AYSO Soccer

We were brave and also tried soccer out for Katie this year.  She's wanted to play since first grade when all the kids played at recess.  It took a little effort, but she really had fun, and the girls loved to play around waiting for her. 

Here's Katie with her coach and a team mate.  

We loved how unafraid she was and that after each goal her team scored she would have to run to one of us or yell from the field and say "I love you!"

The Utah Excursion

This was a long, whirlwind trip for us.  I left with the girls just before the fourth of July.  We didn't have much of a camera for half of the trip, so there weren't a lot of pictures.  We started off our Fourth going to the Cedar City Fourth of July Parade.  The streets were packed and the parade was pretty good.  Their favorite part may have been getting sprayed by the fire trucks at the end of the parade.  

Uncle Jeremy and Aunt Kait were a lot of fun to hang out with, they even shared their sparklers and fireworks.  

A lot happened while we were there.  I was able to connect with an old Badger Creek friend who I had not realized had been living in Cedar City for the last eight years.  My parents also took us to a cabin for a couple of days.  That turned into a series of sleepless nights for all of us with the girls waking up about every 30 minutes, but they loved being there, and the stars were amazing.

Aunt Ann made it to Cedar the next night with her family.  The cousins had a wonderful time playing together, but my pregnant brain struggled with so much chaos.  I may or may not have had a couple of breakdowns.  

Jeremy flew into St. George that Friday night.  My dad was very kind and got us a hotel room so we could have a night alone.  We made it to the temple the next morning, then headed home to the kiddos.  

We were able to visit with Grandma and Grandpa Great as well.  Katie was able to look through a telescope at Venus, Jupiter, and I think Neptune thanks to some of my dad's friends.  It was wonderful to spend time together with so much family.  

We left Sunday after church to start the second leg of our trip, Lake Powell with Uncle Gregg, Aunt Jenny, and her family.  They were so kind to let us camp with them and use the houseboat.  Those girls had so much fun swimming and playing with so many cousins.  I think Jeremy really needed the play time.  

Katie got to work on her waterskiing skills.  

 We had an amazing time, but it ended a little rough.  The heat was really getting to me, the twins got heat exhaustion, and Jeremy pulled his hamstring.  It made for an interesting rest of the trip.  We had to keep making sure the girls were cool, icing Jeremy's leg and letting him rest, and I was miraculously blessed with the strength to take care of all of them.  We were able to see all of the family in Salt Lake, but we were definitely ready to sleep in our own beds and have a routine again.  Ah, the memories we're making. 

T-ball

We thought we'd give t-ball (or "baseball" as the girls called it) a shot this year.  I don't know that we were convinced it was really worth the time and money. Some people are a little intense and there were kids as young as four on the team.  At least they let us put all of our girls on one team.  The weather was either ridiculously hot or freezing and windy.  They loved playing in the dirt and climbing the dugout fence.  But they sure look cute.  

Cora at bat.   

 Sydney knocking it out.  

Katie ready to slug it.  

Yellowstone

We planned and had an amazing trip to Island Park and Yellowstone with Grandma Vicki, Grandpa Jeff, Aunt Lori, Uncle Russ, Adi, and Blake.  We found a little cabin (unfortunately with too many dead animals in it that Jeremy was allergic to) in Island Park and split our days between beautiful parts of Idaho and Yellowstone.  We found a ranch that let us canoe, ride horses, do some archery, and have a great dinner. 

 This was a magical moment for me.  Fifteen years earlier I was playing this same guitar close by at Badger Creek for many camp fires.  This amazing old Idaho family took great care of us that day and the patriarch of the family played his accordion while I played and sang.  Then the thunderstorm came in.  It was beautiful.  

We spent our next couple of days enjoying all Yellowstone had to offer.  

Lots of buffalo, and we were careful to not get ourselves gored.  

 We made it to Old Faithful with perfect timing.  I think it went off 3 minutes after we arrived.  We barely made it out of the bathrooms in time to see this.  

 This was a beautiful hike, we just had to park a ways away and walk down the road.  

We were very excited that we were able to see a bear.  

Perhaps our favorite was floating down the river.  Pregnant me didn't dare stand up on the paddle boards with the kids, when I finally did, we went in.  But the water was so clear and beautiful that it was wonderful.  

Those girls did so well on the river.  We had a raft also that we took turns rotating out of.  This is the best therapy for anything that ails you!