Arches National Park

On our way home from Utah, we stopped at Arches National Park, one of our favorite places. Last time we were there was back in 2008. I was 6 months pregnant with Evan and we had three little girls. This time it was just Benny. The older kids missed out on this trip since they were in school. (So grateful for my parents taking care of them all week while we were gone!) We only had a couple of hours to spend at the park, so we mainly stayed in the Windows section. We hiked to the North and South Windows, Turret Arch, and Double Arch.

Benny loved all the stacked rocks that marked some of the trails.

Balanced Rock

Way off in the distance, you can see Delicate Arch. One of these years I would love to do the long hike that takes you right up to it!

18!

Elayna turned 18 at the end of August! A few days later, we drove out to BYU and helped her get set up in her dorm room. She is staying in the exact same dorms I did 22 years ago (she's on the 1st floor and I was on the 3rd). After setting up her dorm room, we went with her to get her student ID and then headed to the bookstore and walked around campus. That evening we ate dinner with her at the Canon Center (parents ate free!). It has changed so much since I was there! So much nicer!

After we said goodbyes, Dan, Benny, and I headed up to the BYU Creamery for our favorite ice-cream (Bishop's Bash) and then hiked up Rock Canyon to watch the sun set. We spent a lot of time there when we were dating. So much fun to be back in our old stomping grounds! Sadly, I didn't take many photos because it was such a busy day and I was really enjoying being in the moment.

Copeland Family

Always a treat to take photos of my cousin's family. The last time I saw baby Ellee was when we did her newborn photos. She has grown so much and is just the cutest baby with the prettiest big blue eyes. We took these on a very hot day in June and her kids did so well!

Back To School

Hard to believe another summer has come and gone! I'm always so sad to see it end. This year it ended a lot earlier than normal. The first day of school was August 15th! The good news is school gets out before Memorial Day for the first time ever (that I can remember).

This year we have one in 9th, 7th, 4th, and 1st. We also have a freshman in college! Today was her first day of classes. Next year my baby Benny will be in kindergarten and all six of my children will be in school!

poor Lorelei had a mosquito bite on her eyelid, which made her left eye a little swollen.

recent read

This book tells the amazing story of the author's rise from an isolated, unschooled child in the mountains of Idaho to earning a PhD at Cambridge University. It is a fascinating memoir that I would definitely recommend! Reminded me a lot of The Glass Castle, one of my favorites.