day.  Scott worked on our computer (what a saint) and the kids loved playing.

For the 4th of July we headed up to Park City.  My parents have a timeshare condo up there and luckily enough it fell on the 4th this year.  My brothers Scott and Kurt along with their families joined us for the night.  Everyone enjoyed a little swimming.

Well, except Tom, Blake and I.  

The cutest hunk we know.

Then we enjoyed some fireworks.  Park City must be saving money because it was the shortest firework show I have ever seen-- about 10 minutes.  But that's okay, I think the long firework shows are sort of boring anyhow.

The next day we had another round of cousins to swim with-- my brother Chad's kids.  Blake took a nap so I spent most of the time at the condo while they swam.  

On the way home we did a little shopping at the outlets (too much for the men) and then went home the way of Heber to stop at Dairy Keen (aka the train restaurant).  It was a busy busy place with the holiday weekend but they were surprisingly very quick getting us our food.  

Abbi was super excited to get home and put on her new fake nails she bought at the outlet stores. I was laughing at her because she kept looking at them and saying, "I feel like a man!"  I'm not sure how fake nails brought that about but whatever.   

The next week Abbi got her hair cut again.  This time by someone who knows what they are doing :)  The girl who cut it the first time was just a student and I'm not sure she had ever cut someone's hair before.  It looks much better now.  

As for Blake he spends most of his awake hours like this-

Or this-

 And yes, his hair still sticks up most of the time.  When I wash his hair it's curly so I assume the volume of the curl just makes the vavoomness.  At least he's a baby and it's cute.  He is really a very good baby and is pretty content if he's full and rested.  

Last week Carter lost his first tooth.  This kid (like most) has been waiting forever for it to happen.  He's had to endure everyone else in his class losing teeth, talking about it, getting the special tooth box at school, etc. I  had wondered if he really had more teeth under there to make them fall out because he is so old to not have lost a tooth.  I even asked the dentist a couple of times about it.  So we're all happy and relieved to see him lose that tooth.  

We went to the reservoir one day with all of our cousins.  Of course we chose a day that looked like it was going to rain but the overcast sky kept it cool (at least half of the time until the sun came out).  The kids had lots of fun.  Sand and water is a great combo.  

We brought lunches and ate there.

Abbi even got buried in the sand.  Eventually she got sand in her eyes so I'm not sure she'll want to do that again.

 Norah loved on Gavin in the shade tent.  We have three 2 year old girl cousins and I call them "attack of the 2 year olds".  They love babies!  If there is a pacifier in sight they insist on putting it in his mouth.  If there are two pacifiers they don't know what to do!  Blake definitely doesn't lack of attention.

On 7-11 we had to get our free slurpee. Over the years it gets more crowded but we don't mind the 10 minute line.  Abbi brought her friend Oaklee with us this time.

Gavin unfortunately slammed his finger in the front door.  It really did look quite painful with all the blood and swelling.  Ouch!

This past Saturday we had the "privilege" of going to the Morris Reunion.  My mom was put in charge of it (appointed by others at the last reunion she wasn't at) but she's in Mongolia.  So my aunt from Vegas and my uncle from Hurricane came up and carried it out for her.  There weren't a ton of people there but our kids loved all the games.

Kurt had to wear the parachute as his "coat of many colors".

Our "mighty cute" Blake slept most the time away.  It was so hot (and crazily humid for Utah) that I kept wondering how he could sleep.

The kids loved the sawdust search (or whatever it's called) This game is one of the only things I remember from reunions as a kid. I loved it!

Abbi and her girl cousins were in charge of the fishing game.

 And that is the end of this post. Phew!