Playing Catch Up

So I've been looking through all of the pictures we've taken and feel the need to blog about them. It makes better journaling when you can put a picture with it. Hopefully this will allow me to get caught up on all the summer happenings.

Cooper took a big spill on his bike. He decided to go full throttle down our sloped driveway and missed the neighbors driveway across the street and instead hit their curb. He flew off his bike and landed on his face. I was worried he might have broken his nose because of how fast it swelled up. This picture is a few hours after the swelling was starting to go down! I couldn't even bare to look at him-He didn't look like my Cooper. Luckily nothing was broken, he just took a pretty big hit on his nose and cut up the inside of his upper lip.

I tried to get a profile picture of him the day it happened but he was just wanting to be held-can you blame him? Anyway this picture is a couple days later and it doesn't do justice for how far out his upper lip was. Damone came home that day from work and was shocked. Cooper's upper lip stuck out like a ducks bill. Thankfully the mouth heals so quickly and he was back to himself in no time.

Maloree's Rose Bush

We've done a major overhaul in our front yard landscaping-ripping out old bushes, planting new ones and putting in a variety of different flowers. It is really starting to look nice. This is the rose bush we planted for Maloree. It is a Knock Out Rose and has really done well and taken off. It just keeps on blooming. The kids call it "Maloree's bush" and they really keep an eye on it and tell me when we need to cut back the dead flowers and when it needs to be watered.

We also found out in June that we were going to have another Boy. We have never found out gender on any of our other kids so it was actually a really big shock for us. We went home and it was almost surreal that we knew the gender and didn't actually have the baby yet. It was almost like we were in denial that they could even tell, because usually the baby is born and the doctor will declare the gender and Damone and I can immediately validate it. But just going off the ultrasound tech felt so weird. Lydia had a hard time adjusting to the thought of another brother. I took her to pick out his coming home outfit and we got our nails painted together. It was a really neat experience for her to realize that she can do girly things with her mom, even though her sister is not here.

We are very excited. This whole pregnancy I have felt very removed and very anxious and nervous. As the pregnancy has progressed I find myself feeling more and more confident especially now that I can feel him moving all the time. We only had one month between Maloree and this baby and as soon as we found out we were pregnant it was an overload of emotions-guilt, excitement, relief, scared, nervous and panicky to just name a few. But the whole time and even still I am humbled that Heavenly Father knows the plan for our family (I put my trust and faith in that) and needed this little guy to come at this specific time, that Maloree sacrificed her earthly experience for. Had we carried her to term we never would have been carrying this child. I have really gained a deeper understanding in the magnitude of the timing and place everyone is born and that gender does in fact play a very important role in our individual premortal, mortal and eternal identity and purpose.

Utah Trip-Shumard Reunion

Two Peas in a Pod

Cal loving Lydia / Following the Leader

Bear Lake adventure- Did I mention the water was freezing?

Kyler riding with Damone-he wanted to stay out forever / Lydia riding with Uncle Mike-she was ready at anytime to come back in.

The horses were the highlight of Kyler's trip to Utah. He was so excited to finally ride a "Spirit" horse and not a pony. The mosquitoes were so thick we were dousing our hair, clothes and any bare skin with bug repellent. Needless to say once the last kid got their turn on the horse, we made a mad dash for the cars.

The view from our cabin at Bear Lake

We had so much fun with all the cousins and the kids loved Family Home Evening with Nana and Papa.

I was so glad we had time to visit Great Grandma Staples. The kids had fun playing in her yard and picking up pine cones in the wagon. We had a great time visiting with Aunt Vickie and Blair and Kendra and Grandma and Grandpa and Uncle Todd.

Lydia's highlight of the Utah trip was losing her first tooth! Dad helped it come out at Grandma and Grandpa's house. She was so excited she couldn't put it under her pillow, she had to bring it home and show her friend Mandy before the tooth fairy made her visit.