History repeats itself and it never ends. And I don't just mean this post.

The part that never ends are the wrestling matches all day long around here.  These were the three that I caught today - I'd say there's AT LEAST ten per day; they errupt at any time and happen anywhere and I don't know what starts them, but it's like having three puppies around.  And I love it.  Nolan looked over my shoulder and saw all of these pictures and he said, "Oh good. It looks like I was on top most of the time!"

Monday night, the Wares came up for dinner and family home evening. They're starting to dress alike now🤣:

We spent Tuesday taking care of the last-minute preparations of sending Maddie off on the pioneer trek.  Shawn and I were initially asked to go as a "ma" and "pa" but four days before we were to leave he and his boss decided to have him stay at the office.  Russ and Beth (his boss and wife) were asked to go also, as was one of their head office ladies, and Russ wanted to have some leadership left behind.  Luckily they had some alternate couples to call on. 

Maddie at the church with Ashley Zaugg before take off:

And with our next door neighbors, Kelly and Sharon Brown:

Initially,Maddie wasn't too excited about going, but came home talking about the great time that she had:

Matt and Sarah Yoshioka were her "ma" and "pa":

She and Kalan Spencer got to be good friends:

Atticus Tesch came to stay for two days and a night because there was a scout activity that he didn't want to miss and his parents were leaving town.  We really like Atticus! We spent most of the afternoon at the pool:

Isabelle invited her friend Riley.  We really like Riley, too!:

Meanwhile the evening walking weather was fabulous with some spectacular sunsets thrown in:

The lighting was so interesting this particular night!  I wish we had been in a more scenic part of town when it was happening...

Or at the top of this hill:

We LOVE our evening walks!!

On Thursday afternoon I took my four youngest and headed for mom and dads.  The plan had been for them to stay there during the pioneer trek and they weren't excited about the change in plans, so I decided to take them and stay there with them for a couple of days.

Pace and Thomas:

Isabelle took off with her cousin Ann to Catherine Creek lodge to a mother/daughter outing with my sisters and had a great time.

Nolan and Abram spent most of their time with David and Gideon up at Willow Creek building forts and dreaming about sleeping out, far from home.  (This is the part where history repeats itsself - All of my kids have done these same things with cousins.  The end result was also the same - stay tuned.)

Nolan explaining his fort in progress to me:

The near-by monkey bridge:

The boys talked me into driving them and their over-night gear to the teepee to save them a half mile walk.  Adam had built a road through the field and the boys assured me that it was a "very good road".  One of Adams pivots was heavily sprinkling the "very good road".  I told the boys that it looked like I could get stuck.  They assured me I wouldn't.  I was in the Toyota with no four wheel drive.  We got stuck.  The boys managed to push me out and we deposited their gear:

They got all set up and then we headed back, me all nervous because I knew that we would get stuck again...sure enough we did, and this time there was no getting out.  Until the next day when dad helped me, that is😄 Meanwhile, I could tell that the boys were super excited to sleep out all on their own far from the house, but I could also tell that they were nervous about it.  While they set up camp they mentioned that they ought to get a blanket to put over the opening of the teepee to keep out cougars and wolves... But after dinner I sent them off with a batch of cookies that I baked for them and it started getting dark outside.  Then it was really dark, and surprised, I told Eli "Well I guess they are up there to stay for the night, because now it's too dark to come home!"  Just as I finished saying that, there was a tap on the living room window.

The boys said that Gideon started "feeling sorry for Uncle Steve who was home ALL ALONE". Remember that all the girls were at mother/daughters outing. Gideon took one of the walkie talkies and went home.  He called them later and told them he couldn't find Steve and the boys said that his voice cracked when he said it so they knew he was scared.  David decided he had better go home too.  So Nolan and Abram also came home.  😄 Well they had a good adventure anyway.  Also a bag of cookies all to themselves!

David, Nolan, Gideon and Abram:

Abram, David, Westley, Nolan:

Pace and Thomas in the back of uncle Adam's work truck:

I went on some great walks with Eli and Isaac:

Meawhile, Shawn was slaving away on a new post for our front porch in his spare time:

He had it done when we got home and I painted it up that night!:

I'm so grateful for all of his talents.
Nolan and his summer weekly Saturday job mowing the Brown's lawn:

Today was a big day!  Mom, dad and Eli came over so that mom could accompany us as we sang in sacrament meeting.  We sang Uncle Kory's song "In A Coming Day", and all but Pace sang.  Shawn learned the bass part, I learned the alto part, Nolan the tenor part and Isabelle and Maddie sang soprano.  Abram joined in with whichever part he wanted to.  I'm so grateful for mom and all her help learning our parts while we were there this week!  It was great to have mom, dad and Eli here for church and dinner afterwards.  

At 6:00 Justin Robinson got baptized!  Exactly a year to the day his wife Amanda was baptized, shortly after we moved here.  We love them!  She has been my visiting teaching partner and is my YW secretary.  Super exciting day - I am so excited for them.  Our whole family went, but I couldn't find the others when I was quickly trying to grab a picture:

Father's Day 2018

I thought Father's Day was pretty great - hopefully Shawn did too!  I made him a yummy breakfast and dinner, and he was showered with presents and notes from all of us.  I know that a couple of the kids made him more than one picture or letter.😄Isabelle made sure that everyone had letters written yesterday so that there was much thought and time put into these letters! I didn't get to read all of the letters, but saw these pictures that came home from primary. The boys were to draw a picture of their dad - we are getting a kick out of them: 

Abram's:

I think I've seen Shawn make all of those faces before!🤣

As I was reflecting before I wrote him a note I realized that he has made all of my biggest dreams come true.  Also, I thought about how his greatest quality as a husband and father is how supportive he is of all of us.  Our priorities and things that are important to us become his priorities and what is important to him.  He takes such good care of us and is so talented in so many ways. I am a blessed woman to have found him and to be married to him and be raising our family together.

He requested shish-kabobs for dinner - here he is grilling up the last of them:

It was a beautiful day for eating out on the deck!

We love Sunday walks!  Crossing Bedford bridge:

In other news of the week - or should I say pictures on my phone - - -

Shawn and I go on long walks whenever we can in the evenings.  The weather is so great once the sun goes down and the streets are quiet; many times we walk right down the middle of them!  We heard a dog bark this particular evening and were intrigued to see it running all over the roof of this home:

We have a Popsicle break just about every day when things really heat up.  Nolan got his tongue stuck on this one:

Isabelle said that she would rescue him, but first she took all of these pictures:D

Can you tell that we live on our decks in the summer?!??  This week all of the tables and furniture have been covered with toy animals.  I love watching Abram playing with them; there's a continuous shuffle and they don't stay in one place for long:

For awhile the tropical plant in the far right pot looked like I was trying to grow a corn stalk, but it's shaping up and I can't wait to see what it's flowers look like!  It's a Canna Lily btw:

A sampling of one of the many roses that grow in our yard.  I can't believe the size and color!!: