Getty: the Haps

It's a young Robbie and our Getty. Awesome resemblance, right?

Loving Robbie's silky shirt and red bob :)


Me: "No, you can't long board to Young Men's" (because you'll find an excuse to be in the parking lot instead of YM).

Rob: "We can't take your scowl seriously when you're sitting like an apostle."

Bowling for Family Night.

WHY don't we do this more often?!

Getty crashed big time on his long board, so I made him take the ride-along cart in the grocery store...

He didn't mind.

The other day I found this display in Getty's closet of how to hang a shirt.

Exhibit #1: the fold and hang



Exhibit #2: the tag hang inside another shirt

Exhibit #3: the double shirt collar hang

Whatever.

Coronado with Cole and his awesome family

I usually leave for the temple just before Getty's carpool comes to pick him up. He sends me off in his best motherly voice, "Stay away from drugs. Have a good day!"
[Getty mothers cousin Bentley]

Apps Getty is into on his phone: Snapchat, Instagram, Real Racing, and Vine (Instagram with videos). Tyra Banks is supposedly following him [huh?] and Jordan Burt (who Getty says has a "popular Vine profile") commented on one of his Vines. "My life is complete!"

Superman for a school dance concert.

Getty playing scrum half.

This rugby player is deaf. Inspiring.

For Mega Monday he wanted to hot tub and talk. We talked about how the pioneers would freak if they saw Wal-Mart and how we would describe modern technology if we were transported back to their time.

He did most of the talking for about an hour. He's such a charmer. I wish his friends didn't hog all his time, so I could have him to myself more often.

Love you, Gett!

Cy has Gingham Style

Cy dances "Gingham Style" on a video for Riley Blake Designs. If you want to check it out, click on this link.

Or, go to rileyblakedesigns.com, click on "Recently added videos," and then on the "Gingham Style" video.

These are a few screen captures of the video:

In other news, Cy was awarded his Webelos Badge.

Looking impressed with himself—"not bad, not bad at all..."

Home run cheer, "It's outta here!"

Eleven-year-old scouts, here I come!

She's Back!

ALOHA!

"How has college life changed you?" I asked.

"I am more myself than I have ever been. I've learned so much about who I am, and I am more likely to be open with people instead of holding back."

[In Grandma's chair] M&M picked up where they left off.

So, after MK settled in, I got word that she was telling people she was bored in Utah. All her friends have left or are leaving on missions. Plus, kinda hard to compete with this:






Back in Utah: the Fab in MK's temporary bedroom. Two are leaving soon on their missions to Honolulu, Hawaii (what are the chances?!), and Argentina. MK decided to get two years of soccer in before mission considerations.

The Fab and their friends are still up to their old tricks—up all night, playing tricks on each other, running around the neighborhood screaming, playing t-ball past midnight, watching the meteor shower in sleeping bags on the tramp...

Even when they were an ocean apart, they found a way to keep the 5 Forever.

Since MK's social life has pretty much been running the show around here, Rob sent her this text (and yes, texting is our primary form of communication with her ;)—

Somehow the text was sent to Getty, who responded:

MK's plans for the summer:

Nanny full-time for the Smith's.

Hang with friends half the night as often as possible.

Assist her BYU-H coach in running RSL soccer camps.

Do her off-season training workouts 6 days/wk.


Love you, MK! How did we ever do without you?!

Not done blogging

I haven't posted much lately. I was wondering if maybe I was done blogging and then I was swept away by life in the meantime. But, the other day, I realized the role blogging plays in my life.

Beyond processing Elle's death this past year, I blog the good stuff, and the stuff that makes me laugh at myself, Rob, and the kids. I think without the blog, I would forget or overlook or take for granted the positive stuff that happens and instead focus on the problems. Mommy blogs are famous (or infamous) for showcasing the "best of" and failing to mention the underside. But, there are solid reasons for this, which I respect and adhere to. The most important reason, in my mind, is that it's not fair to my kids or my husband to broadcast their personal shortcomings or mistakes. Their stories are not mine to tell without their permission. I could tell you all of my shortcomings and mistakes, but I'm not aware of any.   Ha!

So, even though I cringe thinking that the image the blog portrays does not represent the whole reality of our family life, I can appreciate that blogging the "best of" helps me keep things in perspective. It balances out the crazy hard phases along with the more mundane daily challenges that come with raising a family. It makes me grateful. I recognize the blessings. And it preserves some of the best memories of our family's life together.

Plus, when I'm old and looking back on our family life, I'll be so proud of myself and think I was such an awesome mom. Who needs reality? ;)

Mia's Prom

He asked her with a Bucket List:


She answered him with a large cardboard box and a sign that said, "I'll go to Prom with you when pigs fly."

Open the box, and there you go.

Cameron's a cutie.

Weird—MK and Mia have switched places!

Photo bombing, courtesty of Cy

They're darling—I can't take it!

Dinner at the country club; dance at the Capitol. Mia texted me as they were leaving the dance, "We're golfing glow in the dark balls off the canyon then crepes, a fire and smores, then movie [the Avengers]. It's been soooo fun."

Friday was Prom, so Saturday they had their day date and played paint Twister.

Mia, MaKenna, and Kennedy