JULY

July is usually a busy month for us. I feel like we have a lot going on! We start it out with the 4th of July of course, where we do the same traditions Ryan's done his whole life. Starting out with the East Millcreek Parade.

As well as some face painting at the Carnival after...

Then we head to Ryan's parents for some lunch and go swimming at the Evergreen swim club with the Goodrich clan.

(I promise Della does know how to smile... when she wants to)

Then we head home to give the girls naps before the night fun begins! First we get together to have a BBQ with all the Goodrichs.

The girls had SO much fun playing with their cousins who came in town from Vegas to celebrate the 4th. I really wish they lived closer!

After the BBQ we all meet over at the Holladay Park to watch their Firework Show.

And I tried one last attempt to get a picture of all three girls together but... this was the best I could do.

The girls typically have more fun dancing and playing with cousins than they do watching the actual fireworks. They also love doing the sparklers and playing with their glow necklaces.

All in all it was a fun 4th of July! Then it was time to celebrate Ryan's 29th Birthday on July 11th.

(this was the only decent picture that was taken--with my iphone)
Then Sara's Birthday was next! When we asked what she wanted for her Birthday, all she wanted was "to go to Bear Lake" So we got together the Friday before we left to celebrate it with Ry's fam. She got pretty spoiled by her Aunt Stephy who gave her Cinderella jammies and slippers and Grandma & Papa who gave her the Jasmine dress up with matching shoes, a singing Jasmine doll, and the Aladdin figuring play set. She made a wish and blew out the candles...

(another poor quality iphone pic)
... and we headed to Bear Lake the next morning for her actual Birthday.

The first day we headed out on the boat with my parents and Terra's fam and had fun swimming and tubing.

Sunday we went to church then celebrated Amiya's birthday!

(The Birthday Girls!)

 We also let Sara open her presents from Mimi & Pop and her cousins...

...and since Amiya got a bike for her birthday, we figured we'd let Sara open her new bike so she could ride it around with her cousins.

It took her a little bit to get the hang of it (she kept wanting to pedal backwards, which triggered the breaks) but she gets better and better the more she rides.

The next day was July 23rd, Sara's actual Birthday! We woke up and let her open her presents first thing.

She got perler beads, a sketch pad, some gel pens, shrinky dinks... but I think her favorite was her makeup and earrings.

She's always asking to put on my makeup and really wanted some earrings for her birthday, so we got her some of the sticker ones and she loves them! Anytime anyone asks what she got for her birthday she says "a bike and makeup and earrings"

After presents we went and got breakfast at Paris Grill (once known as the Motor Lodge) then went out on the boat for some more tubing and swimming!

We ended up leaving that night and poor Sar cried for the first 15 minutes of the ride home because she wanted to "stay at Bear Lake" I think it's safe to say she had a pretty fun 4th Birthday! The month of July also included some more swimming with cousins, family time at City Creek, BBQ for the 24th and another one at my Grandma Betty's with almost the whole Christensen clan- we had every grandkid but one and we were missing a few siblings but it was fun to see everyone that came!

I'd like to say August should slow down a little, but I know it's going to be just as crazy with Raspberry Days, our camping trip to Paint Rocks, and Sara and Della starting preschool!