"Making the decision to have a child - it is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body." ~Elizabeth Stone
The kids were not excited for the school year to start up again. Both boys were a bit nervous about what it would be like at their new schools. They weren't exactly sure what to expect. Jill, on the other hand, knew exactly what to expect...and she didn't want it 😆
Handsome high schooler.
Off to the bus stop.
First day of middle school!
He didn't look back once.
Jill got to start one day later than her brothers. And even then, she overslept and almost got dress-coded on her first day! Like I said, neither nervous nor excited, ha.
Eighth graders, ready to rule the school.
Ice cream goes a long way to combat those back-to-school blues. Here we go again!
This summer was pretty busy. Between overnight camps, volunteer counseling, sports commitments, and family trips (Mesa Verde, Escalante, and of course, Africa and the UK), we had less downtime than usual. But we still managed to squeeze some hometown fun:
The yurt trip coincided with the Virtuosity dance show this year. So it was a smaller (mostly male) crew. But that didn't make it any less fun!
It might have even been more fun with only the dads in charge!
We have a new family member. Meet Bambi Broyles. Jill has been campaigning and saving and planning for this for years (even while Pickle was still alive). She found a "rabbitry" down in Colorado Springs that sold Holland lops, researched everything she needed to know about how to take care of bunnies, and bought all the necessary supplies with her own money. When this girl sets her mind on something, look out!
Ready to take Bambi home from the bunny breeder.
Bambi was an instant celebrity in the neighborhood.
Gotta admit, she's pretty darn cute. She even "floops" like Pepper (who would prefer to eat her than meet her).
My official position is still anti-bunny...
...but unofficially, I think I might be twitterpated.
(And if you don't know what that means, you're no Bambi fan.)
We spent the Fourth of July in Escalante, Utah, at an "outdoor hotel" called Ofland. The property was very cool, with modern cabins, private outdoor showers, a swimming pool, fire pits, and a "drive-in" movie theater with a bunch of old classic cars to sit in.
Even better, we went with a bunch of great friends, the Bailesses, the McKennas, and the Johnsons.
Even better, we hiked through some of the most amazing slot canyons you can imagine. They were so gorgeous I could not stop taking pictures. America the beautiful indeed!
On our way to the slot canyons.
The kids didn't love the part where we had to hike through the heat to get to the canyon entrance.
But once we got there, totally worth it.
We came upon a deep pool that we couldn't climb around. Aaron pulled off his shoes and took one for the team, helping everyone get through without getting wet...
...even his own mom 😊
Our hero.
There were other obstacles too.
We had to climb through things...
...and down things...
...and around things.
Sometimes, we had to go through, down, and around all at once!
Occasionally, to make it more fun, we also climbed under things.
It was a tight squeeze at times.
But man, was it breathtaking.
I drove the kids a little crazy with how many pictures I made them take.
They're such good sports.
After we'd had our fill of climbing and squeezing and crawling and posing...
...it was time for some snoozing.
And cooling off in the pool.
At night, the kids watched old movies in classic cars.
In addition to slot canyons hikes, there was also a hike that ended at a waterfall. The kids were very vocal about how much they disliked the scorching three miles we had to cover to get there, but once we arrived, they dove right in and even went down some natural water slides! Unfortunately, we did have to hike back eventually...
Don't be fooled by those smiles, they complained the whole way.
Again, worth it.
Ouch.
We sure are lucky to be a part of this crew.
And even luckier to be a part of this one. Happy Fourth!
