What a summer!!!

Holy cow have I got some serious updating to do!  Our summer has been AMAZING in every way:  a trip to visit our fam, Ma's wedding, new family, milestones in school, growing little beauties, PURE HAPPINESS.  My life is perfect, wonderful, simple, and crazy.  I really am so blessed.  Here are the pic's and the story of our summer:

In the airport on our way to ZONA!

 Precious

 So excited to see Gram

 Love my G&G

 5 1/2 years later and it still fits :)  This was the night before my mom took it in to be altered because she wore it for her wedding.

 We discovered Eric makes a horrible looking girl.  The sad thing is that 3 different people thought that he was my sister Tiffany at first glance, HAHA!

 Soon to be cousin's meeting for the first time.  This is my friend Whitney and Troy's little girl, Evie.  She makes the funniest faces, and she is my niece now.  It's so fun saying I have a niece.  Whit's dad married my mom.  We set them up, and I will never let them forget it.

 Best friends turned brother's at last.

 The makeup queen sharing her wisdom with Hallie.

We got hooked on Kinect Sports.

 My beautiful mother-in-law Wendy.  This is how I think of her... the best chef ever.  I get lots of my cooking tips from her.

The night before we were supposed to leave to come home to Georgia, my mom and dad's sealing cancellation came through, and my mom and Marty decided to get get married three weeks later.  The girls and I wanted to stay for the excitement.  So, change of plans!  We said good bye to Eric and made a road trip to Utah with my family the next morning.  Hallie had a blast playing with her cousins there!

 We had a contest to see who could make the craziest faces:

 I win for most horrible by far.  

Never knew I could be so attractive.

We went to the canyon by my G&G's house.  Breathtaking...

 Practicing for her admission to Hogwarts.

 Gram lookin fly.

 Gramp's is too cool for school.

 Baby is too cute for words.

 Hallie went bowling for the first time.  

 It took her a while to warm up to it.

 So she ice-skated with Aunt Jess instead.

 Cheeky.

 Saige tried solids for the first time.  I think she thought I was torturing her.  

And then the wedding happened.  It was seriously beautiful.  You know true love when you see it.

 See me rocking out in the back ground?

 Me and all of my sisters now, except for Tiff who is on a mission in Brazil.  Wish she could have been there.

 Wasn't my mom stunning?!?!

 The family dinner that I planned.  It went great.  Thanks everyone for your help.

We spent the next day in Thatcher, where my entire family moved.  It's so weird that they have all moved away, but I am so excited for them.  They are all just blooming away in the Gila Valley.  I am so proud of my siblings  being strong, moving forward in life, having faith.  I love them.  Anyways, we spent the day after the wedding getting to know my seven new siblings.  It was a blast.  Everything felt so natural.  Hallie and Saige went from 0 to 9 cousins.  I was so thankful that everyone just excepted and loved Eric, Hallie, Saige and me.  They are all seriously amazing, and I am so excited for the future with them :)

We went to the 24th of July parade with everyone.  A flag was passing and Hallie knew what to do.

 Here is the whole gang.  We are  form the left up until the man standing up in all blue.  That's the size of the fam now: 11 kids, 9 grandkids.  Seriously, it's so fun.  It makes me want to have like a million kids.  

 Cousins :)  I love Hailey's hand on Hallie's back.

 Now it's time for fireworks.  

 SCORE!

 This is what Hallie did while the fireworks were going.  Not a fan at all. 

 Saige was mesmerized.   I loved how Thatcher played Hymn's while the fireworks were going.  "Mine eye's have seen the glory *BOOM of the *BOOM coming of the *BOOM BOOM Lord "

I was so glad I got to spend a day in Thatcher.  It is a really special place.  I loved the community and unity that it has and I think my family is going to LOVE living there.  

And then we came home.  It was a bitter sweet day.  I was ready for my space after being away for 5 weeks, but man oh man how I LOVE my family.  I miss them so much and even typing this post is hard because I miss everyone and wish I lived near the people I love the most.  I went through about a week or two of depression.  This always happens after I am alone again way out here stranded in Georgia.  But I am over it now, happy and thankful to be back into the life and lifestyle I love.

 Matchy match!

 Hallie wants to wear this everywhere, especially the boots.  I don't blame her.  They are pretty swanky, and usually I let her.

 Hanging out with our summer friends!

 There is no denying it.. this is one freakin adorable baby!

 And this was Saige's battle wound from when Hallie chucked a jack-in-the-box at her face. 

It healed really fast, thank heavens.  It was a day I will never forget... This incident happened at about 9 am, so Hallie got sent to her room.  After about 30 minutes I start smelling baby lotion and thought, "OOooh, our house smells like baby lotion today.  I love it."  Turns out it was because Hallie was busy in her room throwing everything possible on the floor and covering the entire room in a complete bottle of baby powder.  It took her 1 1/2 hours to clean it up and I don't think she will ever do that again.  Or atleast I pray she won't!

So that's life since returning home.  It has been wonderful. Eric started DC school and has been rockin it.  It still feels unreal that he is actually in the program and that we will be calling him Dr. in 3 years.  He is so happy to finally be into what he is passionate about.  I am too.  I am so proud of him.  He was meant for greatness.   Saige is now an official army crawler, with the occasional real crawl thrown in there when she feels like it.  Hallie is smarter than I know how to handle some days, but cuter than humanly possible and sweet as ever.  I am learning how to adjust to Eric being gone so often.  It's been an adjustment, but I wouldn't have it any other way.  I read this today, and it's my new motto:

"We women have a lot to learn about simplifying our lives. We have to decide what is important and then move along at a pace that is comfortable for us. We have to develop the maturity to stop trying to prove something.  We have to learn to be content with what we are." 

— Marjorie Pay Hinckley

We are just doing really great, probably the best ever.  The Lord's hand is seriously weaved into every part of my life, and I am thankful he loves me enough to do that.