Here's a big post covering June, which was a bit crazy with our family going to Utah for the summer, and both Brent and I being out of town for work. Here we go!
I finally got into to see the GI doctor for all of the stomach issues I've been having. The appointment was at the same hospital where Coen had his elbow surgery. The view is incredible!
The doctor put me on a strict low FODMAP diet to see what's bothering me and to try to heal my stomach. Biggest change: no gluten, and no onion/garlic spices. Good news is that I've been feeling a lot better.
Here's a cute quiet moment between these two:
Brent on his last day of school- he spent MANY hours studying in this grad office and finished out his first year with straight A's as always. Go Brent!
Our friends the Wilsons offered to watch our kids (for our anniversary) overnight so we could have a date. We went back to the arboretum where we had gone with Cher because I enjoyed it so much. This time, Brent wanted to hike the little mountain.
Back at the Wilsons, our kids were having the time of their lives, having a sleepover and watching Monsters Inc.
When we were about a third of the way up the mountain, I told Brent I was sooooo tired, there was no way I was going to make it to the top so we should just turn around. It was about 1.5 miles up the mountain which is a lot if you're out of shape! Brent was like, "We are not turning around, of course you can do it!! The view is going to be amazing!" I kept pushing on and we were making funny jokes about sappy journey metaphors etc. Well, I did it and the view WAS amazing!
Brent always encourages me to do hard things and helps me realize I'm capable of more than I thought I was. I brought along my new bird book that Cher gave me. When we were here the last time, there was a "birder" and I commented that I thought it would be a fun hobby. Cher sent me a "Birds of Oregon" book in the mail a few days later. Cute Cher! Unfortunately I'm not very good at it yet and the only bird I know I got right on the hike was the robin haha!
Ava spent a lot of time thinking about and planning the play she's going to do in Utah with her cousins. This says Tangled, and then all of their names.
Coen can be so sensitive and his little crying position was cracking me up.
I gave him another haircut. I feel like I'm improving a little bit each time, but I still have a long ways to go before it looks normal haha.
We went to Target and Ava told me, "I love Target so much, I want to give it a hug!" So she did. She is so funny.
We went to Cub Scouts to the box car race. Ava got to make her own with Brent's pack the week before.
She loved it!
This was a funny guy I saw when I was driving. His sign says "stop torturing God's creatures, try Vegan." I thought it was very Eugene-ish.
I found selfies from Ava on my phone a few days after she had taken them and I started laughing so much. This girl and her personality!
There were so many, I just took a screen shot.
Here's a random video of Coen saying Boom Chick a Boom. I'm not sure why I taught him this but I love his little talking voice.
Ava loves playing with her friend Addyson.
We had the missionaries over to dinner and Brent ended up giving them a presentation from his class on movie filtering.
It was a crazy week with Brent working on his finals until late every night, me working, and both of us trying to clean our house, prep it for being gone for so long, and packing for 2 months. We did it and then we were on the road to Utah. It was really rainy right after we left home:
Here's a video of us on our road trip
One of the kids took this picture on Brent's phone while we were driving and I thought it was really pretty!
We got to Utah on June 10th. And started playing a lot with cousins!
We went to the baseball game with my family and got to ride the little train.
I started my diet officially in Utah. It was a little tricky figuring out what to eat.
My parents took the kids to the zoo:
We went to visit grandpa for lunch with almost all of us:
Then we went to the planetarium. Coen loves the marble drop there!
We had a baby shower for Laura while she was in town. Of course the Finches put a potato in her present! This potato even had a tiny diaper on it which made us laugh.
My not-so-little sister anymore.
We went to see the fairies at Gardner Village
In anticipation of my dad's 60th birthday, us four kids had been texting and emailing each other planning something special for my dad. Thanks to Cher, the organized one, for starting the planning. We decided to do a surprise concert for him at Cher's church. My dad thought we were just getting together for family pictures and a pizza party, which was happening too. The pictures turned out cute!
After the pictures, we went into the RS room where we had our program written up on the board. Piano solos, singing solos, sisters singing together, etc. We sat my mom and dad down in their chairs and Cher told my dad, "welcome to your concert!" and my dad started to cry. And basically he didn't stop for his whole concert :) Which made a lot of us cry too. But there were a lot of laughs too. It was a success!
The concert started out with Andrew playing the Utah Jazz introduction song on the piano while each of the grandkids were introduced one by one and ran into the room to get high 5's by grandma and grandpa. Once they were all in and lined up, they sang "I'm so glad when Grandpa comes home."
Brittany decorated the cultural hall for our pizza party.
At the end of the concert, Coen yelled out "pizza time!"
We showered my dad with lots of love! We sure love him and appreciate him! After pizza and presents, we played games in the cultural hall with glow sticks and the lights off.
We went to the Cowley Father's Day party which was at Kris and Steve's house, and they had this fun bouncy water house!
The kids were being silly playing under Grandma and Grandpa's bed.
The kids got to go to see the fairies again with the Cowleys and Natalie sent me the cutest pictures:
Grandma showed Coen where the strawberries are in her garden and he thought it was super fun to pick them!
Brent flew back to Oregon for an academic conference. I dropped him off at the airport and then went to work. My mom watching the kids while I was working:
We met cousins at the splash pad. Notice the photo bomber in the right corner of the picture. Haha!
We went to my dad's work party and the kids loved getting their faces painted.
Meanwhile in Oregon, Brent was busy busy busy at his conference.
I then flew out to Chicago for work, and the kids stayed with Grandma and Grandpa C for the day of overlap. Thank goodness for family help!
This was my view from my hotel room as I worked before my training started.
I only dared to walk around my hotel a few blocks in either direction because I didn't want to get lost and because I'm a little blonde alone in Chicago.
After the first day of training I walked with a girl I met to the pier.
This was a manager training course to learn how to be a better manager/leader, and also so that I can be promoted at work. I didn't really want to sign up for it, but as I mentioned, Brent pushes me :) Here I am ready for my second day of training- I always send Brent a pic of me in the morning when I'm traveling hehe. Oh also, my hotel in Chicago was NIIIIIIICE.
It was really hard traveling with all of my diet restrictions. That was the worst. We went out for Chicago style pizza and they made me a special gluten free dairy free pizza, haha. So nice of them.
Brent came back to Utah and took the kids downtown and they went on a tour of the Lion House, among other things. Brent is really good at adventuring with the kids.
I got back to Utah and was so glad to see Brent! It had only been a week but felt like forever.
Coen was potty training so we let him run around outside without any diaper or pants on. It made him feel free and he was being soooo funny and hyper. Tammy and I just watched him for like 45 minutes, laughing at him.
Here's a little video of Coen being so hyper
Brent took the kids to the fireworks at Taylorsville. I didn't go this year. I needed a break since I had worked so much after getting home from Chicago too (50 hour week!)
On Saturday, our little family went shopping and out to Chick Fil-A. It was fun!
Here's our treasures we found at Target- they had tons of shoes on clearance so we stocked up for the kids.
And that concludes our whirlwind June!
