Utah, Part 2

We flew back to England this weekend, after a wonderful month spent in Utah. We did so many fun things and made so many fun memories!

Joseph joined us for the last week, and we were so happy to see him! He hadn't been "home" for a while, so everyone wanted to spend time with him. We hiked up to Timpanogos Cave, got together with good friends, and ate a lot of delicious food. The weather was perfect and we spent a lot of time outside.

The kids are going to miss having so many cousins to play with and so many activities to keep them busy. We just about crossed everything off our summer bucket list, plus lots more!

It is always hard to say goodbye, no matter how long we get to spend together. We are so grateful for our wonderful, supportive families, and for all the memories we have together. Now we are looking forward to another good school year and lots of new opportunities. This summer was pretty great!

Utah

The kids and I flew to Utah a couple of weeks ago, and have been having a wonderful time enjoying our family and friends! We love being with cousins, playing every day, catching up with dear friends, soaking up the sunshine, and going to bed exhausted and so grateful every night.

We had a fun family reunion at Lava Hot Springs where we did lots of swimming and enjoyed the beautiful views. We took the kids to Star Valley, Wyoming, where my mom grew up and I have so many fond memories from my own summer visits there.

We are so grateful for good friends who act like the time and distance between us doesn't even matter. We have felt loved every single moment here, and that is what makes it so hard to be so far away!

Our days have been filled with so many wonderful things, and I'm sure we'll remember this summer forever. Now we just can't wait for Joseph to get here and join us!

6

Our Anna girl turned six at the beginning of August. She has been looking forward to her birthday for months and months, and thankfully it didn't disappoint! She had a fun day playing with her new toys and getting ready for her little birthday party.

We had a few friends from school come over for a pink-popsicle-flower party. :) We painted and played games and ate snacks and cake. Anna loved being the center of attention and had so much fun with her friends!


We love, love, love our Anna. She is the sweetest little thing, and she makes us all so happy. Happiest birthday, little sister!

July

July is almost over, and our summer days are slipping away too quickly. We've been busy, but we've tried to allow for plenty of down time, as well. Sometimes it is best to read and play and not leave the house all day!

We've worked on a few projects and read a few books and played with lots of friends. There have been a few hot days, but more often there is a little chill in the air. The shorts-and-tshirts season doesn't last very long here.

We spent a day visiting the museums in Oxford, and I can't wait to do it again! Matthew and Anna are at such fun ages right now - any thing seems possible! :)

We can't wait to spend the rest of our summer in Utah with family and friends. I wish time would slow down a bit!

Summer So Far

The summer has been flying by and we've been having a wonderful time! I can't believe it is already the middle of July! We've been keeping busy with some fun day trips, visits to lots of playgrounds, and playing with friends. Both Matthew and Anna finally learned how to ride their bikes without training wheels a couple of weeks ago, and it is hard to keep them off their bikes now.

We spent a day in London last week, visiting Notting Hill and Portobello Road market. We loved it and had such a fun time exploring a new area. We strolled through Kensington Garden and loved the playgrounds and gardens and paths.

We got a little bit lost in the hedge maze at Blenheim Palace, got really low scores at bowling a few days ago, and basically drop into bed exhausted every night. :)

Joseph got to go on a ride in a glider last week, and he loved it. The kids and I watched safely from the ground, but we loved waving to him up there! The view is pretty incredible! We are really loving this summer so far!