Bob & Mary

The darling couple was married on Saturday, August 24th

Lots of fun pics from the reception at Thanksgiving Point:

 

 

 

 

The kids tables were pretty genius complete with coloring page tablecloths, markers, and jars full of yummy candies

My amazing group of LeBaron sisters—how did I get so lucky?!

Wedding Weekend

Such a busy weekend last week with Bob & Mary's wedding. We started it off perfectly by attending Mary's endowment on Thursday night at the Oquirrh Mountain Temple. I love being in the temple with beloved family and loved the night in general. There is a new movie they play and it is really beautiful (and interesting to recognize a few faces. Now does that make anyone want to go? :) Plus anytime I am at the temple with this guy it's a good thing:

 

Then on Friday night Bob and Mary opted for a sibling dinner rather than an official wedding dinner because they both come from huge families and wanted all of us to have the chance to get to know each other a bit. The dinner was at my mom and dad's house and it was a lovely night. My parents have known Bob since he was about 10 years old and of course once I married Joseph he has been close with our family (I think he's been to LP with us at least 4 times as an extra Smith brother). The weather has been so off and on with rain that we were unsure if it would hold out—but it did while we ate and then picked up just as we finished so we cleaned up and moved onto the deck for the rest of the night. My poor hubby was not well. There had been a bad bug going through my kids (Cares and Livs had barfed earlier in the week) and I guess my hubby picked it up from them (I must have a pretty fierce immune system...thank goodness). He slept through much of the evening but rallied for about an hour there at the end.

 

 

I'm so glad we had this dinner to get to know Mary's awesome family, hear funny stories about the bride and groom from so many family members, and to hear from Bob and Mary too. They will be so happy together—they just fit and have all the right goals and values in common. I love them together so much! Bob is happier than he's ever been and it's easy to see it in his countenance.

 

Two ladies I love and admire so much. 

Plus they are pretty amazing moms to have raised Joseph and me ;)  

          

Back to School, Ring the Bell

Another school year started with my littles staring 4th, 2nd and Pre-K. It kind of breaks my heart every year that they are getting so big. I have a 4th grader? He might as well be in jr. high! Oh they just seem like they should be my small kiddos forever. But the times with just two home, and then the afternoons with ONLY Luke are simply glorious—he naps each afternoon so 3 days a week, while Livs is in preschool, it's just me by myself for 2.5 hours. Heavenly. Quiet. Productive and a little indulgent—the other day I read for more than an hour during my calm time and it was so fun. I am such a mom for just writing that but it really was!

I am so proud of my kids for being excited and eager to be in school. Learning the past few days has worn them out—they are sleeping so soundly and we're back to early bedtimes (love). But they truly enjoy their teachers and school friends so it's great to send them back to such a good environment. Plus Caroline's uniform clothes are just so cute—I love seeing her dressed and ready for school each morning (jumpers, knee-highs, pleated skirts, crisp blouses and bermuda shorts. So preppy and adorable :)

Here's to another great year. And next year I will have 3 children all in the same school—how fun for them!

Livs is back to Miss Angie again and couldn't be more pleased about it. Lots of returning friends and neighborhood friends are in her class, and it's just a few blocks away from home. Love my learning girl. And Livs is super fun to dress too...I think I just really adore having daughters!

Our amazing Addie dropped by after the first day with balloons and treats and cards for my kids. They were thrilled and haven't stopped talking about it for a week! We love that girl so much. I hope she knows she can never leave us and go to college because we'd be too sad without her :) Luckily she's only a junior so we have a few years...

Summer Summer

Loved our summer! It was fun to have our baby on a flexible schedule and do so so much together. Plus, he really enjoys all of it this year too and that has made it our favorite summer ever. Now getting out and doing tons with 4 kids in tow is super tricky and takes a lot out of me—I swear I'm always missing a child or I forget something crucial while we're out (swim diaper, stroller, sunblock, my own sandwich, etc...) but we forge ahead. We made a pretty generous bucket list back in June, and before school started we had done all of it but hike Donut Falls! (and we can save that for a lovely fall weekend).

Some of the fun included the following:

BYU day with cousins

 Blackridge Reservoir with LeB cousins:

  

 

 Trying out a new hike:

This one is up Yellow Fork Canyon in the Oquirrhs just a few miles west of us

Thanksgiving Point Dinosaur Museum with my old BYU friends and their kiddos:

 

 

 2 sessions of tennis lessons:

 Tons of swims at the Draper Pool and a few visits to the library:

7 Peaks!

Other highlights captured by the iPhone:

Biking date with Cec and Chad up Emigration Canyon followed by breakfast at Ruth's Diner

A farewell date with Nanny and Grandpa at Fat Cats:

(we had planned to do Draper pool but afternoon thunder showers had closed the pool that day)

Hitting 1500 miles on my bike exactly 1 year after installing my odometer.

 Not too shabby, but by Labor day next year I want to have ridden at least 2000 more. I'm a little obsessed but it truly feels so good—it's such an amazing workout and I still have so much to improve on and I just feel happy doing it. This world is too beautiful for me and being out in it working hard and breathing fresh air just does it for me. 

Plus, I sort out all kinds of things in my head while I'm riding!

Our crazy August storms toppled this lovely tree in our backyard. It had been weakened by a pest—some kind of grub—and just couldn't withstand the fierce winds that day. So sad to loose such a great shady tree!

Fun picture of these girls at Maddie's 8th birthday party:

Fun picture of my delicious boy after we ate at Los Hermanos and he was so smeared up with beans that I had to dress him in the spare onesie I had in my purse. He is just too cute for me :)

A pic of the kids and me all wearing Keens in LP last month:

Funny boys on a date night with BYU friends (same ones I went to the dino museum with). We used to go out as couples all the time in our college days and it was too fun to get together again and laugh and laugh until our bellies ached. Love these great friends!

And a few more shots of riding buddies:

Heather and I rode the Mountain View Corridor one morning last month

(she was already needing to be out west for her son's soccer game so we started and ended and at his field by Jordan Landing)

 

With my hubby on the newish Murdock Canal Trail that runs from Alpine 

all the way to Provo Canyon.