Same height

Grant has been doing a lot of early morning mountain biking with the middle school team...and with friends. The other day I found him dead asleep in MY BED after an early bike ride.

He loves his sisters, and they love him but man do they drive him crazy!

Sometimes you both want the front seat SO badly, you decide to share.

Not.

He is still a voracious reader

Especially at family parties

His favorite cousin Max just left on a mission but before he left we took him to breakfast at one of Grant's favorite places,Waffle Love...where Max apparently had never been.  

Ever since Jack left I have been telling Grant that I bet he would be taller I am by the time Jack gets home. He has 9 days left, but for the moment we are the same height.

Unless you measure including his very celebrated come-back curls ...then he is taller.

In case you have forgotten what his curls used to look like...

I am so excited for these brothers to be reunited and Grant is SUPER excited to not be the only brother in the house.

The day Jack left...

 

Just so you know...

 

Jack gets home in 10 days!!!

10 Days People!!!!!

America 250

I LOVE the 4th of July! 

It is such a fun and happy holiday! 

I love my giant American flag that I hang on our front porch ( I need to get a picture of that). The morning started off very low key for me. I had a dumb procedure done on my foot at the beginning of the week and it is still SOOOOO painful and hard to walk. So after making chocolate zucchini muffins for breakfast (our one zucchini plant is annoyingly prolific) I was done with standing so I planted myself on the couch to watch more of a Netflix documentary on the "American Experiment". 

Fascinating

The kids went on bike rides and did other cool active non-couch stuff until we packed up around 1 to head to swim with my sister Kate's family at Crestwood Pool (aka the best pool)...never crowded, always fun!

Not pictured: Lucy and Grant

I LOVE that my kids are readers...but when it keeps them from SWIMMING on the 4th of July because they are SOOOO into their books is a little much. Even for me.

But just know that they were there.

In the shade.

reading

Whatever...

My new hat from IFA is helping fulfill my childhood dreams of being a rodeo princess.

You better believe that hat is coming out at the Draper rodeo next week.

After the pool we went to my mom's house to help make dinner and to get quizzed on Constitutional trivia by Chad.

Lucy and I put together a fruit flag that I was unreasonably proud of.

Delicious BBQ in my parents GORGEOUS backyard

They are the best!

Then it was off to Stadium of Fire!

My family is so cute but clearly I need help in getting good family pictures...

hello 900 strangers in the background!

You'd never know that this girl had 3 wisdom teeth removed four days ago...poor girl it has been BRUTAL.

The motocross stunts were amazing and my kids were very impressed which is no small feat. Strong work Stadium of Fire

Brad Paisley was the headline performer and he did not disappoint. I couldn't believe how many songs he played... I was impressed but wished for a little more story time and background of songs...I love that. Marian probably loved it the most and Grant the very least...every time he started a new song Grant would put his head down and look at his watch with a look of shock :)

Side note* 

Marian thought he was famous for being the guy who sings the 

"Nationwide Insurance" jingle. 

The fireworks were INCREDIBLE!  During the Ray Charles version of 

"America the Beautiful" they did my favorite kind of fireworks...the ones that make a giant ball and just hang in the sky. Snuggled up to Chad, watching the sky light up while listening to that song is a golden moment that I hope I never forget.

God Bless America!

Especially in the World Cup game against Belgium tomorrow ;)

Girl's Trip 2026

Our annual girls trip is something I look forward to ALL YEAR LONG!!! And this year did NOT dissapoint!

We drove down to St. George on Thursday night after grabbing the best burritos from Maize. We listened to Nate Bargatze on the drive down and watched (I listened) to Pride and Prejudice in preparation for the anticipated binge watching of "The Other Bennett Sister". 

I should clarify- Lucy watched P&P, Grace and Marian slept! It had been a big week and everyone was ready to rest.

We started off the morning with a hike in Snow Canyon...one of my favorite places on the planet. I feel like the sky is bluer (more blue?) here than anywhere else I have ever been.

Can you even with that smile?

We are pretty much the coolest and I am the LUCKIEST to have such fun, adventurous, and delightful daughters!!!!

I almost can't breathe thinking that this girl... is headed off to college and then on a mission soon.

{imagine picture of Lucy here}

she is in her "no photos" era so be grateful for every glimpse of her you get!

Next stop was Orange Peel for the Choco-wake up shake...it is soooo good that no one was brave enough to order something different.

Pedicures at Pro Nails and Spa was a total hit!!! 

This may not have been our only Swig run. I was trying to re-create the yummiest combo my friend Brooke Urry brought me before girls camp...Diet Dr. Pepper with raspberry puree and sugar free coconut syrup. NOT raspberry syrup...that was a dissapoiunting miss.

Baptisms at the St. George Temple...SUCH a pretty temple inside and out!

Gotcha Lucy! She brought family names and got to be baptized for two sisters!!! Maybe they were having their own girls weekend up in Heaven too!

Love

That's right- I'm a cool mom and got everyone matching pink leopard print pajamas.

Before I had kids- I'd often pictured myself as a "boy mom" - I'm sure that would have been fun...but I have a hard time believing it would be MORE fun that a weekend of hiking, swimming, pedicures, Nertz tournaments, ice cream, Thai food, reflexology at FIKA, and binge watching "The Other Bennett Sister"with my favorite girls on the planet!  

This show did NOT disappoint! We all LOVED it!