Fun with Friends

We have lived in our house for 7 1/2 years and we have been lucky enough to be surrounded by amazing people. We have incredible friends who we really enjoy being around and who have been there for us. These past few weeks have especially been filled with some good times. Here are some of the moments:

1. Annual Beach Trip- This was our 7th year! We have 6 couples who go.It is always a little crazy, and no one really gets any sleep, but we love hanging out, going in the hot tub, playing poker, playing the Wii, going shopping and just relaxing at the beach. (The only bummer was that I left the beach house for a few hours to take charge of this fun family triathlon. )Each year we joke that we will just go with the adults, but the kids look forward to it every year!
(Flashback pic: This is the first year we went to the beach. Tyler and Dallin were the only kids and they just under 1 years old. Now there are 15 kids under 7!)
2. Impromptu dinners- Sarah can tell when I am having a tough time and is quick to invite us over for dinner. We love hanging out with their family and eating yummy food. This past weekend we got together with a couple of other families and ate and chatted while the men went to the Priesthood session of conference.


3. Enjoying the fruits of their labors- Our good friend Ranell and family live on beautiful acreage and we have spent a lot of time there this past year. Ranell and I are both very laid back when it comes to child care and have done quite a bit of swapping. I love watching the kids run around in nature. I also love eating out of their garden, since I can't get mine to grow! This past week we joined 2 other families and picked apples and pears.

4. BYU football- There is no better reason to get together than to watch a BYU game! They are ranked nationally this year and the games have been fun to watch. We watched the game on Karen's big screen while the kids just played. When Jeff discovered the Red Sox game was on after, they let us hang around and watch that one too. It was a great night!


5. Running Buddies- Oregon is a beautiful place to be a runner. Luckily, it is also pretty easy to find people who also want to run. We have a great group of women who meet early in the morning to get their exercise in and chat. On Saturdays, we are joined by a few of the men. Jeff and I have been hiring a babysitter to do some of these Saturday runs together. We were training for a 10k together. The race took place last weekend. Unfortunately, Jeff was sick so he didn't feel great, but he still had an awesome race. It was great being with good friends and cheering each other on. When is the next race?

I am grateful for the good friends that we have. I am trying to get out of my nervousness of having people over at my house because I do want to hang out and play games more. My ADD causes me to stress about the planning part. My friends accept me for who I am, weaknesses and all. They make me want to be a better mom, wife, friend, and person. They make me laugh, let me cry, and help out where needed. Without having family living near us, my friends have become my family. I hope they know how much I love all of them.

In a little bit of sad news, I think this is the end of the summer. Bryce gave me one whole week where I could let him go up and down the slide by himself. Then, he started to pull this craziness. Maybe it's good it's the end of the summer. Next year, his body might be caught up to his fearlessness!

PS
Post below about Em's birthday!