Around Our House

 Each of the kids had a friend over one afternoon and we set up the slip-n-slide.

Tessa and Felicity avoided the mud, but Levi, Rockwell, Wesley, and Damon thought it was great to get as muddy as they could. :)

Damon has been frustrated that he doesn't have a job like Rockwell and Tessa do. I keep telling him that they didn't have jobs when they were 7 years old either, and that when he's older I'm sure he'll be able to get some sort of job. The fruit trees at the Driscoll's house have begun to drop their fruit, and Zac offered to pay Rockwell to pick them up before he mows their lawn each week. He wasn't excited about that, so we asked Damon if he would want to pick up the fruit each week. He was all in for that. He is so excited to have his own paying job now! He does it all on his own and is doing awesome at it. Way to work hard Damon!!

Rockwell and Damon haven't been getting along great this summer. Damon wants to do everything that Rockwell does, and Rockwell wants a break from having his little brother tag along with him and his friends all the time. I can see both of their points of view, and try to balance time where Damon needs to be included, and time where Rockwell needs some independent time. We rarely get the kids to bed at their bedtimes this summer, but there was one night where all 3 kids were home with me and I was planning on getting them all to bed on time. About 10 minutes before it was time to get ready for bed, Rockwell and Damon started playing together. They were laughing so hard and having such a great time. I was so grateful to see them getting along that I knew right away I wasn't going to stop them for bedtime. It was so worth it for another late night to see them have fun together though!

Al, Hallee, and Wyatt were over one day. Rockwell and Wyatt came to Al and me and showed us a presentation they had made about why Rockwell should go home with Wyatt for the rest of the night. It was so funny and clever, we had to say yes. :) They had reasons about families being together forever, something about inflation, Mel was going to be at Al's house that night and they were sure Mel would want to see Rockwell, dinner was already planned so it wouldn't be any more work for Al, etc. It was hilarious.

Paul and I used our free tickets from Paul's Teacher of the Year award to go see Singin' In The Rain at Hale Center Theatre. This was the first show we've seen with water effects, and it was awesome! The talent and staging at Hale is always so impressive.

Rockwell went to Wyatt's birthday party. They took the boys to Lowe's Xtreme Airsports and then to McDonald's for lunch.

Wyatt was excited with all the Dr Pepper he got for his birthday. :)

Rockwell got to stay after the party and spend the rest of the day with Wyatt. He felt like it was his birthday too getting to spend the entire day with Wyatt!

Our Relief Society did a Cabin Fever Retreat at Barb's brother's cabin in the Timberlakes. I was a little socially anxious about going, but felt like I should, especially since Kathy and Paka couldn't make it. I certainly didn't want Barb to have to do everything herself. We met at the church and carpooled up to the cabin.

Barb gave us the tour first thing, and it was amazing! Some of us wanted our own room and some of us thought it sounded fun to stay in the sleepover rooms. :) Amy, Shiree and I chose a room together and had a great time talking as we fell asleep that night. Lori helped me get dinner prepped and set out, and it was so great that we all fit around the table together. After dinner we got comfy in the living room and played a getting to know you game. 

Patrice was adamant that she didn't want to be in any pictures, and insisted on taking the pictures. She seems to like them close up. :)

She used my phone so I could send them out to everyone afterward. I didn't look at them until I got home, and this one made me laugh. It looks like it was just me, but Debbie and Lisa were smiling for the picture too. Patrice zoomed in too close and cut them out. Haha. I wish I had checked them right away and had her take another one, but oh well.

Lori sent me this candid one that has Lisa and Debbie in it.  

We each had shells in a bucket and went around the room telling something we've done that we think nobody else has done. If nobody else has done it, we get to keep our shells. But if somebody else has done it, we have to give them one of our shells. It was so much fun! We pretty much spent the rest of the night playing that one game because we all loved hearing each other's stories. At one point Barb was worried we were spending too long on it, and said we should move on to something else. Everyone said they wanted to keep playing, so that's what we did. Debbie had been planning on going back home that night with Becky, Jordyn, and Courtney, but she leaned over during the game and said, "This is too fun! I really don't want to go home." She slept in her clothes and brushed her teeth with borrowed toothpaste and her finger. :) The whole retreat went better than our presidency had hoped. It was very rewarding that everyone who went asked if we can please please please make this a yearly tradition. Barb really wanted the women to grow closer to each other, and this was the perfect setting to make that happen. 

We had a relaxing morning and then had breakfast and played another game. Sadly, Shiree and I needed to leave early so we didn't get to stay for the whole game. They went for a walk after the game, and everyone who went to the retreat was so glad they did. Myself included. It really was a great time!!