Happy Summer...we've finally got some awesome hot sunny weather going on and have been enjoying our backyard oasis. Love the 24 ft pool! It's really hard to catch up on one's blog when it's summer I've discovered, especially with only one computer in the house and come night time the hubs homework online comes first. I do look forward to getting a record down of our great summer with Grace here as well as Ave growing up so, so {too} fast.
Ave: The little thing is just jolly. She's constantly bouncing from happiness. Delightful. She finally got some teeth this past month...3...jack-o'-lantern style and started really crawling on July 30th. She's been scooting {mostly backwards} for a month I think and spent a lot of time on all fours, but with her legs fully extended like she just really wanted to stand up and walk away. She's done great with the pool and I am so happy to have another water baby on my hands! Man, does this little baby have some hair! People comment wherever we go. It's fun and sometimes funny, especially when total strangers look like they are having arm spasms as they try to resist touching her head. Her little personality is really showing and it's so fun to watch her grow and change. She is very serious about her food though, if you want to see her not so jolly show her some food she can't have!! She's a little thumb sucker too btw. She is still a really good sleeper and just a sweetheart overall.
Tay: She's sleeping better, long days in the sun and pool don't hurt. She is such an entertainer. Not so much let me sing & dance for you, but more stand-up comedian type. That girl is a hoot and a diva. Just now she told her dad that she really wants to go outside, but her hair's just not right. And last week when I asked her to go get her clothes and she wanted me to do it for her, she sunk down on her knees in front of me with her hands clasped and said "please mom, you're my only hope!" lol She's all about swimming. She jumps off the top of the ladder and was swimming with a smaller jacket thingy...float on chest/back type of thing you'll see in the pics, but now she's down to waterwings. The other day I was reading my Kindle in a ziploc {love!} and told her she could sit on the ladder until she got her floats on, but after a few minutes she was like "mom, I can do it" and just jumped in. She swam! Not a strong swim honestly, but a swim to learn from and getting herself up above the water when she started to sink down. And after I got her/she swam to me...she wanted to do it again! She's turning into a total fish and I love it!
Khi: He's loving having Grace here and really wants to be and feels like one of the "big kids." Unfortunately, that got him in trouble when we were camping and he decided to go for a night swim with the big kids after we told him no. Yeah. BIG trouble. He and I had an episode a week ago Sunday when I just couldn't take the disrespectful attitude anymore. Not my proudest moment, but long overdue. This past week since then has been one our smoothest in years. Unfortunately, he's still pretty quick to cop attitude with Rob so that's our next point of focus. He is overall still just an awesome big brother. He loves riding his bike, swimming and of course video games. The latter as well as hanging with friends haven't been added back yet since the whole night swimming episode...that and he stayed home while the whole family went to a birthday party the day we got back from camping, so I think he realized we were serious. He's been doodling a lot and of course getting creative with his Lego's. He's also jumped on board the friendship bracelet wagon and is sporting 3 of his works of art as I type. I love that he finds joy in creating!
GG: It's been interesting to adjust to life with a teenager around for sure. It's been remarkably smooth really, the few differences we've come accross have been very easily talked over and moved on from. I'm really grateful that she's such a great girl overall. She's helped a lot with her siblings and with chores, but it's definitely been a more relaxed childhood summer for her here and that makes us happy. She's jumped right into Mutual {weeky activity w/girls her age within our church} and is making good friends with the girls at church as well as hanging with her cousin Morisa a lot. She went to a big multi-stake dance and had a really great time. She's even going on the trek! Lots of sewing on my part and lots of preperation on her part, but I'm really excited for her to get the opportunity to have that experience. And man is it a stress relief to have a babysitter! She's been doing some babysitting outside of the house too, which has been good for her to get some of her own spending money. Her and Khi have been arguing more than in years past, but that comes with the ages I'm sure. At least they fall right back into normal sibling relationships after not seeing eachother for 2 years huh? She's still really fun and entertaining and a very animated and we all love that!
Rob: He's still plugging away at school, almost done with his AA. Pray he can get some direction & clarity on what to do when he grows up though please. ;) Other than that he's doing the ward missionary thing, which he loves as well as teaching Sunday school once a month or so. Last week he was asked to go speak in another ward and then came back to our ward where he did something for sharing time in Primary and then taught Elder's quorum. {If you have no idea what all these things mean, they are all terms used in our church and feel free to ask questions, I'd love to explain.} We haven't gotten him in the pool yet, but tonight's the night. I've been saving my sure-fire way to get him in..."but, it's our family activity for FHE!" We even got the volleyball set up in the pool...so dinner, bike ride, quick lesson, pool and maybe even smores around the firepit for the Wallace's! Overeall, this is the most unselfiish, dedicated, committed, sweetest husband around and I LOVE that!!
Me: I've just been trying to get my fun & relax time in outside in the pool while trying {key word} to keep some order in the house. Some days are definitely better than others, some weeks the laundry gets folded and then just sits there on the couch for days. I signed up for a bracelet swap on a friends blog. I got the emails and names for 3 strangers/new friends and was super excited to get started. I started, realized it wasn't as easy as I remembered, took it all out and started over. I guess I mostly used to do stripes, because the left side of the chevron design was not working for me! I won't let something so small get the best of me though. I've been watching my Bachelorette, SYTYCD, and Big Brother of course and reading like crazy. School and schedules are sneeking up on me WAY too fast! It's been fun on the night's we've kept the TVoff and played cards with the kids. We've discovered that we love playing Spades against Khi n GG. We borrowed my mom n dad's bikes and got a bike trailer off Craigslist recently so I'm hoping to start getting some good family rides on. Oh, and so noteworthy I know, but I had bought myself some of the Sally Hansen nail shields for Mother's day...and just finally used them 2 days ago. Man, they are so easy and cute...I don't know what I was waiting for!! LOVE. Hence, the pic of my feet btw. ;) Tay didn't appreciate me applying the extra to her fingers when she was sleeping, but the little flowers are so darn cute on those little fingers!
