Change-ups, new things, and outdoor fun

 For my 38th birthday we went camping at Zion the week before.  But on my actual birthday I still wanted to do something fun outdoors, so I took the kids (and at the last minute, Jonathan didn't have to work so he came along) up to Payson Lakes.  It was fun!  And Maris took this picture of me haha.  I was brave and jumped off the kayak in the middle of the lake, so I was proud of myself for being a cool mom haha.

and the kids had fun pulling Jonathan around on the paddleboard.

This crazy thing happened: a road actually got paved behind our house!  Sad!  But we are grateful for each day we get without backyard neighbors.

Another crazy thing that happened: Owen got glasses!!!! before Quarantine he had been complaining about not being able to see the board at school, but then with online school and the pandemic it wasn't a problem any more/I forgot about it.  So finally in July one day, Katelyn randomly tried an experiment of giving Owen her old glasses to wear and he was like " wow I can see so much better!  That's awesome!" So then I felt SO bad!  But he had been okay at his last vision screening, so it had only been a few months of blurry vision I think.....anyway we had fun trying on some old time glasses like the ones Eric had as a child!  And then he picked these.  They are way cute on him. And I was worried about sports, but they only fell off once the whole soccer season this fall, so that was good.

UYSA (the State soccer people) organized a short summer season to help make up for the cancelled spring season, so Whitney's team got to play 4 games this summer!  Plus a tournament and a free Shooters tournament.  Yay summer soccer!  So here's Eric and our tent on the sidelines.

4th of July was pretty low-key because we were camping the day before.  But we did a few little fireworks before the police came and asked us to stop because apparently we were in a no-fireworks zone. I had read the rules carefully and I think he was wrong, but we stopped anyway haha.

In July Katelyn got to do the Summer Shakespeare Intensive Program.  2 weeks of 9 to 5 Shakespeare, and at the end they put on the play Much Ado About Nothing-- set in a 1980's high school.  It ended up being postponed because 1 kid got COVID, but then no one else got it (because they were all wearing masks at rehearsals, good job!) so they did end up getting to perform 2 weeks later. She had a BLAST and the play was so fun to watch!  Here she is going to "school" for the first time since March.

Here's her 80's cast photo for the program, and her in the peach prom dress getting captured by the captain of the watch (nerd patrol--hilarious!)

Here she is as part of the mean girl's posse (they had a real car onstage, so fun)

In one of her other outfits, and plotting with Brady.

More mean girl posse and yelling at the captain of the watch

One day when Owen had gotten his own room (up next), I got him a bunch of bins and he decided to organize his Legos by color.  It took several hours!! The girls and I all willingly helped him, it was pretty fun! And it looks awesome on his shelf.

Emma and Owen switched rooms!!!! It was crazy!  But with Emma not napping much anymore, Owen was ready to have his own room.
Here's Emma in her old room.

These two cute pals have had a great run as roommates.

Owen in his old room

Emma asleep on the floor in her new room, late at night, she must have fallen out of bed?  haha

Maris in her same spot!

silly times at the splash pad in Orem.

Katelyn getting COVID tested after she was possibly exposed at rehearsal for Much Ado-- she was negative.

the log at Spanish fork reservoir.

a hike in Santaquin canyon during Katelyn's singing class

Whitney invited about 10 friends to the pond, they had a BLAST on the paddleboard and kayaks and jumping off bridges.....

Yay for summer!!!

Katelyn has a teenager party

 Sorry to start out with a sidenote, but uploading pictures is super unpredictable lately.  So here's maris running in the sprinklers in her pajamas the first morning we turned them on in May. haha.

And now- Katelyn's teenager birthday party!!! They had pizza and laughed and played games.  It was supposed to be crazy the day after we came back from Japan, but instead it was super chill haha. It was so weird that they didn't need me at all hahaha.

It was really fun, she had 6 friends there. Jacob, Liam, Ariel, Aurora, Abby and Danica.

birthday cheesecake

Opening presents the next morning.

with flowers Grandma had delivered!

Katelyn is so grown up, we can't believe it!

Marisy’s Carnival party!

 Maris was so excited to do her idea of a "party where you play games and get prizes".  Carnival party!! But first she opened family presents.  Her reactions are the best!

I had fun painting this sign!  It was supposed to be hanging between 2 ladders on the side of the house, as a gateway to the backyard-o-fun.  BUT it was super cold and rainy on Maris' birthday (surprise, surprise, it somehow is every year on her birthday!!) So at the last minute we moved it all inside.  I was so disappointed but everyone chipped in and it still turned out great!

Cute birthday girl!!

The kids all helped put the Skittles on this cake!

Maris ended up having 4 friends come- which was perfect for a barely-out-of-quarantine party.

We had games set up all over and everyone was in charge of a couple. Owen did great.

Whitney and Kate were so fun with the fishing game.

And they did amazing face painting!!

Grandma ran the photo booth downstairs

Pretty rainbow girl! She is 6, so big!!

playing the prize punch game.

with their ticket bags at the beginning- and you can see the game Eric ran upstairs- Ladder Ball!

My Carnies!!!! Seriously they were fantastic.

Some cute faces.

The setup downstairs, with 3 more games, and guessing booth. and Bryan was thrilled to win a huge jar of gum!!! in the guessing game.

Then the kids got to redeem their tickets for little prizes....it was adorable.  

And we had cake.  It was a fun party.

Then later we had to go get snowcones during a break in the rain because Maris is our snowcone/slushy/slurpee/popcicle girl!!

We love our little Maris Sunshine.