We are a happy family!: August Adventures

Our friends and neighbors recently got a new puppy and my boys are smitten. They call Chloe the "Little Puff Ball" and beg to play with her nearly every day. If she happens to walk past our house, her owners know they will have to let her off her lease so she can run around with my boys before they can continue their walk. So...we invite Chloe over for play dates, frequently, and it is a great arrangement for both Chloe and my boys, both get positively worn out after a few hours.

We went on a family drive a few weeks ago through Guardsmans Pass, it was BEAUTIFUL!! I am so grateful to live where I live, so very grateful!! I can't wait to go on this drive again as soon as the colors change, as well as a few others drives near by. Fall is coming - YEA!!

After our drive through Guardsmans, we ended up at Donut Falls where we met up with the Keller's to go hiking, as usual it was great fun to spend the night with them. The hike was beautiful, even if you can no longer see the donut part of the falls, due to a massive rock slide.

Do you know, I really enjoy boys, something about the adventures they get into is just fun. I love playing blocks or building of any kind with them, and Grant is a pro. This is the gun that he made, because bigger is always better with a gun, right. :)

For a little boy having the utility trucks come by the house for any reason is thrilling, I am always grateful when the people working are cheerful with my boys. Brandon was particularly impressed with the vacuum, it was very loud and powerful. :)

Brandon and McKell playing in the dryer - why is the dryer so interesting to children - it is nearly impossible to keep them away. But how in the world did they both get in and fit? They nearly had Grant in there with them before I put a stop to their activity.

Only a boy would think to put a hose through the hole under the mailbox and thrill at his own invented waterfall, he was soaked, but oh so happy, and how could I protest when he really wasn't making a mess of anything. Water, gutters and little boys is a recipe for fun, I don't know how many times I have found him out there with his animals. :)

Grant is my resident thief, if there is a tiny piece of candy he will sniff it out, no matter where it is. He even managed to find my sisters stash of candy when we were visiting, I don't know how he does it, but it is making me crazy, I find myself wishing frequently for dead bolts on the doors and padlocks on all the cupboards and fridge, it would only slow him down, but I could use the extra minute to catch and stop him. Props to him for his determination. :)

We invited my cousins and their children up for a splash party, they had a great time playing in the back yard and the four of us had a great time chatting the day around. Cute kids. :)

I have been anxiously wanting to get rid of the trees right up against my house all summer long, and I finally got determined enough to make it happen. I tried to do it on my own - I know I know, what is a pregnant lady like me doing with a chain saw, but surely you know what happens when a pregnant lady, me, gets an idea in my head I can't rest until it is done, no matter how impractical it is. fortunately I have great neighbor boys who were willing to come and help me, and they looked at it as an adventure. The finished look is such a dramatic improvement I couldn't be more pleased. I feel like it is a new house. :)

Before

After
My mom, sisters, Chandler and my boys and I went to the zoo to see the new splash pad. We had a great time. The weather was perfectly overcast so that all the crowds disappeared and we nearly had the zoo to ourselves.