Gabe learned a really great trick. Our screen on the front window ended up with a cut in it. (Weirdly enough, nobody seems to know how it happened.) The kids can't seem to leave it alone, so they've pushed on it enough that about 8 inches from the bottom of the window, the screen is all loose. Gabe climbs up on the windowsill, unlocks the window, gets down, opens the window, then crawls out. As you can tell, he's usually pretty proud of himself when he gets out there.
I finally got my first smart phone. Lance and Brady were quite proud of me. I've been dragging me feet because I didn't want to pay an arm and a leg for a data plan. My brother-in-law started using Ting Wireless and has been really happy with it, so I decided to take the plunge. It's worked out really well. Brady and I are on the same plan and our bill is actually less than what I paid before without any data and only 250 texts. I mostly just use the wifi at our house, but it's nice to have it when I need to look something up when I'm not home. It's also super convenient to take pictures. These are the first two pictures I took.
In October my sister and I made a quick trip up to Washington to see my Granny during fall break.. She's just turned 93 and is doing amazing. She has Parkinson's but her mind is sharp as can be. She can name all of her grandkids and great-grandkids as well as tell you what each one is currently doing.
Brady decided driving for 14 hours with all of his younger siblings didn't sound very fun, so he stayed home. As much as I hated leaving him, it was kind of nice because that meant I had room for my sister to come in my car after I picked her up in Boise. Her kids didShe'd prefers to drive, so I let her. For the most part, the kids did good. Seth was a trooper. We got to know a few new rest stops along the way. My sister felt like it was too many, so she rationed drinks on the way home.
One of the stops was at Burger King where everybody got a crown.
We also stopped at Multnomah Falls in Oregon. I really don't even remember seeing it before but apparently it's a big deal.
My kids were just as amazed at the caterpillars and giant leaves!
One night we drove up to Stanwood, where I grew up, from Olympia, where my Granny lives, to see some friends. As we went through Seattle they insisted I take a picture of the "Darth Vadar" building. It's the one on the right. (I have no idea why they called it that.)
You can't take pictures of Seattle without a picture of the Space Needle, even if it is dark and blurry. It still looks pretty cool. My dad worked at the restaurant at the top when he was younger. He was a bus boy.
My sister and I had a great time talking to our friends, but my kids were ready to go way before us. I guess driving 2 hours one way, to sit and listen to your mom and aunt talk to people you don't know, when you've already spent two days in the car, was not their idea of fun.
Next to my where my Granny lives, there is a "secret forest" that my kids enjoy exploring every time we go there. The kids really like to see Granny, but staying in a small room for long periods of time isn't their idea of fun. My uncle is really good at finding things to do to keep them occupied though. This time, he took them down to a nearby lake for a little bit. Because it had been raining, it was muddy, so they didn't get to play too much. It was a nice distraction though.
Leaving Granny is always the hardest. I've felt like it could be the last time I see her, the last three times I've been there. She's a trooper, but she's really just done with it all. The Parkinson's has led to dry mouth, which caused some of her teeth to fall out. She just hates it! She was so proud to have all of her teeth for so long. Now she's afraid that the kids will be afraid of her when she smiles because of the gaps in her teeth. She still has her hair, so that helps her feel a little better. We love her no matter what! She's such an amazing person who has overcome many struggles and challenges. She's been a great example to so many people. I feel like my life has been so greatly enriched because of her influence and the experiences I have had with her..
On the way back to Utah, we stopped at my sister's house overnight. Her house has been a great stopover to break up the 14 hour drive into two days. Gabe was outside running around without pants on, when my 15 year old nephew brought him over to the trampoline and jumped with him and sat and talked with him for a few minutes. It was so sweet, so I took a picture through the window.
Before we went to bed one night, we all gathered around to listen to Mark read from the scriptures. I really should have been more respectful, but it was another sweet moment, even if Mia caught me.
Back at home, Seth keeps growing. Look at this six month old chunk!
His hair is getting longer and there's a little bit of curl to it sometimes.
He's sitting up pretty well, which is so nice. His eyes are definitely brown. For a while, I hoped they might stay blue, but no luck. Seven kids, all with brown eyes. It's crazy since I have green eyes, Lance has green with a touch of light brown, my mom has green eyes, my dad had blue eyes, Lance's mom has green and his dad has green eyes. I didn't think I'd even get one brown-eyed child, much less all of them!
And Isaac found some eyeliner. I guess he felt like his eyebrows needed more definition.
No comments:
Post a Comment