The Dunlaps Hit Twin Falls

 We got the awesomest treat last week when we met up with our friends the Dunlaps.  They were our neighbors in Kansas and are some of our bestest friends in this world and they were in Idaho for a family reunion.  I count friends like the Dunlaps as some of my greatest blessings in the world!

Ashlee's sister lives in Twin Falls so we met up there.  They showed us the town and made me excited to live there next year.

First we went to this cool little waterfall that we got to hike back behind. (Ok, it was a 2 minute walk but I'm calling it a hike since there were 7 young kiddos with us!)

 Nature is just so cool!

 The view of the canyon was beautimus.

 Our kids were best buds back in Kansas.  It was so neat to see them pick up right where they left off.  Poor Gracen has been asking for Ella non-stop ever since. :(

 Alden was pretty cute.  As we walked back behind the falls, he said, "Are we the first ones to ever be here?"  Haha.  Then he was quite insistent that they had discovered the skull of a dinosaur back there and we needed to tell someone.  Love that kid.

 Then we hit Shoshone Falls, an attraction Twin Falls should definitely advertise more.  It's pretty darn cool!

 Lastly we hit up the swimming spot on the river right above the falls.  It was perfect for big and little kiddos.  I'm pretty sure we are going to spend all of next summer here.

 The kids did not want to say good-bye to their buddies.  It was 9:30 by the time we got in the van and we still had a two hour drive ahead of us!

Love this lady, I do!

 It was super sad saying good-bye to Ashlee the first time in Kansas.  It was just as hard saying good-bye the second time!  Thank goodness we're the kind of friends that can always pick up where we left off.

 Needless to say, missing Kansas this week!

Reed via the iPod

I seem to have the iPod around more than my camera so here's a bunch of photos I've snapped of our newest little cutie on there.

During our trip to Idaho Falls last month Gracen sat next to Reed.  About an hour from IF we picked up Jaron's Dad from work and he drove home with us.  I took a back seat and found this:

 Funny little Grace had decorated Reed.  He was clearly not impressed. I keep warning her that someday he'll be bigger than her. :)

What can I say about these?  He's just super cute.  Love his round little nose and his chubby little cheeks.  His eyelashes are starting to grow in longer and darker.

 This kid sleeps so solidly.  I've never had a baby sleep so solidly.  He frequently takes long (3 hour) naps during the day and last night he slept all the way through (9 HOURS!!) for the first time.  I'm pretty sure at this point with my other babies they were taking short cat naps and waking me up multiple times a night.  I'M LOVING THIS!!  

 The Drew's sent us this cute little blanket (and a stash of Canadian chocolate!).  Reed loves it because otherwise he gets wrapped in Gracen's old pink blankets when I run out of the blue kind. :)

 Early morning stretch out of the "swaddle stance."

 ...And some smiles.  Reed is so personable - super responsive when you talk to him and generous with his smiles.  He's got the cutest little dimples on each side.  He laughs out loud when Jaron does patty-cake with him.  Love it I do!

 I kind of think he looks like my big brother Jason in this picture!  But...everyone else thinks he looks like a Brunson. :)

 Fresh from the bath!  Reed loves his baths.  

Reed has been such a blessing in our home!  I often think about his SVT in utero and marvel at how blessed I am to get to enjoy him!  I worried so much about the damage that his high heart rate might have caused to his body but so far he seems perfect in every way (except for that heart rate that's still being treated).  The kids still pray almost every day (without encouragement) that Reed won't have to go to the hospital.  We're all smitten with him!!

Date with Grace

Last Saturday I got to go on a date with my sweet little Grace.  The boys were wanting to watch the original Ninja Turtles movie that we'd gotten from the library and I needed to get some running shoes so we decided the girls would go while the boys would stay.

I decided to make a mommy-daughter date out of it but my sweet date fell asleep on the way to the mall.  Of course I forgot the stroller and she didn't wake up for awhile, even when I laid her down on the bench so that I could try on some shoes.  We put the kids to bed between 8-9 but they NEVER go to sleep before 10 these days.  I guess all those late nights finally caught up!

 She finally did rouse while I was checking out and I told her we were going to go look for a new dress for her.  She's been growing like a weed this summer and is outgrowing her clothes like crazy!  I've been having great luck finding shirts and pants at garage sales but no dresses.  We tried on a few and she loved that but...I so rarely buy my kids new clothes that I just couldn't shell out $10 for a super cheap looking dress.

I don't tell her to pose, I promise.  She just does it for every picture and it cracks me up!

We finally found her a shirt and a swimming suit for next year on clearance at Crazy 8 so the evening wasn't a total bust!  I have a feeling that shopping with my girl is going to become one of my favorite things over the next few years. :)

Gracen has been begging me to take her to dance class lately - frustrating since she refused to attend the last dance class I'd signed her up for in Kansas!  She wears her little dance outfits all around the house and dances everywhere she goes.  

The other day she told me to watch her do the splits and she did this:

Hahaha, it sure made me laugh!

But then she did this:

Love this sweet girl!

Reed's Blessing, July 4th, and the Library

I haven't blogged in too long so this is a lots-of-things-smashed-together post.

First up, I have the BEST baby ever.  Seriously!!  If all my babies were like Reed, I'd have AT LEAST four more.  He started sleeping 6-8 hours every night around 4 weeks old.  It's been the weirdest, most enjoyable thing to have a newborn but not have the new mommy fatigue to go with it.  Because he's so good at night, I absolutely spoil him during the day and I'm enjoying it as much as he is.  I feed him whenever he wants, rock or feed him to sleep, and spend tons of time exchanging coos with him.  Bottom line: I am IN LOVE with this handsome little guy!!

When he was 3 weeks old we took him to Idaho Falls to bless him in Jaron's parents' ward.  This was pre-sleeping through the night and I didn't have the energy to worry about a white outfit.  So this is what the studly guy looked like on blessing day!

 All of Jaron's siblings are awesome enough to drop everything like they don't have lives and come hang out with us when we're there.  Thanks for always making us feel the love, Brunson siblings!  We snapped a picture of all the grandkids there (only Abe and Kayla's four are missing).  That's a LOT of grandkids in just a few years!!

 Sweet sleeping Reed.  I know, I take blurry pictures - sorry! Look at them pouty lips!

 The kids all got along fabulously with their cousins considering they hadn't seen them in way too long.  These two were especially cute together.  This is Grace with Alissa's oldest, Brooke.  They're gonna be best buds I'm pretty sure! I took them to the mall while the boys were fishing with Dad and Grandpa.  I had a blast with them.

 Jaron forgot his sunglasses so he adopted Gracen's for the drive back from IF.  I had to take a picture.  He told me he's my "Rhinestone Cowboy."  Haha, this guy cracks me up.

 Right around Reed's three week birthday Jaron started orientation at Family Medicine Residency of Idaho.  We went to a few shindigs they hosted.  The kids weren't sure what to think of this whole smoked pig at the family BBQ.  I still can't believe Jaron has his MD!

The first few weeks of residency have been long hours and a steep learning curve but Jaron is loving it. He's doing labor and delivery right now and he's already delivered several babies into this world!  So proud of my man!!

 We found this play house at a garage sale and stuffed it into the back of the van.  We tied the back hatch with a pair of nylons from the "free box" to get it home.  Gracen immediately moved in her little kitchen and set up house.  Eli immediately climbed on the roof and started howling as the self-designated house's warewolf.  I just love gender differences.  Unfortunately, the kids don't play in it anymore, they only play ON it!  Oh well, as long as they're outside. :)

 On July 4th our neighbors invited us to the parade in the tiny town of Melba.  It was perfect - traffic wasn't too bad, we got great seats, and they threw TONS of candy.  After the parade the neighborhood hosted a little bike parade.  We had fun decorating our bikes and participating.

Notice Eli's shirt?  I told the kids to get dressed in red shirts for July 4th and 2 out of 3 came downstairs dressed in Canada shirts.  Haha. Nice.

 My cute, cute little poser in the cheerleading outfit Aunt Cassy bought her when she was here.  Love her and how she insists on wearing these purple Croc boots everywhere (even to church)!

 Jaron had to hit the hospital at 5:30 the next morning so we opted out of the fireworks show downtown and lit some off in the middle of the street with the neighborhood gang.  I think the kids had just as much fun as they would have going to the big show.

 Sweet little Reedster has been smiling for weeks and I FINALLY managed to catch it on camera!  Ugh, love, love, love him!  Not only does he sleep at night, but he is a fabulous baby by day too.   We haven't really had any crying spells.  Best baby ever!

 He just loves to coo and talk to anyone who talks to him.  

 We love our neighborhood.  Within easy walking distance is the neighborhood pool, several parks, the library, and a little grocery store with a post office in it.  It seems like I hardly ever drive the van anymore.  We're bike riding a lot instead.

On one of our bike rides, we found out that the boulevard on the way to the park is lined in plum trees!  We picked several and made this yummy "plum buckle" for family home evening treat that night.  Now Alden is pressuring me to let him sell plums on the side of the road.  I can't decide if I should crush his little entrepreneurial spirit or actually let him.  Maybe I can persuade him in the direction of lemonade instead.

 We hit up the library at least a couple of times a week because it's so close and they have so many great kids' activities.  On this day we painted costumes for the "under the sea dance party."

 Alden was very upset when one of his octopus legs (tentacles?) broke off.

 You should see this girl dance.  She's got moves!