The Next Chapter

I know this may shock some of you ;)  but we are moving.  We have thought long and hard about where we should go next ( I know there always seems to be a next).  It was a painful process.  We have enjoyed our time here and have made lovely friends but have wondered "is this the place for us?"  We have just felt a pull to make a change.  T-man took a new position within American Express that will allow more flexibility with location. But that leaves the big question WHERE??  We tried to go a couple of places to be told NO that is not the right place or at least not right now.  We both kept feeling like we should at least check out Utah (and no offense here, but that was not on my list).  We have felt continually good about that choice and things have fallen into place.  We bought a house in Farmington, Utah.  So for now we will call this home.  Please come and see us!  We will be in Phoenix for another two weeks and then off we go.  We will miss you Phoenix you have been very good to us.  I can't say I'll miss 115 degree weather but I will miss 70 degree winters.  I feel like the only things I collect are friends.  So friends I will put you in my pocket and bring you with me.

Just Because

 I don't think people get to see this side of Gracie very often.  She is funny.  She entertains us with impersonations and goofy poses. 

Selfies

More Summertime

Summertime is for tea parties, even if they are drinking water with sugar cubes (that's what happens when mom isn't looking).

Letty was desperate to have a "friend" party for her birthday.  We only have parties every other year but this year I decided that ever four years we'll do a big party and every two years they can have a simple, couple of friends deal otherwise it's a family party.  She decided to go bowling.  I left the two little ones with T-man and took Letty, Gracie and a few friends bowling.

 About half way through the game Gracie got the hang of it and turned the tears to smiles.

 Cosmic bowl time

 Pizza afterwards.  Simple. Sweet. Done!!

On our way to Idaho

Aunt Pika has an "incredible' costume collection.  We were just having some fun.

Getting lost in Great Grandma/Grandpa's raspberries.

Summer Days

It's nice to have some lazy unstructured days.  But sometimes we get cabin fever. You see it's too hot to play outside so we are in a lot, sometimes too much.  T has been taking them swimming at night sometimes which they love and helps to burn off some energy.  But during the day we are somewhere with AC.  Although I'm surprise that the kids can last for a while outside (mostly in the shade) in the 105+ weather.  Today's high was 114 :(

 Not sure what they were doing but I think they were playing a game with baby it mostly involved banging on the couch.

 Indoor camping.  The girls slept several nights in there.

 Taking a little snooze.  I have a picture just like this of Letty.

Turning 10!

We had the pleasure of being in Idaho for Letty's birthday.  She and her cousin got to celebrate together, double the fun.  Letty is growing up so fast.  She is a lovely, smart, beautiful, confident girl.  She is full of energy and is a great party, craft, and play planner.  She is full of creativity.  We love our Letty bug.  We are so blessed to have such a great big sister.

Aunt Lainey put together her birthday display (a Lake tradition)

We celebrated her birthday on the 4th so with it comes the wonderful traditions of that day.  We went to watch the parade complete.  What's more American than... a camel?

Sparkler fun

The delicious joint birthday ice cream cake.  Letty and Curly got to make maxi skirts with their moms funded by Grandma Lovells as a gift from her.  Curly has hers on.

Our Letty has been very excited about Harry Potter as of late so her birthday had that as a theme.  I wanted to give her a wand and thought all the kids might like them so Aunt Lainey, Uncle W and I had a couple of late nights being employees for Ollivander's Wand shop.  We were a great team.  T-man made tags to include the contents of the wand.  One by one we brought the girls into the "wand shop" so they could pick out the wand or rather have the wand choose the wizard.

Grandma Lingerfelt sent a Hogwarts cape.

Opening some gifts

Out little Letty put up with traveling home on her real birthday.  We enjoyed dinner at this little spot.

Lovell Staycation

After our carousel ride at the park the kids wondered over to some bubble makers, they were huge. Apparently their recipe included soap and powdered veterinary lubricant, sounds weird but it seemed to work. We probably played there for an hour.

Beautiful Mesa Falls.  We ate lunch here on our way to the Playmill in West Yellowstone to see Les Miserables (they did a great family version).

Playing croquet in the yard

cousin love

having some ranch fun

The four older girls slept out on the trampoline.

Splash park

having bubble gum contests, very serious business