Highlights (July-August)

We said goodbye to Shari, and then it was the 4th of July! We were ready for a quiet, family celebration. So we bought a few fireworks and set them off in the rain.

Awesome. Soaked from the rain. Captures the kids' personalities perfectly: Grant (annoyed that he didn't get what he wanted), Blake (hammin it up), Hayden (bag full of junk and ready to tell you about it), Cosette (screaming her head off. Yup, that's pretty much it!

Next summer highlight: HP 7 pt2!! Travis and I were SO excited to see the last HP! We got tickets to the midnight showing and went with Fiona & Regan. LOVED the movie, LOVED the 3D, LOVED eating at the new Cafe Rio in Manassas.

Then my mom came in late July. We had fun! The kids loved sneaking into her room at night to sleep on the floor and getting spoiled. We also checked out the Fair. We had fun seeing the animals and riding carnival rides. Grandma played the piano for Hayden. We LOVE our new piano. We got a great Kimball for only $350. Our neighbors helped us move it and we got it tuned so it plays beautifully. The kids start lessons in a couple weeks!

When Dad got here, we all went camping to Blackwater Falls, WV. We got rained out and came home a day early, but it was so fun!

We stopped at a super-creepy cemetery in Romney, WV. It's definitely haunted.

Cosey, pretty much the whole trip. She's got a bunch of molars coming in. She's awful. Or, it might just be her personality. She's still cute though.

211 steps to the falls! We loved having Regan with us for our big trip!

Then, Grant turned 9. We had a family party with ice cream cake push pops. We also visited build-a-bear where Grant made a puppy that meows like a cat. He loved his presents and the alphabet decorations we used.

And that's it! Mom & Dad left shortly after Grant's birthday, and we've spent the week chillin. School starts on Wednesday and I think it will be a great year for them. I'm looking forward to cool, fall days in the new house! We love our house. Love the neighborhood, love the ward. Love the room we have, love the yard, love the quiet, the frogs the kids catch, love everything. It will be a busy fall with lots of painting (don't love merlot or plum colored walls), enjoying the fall holidays, and getting into the groove of new schools. Should be awesome. Hope to keep the old blogg-o more up to date. See ya!