Summer of Fun (an epic catch up post)

I'm a little embarrassed at how long it has been since I blogged. Life has just been so busy this summer. But I love rereading entries and remembering the stories and good times. My blog is like my journal, and I don't want to give up on it. So I am determined to get back into it. Of course that means a little catch up because I don't want to forget some of the wonderful things that have happened this summer.

So here is the Harris family summer of fun 2012! Sort of like a film strip slide show of what we've been up to these last few months.


Steve graduated from law school!! We are all so proud of him. It was a long, hard three years, but he did it. We did it! It was a little bittersweet for me to be done though. We had made a good home in Fort Worth, Texas and made some wonderful friends. But we're ready to see what life has in store for us next.

Getting his hood.

Celebrating. :)

As Steve prepared for the bar exam in Arizona, the kids and I spent the summer in Utah with my parents. The boys have loved being able to spend so much time with Grandma and Grandpa and with their cousins.

We went to an airshow. It was really, really cold for May. But everyone still had fun.

We had a bbq picnic on Memorial day.

Anna proved to everyone she is a carnivore. 

David and Erik with cousins Ethan and Aaron discovered the joys of the City Creek mall.

We celebrated father's day from a distance.

The 4th of July was an especially fun time. Again we really missed having Daddy with us, but the kids had a fabulous time playing with cousins and watching fireworks.

My littles and me.

Ethan, Anna, Erik, David, and Aaron

David, Erik, and Aaron. Our trio of trios. :)

Baby Anna enjoy her first 4th.

Watching uncle John set off fireworks with Grandpa.

David and Erik singing a little karaoke at the cul de sac of fire.

Our summer of fun had some sadness too. My grandpa Jack Hepworth passed away in July. A veteran of the U.S. Navy and an honest to goodness rocket scientist, he was brave and brilliant. But to me, he will always be something much more dear and much more special: my Grandpa. I'll always remember the times he helped me with my homework, his silly astronaut tie, his friendly smile, his warm laughter, and his never failing testimony of Jesus Christ.

My grandparents. Married over 60 years.

A folded up flag from a grateful county.

My parents and grandma with my grandpa's dear friend Thomas Monson. The boys thought it was pretty cool being able to meet the prophet and shake his hand. They especially liked when he wiggled his ears for them. 

Grandpa Hepworth

The circle of life continued to turn, and just a few hours after my grandpa's funeral, we got some amazing news. We're expecting again! I'm due March 28th. We find out on November 6th if we're having a boy or a girl. We can't wait!!

Our little gummy bear at 8 weeks.

The celebrations continued as our baby girl turned one! We cannot believe how fast this year has gone. And I can't believe how Anna just keeps getting cuter!! Here comes a photo bomb:

Anna, 1 year old!

The birthday banner I spent hours making. :)

Really yummy, homemade funfetti cupcakes.

My failed attempt at making a giant cupcake. I frosted it way to soon, and it melted all over the place.

Anna and her birthday balloons.

Looking so big in her tutu.

Missy Miss and Mommy

Daddy and his baby girl

Our happy baby Anna!

When my grandma passed away last year, she left my mom some money. She thought and thought about what she should do with it. What would grandma want? Well, my mom decided to use the money to make memories with her own grandchildren. So she used the money to take all of us to Disneyland! It was an amazing vacation. We had so much fun, and if you can believe it, the kids didn't whine or complain once!! One of the highlights of the trip was eating dinner at Goofy's Kitchen.

The whole family!

Anna and Minnie sharing a moment. Minnie loved Anna's bow.

David with Aurora.

Erik and Belle.

Mickey Hats!

Next we got to celebrate two more birthdays for two amazing boys. David and Erik turned four this August, and they continue to delight us with their charm and whit. They asked for a dinosaur birthday party. We had carnivore and herbivore snacks, a dinosaur cake, and some dinosaur balloons. It was so easy, and they loved it!!

The birthday boys!

David so happy to get some candy treats from his cousins.

Erik delighted about a new dinosaur. He named him Brachio because he is a brachiosaurus.

And some birthday trains!

Dinosaur cake

Singing happy birthday

Blowing out the candles. They both got all four of them in one blow.

Erik about to enjoy his chocolate birthday cake.

David and his cake.

Anna just excited to be there.

David, 4 years old

Erik, 4 years old

Our adorable twins, 4 years old

So after that eventful summer, we have even more news. Steve got a job offer in Bountiful, Utah, and we took it. He loves his new job! We are going to be renting a condo in Clearfield, and we move in next month. We've loved our time here at Grandma and Grandpa's place (and we plan to be back every Sunday for family dinner). But we're so excited to be in our own place again. The boys especially can't wait to get their stuff back. They miss their toys. I miss my shoes. I guess those are sort of like toys for women, right?

If you have made it to the end of this epic catch up post, you get a gold star.