[Build up.]

Vacations. Traditions. Family.

I love this family tradition we have of spending the 4th of July in San Diego, at my parents beach condo. It is for sure one of my best memories. We have always spent the summers in San Diego, ever since my parents were married 40+ years ago. & we have always gone to the same beach. Traditions are crazy like that & I for sure don't want to mess with this one.

We had a great time this year & for once the sun cooperated the whole time. It was out first thing in the morning & sunny all day long. I don't remember the last time the sun was out as much as it was.

The boys are getting easier, but next summer will be even better when ollie is walking. Dax & Rudd loved the beach & most of the time my mom would watch Ollie for me, so he didn't have to come to the beach.

I really have the best parents in the whole world & are so generious in all that they do for us. I love you guys!!

This was a great vacation! & I wouldn't change it for anything.

weekends. fathers day.

This was one of those, it just happened, photos. I am in love with it! What a perfect way to capture Father's day all in one shot.

Plain & simple: These boys love their Daddy!

& I love him too.

We are all so lucky to have him in our lives. He is a great Dad to these 3 little boys. I don't know what I would do without him.

I hope everyone had a great Father's Day!

& to my Dad, you are the best Dad in the whole world. I love you! Thanks for being such a great example to me.

weekends. family+fun.

I love spending time with my family. I love my boys. I can't believe how fast time is going by. We had a lot of fun this weekend, just keeping it simple, keeping cool in the pool & hanging out with family + friends. I have a feeling we will be doing a lot of the same all summer & I am more than fine with that. I think we all agree this is the perfect life.

We had family over on Sunday, even my 90 1/2 year old grandma came & helped make dinner. The boys love her & think it's so fun when she comes over.

summer schedule.

Even though My kids are not old enough to actually go to school, it still seems like Summer is a crazy time where the kids are going stir crazy!! Or maybe it's me that is going stir crazy. I wrote up a schedule yesterday to help keep Dax busy & me not going insane!! (I may go insane anyway). But hopefully this will help!! I am not sure how realistic it is, I will update on it in a few days to see if it is working???

 

weekends. sedona.

We decided to take a family day trip up to Sedona to check out where I will be taking the girls for girls camp in a few weeks. I am so so glad that we went! It was such a blast to go with the boys & David's parents came along also & it was such a huge help!! Dax hiked 6 miles all by himself. He is quite the trooper. David carried Rudd the whole way & I had Ollie strapped to me most of the way too. We did the hike called West Fork, Call of the Canyon trail. It is so so beautiful. I can't even tell you how beautiful it is. If you live anywhere near AZ, you really should go! It's a great family hike & having the access to the water is adds so much to the hiking experience. I am so excited that I get to go back in a few weeks & the next time I hike it, I won't have a child strapped to my chest!

I love my family so much. Dax was so excited to go! When I told him what we were doing for the day, his response was, "we are going with our whole family?" It makes me so happy that he loves to be with us! We need to keep doing stuff like this, I always want me kids to want to do stuff with us! Gotta keep them close.

wrist update.

I know, it's pathetic that I am updating about my wrist, but I want to remember this. So I figured, no better way than on my blog. That's really what it's for, right?

So, I got my bandage off today & they put these stery strips on, but now I can get it wet & the stitches are inside & will just desolve, so I don't have to worry about them.

& no that is not a very badly done tattoo above the strips, that is the doctors initials that he put on there before he did the surgery.

It is still pretty sore, but for sure it is getting better. I hope it helps, but because it wasn't actually a syst & it was a huge muscle instead, he said that it might be something that I just have to live with. Awesome. I am really looking forward to having this pain always. sweet deal for having surgery. Wouldn't you say?

Here's to hoping it worked!

me & my boy tribe.

Went to the zoo yesterday & this is how it went. Dax getting tired & needing a ride. I swear. I look like I could live in the zoo with all these little boys I am surrounded by all day, everyday. Good thing I love them.

 

right now.

A very supervised play session on the floor. Ollie is getting bigger & wants to be apart of the craziness action that is happening constantly at our house. Dax & Rudd are actually really soft & gentle with Ollie, but he is still fragile. A learning experience for sure.

3 brothers. Best friends.

Love my boys.

family+ dax jumping.

I am in LOVE this photo.

So here's the story, when em was here I asked her if she would take family photos of us, cause we don't really have any of all 5 of us. So we headed out, armed with all the goodies & snacks to entertain the kids. & when we found the perfect spot & got all set up, em turned on her camera, or should I say tried to turn on her camera & the battery was dead. bummer. So, I was like, no biggy, just take some photos with your iPhone & we will come back tomorrow, when the lighting would be better any way. So we took a few shots, just cause we were all set up & ready to roll. & that is how I got this awesome awesome photo that I am in love with. Thanks em for taking our photos. I love them all.

It really sums up exactly how are family is at this moment in time. I know it's not the best quility photo (done with the shake it app on my phone or em's phone actually). But em captured it perfectly.

& I can't get enough of it.

I love that Dax wanted to make a jump out of whatever we could find around & that he was not afraid to just launch off it. This kid has no fear (which is scary for the mama.)

I love that David & I are holding the other 2 boys, cause that is just how it is right now.

I love how spontanious it is.

Perfect for sure.

(I will post more photos of this shoot soon.)

 

Reminising Australia 2005.

David has been asking me where all the photos were from when we went to Australia. So, I finally got them off my external hard drive & put them on my computer again.

I love these photos.

They probably are my favorite set of photos we have. I think about this trip often. It was before we had kids. We went to visit our friends, the falconbridges down under. We went on a road trip to a few different towns & hung out in perth also. Ivy was only 2 here. It's crazy that she is 8 now! & that there are 6 kids now between our 2 families, instead of just 1.

WOW.

That blows my mind.

How much things can change & it doesn't even seem like that long ago. This just reminds me how important photos are, how important it is to CAPTURE THE MOMENT. I really don't stop & take photos enough.

I always say I am too busy.

& I know it will be gone before I know it.

 

Man, I am glad I have these to look at though, good times, good times.

Love you em & mick. (& dang those were some good fish & chips.)