August Recap

Jace and Daddy went 'gof ball hunting' one night and came home with a crazy number of  golf balls.  Jace soaked and washed them up so obviously Tyler turned it into an opportunity for play!

His favorite looks like a mini soccer ball...

With all his new golf balls, Jace wanted to make a display shelf:

I can hardly keep clothes on this kids most days:

Just trying on mom's jammies:

He loves to jump!

 

(I don't dare!!)

Nathan and Matt Stephenson went golfing at the Couer d'Alene resort:

Hike with Bishop Longhurst:

Bryson and Dallin had to work so it was just Eli, Hailee and Jace that we took to Come From Away:

It was a fantastic show creatively done with a minimal set and only 12 actors in the cast.

Hailee and Jace made 'forts' and had a campout on the back deck:

Just silly:

He *almost* knows what it's like to be pregnant.  Except not at all.

Mini Mandalorian:

No explanation:

A serious call on the calculator:

I love when Bryson runs into people he knows at work:

Schools Back In!

Bryson was overjoyed this morning when he didn't have to get ready for school with everyone else!  He may have rubbed it in just a little... 

Bryson still had to go to work, but apparently hasn't realized that growing up and work really isn't all it's cracked up to be.  Regardless, my 4 school kids were still pretty excited today:

11th grade:

FRESHMAN:

(I can NOT believe he's in high school!)

The lone Cotton representing the fam in the middle school:

(7th grade)

5th grade:

His teacher is Mrs. Romey.  He was pretty disappointed that he didn't get Mr. Gady like all of his siblings but if I know Jace, he'll get over it quickly enough and make the best of it.

And just for old times sake:

Since Dallin and Eli drove themselves off to school, I couldn't get a picture of them in front of their school... this was the best they'd give me:

I still took Jace and Hailee though!  Jace wasn't going to stop for a picture...

but then decided to humor me:

Too bad that by the time he posed there were other people in the picture! 😑

Hailee was sweet enough and didn't give me any grief about a picture:

Poor Tyler was so bored all day!  With 5 out of 6 six kids gone for the day, I was totally in cleaning organizing nesting mode and he was just wondering where everyone went!  Jace gave him plenty of loves when he got home though:

Nathan had tickets for the Spokane Indians game that night so he took the 3 school boys since Bryson was still at work (guess having to work instead of going to school isn't always all it's cracked up to be!!)

I've got so much to get done before Bryson leaves for college NEXT WEEK, and even more to do once he's gone before this baby comes!  Time is gonna fly!

XC Kickoff

After getting to run cross country in middle school, Jace was pretty excited to get to join the high school team and start practicing before school even started... they had some fun 'team building' activities leading up to school (his coach is amazing!):

Albino Twin Turkeys

Just so random.

We have 2 wild baby turkey's running around that are pure white albinos.  Every time we see them we're pretty surprised that they've made it another day without being picked off.

Curly Girl

This girls' curls are just amazing:

Well, amazing when she lets me help with her hair... 😏

Most days, her hair be more like:

I'm trying to give her ownership over her hair.  Some days are better than others.

When I was 15 or 16, I had a eureka! moment with my hair and thought I'd finally figured out how to do my curly hair.  And then again when I was in my early 20's.  And again a few years after that, and again...

But having 'curly' hair myself in no way prepared me for Hailee's curly!

In an effort to help her help herself, I made an appointment for her us with a 'curly hair specialist'.  I have never (never ever) spent as much on my hair as I spent on that one appointment for Hailee, but wow! it was worth it, I for sure learned a lot!

Jenne was super fun and engaging with Hailee during the 2 1/2 hour appointment, tons of info on care, products, styling, the works!  Sadly, the styling process took about 30 minutes to go from this:

 

To this:

and I just don't see Hailee taking the time or exerting the effort.

She had an eye appointment afterwards so we went out to lunch to enjoy a little more girl time... 

I could tell she really loved the end result of her curls, it was adorbs the way she bounced when she walked and shook her head to make her curls move.  Love my curly girl!

Camping

Another fun camping trip before school started back up, I think Tyler wonders why we can't just always camp!

Jace was excited to set up and sleep in the tent we've dubbed 'the coffin':

Plenty of room!

It was funny to see the migration of hammocks from this:

To this:

The kids had so much fun staying up late and talking and just being silly.

Tyler loved the hammocks too of course!

Lots of fun:

No idea why he felt the need to put his popcorn on this disgustingly dirty chair and then proceed to eat off of it!

If only that was the dirtiest/grossest thing he ate all weekend...

Getting kinda sleepy...

aaaaaaand, he's out:

Bryson had fun on the Whalens jet ski:

Dallin surfing:

Lots of playing in sand and throwing rocks:

All that playing wiped Tyler O.U.T!  He was asleep before we even left the campground as evidenced by the campground clearly visible outside the window:

I can not even put into words the bliss that it was sleeping on my own bed when we got home.  30+ week pregnant bodies were not meant to sleep on cots.  'nuff said.