Hey fam!

So I just thought I'd share some official stuff with you :) I feel so accomplished and proud of myself for graduating from college, especially less than a year after having David. Now call me crazy, but I'm so excited to be doing 1 more year of school! I'm starting my cosmetology program in September! It will take less than a year and I am terrified and thrilled. 

Everyone is invited to my graduation on August 14! There will be a party afterwards!! 

Here is an email that says I graduated from Brigham Young University. An end. 

And here is my official start date for cosmetology. A beginning.

Missing...

Every week I think, "I really should blog..." and then I consider that, well, I really don't have much to say.  And then the action goes un-actioned.  (I have no idea if is is a word or not.)  But today, I am thinking how much I appreciate the pictures and short messages that keep us all connected so I will endeavor to do more...

First, WOW IS THIS FAMILY BLESSED!  Mom and I, as we have knelt in prayer, and in our discussions, have been truly overwhelmed with the love and kindness given to our family by our Heavenly Father.  Sometimes we just want to say prayers of gratitude and ponder on the goodness.  Today is one such day.  We love you all and are grateful for the sacred things happening in all of our lives. 

Last week we had our stake Youth Conference.  One of the highlights of my year.  Our youth numbers are up YOY, partly thanks to April joining our Stake.  We had a great experience.  Here are some pictures. 

We had a service project at the temple where we re-mulched paths and other part of the grounds.  Some areas could not be reached with wheelbarrows so buckets were used.  It is estimated that we filled and moved over 4,000 buckets of mulch.

April and Amanda McDonald.  Amanda was baptized the evening we returned from Youth Conference.  It was a wonderful experience to have her participate and give leadership to our youth.  Wish she were in our ward. 

The Front Royal Ward youth and leaders. 

Photo Friday

Daddy falls asleep on the floor and...

Jaime and Vida really love their swimming classes. Jaime is doing really well and
Vida loves the water but doesn't seem to love the things they're trying to teach her :)

Vida finished her tumbling class and got a little plastic medal.

Ava helping me pick basil.

Bedtime sweet sister love, after some toddler craziness where she bit them first.

Photo Friday! Boom! First one!

He really loves his bunny. We find him like this often. It's adorable. 

This Ian's Garner have spent our evenings and nights doing this week. Packing up Patrick's dad's books. 

David also loves watching the clothes go around and around. It's also so freaking adorable. 

Y'all already saw this, but it is SO worth blogging. It's one of the most coolestest wonderfulest thing I have ever done gotten....

We played hard this day at the splash pad and he fell asleep right on me! It was great and we had a 2 hour nap. 

We visited grandma and grandpa a lot while the Packard's were staying there. We went swimming and David loved it! Isn't this picture precious? 

Made it!!!!!!!!!!

So much to do, so exhausted, so blessed. We made it!

Sent via the Samsung GALAXY S®4 Active™, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone

On Sunday I Do Pictures

Joshua making his first homemade pasta. 

Hyrum helped. 

Tomatoes!

Just chilling. 

Jacob helping me distress a woodworking project with a big old chain. 

Just in case anyone forgot our tornado. 

After everyone had been at camp, the three oldest sat down and shared their weeks, one day at a time. It was delightful to walk in on then sharing and talking and showing interest in one another. 

Joshua had "Spock" fork this morning. That was noteworthy. 

Photo Friday

Sorry to be absent from Photo Friday for a bit. But I do love the texting group we have. I love that technology can connect us even though we're so far apart.

One of Ava's favorite things: playing in the drips from the soaker hose. 

The girls in the art room at Thanksgiving Point's children's museum.

Vida making letter Y out of pretzels for preschool time.

Jaime's new ballet class. She is totally in love, but probably more with the outfit than the class. 

Vida finished her first Hooked on Phonics book and I asked her what she wanted to do to celebrate. She chose getting a treat without having to do her chores and have preschool time - a day off. This is them enjoying the muddy buddies she chose.

Ava's Primary Children's CF appointment. They basically told us the exact same thing  as last time. Her lungs look completely fine but they want her to gain weight. Pretty much an hour and a half lecture about her needing to put on weight. I felt super discouraged by the end, but talked with her pediatrician later and he made me feel better about how she's doing. Now can someone please tell me how to make a baby chubby?!?! Everyone else can do it.

Photo Friday

This has been a busy camping week with Jacob at Day Camp and Michael at Scout Camp.  Joshua has been a trooper taking care of all of the animals.  But Hyrum learned a new trick that I just had to share with you.

He climbed into the chicken coop and then crawled through the chicken door to get into the run.  He even caught a hen who let him pet her.  I wasn't fast enough to capture it, but I did take a picture of him in the run.  He had to go back through the coop to get out.  Oh my!  He definitely had a shower after that!

I hope everyone had a great week!

In the middle of an intense cooking competition. Three rounds, pulled out all the leftovers. Judged on creativity, presentation, and flavor. So fun. Cutthroat kitchen was their inspiration. 

Sent via the Samsung GALAXY S®4 Active™, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone

Photo Friday

Vida's first tumbling class. Justin surprised her with a rose.

Now that Justin works from home 2 days a week, he gets to spend his breaks having children crawl all over him trying to feed him animal crackers. He says he likes it.

Just such a happy chocolate face.

Muddy happy kids.

Hosing off muddy kids.

Water balloons. Simple joys. Endless enjoyment.

Our Sunday morning caravan to the church.

Letting them "put makeup on me." I must really love them.

Photo Friday

I hope you were all sitting down when you saw that I actually blogged on Friday!!!  I am just as amazed!  Well, it is nice to have a little time before date night.  :)  Someone needs to teach me how to put pictures together, so I can make my posts look nicer.  ;)

Someone is getting too big for laps!

I love it when Jacob plays with the little ones.  He is really good at it and they always have fun! 

We had a great time at Going Bonkers.  The boys have been working hard in the garden and with the animals that we decided we needed a play day.  

They all played very hard!

I didn't get to go in the big part with the big boys, but they went over my head! 

They were very tired and red faced by the end!

Funny enough the one that enjoyed it the most is the one that gave me the grump face.

No grump faces here, though.

These two had a blast!

Ok, so I must like grump faces because this one gave such an impressive one that I had to take a picture.  Haircuts during nap time doesn't seem like the best idea.

So much basil!  Sorry it is blurry, but he just doesn't stop moving!

Well, it was a fun week.  I hope everyone has a great 4th of July!