august? where did you go?

August seemed to fly by. We did not get to relax at all. And I guess that's okay. We had a great time. The beginning of August was full of wedding festivities. Yes, little Stephi-wephi is now a married woman. We are so happy for her and Josh. They are a really great couple and we love having them around. (especially for babysitting!) They were married August 16th in the Logan temple. It was a beautiful, warm day. The ceremony was great and they were smiling from ear to ear. Although I felt more stressed for her wedding than I did my own, once it was all said and done it turned out really well and everyone had a good time. Tren loved all the attention he got in his cute little suspenders. 

My favorite part is his bare feet. I'm biased, I know. But could he be any cuter?

The weekend after wedding festivities Randy and Tammie came for a visit. We love it when they come and they don't have to help us with home improvement projects but we sure do appreciate it. Here is a picture of the problem:

And here is the solution:

It looks so great! I feel like such a grown-up with a mounted tv. 

After a short weekend visit from the Ashes(which we wish could have lasted longer), Tren and I had a total of 4 hours to get ready for our next adventure. My parents decided to take a last minute vacation on a Disney cruise to Alaska. (I'm only a little jealous) They took Grandma and Grandpa Gilbert and headed off to the unknown. Well someone had to take care of Ali and Layton, so we graciously stepped in. It really was fun to spend some quality time with my youngest siblings. I feel like I don't get to do that often enough. We had a great time. Ali and I went shopping a few times and made sure to spend all the money that was left for "emergencies". 

Tren loved playing with his Uncle Layton. Everything Layton did he had to try too. They ate breakfast together, wrestled, and played Legos every single day. They were pretty cute together. Even if Layton waking up early and Tren staying up late made me extremely sleep deprived.

* No one was hurt in the taking of this picture

 I also got to spend time with Cody's family. At the beginning of the week I said that it would be nice to get to meet baby #3. So if Liz could have him on Saturday, that would be great. Well, I didn't know what I was truly wishing for. I forgot that if both Cody and Liz are at the hospital, and there are no other adults around, I get two more kids. Let me just say that I'm glad Jared and Ali were there to help but this little Ash family will be taking its sweet, sweet time before having any more children. I was definitely overwhelmed. But I was so grateful for the opportunity to be there for Cody and Liz. I don't get to help them out very often so I'm happy I could. And the boys really weren't too bad. There were just a lot of them. (And three in diapers, gross!)  But I am pleased to announce that Calvin May Bingham was born on September 1. He was NOT a 10 pound baby, so yay for Liz this time. And he has dark hair. So now they have the whole rainbow! 

lake powell 2012

Another week at Lake Powell has come and gone; and this year was Tren's first time at the lake. It was so fun watching him play with all his cousins. He doesn't get to see them as much as he sees Keegan and Oliver. So at first he was a little apprehensive but then he jumped right in and wanted to do everything the older kids were doing. Averi was my favorite to watch with him. She played peek-a-boo so many times, swam with him, and made sure he was always safe.

 

This year's theme was the olympics and it was really fun. There was a balloon launching contest, kayak pull, synchronized swimming, and relay race. Our team was green and purple, so we kinda looked like the hulk team. We walked away with 2 golds and 2 silvers.

And the rest of the time was spent like normal. We surfed and swam and read and ate, a lot. It was a great vacation. And now Trennon misses being with everyone. Being home alone with mom just isn't as much fun.

Working with Grandpa and Gerald

Jared helped Averi surf

 Jared and Kim brought the same shirt so of course it had to be documented.

 Oh siblings! They were recreating a silly picture from their childhood.

bragging about a friend

One of my very best friends is an amazing artist. She does it all: painting, writing, photography and anything else you can think of. While she was visiting us she decided to use her skills on our little family. Beth took such adorable pictures of Trennon. And they were all taken at the park right next to our house. So it showcases the views we can see from our front porch. 

cool dude

 Trennon is getting quite the personality. Just like most babies I know, he thinks he can do anything. He gets around the house with ease and pulls himself up on everything. And he does it all with style.

Baby proofing is so much fun. We are learning a lot about our house.

 

His plank or push up. This kid is way more in shape than me.

 Sometimes he thinks he is a model. Looking off into the distance is his favorite pose.

colorful colorado

 WAY back in April we took our first long road trip with little Trennon. We decided it was time to visit Durango and everybody told me that April was a great time to see spring in the mountains. The long, long drive was not as bad as I anticipated it to be with a baby. He slept and kept himself entertained for most of the trip. I know, I have the best baby in the world. Once we got there we partied non-stop. Jared and I toured downtown Durango, we all went to the Anasazi ruins, shopping, dinner with family, and the hot tub. It was so much fun spending time with Jared's parents. Trennon loves his grandparents so much. He could live with either set and be completely happy. Mostly because he is so spoiled!

This is one of my favorite photos. I need to get it framed!

 Looking out over Colorado with Grandpa

 At the top of the ruins

 So many families lived back in those caves. Not much personal space but it looked like a pretty great way to avoid the storms and the heat.

 Tammie stayed back and watched Tren while we explored, until a strange ranger came to talk to her.

 Underground. It was really neat down there. It was very small but would keep things cool.

 Getting ready for the hot tub.

 At first he didn't know if he liked it. He kept looking at Jared to see if everything was still okay. 

 And then he started soaking it all in. Floating and splashing and having fun!