B loves his wand and its so much prettier than the ones my other kids have!
On Saturday we met at the church for Birch's baptism. The program was almost completely run by the cousins of the family, and after the baptism Birch agreed to share his testimony about Jesus Christ and his gospel, which was really sweet and made things even more special. I love that he was willing to do that.
The boys singing
Family shot afterward
The boys...and Aspen ;)
lunch and cake afterward
Hanging out at the park while some of us got some zzzzzs. Love this picture Lisa took!
On our walk at the park. So grateful to everyone for coming out for B's special day.
Birch got this Garfield jammy set for his birthday. He likes Garfield a lot. A fun note about Birch: he is often roaming the house with just one sock on. I don't know how that doesn't bother him, but somehow he finds it perfectly fine. In this case he must have found whatever loose socks were in his drawer. My kids have a thing about not changing their socks...makes cuddling on the couch with them difficult ha!
Annie and Chance got married in June. Woohoo! Eric got to head out to Lincoln City to be there, but the kids were still in school so we had to stay behind. We love having Chance join the Ritter clan!
We bought a Solo stove when they went on sale over the summer. I love that my hair doesn't reek of smoke every time we have s'mores! We had the kids invite some friends over to test it out and...success! (Love Eric there in the background pulling a sasquatch as he mows the lawn ;)
zzzz
Oh man. About 5 years ago now we went to the zoo with our friends the Howes. Their daughter Carly must have been 2 at the time, and was very excited to see and feed the giraffes. We headed over to the feeding area and paid our dollar to get a leaf for the kids. Matt gave Carly a lettuce leaf, picked her up and lifted her toward the giraffe, and the giraffe proceeded to stick out its incredibly long black tongue to grab the leaf. Carly was not expecting this to happen (giraffe tongues are scary) and started to scream bloody murder. Her face was so horrified we couldn't help but laugh. The whole incident was so funny that my buddy Leslie, who had filmed everything as it happened, entered the video on America's Funniest Home Videos, and it was played on the show! One day at church, now years later, Aspen and Birch were doodling, and Birch sketched the Carly-giraffe scene. It was so funny when Aspen handed the sketch pad over to me with a big smile on her face!
O built a little zipline for his lego men. A bit hard to see in the photo but it was very cool.
Last day of school!
Not everyone was excited about it.....
I tried to get a jumping shot of the kids with Isaac and Annie Bingham; this was the best one. Didn't notice until now that B has a mask over his face ;)
Millie 💚Ian and Kaylene and kids came out in June just after school got out to spend some time with us in McCall, and the Egglis ended up joining us. We had a few trees on our cabin property that needed to be cut down, so we worked out an arrangement with Ian and he came out to do it for us. Kaylene and I watched for a bit but then were so scared of him falling that we left to go thrifting together. He ended up cutting down 3 trees with Eric spotting him, and thanks to his skill and our numerous prayers he was alright.
Aspen and Kimmie slept out in the shed together and loved their girl time and the space they had out there.
Boys at the beach
cuties
Going for a ride in the back of Eric and Ian's trucks. Ian had recently bought his and was excited to try it out on some rough roads.
It was a pretty drive
The following day the Egglis arrived and we spent the day together exploring Sharlie's Gardens and just being outside.
Playing Sequence with the girls while listening to old John Mayer hits; I think it was Sasha and me against Aspen and Kimmie. Ian, Eric, Kaylene and James had gone for another drive; the one we had done before wasn't off-roading enough for Ian, and Eric had a road he thought would be rough enough. What started as a planned one-hour drive turned into 4 hours as Ian's truck got stuck in snow and mud several times. At one point Kaylene called us to tell us she didn't know if they'd make it home that night, so we asked the kids to each say a prayer that the truck would get free and we could have everyone arrive home safe. Finally at 11:00 that night everyone came home, with a crazy story to tell.
The girls with their siblings (haha)
At the end of June we headed to TN and KY to see some national parks, but more importantly to hang out with the Kuykendalls! I was excited to see KY again since I spent a couple weeks there during my church mission and thought it had some very charming spots. First however we headed to the Great Smokys.
It was beautiful and the weather wasn't as humid as I had feared it would be.
and we got on the Appalachian Trail just a bit along the way.
B found a lot of neat bugs on our trip. He loves bugs and beetles and has his opinions and information about each one he finds.
On the lift up to Anakeesta; a little resort in the mountains.
We loved Anakeesta. It was away from the bustle of Gatlinburg below, had some cute shops and restaurants, stunning views, a suspension walk through the trees, ice cream shops, and areas for the kids to play. It was gorgeous!
We even saw a black bear. Very cool.
We went back to the suspension bridge before we left that night. There were lightning bugs everywhere down below, some bright blue. The kids had never seen any before; it was very magical.
Hiking the next day near the visitor's center.
Driving the 11 miles around Cade's Cove, which takes you by old farmsteads and churches. It was the first "neighborhood" in the area about 200 years ago. It should have taken us two hours or so, but the entire park was PACKED, and it seemed that everyone in the park decided to visit Cade's Cove the same time we did. It took us 6 hours to get through the loop, with stop and go traffic, sometimes at a complete standstill for 10 minutes at a time. We took it in stride and had fun chatting and telling stories in the car. Usually Eric and I plan trips that are very scheduled and regimentary, but we were kind of winging this one and decided to literally go with the flow. We had no idea that the Great Smokys is the most frequented park in the U.S, and we were there the first week of summer for the area.
There was a snake in this old barn. We were too scared to go inside but you can see it hiding in the lumber if you look hard enough.
I thought this was the prettiest homestead. Give me this lot!
Demri and Eric met us the following day to hike the Grotto up to the falls. It was the perfect hike for the kids in difficulty and distance. And the falls were so pretty and there was a lot to explore.
We found some salamanders
Afterward we walked around Gatlinburg and grabbed some sweets.
Oh woops on our way out of the park we saw this rock covered in hundreds of pink centipedes.
We had BBQ that night, but had to wait a while so Eric took B and Scottie to a sporting goods store to keep them moving. He texted this photo he took of the boys to us while we were waiting in the restaurant, and Demri started laughing so hard at B's expression.
We spend a few days with Demri and Eric and went on some walks. Their neighborhood was really charming and we loved the area.
After a few days we left the Kuykendalls and headed to Mammoth Cave in KY. We were meeting some friends of ours, Dustin and Rachel Hunt, who have been living in Muncie, IN. We stayed at an Airbnb together and chatted in the evenings and explored the caves during the day.
Mammoth Cave is one of the COOLest places I've ever been. It is huge, and the way it's lit up is really neat; there are yellow and orange spotlights shining all around and they cast a really neat glow around the cave. The hikes that we did were just amazing, and they were underground, so you can't beat that!
Calvin, Charlie and Cece with the kids
Dusty and Eric grew up together, and when the Hunts lived in Boise (a long time ago when Aspen was little) we would hang out a lot downtown with them where they lived, riding bikes to ice cream shops and having dinner together. It was sad when they left.
On our way into the cave the day was beautiful,
and on the way out there was a huge downpour! We had to ascend from the cave with a torrent of rain showering down on us. There were people huddled in the cave waiting the storm out, but we decided to just put up with getting wet to head back to the house for lunch.
We seem to always get stuck in rainstorms, almost everywhere we go. Definitely makes for some special memories!
We had a cave tour the next day. Dustin and Rachel needed to head home so we said good-bye that morning and then headed back to the park. The tour we did was called the Extended Historical tour, and it lasted about 2 hours. It was absolutely amazing! The tour started in a wide expanse of the cave, and then we ascended and descended to different parts, and eventually into a slot canyon within the cave.
There were lots of signatures from the 19th century explorers of the cave that they had made with their torch smoke. It was very cool.
We headed back to Demri's for one more night of fun. Demri chose some fun games that we played on her tv with our devices that had us laughing really hard.
Yikes these are all out of order. We visited a victorian era cemetery...
(B on the plane home. If I try to cut and paste these in order it messes up the text formatting.)
Doing a fun craft the Demri planned for us
playing games. Demri and Eric were such wonderful hosts and we were so sad to have to say goodbye. We really enjoyed our time in TN and KY.
B got a hold of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and this is how I found him as he was pouring through it. He couldn't put it down, and the few days it took him to read it he was always nestled somewhere with his head in this book.
Scentsy party fun!
The kids loved this foam filled bounce house!
Taking all our bikes up to McCall for the 4th of July. Eric was so proud of his truck.
Paddling on the Meanders. We got to use our paddle board that we got for Christmas from Pete and Ami. We may have encountered some leeches on this excursion.
Contemplating life?
Eric doing some mountain biking
He met up with some friends one weekend, and Ben Bird (below) planned the whole trip. Eric said it was the best planned guy weekend he's ever been to. He thoroughly enjoyed the days they spent near Sun Valley on their bikes, and the trails they did.
Oh man we had a busy summer! While Eric was gone I took the kids to Utah to visit Mom and the Egglis. We went to the Bean Science museum on BYU campus while we were there.
Aspen, Oakley and Eli were able to do a famous space camp for an entire 8 hour day in Pleasant Grove. I've heard amazing things about it from many people, and the kids had so much fun that they're begging me to sign them up next year. They learned how to "fly" a spaceship and had to work together to complete different missions. It taught them about problem solving and how to work together as a team.
One of Aspen's drawings
On our way back we stopped at the Garden of Eden truck stop. It has a cool dining area with fake trees, a snake and a waterfall. The kids thought it was awesome. It's totally cheesy but of course they loved it. Eric and I had been there years before.
B being a goofball. He really likes to make us laugh.
Me with the wonderful ladies I serve with in Relief Society. Our sweet Savannah (left), moved to UT in July so this was our last evening of us all together. Shirley (standing by me) also moved shortly after. It was sad. I loved working with them!
Our buddies the Astons came out for a visit and stayed with us for a few days. We always have a blast with them, and they took us out to dinner one night while we let the kids all fend for themselves. Our kids get along so well that we didn't worry about them and its so fun to host guests that actually make your life easier because there's no fighting going on!
Aspen and our dear friend Katelyn Waite
I met my friend Abby at the pool one day, and her baby Belle had a fascination with Birch. Once he was sitting down on a pool chair she couldn't stop climbing all over him. He did not know what to do, but Abby and I just laughed.
Sweet moment Eric caught on camera.
Hanging out with Sash by the pool when they came out for a visit on their way to WA.
For our anniversary this year we decided to keep things low key. We borrowed a paddle board from Annie and Chance and headed up to Lucky Peak Reservoir in the evening after we went out for dinner. It was a beautiful, calm evening and we had fun chatting while we paddled.
The next day we hopped in the truck out to Star, and then rode our bikes around for a long, beautiful, scenic ride. It was a great workout! We rarely get on our bikes together but that's one of the things we did a lot of when we first met so its always sweet when we can make it happen.
Boy these kids need to clean their rooms! 👎
Aspen got to go to our church girls' camp this summer and she was so excited. Last year due to Covid, it was cancelled, so Aspen had to wait an extra year to attend one. She loved sleeping in the cabins and staying up late and all the activities they did, and just getting so much girl time!
While she was gone we took the boys to Eagle Island to do some runs down the waterslide, which we've never done even though its just down the street. The boys loved it and next year we'll go back when Aspen is with us.
Aspen with her pals Lauren and Ashlyn. Aspen is taller than almost all of her friends from church, and one of the shortest among her school friends.
Little Sunday hike
It was a smokey night
One of Roo's many photos of Jones. He's pretty cute in this one.
We went camping at Bonneville campground at the end of July with our friends the Howes. We hadn't done it last year and we missed it so made sure to get it on the calendar this time. The campground has a hot spring nearby that you can walk to; a total bonus. And we camped next to the river and had fun playing in that as well.
The kids slept in hammocks and one night I joined them out there. I don't sleep at all when we camp so I was hoping a hammock might help. It was awesome and I loved it but I still didn't sleep.
Hanging out at the lake
Eric and Matt biking while Les and I paddleboarded with the kids.
At Redfish Lake
Leslie and I always take turns cooking and prepping meals when we camp; she always makes amazing things and I've stopped trying to match her skills! I'm the one that throws together rotisserie chicken sandwiches, and she's the one that makes korean bbq with rice and veggies. She's one of the most amazing people I've ever met; she gives 110% to everything she does.
Aspen's awesome underwater photo that she somehow took with my phone
The kids took the kayaks down this little bit of river; I was terrified but they thought it was the best
Hanging with Roo
I thought the kids wouldn't be able to get out of the current to the bank but they did great!
Eric took the boys backpacking with some friends. Our buddy David likes to get out with his son Isaac and invited Eric and some other friends along.
Some of the boys got sick but they still managed to hike the next day to a lake before heading out!
Oakley signed up to run the FitOne 10k with me so we went out one morning together for a run to train for it. Somehow this kid manages to talk to me the entire time he's running. Amazing!
In the Eagle Foothills
At Scentsy for lunch with Dad
Enjoying the grounds a bit
My pals Leslie and Amanda joined me for a two day trip to the cabin. Unfortunately my friend Brandi had to cancel last minute and we really missed her being there. But we had a great time.
We went out to Mexican for dinner and stayed up chatting, playing games and eating a whole lot of chocolate! Then we got up the next morning and after making omelettes headed to North Beach to paddle the Meanders.
It was a beautiful day and it was so much fun to just chat and paddle. We had to head home after paddle boarding but it was so worth the trip, even though it was short.
Aspen cuddling with Piper, her buddy's dog she was sitting.
I took this one night when we were reading scriptures together. It was such a pretty evening and this is often what our scripture study looks like; Eric trying to get the kids to stop messing around, Aspen doodling or fidgeting...Oakley has to use a bookmark to follow his lines or he skips around...not always perfect but at least we are doing it!
At least Birch was happy ha!
Picnic lunch at the Village before school started
B's cup tower...I was impressed!
One night when we were in McCall, Eric and I took Jones for a walk, and the kids used my phone to take some silly pictures that they strung together to make a little movie. It was really clever; I wish I could post what they made, but the photos will have to do.
The kids and Eric were watching Spiderman one night, and I preferred reading so I went out to the shed. It was fabulous. Quiet, toasty, I put my feet up and read for the entire time! I love this shed.
Hiking in McCall.
We found some tiny little frogs on this hike; they were so cute.
I told Eric this shot of Aspen looks like a Patagonia ad.
We drove to a lookout tower; it was cold and windy but Eric liked the view of his truck :)
At the Christmas Shop in McCall with Aspen
We also walked along the main strip
First day of school!
Aspen dyed her tips red so B wanted to do it too.
Eric took the kids to a BYU game in September and met his brother and parents there. I was planning a trip to UT a week or two later and had a lot of church things to do so I stayed behind. BY MYSELF! For a whole weekend! It was glorious.
The kids love BYU football games, and they were playing at a new stadium in Vegas, so that was even more exciting. Plus it is indoors so Aspen didn't have to worry about getting cold!
BYU won too against Arizona
At the Excalibur
At a discovery museum in Vegas
they were there with Danny and Shelby's kids
While they were gone I went running, I watched a movie or two, ran errands and on Sunday after my meetings and church I went to visit Eric's aunt Mary who is in a nursing home. I had a great weekend.
How cute is this photo of Jones
God works in mysterious ways. I have to share this story about our sweet Larkin (above). Aspen's best school friend of several years, Araleigh, suddenly moved over the summer to Beaverton, Oregon. Aspen was devastated. She has other friends at school but Araleigh was her closest and she hadn't had much time to even say goodbye. Just before school started, a family (Larkin's family) moved into our neighborhood and they are also in our church congregation, so that's how we met them. Larkin last minute applied to Galileo and got into the school, which is amazing. Larkin looks a lot like Araleigh, hit it off with Aspen first thing, and guess where she moved from? Beaverton, Oregon! I told Aspen I hope she realizes how much God loves her; her best buddy moves away and He literally places a new one in her lap!
Pumpkins and gourds from the garden
B playing goalie on his soccer team. He was more aggressive this year than I thought he would be. He was fun to watch.
B being silly and making us laugh, as always.
Clingman's Dome hike; our first there. Quite the trek uphill but worth the views...
That evening, after we were dry, we went on a little drive. We had heard about a ferry that you could take across the river for free. We went to check it out. It was literally a 20 second crossing. We started, I read a text on my phone, I looked up and we were on the other side. It was hilarious.
And visited a really fun park/museum that was having some displays we really enjoyed, such as learning about revolutionary era weapons,
as well as learning how to make butter. It was hot that day but I left wanting to go home and make everything from scratch.
Fireworks at Scentsy for their anniversary. We were so close and they were so loud that at one point Oakley said, "Every moment of silence I cherish." I laughed pretty hard.
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