Summer with Gabby

Gabby came back!!  We got to have so much fun with my cousin from Virginia last summer, so I was so excited when I heard we got to have her back!  And this time she came minus the kidney stones. :)

Now that I'm sitting here writing it all up, I can hardly think what we did.  But I think the best part, for me at least, is just being able to hang out and chat with a Sparks girl (the Sparks girls have always been my closest thing to sisters).

Brynn loved having another girl around, one that was old enough to give makeovers and do nails.

After the makeover, I handed the camera to Brynn and told her to go ask Gabby to take some selfies with her!  Are these girls gorgeous or what?

Later, Bryce had to get in on the selfie action as well.

We got a chance to do baptisms at our new Gilbert temple.  I really think it's the most beautiful baptismal  font I've ever seen.  And Gabby looked like an angel (I know I'm embarrassing you Gabby, but no one you know reads this, haha!).

We swam at a friend's pool.

We all had lots of fun jumping in.

I ran out of swim diapers and got such a kick out of Camille waddling around like a duck in her balloon diaper.

We ate lots of yummy things.  In-N-Out was a must.  We ate that on the HOTTEST day.  It was the 24th of July so Marty had it off, but it's kind of anti-climatic in AZ.  So we took a much needed opportunity to shop for some things he needed before starting school at a last-chance outlet store.  Did I mention it was soooo hot?  We came home and ate our In-N-Out in front of the TV watching Frozen and feeling too wiped out to do anything else.  

(Here is Camille drinking the fry sauce)

We also went to Freddy's, Kneaders, and of course...SONIC!!  I was so excited to be able to have a few minutes of girl time with Gabby driving to Sonic for half-price-shakes-after-8.  We'd come home, the kids would be down, and we'd Settle Catan.  Or rather, Marty settled Catan every single game.  But we played along. :)  

Gabby was gracious enough to babysit the kids so Marty and I could go to the temple.  Marty had the privilege of giving her her first couple of driving lessons (in our Grandpa's car and with his green parrot hanging from the mirror!).  She got to navigate the Phoenix airport totally by herself because I was so dingy about where I was supposed to be.  Oh, and Gabby got first hand experience with lizards, roadrunners, and a SCORPION!  

So I guess it sounds like a lot, but to me the week just felt really laid back and like I was on vacation, too!  Even though the kids knew it was coming they were really disappointed when they woke up and she was gone.  Later that day I found a bag with VERY random stuff from Bryce's room (which is actually very commonplace in a house full of little kids) and asked him what it was all about.  Apparently BandB had sneaked out of their rooms that night to pack together and they were totally determined that they could wake up early enough to get on the plane with her.  Ha!  And I really miss Gabe's mischievous "Gaaaaabbyyyyyy...." when he wanted her to chase or tease him.  Michelle, thanks for handing over your daughter for a week - we love her so much!