End of July in Utah 2015

My broken foot and pregnancy malaise motivated me to pursue Houdini actually taking his promised summer week with the kids.  He told them he would take them either to Disneyland or Hawaii.  They hung around his house and went to Calistoga instead.  

But Lou and I flew home where we met Hush and went on a quick trip down to the Canyon part of UT.

 Bryce Canyon.  More driving than walking around, but it was still pretty cool.

 Friend Melissa's house in the tiniest town in America.  Went on some adventures and played a rousing game of Apples to Apples for horrible adults or whatever it's called with Melissa and Fae.  Reminder to self: babies only like to sleep in their own beds.

 But little Lou was a darling sweet girl, as per usual.

 Hush climbing things.

 Kids came back and we roasted S'mores in our nearly finished new backyard structure thing.

 This outfit is why everybody should have a baby girl.  She's delectable.  BL 11 months.

 The kids made it back in time for us to have a legitimate Pioneer Day.  We kicked it off with a Campout in our backyard with all of our buddies.

 Pioneer Day parade had amazing floats but the crowd was dead.  Insufficient enthusiasm by the overall crowd, though we did our best to rouse them and make it fun.  It didn't help that it was a million degrees.

BL and the dad going on a little hike.  We've become a bit of a hiking family.  The kids and I hiked a few times every week this summer.  We carried Betty Lou in the subpar carriers until we finally bought a Baby Bjorn.

Ferguson Canyon little hike.

 Church with toddler.  Not easy.

 My four kids learning to barbecue.

 At the Sugar House food trucks.

 Lisa falls.  We've found the perfect little hike, not too steep with a great payout waterfall.

 Baby Lou marches around that waterfall like she owns it.

 Baby's first shoes!  LouLou is my earliest walker at just under 11 months.  She was tippy until I got her some converse with the flat bottoms and they helped her balance.  She was so happy!

 My girls and I have been going through a lot of changes on the home front.  Rebekah's baby is moving in in a few weeks so she needed some help room painting.  (I did very little).  Christine inherited three extra people in her house and has been renovating.  Our families are all expanding.

 BL and Dad blue eyed darlings.

 Mimi begged and begged to carry Lou, which lasted exactly 30 seconds, but it was a cute 30 seconds!

And Jude's birthday.  I promised him a school friend party when school started so we spent the actual day with our neighbors at the bowling alley.  How could he be 7 already?