Wednesday, August 2, 2023

JULY

I am in shock that we are already to August.  I wish the school year would speed by as quickly as summer has this year.  July was packed full of fun...here is in July in reverse.  Millie and Phin started a cooking class.  They made cupcakes for their first class.


 

We went to cousin Eliza's birthday party up at Grandma Jo's.  Lou loved playing in the kiddie pool/water table.







 

We stayed the night with Grandma Jo and Grandad and woke up early Saturday morning to go on a hike with Jill's family.





 

We went to the final Summer Reading day.  The kids loved picking up some free new books and playing games.  Millie and Silas spent a lot of time at this giant Candyland game.



 

 The kids participated in a Kids Camp.  They were all in different groups but they did the same activities.  The last day of class was water day and they celebrated with pizza and popsicles.



We wanted to complete our ZAP Kids Summer Passport so we visited two venues on one day.  We wandered around the Conservation Garden Park.  The giant chess board was a hit.


 

We did a Scavenger hunt and a Bingo game as we explored the garden and Ladybugs were on both...we just didn't expect them to be quite so big.




 

We also visited the Gale Center of History and Culture down in South Jordan.  The kids could have played here for hours.  It reminded me a lot of the Children's Museum.  There were so many fun hands-on exhibits.


 

Millie and Phin hung  clothes on a clothesline.

Carver did some fishing.

 

All the kids sat down to share a meal.



 

The old school house area was the biggest hit.  For the most part Phin was the teacher...but Millie also took a turn.




 

We met Beth and her family out at Lagoon.  


 

Lou gave Seth some pretty sweet cuddles on the lazy river.
















 

My obsession with sourdough continues.  I am loving how quickly my sourdough progresses with the warmer weather.  I have also seen a huge improvement with my bakes once I started weighing the water and flour that I feed my starter.



We attended a family reunion for Grandma Jo's side of the family up at Pineview Reservoir.  The kids loved playing with extended family.  Here they are the last night of the reunion for some water activities.



 

Millie was delighted that Aunt Audrey put tinsel in her hair.. Cousin Mark has the best photo-bomb too.


 

Seth took our new air chairs.  He and Tawnya are always up for a laugh.




 

We were in charge of part of the dinner the final night.  As we were cutting up items for a taco bar Andy made a little Jack-o-Lantern out of a tomato for Silas.



 

I enjoyed lots of sleeping cuddles from Lou.




 

Lou managed to fall asleep out on the paddleboard with Seth.



 

We had so much fun playing out on the water.









 

We had some sand volleyball courts at our group site...and most of the kids could be found playing here.



 

Seth's Uncle Bret was so sweet with Lou.  Here he is helping her blow bubbles.


 

Millie was also spoiled by cousin Hollie who did a hair wrap for her.




 

Lou developed a cute little relationship with Seth's Uncle Joe...who made sure she got a Popsicle when they were passed out.



Seth was in charge of a big family game on Friday and he had everyone rotate between various minute-to-win-it games.















 

Seth and I celebrated our 13th anniversary.  A special thanks to my Mom for watching our kids so we could have a night alone.  We went to the Parade of Homes and then to a Street Tacos cooking class at Harmon's.  It is hard to even remember life without Seth by my side.  I have loved the last 13 years and look forward to many more to come.


 

The kids had Super Hero day at camp.  Millie decided she wanted to be the Princess-in-Black so we found a black cape and crown and made a mask.



 

I got to spend some special one on one time with Millie this month.  We stopped at Blox Desserts and picked up some bars.  It was hard to choose a favorite bar.  



We went to a magic show at the downtown library.  The kids got to have their picture taken with the rabbit (named Stew) at the end.  


 

Phin is obsessed with magic right now and this show was right up this alley.  He commented on how the magician was more of a chameleon than a magician...I think he meant comedian.  The show was very entertaining and all of us were belly laughing throughout.



 

We were quite early to the show so Lou was able to play with this maze before the show while the big kids completed a scavenger hunt and played on iPads.


 

They also found another giant chess board.


 

Royalty day at Kid's Camp meant crowns for everyone.


 

We visited the splash pad down at the Gateway.  The kids found the perfect spot for a game of The Floor is Lava.






 

Before the splash pad we checked out the exhibits at the Clark Planetarium.



 

Our favorite babysitter invited us over to play at her pool and on the huge slide she rented for an early birthday party.  The kids had so much fun getting wet. 











Seth bought a new version of Acquire and it is now Silas' favorite game.  


 

We were in a parade.  Our Stake had a float in the Handcart Days Parade.  The kids each dressed up as an ancestor as the theme for our float was "My Pioneer Story."  Phin walked behind the float with us.


 

Silas and Millie rode on the float with some friends.


 

Nona was a lifesaver and made Pioneer garb for Millie, Lou and for me.






 

Seth lead some games with kids from our ward as we waited for our turn to go in the float.




 

We have been using our pizza oven weekly.  Phin was delighted with our dessert pizza...Nutella and marshmallows for the win.




Millie and I at the BYU Creamery.  I can't believe how much campus and Provo in general has changed since I was a student.  It was fun to show Millie around my old stomping grounds.


 

Pirate day at Kid's Camp.


 

We went to a Paper Sculptures class at a library.  Phin was creative and put all his pieces together like a puzzle.






 

Free slurpees at 7-ELEVEN on July 11th.  


 

I loved hearing Silas do a little self talk before swim lessons.  He said "Robertson's can do hard things."  Yes we can!


 

We had fun playing at Nona's library one afternoon.




 

We also stopped at Gilgal Gardens.  It is just as odd as I remembered.  Here the kids are pretending to be sphinxes. 



Phin took an archery class with Carver and his friend Milo.  Millie was able to take a jewelry making class with Zoey.


Silas took a soccer class.

 

The kids had fun playing with our dress-up box one low key afternoon.

 

For my Mom's birthday/Mother's Day this year I took her to a Pizza class at Orson Gygi.  Chef Brandon Price taught us all the tricks and we even got to make our own Margherita Pizza at the end of the class. 


 

I was brave and ventured to Lagoon-a-beach with all four kids solo.  They were so good and stuck close the entire time.  









 

Our raspberries started in July.  Our patch is much smaller due to the watering restrictions we had last year.  I love watching Lou pick them and eat them as fast as she can.


 

I took the kids up to Hill Aerospace Museum for two classes.  The first was a nose art class and the second was a chemistry class. 


Seth and I went on a date night downtown and rode some electric scooters.  It was really a lot of fun and we are hoping to go with friends again sometime.


 

July 4th was fun day to be together.  The evening ended with the huge box of fireworks that Seth purchased.  Millie was very cautious with the sparklers.  Silas pretended he was Dr. Strange turning back time with his sparkler.


 

We walked up our street and enjoyed some fun fireworks at a neighbors.  We took shaved ice to share.




 

Seth had a fun idea to use up the Pop-Its.  The kids made paper airplanes and then loaded them up with Pop-Its.  When they threw them the Pop-Its would fall out and pop.  




 

We took some rockets over to the park and launched them...and managed to lose two in neighbors trees. 

 

We spent some time in the morning at a local park.  We arrived just as a parade was ending nearby. 




We took the kids bikes so they could practice on the walking path that goes around the park. 




We spent July 3rd up at Eaglewood Golf Course with my best friend Amy and her family.  The kids look forward to this each year.  I think their favorite part may be the glow sticks   j.



We did a few fireworks at home before.  The colorful smoke bombs were a hit.


In July my Cousin's family was traveling through Salt Lake.  We loved having them over for some pizza on the Ooni.  Ame, Penny, Sabine and Tessa are the best.

Jeff and Mom.

The kid table...supervised by Kim.  Somehow I cut Phin out of this photo.

Papa feeding Lou ice cream.

 

The first Sunday in July we had a big family dinner.  I should have gotten more pictures but here is a picture of Millie with Penny.  We have missed Penny since she graduated from BYU. 

 

I made my Mom a cake for her birthday...actually two cakes. It was quite the process but the result was delicious.  This was Cake by Courtney's Cherry Cheese Pie cake.  I had gone to a little demo on this cake in June and couldn't wait to test it out. 

 

We had fun with cousins at the splash pad.  This was our first official trip of the season.




Sunday, July 16, 2023

20 MONTHS

Lou hit 20 months back in June.  This age is so much fun and also so exhausting.  Lou is talking more and more.  When we ask her questions she will say "uh-huh" or "no."  She loves animals and cows seem to be her favorite.

 

She is constantly watching her siblings and then she tries to do what they do.

 

She has been very entertained with boxes this month.

 

 

She has also loved helping herself to our strawberry patch.  


 

The kids have also learned they can't leave anything in her reach that they don't want her getting into.  Millie left a box of Nerds down and Lou found them.  She is clinging to them with her left hand in the picture below.


 

Lou has also developed a love of stuffed animals this month.  


 

She loves to hold books and books about animals are her favorite.


 

She loves to climb into the kids sleeping bags.


 

She also loves to play at parks.





She continues to NOT sleep through the night.  I think she would be content to be within arms reach of me all night long.


 

She loved the dog show at the zoo and kept saying "woof woof."


 

She has been fighting naps...but she still really needs them.


 

She says "cheese" as soon as I pull out my camera.




 

She loves shoes and socks...here she is trying to steal Silas'.



 

She loved the fancy glasses at Grandma Jo's tea party.


 

She loves pizza.



She also loves sweets.


 

When she finds a paper and crayons/markers/colored pencils...she gets right to work coloring.


 

She has become a master at climbing playgrounds.


 

She finds the funniest places to "hide."



 

She did what all my other kids have managed too...and found her way into my flour bucket.


 

She loves to play peek-a-boo, even with a little assistance.


 

She is starting to adjust to the rides at Lagoon.




 

I think she is the luckiest to have loving older siblings.


 

 

She was delighted to get on the wiggle car at Nona's.


 

She is starting to insist that her cereal not be "dry."




She was pretty happy when I gave her a whole banana rather than cutting it up in pieces.


 

She is obsessed with the laptop...and thinks she should have some work to do on it like her older siblings.


 

Most Sundays she and Seth end up out in the hall during Sacrament meeting.  She is doing well transitioning to nursery and LOVES snack time.


 

I often call her my "mess maker" and Silas has started to introduce her that way to others.  We sure love our little "mess maker."