chris.reese.girls1.2.3.4

Is it bad when you look at your calendar and realize that over the 8 Sundays spanning the end of July through Labor Day, I will have been in town and attended church once ??!! I did not anticipate this summer to be this crazy...

This is what I have going on every time I prepare a meal. Who doesn't want someone crawling up their legs saying "mama!" It's so dang cute... Amie - Thanks for the dress! She can wear it now without tripping on it! She thought those ribbons were a great toy, too!

It was such a joy to g et together with Steph (visiting from Michigan) and Jenni. These are some of my dearest girlfriends and when we get together it seems like no time has passed...other than the fact we each have a few kids to keep track of. The kiddos: Hewitt ( Steph's ), Brynn, Paige, Thomas ( Steph's ), Ethan and Calvin (Jenni's)....we were missing Donny ( Steph's ) who was taking a nap. Paige found some fun friends in this group! BDB for life!

The hubster came through on his promise to take Paige fishing last weekend. I had assumed it would be a fun leisurely fishing excursion, but apparently Chris takes fishing pretty seriously. He borrowed a canoe (thanks Andersons!) and pulled us all out of bed at 6:30am. He informed me we were going to some far off lake, but I dragged him back down to earth and reminded him the girls may only last an hour. So we went to a super close lake nearby. Chris and Paige went out for a nice ride first. I was nervous sending them out...it's wobbly and Paige is the poster-child for clumsiness. Brynn and I snoozed and read in the car and after an hour or so we all went out for a ride together. Considering how loud we were...I'm sure we scared the fish off, but luckily, Paige got one little trout. And she was happy as a lark! ...and there was only ONE moment when I literally screamed because I knew Paige was going overboard and with Brynn in my lap there was no way I could grab her...but som...

We LOVED camping with some ward friends in Mossyrock last weekend. I forget how much I like camping. I'm always hesitant to commit initially, but then when I go I realize I really do love it. Sleeping in a tent surrounded by my kids, enjoying the fresh air, smores, camping food, etc. The prep work is so worth it in the end. Thanks, Johnsons, for facilitating such a fun weekend!! We loved Mossyrock and have added it to our list of places to revisit! All kids: Paige, Brynn, Karissa, Brinley, McKayla, Ryan, Katy, and Ty The kids watching a movie in the tent. A little down time for a few minutes. It didn't last long, however. The boys (Chris M., Brian, and Chris A), minus Chris D. It was interesting at camp having three husbands/dads named Chris. This is what Brynn did most of the time. When she was on the ground she was eating dirt. Paige in front of the Mossyrock Dam.

After Pine Valley we were back at my parent's for a few days. It was nice to relax a bit before heading back home. We were missing Chris, but we were a bit anxious about going home to the insane heat. The day we got back the high was 104...which was a record-breaking temp for Seattle. It took a nano-second or two before I started missing my mom's air conditioning... At the Gateway fountains. Paige was a little timid with these...plus I forgot her suit, so she couldn't get too soaked. My mom so graciously watched my girls so I could get away one evening. It was so nice to be ALONE for a few hours. I met up with my childhood friend, Kelli. We hadn't seen eachother in almost 9 years. Paige getting brave and jumping into the water. It was nice to see her overcome her fear of getting water in her eyes. She was seriously influenced by her Pettingill cousins who have turned into fish as of late. Grandma's "House of Fun" is never ending...she even had a rockin...

I can't begin to describe what Pine Valley means to me and our family. It is filled with so many memories and traditions. It is so fulfilling to see my children start to make memories here and enjoy the same traditions. We had a great four days at the cabin over the 24th of July. Here is a recap, with lots of pics...I have no filter... Me and the girls on the church steps All the Dalley cousins together at last! They were in complete heaven at this place. Paige is still mentioning in her prayers how grateful she is for Pine Valley. (Photo courtesy of my amazing photographer sister with photoshop skillz) Brynn on the 24th at the "races". They compete by age and all finishers earn a box of Cracker Jacks. Those Cracker Jacks were such a coveted prize when I was a kid. Brynn crawled her way to the finish line. It was so cute!!! Paige LOVED her race. We practiced the day before (she so needed that). I love my sister, Erin's, face in the background and my niece Addy! It is...

Two of my sisters and I had babies within four months of each other. How fun is that??!! It was great to be all together over the 24th of July in SLC and Pine Valley. We loved sharing and cuddling each other's babies and passing them around...we could laugh at their unique qualities and relish in their similarities. (From left to right) Rylan The oldest, 11 months, is often found with a look of consternation. He started discovering the stairs and eating bark and dirt. Brynn Almost 10 months, loved grabbing onto the boys binkies and using them as her own. She's the waver of the group. Graham Aka "Hunky G" is the youngest, 6.5 months, and the chunkiest of all. We razzed his mom about his "weight problem", but we could not get enough of his rolls and chunks. Oohhh, he's adorable, hence, the extra pics so you can appreciate his manliness. Blue-eyed Babies! Hunky G with his mom, although you could confuse her baby with her husband. They have THE MOST father...

I took the girls to SLC for two weeks to visit my parents. I had four days alone with my mom and "baby" sister Erin before ALL the grandkids and my sisters came into town. We ate out, hitting fav stops at Cafe Rio and Doug & Emmy's, played at the Bountiful pool, visited my fav stores, and swam in grandma's pool ( hot tub) and played at grandma's park (swing set). Here are a few pics... Wheelchair fun while visiting my Grandpa Dalley. My sister, Erin, was soooo good to my kids. Paige misses her so much. Paige found a pair of reading glasses and starting taking self-portraits. There were about 50 on my camera.