Day at the park

One ward park day was especially fun.  So I took pictures.  It was fun becasue it was in a river - and all 4 kids came (we also took neighborhood friends - we ALWAYS have 1, 2, or 3 extra kids with us).  I brought nets for the kids to catch crawdads with.

There is also a train that goes around the park.  We took a ride on that as well.

Swimming our summer away

We went to the pool AT LEAST once a week.  There were a few weeks we were there almost everyday.  We have 4 different pools that we can go to for free through our HOA - so we mixed it up a few times - but we were at Westridge the most (closest to our house).  

The theme of the year was vending machines for sure.  Every time we went the kids would take their own money and buy themselves treats.

I would just relax under the umbrella and read books.  It was so nice having 2 summers with kids who could all swim and I didn't have to get in or even watch them.  I am VERY aware that this phase is now over and I will be back in the pool next year.

We either always went with friends or, if we didn't, there were always friends from school, church, or neighborhood that ended up being there as well.

Not pictured: Brock.  Brock hates swimming and would never go with us.  We ended up making him come twice - just to make him do things - it is good for 11 year olds to be made to do things they don't want to do.  :)

Random summer stuff

Here are some random summer pictures:

Our neighborhood had a party and we invited the police out (we just started a neighborhood watch).  Brock enjoyed being hand-cuffed.

We went to Dart Wars a few times.

Jason took a picture of me and Maddie napping one afternoon.  I have mentioned before that this summer was a strange summer.  We hardly went on any "outings" - we didn't go on one hike, bike ride, or river raft.  We never went to the zoo or children's museum.  And we hardly hit any of our favorite parks or splash pads.  The kids just wanted to do their own thing with their friends.  A few weeks into summer Madison was moody and bored.  We had a talk and realized SHE still needed and wanted those things.  So everyday Madison and I went and did something fun.  Sometimes we would get everyone to go - and sometimes it was just us.  But as you can see... some days we were worn out!

Our neighbors put out a pool and slip and slide one morning.

Once the kids were done the adults got in :).  Sometimes being a stay at home mom is tough! :)

We had several neighborhood BBQ's - I am pretty sure this is memorial day.

Kids cleaning their bikes.

Weird picture - you can't see what they are doing - but the boys played A LOT of baseball, kick ball, and tennis in the cul-de-sac.

Picnic lunch in the garage.

Brock and Jason did a puzzle.

Oh - and screen time, can't leave out screen time.  We started with 10 hours a week for each child and they could use them how they saw fit.  3 weeks in Noah realized he couldn't handle that (he used all 10 by Tuesday or Wednesday and was MISERABLE the rest of  the week).  So he asked for help and together we decided to have 1 hour before lunch and 1 hour after lunch every day.  The other kids stayed with their 10 hours (tokens) a week.

Madison loves to play outside (both front and back) by herself.  She spent a lot of time in the sand box this summer (I never took a picture of that).

Boys tried earning money by mowing laws and washing cars.

Play dates.  Each kid had a few play dates with friends from school.  Madison had some with Talmage.  Noah with Marcus and Jewel.  Megan with Taylor and Pailey.  And Brock... he is too old for mom's to organize play dates.

We had some sweet summer storms and the kids played out in them a few times.

Jason has his MBA class on Monday nights - so we have FHE around 4:30.  Then the kids and I watch American Ninja Warrior.  Some Monday nights it has turned into a neighborhood event.  One night the girls started massaging everyone's feet.  It was super weird.

We also had a lemonade stand, Madsion and I went to the ward "park days" almost every week, and (I can't believe I have no pictures of this) the girls played American Girls dolls in Delaney's garage for hours and hours and hours (and hours and hours and hours).

Summer Service

A family from our ward planned weekly summer service projects for the kids.  Madison was really into them and we went almost every week.  Megan came to a few - and the boys passed on all of them.  They were easy and simple and most I didn't take pictures of.  But a few I did.

We went to a retirement center and sang patriotic songs during the week of the 4th of July.

We took cards and a candy-grahm to the fire station to say thank you.

Gender reveal

It is amazing how much has changed in having babies and babies in general over the last 7 years.  It is really unbelievable.  From pregnancy announcements, gender reveals, cute monthly pictures with them holding their number month, to the new inventions that have come out - it is like a whole different world.  From my perspective - someone who is, by pure definition, a Millennial (Born after 1980) but by traits I am ANYTHING but (I tell people - it is hard to identify as a Millennial when, by 25 I had 3 kids, owned a home, in the market for a mini-van, and didn't get my first smart phone until I was 31) - I feel like I see, not only the ridiculousness of all the "reveal" moments in life being videoed and posted - but also the real dangers.  Despite some prodding by well intentioned friends and family members I had decided I was not doing a gender reveal.  Jason and I would go to the ultra sound - they would tell us what the sex was, then we would come home, tell our kids, then we would call friends and family and tell them.

The morning of the doctor appointment we were reading scriptures and talking about our day (the doctor appointment) and the kids said, "what are we doing for the gender reveal?"  What?  How do they know about gender reveals?  I found out they heard about them from America's Funnies Home Videos.  I tried to explain to them why we weren't doing one (without sounding too prideful or pretentious) but in the end their excitement for the new baby and a gender reveal warmed my mother heart and I relented.  But here I was -  2 hours to our appointment and now I needed to plan a gender reveal!

One of my good friends, Hannah, had offered to make a cake a few months back - I told her I was against gender reveals.  I swallowed my pride and called her.  I knew it was too short notice to make a cake - but I figured I could hurry and make cupcakes and frosting and then I could text her from the Dr office and by the time we got home she could at least color the frosting and frost them.  Well... because Hannah is awesome she said no - I will make you a cake with the gender inside.  We fought about it for a few minutes - but ultimately her kindness won - I still don't understand how she did it in 2 hours.  

AND it was so cute - so so cute.  I was overwhelmed with her kindness and generosity.

We got home and gathered the kids.

Jason took all the pictures (and a video)

It is a boy!  We have been wanting another boy for 10 years - so we are very excited!  I was surprised how disappointed the girls were - especially Megan.  I mean, I knew she wanted a girl - but I didn't know she DIDN'T WANT a boy.  She was pretty upset for about a week - and still isn't thrilled about the whole thing.  She insists girls are cuter and litter brothers are annoying.