Long Time No Blogging!

I haven't blogged in a while and I now am remembering why. It takes so long! I know the longer you wait the more you have to blog about but dang I have been downloading pictures for the past hour and a half. And everything does not always go right on the first try. My internet has already kicked me off once and I have spent the last fifteen minutes rearranging my photos. I already typed up everything that I was going to say but it ended up at the bottom and wouldn't copy and paste to the top and there is no way I am moving all the pictures again and risking losing some or getting them out of order. So here it goes again!

Since June so much has happened and we just keep busy busy. I am still loving the NICU but have come to find that I am a much better mom if I sleep, so Ashtynn has spent more time at my cousin Rachel's house playing with her kids while I sleep for a few hours in the morning. I think it is good for her to play with them. I really appreciate it. We have been trying to cram in as much summer as we can and still stay sane. Here is an update in chronological order from when we previously posted.

Alisha's family came to stay at my mom's house for 3 weeks. We don't see them much so it was a treat! Her kids are getting big and I am glad Ashtynn got to play with them.

Kate put on my shoes almost ever time I went over, I had to get a picture.
We took the kids to the zoo. Here is what the two youngest looked like the whole time.

This lion drinking fountain was there when I was little!

While everyone was up for the Crook family reunion, we had family pictures taken. 21 people all together. Eleven of them were 9 and under.

Emeline, my niece.

Stevie and Zoey

A few of the girls

Clint and I

Karen and Trent, my brother and sister-in-law

Mark and Linsey, my sister and brother-in-law

All the grand kids

Later that day we went downtown to watch the fireworks for the 4th of July. They were amazing. Ashtynn didn't fall asleep this year and I think she liked them. We had a sweet spot, thanks Lish.This is the only thing on my camera from volleyball team camp at UVU in Orem, UT. Linsey's team was playing there too and I had a hotel room for Ashtynn and me. So we thought we had this great idea that I would watch her kids while her team played and she would watch my kid while my team played. Yeah, keeping three kids entertained and happy in a gym, no so easy. Then try keeping three kids entertained and not crying in a tiny hotel room, even harder. We were so warn out, we were glad when the end came. Well, at least I was. Linsey has more patience than me. Here is them jumping on the bed. Anything to keep them entertained.


They are so precious when they are asleep.

We took a camping trip with just us two and Ashtynn. Yes, we took a toddler camping. We have been told the horror stories of camping in a tent, without even a trailer, but we did it anyway. We only stayed one night. We are still alive to tell the tale and so is Ashtynn. She actually did pretty well. She fell asleep about 10 and woke up around 6. The hardest part was how dirty she was the whole time. We still had fun and look forward to when she is a little older or until we can afford to buy a trailer, whichever comes first.

Ashtynn at 6 AM in the tent. She is getting to be a big girl.
Dorito's are her favorite. She is definitely related to Linsey.
A trip to Rigby lake with a friend of mine and her little girl. It was nicer there then I ever remember and the kids loved playing in the water and the sand.

Clint's dad lives in Sandpoint, Idaho and we like to go up there at least once a year. So we packed our things, threw Ashtynn in the car and headed off for an 8 hour car ride. Oh, and Bailey our wiener dog came too. Yes, the car ride was long but it was worth the trip. I can't believe how good Ashtynn did in the car. We only stopped twice on the way there and twice on the way back. She is such a good girl. I sat in the back and kept her entertained and fed.

When we got there, us girls kept busy shopping while the boys went fishing. Clint's step mom Mickey is great host and kept us fed. We had a great time just relaxing. We always feel so welcome there.

Mickey bought Ashtynn her first tea set and this is her playing with it for the first time. She much preferred soda in the teapot, but we thought we better switch it to something with less caffeine.

We celebrated Clint's 27th birthday while we were there. I think just being able to go fishing with his dad and brother was the best present.

Grandpa Hardy and Ashtynn.

It always takes her a while to warm up to Grandpa Hardy at first, but then they become good pals.

PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT: My parents had a garage sale!! Can anyone believe it? And it wasn't even Linsey's or my idea. My mom wanted to all on her own! Linsey and her family came up to help. We had fun hanging out all day and my mom even sold a few things. When we decided we were done we loaded what was left and took it to DI. Good riddens!

Ashtynn liked putting the rocks in the baskets. This is after we started picking up.

They wanted to sell my grandma Winder's old electric wheelchair but didn't so we took it for a few test drives.

Only Mark.

What a shoe girl. Just like her cousin Kate.

We are sad to see that the days are getting shorter and fall is coming. I don't know how much longer we can live in such a cold climate. We got spoiled in St. George. The good thing is I am coaching volleyball now, which will hopefully keep me too busy to notice it getting colder and there is always the holidays to look forward too. Ashtynn will get to really play outside in the snow this year. Until then, we will just keep soaking up the sun and hope for a shorter winter this year.