Josh & Nicole's Sealing

Josh is the oldest sibling in our family. When he got out of the army a couple of years ago he moved to Phoenix to attend some motorcycle maintenance college and it was there (Phoenix, not motorbike college) that he met Nicole. Josh brought her home (to my parents' house) the following Christmas, but Todd and I were in Oregon so I didn't meet her in the beginning. He proposed not long after and I met her in April when my mom and I traveled there for Spring Break. Nicole was/is very sweet, very smart, very independent, easy to talk to, and can hold her own with Josh...so that's saying something. She teaches math and science with art integration to middle-schoolers. She's a genius and a saint. Aren't middle-schoolers the worst? I know my friends and I were, and we were the nice ones. Yeesh. Anyway, they got married the following July. Only my parents were able to attend. I had just had Ivy and was teaching a class at Boise State University. Annie and Chase had just had their first baby and I don't know where Riley was, but none of us went, so it was really awesome that Josh and Nicole planned to be sealed the next year in the Rexburg temple. All of our family was there, including Mark and Missy Perez (Josh's bffs). 

dad, Annie, Cole, Chase, Josh, Nicole, mom, Riley, me, Reggie, Todd, Ivy

Nicole & Riley

Reggie was obsessed with doing up her buttons

Newly sealed weds

Ivy really likes me

We had a really lovely and delicious picnic afterwards. It's not often that my entire family is together. It was a beautiful and stress free event. I really loved it

 Then that evening we went back to Jackson, floated the creek and all 80 of us got in the hot tub.

Some Summer in Jackson

This is what summer is like in my parents' back yard. Birds, trees, breeze, sunshine, they serve you three meals a day AND they take care of your kids. It's paradise.

Ivy is really into the Harley.

And getting in the pool in her jammies.

 Pink clouds!

Nana and her grand babies.

Family baseball. You guys, it's really so fun. Reggie isn't in this photo, but she was really excited about catching balls in the outfield.

(Cole, Chase, Anne, me, Todd, Ivy, dad, mom, Riley, Nicole, Josh)

Denver, CO in July

After the 4th of July, Shelly and Todd went home, to their respective houses, and I stayed behind so my mom, the girls, and I could take a road trip to Colorado to see Chase and Annie (my bro and his wife).

Before we got on the road Reggie took Ivy for rides in Nana's red wagon. My dad's been trying to get my mom to give that wagon away since we were kids, but she insisted they keep it for grand babies.

CO sunset from the car. 

Ivy, Reggie and Cole. Cole is our only Burbank cousin and he is two days younger than Ivy Grace.

We went to the Red Rock Ampitheater 

(where I was over dressed for a sweaty hike, didn't bring water because I didn't know it was a hike, traffic was bad because it was Saturday and there was a fitness competition, and my stroller got a flat tire...so I was grumpy. Sorry, Chase, Annie and mom...)

We went swimming. Duh what else is summer for?!

We went to the Denver Zoo. It's the best I've ever been to as an adult. The animals were happy, lively, and procreating. There were so many babies! The elephants put on a show, there was plenty of shade, seating, and snack stands. It was a happy place, you guys.

We went to the art museum. Mom and Annie wrangled my wild/loud/museum-inappropriate girls while I toured the Women of Abstract Expressionism with one of my besties from grad school, Caitlin. She also lives/lived in Denver. I miss grad school! I miss my grad school buddies, I miss the papers, the grading, the art, the learning, the stretching. 

Annie did a lot of packing while we were there. We picked up a U-Haul trailer and Chase, Annie and my mom filled it up. I was on vacation and taking care of my kids so I was incredibly unhelpful. I apologize. Moving is the devil and I should have been more help. 

We also got Fractured Prune doughnuts, went to the splash pads, ate at an incredible French restaurant/bakery (cronuts, you guys!), had sushi, and went shopping. Denver's awesome.

On the drive back to Wyoming...

Reggie jumps in the pool all by her onesie

June 30th, 2016

I'm so proud of my little swimmer. Reggie is like me in some ways, i.e. her affinity for water, she is easily frustrated, and Ivy not listening to her drives her crazy. She and I love to stay at the pool for hours each day. I just don't understand people who ever want to leave. 

I also don't understand why uploading this video makes it so pixelated.

4th of July in Jackson Hole

One of my favorite girls from college is Shelly Merrill. We lived in the same building Sophomore year. She was also from Alberta and cute, but had RBF, I didn't see her smile, she was my visiting teacher and I whined about how hard it was that Todd had just left on his mission so she thought I was one of those annoying girls. Anyway, for Junior year we needed a fourth roommate, I asked her if she wanted to move in with us and we got to know each other = we became great friends. She decided to go to Jackson for Independence Day, so we did too!

Road trips with kids looks like this:

On the 4th we went to the parade with my bffs, the Thorkildsens.

We walked around down town.

We ate at Persephone. The only breakfast/lunch place worth spending money at in Jackson.

Shels and I laid in the Gingery's (my parents' next door neighbors and wonderful friends) hammock while the girls played on their play set. We talked and snuggled. I miss having roommates and girlfriends close by. Someone move to Boise!

We rode bikes.

We watched the fireworks, played games and made s'mores (with candy bars rather than Hersheys).

We went rafting down a calm part of the Snake. My brother, Riley, was our guide.

We went hiking around Phelps Lake. It's my favorite hike because it's shady, not crowded, beautiful with wild flowers, and has a perfect jumping rock for lunching and swimming. It's also an easy hike if you're used to the altitude, buuuuuut I got altitude sickness and was ready to die/pass out for the last 45 minutes. Then the drive back into town to get water and medicine was another 30 minutes, so bring plenty of water and don't carry 25 lb. kids in a crappy carrier that hurts your body. Also, try exercising more than never before you go on a summer hike where you carry someone on your back at a high altitude. (photos of Shelly, Riley, Ivy, Regina, and me)

We were no-makeup-retainer friends.

And then we said goodbye. I miss you Shellballs. Come back soon. Or I'll come to Arizona and see you. I know your love language is gift giving/receiving, so I hope this blog post counts.