We went on vacation at the end of July, and when we came back, my computer was broken. Kaput. Dead. We spent some time trying to figure out if it could be saved, if I’d get a new one, if we were going to settle for just working with the ones we have (C’s new laptop he got last year when he got called to be executive secretary, which he takes with him and needs for his Sunday and Tuesday evening meetings and C’s 8 year old desktop that we kind of suspect will bite the dust one of these days anyway …) Then end result is that I went a while without knowing where to download pictures to, and this blog was sorely neglected. So, here’s the picture dump of the year:
Snowbird: My kids and I spent a week at Snowbird with my family. It was wonderful.
Whenever we spend time there, I think of all the people who are familiar with these hallways and places. Sure, we’re only there for a week, and only every other year or so, but it gets to feel like home.
There’s lots of fun stuff to do, but the best part is this:
Family. My Mom and my Grandma. Two of my favorite people in the world. LOVE this picture of the two of them.
We took the kids hiking, which means we walked for a little bit, and then we had snacks.
Snacking is serious business. I couldn’t get a smile while they had full mouths.
We rode the chairlift every chance we got. (And I discovered a newfound fear of heights. What?!!!)
J, on the other hand, after being terrified of the chairlift last year, couldn’t get enough of it. It was his favorite until he discovered the alpine slide and the mountain coaster.
Speaking of the alpine slide, my big girl got to go solo.
S started out going with an adult, but she went by herself her last time down the mountain.
It was a rainy day, and they closed the rides now and then, but because of the rain, we were practically the only ones on the rides. We hardly spent any time waiting in lines.
L discovered the zipline and rode it 5 times in a row with me … and then 9 times in a row with my uncle Ron. This is what her hair looked like afterwards.
Between rides, we hung out and watched the clouds rolling in. (Do you see my adorable niece there?! Oh my goodness, she’s such a cutie!)
My kids were the oldest there, which is odd for us, because my sister’s kids are usually there and keep us running. With just us, we spent more time just hanging out in the condo.
It was a great week, and so much fun to spend some quality time with my family. I loved it.
Welcome Home Uncle Kyle:
My little brother came home from his mission (Flordia Jacksonville Mission) right after we came home from Snowbird, so we hung out a few more days to see him and hear him give his homecoming talk.
We made some posters. They were handmade with love.
Other families had professional signs and t-shirts that spell out their missionary’s name. Wow. I had no idea.
We had to joke about the other family waiting for Uncle Kyle.
Then we waited … and waited …
And Kyle was a good boy, and one of the first missionaries down the escalator!
There might have been a tear or two shed …
And I forgot I own a camera for the rest of the weekend. My sis-in-law posted a ton of pictures from both Snowbird and Kyle’s homecoming to Facebook, and I got a cd of them to keep. I’m so glad there are other people out there who take pictures, because I just forget.
Raspberry Picking:
We had so much fun last year, I wanted to go pick raspberries again this year.
This year, J didn’t eat all of his, so that’s progress.
And I failed to take pictures of the raspberry-peach cobbler or the raspberry jam, but don’t worry, I assure you both of those things did happen.
First Day of School:
Then we had to get back to reality and go to school. L is in 3rd grade this year, and S is in 1st.
Look at this beautiful girl!!! How did she ever get so big?!
Same goes for this one. Wow.
They’re both settling in well, and I’m very happy with their teachers. (And yes, I’m still co-vice-president of the PTA, so school starting has been a whole new batch of business for me, too. But I love being at the school and being involved.)
J hasn’t been thrilled to be home without his sisters, but we’re adjusting, and he’s made new friends to keep him busy. He misses the cut-off, so while some people are surprised I didn’t send him to school this year, he’s actually not old enough to go to kindergarten for 2 more years. I get to keep my baby home a little longer.
County Fair:
In a controversial move, our school district superintendent moved up the start date of school this year, starting before Labor Day. The biggest problem this causes is that school starts before the county fair. Well, my kids aren’t in 4H, but if we’re going to go to the fair, we’re not going to go on the one day they have off school to go. So, I took the girls out of school one day so we could go play. It’s a family tradition I’m not willing to give up.
The kids had a blast. One of C’s friends works the Elephant Ear booth, and he insisted on making each of the kids a kid-sized elephant ear for themselves.
They were tickled pink. (Or maybe that was the sun …)
This year, J wasn’t afraid of the petting zoo animals anymore.
And they all went home tired and happy.
A Tale of Three Dresses:
So, when I went to make L’s baptism dress, she picked something very simple and pretty. (It really did match her personality.) But I was itching to make something elaborate. I know my niece is a little princess, so I called my sister and begged her to let me make her baptism dress. She agreed, and she picked out this (Butterick 4967):
Look at those ruffles!!! It was just what I wanted to try!!!
So, since I’m still learning, I decided I would make L and S their Easter dresses with the same pattern as practice (I learn something new with every dress I make) and then I’d make my niece’s dress. Good plan, just in execution, it took longer than I’d imagined. So, in August, I finished my girls’ dresses.
I did have to add sleeves, and that’s something I struggled with more than I thought I would, but I figured it out in the end.
My girls didn’t mind that their Easter dresses were late. I made their dresses with 4 tiers of ruffles because I didn’t want them to drag on the ground, and I figured 4 tiers of ruffles would be adequate practice for making the baptism dress.
And in the end:
I finished my niece’s dress just in time! I finally figured the sleeves out (thanks to practicing on the two other dresses … although I do have one more idea I wonder about …), and I’m so pleased with the pink cumberbund (though I can’t take credit for it, my niece is the one who wanted it in pink).
She’s getting baptized this weekend, and then maybe I’ll have some pictures of her in it (I have some on my phone, but my phone is not a smartphone, so getting them from there to here may be possible, but I don’t know how to even start).
And so ends the picture dump. Hopefully it won’t be so long until the next time I post.
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