We've had a fun-filled, busy last 6 weeks! It's been a blast but we're also looking forward to a little bit calmer October-if that exists!
After school started we went to hang out with cousins who were in town for one last fun weekend together at my parent's house. It was the kids' last time in their pool for a long time since they are headed off on their mission this week!
Caroline turned 5 in August. It was so much fun to throw her a princess tea party.
It was Caroline's idea to invite 2 older girls to help with the party and it was so awesome to have them there!
The red carpet was a huge hit.
The princesses made their way to the treehouse and trampoline eventually. It was a great party!
Russell, king of cardboard, made Caroline a Minnie Mouse hat for her birthday present. Can't believe our crazy girl is 5!
Speaking of crazy, this is what happens when I'm at work and Ricardo's in charge.
Barefoot under the trampoline, playing with the chickens.
I hosted a bridal shower for Caroline's church teacher. The boys had to leave for the event and Caroline was excited to be included in this fun girls' party.
My talented friend made the cake!!
That night Caroline and Ricardo got to go to a fun daddy-daughter luau. Pre-date photo:
We celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary with our favorites: smoothies and dip and a movie.
I also had a birthday around this time and my parents came down for dinner at our house. I did not take any photos but I had a great birthday! One year older and wiser (?) too. My friends also planned a birthday breakfast for me and it was great too!
A hurricane passed through so the kids missed some school and got to keep the indoor tent hurricane tradition alive. We were fortunate it was very mild for us.
Toddlerhood: sometimes you're happy..
sometimes you're sad...
and it's ok if you don't wear any clothes.
Going for a ride around the kitchen.
Trying to hand me my shoes while she gets help with her shoes. She loves giving us our belongings. She'll give the kids their shoes and backpacks in the morning without fail. She's also given Russell his invisalign case and scriptures before school. She knows whose cell phone is whose and will urgently give those to us to me and Ricardo too. She is so funny.
We had the best Labor Day trip this year and met our good BYU friends in Destin for several days! We love Destin, especially in September when it's the off-season and you get a semi-private beach most days.
Road trip pit stop:
We headed straight to the beach on Saturday afternoon when we got there. It's so nice to be able to walk to the beach!
On Sunday we went to church and the kids embarked on a 750-piece puzzle which we did not expect them to finish.
We took a Sunday evening beach stroll and made some friends with some kite fliers.
Our friends flew in Sunday night and we had a few great days together. The kids all got along really well and they were in paradise going from the beach to the pool and back again!
Dads taking the whole brigade to the beach:
Sneaking in some naps:
They found some tadpoles right by our house:
All the kids ran ahead of the parents one day on our short walk to the beach. It was cute that they lined up their shoes without us there.
Our paddleboard was a huge hit:
I woke up one morning and they were all working on the puzzle together. We actually did finish it on our last night there!
Wednesday was Ashley's birthday! We rented a boat and went to Crab Island.
Picked up some lunch from the floating restaurants on Crab Island (giant sandbar).
They had overpriced ice cream too! :)
Birthday festivities!
We squeezed in one last beach trip before leaving on Thursday. We also squeezed all 8 kids on the paddleboard for a quick photo!
Packing up and saying goodbye! It was an awesome trip.
We came home for a week before heading out to Utah for my brother's wedding. The kids have missed a lot of school..oops! Luckily they're young and it's easy to catch up.
Ana helping me make breakfast one morning:
We recently lost a chicken and Ricardo had wanted more anyway so we are currently incubating some new chicks!
We drove to Orlando to be there for my parents getting set apart as missionaries. They are in their training right now in Utah and headed to Germany next week. It was great to be able to be there and hear their blessings and the amazing things that are promised to them as they serve. We also got to attend a going away party for them and see some old familiar faces!
Flying with a 20-month-old...do not recommend! We survived the flight but it was rough at times, especially the last hour for me because she peed out of her diaper and got me soaked with an hour left on the flight. Of course, this happened 2 minutes after Ricardo handed her back to me! The other kids loved watching TV the whole flight which was new for them since we usually fly Southwest. I barely heard a peep from any of them!
The weather in Utah was gorgeous. We met up with cousins and went for a hike!
My parents met up with us afterward and went to a pioneer museum and saw some interesting old artifacts like this old fire truck.
We had a family rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding. The kids found ways to entertain themselves.
The wedding was Saturday and the kids were excited. Congrats to my brother and his new wife!
Caroline and her entourage.
Dance party!
Caroline was ready to get back to the party in this photo!
On Sunday we enjoyed church with my aunt and uncle and then had a fun combined birthday party with my sisters and some of our cousins. It was fun having all the cousins' kids play together. We went to my grandma's house afterward and the kids enjoyed picking apples and grapes from her yard. It was a beautiful day! We flew the red eye home and lived to tell the tale.
My parents are officially in the MTC this week, we are excited for them!
And we are catching up on life this week after all the busyness!
Russell trying to read his book and play the piano at the same time. :)
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