It's only been 2 months......plus some......

This summer has been so busy & so fun that blogging that has really suffered - mmaahhwell. I've written like 12 posts in my head that never really materialized. Here's one giant post about the whole summer with a ton of pictures:

The boys and I went up to southern Alberta to stay with my parents for 2 weeks!! It was SO fun!! I drove to Idaho Falls & my mom & dad came down to pick me up there. They brought Gramma Szteina down to see Aunt Connie, so we stayed there overnight & got to Raymond on June 26.
We went for walks, played at the park, went to the pool, played in Grandma's pool, ate good food, shopped, played with cousins........ It wasn't even too stressful without Mark there. My mom & dad helped out & the kids were really good. It was heavenly. I felt like a much better mom while we were there - more focused on my kids and having fun rather than my own agenda & getting things done around the house. My dad made sure Carson got a little nap most days & I'm sure that helped too. He was so well behaved (not that he usually isn't, but sometimes.......) I think I was better at disciplining because there was always someone else around & you can't get as mad when someone was watching. So I was more present (because I didn't have housework to do) as a parent & disciplinarian (& therefore more effective) rather than being mad & putting out fires like I do all day at home. So what I've learned from this is, there is nothing wrong with living with your parents because it makes you a better person. Or...I should hire a maid, so I can be a good mom. Or....something's always gonna suffer, either I'm an awesome mom & a terrible housekeeper or I'm a great housekeeper & a miserable mom, or I'm mediocre at both - which is usually the case. So I try my best.

We enjoyed the July 1st festivities and my dad & I ran in the 5K road race. This has been my first time running for fun/exercise since junior high! It was so fun to run this race with my dad! My time was pretty good - for me - but mostly I was happy that I set a goal to run it & really did it!

My parents brought us back to Idaho Falls on a Friday & we stayed overnight again. The kids both had big naps in the car & still weren't asleep by 12:30am, so I loaded them in the car & took a loooong drive. Carson ended up waking up for a few minutes after I carried him inside, but we all managed to get 4 hours of sleep that night. In the morning me and my parents, Gramma Szteina & Kris & Connie went to the Rexburg Temple (Thanks Brittney for watching my kids!). I had gotten some temple work ready to do for my Grandpa's family, but it turns out I really wasn't very prepared. The sister at the temple was SO helpful & got things sorted out for us. It was July 9th - a year to the day of Grandpa Szteina's funeral. He was sealed to his parents and his mom was sealed to her parents. It was a really neat experience especially because there were so many family members there.

The drive home from IF was......ridiculous. I was so tired & so were the kids. They both cried & fussed for a while, and I was so grateful that they were both locked/restrained/buckled in their carseats & I could just keep driving. They eventually both fell asleep & I almost did too - remember the 4 hours of sleep I got. We stopped in Tremonton for a caffeinated beverage & a potty break. I had to go potty & managed to do it in a little bathroom stall (the handicapped one was occupied) with Carson in there too, while holding Burke. Don't think too hard about that, but we did it again about an hour later. Let's just say, the whole thing was a GONG SHOW! We stopped in Park City too, so I could nurse Burke & take Carson potty again. And that, my friends, is why I haven't been brave enough to make the 12 hour drive to SoAB alone.

We were home for two weeks & I think we did some fun stuff......it's all a blur now. I remember wishing that I didn't have to come back to real life. Carson & I were back to old habits & I hated feeling like the mean mom again.

We left for Raymond again at the end of the month for Mark's nephew, Austen's baptism. We left at 5am hoping that the kids would sleep for a few hours & then wake up at our first gas stop. Burke slept ok, but Carson was awake until about 20 minutes outside of Idaho Falls where we had to stop for gas. We got an oil change there & stopped at McDonald's for some breakfast & then kept driving. He fell asleep 20 minutes before we had to stop again & then the same thing before we got to the border. We were all tired, but the day went pretty well. We got to hang out with my family again & then with Mark's family the afternoon/evening of the baptism. On the way home we stopped 3 or 4 times in the first 2 1/2 hours we were driving but the rest of the day went really well.

We got home on a Sunday night & that Wednesday was the beginning of our Seiter family reunion. Paul & Brittney did an awesome job planning some really fun activities for us. We spent the day at Raging Waters on Thursday & had tons of fun. I was pregnant last year when we went, so it was really fun to go on the slides & enjoy the water a lot more. I was so grateful for everyone one pitching in to watch the kids now and then so that Mark & I could go on some slides together. On Friday morning the adults went to Mike & Sharon's while they dedicated their home. They had arranged babysitters for the little kids at the church so we could enjoy the experience. It was a really neat thing to take part in. That afternoon we played outside & some went out on the boat. On Saturday we relaxed in the morning and went to Salt Lake to the Aquarium in the afternoon. It was a pretty great little aquarium for being in a landlocked state! The whole week was really a lot of fun!

The following Tuesday I taught a little lesson on Family Mission Statements at our ward Relief Society meeting. I'd had all summer to prepare & thought that I'd thought about it a lot & had my plan, etc., but when I sat down to get ready, I felt really under-prepared. I think the actual lesson went ok, but there definitely is a lot of things I wish I would've said & gone over.

We went to Carson's preschool open house on August 18th. He met his teacher again & got to play a little. The teacher had made little gift bags with crayons, pencils, glue sticks, & treats for each student. Carson was so excited. As I write this he only has 2 more sleeps until he goes to his first day of preschool. I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around that now that it's really here!

In our Bountiful Basket (did I mention Mark started a Bountiful Basket site in Heber?) we got a bunch of cucumbers for a couple of weeks so I decided to make relish. I'd never made relish before, but I got one recipe from my canning book & one recipe from allrecipes.com for corn relish & went to work. It turned out really good!! All of my jars sealed & we love eating it with just crackers! I made a great big batch of "Queen Pickles" mustard relish a week or so later & that turned out great too! Who knew relish could be so exciting!?!?

My parents came down this weekend for Labor Day. We went to Swiss Days on Friday morning (with the kids) and looked around a little & bought scones. It was so crazy there, but fun for my parents to see what it's all about. That afternoon Mark & my dad golfed at the Homestead & my mom & me & the kids went to Provo.

On Saturday morning, Mark & I ran the Swiss Days 10K. It was fun to do it together. My goal was to run the whole course & not walk at all - which I did! It was pretty hilly & felt way longer than 6.2 miles, but it was worth every minute. I all out sprinted at the end & took Mark by surprise! He still beat though - my time was 1:05:58.7. Mark's time was 1:05:58.4.
My mom & I did some garage sale-ing that morning. She found a little doll bed & I found an OLD table to put outside beside the barbecue. That afternoon, Mark went to his parents house to watch the BYU football game (with the kids!) and I went to Park City with my parents. We grilled steaks on Sunday after church and Monday morning we hung out a little & then my parents left for home. Tonight - Labor Day evening, we had some of Mark's family over for a barbecue.

We're exhausted and the house is a mess, but I feel like it's been a great weekend and a great summer. I'm usually really excited for the seasons to change, but I feel a real sadness that summer is almost over. We've been able to do a lot of fun things this year. Maybe it's that summer took so long to get here. Or maybe it's that Burke is getting so grown up already. Maybe it's that Carson is going to be starting school. I think I really rely on the sunshine to feel good & I'm worried that dreary weather is going to suck out all the goodness I feel and have felt this summer. I'm excited for the holiday season and kind of excited to get back into a real schedule, but part of me would be thrilled to have another 3 months of hot weather and carefree-ness.

Anyway, here are about 3 billion pictures.

We have a picture of Carson in this exact stance - foot on table, sippy cup in mouth, smiling.
End of June.
Mark left for scout camp a few days after we got home from Raymond. Carson slipped off the bathroom counter one night & got a bloody nose & a really fat lip. I wanted him to eat this frozen yogurt because he wasn't keeping the ice pack on it very well. "Mom, it doesn't make my lip feel good. It makes it feel bad." Broke my heart.



My mom took some family pictures for us. There are zillions. Not even sure these are the best ones, but it's late & I'm too tired to go through & decide right now.








It's been SO wet back home. They have had rain galore & lots of flooding. This is a little dam they were letting water through a few weeks before we were there.
The cousins - and Londee & her pirate face!!
One morning at Gramma's house. Playing with Jenn's iPad on Gramma's bed.

Carson did pick up a little bit of candy for himself, but mostly he sat in his chair & waited for me & George to pick it up. One day he'll learn the importance of aggressive parade candy collecting.
Oh Canada!!
Waiting for the parade to start.
Carson spent pretty much all of the parade in his chair.
Before the race. Notice our "chip timers". Midway did not have these & they should!
On our way out.
Dad & me after the race.
Burkie learned how to clap while we were at Gramma's house.
The Drewry cousins at Henderson.
Me with my boys at Henderson Lake.
Carson fell asleep on the couch one day - note the HUGE drool puddle on the pillow. He rolled over & landed like this.....and stayed that way for quite a while.
The classic photo op.
Carson fell asleep on his chair about 4 or 5 one afternoon.
Best. rolls. ever.
Burkie going for a ride. Burkie's idea.
Burke going for a ride. Carson's idea.
Burke & his cousin Brayden. They're two months apart.

Carson & Burke had a bath one night. I got Burke out first & got his jammies on. I took him into the living room & put him down to play while I looked for something. Then I hear Carson from the bath tub, "Mom?" I go running down the hall & Burke has climbed in the bathtub with his jammies on! I'm not sure how he got in there, especially because his hair wasn't even wet. I let him play for a few more minutes & then got him out & put his lotion & diaper & jammies on. again. I did have a picture here, but it's a bathtub picture.......


The boys warming up for golf.


Burke turns 1 tomorrow. Yikes.