August in Utah, our Never-ending Summer

We stayed in Utah until August 15th! 

My mom and I took the kids to feed the ducks. I think the kids liked it as much as the ducks did!

 We went to the fair with Brent's siblings and Coen loved seeing and petting all the animals. Ava doesn't like them as much and was a little nervous to touch them.

 Brent really liked this rabbit because it looked like a Tim Burton rabbit with the dark eyeliner.

I could not believe Brent fed the llamas! I couldn't handle it. The funny thing about this llama is that he was SO stinky and all the parents kept checking their kids' diapers to see if they were the offending ones. Haha. 

We got to see how the sheep get sheared and Coen has watched this video on my phone a thousand times since. He asks for "baaaa." 

 Brent made (forced) us to see Dunkirk at the theater. As we were all leaving to go out the door, Coen threw up all over me. Brent made his mom go in his place so he could stay home with Coen. So Tammy, my parents and I went and saw it and we were all a little shaken after. The next day Brent gave my dad his lecture on Christopher Nolan to help us understand and appreciate the movie better.

 We went to visit my dad for lunch again at his office. Fun times.

 Bob feeding Coen a scotcheroo. Coen wants it faster!

 Brent and I decided we wanted to have a big dutch oven dinner & outdoor movie party. Bob made yummy yummy food and Tammy prepared all day so we could have this party. The food was so good and we watched Francis Florence Foster Jenkins.

 Brent and I with all of our guests in the background- mainly grandparents :)

Little cousins that love each other and also love to push each other's buttons.

 We took Bob & Tammy to Olive Garden and Coen ate a breadstick! He usually hates bread so this was a photo-worthy moment.

 I had been wanting to give Coen a hair cut and Tammy helped me/taught me how. It turned out pretty good for my first time, although I snipped the very front just a little too short. He looked so grown up.

 Brough reunion at the park- Ava and my cousin's daughter had fun playing.

 Here we are with our mini me's!

 Having baths in grandma's big bathtub upstairs was so fun!

 We went to Tim & Emily's and the kids played, and then we got dinner.
Their little personalities shining through in this picture:

 Side note on Em...Em and I have been best friends since our freshman year of college, so going on 12 years. We were roommates for two years, and we did EVERYTHING together. We went grocery shopping and cooked together, did our laundry together at the laundromat, took a Humanities class together, hung out every weekend,  etc. We had so much fun and there was always a lot of laughing 'til we cried. We would have deep, serious conversations too, and she always inspired me to be a better person. When I got anxiety during college and it manifested itself through stomach aches and a lack of appetite, she helped me think of things that sounded good to eat. One evening when I couldn't sleep because my anxiety was so bad, she offered to tickle my back, which as Brent can tell you, is the thing that can soothe away my stomach aches.

We were at each other's weddings and we had our first babies within 6 months of each other. When we were both pregnant with our first, we even lived in the same house for a summer! And here we are several years down the road, still best friends, now with our husbands and kids being friends too. I love them!

 Brent and my mom took the kids to the zoo while I was at work one day.

Enjoying my parent's backyard. Coen loves it when Brent makes him run really fast by holding his arms.

My parents took Ava to see Beauty and the Beast. She was so excited! They took pictures with princesses after.

 We tried to take advantage of the nearby temple since in Oregon it's about 1 1/2 hours away. We always leave feeling peaceful and a little more in love :)

Out to lunch at a hamburger place but Coen would only eat fries.

 We got to go on another date downtown to watch Irish dancers with my parents. After the performance, Brent and I walked around downtown and found one of our favorite places- where Brigham Young is buried. See his statue in the background there?

 We came here the summer when we were dating and had a conversation that changed our lives. It was here that we decided to date to get married. And here I knew for sure I wanted to marry him. My tummy still gets butterflies when I think about that day.

 On Saturday we went to Big Horn Ranch's BBQ. It was my first time to see Brent's grandpa's land and the cabin!
The kids enjoyed all the fun activities like the fishing pond

 an Easter Egg hunt, and making necklaces.

 Mark & Dan treated us to lunch and let use the four-wheelers. I think this was my first time on one.

 I was not brave enough to drive my own.

 Brent took the kids on rides too and when he got back with Coen, Coen was asleep!

Coen loved playing this game where he would say bye to me and blow me kisses and go into the trailer. I would tell him I missed him and he would come running back to give me a hug. Over and over. It was so cute, I loved it.

 Ava went with Tammy and Natalie for a night out at the zoo.

 After two months in Utah, it was time to say goodbye. We stopped to say bye to Brent's grandma as we were driving out of town.

We stayed with the DeHarts as normal and the kids love chasing their little dog around. 

 We got to the DeHarts early enough this time that we were able to enjoy their neighborhood and playgrounds.

Driving home to Eugene, we could not believe how dry it was! We hardly recognized the place!

 We drove home the Portland way because I had my eye on a car at Em's father-in-law's dealership in Portland. I really liked this Kia and we ended up buying it!