Brandon went on a guys trip with his dad, brothers, and brothers-in-law to California for the BYU football game at UCLA. They have done this a few times for away games but they have never been gone this long. He is having a great time and we are so excited for him to come home tomorrow.

Some pictures he sent home for the kids. Getting on the airplane.

At Knott's Berry Farm.

The night before he left we went to Smash Burger and then to Yogurtland as a family.

I have kept pretty busy while he has been gone and the kids have been wonderful. He must be praying hard for that!

Here is Kallie looking so cute in Mckinley's hand me downs.

And just because I can't resist a comparison shot, here is Mckinley wearing the same shirt and jeans.

Anyway, I spent most of the first day Brandon was gone over at my sister Kristen's house, the next day was busy with visiting teaching, hanging out with neighbor friends, and a movie/pizza party Karen planned for all of us. Then today our sweet friends Blake and Kim offered to watch my kids for two hours to give me a break while Brandon is gone. So I got some fun errands done while the kids played over there, and then we went to the Riverwoods to see the Chalk the Block stuff they have there right now. So fun. Mckinley took about a hundred pictures of the chalk drawings and we had fun looking around at the toy store there too.

Can't wait to see Brandon tomorrow!

UFC Baby Reunion

Utah Fertility Center holds a big "baby reunion" party every year. Ever since we went last year and Mckinley got a butterfly painted on her face, she has been asking when this party is going to be and she decided months ago that she was going to get a snowflake painted on her face this time to be like Elsa. Last year the twins were sleeping during this so Brandon stayed home with them and just me and Mckinley went. 

The kids loved their face paint. They got balloons too. Mckinley got a flower, Kallie wanted a butterfly, and Tyler wanted a sword. Tyler totally chose all on his own that he wanted spider man on his face. He's never even seen spider man and doesn't have any spider man things. I think it's just because his cousin Austin likes spider man.

There was cotton candy, snow cones, food trucks for free, bounce houses, and we even won a movie package in the raffle!

This is the man we owe our twins to, Dr. Foulk. He is so amazing and wonderful. We are so grateful for modern medicine that has allowed us to have children. IVF sucks big time but it is so incredible and we are so lucky to have had success with it.

Hogle Zoo

Brandon's dad took the entire family to the zoo last Saturday. We had a really good time with perfect weather. It wasn't crowded either.

All the cousins!

We got up close and personal with the lions and saw them trying to attack the zookeeper through the fence. Pretty cool.

The polar bear wasn't doing it's "against the glass" swim like we've seen before, but we did get to see him (or her?) swim.

HUGE eagle. Very cool.

Seals and sea lions.

Kallie was saying "hi" to the fox in the sweetest voice.

The kids loved the carousel. They are so lucky they have a grandpa who paid for them all to ride it!

Mckinley and her poses. Saying "Mom, do you want to take a picture of this?"

The "beach"

A few weeks ago our old neighbor Robin took me and the kids to the little beach by Utah Lake that is near our home. I had no idea it was there and I have lived here my whole life. Mckinley had a blast collecting shells and has been asking ever since when we could go back as a whole family and collect more shells. So on Sunday after we got back from camping we decided to go down there. The kids had so much fun and we got some fun family pictures. I love creating memories with this beautiful family of mine!

Camping

Our kids had their very first experience camping. Brandon and I have camped quite a few times at all of my family reunions over the years but we haven't had a camping one since we've had kids. We decided to borrow a tent and sleeping bags and stuff and try it out. The kids LOVED it! They were so excited about it before they even really knew what it was.

Kristen gave the kids rides in this fun wagon.

The kids all had so much fun carrying around their own little flashlights. Brandon took them walking in the dark over to some trees and later they kept asking to go back to the "pooky fowest" (spooky forest),

Mckinley had to bring her notebook along to "draw pictures of everything in this world." She loves to draw more than anything and lately has been really into bringing notebooks around and drawing the fun things she does. She has some serious artistic talent!

And a picture of me and Bran since we never post them. Or take them.

The kids stayed up late even though they didn't have naps that day.

But eventually they conked out in the tent and did really well sleeping all night. Mckinley randomly woke up in the middle of the night crying and when Brandon went over to help her she was saying Where's my dad??? And he was saying I am Dad! She had no memory of it in the morning. Ha ha ha.

Kallie was completely sideways not on her pillow at all.

It's always so great to catch up with my cousins and the kids just love being outside in nature doing anything fun.

Mckinley busily drawing away in her notebook.

Such a great memory! I think we will start to slowly get our own camping gear and I hope we have a lot more camping trips in the future.

Randoms

We have had a good September so far. Mckinley isn't loving Kindergarten as much as I thought she would. She complains that it's boring, takes too long, and that she gets hot and sweaty (from recess I think). I know it will pick up for her soon though when they get more into reading and stuff.

The twins are still in a very weird transition out of naps. We have soooo many pictures of them sleeping in weird places. They crash wherever. And always super late in the afternoon (see the clock?). It has made for lots of late nights. We have to tell them to go back in their bedroom 10 times a night sometimes. We just ordered a new bedroom set for Mckinley (that came today, woohoo!!) so she will move downstairs and the twins will each have their own room upstairs, which we are hoping helps. I just wish they could be done with naps. There is no way to get them to go down for a nap at a normal nap time, like 1:00 but they rarely make it through an entire day without crashing.

Mckinley is super into posing. Has been for awhile now. She always wants me to take her picture and is always posing. I love it!

Brandon hiked all the way up Timp in the middle of the night one night in August with three of his brothers. It took a lot longer than he thought but he had a great time.

Brandon took the kids to a Bees game up in Salt Lake. I stayed home throwing up with a super weird 12-hour flu that I am soooo glad no one else in my family caught. I was really sad to miss it.

I love this picture of Kallie sleeping wearing Mckinley's shoes and a diaper, and surrounded by stuffed animals. I love my kids so much!