chris.reese.girls1.2.3.4

I've had a long list of activities to do in the city, but we've never been able to fit them in on a date night (that's close to 1.5 hours of driving just to get to/from the city!). We decided to spend a weekend away from the kids, fulfilling my wish list of activities, and celebrate our 12-year anniversary. When it came to picking a date, the calendar was not very cooperative. There was one weekend from August to October that would work. We are grateful Chris' parents were willing to come be with our girls so we could escape. We haven't had a night away together since January 2012 (Trek does not count!). We love being that fun, free, no-kids couple and when I get to shed my "mom" purse for an extended period of time.  I got into town (thanks to my chauffeur, FIL, Dennis) and settled into the hotel for a glorious nap before Chris got off work. We hit the streets walking to Pike Place (which was mostly closed) and down to the Pier, stopping at Cupcake Ro...

It was an unstoppable force - summer came to an end. As per usual we packed the summer full of memories and I was regretting the start of school. I just wasn't ready. Except until our last week of summer vacation. It's like a switch is turned on automatically and the kids are at each other's throats, constantly fighting and bickering. I have endless tantrums, fits and hurt feelings to attend to. And while I was previously dreading the start of school, I end up spending that final week looking forward to it with eagerness. And just like that I'm happily sending them off to school ready for more of a routine and a little more peace and quiet.  Paige started second grade with Mrs. Haggerty.  She was excited for a new year (and her new shoes and new boots).  Dad made her a special strawberry waffle for breakfast. She was so nervous and excited she barely ate any of it. Good thing I had a few mini-powdered donuts that she pounded on the way to the bus stop.  ...

It's hard to believe the lazy, fun, warm, sunshiney days are over, but with the recent rain monsoon and my space heater cranked on high at my feet, it's evident summer is long gone. I wanted to quickly document our random summer fun that didn't warrant its own individual blog post. These are mostly cell phone pictures of our day-to-day happenings, activities from our summer bucket list, and general neighborhood fun. Here is a slew of evidence in picture form...  Out in our gorgeous valley picking strawberries, blackberries and blueberries.   Our first garden. Chris built the boxes in the spring. We learned a lot from our first go-round and are making plans for next year. This is our one harvest of spinach before it bolted. We did well with tomatoes, cucumbers, and strawberries. The summer of bikes! Paige upgraded to a big bike, and Brynn learned how to ride a two-wheeler. This was our first family ride on the 4th of July to our ward breakfast and back....