Summer happenings

So...Summer has just been breezing by.  It seems we are busy everyday...and yet not really.

A million times everyday I think...I need to blog this.  I write the whole blog post up in my head even.  But then I don't.  Most of my computer time is spent on my iPad...and it isn't easy to post from my iPad.  So I just don't.  I think it is also the reason I don't always comment on other people's blogs.  I also tell myself this is why no one comments on my blog.  Hahaa...isn't that right.  No one comments because they are reading on their phones.  Yeah I am pretty sure that is the reason.

On Sunday we didn't have Henry and Theo go to church because they both were coughing pretty hard.  Henry bawled while saying "I just wanna go to church so bad!"  I love that he wanted to go to church.

Today, I paid 980 dollars for 4 tiny little injections.  And that is just my part.  My insurance is paying 1200.  It sucks.  I keep thinking about all the clothes I could have for that much.  Or I could buy 5 day park hopper passes to disneyland for each person in my family.  Or tickets to cancun.  Bahhhhh.  I was feeling pretty sad about the whole thing and went two weeks without my shots only to wake up yesterday morning crippled.  Sooooo yeah.  I have a disease.  I do this over and over again.  I keep having to come to terms with the fact that I will be sick for the rest of my life....and my medicines/treatments are expensive.   BUT...they work for me....with them I feel great...so I guess it is worth it, it is a huge blessing to even have medicines to take...even if they cost more than all of the clothes I have purchased in the last 10 years combined.  The great news is now I have met my out of pocket maximum, so everything for the rest of the year is FREE.  Holla.

Okay...enough with the serious stuff on to some pictures....all of these were taken with my phone.  If you follow me on instagram some of these might be repeats.

 The view from the front deck of our house.  Beautiful, right?

 A couple of Saturdays ago we got a pizza from costco and sat in the park near by eating it.  There was a man with bagpipes there.   It was really windy and I may have spilled half of the pizza in the parking lot.  A lot of the time now it is just Cort, me and Theo....the other boys are always busy playing somewhere.  I can't wait until this little guy can join them. 

  

 Kisses.

The kids piled up a bunch of blankets so they could jump off of the overhead balcony.  This is Oliver jumping off of the couch.  I can't imagine how loud this was down stairs.  I put an end to it real fast.  (after I took a picture of course)

 We've been taking lots of walks around.  Henry is finally learning how to pedal his little trike. ('bout time).  The school is practically in our back yard.  Henry loves going over there.

Grace, Cc, Jack, Oli, Tyson, Henry (in his unitard...my third

 kid to wear this little number.)  

I took all of the kids (minus Theo and Fiona) swimming with Angelique and her kids.  It was a great day and we stayed for 4 hours.  The big boys swam alone...while I stayed with Henry and Grace and Carolina.  I took the little ones down the big waterside a million times.  My thighs were killing me for days after.  hahaa.  I really need to get in shape.  It was such a fun time.  I can't believe how much easier it has gotten to take them swimming compared to a couple of years ago when we got passes.  Cali and her pregnant tummy stayed home. 

 Carolina had a birthday party at the park...whil we were there 

Oli pulled this snake out of the river....so fast....just like that.

The snake was massive and looked like he had just eaten something.  I couldn't believe they weren't scared of it. 

The birthday girl. 

 I think these pajamas are some of my favorite.  They were Oli's first christmas pajamas.  I love every time one of my kids where them. 

Here is a picture of Robbie in the same PJ's 

Look at Robbies cheeks.  Love them. 

We have been going to the free lunch at our old school.  It is awesome.  No mess...no cost...and they have a lot of different options.  

 

A typical school lunch. 

On Friday we took the kids to OremFest.  It was SO HOT...and so exhausting.   Oliver said to me..."I don't know why parents think this is fun, it isn't fun for grown ups"  No kidding Oli.  No Kidding.   I thought Cali and I were going to faint.  Our cousin Angie and her daughter Qianna came too...it was great to see them.  

Henry and Fi...on the boat. 

Pure joy. 

These little ones are pretty fun. 

Pretty CC. 

P.s...you gotta love the carnival worker in the background...yes he does have an actual pirate patch on under his sunglasses.  Henry is really interested in him.  

Pretty Gigi. 

Twin cousins. 

We sent Oli, Tyson, and Jack off with tickets and told them to meet us in an hour.  Interesting to have older kids that is for sure.  It was still petty scary but the boys did great.  For the first time they rode the big kid rides.  Gravitron and the Tornado.  

Rob on the swings. 

He and CC were old enough to ride the ferris wheel.  They loved it.  Although the operator did have to stop the ride to tell Robbie to stop rocking his seat. 

Typical. 

Special kids. 

This is Q with some random stranger with amazing face paint.  You should have seen Q's face as the ride operator put that boy in with her.  SCARY.  It was some of the most realistic face paint I have ever seen.   Q is a trooper.  Any of my kids would have been out of there. 

 Cousins.

Group pictures.  This is our longest running tradition here in Utah.  Cali and I were wondering the whole time why we do this every year.  It really isn't that fun with so many kids.  :)  Memories, though are priceless.  And...this year we didn't have to go to the port-a-potties once.  YAY. 

We were going to get fair food but it was too hot and too expensive.  We took the kids to Macey's (grocery store) for some soft serve...I think our total bill for all 8 kids was under 5 bucks.  

Henry had to have two ice cream cones he ate his so fast. 

Cali and I put out blankets on Friday for the Parade the next day.  It was so windy 40-20 mph winds all of Saturday so we had to stop by a couple of times to check on our blankets.  It was CRAZY windy.  

The kids always love the parade.  Ty was seeming a little old for it.   The others grabbed candy and flyers down on the street the whole time. 

We got a brick of potato strings made of 4 potatoes.  It was DELISH.  Henry was eating it frantically. 

Rob and CC.  Besties.  

 Love them. 

We were all chilled to the bone once it was over.  I even had to come home and take a bath...which I NEVER ever do.  I couldn't get warm no matter what. 

This summer I have finally gotten summer chores set in place.  I don't know what happened but when Oliver was little he was just not a messy kid.  He always keeps his stuff pretty neat.  Then Rob came along and it just was easier for me to do all the cleaning up...then Henry...still me doing all the cleaning.   Now that Theo is here it is just too much for me...and my kids are getting older so I am making them help me.  It is awesome so far.  Every morning they have to do what chores I tell them clean room make bed, clean bathroom (my kids have been cleaning their own toilet...hallelujah), empty dishwasher, straighten front room and vacuum.  It has been really helpful.   

 Oli. 

Now just a couple randoms. 

Cort and Henry. Lazy Sunday. 

Oliver is close to being 9 so we are trying to pass everything off.  Scouting is so weird.  I have a hard time understanding it.  HOwever...it has a lot of good ideas for wholesome family activities, and I have been finding myself loving to ask oliver the questions listed.  I guess there is really something to "being prepared". 

Haircut. (oliver wanted me to mention that we were headed swimming so no one thought he was a weirdo). 

So far the summer has been great.  I am trying to get home to Moses Lake once or twice...and hope to do some camping and hiking and things like that...but man it is so much work with so many kids.