Southern Idaho and Utah

We spent the first week of August in Idaho with Andy's family and then I stayed an extra 5 days so that I could visit with my Utah family and friends...we had a great time spending time with family on both sides...there were about a billion pictures I could choose from, but I just picked some favorites to highlight what we did...

Picking raspberries at the cabin in Idaho...the kids love to make fresh milkshakes with the berries...

 

Lots of water-skiing and tubing...

Just to prove I was there...I didn't do a good job of taking pictures this year--I didn't get one picture with the kids with both of Andy's parents, nor did a take a picture of the kids with their great-grandmother Purcell...dang it.

The town parade--we were in Idaho the same weekend last year, and the kids were excited for this small-town parade again--lots of tractors and candy-throwing...

Lauren tried water-skiing one time, and I mean one time...she fell the first time, and refused to try again.  She did "surf" behind the boat with the help of her cousin Jessica, so that was a success...next year we'll get her up...good thing I got a picture, because this was the first and last opportunity!

To prove Andy was there, and that he's still got it...

The money dig--this time just for the youngest grand kids--a Hyer tradition...

After Andy left we spend a few days with my grandmother in northern Utah, and I took the kids over to Logan to walk around Utah State, attempted to get t-shirts (the bookstore was closed), and get Aggie ice cream...

We also went down to BYU and did successfully get t-shirts and stomp around campus...I can't remember why Kate was ticked, but she was...and Lauren insisted on wearing her new sweatshirt, despite the triple digit heat...

We met up with our close family friends in Utah and spent the day eating and swimming with them... 

 

My mom came flew in for the last few days in Utah and we took the kids to Thanksgiving Point...

 

A good time was had by all! 

And some more...

 In an attempt to update the blog, here are a few more from today and the past few weeks...

Where did these 4 kids come from?  Sometimes I look at them and wonder where the time has gone?  Do I really have 4 kids?

 

A few people have commented that Brooke might look like Kate...I actually don't think so, but could definitely be wrong over time.  Brooke has Andy's flat eyelids (when they are closed) that both Lauren and Charlie have...time will tell.  A note about Kate--about a week before Brooke was born I took the kids for haircuts...after many, many months Kate finally had the bottom layer of her hair cut to all one length--the bangs had finally grown out to a cute bob.  We had some top layers cut, but the basic length was the same--anyone who has grown bangs out knows what a welcome day this is.  Well, Kate showed up at the hospital with new, totally shaggy, uneven bangs right in the front.  I sort of flipped out.  I couldn't even get mad at Andy because my mom was quick to let me know it happened on her clock, and what was I gonna do about it?  I was so very bummed.  So now we start the whole process over.  Sigh.  I did do a very light trim to even out the long pieces, but otherwise they are very uneven.  In Kate's defense, she managed to cut them on a side-swoop--they totally go to the side by themselves.

My mom HATES when we take pictures of her...but for those that wonder if her own hair ever grew back--here it is!

It took me a couple of kids to get used to this "crooked neck" pose, but now I realize that they are actually quite comfortable and OK...it's hard for her to wake up in this position, but she's not hurt.

Introducing...

 Well, we have been around and busy this summer, despite the lack of posts on the blog since May...we had a baby!  Brooke Allison Hyer was born August 31 at 5:40 AM...7 lbs. 6 oz. and 20.5 inches long.  She was 2 1/2 weeks early, which was a happy thing considering the kidney stone I had been battling since 36 weeks...that's another post.  We are well, the kids are great, Brooke is currently my favorite, and we're settling into our new situation as a family of 6...