{8.17.20 - 8.23.20}

The girls started 1st grade this week. Thanks to Covid, and as much as I don't like it, they have to wear masks to school. I think they are kind of a novelty though and they have been excited to have new accessories! I hope they don't have to wear them all school year, but I don't have high hopes. 

I am not used to having to get kids ready and looking cute and out the door by 8:00 a.m. so we were kind of in a rush to get pictures done! This year they have Mrs. Jarvis. Lyla's favorite book is "That's Not My Mermaid". Her favorite colors are red, pink and purple. Her favorite food is pigs-in-a-blanket and when she grows up she wants to be a "draw-er." 

Alya is also in Mrs. Jarvis's class. Her favorite books are books with tabs that she can flip. Her favorite color is black and her favorite foods are macaroni and cheese with bacon and BLTs. When she grows up she wants to be an inventor. 

It's been a big week at our house! We are officially done with binkies!!! Eli decided he wanted to cut his last binkie and now he wants absolutely nothing to do with them! And look at those lips!!!

Eli brought a stick inside that he has just been playing with. He got quiet for a minute so I went to see what he was doing. He had gone and pulled a marshmallow out of the pantry and piles some toys into his "fire pit" and roasted a mallow! So funny! // He has also been cooking me dinner every night. He goes to our drawer and pulls out all the toy food, puts it in the strainer and sets it very carefully into the oven. Then he waits a few seconds and says "hot" while he waits. After a bit he lets me know it's done, so he pulls it out, puts it back in his bowl and we pretend to eat, then he puts it back in the drawer. Except for the one day when he forgot to pull a couple pieces out and I preheated the oven before checking if anything was in there. Oops!! I caught it before anything caught fire, but it made me nervous. 

The boys have been wearing their jammie shirts up on their heads like this and they pretend to be long eared puppies. It's pretty funny! 

Getting in couple more trips to Palisades before the weather starts to cool off! // He's doing so good on his little bike! 

I love these happy boys! 

Axel became fast friends with another little boy we saw at the lake. I think this was our first time at the lake by ourselves. It's always more fun to have friends, so thank goodness Axel was able to find one! 

How cute is that face!? He's pretty excited about the new truck Nana got him for his birthday! 

{8.10.20 - 8.16.20}

Matthew was given a bull tag from the owners of the Grazing Pasture, so the kids and I went up to go scouting with him. I love being in the mountains, and how could I not with views like this!? 

I'm a fan of four wheelers myself, but it was kind of nice to have all of us together in the side by side! // This picture was taken before tragedy struck...

...Eli was walking "so carefully" but stepped off the grass into the swampy, muddy, cow mud hole. He was not at all happy about it, as you can see. It's hard to tell, but he was up to his knees in mud and probably cow manure! It was pretty funny! // I love Lyla's smile in this picture! Haha! 

We invited cousins out to Palisades with us one night this week. I am thoroughly enjoying having the lake so close to us! 

That little smile on Sky is so happy! // Hi Guy! (one of the characters on "The Croods") He's such a funny kid! 

My little soccer player! It's so fun to watch her try new things and have fun doing them! 

Eli had me put one of his diapers on his tiny little horse! It was so funny! // Alya drew a cute little monster! I love how artistic my kids are! They all seem to have gotten an artistic bone of some form or another! 

My neighbor planted sunflowers in his garden this year. He was roughly 90 years old and unfortunately he passed away before they bloomed. It was kind of neat to be out in my yard and enjoy these beauties. 

My happy boy first thing in the morning! // And my red faced boy!!

Sometimes I am a fun mom. It doesn't happen often, but I do try! The kids loved their table hammocks we tied up for them! 

Have I mentioned how much I love my hummingbird feeder!?

 

{8.3.20 - 8.9.20}

For Daxton's birthday this year Judi invited us to the lake to play. My mom was able to bring the paddle boards her employers offer their employees. The kids loved it! (So did the big kids! Haha!)

I love Lyla's little toes gripping the paddle board! // How cute are these kids hanging out with their nana!

It was so windy! But of course that didn't stop up from having fun! 

The waves were getting a little crazy! haha! // I love these sisters of mine! And we missed Aunt Kaci!

Sadly, I don't have one picture of the birthday boy! He was there, I promise! He brought a friend and the two of them kind of went off on their own to hang out. But I'm glad we got to see him and spend some of the day with him! 

This chunky monkey is not afraid of anything! He is such a fun baby! // Eli didn't really want to get into the water, which wasn't at all surprising to me. He likes to just hang out on the beach...but don't try to take his picture! Haha!

I'm so glad we were able to go up there and spend the day! // I love that Eli wants to be wherever I am. It can be so hard sometimes, but I really do love it! He is such a sweet boy! 

Sometimes snapchat filters can be fun! I love my beautiful babies! 

Crystal taught Axel this cute little joke. Unfortunately the whole video was too big to upload, so I had to trim it down, but I think you get the idea and he's pretty cute! 

 

{7.27.20 - 8.2.20}

On our way to bed, Matthew and I ran into Axel on the stairs. Silly kid!! 

Lyla started fall soccer! She is so excited! She is all arms and legs and I love watching her play! It's been fun to have her so excited to play! I felt so bad though! For her first game, I looked at the wrong schedule. Instead of looking at the kindergarten schedule I looked at the first grade schedule. So we showed up after her team finished their game. Her coach was also coaching the first grade team so she let Lyla play with them. The first thing that happened when Lyla got on the field, was someone kicked the ball and it hit her square in the face. All the kids seemed like they had been playing for a few years and knew what they were doing and here was poor Lyla who had never even so much as seen a soccer game. The rest of the season went really well and I think she had fun once she survived her first game. I felt so bad!!

I love my hummingbird feeder!! I love that I can sit on the porch and that they will still fly into the feeder and see them up close and personal! // This picture kills me!! Axel is so stinking funny, brushing his teeth, all dressed up in his undies and a bow tie! 

We had our annual Sorenson Family Reunion this week. We went down to Cedar City and mostly just hung out at a city park there. It was fun, as always! 

Crystal had her friend make all of us girls these shirts. We all wore then the same day and went on a hike to Cascade Falls. We passed a man on our hike who asked if we were okay and it took us all a minute to realize that he was referring to our shirts. (I hope I'm not the only one who didn't catch on right away! Haha!)

Axel and Alya looking at the falls. // Eli thought they were pretty great! 

We also hung out for a bit at the local reservoir. 

This picture makes me laugh so hard! Eli did not want to be out there in the water, especially when Dad threatened to really get him wet! 

I think he ended up enjoying himself, though! 

We stayed in a hotel room, which was quite the adventure. The kids were so excited about being there that going to sleep was almost impossible. We finally figured out we could turn on a boring mom and dad show so the kids would be distracted and hopefully get bored and eventually fall asleep. Eli would not sit still to save his life, but he finally settled down with dad enough to crash. // I'm grateful I have people who will take pictures of me with my kids. I know I am far from a perfect mom, but I love my kids fiercely and I hope I am making some fun memories with them! 

Fast asleep--finally!! 

The boy cousins that were at the reunion this year. 

The girl cousins (and a couple of aunts) at the reunion.