August

August was once again full of lots of activities. We finished up swimming lessons the first part of the month. Accelerated softball fall ball started up as well. 

The weekend before school started (the 16-18) we went down to St. George to play and to go see the little mermaid at tuachan. The kids had fun swimming and playing at the kids museum. We also got to just hang out as a family and do whatever we wanted. We did some school shopping, and dad got some golfing in. Perfect way to wrap up summer. 

After I took these photos I went back to reading my book. Lyndin had taken off her life jacket and was filling up water in a water bottle in the hot tub and then walking over and dumping it in the pool. I glanced up and I saw her head bobbing in the pool. She had walked in and was starting to drown. I yelled for Ty, but when I did he happened to go under the water and he was clear on the other side of the pool. So no other options I jumped into the pool and grabbed her, shoes and all (I was not in my swimming suit) I don't think she had been under the water very long, and she was trying her hardest to keep her head above water. But man oh man, did that scare this poor mama and it scared Lyn as well. 

School started for the 3 older kids on 19th. Dad gave them all really good back to school blessing and blessed them with open minds to help them absorb what their teachers are trying to teach them. Addi started 5th grade and this is her first year having a male teacher. Parker started 2nd grade, and Emmy is in her last year of preschool. Addi wants to work with animals when she grows up, Parker says he wants to work at a bank like dad, and Emmy says she wants to be a hunter with Grandpa larry's dog bella. The kids really do love school, and I don't have to fight them to get up or to get their homework done. Knock on wood that is how they will stay. 

On Tuesday the 20th, Ty woke up a little early and decided to head down to the basement to shower. Next thing I know I hear him yelling Chels!! The basement is flooded. Right then I knew exactly what had happened. Emmy had been helping dad water the grass and the flowers and forgot to turn of the hose. I had asked her if she had turned it off and she had told me yes. The hose had been on for 12 hours full bore. Dad was pretty darn mad, but I looked at Emmy and said this is what happens when water is left on. We need to make sure any type of water is turned off. Sad lesson we all had to learn. 

It was coming through the office window. Service master came and ripped out all the carpet that it affected as well as the baseboards. Then they set up dryers for the next 3 days to help dry out the wood. I didn't get any pictures of the baseboards out and the sheet rock under the office window gone. Insurance saved the day and we were able to get it all put back together. 

With some of the  left over carpet we used it for the kids to have a magic carpet. 

Addi and Parker don't get enough credit for what good big siblings they are. They are my extra set of hands and really are such big helps. I am so grateful for them and their attitudes towards everything. I am very blessed. 

We had a lake day with the neighbors. Wish we could have gotten up there more. The kids had so much fun. Maybe next summer? 

We only made it once to raspberry pick, but we at least made it. We love taking friends with us. 

On August 3rd, Cassi's daughter Randi got married. She had asked the little girls to be some of her flower girls. Emmy loved it and Lyn did good until she saw that Emmy was too far infant of her and so she dropped her bucket and took off the other way. 

These two have quite the imagination when they aren't fighting. I love listening to their conversations. 

At the provo library they had a little play place set up in the attic of the building. The kids all had so much fun playing up there and using their imaginations. 

My friend Nicole from college and I went to the Backstreet Boys concert on the 7th. She was so much fun to go with and was a total Backstreet lover. I wish she didn't live so far away in Logan so that we could get together more often. 

This was the last day of swimming lessons. The kids always love going down the slide and off the diving board. This was Emmy's first year doing it, and she did really good! 

Park and Lyn playing with a watermelon. Lyndin love eating watermelon, but I guess she likes playing with it as well. 

I introduced my mom to citrus pear. It was fun making meals together. 

One Sunday before church, I just wanted pictures of us with the kids. I don't feel like I get pictures with them very often because I'm always behind the camera. 

On the 10th, we went up to SLC and celebrated Emily Van Dyke's birthday. It was fun to spend some adult time with our friends. 

In provo at the river woods mall they have a chalk art contest. We went and walked around the parking lot and looked at all the talented artists. 

Poor Lyn caught hand foot mouth. Luckily it didn't go any farther than up to her elbow. We were quarantined to our house for 10 days because it can be so contagious. Her poor fingers were blistered pretty bad. We had to just wait it out and giver her ibuprofen to help with the pain. 

A sad event happened on the 11th. Mr. Rodger ran away while we were up at Grandma Shelly's. Addi was so heart broken. We looked all over for him that night, and then all day the next day. She said all she wanted for Chirstmas was for Rodger to come home. She always said, I've prayed to Heavenly Father so he will help me find him right? WE had to have to hard discussion that yes, heavenly father knows where rodger is, but that doesn't mean that we will find him. If we can't find him, then we pray to heavenly father to help us not feel so sad. It was a good learning experience for all of us. The whole family felt really bad for Addi and she got lots of extra hugs. 

Parker went with Grandma Debbie for a couple nights down to Bryce Canyon to do some hiking. 

I put this dress on Emmy and I had a flash back to Addi wearing it when she was this age. I had to do a comparison. 

Emmy has been my little photographer lately. She caught me doing what I love to do. 

I read the autobiography of Mr. Fred Rodger. I really liked these quotes from him. 

I don't nap very often. But when I do it is because I am exhausted. One day I was actually napping and Emmy come running up telling me I need to come downstairs to look at something. I tell her to take my phone and take pictures of it instead. She comes up and shows me these pictures. She had cleaned up the living room for me and was so proud of it. I made sure to give her extra praise and hugs. Her doing this was a huge deal. 

My mom invited me to do BYU education week with her the week of the 20-23rd. I haven't gone education week since I was a teenager. It was so so so uplifting. I wrote lots of notes down, and I felt my testimony grow so much. I definitely want to make it a yearly thing for myself. 

I ran into Whitney Phillips grandma robb in one of our classes about grieving. Such a sweet lady! 

On the 24th we had a wedding later that evening in west jordan. Nana and Grandpa had taken all the kids for a sleep over the night before. I have been telling Ty that I had been wanting to get up the SLC temple before they close it down to do renovations. It will be closed for 3 years. With us not having kids that day we decided to spend it at the temple. It was such a great day of service and spending time with him. We went over the the beehive house and learned about Brigham young as well. We haven't done that tour since were both kids. The wedding we went to was great too, and it was nice to see the Harris family. 

I walked outside right as I saw Emmy take a snip of her hair with scissors. I yelled for her to drop them and of course she knew she was in trouble so she started to cry. She had cut Lyndin's too, but at the time I could only see a small piece that she had cut of Lyn's. But when I went to take them the next day I noticed that she had given Lyn a few little bangs too. I asked Emmy if she had gone to school to learn how to cut hair? She of course told me no, and then I told her we don't cut hair with scissors only people that go to school get to do that. So now she has a cute little bob with some bangs.  Always keeping me on my toes...