Our New Normal

Everyone keeps asking if we're "settled" into the new house.  I'm not sure how to answer that. Yes. We're not living out of boxes anymore and I've learned how to use all the appliances. But no I don't feel necessarily settled. Probably because I feel like I still have SO much to do.   I thought I was done with all the decisions. Ha!  So many to go!  But I am enjoying the new house!  Like my ginormous sink, the perfect tub for Knox!

 

And I'm still in love with my neighborhood!  We can walk to church, which is heavenly, unless you're holding a baby and walking in heels.  I can't wait to see it all dressed in fall orange and yellow!

 

And I love that my kids can do what kids are supposed to do, go on adventures, catch minnows in the river, collect rocks, climb trees and make homes for snakes and other critters.



And finally my boys can ride bikes without worrying about much traffic.



Maeby took a while to get settled.  She was an emotional basket case for the first week or two.  She wasn't sure what was going on and glued herself to my side every second of the day.  But she's settling down and now happily tromps around the yard chasing squirrels.



Next big project is gettin' ourselves a yard to match the ones in the neighborhood.  Our weeds, dirt and rocks are quite an eye sore in comparison.
 
Not that any of my neighbors would say anything.  We have the nicest neighbors!  Even before we moved in they were reaching out to us, wanting to get to know us.  And oh the goodies that arrived the first week we moved in!  Dinner, cinnamon bread, garden yummies, homemade bread and lots of cookies!

 

We're happy to finally be home!



Once the moving was over we realized the end of summer had suddenly arrived!  We felt like terrible parents when the kids reminded us that we hadn't been camping once. Like zero. We'd been promising the kids a trip but hadn't been able to squeeze it in…. but we finally made it happen, on the very last weekend before school started.  We invited our cousins, packed up the camping gear (that we could find in all the boxes) and headed up the canyon.

 

Actually my sister April and her family followed me and my kiddos up the canyon. My sister Holly was going to meet us up there and our husbands would make it up after work. Well, that was the plan anyway. What actually happened was quite different. I was following my husbands advice to head to the top of the canyon which required me to drive on an itty bitty dirt road with a CLIFF on one side and absolutely no room for a car coming in the opposite direction to pass. We're talking white knuckles clinging to the steering wheel, prayers being said, kids screaming about how high up we were, kind of driving (oh and I may have been cursing my husband silently). My sister April was having the same experience in the car behind me.  Once we got to the top we had a few problems. One, no cell service. This means we couldn't call my sister Holly or my husband to tell them where we were. Two, there was no way in heaven and earth I was driving back down that road. I even considered walking. Sadly Holly and her boys never heard from us, so they headed home (we're still SOOOO sorry Holly!).

 

Bryan and Devin finally found us (and were completely amazed that we had made it up that far) when it was almost dark. We had already set up camp and were quite proud of ourselves!  The tents were up,

 

fire was made (thanks to lots of little helpers),

 

and dinner had been eaten.

 

Nothing better than our camping favorites, hot dogs and smores!

 

Knox only wanted Cheetos.

 

Cason ate his fare share too!

 

We only stayed one (long cold) night but that was plenty of time to have lots of fun. The boys played football.

 

 Played with fire

 



 Rode bikes

 

Enjoyed being with their cousins

 

Hiked (in our jammies)

 

 And explored.

 

 Though it was totally rattling to get up that canyon, in the end it was worth it. I love being out in God's gorgeous earth, enjoying my babies and their darling dirty faces. And no. I didn't drive my car back down the canyon. I made my brother in law do it.

 

As soon as we got home we got ready to celebrate Tessa's 4th birthday! She wore her favorite yellow dress for her pictures and party!

 

 I had a hard time with her birthday photo shoot. She wanted to pose like this for every picture.

 

 And as expected she requested the ever popular Frozen themed birthday cake (Disney, I think we're ALL ready for a new movie favorite).

 

Probably one of the easiest birthday cakes I've done. Just a couple dolls, ice cream cone trees and some rock candy. (past birthday cakes)

 

It was a hit!

 

 Especially with Knox.

 

Cousins came over to celebrate. It was a funny looking party. Nine boys (cousins and brothers) all oohing and aahing over pink princess presents.

 

She's our princess.

 

 The following day, the party ended for my boys (and began for me!). It was the first day of school!  All 3 boys are now full time students!

 

Ty, my 4th grader!  Excited that he's an upper grader now.



Brans, my 3rd grader.  Happy that all his friends are in his class.



And Cason, my 1st grader, who is THRILLED that he gets to bring his lunch, check out books at the library and play on the big playground.



 This all means no more days like this for mama!  Well, at least until next summer.

 

Everyone's first day went great!  And I have to admit I was excited for them to get home.  The traditional HUGE cookie was waiting for each of them.  They eat while I ask questions!



 Stuffed in between all these fun things were a few ordinary and not so ordinary things this month.  There was lots of teeth pulling.

 

 The forced, pulled by daddy, teeth (4 canines!)

 

 And the kind that just fall out of your head (4 teeth in about 4 weeks!)

 

 There was plenty of golfing.  I'm enjoying it more and more.  Mostly I like hanging out with my husband doing something he loves.

 

And some double dates.  Yep golfing again.  That's my sister and no, her boyfriend is not Sean Lowe from the Bachelor :)

 

There was also Scouts and getting signed up for all the upcoming fall activities.

 

 And we even made it up to Ogden for the Temple Open House.  The kids were so excited to be able to go through the temple.  It's beautiful!

And so it begins, another shift in our every day normal.  A new schedule.  A new house.  An exciting time.

And let's not forget that fall is just around the corner!!!