August

After Ivy found all the matching doll clothes, she was determined to wear a matching outfit to church the next Sunday.  She was so happy! 

Justin is always making up silly games during dinner.  I never make Jello but had that week since Molly had just gotten braces and was needing soft foods.  Leave it to Justin to have a Jello slurping contest.  He was the winner.  Stockton came close.  The kids will never have those kinds of memories from dinner when it's just me.

Ivy had a loose tooth that she wiggled and wiggled.  It actually was ready really quick!  She was so brave and had Justin pull it.  It came out harder than we thought it would, hence the tears.  I had to take a picture of my girls.  This was the first picture Molly let me take with her new braces.  I think they all look adorable!

 

I took the girls school shopping. I asked them if they wanted to do it online like we did it last year but they wanted to go shopping.  I was good with that!  Stockton didn't want to go and opted to stay home.  I was able to take him up to the outlets later for the few things he was needing.  Ivy had decided the day before that she was ready to get her ears pierced and she followed through.  Again, she was so brave!  Barely any tears and she was so happy with herself.

before

during

after

The backpacking trip was scheduled for the first week in August and Justin was planning on taking the older three kids, like he did last year.  Unfortunately, Justin had a major thing come up at work and he didn't feel like he could leave for three days and be without service.  After a lot of back and forth, we made it work so that Stockton could go up with the Broadbent's.  Molly and Brynn were bummed to miss but Stockton would have been the most disappointed so I'm glad we were able to make it work for him.  They went to Alligator Lake in the Uintahs.  It was a successful trip, minus some rain on Friday.  These pictures are in no particular order.

Grace, Stockton, Grant

Grace, Grant, Stockton

Erin, Bryce, Spencer, Abby, Grace, Grandpa, Ben, Grant, Gavin, Stockton, Seth, Jeff

Gavin and Stockton

Jeff, Seth, Grant, Stockton, Gavin

 

I had taken Molly and Stockton to Plain City the night before the trip so I had a morning with just Brynn and Ivy.  I didn't feel like making breakfast so I drove to Kneaders and ordered a French Toast breakfast for them and a smoothie for me.  I knew they wouldn't finish them and what they had left was just enough for me to enjoy!

 

Since Stockton was gone and Justin was stressed with work, the girls and I escaped to Bear Lake for Raspberry Days.  Molly drove up with my mom and we met her there.  Erin came with her girls and Ali came up with Lucy as well.  A true girl's weekend!

Brynn, Harper, Ivy, Josie, Chloe

We went down to the park on Friday to walk around the booths that were set up for Raspberry Days.  My mom always has the kids pick out one thing and she buys it for them and the three little girls picked out these puppies.  We walked around downtown Garden City before going back to the cabin.  I took Molly on a Rhino ride that night-she drove which was only a little bit scary (ha).

Lucy, Ivy, Josie

Josie, Ivy, Lucy

Harper and Brynn

Lucy, Harper, Ivy, Josie, Brynn

 

We went home Saturday morning.  Brynn was in the Heber parade that afternoon with her cheer team.  We were at the very end of the parade so we didn't see many tricks or cheering but she said she was doing stunts all along the route.  She had so much fun!  We left after she came by rather than staying for the rest of the parade.

 

Ivy wanted a picture of these two puppies.  She may have named them but I don't remember.

 

That night Ivy lost her second tooth.  Both were on the bottom so she had a cute little gap when she smiled.

 

Back to Lagoon one more time before school started.  We got there first and were able to ride a few rides together before all the cousins got there.  We got Stockton back from backpacking/staying with the Broadbent's.  We really don't tire of Lagoon.  I especially love riding rides with my kids and nieces and nephews.

Ali, Ivy, Lucy

Josie and Brynn

me, Spencer, Brynn, Josie

Grace, Ivy, Lucy

Ivy, Grace, Josie, Lucy, Ali

Brynn, Gavin, Abby, Molly

Lucy and Ivy

Ivy, Lucy, Josie

So began our tomato harvest.  I'll post more pictures of some of my harvest days.  They did so well this year!  I had a hard time keeping up and would give away as many as I could whenever I got the chance.  They tasted so good and fresh.

 

We wanted another chance to do something as a family before the business of school and activities started.  We thought we'd do the lake but by the time Justin got home from work it was too late to get everything loaded up.  We went to Southfield Park where they have several options.  We played volleyball with a beach ball.  Soccer tennis.  Baseball.  It was fun but by the end we had four moody and grumpy kids so not a completely successful family activity.  That's the way it goes sometimes.

pizza for dinner

and we had free Crumbl cookies

I took the kids bowling one afternoon.  Just here in town and we only did one game.  This was more successful than the park activity. 

Stockton set up a volleyball "net" in the yard and he recruited anyone he could to play for the next several days.

Corbin Anderson and Stockton

Brynn wanted to go on a bike ride, but just the two of us.  She rides Stockton's bike these days.  It was a beautiful night on Little Sweden.  Ivy wanted to go when we got back, also just the two of us.  We stayed on Crazy Acres since she is not quite ready to ride on that small stretch of highway.

 

Justin and Stockton played baseball in the yard while we were riding bikes.  Summer nights with nothing to do are my favorite. 

August 15, 2021.  Justin and I were called in to meet with President Wilde, our Stake President.  Justin had an inkling what was coming since the 2nd counselor in our bishopric had just moved.  His inkling was right and he was asked to be the new counselor in the bishopric.  They wanted to do it that day, which would also mean ordaining him a high priest.  We called Gene and April and my parents and they were both able to come up that afternoon.  He was sustained in sacrament meeting, ordained a high priest by Gene that afternoon, and set apart by President Wilde after that.  A bit of a whirlwind day but it was a special day for him and us and we were grateful our parents could be there.  It has been an adjustment for him but he has balanced all of his responsibilities very well.  It has been our experience with callings that if we do our best to magnify callings, Heavenly Father has magnified us-in all areas of our life.  That has been the case here.  I'm grateful for what he is learning.

 

This might look like a fake picture but it is not.  Justin found Ivy sound asleep like this.  Creepy?  Maybe.

 

I had a couple weeks when the kids were back in school and I wasn't doing preschool yet.  My days were pretty open and free so I took advantage of that and tried to process some of our tomatoes.  Mostly I made salsa with the pressure cooker that I got for Christmas last year.  This was not hard necessarily, just a lot of work.  Pick the tomatoes, boil the tomatoes, peel the tomatoes, chop all the ingredients (I got smart and started pulsing them in my blender), then can them.  I did a few batches before my schedule got busy enough that it was hard to find the time.  Or I was burnt out by then.  Whatever.  I was proud of my batches, though, and we are enjoying the fruits of my labors.  We have plenty of jars to last us for a while.

 

Stockton was anxious to use his money to get a beta fish so Justin took him to the pet store one night.  He picked one out and named him Ozzie (after Ozzie Albies, one of his favorite Braves players).  He took good care of Ozzie, feeding him, changing the water regularly, etc but Ozzie died at the beginning of October.  Stockton was crushed when he died, I didn't realize he would be so sad over a fish.  He's not sure he wants to get another.

 

Some pictures of a deacon quorum activities that were shared when the old counselor moved.  Brother Starks was awesome but now they have Justin!  Stockton still loves, loves, loves deacons quorum.

Stockton on the far right

 

We made macrame plant holders for YW's one night.  Rendi's sister-in-law came and walked us through the steps.  It was a super fun activity and they all turned out so cute!  Mine is still in a closet waiting to be hung.

Rachel Larsen, Molly, Sloane Ellingford, helper, Rendi Holm, me, Samantha Steiner, Emma Stinebaugh, Lauren Whimpey, Kelsey Larsen, Pallas Andersen

Harvest from August 19th.  Tomatoes, squash, cucumber, zucchini, jalapeno.  More salsa.

 

Brynn got her date with me.  She chose...drumroll, please...Dairy Keen!  She's been there a million times but she didn't complain about her chicken strips, fries, and Oreo shake!  We went to Walmart after so she could get some mechanical pencils.  We splurged and bought the 50 pack!

Cheerleading tosses in pajamas.  A blurry pic, but the idea is there.

Ivy started a tap class that she has been enjoying.  It's in the same building as Brynn's cheer and they both have the same start time so that's convenient.  Ivy's class is only 45 minutes and Brynn is there for 2 hours.  Throw in Stockton's baseball at the same time a few blocks over with another end time (so 3 activities with the same start times but three different end times) and Tuesday's get kind of crazy.  Good thing everything is within 10 minutes from home!

 

Lake night for Young Women's.  I went late since some of the girls couldn't go earlier and I was taking my little girls since Justin and Stockton were in Atlanta.  The weather had looked good when we checked but I pulled up to the lake and it was a downpour.  We waited it out and the girls got about an hour on the water before we saw lightning and we made them come in and pack everything out.  The water was low so it was quite the trek down from the parking lot.  But no one was manning the wibit so they were able to play on that and that made it extra fun.

Ivy and Cora Hansen

Molly drew this picture for a friend of my mom's (Susan Maw).  This couple was tragically killed in a small airplane crash earlier in August and the daughter had grown up in Susan's ward so she asked Molly to do this for the family.

 

Not sure what Ivy was doing this night after she was tucked in bed but this is how we found her when we went back to check on her.  I showed her this picture in the morning and she also was baffled over what she had been doing.

Saturday morning chores.  I had the kids help me empty all the kitchen cupboards and wipe them out.  They were actually very good helpers-very thorough and cooperative!  I had to re-organize a few cupboards and drawers but not too many so it was fine. 

Tomato harvest, August 30th.  Aren't they so pretty?! 

Stockton's team wasn't planning on playing fall ball and, in fact, I don't think they were planning on playing together again at all.  Justin wasn't going to commit to another year of coaching and a few of the boys were quitting baseball to pursue other interests.  Really, besides a small handful, most of those boys should be playing rec baseball rather than comp.  Anyway, Stockton's old team reached out and asked Stockton to play with them for the fall.  They are all a grade younger but with Stockton's summer birthday, he can technically play up or down-they just asked that he play with his grade a couple of years ago.  Anyway, he was happy for the chance to play baseball regardless of what team he was with.  He usually played in the outfield and batted last but he learned he really enjoys outfield (made some great catches) and he improved his batting as well and was moved up in the line-up.  They ended their season on a high note and are still practicing for a tournament in late fall.

at bat