This year is just flying by. I can't believe it is already the end of October, but I love this time of year and I am so excited for the Holiday season! This summer was a busy one for us. We got to spend a lot of time with family and we traveled quite a bit, which was not expected but it was still good and fun.
In June we got to welcome my little brother Danny home from his mission. The two years he was gone went by super fast, but I am so glad he is home now. That week was pretty much like a huge family reunion. My sister Kristina and her husband, Ashley, were able to come down from Boise, ID and my Dad's parents came in from Maine. While everyone was in town we decided to go to the Zoo. It had been quite awhile since Sol and I had been so that was fun, but it was also really really warm. Jade was only about 2 months old so she didn't really notice much of anything and slept most of the time.
Us waiting for Danny to get off the plane. It seemed like it took forever!
Our reunion! Yes I am a bawl baby.
Danny meeting Jade for the first time!
Sleeping at the Zoo
Jade sleeping on daddy at the Zoo! Haha she pretty much slept the whole time.
My mom, my sisters and I did a fourth of July craft that same week also. I seriously love my mom and sisters. We have so much fun together and I love doing crafts with them because that is really the only decorations I have for my house.
We also celebrated our 5th Wedding Anniversary on June 20th. I can't believe that it has been five years already. Like I said before, time just seems to be flying by. We wanted to do something big for our anniversary but since we just had Jade we settled for going out to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory (which was delish) and enjoying each others company for a few hours while my parents babysat Jade. I am the worst at taking pictures so I of course don't have any of our date. The first five years have been a challenge and a lot of things didn't happen the way we thought it would, but I wouldn't change any of it. I know that the trials that we have had to face have brought us closer together as a couple and I fall in love with Sol more and more everyday. I couldn't ask for a better companion to spend eternity with. He understands me more than anyone, makes me laugh all the time and is seriously the most loving husband and father! I love you Sol!!
In July we celebrated Independence Day with my family and ended up making a last minute trip to Colorado and Kansas around Pioneer Day. Sol's grandpa had been dealing with Leukemia for several years and we found out in the middle of July that he was terminal and that the doctors couldn't do anything else for him. We had discussed going out to visit them over Thanksgiving in Colby, Kansas, but with this news we realized that he probably wouldn't last until then. Thankfully Sol's work is super great at letting him have time off so before the end of the next week we were on our way to Denver, Colorado. We stopped in Denver because that is where Grandpa Theron was in the hospital. We thought we would have to stay in Denver the whole five days we were there, but he was released to go home a couple of days after we got there so we headed to Colby. The biggest reason we wanted to go was because we really wanted to Jade to see her Grandpa before he died.
Jade and her Great-grandpa Theron
This was seriously one of the most precious moments in my life. The second she was laid in his arms she started smiling. Even though she couldn't really see his face, it was like she looked into his eyes and knew he was her grandpa. All of us that were there had tears in our eyes. I will never forget that moment. It was so hard to say goodbye when it was time for us to go home because we knew we wouldn't see him alive again in this life, but so grateful that we had the opportunity to go when we did. He died on August 1st a little over a week after we left them. His funeral was on August 6th in Moab, UT. It was a really hard day, but the services were beautiful. I didn't know Theron for that long and I didn't see him very often, but I loved him and he meant so much to Sol.
I had just been crying so this isn't the greatest picture of me, but Sol and Jade look good.
After those rough few weeks we needed some fun times and that is exactly what we had. Jade was blessed on August 5th. It was so great and it still amazes me everyday that I am a mother to this amazing little girl. Sol did a great job on the blessing and we were so grateful for all our friends and family that came to experience that moment with us. Now I feel like the worst mother ever because I never got a picture of Jade in her blessing dress. I changed her out of it when we got home because she kept putting it in her mouth and her hands kept getting caught in it, but I always had the intention to put her back in it later and get a picture. I of course didn't get around to it so we only have a few pictures of her after she changed out of her dress. (I am still contemplating putting Jade in her dress now and taking a picture just to have one.)
Jade with her daddy on her blessing day with Sol's friend Justin and his baby Ryker.
Jade and Ryker on her blessing day. We were laughing at this because it looks like Ryker is trying to make a move on Jade.
In August we also went to the Zoo again with my mom's work, which was fun because Jade was a little bit older so she reacted to the animals a lot more (no pictures again, sorry). My mom's work arranged it so we went to the Zoo at night and I swear that is the best time to go. The animals were way more active and the temperature was perfect.
My favorite thing that we did this summer was when we spent the day at Utah Lake with my family Jet Skiing. Kristina and Ashley had come down from Idaho to spend time here for their Anniversary so we all got together. I hadn't been in the water at all this year so I was excited to do something water related. It was a blast and we definitely need to do it again!
Kristina holding Jade, me and Melanie having fun in the sun!
Jade's first experience in water other than her bath water. Isn't she just adorable in that swimming suit!
Jade looking cool in Melanie's shades!
On September 2nd we headed up to Logan, UT to attend my brother-in-law Ryan's little girl, Alice's baby blessing. The drive up there was beautiful because the leaves had started to change and it is always nice to spend time with family. Jade is the only grand baby on my side of the family for now, but she has two cousins on Sol's side and they are all really close in age so I hope they become good friends.
Jade with her cousins Matilda and Alice.
On Labor Day we went to a Bee's game with our friends Jari and Kelli (shared a picture of this in my last post) which was pretty fun but also somewhat boring. We ended up leaving before the game was over because Jade was just ready to go home. Maybe we will go next year and see if it is better when she is older. The rest of September was pretty laid back and low-key which I think was the perfect way to end the summer.
