July is always a busy month for our family. We've got the 4th, my birthday, and Avery's birthday all exactly one week apart and so the past three weekends have been pretty busy!
On my birthday, Josh was supposed to have to work all weekend. I was pretty bummed, but I had asked him over and over, "So there's no way you can take my birthday off, right?" and he kept saying, "I wish I could but it's just too busy at work right now." So I was sad. But Stacey came on Friday and I was just expecting to hang out with the rand the kids all weekend. Then on Saturday (he had worked Friday night and didn't get home till 6am Saturday) I went down to the kitchen to find flowers in a vase with a card that said "Wake me up at 11am because *surprise* i got your birthday off today!" So I was happy, but yet mad at him for lying to me all week! Once he did wake up, he had it all planned that we would go up to West Yellowstone and see the show "Damn Yankees" at the Playmill Theater. It was pretty fun. We were talking recently about how neither of us had ever been there, so he must have filled that in his brain and then secretly gotten tickets for the show on my birthday. ;) I would say the performers were very talented, but the venue they had was very small and could definitely use some sprucing up! Bit the whole evening was fun and it worked out well with Stacey there to watch our kids! They had fun going to the spray park and to McDonald's and then seeing the "Minions" movie. They probably love it when we leave. haha So that was my birthday!
Then we just celebrated Avery's birthday yesterday! We did her party at Porter Park again and I set up the table with some food and her nice fancy cake that Ashley Wheeler made. Everything was "pink and gold" themed. We had a piñata but that was the only real planned game I did, mostly the kids just played at the park and the moms sat on blankets and chatted. ;) People who came included: Harper (Hemsley, parents Barbara and Ryan and her baby sitter, Briar), all of the Call girls (Lindsey is their mom), Mallory Cooper (Jessie), Kendalin (she came with her grandma and her aunt since Brittani and Jay were in Ireland!), Michele Heaps and her three little boys (Owen, Crew, and Jameson), Megan Grigg (her kids are Aidan and Londyn), and then all of my family! I think that was it! So it was a pretty big crowd! We had fun. All the kids got balloons and a little treat bag (and candy from the piñata once it finally broke) and then I made these little "magic wands". I requested no presents because I honestly think she has plenty of toys as it is and didn't want anyone to feel weird about what to bring. So when we got home, we had her open presents which included a Princess Sofia music player with microphone (so cute watching her sing along), a Peppa Pig doll house, play doh to make "ice cream", some puzzles, a skirt, and a princess bedtime stories book.
The other thing that has kept us bust the past couple weeks is the boys' soccer. Gabe is on a really strong team this Summer again. His coach is Coach Fullmer again (a parent volunteer) and they have some really good players. Gabe and Caleb are both on the younger side of their divisions (because they are divided up into two grades per division) but they are both doing well and seem to be holding their own. ;) Caleb's team has won some and lost some but he always seems to be having fun. Gabe's team I don't think has lost one game yet. They will both also do flag football starting at the end of August (soccer ends on July 31st) Avery also just finished her Summer toddler preschool at BYUI so now she is just in this little weekly Imagine If class at Rexburg Gymnastics Center and that is it. We have been to Rexburg Rapids swimming just once recently. So we probably should go there at least one more time and get our punch pass used up! Today after church we went and picked huckleberries! We were a little bummed because we drove out there only to find two cars parked in "our secret spot"! I think Gabe was the most upset about it. He even refused to pick huckleberries in a different spot we had found because it wasn't "our good spot!" lol But we did still leave with some huckleberries so it was alright. I just think lots of people were up there today and lots have been going lately.
That's all for now! Here are some pics! Haha there is only one that includes the boys… lol
