Flakes in the Fall

I can't keep up Melba! So much is always happening! Instead of going back to March where I left off I'll just do a few highlights.
In April we took the kids to Disneyland! We stopped in Vegas and then did 3 days in Disney and a day at the beach. We had SO MUCH FUN. Aaron and I were actually both kind of blown away by how good the kids were. No meltdowns, no tantrums, even when Piper got fully run over by our stroller when we were at a dead run. It seriously is the happiest place on Earth! My favorite was the new Cars ride. Piper loved Splash Mountain. The other two kids loved Space Mountain. We saw princesses, ate so much yummy food and made some really fun memories. I think my favorite was watching Brighton's face as she watched the light parade. She was waving at all the princesses and it just made me realize how much of a little girl she still is. There were so many magical moments I can't even write about them all!

In May Aaron and I went to New York City with our friends Jake and Natalie Ball. They were awesome travel buddies! Disneyland was kind of spur of the moment, but we had this trip planned for like 9 months! It was also just super, duper fun. We did all the touristy things and it really brought back memories of when I lived there. It was so young and independent and fearless back then! I think my favorite day of that trip might have been riding bikes all around Central Park. We saw three Broadway shows; Something Rotten, Bright Star and Matilda and I loved them all for different reasons!

Then it was summer and we were like, "let's just hang out for a bit." So we did. We went to the pool and parks and water slides. We went to Utah and Island Park but didn't have any major trips. It was a good summer but I was ready for school to start!

Piper and Raygen

At the "Miranda Sings" concert!

Cherry picking

4th of July downtown

The Tuscany Triple Triathalon

Island Park Reservoir. I'm wearing a Loon hat and there was a loon behind me.

Camping near Redfish Lake

Redfish

Cabin Reunion in Island Park

I have a SISTER! In MY TOWN!

I've always DREAMED of having family in Meridian.  I see kids with their aunts and cousins at dance recitals and sports games and it always makes me wish we had someone! My friends truly have become like family, helping us out the way family would and I still consider them all my sisters. But now I have a REAL SISTER in Meridian!

Heather and her family moved here! It's still so crazy. It almost happened like 17 times and I'd get my hopes up and then shattered. So last time when they said they were moving here I was like "yay...." Notice how there were no CAPS or !!!!!!??? That means I was excited but skeptical.  But when my mom flew me to Seattle to help her pack and move I was like "THIS IS REAL!!!" All caps and exclamation points!

Here's the hard thing. It's been really hard for their family. I mean, moving with 2 teenagers and one almost teenager? I would have been MAD at my parents and they are. :( Heather and Mike knew this was the right thing to do but the kids are still mad and I think it's been hard for Heather as well. So it's really hard to be the only super excited one in the group of Saddie McSadders.

It's weird cause I have no pictures of Heather and I together. I think next time I'm with my family I need to get one-on-one pics with everyone.

One of their first weekends here I forced them to come to the Boise greenbelt with me. We had one crazy moment where Deacon turned around to run back to me and almost got hit by a bike going pretty slowly. The guy stopped and started yelling like inches away from Deacon's face. Then he yelled the full-on F word right in his face. Deacon was so scared. I was so stunned but "Auntie Bear" came out in Heather and she let him have it. Too bad he was so far away or Mamma bear would have come out as well.

I'll just say, I LOVE this entire family. She has the BEST kids and my kids are obsessed with all of them.

.-

Summer, I guess?

Every time I read my BFF Jessica's blog I realize how crappy of a family blogger I am. She inspires me. I stink. Anyway, I realize I didn't post ANYTHING from summer. So while she posted every camping trip and fun outing and milestone moment, I'm going to post a giant summer re-cap. (Since it's November.) Maybe in the Spring I'll post first day of school pictures.


Cowabunga Bay water park in Utah.

 

Rigby Lake!

Gregg's awesome outdoor concert with his band Alternative Nation! Saw my long time BFF Shanan there! Her husband is "in the band".

 My  mom and I babysat Lynzi's kids while she taught EFY in Alabama or somewhere like that. We took them to Cherry Hills water park. We also took them to a little indoor amusement park. There are random pics of that scattered throughout. ;)

 

4th of July in IF!

 

Got to see most of my High school Besties and meet Rochelle's little Vivi!

 

Hale family reunion in Island Park!