SummaTIME!!

I know the shoulda, woulda, coulda's are lame and totally ineffective, but every time I do a blog post, I get kind of frustrated with my lack of initiative when it comes to picture taking. It's really not that big of a deal to carry my camera around or even use my camera on my phone...BUT thanks to DALLAS, (and his Android) we have visual memories. I wish I could've captured some more of our awesome summertime travels but being that I update my blog ever few MONTHS, I guess I don't need to have a gazillion MORE pictures than what I have below.

An update without pictures: I am currently watching two extra boys for the summer until their momma has her baby ANY DAY now, so that has kept me busy! Robert is 7, going on 17 and Isaac is two weeks older than Lincoln. We play lots at the parks and schools around here and Robert does all sorts of things for me around the house in order to earn time on the Wii. :) He's quite the worker. Not to mention I'm pretty sure they are both geniuses. I'll be honest, going from one to three kids was no easy task and sometimes I feel a little trapped with having less freedom, but it really is a great experience for me and has taught me a lot about how much attitude affects us each and every day. There have been some really sweet moments that I'll cherish.

I feel that every kid should know how to roller skate. Growing up, I swear my family was always at Roller King or Sierra Skate playing roller hockey, trying to beat each other in the speed skate, or perfecting the backward skate. Heath was super fast and quite the hockey player by I think age 5, so I thought Robert could totally pick it up. I had him learn in some Rollerblades that I got at Goodwill for like 5 bucks a while back. He mastered it in no time and today as he sped by me I said, "Dude, you are AWESOME." His classic response in a "duh" tone of voice was, "Yeah I know. It just takes practice." Priceless. That is what I said to him every time he fell smack on his butt. Isaac also picked up how to sign "more" from the Baby Signing times video and is so adorable with his little toothy grin when he wants more banana. I will miss them when Courtney has her baby, but I'm sure we'll hang out and see each other around. So I will take a few pictures with them to post soon. I will be excited to just have Lincoln time and get some more projects accomplished that are waiting for me too, so it is a bittersweet experience for sure.

On to the pictures!

Just wanted to claim that this truly is my child. You can tell by how he is all over the place when he sleeps.

Brie: Weren't you the one that warned Dallas about my sleeping "SKILLZ" on our wedding video?

Lincoln spends a lot of time in the jogger, although it is mostly in the Double BOB since I've had Isaac since May.

I had to include this picture of Jack. I love this kid. He wanted to ride Dallas' bike.

Brookie came to visit us for a week back in July and so we totally sported the onesie she sent Lincoln. Tru dat sistah.

I'm waiting on Brooke to send me the pictures SHE took, but didn't want to wait to post, so here are a few of while she was here. The above picture is Lincoln at the beach in Seaside. His first experience was a success and he ate a lot of sand as expected!

Brooke using her mad skills with her sweet camera making us look good. Thanks Brooke (and thanks for posting on Facebook so I could steal more pics from you)!

Again. Skills applied.

On our way home late Saturday night, we hit this random and dangerous pot hole and totally blew our tire. GRATEFULLY, Dallas called up a buddy who dropped everything to come help us since we had everything EXCEPT the tire wrench to fix it. Thanks Jacob!

This is my new sister! I LOVE her. She and Heath are perfect for each other.

Watching them together and being part of their beautiful and special day was so much fun. I've been to a lot of weddings, but being there for a sibling, especially after having experienced it yourself, is so awesome. Several times throughout the day I kept thinking, "Ahhh....I think they are as in love with each other as Dallas and I are!" It was so fun to feel their love and adoration for each other.

My beautiful sisters. PS they are 14 and 16, so no I will not hook you up. :)

After the wedding, Dallas and I stayed in Cali for an extra week. We celebrated our 6th anniversary in Tahoe for 3 days and left Lincoln with my mom and dad. It was fantastic! We started our trip to Tahoe by stopping in Cool to do a round of golf with Grandma Boyer and Grandpa Simmons.

This is a bell that Grandpa put up at one of the holes in memory of Grandma Simmons. She had always suggested that there be one to ring since this particular hole wasn't visible from the tee box and most of the fairway It is so beautiful and such a sweet tribute since she spent so much of her time golfing.

Action shot of Grandma Boyer. I hope I can be as fit as her when I'm 89! Go VADA!!

LAKE TAHOE! I can't get over how blue the water is. Incredibly amazing!

After we rented a Jet Ski. Dallas is hardcore. I haven't been on one for several years and was a bit hesitant to go full throttle, but he WASN'T. So fun though!

We spent 5 hours on the beach one day just talking and reading. I REALLY appreciated the uninterrupted and completely carefree time with MY MAN!

But he is Soooo cute, yes? Lincoln didn't even miss us and had a great time hanging out with Gramma and Grampa. He found this little table and chairs just his size upstairs at Gramma's.

The day Dallas and I got back from Tahoe, we picked up Sarah and Heath from their honeymoon and watched them open presents. Man, can we get married again, so we can get a whole bunch MORE free stuff? ;)

Heath crackin open a bottle of bubbly...sparkling cider. So fun to see them one last time before we left!

Lincoln helping me pack. I'm kind of intense when I pack for trips or trips home. :)

These are just fun pics of Linc. Gram made matching beanies for us all last Christmas and Lincoln's finally fits. I love this pic.

This is what Lincoln looks like a majority of the time. Crossing our fingers that it will stay this way for many years to come! If not however, we've got some GREAT memories.

Linc eating a watermelon at a work party for Dallas last weekend. He was going to town!

Stay tuned for some videos!

Until next time, be well!

Some Thoughts

You know how sometimes you just have those self-reflective times in life? I've been having a month or so of that and just can't get over the fact that I have been blessed WAY beyond what I deserve. My life is not perfect, but it's mine and I am happy. It's a choice. It's always been a choice. I am learning that lesson more and more as I get older.

Dallas and I just celebrated our 6 anniversary on the 6th and Heath got married the week before that. I feel like these milestones create an "evaluation check" in my soul to see where I am with the important principles in my life and if I'm doing the things that I know I'm meant to do. Am I on track with my Life To Do list? Am I making a difference? Am I leaving people better than I found them? Am I enjoying the journey? All sorts of these.

While I was visiting with family at Heath's wedding, I surprisingly found myself really missing Grandma Simmons. She would have been so proud of Heath and Sarah and who they are individually and what they are building together. She would have given such amazing counsel and had a smile on her face. You would have heard her speak from across the room since she usually sounded like she swallowed a microphone whenever she spoke. It was so endearing though. It's almost been two years since she passed. Crazy how time flies. I hope we are making her proud by how we live our lives. I found this email I wrote to her the week before she died. I hope someday that I can be the type of woman she was.

Hi Grandma,
It was so great to see you last weekend. What a treat to spend most of the day with you just chatting about life and love and as always, I cherish that time with you. I wish I could put into words just how much I love and appreciate you, but I think words fail us most in these times for a reason. What we feel in our hearts trumps it all. Thank you. Thank you for being my hero's hero. I can't tell you how many times I have listened to my dad speak about your amazing example and love and how it helped shape him into what he is. In turn, those qualities and lessons have helped shape me. You've created a ripple affect and a legacy that will outlive us all.

I was just thinking the other day about some of the fun times we had when we would go to Gramma Simmons' house. I loved that every time we spent time with you, we did just that, spent TIME together. I remember going on walks to the school across from your house, going to the pumpkin patch, walking down to 7-11 to get slurpees or to Round Table Pizza to play at the arcade. At Gramma's house I could always count on Kraft Singles, Twizzlers on the top right shelf in your kitchen cupboard, pickles and dried apricots. (But you always warned me about eating too many dried apricots). :) I think my favorite memory with you is when we would cuddle up on the day bed in your guest room while you read us the Dr. Suess books. You always teach us such great life lessons and principles, and it started when we were little learning about Starbelly Sneetches who had Stars upon thars and how it doesn't matter what's on the outside, but what's on the inside that truly matters. Then we'd always read through to the next story about the Zax that refused to move in their tracks and about how it never paid off to be that stubborn (at least that's the lesson I remember). Then of course there was the story about the pants with nobody inside them that would run through the woods. Now that one just freaked me out, what was the moral to that one? :) Thanks for always letting Lexi and Emily and me mess around with your pretty square dancing dresses and letting us be and act our age.

I can't believe how many lives you've touched. It was so amazing and endearing to see everyone at your 50th anniversary party. I mean, I knew you were cool, but when I saw that many people there and each of them with their own unique experiences and fond memories of you, it made me feel a great sense of pride and even more love. I though, "Yep, that's MY grandma." I brag about you all the time to my friends and tell them about how positive you are about life and what it presents to us. Even though the miles have separated us through the years, I've always felt a very close bond to you and I've so appreciated your advice and counsel throughout my life. Since I've been married, it has truly been a blessing for me to see your relationship with Grandpa and really appreciate the love that you two share. That type of love withstands it all. I think most of all, at this stage in my life, I want to thank you for that example. Thanks for your attitude and love towards Grandpa. It has taught me a lot about what true love really is and what true love really DOES. Love is a verb and you've been busy all your life demonstrating this important principle that so many people miss.

I love you. I appreciate you. I admire you.

Ashley