Catch up.

I thought having both boys in school would give me time to stay caught up with everything in life...ha ha!  Wishful thinking.  I also thought I should enjoy getting caught up before life gets turned around and I get to remember what having a newborn is like.  I mean, this miracle boy has us practically starting over! 

Then for whatever reason, I decided to still stick to my plan and go back to school anyway.  Maybe I love being stared at as the huge pregnant girl on campus.  I don't know.  What I do know is that life is good.  Life is crazy.  Life is busy.  Life is sometimes just plain out of control.  But life is life, and I am blessed.  I have some pretty incredible people in my life.  My boys, husband included, are just awesome.  They bring so much joy, adventure, and crazy into my life and make it extra worthwhile. So

 here are some pictures to recap some of our adventures over the last several months.

Back in May Gavin finally lost a top tooth.  We are still waiting for others to get wiggly.

I love that they were both numb from the dentist, I had to get a picture of the crooked smiles.  I cannot tell you how nice it is to have a dentist that my kids love and are not afraid of!

Introducing baby mac #3!!!!!!!

Then we ventured to my ultrasound just before girls camp to find out who would be joining our family.  Surprise, another boy!  Well, we honestly weren't too surprised ha ha!  We have handsome sweet boys and are very anxious to have another!  He is a complete and total miracle!  Now we need a name...

 Gavin enjoyed his first scout day camp this year.  Man, do they get dirty!  I mean head to toe dirty.  But they had a great time.  Three showers and he's good as new.  Gavin loves scouts!

 Gavin and Andy had another scout workshop.   Max knew they'd be gone all day.  I woke up to this note by my pillow...

 SO obviously we went to the park and enjoyed a gorgeous day.  Followed with some slurpees :)

Happy ELEVEN years to us!  We didn't go to Italy this year, but we still had fun celebrating.  We went to dinner at the Copper Onion and then Gelato hopped to some places downtown.  It wasn't Italian Gelato but it was fun.  I am so grateful for a hardworking, playful, adventurous, positive, man and father for my kids.  He is the best!

We also ventured into hiving bees this year.  Andy was really excited to try it, and it paid off.  It is pretty pricey to get started.  He took the classes, got his bees, and suit.  Then the bees kind of did the rest ;)  Gavin even did his 2nd grade Great Brain report on honeybees.  It has been a neat experience for the whole family.  Our bees did exceptionally well for a first year hive and we extracted 47 pounds of sweet golden honey.

It is delicious!  

 Gavin's first Pinewood Derby.  He asked Papa Craig to help him make a car.  He requested a red car that would be as fast as Lightning McQueen... Well Papa Craig is Papa Craig, so he and Gavin made an actual McQueen.  Gavin was thrilled.  His car took first place every round and he won!  The sweetest part was that Gavin didn't care about winning.  It didn't even phase him that he had won until about twenty minutes after the races were over and we were cleaning up.  I came up to me and said " mom, I winned!" " Yes, Gavin, you won!!!" It was so cute.  I love how noncompetitive and sweet this boy truly is.  He is one of a kind and I'm proud to be his mom!

We made our traditional birthday ritual at the cemetery for Eric's birthday.  Of course we ate ribs at Goodwood too! The boys sure love the Pixystix part.  It has been a hard road these past six and a half years of not seeing Eric smile.  Not hearing him say "hey".  Not being able to hug him, or tease him. Or just be able to see that he is doing well.  I miss him like crazy, and always will.  It hasn't become any easier.  But this particular birthday I felt a lot of love and peace.  I know Eric is playing with his little buddy in heaven, and has been watching over him for a while.  A part of me thinks that it took 6 years to get him because Eric needed him.  Or maybe he needed Eric :)  Either way, I know he is in the best care right now and I am so anxious to meet him.  I am so grateful that I will see my baby brother again someday.  I am thankful for the gospel and for my Savior.  Like I said, life is crazy, life is unpredictable, but life is LIFE...and it is good.  We couldn't enjoy the good if we didn't endure the bad.