July

We've been keeping busy this summer. After our trip to CO the girls got to start art and cooking classes at the Hurst rec center. (The classes are all like $12 for the month so it's been fun to let them try out different things). They like art and cooking ok, but they ask every week when we get to start back to gymnastics so I think we'll do that again the fall.

Kendall has been a little nervous at the beginning of every art class for some reason, but once they get going on the project she is ok.

Avery likes it!

Cooking class! The teacher is good with the kids and quirky and fun, but the kids don't get to participate as much as I would like so I don't think we'll do this class again.

They got to go to two birthday parties in one day! The first one was at Peter Piper Pizza.

Olivia's was at her house and the kids got to decorate cupcakes. Her mom made her an awesome Fluttershy cake!

Decorating cupcakes!

Kendall mostly just ate sprinkles.

I turned 30! My birthday was pretty uneventful. It was on Sunday so we went to church like normal and Tyler had to work until 5. But I made myself my favorite dinner and strawberry pie for dessert! Also Tyler spoiled me with a new bag I've been wanting and I loooove!

We had our friends over to help us eat pie.

Avery was sad that we didn't have a cake for my birthday. I guess pie is unacceptable for birthday dessert.

A couple weeks late, but I wanted to get a picture to document the end of second year of residency! Let the countdown begin! (Almost done with our last July of residency!)

Tyler, a little worse for wear.

Some friends in our ward were out of town for a couple weeks and said we could come swim in their pool while they were away. Avery has improved a ton with her swimming!

Kendall wiped out on the couch.

She skips her nap more often than not these days. I can't believe she's old enough to be dropping her nap!

We started potty training when we got back from CO. Kendall has been doing great! Only a couple accidents the first couple days. She loves that she gets to wear big girl undies like Avery (and she is highly motivated by candy!). She even stays dry during naps and night time. I had no idea potty training could be this easy. Hooray Kendall! The next hurdle is getting her to go pee on a regular toilet. She will only pee on the froggy potty and won't go on public toilets. Luckily she has amazing bladder control and just holds it till we get home.

I have been wanting to paint the changing table/dresser in Kendall's room for a long time and I finally got motivated to do it.

So hot in the garage...

I think it turned out really cute! I replaced the knobs with some new, pink ones.

Avery got to pick out a new swimsuit because her old one got ripped.

She calls this her firework swimsuit. She is still loving swim lessons!

Sometimes I let Avery sleep with me when Tyler is working a night shift.

She asked me to take a picture of her so she could see how "cute and cuddly" she looked.

Kendall fell asleep holding her pony.

Most of the time Kendall falls asleep burrowed into her covers. I don't know how she can breathe!

We went to Longview, TX for an interview the last couple days and had the best time! It was like a mini vacation. They left some new toys in the hotel suite for the girls. It was like Christmas!

They also left us a very generous gift basket... snacks, chocolates, a candle, and an ipad mini! They also left us some drinks in the fridge including some princess waters for the girls, which I thought was super cute. They put us up in a really nice hotel suite with separate rooms for us and the girls and a whole kitchen and sitting area. It was so relaxing for me and the girls to hang out in when Tyler was gone interviewing.

Yummy chocolates!

The girls are wiped out in their beds after a late night and then a splash pad play date in the morning.

I finally had to wake them up at 4:30! They wanted to sleep all afternoon.

It was hard because they looked so comfy all snuggled up.

That night they hosted a pool party at one of the doctor's house with catered BBQ and chick-fil-a for the kids!

The girls loved swimming with Dad and it was fun to get to know some of the families in the group.

There was a cool cave to swim in.

The girls didn't want to quit swimming! We were the last ones to leave at 10:30!

We got to play a little sand volleyball too.

The girls were so happy just hanging out in the hotel with their new toys. They loved it.

The second day we got to drive around and check out the neighborhoods around town. The marketing assistant, Madison, took us to her parents ranch so the girls could see their horses and ponies. The ponies are all named Disney names like Moana and Nemo which the girls loved.

Petting horses.

One of the baby horses.

We got to collect some chicken eggs too!

Had to send Kendall inside to coop to get a couple.

With their treasures!

On the ranch. East Texas is very pretty with lots of trees and foliage. When we were driving around I felt like we were out in the middle of nowhere and then we would turn and be in the middle of a huge suburban neighborhood with tons of houses. 

Madison watched the girls for a couple hours while Dr. Meek took me and Tyler around to look at neighborhoods. They were so thoughtful and made the whole trip really easy and enjoyable. We loved our visit out there and I was really surprised to feel like I would actually enjoy living there! I think for me it was mostly the hospitality and tight community within the group. It reminded me of how we felt with our friends in Galveston.