JULY this & that

I got my hair chopped!  I was SO sick of it being long and in the way!  It feels much lighter and I love the length!

The kids have been stripping down in the backyard and playing in the hose.  

Who doesn't want to lick the giant beater???!

Remember we bought a cow?  Well, technically half a cow.  And here's our cow now!  Mooooooo!

We did a temple session with all Matt's siblings (minus Karl) and parents plus Grandma LeBaron.

Us Arizona folk get kinda crazy when this mysterious wet stuff falls from the sky!

We had a sleepover with a couple Palmer cousins!  I'm not a very good "sleepover mom" so I only oblige once in awhile, and ONLY for cousins!

Then we went to the pool with other cousins.  Hayden just plopped down on her towel like she was working on a sun tan!

Silly girl on the toilet!

I finished ANOTHER Beachbody fitness program, T25.  10 weeks of booty-kicking!!  My BIG goal for this summer was to maintain my weight and I DID IT!!  Sometimes I'm still in awe of the changes that I have made over nearly the past year!

Sept 2013 --------------- July 2014

Since Matt is in the stake Young Men's presidency, he attended Scout Camp the whole week.  After we let him rest for a bit, we ran over to this shave ice stand.  Seriously delicious!!!!!

Then the following week, we put the kids to bed real quick and snuck out for more shave ice!  I think we're becoming a *little* bit obsessed!  Ahhh, it's just perfect!!

After our first cousin sleepover, Brooklyn complained it wasn't fair that the boys got to have BOY cousins spend the night, but she didn't have a GIRL cousin for her.  Must we be fair in all things??!  Anyway, we invited Emily over for a sleepover.  The girls painted nails and baked cookies and probably stayed up way too late giggling.  Memories!

Aaaaaaaaaaaaand MORE cousin time!!!  This time, we went to the Children's Museum of Phoenix with Becky, her two little ones and Joshua came along.  I talked myself out of lugging the big camera along, but I always regret it. :\

Girls in a winged bathtub

Brooklyn helping Hayden out of this maze.  Joshua is nearly as tall as me and I felt claustrophobic
just thinking about trying to get out that way! 

Preston & Gav in a boat

The crew

Ride, anyone?

Painting the castle.  

Note to self: don't put cute Gymboree outfit on toddler to come to the museum.
Blue paint in hair, on white shirt, and sandals.  Blah.

The boys gift us with a puppet show

More painting in white Gymboree shirt.

What kid doesn't love making forts??!

Creeper in the bathroom taking pictures!
Can't help it!  I love these sinks at kid level!

Found Gavin in the noodle forest!

Shopping in the market!  Watch your heels, those mini carts are dangerous!

Ready, set, race!

It's fascinating to me to step back and watch my kids' gears moving,
trying to figure out how to make things work

We brought home this cute souvenir~ a Venus fly trap!!

Seriously, sometimes I can't handle how CUTE this baby girl is!!!!  The dress, the headband, all of her!