Trip to Utah

We decided that Robert would get more rest sitting in the car driving to and from Utah than he would staying at home so we decided to still take a little vacation Labor Day weekend.

Cousins, Hiking, Playing, and Other Randomness

La Jara Glory Days Parade.  As if THREE parades the week before weren't enough!  These kids have waving, looking cute, and candy catching down to a science.

Bumming Sandee's internet while the kids played.

The come up with the craziest things.  Not sure if this was a parade or a chain gang.

This was the day after La Jara got out of school for the summer and we had free reign over the playground.

We went on a hike Memorial Weekend and saw the coolest steam engine.

Playing at the elementary school in Sanford.

Monkey on the counter!

Trip to the Albuquerque temple and museum.  Our museum membership in Denver worked at this one too!

These cousins have two very different personalities!  Warren is sitting quietly while Andrew runs laps around him screaming.

Pretending to be baby Kenzie.

We miss those swings!

Moving out of the "lincoln log house" to the "snocone house"

Having fun at grandma and grandpas'

Our house on mainstreet.  Notice Andrew practicing casting his fishing pole on the porch.  That was definitely a good people watching porch!

Fourth of July isn't a big deal around here.  Robert and Andrew went fishing with their cousins and we hung out at home and watched a movie and fireworks from our front yard.  

We went on a hike near Crestone to see a bat cave.  Turns out the trail to the bats goes through a nudist colony.  How do we know that you might ask.....well, we saw it with our own two eyes.  Yikes!

Oops, Andrew fell in the bushes right as I snapped the picture.

The grey blurs are bats.  I could have gotten a better picture of them if I moved the camera over but then my picture wouldn't have been G rated.  So this one will have to do.  We definitely got more than we bargained for on that hike!

When your bikes cost more than one of your cars, they get to sleep inside :)

Family Fight Night.  Or is that FHE?  I can't remember.  Notice the instigator in this picture!

We even sang a few primary songs between the crying and fighting!

Another trip to Albuquerque!  We left at 4:30 am so Robert could make it to the 8:00 session.  While he was in the temple the boys and I got breakfast (and gluten free cupcakes) at Trader Joe's and went to Hobby Lobby.

Not sure why Robert hates that store so much :)

I went to the 11:30 session while Robert went to Big 5 with the boys.  Andrew and Alex had fun playing in the fountain!  Afterwards we went to Chick-fil-A and then tried to go to Costco but we were driving Robert's parent's car and the AC went out.  It was over 100 degrees and we were dieing!  The boy's cheeks were so red and we were all sweating so bad.  We got to Costco after being stuck in construction for 30 minutes and roasting to death and decided to turn around and go back to the dealership to get the AC checked out.  We just needed a new filter and I've never been so grateful for AC in a car!  We went to Costco, car shopping, ate dinner at Chipotle, then drove home.  It was a late night and then an early morning making it to church at 9am the next day!  But it's so nice to go to the temple and to be back in civilization once a month :)

New House

Robert's parents left for the MTC on Friday, August 8th.

It was pretty sad watching all the grandkids feeling so sad about grandma and grandpa leaving.

Andrew was sad but didn't wait too long to make himself at home at their house.  

And take over their garden.

Or maybe the garden has taken over us!  We might turn into vegetarians, except there's a freezer full of beef too.

I love the "grill marks" he gets when he naps on the corduroy couch. 

All.  Day.  Long.

We have a pretty lax dress code at our school.

I wasn't going to start until after Labor Day but he had been begging and begging to "play preschool."  I guess we are officially (really) weird now that we are homeschooling!

Birthday Mom and Birthday Boy

Before church with my birthday boy!

Alex didn't want left out!

We had a party on Sunday evening while mom and dad were still here.  The park we were planning to go to was jam packed so we improvised and set up some chairs on our front lawn.

And gluten-free too!

Too windy for candles so he blew out a lighter instead.  I wished for my house to magically box itself up but it didn't work :)

I'm glad Sandee was there with her camera because sometimes it's just nice to enjoy the party without having to worry about pictures!

It started raining so we had to move the party inside.

He got lincoln logs, building blocks, and a scooter!

Sandee surprised me with some really awesome earrings!!

I got some paleo cookbooks and a new pair of chacos!!

On Monday, our actual birthday, Robert made us breakfast then took us to El Vallecitos for lunch.  Andrew loves french fries and I love their bun-less burger smothered in green chile sauce.  Delish!  That evening, all four of us piled on to the four wheeler and went for a ride.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROONEY GOONEY!!