Ruby Turns 7!

Ruby turned 7 & seems to be growing up right before my eyes. At 7 years old she loves Barbies, playing with friends, anything sweet, monkey bars, school, & being the center of attention. She's bubbling over with personality & is loud & silly but also sweet & kind. She's a great helper, natural care-giver, & has a strong will. She's definitely a girl who knows who she is & what she wants, & I admire that about her. She appreciates the little things & that's always been one of the reasons that her birthdays are so fun. She soaks up every little part of it & is filled with excitement. Ruby, we adore you & couldn't imagine our life without you! Happy Birthday!!!

Here are a few things I want you to remember: 

1. The kinder you are, the more beautiful you become. 

2. Be a first-rate version of yourself, not a second-rate version of someone else. 

3. Quality is always better than quantity. 

4. Give yourself time - time to grow, time to learn, time to become. 

Back to School

Here are some pictures of the kids' first days of school. Ruby started 1st grade & Noah has another year of Pre-K. Both have great teachers & while back to school is always so bittersweet, so far they both seem to be doing really well. 

Zion National Park

Our last stop was a quick one at Zion National Park. I tried my best to talk the kids out of this one, but in the end, majority ruled. I love Zion & I don't know how we've ever managed to survive there without a/c. It was so hot & thankfully they had hookups for our camper so we were set with all of the amenities. We did our usual hike down the Narrows, played in the water, & got our fill of that gorgeous red rock before heading home the next day. 

"Hey Bekah, I bet you I can pet that deer"

So many fun rock "slides"

And that's a wrap! We survived! 3 weeks in camper & we lived to tell the tale! It was a great trip that we'll always remember. Tyler is already planning our next trip & we've made an agreement that he can't talk to me about camping for at least 6 months...I just need some time to forget...but it was a great experience for our family. Nothing creates stronger bonds quite like nature, close quarters, & hard work. Now somebody give me a trophy or something!

Utah

We spent 2 nights in Utah visiting family & friends - Tyler's aunt is always so good to us & let us stay in her basement & is an amazing cook. There's always family coming in & out so it's fun to be able to see everyone. The first day we got to see Jeremy, Cassie & Roy & had a fun time catching up. I'm so grateful for them & love that we all love each other so much. We've created something really great, & I'm really proud of it. 

Then we celebrated Tyler's Grandpa's birthday & the kids were reunited with their 2nd cousins who they completely adore. I love watching these kids run around & play together & get along so well - they just seem to always pick right up where they left off & it just does my heart good. 

Tyler's grandparents. They are incredible & we were so glad we could be there to celebrate his Grandpa's birthday. My kids adore them & Ruby especially was so excited to see her Grandma Mor Mor again. She had the sweetest conversation with her when she saw her. After Ruby talked to her for a bit & hugged & kissed her she said, "I've been praying for you every day Mor Mor..." Everyone around said, "Awww" & I was so proud of that sweet little girl. And then she followed it up with, "...so you don't die." I did not see that one coming. Mor Mor just smiled & said, "Well, that's nice." as I slowly slinked out of the room pretending it never happened (really solid parenting on my part). This was one of the few times that I was grateful for Grandma Mor Mor's failing memory - all was forgotten in a few minutes & we had a great night! 

Washington

We were all so excited to arrive in Washington. My brother & his family live in Vancouver & we spent the 4th of July & a few more days with them. The cousins couldn't get along any better & had so much fun together. 

We spent one of the days at Cannon Beach in the cutest little beach town in Oregon. We ate amazing seafood & the kids played on the beach for hours. 

After a while we hiked to another beach & played some more. The kids were soaked & cold by the end & after a lot of clothes-swapping, ended up in too small semi-dry clothes. 

Then we ended the day at the Tillamook Cheese Factory. We watched cheese being made, sampled cheese, played, ate dinner & had ice cream there. 

4th of July! My brother went all out for the 4th this year, & put on quite the fireworks show. The kids loved it, & we had to go inside & grab sweatshirts which was quite a treat for us to Arizonans to be chilly on the 4th. 

Our stay in Washington was definitely one of the highlights of our trip. It was so fun to be with family that we don't get to see often enough, & watch the kids all playing together having so much fun. It felt just like summer should - adventures, kids staying up way too late, good food, & crashing once you got to bed because we were all so tired. The time went by way too fast & we were all sad to have to leave!