August started with closing on our Saratoga house. It was bitter sweet, but definitely more sweet for me. Paul made tons of friends in Utah, but I was ready for a change. We brought back doughnuts for the kids and Grandma to celebrate.
Never-ending Monopoly game.
Remnants of a cousin sleepover with Mason.
Snuggle kitty out for a cuddle.
Making dinner with Great Grandma. She is so patient and always lets the kids help, even when they make a mess and go slower than she would all by herself.
Great Grandma needed a new roof on her shed, so Paul got to work. He had some help here and there, but did the majority of it himself. She was very thankful.
Cousins stopped by to help, and uncle Danny came to make dinner. Sully got to help cut the pasta.
Lots of breaks for lemonade and popsicles for all the hard workers.
Lullaby and the other kids all played with Cora while Ryan helped Paul.
They worked into the night and got it finished!
We took Great Grandma out to eat and then to a movie. It was a churchy movie called The Fighting Preacher, and it was pretty good, although the kids didn't like it as much as the snacks.
Low hanging clouds on the mountains near Great Grandma's house.
This is a new face Matix likes to make when I'm trying to take his picture. Weirdo.
Church hair for Lulli.
Pool day with friends. The Hunts and the Steeds came.
Whiskey loves a cuddle and didn't want this one to end.
Ethan and Jonny came for a play date, then to Chick Fil A, then to the splash pad to play with even more friends. Yes please.
Paul took me out for another fun birthday surprise, FACIALS! I had never had one and it was really nice.
Before (above) and after (below).
Then back to Great Grandma's house for treats and a movie.
The kids made me breakfast in bed, then I got to open presents and cards. So nice. Lullaby and Great Grandma Berg made me some black and white cookies, yes please!
When Aidan comes over, it always turns into a wrestling match. Then outside to teach Mason how to ripstik! Then inside to play Mother May I with Great Grandma Berg.
We got to go to lots of Mason's soccer games and cheer him on. So fun! He's such a talented soccer player.
Out to another show just the two of us. We have so much fun!
One more game day for Mason, and then a shave ice to celebrate.
Out shopping with Heidi and she got us these huge pretzels, yum!
Evening walks with Great Grandma was so nice. The weather was perfect in August, so we did this a lot.
I showed up to dinner with friends, and wore the new pants Heidi had given me, not knowing they all had bought and worn similar pants too. So funny. We ate food and then out to a movie. I don't remember which one anymore, but the company was great.
Heidi and I went out to eat and accidentally both wore theses wide legged jumpers. We laughed out loud and then took a million pictures.
My mom and Louie sent us each $25 for our birthdays with a note to take the family out for ice cream. So I took the family to Menchie's and it turns out Great Grandma Berg had never been there. So, thanks Mom and Louie!
Matix gave a talk at church and did such a nice job.
The kids started getting some of their homeschool stuff from Harmony and Sully got right to work with the science kit.
More evening walks with Great Grandma.
Aidan harvested some of his garden.
Beautiful sky, just before sunset.
Stephanie is teaching for her first year as the teacher, not the assistant. I went to help her set up her classroom. Those students are so lucky to have her.
Solace woke up a nine year old and came upstairs for his birthday presents. At 9 years old, Solace is thoughtful and kind and still as wild as ever. We love him so much and are so grateful he is ours. He loves Pokemon, extra electronic time, his friends and his siblings. He and Hawk have a special relationship. He loves to be the center of attention and always wants just one more kiss from me. He loves adventures and snuggles. He still sleeps with his two special blankies from when he was a baby. He used his birthday money to buy us ice cream at Costco, and we ran into Rylee. Happy birthday Sully boy.
My friend Sharon called to let me know they were in Utah from Big Island for a short visit, and wanted to see if we could get together. Her youngest, William is just a little older than Matix. They've been friends for a long time, and it was so nice to be able to see them for a little bit.
Evening walks for these guys, while I took Solace out to spend some birthday money on new clothes. Old Navy did a Pokemon collaboration and he got lots of things.
Hawk, our game master, who usually wins at every game he plays, sometimes loses. I had to document this, because I haven't "let him win" for years, so when I finally won a game, I took this picture. He was shocked.
I went to an aerial sound bath and it was SO cool.
Paul's hair finally reached the 11 inches it needed to be to donate, so he had me put it in little ponytails, and cut them all off. He's one of the few people who can pull of any hairstyle. So handsome.
On his way to Oahu for work. As the CMO, he usually works all remotely, but sometimes he has to go in. I don't think he minds too much, especially when he gets to go to the beach some.
On our way to the airport, this Kauai house popped up on Zillow. It was a total renovation, but the price was right, and the yard backed up to one of our favorite waterfalls... At that point we we weren't sure Kauai was the right thing, but we were interested. But Paul was working on Oahu and we couldn't do anything right then...
Solace and Lullaby were invited to go to a square dancing night. It was meant that each kid would have an opposite gendered parent attend with them, which we didn't know. Lullaby was too shy to dance with anyone else but me, and thankfully Solace didn't mind dancing with a stranger. It was actually really fun, and after dancing, we all ate.
Her hairstyle one day. That piece pointing down was purposeful.
Dinner with kids can be so entertaining.
Sometimes Swishy went with us on walks.
Snuggling with my favorite 13 year old... He's such a lover.
Her hair style. This was the day she made up this crossed dutch braid, but has since been copied tons of times.
These little kid quotes given to different star signs made us laugh. So accurate.
The signs at this grocery store made us laugh, and we had to get a picture for Matix, since Marshmello is one of his favorite artists.
School started for the kids and they got to work right away on some science experiments and their new workbooks. We have really loved homeschooling again. It's brought us closer together as a family and we love that so much.
Great Grandma Berg had lots of projects for the kids to get to. We painted the railings on the little bridge in her garden, the same brown color, just in the places it was flaking and peeling. Looks great!
Evening walks.
More soccer games watching Mason, then out to eat with Great Grandma Berg.
Yoga class for me, then a quick meet up with Heidi back in the old neighborhood.
Night games sometimes end with a scare. And then I winder why no one can sleep...?
The Primary was asked to sing for Relief Society and it was so sweet. Lullaby is the tallest in all of Primary.
The Bishop gave Matix and Hawk some really cool CTR (Choose The Right) rings.
Time for a hair cut for this boy. Paul was still on Oahu, so he came back to this handsome young man, what a difference a couple of inches makes!
More evening walks.
Helping Great Grandma Berg pick Aidan's corn, and shucking it, and tasting it, are all of Solace's favorite jobs. This time we spent with Great Grandma Berg has been so lovely for all of us. We are so grateful to her for allowing us to stay there while we waited for the RV to be ready!
Day at the pool with the Hunts was the perfect way to end the summer fun!
