I'm sorry... I just gotta toot my horn on this one! When I first saw this style on Instagram, it hurt my brain just staring at it, trying to figure out how it was done! Why I thought I could attempt it, I don't know. Feeling brave, I guess. So when I actually did it??? Yep, three cheers for me, haha.
While the other two were at school, Collin and Olive got to play!
Aunt Aubrey has been taking the kids on dates for their birthday gifts and it was now the "triplets" turn! She took them to Sunsplash... lucky ducks!
His 2nd, first day of Kindergarten! Sheeeeesh he's a handsome one!
We love Lily! She is being homeschooled this year which we are so sad about, but luckily she moved to Agritopia which is so convenient!
Meet the teacher day. Mrs. Wakefield personally selected Mr. Scanlan for Olive for 4th grade. We were both wondering how this would go since Olive girly and huggy and covered in pink, but he has been a wonderful teacher and Olive loves him to pieces!
Time to redo the backyard! The trees need to go! Well, at least 2 of the three. The workers had a captive audience. They knocked those suckers out in less than 2 hours. I was so surprised!
Camilla picked me up for my birthday date in true Camilla sparkle-fringe fashion.
She found herself a hula hoop dance teacher. Hahaha. It was everything you would expect it to be. Dreadlocks and marijuana decor and incense. We are now one hour more experienced at twirling hoops awkwardly. I love a unique experience!
Then we had dinner in Scottsdale at Tapas Papa Frita! It was an authentic Spanish restaurant with flamenco dancers for entertainment. I felt like I was cheating on Travis with my paella!
Then, the swanky fox she is, we got dessert at some posh hotel restaurant meant for people with nicer clothes than the very old, Walmart shirt I had on. And in case you were wondering, yes we did dance with abandon in between locations to some hot beats being pumped through old town Scottsdale. Why would you think anything different?
It's finally time!!!! The rest of the rascals are off to school! I didn't even drive them. Since I had to get Tanner to school too, I let Allison drive carpool in the morning. Don't they look sharp in their old uniforms from last year??!
I was SO HAPPY when Allison sent me this picture! A real smile from Collin! That is a rare sighting! So glad he has good friends in McGuire and Carson.
Don't pretend you didn't laugh!!
Selfies from my boys. Gotta love it.
Don't be alarmed! He IS wearing a swimsuit! Haha. Tanner got some new swim trunks from Abbey's store! I got the giggles when I realized they were skin color.
Camilla is obsessed with magic and it must have rubbed off on Posey so she had the coolest birthday party with a real, live magician! He's even been featured on TV! Olive in amazement is hilarious.
Crepe Sunday is a special thing. And Weston's concoctions are even more special.
This was a momentous occasion! WE FINALLY finished Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. We have been reading this for over a year for sure. I really don't know how long exactly. It's not an easy read and the boys didn't really take to it initially but I think it grew on them. I remember being really moved by it when I read it in college and I choked up on several parts with the boys. It gave us lots of things to talk about regarding slavery.
I did a general check over at the dermatologist and mentioned a new freckle/spot that had appeared on the front of my hip. They biopsied it and I guess it was slightly abnormal so they removed it. The whole process was a lot more intense than I expected. Lots of blood.. quite a bit of time cutting and a couple inches of stitches. Wear your sunscreen, people!
Some playdates with Landon get really creative, haha.
I felt so seen when I read this online! And this doesn't even cover all of it! It doesn't end once they go to the first day of school either! Then it's several weeks of constant emails from the school, more forms to fill out, extra supplies they realized they need, curriculum nights and on and on.
My brain needed a few hours off. So I decided to watch an old movie we loved in high school. Ummm, where were our parents, huh?! I could not believe my eyes or ears. Yikes! Very disappointed in teenage Stephanie. My standards were not the greatest.
Leah organized a cousin night at Hale theater seeing The Little Mermaid! We got Topos burritos and ice cream afterward. It was good to see Lisa and hear from her. They are going through some hard things and I was so glad she got to get out for the night.
Liam's mom is #1 helper at Greenfield and Weston often tags along to help too!
Inspire does a weekend retreat every fall for company dancers and it was rainbow themed this year... you know what that means! They stayed at a cabin up north for a night and did a lot of team building activities and of course... a dance party!
I finished Better Than Happy and LOVED it!!! So many good principles taught. I even typed up some statements she ends with that I thought were worth rereading and working towards.
Where do I even start with this?! I found out that a big, developer wants to rezone the property directly east of our neighborhood so they can build enormous, industrial warehouses. Brian Mosley, a lawyer in our ward, wrote up some flyers to distribute to the neighbors. I jumped on a neighborhood meeting zoom call and was appalled at the disrespect and callousness of the lawyer holding the meeting. Things only spiraled from there. I cannot count the amount of time I spent over the next several months in meetings, writing emails, texting people, walking door to door distributing flyers, meeting with town council members, meeting with neighbors and speaking at town council meetings. I went to SO many meetings, it was at least once if not 3 or 4 times a week I would have a meeting to go to. It became the new norm when I was pulling out of the driveway that my kids said, "Going to another meeting?" Not to mention the emotional roller coaster I went on. Good news then bad news then a little hope to complete desperation. Many tears. So frustrated. Feeling like we were going to have to move. My kids upset, wondering if we were going to move. One day, everything is fine then the next day your world changes. Ugh. It felt like a bad dream that wouldn't end. It is now March that I'm writing this and I think we are in a better place. The developers realized how much the neighbors were going to protest and do everything in their power to stop it, so they started making real compromises. Hallelujah.
Learning how to fix cars at mutual.
Elder Boyack and Elder Hill did a scavenger hunt type activity with the family that had everyone laughing and having a good time. I have been organizing the missionary meals in our ward for the past year and it is no easy task. People just do not like to feed the missionaries. I am pretty tired of being ignored, avoided or given excuses. Hmmm, I wonder if that's what it feels like to be a missionary?
I want our house to be a place where the boys want to bring their friends. But it feels like all they want to do is watch movies. So I picked a Saturday night and told them to invite whoever they wanted and we'd smoke pizzas and play 007 with them. This gave Trav the green light to buy a Super 73.. an electric bike... to go "find" them on, when playing. It's a game where the boys all start at one location then try to make it to another location in the neighborhood without getting "caught".. usually by an adult in a car looking for them. I bought soda galore and ice cream and I think they all had a good time!
Bentley is so cute. We love when we get to have B and Stetson over! I know I'm a grown up when I'm thrilled to be in pj's on a Friday night, eating take out and holding a baby.
In case any moms need to feel validated, haha. And working dads get just as much credit. Travis is hands on when he gets home from work. We are both in bed as soon as we possibly can be!
Weston's new look! Ditching the "spike" and going with a grown up, comb over.
Tanner concentrating on his drawings from Art Hub for Kids. He so darn cute.
They made applesauce at school and he brought some home to taste. Loving all the fun activities they get to do.
Olive's birthday wasn't until Friday, but she woke up so sick on Monday and was sick allll week. Boo! We ended up having to cancel her party and reschedule it for the following weekend. She was doing better on her actual birthday, but not well enough to have a house full of kids over. Her friend, Lily, was so sweet and stopped by to drop off a present, flowers and balloon. Then, Camilla stopped by with Posey and some girls from their neighborhood to sing Olive a song and bring a cake! They decorated the front porch and put a huge sign on the garage door. AND she put a cat head on while they sang because it's Camilla and she's hilarious. We are so lucky to have such amazing friends in our life!
Trav and I took her out to dinner at Cheesecake Factory and then she got her big surprise present. An air track! I think it turned out to be a pretty special birthday after all.
Olive is loved by all. Seriously.
She makes friends everywhere she goes. I signed her up for a four day summer camp in Mesa with Lindi and one of the days Lindi couldn't go so she became "best" friends with another girl and came home with her mom's phone number begging me to set up a playdate. I'm like, girl no. I CANNOT add another friend to your playdate list! Keeping up with her social calendar is a full time job!
All her teachers love her. Her school teachers, the school aids, the school front desk... her dance teachers, piano teachers, primary teachers... you name it...they gush about how wonderful she is in class. And she loves them right back. She is energetic, happy and spritely. You would never know she can rip her brother's heads off with angry screaming. I often need to channel my higher self when she flips a switch and turns sassy and rude. But that behavior is saved for family. She's truly the definition of fire and ice. I suppose we all have two sides and I haven't been the model of patience she could have learned from. It's not easy being the only daughter. She usually gets left out by her older brothers and feels picked on. She and Weston particularly butt heads and bicker. Sigh... the pecking order. She is all things girly...loves pink, doing her nails and getting new clothes. She loves to sing and dance and tumble and draw. I wish I could put her in singing lessons but between all the dance classes, tumbling and piano, I'm maxed out. She does not like piano but I'm forcing it. It is a battle I am very tired of though. Most of all, she LOVES spending time with me. We started watching this show called Just Add Magic, over the summer together. It was all she looked forward to. Anytime she gets to do something with just me, she jumps at it. She's very attached to me. I think I'm her emotional support human. :) She still deals with a lot of anxiety. It was getting particularly bad again this year so I found a book called "What to do When You Worry Too Much" and we read it together over the course of several weeks and did all the exercises. It really, really helped. Travis and I were still taking turns laying down next to her at night so she could fall asleep, but that needed to end, so she's been really brave and going to bed on her own now! She is extremely compassionate. If anyone she knows is hurting or sad, she deeply hurts and is sad. She really is such a sweet girl and wants to do what's right and make us happy. Her natural self is LIGHT. I love her dearly.
The next morning, she got her birthday donuts and the following Monday she got to pick her birthday dinner that I make. I don't cook dinner and Friday and Saturdays so it had to wait, haha. She picked coconut rice, grilled veggie and chicken skewers and corn on the cob!
August 30 was Grandma Ann and Grandpa Jess's wedding anniversary, so Tanner and I stopped by to visit and bring roses. Don't they look so happy in this picture? I'm sure Grandpa was nearby this day.
Found Winnie her Halloween costume early, haha! The kids died from laughing.
