playing catch up

We're half way through the summer here- maybe it's a little more than halfway? Audrey and Justin start school at the end of August so it feels like our summer is rapidly slipping away. It's been a busy one. I've had 5 vacant apartments to get ready, show, and fill this month and it seems like everyday someone's air conditioner is breaking or something else is going wrong.

Also last week something clicked in my brain and I've been working on getting projects done before we move. (ordering prints of pictures, then burning them onto back-up CD's, re-doing Audrey's baby book, finishing making this blog into a book etc. Even something inside me (nesting? the opposite of nesting?) is getting all excited to decorate a new place. I'm working on art for the living room and getting new prints for the kitchen.)

Justin has started his new job as a research assistant. He's studying to take the GRE next month and then will start filling out grad school applications in the fall. I'm excited/nervous/freakingoutalittlebit to see where we'll be living for the next two years at least.

In the meantime we've taken some trips, visited some family, eaten some ice cream, watched some summer storms, played at parks and all the other great things that summer should include.

Here's proof:

We're fans of Mickey Mouse at our house

visiting the waterfall in the canyon in Twin Falls. It's fun to be tourists in your own hometown.

My goodness! My husband is a good looking man.

my new very favorite picture

building a fire to make smore's with Justin's family

Yes, that is plastic packaging on his head. No, he would not let me take it off.

watching a hail storm

a gift for Audrey- a cute cat picture made by my Grandma. I love it!

the back is my favorite part- they used an old campaign poster from when my Great-Grandma ran for state representative.

movie night in a fort

my birthday present from my sister, Beth- the cutest quilt ever!

the power was out one morning so we went out to breakfast

we never eat out so it was big treat for the kids

we have...

It has been cold and rainy outside for the past few days. We have been drinking mexican hot cocoa.

 

Also, I have been sick. Head cold. Sneezing, runny nose, can't sleep at night.

The apartments have been busy and full of the drama that I hate. I have to keep reminding myself that we have bigger goals and that this situation is only temporary.

 

We have been swimming. Audrey's learned to swim by herself with her floaties and it's a pretty big deal.

 

Audrey has been saying "are you thinking what I'm thinking?" all the time and it's making us laugh because she doesn't quite get the concept.

"Mom, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"I don't know, what are you thinking?"

"There's a fly on the window."

watching sister play outside

David has finally started saying "momma" and it is the sweetest thing ever.

 

He also yells "Da!" Whenever Justin calls his name.

 

gorgeous peonies!

We have been experimenting with new recipes. Eating lots of fruit and avacadoes and zucchini and tomatoes. On Sunday we fed the missionaries a BBQ quinoa salad that I was afraid they would hate.

They both went back for seconds.

 

We have been getting a lot of questions about our weight loss and how we eat now. I'm contemplating a blog post about it.

the results of David entertaining himself while I was on a conference call

racing

We have been spending as much time as possible away from our tiny apartment. All four of us crammed in for too long equals everyone being grumpy. We've been visiting parks, taking walks along the river, (and throwing lots of rocks in the water) and getting out of town whenever possible.

We have been in Utah.

 

And I have made a fool of myself yet again during another late night discussion with family.

I don't do well when it gets past midnight.

lately

(other than visiting dinosaurs) we've been...

"breaking in" nice hotel rooms in Salt Lake City

(and swimming, and sitting in the hot tub, and eating salad lunches at grocery stores and having dance parties before bed)

and doing more research for Justin's thesis by visiting the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers Museum

(and the Brigham Young Monument, and the Beehive House, and the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, and the 'This Is The Place' Monument. By the way, I'm totally joining the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers just to get one of the very sparkly 'DUP' t shirts that all the ladies were wearing there)

 and enjoying a new found love of grapefruit

(slice it in half, sprinkle it lightly with sugar and put it on a cookie sheet, then place it in the oven on broil for 5 minutes. Trust me. It takes all the sour bite out of it and makes it DELICIOUS)

We're still having a lot of fun combining Justin and Audrey's lego sets

(the other day the storm troopers held up the bakery demanding money, then settled for cupcakes, then everyone had a party)

We're doing fancy hair for church

(and forgetting to take a picture until afterward when it's a little mussed)

and counting down the days until David is old enough to go to nursery

(3 hour church is just too long for little boys)

We're catching stuffed animals that have sneaked their way into Audrey's bed

(just look at the smug smirk on that bear's face)

and watching the Bubble Guppies movie and Max & Ruby on repeat

(somehow whenever we watch Max and Ruby Audrey suddenly starts calling David "Max")

(now that I think about it, it's probably pretty appropriate)

 and speaking of cartoon characters, I think I've figured out why my Mom has all those Calvin and Hobbs books...

She's been studying up, getting ready for her grandson. Smart Lady.

(You see the resemblance too don't you? I'm just going to buy him a red shirt and a stuffed tiger for Halloween)

what's happening lately according to instragram