August Tid Bits

Let's start with a couple of arrangements I made! This one was definitely my favorite.

I've found I prefer soft, pastel colored flowers rather than really bold. However, these orange roses were so pretty I decided to give them a try with the yellow ball thingies.

I tried giving Brigitta lessons in how to be a convincing liar. It did not go well.

Brent and Liesel cleaned out all the water bottle's from the car. We are really into hydration in this family.

Our kind Bishop and his wife offered to give the girls a ride to the Stake Youth Pool Party. 

Me: LIESEL!!! Brush your teeth so you don't bring shame upon our family. 
Gita: Liesel's already brought shame upon our family!

Sydney was going to be home alone and so she had her own girl dinner:
two mini pizzas
Chobani flip yogurt
chocolate milk
cookie (not seen here, already eaten)

Liesel decided to try out a little bang bang action with her hair. She may be fighting the Wuehler cowlick but she's excited for a changeup.

Getting her to the appointment was a bit of a debacle since I went to the Aveda salon we've always gone to- only to find it was closed. The individual on the phone just assumed I would be coming to the other location which was 25 minutes away. Turns out it was in a fabulous outdoor shopping mall so Gita and I took advantage of that while Liesel got her trim. We were able to stock up on jeans for the upcoming school year. Afterward we brunched at a nearby place called First Watch. Gita ordered the Purple Haze with lavender and it was so good! You could truly taste the lavender.  

Random conversation with the girls about the song Yeah by Usher.

Gita: *confidently* The song starts out "Peace UP, A-town", not "Peace OUT".

Me & Sydney: That doesn't even make any sense!!! Who says Peace Up?

Then I looked it up...

Gita was fussing that all the other girls are listed by their nickname in my phone and she wanted it changed. So Liesel updated it for me:

Gita really worked on her flips on the trampoline 

The girls were fighting over Taco Bell host sauce packets. I told them the more they argue, the uglier their husband would be. Gita are Ireland then began arguing whose husband would be uglier. 

The irony.

For a youth activity, they made foam cars. Liesel was really proud of hers which she dubbed "Purple Rain" and she weighed down the front with pennies. 

We had some major storms that left the rug on our front porch looking pretty gross. I love this rug- it's the perfect size and it works for all seasons. The best part? When it gets dirty like this I can just take it to a hand carwash and spray it down to get all the dirt and discoloration off. Voila! Like new.

My favorite cookie at Crumbl is the Kentucky Butter Cake and I lucked out one week I was on the struggle bus and it was one of the flavors. 

We got the fountain up and running again and man, I love it! It's beautiful and adds such a serene sound to the backyard.

We went to a potluck for the Crystal Lake Central Dance Team- hereafter to be known as CLCDT. Ireland had a lot of fun this summer at UDA camp where she learned routines and bonded with these ladies. 

Me: Do you think you would have been friends with me when I was in high school?
Ireland: Uhmmm yeah- I know some poor people. 

I did some damage when I was at Education Week and I brought home lots of clothes from the BYU Bookstore. Ireland called dibs on the pajama pants which are as soft as butter. They go really well with her t-shirt from Cougarette Camp.

The lake was looking just beautiful in August! Whether it was at the crack of dawn...

...or mid-day.

While waiting for Ireland at physical therapy, Gita figured out a new way to get into the car.

BYU Education Week

BYU Education Week could not have come at a better time. I was burnt out with work, summer, the girls, church- just all of it. I really needed a break, some time to myself, a change to reset. O'Hare was unusually busy and I realized as I was leaving town, the Democratic National Convention was heading into town. 

The Hall of Flags was all decked out for it and Uncle Same gave me a very nice key ring!

Seeing this couple in the American Airlines lounge made me realize this is what I want to do with Brent when the girls are grown and flown. I was excited to get some alone time, but he loves Ed Week just as much as I do and I wish we could have gone together!

Spectacular summer clouds!

The first class I attended opened with a prayer- per BYU standards. I nearly cried. It was like a reprieve for my soul. Katrina got a one-day pass and I treated her to lunch at the Skyroom. I was shocked to hear that she'd never eaten there as a student! I know it's a little pricier than the Taco Bell down in the Cougareat, but every student needs to take in the views at the Skyroom at some point in their BYU career!

The session on Women and the Priesthood by Mary Ann Woodger was so incredible! I had a great day with Katrina. She's always really busy and this day just happened to work out for her. 

I treated my nephews Eli, Noah and their girlfriends to dinner. Oh my gosh! It was so fantastic. I love these boys so much and I really love the girls they are dating. Afterward Eli offered to walk me to my car so I would be safe. What kind of a kid thinks like that? They are such gentlemen and we had such great conversations. This was definitely a highlight of my entire trip.

I was out so late, and the altitude was getting to me so I accidentally slept in the next day. I called Brent and laughed, "I'm gonna be late to class!" It felt good to say that again somehow. More stunning clouds as I was running from the Marriott Center to the Wilkinson Center.

I'm a fan of Jared Halverson's podcast Unshaken Saints and his session on Faith Crisis did not disappoint! It was packed, even in the overflow room but I was lucky to get a seat on the 3rd row. He talked about any crisis of faith can be seen in the context of the 3 pillars of the eternities: creation, fall and atonement. Then he talked about the Prodigal's Son and when someone reaches the atonement stage, who is the first person they run into at church? The judgmental brother? Or the forgiving father? Honestly in that parable I had always kind of sided with the older brother who did everything right, dangit! Why throw a party for the younger brother who made bad decisions. This session turned my thinking on its head. 

I went to classes on angels, investing, teaching your children to work, retirement, the BYU Jerusalem Center, serving a senior mission, mindfulness with food, time management, Easter Holy Week, signs of the last days, patriotism and Church News highlights. I furiously took notes and soaked up being back on that campus. 

It's so fun to see all the new buildings and improvements- like a waterfall! I bought chocolate covered cinnamon bears at the book store and tried a cougar tail at the Marriott Center. Speed walking to make it to my next class I was reminded BYU campus is a young man's game. Those buildings are spread out and I was always battling for air with the altitude. 

One evening when I was headed back to the rental car I realized as a student how worried I had been about my future. Would I ever marry? Would I ever have children? I called Brent and we laughed about it- he'd had the same concerns and well, things worked out. 

I really want to go back next year but I think Brent and I will swap. He will do Education Week and I will take the girls to BYU camps. Like I said, eventually they will be grown and flown and we will make a point of doing this together. In the meantime, going to Ed Week was one of the best decisions I've made in a long time!

I came home feeling so refreshed and inspired. Seeing family was like being wrapped up in love. Classes gave me so much to think about. Being at BYU gave me a much-needed change of scenery and a reminder of how far I've come. 

Back to School

Tempus fugit! It wasn't so long ago we were saying goodbye to these girls at the bus stop but now Liesel is old enough to drive it's porch pictures only. Ireland gets a softer landing as a freshman in high school with Liesel to guide her a bit.

Junior year is a big one for Liesel- all the standardized tests and her toughest schedule to date as she prepares for college. I'm so proud of her for all she's accomplished and how determined she is!

This year they eased out of the driveway- so glad we were able to snag one of those highly coveted parking passes!

The older two started on August 14 while the younger two started on August 21 when I was enjoying BYU Education Week. Brent assured me he could get them off just fine so these are photos that were sent to me. This is the one year Gita has the school all to herself- every other year she has either an older or younger sibling roaming the same halls she is. 

Technically the bus photo was taken on the second day of school- Brent was doing his best!

For Sydney, this year marks the end of a very long era. We've had someone at the elementary school ever since we moved here- over 10 years. After this year we will officially be done and that seems so surreal. I'm sure Sydney will leave a lasting impression so the girls aren't soon forgotten!

Another year of school begins!

Brigitta is TWELVE!

Before Spanish camp, Gita had begged me to buy her a Lululemon scuba top at the Mall of America. It was expensive, and her birthday was more than a month away but the light blue color made her eyes light up so I caved. However, I was adamant that she not get anything for her birthday since she promised me she would not be sad when she had nothing to open on the day. 

Gita did get a lovely cake from Coldstone (non-chocolate of course) and she loved that!

Twee's Nails is near the laundromat we use when the comforters are due for a good clean, fluff and fold. Over time, Gita and I have developed a code and when I mention I need help at the laundromat, Gita volunteers which suits her sisters just fine. While everything is in the wash, we head over to Twee's for mani-pedis. Gita has strong preferences for her nails, to be sure (almond shaped 1/4" extensions), but the staff there also make fantastic suggestions. 

She was all aglow with her new tips!

Her breakfast in bed consisted of waffles, a breakfast sandwich and hashbrowns. I love our tradition of breakfast in bed. It's so simple and yet the girls love it so much.

Gita is not my favorite child as I truly do not have a favorite. I connect differently with each daughter and in some ways I connect similarly with them too (like over watching them dance). That said, Gita is definitely my easiest child. She just does her thing without a lot of fanfare. She's pretty dang self-sufficient and even though is is more than likely to be part of any fight in the house, she's also really responsible. Gita isn't plagued with any of the health issues that have befallen her ADD, asthmatic and juvenile arthritic sisters. If Gita has an assignment or a bus to catch, 9 times out of 10 it will happen. Should she get it in her head to learn to do an ariel or perfect avocado toast, she figures that out on her own. This is all incredibly ironic since she was BY FAR my most difficult toddler. 

Happy Birthday Gita Girl! I love you so much!

Goodbye Summer

 I'm not one for hosting parties- the whole process stresses me out. Having family visit is one thing, but creating a good time for my kid's friends is another. However, I'd heard of a goodbye to summer party and I really liked the idea of soaking up that last bit of freedom before buckling down and hitting the books. I floated the idea to the girls and well, let's just say they were 100% onboard. I stipulated that the entire house had to be clean from top to bottom and I've never seen them so motivated to help out. It ended up being a win-win.

Sydney and her cute little friends.

Brent and I prepped fresh fruit, corn on the cob, chips, Brazilian limeade and we had hot dogs and s'mores that could be roasted at the fire pit. Ireland and her friends wanted to enjoy the lovely weather outside and enjoy the trampoline.

Brigitta and Liesel wanted to hole up with their friends in their bedrooms.

We kept this one pretty simple but it seems it was a success since the girls insisted we do it again next year. Brent and I enjoyed hanging out in the background, keeping the food at the ready and just listening to everyone having a good time.

Honestly I loved having the house so full with all the happy chatter and laughter. The girls were rejuvenated and heading into the school year confident in their friendships. Although our house has a fair To Do list before it's exactly the way I'd like it, it's a great house for hosting. This is something we definitely need to do again!

Warren Dunes & Lake Michigan

We have been to Warren Dunes in Michigan many, many, many times. To shake things up a bit, I told Liesel and Ireland they could invite a friend. Liesel brought Riley.

Ireland brought Ellie.

The watermelon raft was a bit of an impulse purchase at the shop on the beach. They had a machine that would blow it up for you in just a few seconds and the girls played with that thing all day long! Trying to stand in the middle of it and then jumping off into the water was very popular. I figured we could also use this at Foster Beach on the Illinois side but it turns out they don't allow flotation devices.

Sydney was feeling some FOMO and somehow had slipped out of the house in a swimsuit that had died. There was no elasticity left and it was sagging so badly there was a gap between her legs. I wasn't a big fan of the options at the shop but we found one we thought would work ok. We ran over to the restroom where she changed and trashed the old swimsuit. The bottoms were still big but as a mom of 4 daughters, I am always packing some hair ties so we tightened it at the hips and she was good to go!

If I haven't said it before, I love this beach! Yes it's a bit of a drive but we have so many happy memories here. I'm glad the girls were able to make some more with friends in tow.