Taylor's 13th Birthday

Taylor's birthday fell on a Tuesday this year. On odd years, the kids have "family" birthdays as opposed to "friend" birthdays. So, this year Taylor got french toast and Kneaders syrup for breakfast. Then, I took donuts into her math class at the junior high. Then, Dan and I took her to DP Cheesesteak for lunch. (Yes, our celebrations usually revolve around food!) After school, we went to Fisher's soccer game and then the whole family went to Brick Oven for dinner. Taylor had her grandparents and cousins over for cake and ice cream the Sunday before her birthday. Here we are cheering on Fisher at his soccer game. It had been an usually cold and rainy week.

I can't believe my baby is an official teenager! I was surprised by all the feelings I had as I prepared for her birthday this year. While she is growing into an amazing young lady, I couldn't help feel sad at the passing of time. Literally, where is the time going?! As the oldest, Taylor has had to patient with us as we've learned how to be parents through trial and error. She has been an easy, steady, constant child. She is so helpful, so nurturing and patient, a natural athlete, and has a very quirky sense of humor. She has been an wonderful blessing in our lives and I feel so lucky to be her mom. She has taught me so much.

Taylor has been shamelessly BEGGING for an iPod Touch for years now. And we told her "no" with equal conviction. So, imagine her surprise when she opened one for her birthday! We had wrapped it within several different size boxes, so she had to keep unwrapping until she finally got down to the iPod. This was her honest-to-goodness reaction and I am so happy to have caught it on camera. This is the most emotion you'll ever see from Taylor, so we had to make sure it was well documented.

Camping at Hobble Creek

We only had one free weekend in all of June and July, so we took advantage of it! It was just a quick overnighter up Hobble Creek Canyon, but we had so much fun. Jen and Katie came up and ate dinner and roasted marshmallows with us.

 Fisher had so much fun with our new tent box-- simple pleasures!

 What's camping without s'mores?

 I LOVE my boys.

  . . . and my girls.

 Pillow face anyone?

My darling baby.

Summer Basketball Tournaments

Taylor played in two weekend tournaments this summer with her Stars Team. One was played at UVU and the other at the Salt Palace. Her team won both tournaments and she played well. It was fun for us to watch her on the "big" court at UVU. And the little kids enjoyed running up and down the empty rows! She and Loryn also attended Timpview's basketball camp and had a great time.

Piano Recital

 The girls had a piano recital in the open air gazebo at Riverwoods on Flag Day this year. There was a patriotic them and they both looked darling. They performed well and we were so proud!

Slip N Sliding

We dusted off the ol' industrial tarp and stretched down the side of Jen's house again. The kids spent hours running and sliding and getting sunburned.

So, here we are another year past (or is, passed?). I'm the English major, I should know . . .but I don't. Anyway, I digress.


Obviously I haven't written. For a year. A whole year. And guess what else? I haven't really done any other means of meaningful journaling either. So here it is. Another feeble and likely futile effort to document our lives. If you want a long list of all the other things I haven't been doing (and should have been), I could give you a very robust list. If there is anything my life can do for you--it's to make you feel better about yourself ;)

Alas, I have maaaaajor issues with public blogs. The whole "no privacy" thing. The whole "my blog is ugly" thing. (Especially in comparison to a handful of uber talented, uber creative, uber well-written cousins and friends of mine--you know who you are!)

But despite those issues, I'm going public again. I have to go public so that I have some sort of obligation to my mother and Becky and Megan to write regularly. Those are the only three readers of this blog--so this is for you! But really, it's mostly just for me. For my kids. For my journal.

So cheers to yet another try! (And because blog posts are just downright boring without photos, I will just randomly post my favorite pictures from the last few weeks.)

This is our "School is Out!" celebratory dinner at Texas Roadhouse.

 This is Dan and the kids on Easter. Such a handsome family I have! I love that Fisher and Dan are matchers.

I wish I could magically merge this pictures. I was too lazy and too late for church to go ask a neighbor to take a picture. I have to force Dan to take the occasional picture with me in it to prove that I actually exist!

 Fisher cozying up at our Labor Day BBQ at Uncle Gary's house.

 We were lucky enough for go to the Seven Peaks pre-opening party again this year. Sadly, it fell on a VERY cold day. The kids didn't spend much times in the water. I LOVE this picture of Quincy and her pretty blues.

The actual day of our anniversary was very busy with lots of soccer games. But we managed to squeeze in a cake to celebrate the birthday of our family. Don't pity us, though. Dan and I were able to go to on a date the day before. Aren't these kids a funny bunch? Look what 14 years can give you!

The Slick Rock

 It was one of those record-breakingly hot summer days in Utah. My friends since elementary school, Sarah and Jamie, had the wonderful idea to go a hiking adventure in Highland. It required a bit of a hike first, and all of our little kiddos were such good sports in the heat. I absolutely love this picture of us, by the way. Who would have thought all those years ago as awkward and obnoxious preteens, that we would be here--still friends with this darling gaggle of kids?

Let me break this down for you. This was FREEZING mountain run-off water. My feet started to ache just standing in it. The kids climbed up to the top of this natural waterslide and looked a little tentatively at it. The analyzed the situation for a while and were hesitant to take the plunge. But my little Fisher paved the way and went first! You see him here, flexing his abs in excitement encouraging the other boys to get on board.  And then he goes for it!

And here is darling Loryn. There was no way she was about to let her brother steal the show. These pictures are a little fuzzy, but you can tell that the experience was more than she bargained for. But she came to terms with it, and went again and again.