Leona's Thoughts on Laundry and Love

Leona: Mom what can I do?

Me: You can do laundry.

Leona: I can't do laundry.

Me: Why can't you do laundry?

Leona: My body isn't designed for it.

Hahahaha Mine either Leona, mine either!

Overheard: Leona playing Barbies, the Ken's name is Jaybob, the Barbie's name is Kaleigh. They just got married and are going on their honeymoon to Mexico.  

Her Barbie's get married constantly since we got back from our trip.

Labor Day 2019

We went for a hike and a picnic at St. Edward's State Park for Labor Day.  It was beautiful weather and so fun to be together, outside, and not rushed. Collin also took the kids on a bike ride to the park by our house.

End of Summer Fun!

Although summer was almost over by the time we got back from our road trip there was still a little time left to squeeze in some fun. Along with going for s'mores at the Rice's Rainy Campout, the girls got to go to a Seattle Storm basketball game, go for a ride in a jeep with the Bradys from our ward, go to the beach at Golden Gardens, and hang out and relax for a little bit longer before school started.

Road Trip 2019 the Finale- Colorado/Visiting Gma and Gpa Roueche

After another long day of driving, during which Timothy didn't cry hardly at all now that he was a pro like his sisters, we made it to Gma and Gpa Roueche's house in Colorado! We got to stay and visit with them for almost a whole week! 

We went to parks, a splash pad, the rec center to go swimming, on hikes, play in the basement, play outside, play games, make cookies with grandma, went to go see Toy Story 4 at the theater with grandpa, and more.  Timothy met Gpa Roueche for the first time and got reacquainted with Gma Roueche. The girls of course felt right at home because grandma and grandpa always make them feel so welcome and loved whenever they are around. 

The highlight of the trip was when Timothy, dad, and I left to go to Texas for Uncle Sammy and Aunt Larissa's wedding and the girls got to stay with only grandma and grandpa. Then the party really got started.  They of course got donuts, because it wouldn't be a visit with Gma and Gpa Roueche without donuts! They also had TWO movie nights, for one of them they watched the original Parent Trap. The girls had a super fun time and wished that we had stayed away longer so that they could have had more time with just grandma and grandpa in charge. Just as we got back from Texas, the night before we had to start our return trip, Clara started throwing up. She had caught the stomach bug from Timothy.  It was not an ideal way to end an otherwise wonderful trip to visit Grandma and Grandpa.

The return trip was as expeditious as possible due to the stomach bug.  We drove straight from Parker, CO to Twin Falls, ID where we stayed in a hotel.  This was a major highlight among many highlights of the trip for the girls.  We stayed in a hotel that had a pool and a fancy continental breakfast. Clara was too sick to swim in the pool, but we let her dip her feet in. Eliza and Leona had a blast swimming with dad while I packed up all of our luggage and got us ready to hit the road for the final leg of our trip.  We made it home all in one piece after almost three weeks away from home.  It is the longest trip we've ever taken and was so much fun, even with the stomach bug and general car sickness.  I am so grateful for the fun and loving family that we get to be with forever and the time we got to spend together this summer.

Road Trip 2019 Continues- Utah/Visiting Aunt Cambrie and Uncle Bryce

The snack bracket was a major source of entertainment on our travels this summer.  I can't remember at what point we completed it, but it was a fan favorite as far as road trip activities are concerned.  We had our shortest day of driving heading from Twin Falls, ID to Cedar Hills, UT where Aunt Cambrie and Uncle Bryce lived. They moved less than a week after we left, now that's love, letting a family of six come stay at your house for a week right before you move!  

We pulled into town just in time to make it to Great Gpa Roueche's 94th birthday party. The kids were a little road weary but had a good time celebrating with him as well as some cousins (Collin's cousins' kids) that they haven't seen since we moved away from Utah. Timothy met Great Gma and Great Gpa Roueche for the first time at the party.  He was a fan.

The rest of the time in Utah we were pretty much busy nonstop with fun.  The girls went with Collin and Aunt Cambrie to the Provo Rec Center to go swimming, we went to several different parks and hikes, we got snow cones, we played games.  The girls and I went to Provo to hit up the BYU stuff while Aunt Cambrie packed, Collin worked remotely, and Timothy took a nap.  We went to the Bean Science Museum, The Museum of Art- where there was a really cool art installation made from willow branches, the BYU Bookstore- where everybody got BYU t-shirts, and we finished up at the BYU Creamery.  Aunt Cambrie, Uncle Bryce, Collin, and Timothy met us there for dinner and the best ice cream anywhere. Aunt Cambrie and Uncle Bryce also babysat the kids while Collin and I got to go to my favorite Utah Temple, Mt. Timpanogas.

Our last day in Utah we went down town again to visit Great Gma and Gpa Roueche. Great Gpa Roueche was calm and visited with people while Great Gma Roueche was up to her old tricks, teasing and tickling people, giving out candy, and playing hide and seek.  We went to lunch with them, as well as Collin's Aunt Tina and Aunt Susan before saying good bye to them.

We figured that as long as we were already in downtown Salt Lake City we should drop by Temple Square.  We intended it to be a 10-15 minute stop but since the girls didn't remember any of it we ended up staying for an hour and a half, poor Timothy was a trooper since all he wanted was a nap. We saw the Temple, the Conference Center, went inside the Visitor's Center to see the Christus, and went inside the Tabernacle.  It was nice to discuss the three degrees of glory with the girls while admiring the sun, moon, and stars carved into the facade of the Salt Lake Temple.  

We had such a fun time visiting with Aunt Cambrie and Uncle Bryce. It was so kind of them to make space for us in their home and schedule right when they were super busy with an impending move.

Road Trip 2019 Begins- Idaho/Uncle Jaybob and Aunt Kaleigh's Wedding

Don't worry, we didn't let Timothy drive for very long on the trip. :) We started out this monster road trip with a deadline.  We had to make it to Twin Falls, Idaho in one day in order to make it to Uncle Jaybob and Aunt Kaleigh's wedding the following day.  It was a long day of driving.  Timothy cried a lot, because he did not understand why we would trap him for such a long time in his carseat right when he was getting really good at speed crawling. The girls, practiced roadtrippers that they are did great. We made it and got to spend the night in the same house as Uncle Jaybob, Uncle Tutu, and Gma & Gpa Cole.  It was a lot of fun.  There was a yard to run around in, which the girls appreciated after all that time in the car.

The next day we got up and went to the wedding.  It was a warm day, which I loved, but which the kids are no longer used to.  They were sweaty, but good sports about waiting around in the temple waiting room during the sealing, and then again while a billion photos were taken.  Their reward was a nap for Timothy and cousin movie and play time for the girls and Lily. Then in the evening we dressed back up in our wedding clothes and headed to the reception.  The reception was held in a beautiful park down in a gorge along the Snake River. It was so pretty at sunset with all of the different colors of the rocks, the plants, and the sky.  The kids had a great time running around at the park, eating ice cream, and helping to decorate Uncle Jaybob's car. It was so much fun to be there with everybody to celebrate Uncle Jaybob and Aunt Kaleigh becoming a family forever thanks to the sealing power found in the temple.

Then the next morning we attended Sacrament Meeting with Gma & Gpa, packed up our van and hit the road.