My baby sister finally came home from her mission!!!! She served for 18 mos. in the Oakland California Visitors Center Mission. And I must say, she came home sounding like a Spanish speaker trying to learn English. I am loving having another sister around!!! She also got to meet Sophia for the first time. 
Sophie was accomadating, but a week later, I think she is really starting to like Aunt Brittney. My other girls also wasted no time at all in getting tight with aunt Brittney. 
Katie Grace was nervous going to the airport. She said, "How will I know what she looks like?" I forget how little she is some times! :)
Sophie was accomadating, but a week later, I think she is really starting to like Aunt Brittney. My other girls also wasted no time at all in getting tight with aunt Brittney. Katie Grace was nervous going to the airport. She said, "How will I know what she looks like?" I forget how little she is some times! :)This is a few days later when I found Dave in the music room with Soph. 
He was practicing three flutes at once. My favorite is always when he is fiddling around on his guitar though. 
He was practicing three flutes at once. My favorite is always when he is fiddling around on his guitar though. I finally convinced my cousin to come down for a visit. Why she finally agreed in JULY was an unusual thing, but we were all so glad she came. The girls loved playing with their cousins. It was nice to have someone to be kill these last days of summer with. It was especially humorous that Brooke's baby, Drew, came terrified of high pitched noises (he only has brothers), and left somewhat agreeable to Sophie. Sophie spent the week trying to pick him up. And he spent the week crying when she came near (because she is always screaming). We're so glad the Larsons came!
Sophie did not love the pigtails, but she did love Mickey. They actually had a love affair between the two of them. 
after the parade and a picnic in Little Cottonwood canyon, we visited a ski resort. Don't ask me which one. I think Purgatory. But I know Dave is going to correct me when he sees this! :) There was still SNOW! (Dave was shocked - I enjoyed telling him "I told you so")
After the 4th we headed down to see our cousins in LaVerkin, Utah. My Aunt and Uncle were more than gracious to put us up for the night and show the girls the cows and tadpoles. And I have always wanted to see inside the old home next to them. It was a blast! While we were leaving Beth asked why we couldn't live in LaVerkin so we could have cows too. But I think she mostly loved playing with the KIDS! 
We finally ended up in San Clemente for a wonderful week at the beach. It was completely unplanned - and thus a perfect end to our vacation. 
We stayed in a wonderful condo close to the beach (so close that everytime we came home, Beth asked why we had to WALK home - why couldn't we drive). They all enjoyed the LOVESACK...
The girls got very tan (so much for my grand ambitions of sunscreen), and Grace dug for WAY too many sandcrabs. She was just VERY sad that she wouldn't be able to take them home. Luckily, Sophia didn't enjoy eating the sand as much as my other girls did at this age. So it was WONDERFUL. (She did remember the beach bag when we would get home at night, though).
This is how Dave enjoys the beach.
We also got to visit my Grandparents and Aunt and Uncle who live in Oceanside. MORE KIDS. 
It was a fun day together. Uncle Jason got wild (thank goodness!). 
We have seen a lot and done even more. But I have decided that although Katie Grace did not want to come home, our house is the BEST!
