Schooooooool's OUT FOR SUMMERRRR!

Parker is out of school and officially done with 2nd grade!!!! We have so many fun adventures planned for his short 6 weeks of Summer break. I love year round school and the fact that we get breaks all throughout the year. It's so much easier for me to jam pack 4-6 weeks of fun adventures rather than 3 whole months. The day Parker got out of school he brought flowers and a card to his teacher. I had little communication with her this year- mostly because Parker has zero issues and loves school. He's a great student and is at the top of his class but his teacher noted that he could be trying much harder. It's a tough situation being at the top of the class because assignments are easy for Parker and he gets them done quickly and then is left with idle time to make mischief while the other students are struggling to finish their work. This is something I know he will have to deal with for many years to come so we need to figure out how he can best make use of his time.  My Mom surprised him by being at our house when he came home! We brought home some Wendy's and had a fun "last day of school" lunch. She stayed to shower him with love and attention- even playing the Wii with him. He felt so special and I'm so thankful for a sweet, devoted Nanny!!!

Ray has entered the fun "dress up" stage. She loves to try on my shoes and even donned my underwear! ????

Ray rarely takes naps at home anymore. She will frequently conk out on the drive home from Disneyland or the beach but at home she just won't sleep. But I DO insist that she takes a "rest" each day. This particular day she was suspiciously quiet in her room. She pulled out every single item in her dresser. It provided me with the opportunity to clean out her old clothes! ha ha

These are the flowers Parker brought to his teacher, Mrs. Bailey. I wanted him to smile with his teeth so we can see the change that will soon take place! Braces, here he comes!!!

My mom was trash talking Parker during Mario Cart. It was so funny! And my children LOVE my mom. Ray literally asks to go to Nanny's every day. And Jack lights up when he sees her and wants to snuggle her right away!!!

Jack Jack the dancing man! He's got the moves! Even if they are somewhat.... unique!

Our first item of business for Summer Break was a trip to Disneyland, of course!!! We ALWAYS have a great time and it's so much fun having Parker with us. It makes me realize how special each individual member of our family is and how badly I want more children to come into our family! Parker is my little buddy and is so awesome to do Disneyland with the babies.

While we were in Critter Country Ray found the most perfectly perfect leaf but Brother didn't think she should have it (he thought she was going to eat it) so he took  it from her and threw it away. Well, that induced a transom of epic proportions right in front of Splash Mountain. It wasn't too busy over there so I just sat down with her and tried to empathize. A friendly Cast Member came up to us and asked if everything was ok. I told her about the leaf dilemma and she was so sweet with Ray. She asked us to stay put for a second and walked away. A few seconds later she came with 2 buttons for Ray which made everything ALL BETTER! But Mamma needed some chocolate after that. So Mickey ice cream bars it was! We ate them right in front of the castle before going home. The babies passed out in the car. Disney success!

Later that day we rounded up a perfect summer day with some outside water play and fort building. Guys, I'm kinda obsessed with my life. Heart eyes for infinity!!!

That night Parker had a den meeting and was promoted to WOLF! I'm so bummed I couldn't be there but I'm so thankful for Tanner being so involved in the scouting program and helping Parker along. I was too lazy that night to take a decent picture of my cute Parker. The flash made him blink! ha ha

On Friday we visited We Rock the Spectrum which is an indoor play place specifically designed for children on the autism spectrum. It was sooooo fun! The kids had a blast! Parker loved the zip line! He talked me into riding it too and then I got in trouble. It was for kids only! Oops! Imagine me flying across a zip line at a kid place..... awkward! For some reason I only have pictures of Jack but Ray made lots of friends and loved the little "roller coaster". After we played we went to my Mom's house to hang out for a bit and eat lunch before heading home.

Here's Ray somehow wearing my swimming suit and helping me do make up. I love my princess!

On Saturday we spent the morning relaxing. We got a babysitter so that we could run some errands (grocery store and stuff) and grab some lunch. We had a lot of things to talk about with all the drama surrounding Tanner's multiple job offers. Bottom line: Tanner is an extraordinary administrator and the guys way high up are fighting for him. And fighting dirty. So we are trying to be mindful, prayerful, and careful as we make decisions that will affect the rest of our lives. After Jack's nap we joined the rest of Southern California at the beach. It was so fun. I love the beach!!! The kids do too! It was hilarious trying to take pictures of the 3 of them, once again. I tried so hard! But they were more concerned with playing. As they should be. We met my parents for dinner at Chick-Fil-A on our way home. The kids played in the Play Place so we could chat. I love that they will meet us at a moment's notice and be so gracious to listen to us as we negotiate these offers and make decisions.

Parker kept yelling, "I'm a MERMAID!!!" It was so funny!

Church didn't last long the next day. We sat in the hall because the kids were so busy/noisy/crazy. We were all fighting the sniffles so we decided to "call it" shortly after the sacrament. I'm so thankful for these days with young children. But you sacrifice so much.... including a meaningful sacrament sometimes. How grateful I am for a loving, forgiving Heavenly Father who is proud of my efforts- no matter how futile they are. My love for my Savior has never been stronger and we have never been so happy and blessed. I know we are doing something right even if reverent church attendance isn't one of it. We spent the rest of the day cuddled up and resting, playing games and watching movies.

We were so excited for Memorial Day because it was the first day Tanner has had off in sooooooooo long! He made us the most delicious breakfast!!! Tanner, Parker, and I each took a section of the house and cleaned. We've had a cleaning guy come twice and I just don't think it's necessary! It was a thoughtful gift from Tanner but surely a splurge. If we all work together we can keep this huge house spick and span!

After Jack's nap we went to a ward member's house for a super fun pool party and BBQ! 3 of our babysitters were there so they kept an extra close eye on our babies so we could chat and chow! The food was sooooo good! Back yard BBQ food is my favorite! Brownies, burgers, chips and watermelon! Yum!!!! We all had the BEST time!!!!!! And the best part was, we didn't have to travel far!!! ha ha

My kids are weirdos. Was Jack thirsty?

Rayleigh has a new obsession with my Russian dolls! The wooden one I got in Italy so it's very special to me and I love that she loves it! She takes them everywhere we go and will literally spend hours playing with them! So cute!!!!!

That night we all played Candy Land on our bed. We play games almost every night but it's usually cards. It was fun to play a board game!

I'm trying to squeeze in as many Disney days as I can while Parker is out of school and before our passes are blocked all Summer. On the day after Memorial Day we woke up and headed to CA Adventure to see if we could get into watch the new Frozen show. We were too late to get a FastPass and I wasn't about to stand in line for 2 hours for stand-by tickets. So we decided to meet Ana and Elsa instead. Well, for some strange reason when we walk into the Animation Academy Rayleigh always freaks out! Like, "I'm on fire" screaming and running away. As she was throwing a royal fit a Cast Member asked if I needed anything and I said we just wanted to meet Ana and Elsa. They had us wait for just a few short minutes and then privately escorted us back to see the princess sisters. The entire time we were waiting I was holding Rayleigh, trying to comfort her and pleading with her to stop crying. When we walked in and she saw Ana and Elsa she stopped crying but was still hesitant. It was a traumatic 5 minutes of waiting.... But they were SOOOO sweet with her! They were gentle and took time to talk to her and even asked if she would be an Honorary Sister for the day because she was so brave. They made me cry. Like, I had to hold back from ugly face crying. You can't tell from the picture tears were streaming down my face. Frozen gave me all the feels!!!!! We rushed out because as soon as we left the "castle" Rayleigh started freaking out again but as were almost to the door a kind Cast Member brought us 4 free FastPasses to see the new Frozen show since we had such  a hard time meeting the princesses! Yay!!!!!

To help Ray feel better we stopped by Gherridelli and got a free piece of chocolate which I let Rayleigh eat and make a huge mess with! She deserved it! We rode on Little Mermaid and then Parker asked if he could ride California Screaming. I had him check and see how long the "single rider" line was and it was "walk on"! He was so stoked! We watched him take off at the beginning and he was thrilled!!!!!! Then we rode the merry-go-round which is all "under the sea" themed and walked back over to catch the Frozen Show!

On purpose, we sat in the very back row right smack dab in the middle. It took about 15 minutes before the show started and for the most part, the babies did fine. But about 15 minutes into the show they were losing it. This is why we don't take babies to the movies! ha ha They were tired and hungry. I climbed behind my seat and let them run around a little bit in the back. But soon Parker joined us and I asked if he wanted to just leave and he agreed that was probably a good idea. And it WAS! They had moved our stroller and we had to search for it for a few minutes. I can't imagine trying to navigate the exit along with 5,000 other people. It would have been pure madness!!!!! As always, I'm so thankful for an easy going and understanding Parker who is constantly taking one for the team. We purchased an annual passport bucket of popcorn and that seemed to create a fantastic ending to the day! Nothing a little popcorn can't fix!

I love when Rayleigh looks at our Chat Books. She pulls them out almost every day.

Rayleigh found my phone and wanted to take some selfies! ha ha

Parker has been having a blast at SplashBall! He's so good at it too! I'm so proud of him! I was able to take the kids this evening while Tanner had the babies at home. I loved watching him practice!

Breaks from school aren't all fun and games. We had to go to the dentist too! I took this picture and sent it to Kassidy. She misses this office so much! Parker and I did great at the dentist- NO CAVITIES! My mom watched the babies which was sooooo nice of her! It's not an easy job! Especially when they are missing their naps. We got In-n-Out when we were done with the dentist which is our tradition. Parker was so excited that they let him get 4 slices of cheese on his cheeseburger! This kid cracks me up!!!!

The next day we talked Tanner into ditching work in the morning so he could join us at Disneyland! We were sooooo excited to have him with us!!! We always try and do one thing new (or that we don't do very often) each time we go. This time is was Jungle Cruise! We brought our AP refillable popcorn bucket and purchased an AP refillable frozen lemonade too! We rode a few rides and took it easy and only stayed 2 hours- as usual.

The Little Man from Disneyland's house!

Tanner has the worst luck with the monorail. It's never running when he's with us! But we were able to take it back to the car which was so nice!

After we got home Tanner changed and went to work. The babies took naps and Parker and I relaxed for a little bit. That night we got a babysitter so we could take my Dad out for his birthday! I love my Dad so much and am so proud to be his daughter. He's always so patient and kind and forgiving and understanding and strong and wise and brilliant and handsome! We had a nice evening talking and spending time together. I am so truly thankful to be close enough to spend these precious times together.

After dinner, I took Parker BACK to Disneyland! I tried to talk him out of it since we wouldn't be arriving until after 9pm but he was set on going and there was no way I was going to let him down. Our night did NOT disappoint! We got there when the fireworks were going and had a blast (no pun intended) walking down Main Street watching them, dancing, and singing! Parker was sooooo excited to see the fireworks! We rode the Matterhorn which I hadn't been on in forever! Love that ride! And Parker always begs to go on Storybook but the line is long and I don't think the babies could handle it. I was right! It is NOT for my babies. But Parker and I really loved it. It's so fun at night with everything all lit up. We ended the night by getting front row seats for the Paint the Night parade. I simply asked a Cast Member where the parade was starting (Main Street) and we just headed that way. We got there RIGHT when the parade was starting and could see the doors open and each float make it's way out! The second the last float went by we booked it out of there to beat the crowds. It was perfect! I love my one on one dates with Parker!!!!

This mama dove made a nest right by my parent's front door. My Dad named her Cindy. Isn't she sweet?

Oh! And Kassidy got engaged! She was trying on wedding dresses with her mom and his mom and he walked in and proposed!!! The picture can be a little confusing if you don't share the meaning behind it! ha ha

Friday we took a much needed day to stay at home and get ready for the weekend and caught up on house chores. I took the 3 of them to Target which was ridiculous. But glad I checked that off the list. We made home made pizzas and I got the kids all ready for the babysitter. 

Tanner and I went to the temple with the Bishop and his wife. It was stake temple day and we both signed up for the 8pm sealing session so we drove together and grabbed dinner before hand. It was so great spending time with friends and going to the temple. Our Bishop and his wife are so inspiring. It's so wonderful having friends who lift you up! Our session was remarkable too. I actually bore my testimony about my experience on fast Sunday. Our sealer shared with us some thoughts which I really appreciated. It gave me the opportunity to think and ponder while sitting in the sealing room. 

The first was his impressions on humanity's falling away from religion. This is a world wide trend and our church is not immune. He suggested this was due in large part to the crude nature of today's music and entertainment. It's hard to find a nice, clean song/tv show/movie in today's world. The spirit cannot dwell where it is not invited and even though we desire to have the spirit with us or at least return to live with our Father in Heaven, we cannot achieve those goals while partaking of worldly entertainment. That "great and spacious building" is filled with those who have strayed and not all were shamed into leaving the rod. Some were distracted. Some were deceived. Could it be they were turned away from the rod by what felt like innocent music or TV? I shared these thoughts with Parker on the way to church today, too. 

The second message I took home from our dear Sealer was about the word "rite". All his life he'd heard the word "rights" but when he was ordained a sealer and was given the words to read, he noticed he'd been hearing it wrong. It's not "rights" as in, I have the RIGHT to do something. But RITE, as in ritual. Rituals such as prayer and fasting. But also church attendance, family home evening and other family traditions. Holiday traditions, seasonal traditions, or maybe even post dentist visit traditions. :-) I gave myself a pat on the back. Most times I use my church and temple attendance to evaluate myself and find ways I can do better. But in this case I was proud of myself for doing something so right.

When we got home we felt so renewed and happy. Our babysitter did such a great job taking care of the kids and wouldn't even accept our payment for her services. She also commented on how much she loves coming into our home and admired the way I decorated. That made me feel so good!

Saturday, Tanner took Parker to Victorville for some work business and then we went to the beach! My happy place! And I think it's safe to say it's the kid's happy place too. Parker was in the water the entire time and caught so many great waves! Ray played in the water and climbed the rocks. Jack is the opposite of Rayleigh and is not interested in the water but loved to wander around and play. We met my parents for dinner at Del Taco and let the kids get out the last of their energy in the "play place". That night Tanner and I watched a movie about time travel. The father's key to happiness was living each day as usual and then living it again only noticing and appreciating all the good things that were missed the first time around. But the son learned that the true key to happiness what noticing and appreciated the small, simple, good moments the first time. When it was time to say their final goodbye the father took the son back to his most favorite,  happy time. It was when his son was about 8 years old and they were playing on the beach. 

I do NOT take for granted that these days right now are sure to be some of the happiest and rewarding of my entire existence. The movie sure made me cry. When it was over, late at night, Ray had woken up and crawled into bed with me. She curled her soft little body next to mine and I just drank the moment in. I do so desperately wish for a time machine to bring me back to these sweet, simple moments. But knowing that is impossible, I keep my record this way. This journal is my time machine.