Twin Falls

 We spent the night with the Dalleys in Twin Falls. It was so fun being with them again and we had a great time. We hung out at their house and went to Dierkes Lake. Tayden and Noah caught a fish with a stick, a small hook, and a butterfly net. They were pretty pleased with themselves! Kyle spent most of the afternoon on the diving board, Cache didn't get out of the water once, and Beckett provided the entertainment for the way home. 

As usual, Lucy loved Scott and I felt right at home. As the evening wore down, I sat by myself on the couch for a minute and reflected on life. If my high school self could see what the future had in store, sitting at my best friend's house for the weekend while our husbands chatted and our kids played, I wouldn't have been able to imagine how great it actually is. I love the dynamic between these two families and am so grateful to have them in our lives again! 

I love the dynamic between these two families and am so grateful to have them in our lives again! 

Mop Head

Tayden has always had a thing for long shaggy hair. Now that he's 13, I've been letting him make his own decisions regarding his hair. He really wanted to grow it out and it was getting long. Luckily, for me, football season has arrived and he was ready to cut it. I tried to refrain from jumping for joy when he asked if I'd cut it, but man, look at him! He's so handsome. 

 

Todo

 My own Todo dog. 

Scout Camp

 Scott and Tayden enjoyed a couple of days away at Scout Camp this year. They were able to hike to Darby Wind Caves, do a ropes course, and go mountain biking. They had a great time. 

One story about Scout Camp: Tayden is the only 8th grader in his quorum. I know it has been hard on him. His friends moved up to the Teachers, and he has stayed behind with the Deacons. We have really pushed him to be a good example to the rest of the group and watch out for the younger kids. We have tried to teach him to see his worth in this capacity and it paid off during the hike. A member of our Stake Presidency sent us this picture with the caption, "What an amazing son you are raising!" Tayden has a boy in his quorum that has some struggles. He was not as comfortable hiking as the other boys and there was one spot that was very scary for him. Tayden jumped in without hesitation to help Caleb. He held his hand and helped him through the rough patch. I am so proud of Tayden and his innate goodness. It warmed my heart hearing the story and seeing these pictures. I'll never understand how I got so lucky to call him mine. 

These are the rest of the pictures I got from him and Scott.

The B's

 Beckett babysitting his cousins, Brayden and Braxton. 

Pioneer Parade

The Stake celebrated Pioneer Day this year with a pancake breakfast and parade. Scott and Tayden were at Scout Camp, so it was just me and the three younger boys. I pulled in and was immediately overcome with awe and gratitude. There was a great turn out and it hit me so hard that these are my people, this is my community. These are the people that believe as I believe and my built-in friends and family. I draw so much strength from that. It was an amazing realization and I took a moment to soak it up. The kids did a cute parade around the church and we celebrated the pioneers that came before us. It was a great morning. 

 

Get It Done Party

Tayden is taking an online summer course for high school credit, in hopes that it frees up his schedule a little bit when he's older. It has been rough and getting him to do the work has been like pulling teeth. The course has been quite challenging and has required a lot of effort. His friends are taking it too and were struggling as well, so I hosted a get-it-done party last week. The boys golfed in the morning, then came over for a pancake breakfast. We had loads of snacks, ordered pizza, and I walked them through the school work for the next five hours,.After they worked for a while, they went out back and mowed a little golf green and chipped for a bit. They got a lot done and we had fun doing it. I love having friends in our home. 

 

Perfect Summer Evening

 You know the summer evenings that are the definition of perfection? The ones that are the perfect temperature, the sun is shining just right, the company is wonderful, and you heart is full of love and light? We've had a lot of those this summer and most are happening on the golf course. It feels crazy taking the younger boys with us, but crazy in the best way. We found out if I play caddie, like literally play and take on the personana of "Miss Molly", Kyle enjoys the experience much more. It must be the fact that someone dotes on his every whim and calls him "Sir". The other night after a round, we grabbed snow cones at Mac's, the local snow shack, and shot the breeze. It was so great. I love this family of mine!

Belt Promotion

 Cache has been doing taekwondo for about three months and is loving it. It has been so good for his self-confidence! It's teaching him patience, that it's okay to make mistakes and the joy of sticking with something even when it's hard. I love what taekwondo is doing for him. He had his first belt promotion and moved from white to orange. I really wanted to make it a big deal for him, so we all went and supported him. We have the best parents who attended too, which filled my heart with gratitude. We are so blessed to be close to supportive parents who love our kids and show up for them. It meant the world to Cache. It was fun to put the spotlight on Cache and have him show everyone what he has learned.