Here I go again on my own.

 The below picture is Deacon writing a goodbye note to Walker that was so sweet.

And then there was one. You would think in a family of 6 kids one or two of them might end up in the same place, nope. I left my a party at my moms house tonight with tears streaming down my face after saying goodbye to my youngest brother Walker. He is heading to China for the next year and not coming home once. Boo hoo!

Too many goodbyes this summer! Goodbye to Issac, Lesley and their family, goodbye to Walker, goodbye to lazy days with Deacon, goodbye to a calling in young women I loved so dearly, goodbye to my college bound niece. I wish I was better at goodbyes but when your little brother hugs you, chokes up and hurries inside I spend the rest of the night crying into a mountain of laundry.

So I suppose I need to say hello to Skype, hello to more blogging, hello to some trips to visit the people I love. And hopefully hello to winning the lottery so I can pay them all to move back.

Lately.

I swear at the start of every summer I swear it is going to be easy, lazy and low key. How come that never works?? Even though it has been busy and crazy it has been so fun, and I guess I have made some time for a few afternoon naps. Just to catch you up on everyone:

Deacon:

• Lost his front tooth, a HUGE one grew in it's place-ha!
• Is the best big brother to Gwen, she loves him so much. He is a good little babysitter when I need to shower or move the laundry. 
• It is so nutso that he is going to 1st grade in a couple weeks, I could cry just thinking about it. 
• His last soccer game of the season he scored 2 goals and said "it was so easy mom! just pass pass shoot!"
• I asked him what he wanted for his back to school feast, he said "ummmm, spaghetti, bean and cheese burritos and hot dogs" wow.
• Such a great swimmer, at the pool one night he probably went off the diving board 50 times in a row. 
• Charming, delightful and the sweetest boy.

Gwennie:

• Started crawling at 7 months! Still army crawling but she pushes herself up and I bet will be full blown crawling anytime. 
• Says DADA! It is the cutest thing and we all try to get her to say it all the time. Today Deacon and I heard her say MUM but only once and not again yet. 
• Loves to eat pretty much everything, only has one little tooth that popped through on the bottom. 
• Looks so freaking cute in a romper, it is pretty much all I put her in. 
• We went to Disneyland and she seriously stole the show. She smiled, giggled and squealed at everyone she saw. It was adorable. 

Me: 

• Running, running, running! I ran the Deseret News half marathon with Kris, it was so fun! I am still training for the Hobblecreek half I am doing with some neighborhood friends.
• Ready to get back in the swing of regular bedtimes and dinner as a family. 
• Watched the first season of New Girl, loved it. Super cute. 
• Went to California with Kris and Bailey, so fun! We saw the guy who played Superman in Man of Steel and oh baby was he a babe. We also saw Russell Crowe who was, short.
• Had a blast going to Disneyland with just our little family. SO fun.

Curtis:

• Playing softball on a work team, he loves it. We have only been to one game but I love to see Curtis play sports, it like it takes 10 years off his age!
• Disneyland lover. This totally makes me laugh. I love that he loves it so much and that we have such a blast when we go. 
• Still playing basketball Tuesday nights, this tradition has been going on forEVER.
• Always planning the next trip, I love this about him. 

So that is about it! We are alive, we are good, we are excited for fall to come and things to chill out a bit.