July 4th

My favorite holiday. And it had ALL  the necessary ingredients--horse back rides, flags, parade, cousins, bbq, dad's homemade rootbeer from a 5 galloon bucket, slip 'n slide, and fireworks. Really, it just could not have been a better day. I teared up more than once. Definitely grateful for my country and freedom. And for a family to celebrate that with.

I have SOOOO many cousin pictures and just not enough scrolling and uploading juice. But just know that mom's sign "Grandma's house-where cousins come to become best friends." was definitely true.

My absolute favorite picture of the day. Which kept getting deleted in my text conversation with my brother. So I had to ask him for it three separate times. He only mocked me a little--but he kept sending it! Haha. Along the back of the table: Mom, Lynnaea, Danica, Hazel, Devaney, me, Russ, Kiersten, Kami, Kourtney. Front of table:Chezney, Ruthie, Isabel

From front left curving back to front right: Devaney, Ruthie, Harriet, Eli, Molly, Nicolas, Isabel

Journey, Ruthie, Nicolas

Molly and Clover. Or "Clevo" as Molly called her. They became fast friends this summer and it was very, very cute. Molly is 6 months older--they will be friends for life!

Grandma was amazing and spent some serious time pitching to Will. He was glowing! He was thrilled to be practicing baseball with Grandma!

This was so much fun. It was even dark yet--but I have never heard so much cheering over fireworks!

Back row on tramp: Elena, Emeline, Clover, Molly, Ruthie. Front Row: Harriet, Oskar, Will, Nicolas, Sebastian, Eli, Isabel

Nicolas, Will, and Oskar --I can't remember how close in age Nicolas is to them, but Will and Oskar are only three weeks apart and they all played so great!

Be still my heart. Ruthie followed grandpa around like that ALL. SUMMER. LONG.

Mom and I took my kids to the Hyrum Fireworks. They were perfect. Short, quick parking, quick getting out, and made my child's eyes sparkle.

We were freezing. Elena was amazing and let my kids have most of the blankets.

It was pretty much what summertime dreams are made of.

Ruth's *actual* birthday! 7!

Ruth turned seven years old.

I am in complete denial.

HOW IN THE WORLD IS SHE THAT OLD?!?!?!

We spent the morning at the Logan River Walk and it was gorgeous and shady and beautiful and magical. Grandma kept everyone happy by singing songs and making up games and we threw rocks in at the end.

Jamba Juice because the pregnant mama had been craving a smoothie.

Kourtney texted me as we were finishing up at the river walk and said there was story time up at the Nature Center in the canyon. We'd already been up there once and my kids LOVED it, so we joined in!

This mud kitchen is probably the messiest, and most AWESOME kid place I have ever been to.

Nothing like a boat buried in dirt to try to contain Russ! haha

Mom watched the other kids while I took Ruthie to lunch at the Bluebird Cafe. She was THRILLED. I don't think she's ever been to a sit down restaurant (the closest being Chick-fil-a maybe?) and to be with *just* mom was extra cool. PLUS they let her pick ANYTHING off their dessert menu to have for free for her birthday. She picked a GIANT mint chocolate chip shake with  whipped cream and a cherry and the entire glass bottle was seriously taller than her. She was in HEAVEN. I was dying inside the entire time--being able to focus on just her was wonderful, but I couldn't get over that she wasn't just my little tiny three year old and her conversations were so grown up and we were chatting the entire time--about all sorts of things. How do I have a baby girl big enough to chat with for over an hour about all sorts of topics and feel like I'm just out with a friend!?!?!?!?!? We talked about all of her favorite things at the beginning so that I could write it all down--I'm not sure what I remember, but here's some:

Favorite color: pink

Favorite food: spaghetti and pizza

Most excited to: start first grade!

Favorite part of school: seeing her friends and computers and art projects and media

What do you want to be when you grow up? A teacher. And a ballerina.

Favorite ice cream: mint, chocolate

I had her bite the lemon. It was hilarious. She ordered spaghetti--her favorite!

That afternoon they put the sprinkler under the tramp and beat the heat. They did that a LOT this summer and I am so glad--it reminds me of just being a kid and just enjoying the laziness. Not going anywhere and not paying for anything and not being busy--just being in the backyard. I cannot wait to have a backyard someday!!! It was seriously SO RELAXING to send them out to play and just check out the window now and again and make sure everyone was there and happy.

Grandma made her a pink chocolate cake with sprinkles and she loved it!

She got to open a couple of presents before her birthday party!

I love you, my Ruthie.