end of summer iphone

One day our fire department was doing some sort of event at the park next to it, and we went even though it was blaaaaazing hot.

We got to climb inside a fire truck...

And a helicopter!

There was more to do, but honestly we just couldn't take the heat anymore.  Poor little Gabe was as red as a beet and could not stop sweating, even after we got him home and were pumping liquids into him like crazy.

This beauty was taken as Gabe was potty training.  Gabe got super confused and thought these particular undies were specifically for the head.

While we were doing said potty training, those three days are pretty intense and I asked Marty to take the kids somewhere for fun since I was beyond unavailable to them.  Often when I ask (or beg) that of Marty he will take the kids to Superstition Springs Mall for a dollar movie and either a ride on a dinosaur or the carousel.

Brynn posing, and my April babies together (I call them that sometimes since their birthdays are only two days apart and they get along so well, but Bryce HATES it!).

Marty met up with the Mather cousins there.

I remember he texted me this picture and I totally squealed when I opened it.

We didn't have a kiddie pool the last year or two and I was totally determined to get one this year.  But after the first five or so times, the older kids didn't have any interest in it anymore.  So we have had a lot of play dates and suddenly when the other kids start hopping in the pool my kids think it's the greatest thing ever.

This.  This is my life right now.  It wasn't when the pictures was taken, but it is now that BandB are in school and I love it.  Have I mentioned how much I love having just the babies for awhile each day?  Because I totally love it.

Marty went on a hike with the new teacher coming on board at the ALA seminary.  Pretty cool selfie, Johnson.

This is one of the times BandB missed each other just too much after I split up their rooms, and I found them asleep together.

Ok.  Sad to say, but this is the only picture I have from our S&I Husband and Wife retreat in Flagstaff. We just couldn't stop laughing about the bathrooms in this place, but I felt a lot better after I found out our friends took a picture of it, too!

Anyway, the retreat was amazing and it was so nice that I could leave the kids with my mom, who flew out just for the occasion, and not have to worry about them at all.  There were some incredible talks/discussions/hikes and nature trails.  It was slow-paced.  Marty and I felt like we were really able to receive some strong impressions about our family and marriage at this time and we were excited to put those into action as soon as we got home. (Is it hard to take that paragraph seriously with the toilet phone above??)

One day on pretty short notice we found out that Kris Anne had a flight that would be stopping for an hour or two in Phoenix and there was really no question - Marty was GOING.  He took Brynn and even got Bryce out of bed, and it was totally worth the late night for them!  She is such an awesome Aunt (and sister-in-law).  I guess...they saw a cool car...?

Here is Gabby on one of her first driving lessons!  It was even more special that she got to learn in our Grandpa's old car, the one that was his baby and that we got to ride in to Boulder sometimes.  That parrot was always hanging from the rear-view mirror, so Marty dug it out of the glovebox because he is sentimental like that (or at least understands women are).  There have been a couple of occasions when I have popped in the Johnny Cash tape and held the parrot in my hands and it just felt so good to think about him.

Speaking of which, we sold the Marshmallow!  This is the car that Marty picked me up on for our very first date!  It moved us to Arizona.  We brought Brynn and Bryce home from the hospital in it.  We have had VERY few issues with it.  It has been a good, good car to us.  But actually it was starting to have a few issues, it looks fine in the picture but the interior was USED, and it was just time to part ways after we inherited my Grandpa's car.

Lots of road-trips and hand-holding in these two seats. :)

Tacky day for Spirit Week.  I love that the time is posted on the TV back there.  It will always remind me of how crazy we were for picking a schedule which had the kids heading out the door at 6:50!

Ha!  Bryce doesn't seem so amused about Tacky day.  He actually really likes to look good....

And this is typical - Gabe still in his jammies milling around with a couple of basketballs.

Oh Bryce, Bryce, Bryce.  WHAT are we going to do with you?  He works and plays hard, he naps hard!  He still naps just about every day, just never in his bed!  Here he is, like, upside-down...

And later that night he fell asleep again...on the TOILET!

Marty was calling for me downstairs and he told me to hurry, so I flew downstairs and ran into the bathroom to hear Bryce snoring away on the toilet.  I'm not sure how long he had been there, but there were some pretty intense impressions left on his face. :)

(Teenage Bryce, please forgive me for posting this picture)