Finally...

I am trying to get back to blogging now that our boys are in preschool! (Yippee, oh yeah, you know it!) Don't get me wrong, I love my boys! but I do need a break...yes I am excited to have them in preschool and they are just as excited to be there! They just started on Tuesday and are totally loving it!! They didn't even say 'bye' to us. I wasn't that surprised but I think Andy was a little. They are just getting so big and so much fun but also a little challenging as well. Our days consist of school, playing, wrestling matches, someone gets hurt, wrestling matches, someones hurt, wrestling matches, someones hurt, soccer, bed! I decided I may just start wearing a black and white striped referee shirt! Ha ha! Boys will be boys and I love it! Parker is taking steps and can totally walk, but only when he chooses and if I try to make him walk his legs turn into jello! I think he is probably going to give us a run for our money when he can talk and walk! But he is just so stinkin' cute, I mean handsome! He loves to ride skateboards and play with balls and just do whatever his brothers are doing. As of lately he has started walking on his own though. So I really have needed to post our trip to Utah at the beginning of August, I know I am a slacker! There are soooo many pictures so I will try to let them do most of the talking...

We had so much fun! And we were so crazy busy!! We saw soccer games, hung out with family and had BBQ's. We went and saw the dinosaur exhibit at Thanksgiving Point! That was a lot of fun and Andy and I commented that we don't think we have ever seen that many kids under the age of probably 6 in...well...EVER! Then I heard a mom say that it was $2 tuesday so then it all made perfect sense. Seriously I have never seen so many kids! Our boys loved it especially digging for fossils! We went and visited Grandma and Grandpa "Peaches" and saw a lot of my cousins there too. The boys always love going there because they get to have peach shakes, ride on the 4-wheelers, and ride on a little gardening box on wheels over, and over, and over again until the tops of their shoes almost have holes! They love it and we love watching them almost crash into the stairs every time! We went to my grandparents barn and have dinner and rode the 4-wheeler. My grandma bought squirt guns for all the great-grandkids and little did they know what they were starting!!! It was WAR! and then the parents started to get in on the action! Needless to say, most of us were drenched by the end of it, but oh it was so much fun! Then we had our "Staycation" that my mom did an AWESOME job putting together! She went to so much work and it showed because we all had a Fabulous time! We went swimming and then onto a picture scavenger hunt to visit my great-grandparents graves. My grandma and grandpa Shaum were there to talk about my great-grandparents and not just a few minutes into it the sprinklers came on and oh how I wish my video camera was on at that moment! Can you imagine 28 people running in all different directions to avoid getting wet! Can I just say...HILARIOUS!

Then we made t-shirts and family flags and hiked to the top of Ensign Peak in Salt Lake. That was fun...and hot...and thank you to all my family members who helped me because Andy was back at home working. Our family wouldn't have made it to the top without you!!

My parents and my Brother Tanner

The 2 boys "Hamming" it up

The Kaps

The Sandalls

The Stuckis

Me and the Boys (Andy had already returned to Oregon for work. We all missed him.)

The Tuellers

Then comes our famous...Money rolling game that has become tradition. Us adults wrap tape around our children and my dad puts money on a tarp and 3, 2, 1...Let the rolling begin! They try to get as much money as they can stuck to their tape. It is a joy and I think the parents get a bigger kick out of it than the kiddos!

And then we were off to "This is the place state park", where they hammered on leather and Benson even got his face shaved. Totally pretend though, except that there was a little cut on his chin that the "barber" said was there before. Ahh, Benson enjoyed it and all the kids watching had fun too! Now, off to Ryker's football game, ordering tons of Chick-fil-A and the movie 'Rio' on the back of the house with popcorn and donuts....And that is just day 2!!

Day three was Kangaroo Zoo...a bunch of blow up bouncy things and then BBQ and swimming. At least until one of the kiddos swallowed too much water and threw up in the pool. But it was time to go anyway...We finished it off with dinner and then and adult talk session of memories! I love this time to just sit and chat with my siblings and their spouses and my parents. I love my family and am so thankful for all the memories! Thank you MOM and DAD for such a fun staycation. What will it be next year??? Cruise!??

We also had a chance to hang out at the park with our dear friends Holly and her adorable kids, Taylin, Maren, and Austen! They moved back to Utah at the end of July and I am sooo sad that I don't get to see them anymore! Holly is the friend everyone wants to have! And I feel totally blessed that I have met her! She once gave me a quote that said "Friends are chosen family" and if I could pick and add a sister to my family I would totally pick Holly! She is an awesome mom too! She handles being a mom of twins like it is nothing!! Oh how I miss her! It was just great to spend time with her like we used to...hanging out at the parks. Our boys sure miss Taylin too. She was like a sister to them. They always wanted to play with Taylin and sometimes I think my boys would rather have Holly as their mom than me! Our kids had fun being photographers at the park too! They may just have a new profession! haha

Benson and Taylin

Loggan and Maren

Tayson and Taylin

Sadly our trip had to end and we made the long drive home. On the way home we stopped to see the Brigham City temple that is being built. It is BEAUTIFUL! and then we began the drive home...not a few minutes into it I could hear Benson sniffing and I asked what was wrong. As I turned around he began to sob and said that he wanted to see Grandma. Which started a chain reaction in Loggan and a little in Tayson. They were so sad and I began to cry (I am a cry baby). It just touched both Andy and I at the impact that family truly has on our boys and we are so blessed to have such wonderful families that our children cry when they have to leave them!