A week or so behind...

We just got back from vacation. I am not ready to fully deal with life, I would much rather gaze at photos all day long. That activity reminded me that I never posted a few of these random shots of life from a week or so ago.

I did take Darin to Adams Canyon. We did a double date with friends and then had a BBQ. It was fun! Glad we got to fit that in.  

This photo was from one of my solo jaunts up in the hills above my house.  I thought this tree would make a good family photo site so I wanted to document.  I grew up next to hills where I would wander and explore. I feel like a kid again when I have time to run up there.  

Darin picked up his old silversmithing hobby and I couldn't be happier!!

He made this beauty a while ago while practicing. It's a bit big for my ring finger so I should put it away as a gift for someone else but I love it so much!

He helped Miriam make some silver stacking rings for a friend's birthday.

Remember that deer that we chased out of our yard multiple times?? 

I looked out the window after the kids had left for school and saw her again.  Happy and content as can be in our yard.  If she wouldn't freak out every time we go out back, AND stop ruining our plants I would adopt her. But she can't, and won't so I chased her out again.

I saved the best for last.

Meet my new niece Hazel!

She is adorable, and so sweet.  Oh man...those huge black eyes and dimples!! I wish she liked me more, I would hold her all day long, but she usually prefers her dad...I will win her over, just you wait.

Just the Week

Ladies Hike to Adams Canyon for those who missed our summer trek. 

I have plans to take Darin on this hike before Fall is over. 

Friday I worked for my friend Kelly. She puts on huge mega events for corporations, and once and awhile she lets me help.   If the Mouse Trap truck is ever around...do stop.

Very fun to be with friends and earn a little sweet moolah.

I also met James The Mormon. 

Saturday was fix it day for Darin and I.  We spent the entire day gettin' stuff done. Miriam has come down with a cold, but the boys and I got in that promised Lagoon trip.

Spider is the new favorite ride!

It seems so much faster when it's dark.
I really thought the park would be less busy with the BYU Utah game going on...but no.... pretty dang busy.  Luckily it always thins out around 8 pm and the lines go waaay down.

We are going to need jackets next time we go which means Fall is officially here!

Labor Day Weekend

We were rewarded with Labor Day weekend after the first full week of school.  We needed it. We needed to have time to clean rooms, go over the budget, talk, and do some general "adulting" (Darin and I). Miriam needed to decompress with friends and books from the newness of jr. high, B needed alone time in his room with his stuff, and Soren needed to gear up for another week.  S is struggling the most with school at the moment, lots of tears over here.  

So mostly we just hung around the house.  We played some 5 crowns, B and D played speed chess, M had time to get organized and had a late night with a group of friends.  We cleaned, we did laundry.

We gathered up enough energy for Lagoon one evening and miracle of miracles Soren is now 45 inches tall!!  After being measured with a flat card (and having his shoes checked...so he wasn't tip toeing it) by an OCD worker at the Boomerang Bumper Cars we were so thrilled he could go! This worker had just sent some sad kids to the exit so we were sweeting bullets.

We did the Screamer and Colossus together as a whole family! Soren has been aching to go on Screamer all summer.  His lack of inches has been his heart ache, and cross to bear, so this does feel like a back to school miracle. A "tender mercy" if you will.  I told him after he powers through another week of being brave at school we can reward ourselves with Spider and Wicked so thats on the docket for this coming weekend.

Miriam made cream puffs...they get better and better each time she makes them.

Monday Darin and I made a Bagels by Bike run to Einstein Bagel for their $6 Monday deal.

Bagels for breakfast, lunch, and again for lunch today. So fun to get out on our bikes again, Fall is my favorite time to ride.

We got the kids through a few "must-do's" which wasn't a fun part of the day...especially when I lost my cool but everyone finished with ample time to play the rest of the day.

Miriam went on a hike with a friend's family while the boys had a friend over all afternoon. 

Monday night Soren got his regularly scheduled worries about school the next day.  We took a bike ride/Pokemon walk to the park to take our minds off of "impending doom" - (Soren's words not mine). It was the perfect momentary panacea.

I get pretty permissive when I feel bad for my kids having to face hard things.

Soren told us his "one joy" at school is Byron. Heartbreakingly sad, and heartbreakingly beautiful at the same time...to have a big brother with you, looking out for you, during the hard times.  My boys fight and disagree but man I think we lucked out in the brother temperament/personality mix.  I know phases come and go but so far we haven't had a phase where these boys weren't best of friends. They don't even know how lucky they are.

Home for a warm bath, cream puffs, and a chapter of Charolette's Web.
Thats how we do this life, one hard thing and then one comforting moment one after another all day long till its time for bed.