Good morning!! Welcome back!! Don't ask me why I titled this post Jalapeno July, it just popped into my head and sounded funny, so I went with it.
Anyway, Welcome to July 2021, 2022, and 2023!! I just finished editing the photos, so let's get into it.
JULY 2021
The kids all went to the park in the morning for 4th of July fun and face painting.
We are very patriotic at our house.
Don't tread on me!
He's such a cute little Meow-meow.
All ready for fireworks to begin all safe and sound in my mosquito tent.
Chowing down on popcorn while we wait for the fireworks to begin!
The bubbies eating their treats.
We took a trip up to the high Uintah's
We try to get up there every year.
Don't fall in!!
Sugar Dust being Sugar Dust
Look at that belly all waiting for some loves.
We had season tickets to Lagoon, for the first time in my life. Meow-meow and I took EVERY advantage of this and had the time of our lives.
I mustache you a question
Nathan's sister, Sarah and her family came over and so she took some pictures of the kids that were at home.
Having some trampoline fun.
Cousins are awesome!!
Flipping around on the tramp.
Crack the egg.
Worn out.
Handsome young man
July 2021 was quite hard because we said goodbye to the house we had lived in for eight years. Don't worry kids, I have way more pictures (and videos) than just these, I just wanted to do a sampling. I haven't talked much about the whole house hunting process yet. We started the selling process right at the beginning of the whole house selling and buying frenzy. We had a loan and kept getting beat out by others who would pay insane amounts of cash, wave any and all inspections, and would buy sight unseen. I cannot even begin to count how many houses we looked at, and how many houses we put offers on. Time was ticking and we didn't have a house. We came across the house we live in now I believe in May, and had put an offer on it. However, the Durant's had a shady relator and they had to fire him, and consequently took the house off of the market, which put us back at square one. If things had worked out the way we had hoped, we would have been able to sell our house and move right into our new house. However, instead, we spent the month of June frantically searching for a home. I had a dream that we went back to the Durant's and talked to them about selling us the house and they agreed. Toward the end of June we were getting desperate because our Bountiful house had sold and we had to be out by July 24th. Both Nathan and I felt that we should try reaching out to the Durant's again and we did. They agreed to sell to us, and so the process began. We officially purchased the Layton house at the end of July, but we couldn't move in because the Durant's still had to get their home in Florida purchased and they were having the same problems as we were. We didn't officially move into our home until September. The Durant's left the house about a week after school started, but before we could move in, we had to paint and replace flooring. It was a very stressful time. We ended up having to live with Nathan's sister, Emily and her husband Stephen, and we are eternally grateful for their kindness and generosity.
The upstairs bedroom, at one point I think all the kids had a turn in this room. When we moved out, it had been the girls room.
This was the teeny room down in the back corner of the basement. Again, I think most of the kids had used this room at one point or an other. We seemed to play "musical bedrooms" a lot. I think it was Tiger Lily's room when we moved.
The downstairs bathroom
The house was still under construction when we moved. Unbeknownst to us, the water line on the back of our fridge had sprung a leak and had been leaking for quite a long time. We only discovered it when the kitchen floor buckled. The water damage had ruined most of the kitchen and had made its way downstairs. This room technically wasn't a bedroom because it had no windows. We did have a couple of kids use it for a bedroom, but in the end it was my large storage room.
I was very proud of my painting job in the storage room. By the way, there was glitter in some form in every room of the house. You can't really see it here, but I had mixed glitter in with the paint.
Under the stairs storage.
Downstairs was a HUGE Family Room, we divided in half and turned it into two bedrooms, and again, most of the kids had used it as a bedroom. When we moved out, it was Richard's and Jacen's room.
For the longest time, this room was used as a small Family Room, but then we decided to close in the stairwell and turn it into a bedroom This bedroom was Jimmy's and Meow-meow's when we moved.
On the landing looking down into the little landing outside the two bedrooms we made.
Top of the stairs leading down to the basement. When you get to the landing, you would turn the corner and go down the second set of stairs.
In the end, this room was mine and Nathan's work room. When we first moved in, Nathan and I used it for our bedroom, but then we decided to move up to the Master Bedroom. And again, at one point or another, each of the kids had used it as a bedroom.
The laundry room. I really loved how it turned out, and there was glitter everywhere in the paint!!
The Master Bedroom.
The ceiling was vaulted over the kitchen and Living Room area and we decided to build in a loft. I had a lot of fun painting that way.
These are the stairs that take you down to the main level of the house.
Sometimes I really do miss that house.
But I ABSOLUTELY do NOT miss that driveway!!
We totally re-did the kitchen. Before, there had been an island and the kitchen sink was right behind Jimmy. With the insurance money we got from the leak, we were able to start re-modeling the kitchen. Nathan's uncle, Steve had helped Nathan make all of the cabinets. Steve knows what he's doing and has ALL the equipment and so these cabinets were NICE. We just hadn't been able to get the fronts made nor backsplash put in before we moved.
We took out the old sliding glass door and put in a nice French door.
We moved the kitchen sink to the corner, and I liked it much better. It really opened up the room.
We enclosed the staircase, but I wanted that little window so it wouldn't feel so closed off.
View from the kitchen sink.
The hallway that went from the Kitchen/Living Room to the Front Room and front door.
View from the front porch.
The door had originally been black, but I painted it white, and in that white was MASSIVE tons of glitter. When the sun hit it, the whole thing just sparkled. It was an investment company that bought the house from us with the intent of remodeling it. I have often wondered if they wanted to shoot me because of the amount of glitter I painted into that house. I did note one time when I drove past it that they had replaced the door completely.
Oh the hold-a-hills. Our yard was small to begin with, but the majority of the yard was hold-a-hills.
Since we were looking for homes, and working on packing to move, didn't put the attention into the yard that I normally do, and so it looked horrible. It didn't help that something went funky with the sprinkler system, but since we were moving, we didn't get around to fixing it.
The kids loved that pine tree. They cut a section of branches out and built a platform onto it for them to sit on and watch sunsets.
The shed.
I believe this was one of the slabs of marble that had been laying around at Aaron's house. Any good candy maker has to have a nice piece of marble.
The gap is where the kids had built their "tree house."
Looking down from the top of the hold-a-hills.
I won't miss weeding that.
We did get to see some beautiful sunsets and it was fun to watch the storms roll in
The garage.
I hated that driveway, especially during the winter.
The front room.
Another angle of the Front Room.
Well, that is a wrap for July 2021. Come with me as we journey into July 2022.
Waiting for the fireworks to begin!! The 4th of July is my all time FAVORITE holiday.
The fireworks show did not disappoint.
Sweet little Leche. I miss her so much!!
Snuggly little sleepy kitten.
Richard!! Richard was working at Cal Ranch at this time. At the end of spring, they were just going to throw away all of the seeds they didn't sell.
Richard asked if he could bring them home. So, he showed up with boxes and boxes of seeds.
It took me several days to sort them all and get them organized.
Enjoying the fruits of my labors.
Awwww, my bruises love me.
Nathan heard that they were going to do a rocket test and the public was welcome to go and watch. Naturally I found pretty rocks while we were waiting for the rocket test.
It was AWESOME!! The whole ground rumbled and shook.
Don't get your leg in the way of the weed whacker. It hurts.
Also, don't smack your finger with a hammer, it also hurts.
And with that, we are done with July 2022. We shall now be moving onto July 2023.
I've never understood why Centerville City does their fireworks before the 4th of July, but I don't complain too much because it means I can go watch other firework shows on the 4th.
I found the perfect spot for the Kaysville fireworks. We had an up close and personal view of the fireworks show, and it did NOT disappoint!!.
July should not be cold enough for me to wear my hoodie!!
We had a perfect view of all the ground fireworks. These were certainly the best seats in the house. The traffic afterwards was horrible. It took us an hour just to get OUT of the parking lot. But I think it was worth it.
I kind of felt like I was at a concert or something.
I don't remember how I got this bruise, but I do remember it really hurt.
My little brother and his kids came into town and so we made a trip to Lagoon. Jimmy and his cousins rode the swing.
Superman!
So much love from my bruises!
And nope, don't remember how I got this one either.
Meet the Cocoa Bean.
Completely worn out from working in the yard, filthy beyond words, half asleep, but one happy camper.
We did four runs in two days, with two runs per day, and we had two boats, a gray one and a blue one. I did the morning and afternoon run on the first day and the second run on the second day. The pictures aren't all in order, but I will do my best. This first set is from the second run on the first day.
So, in this boat, up front was Tiger Lily and Eilee. We were the only ones to get tossed out of our boat for the whole trip.
In the middle was me and one of the nieces, and in the back was Emily and Stephen.
Things pretty much went south when we hit the first rapid.
I was starting to struggle to maintain my balance, which is extremely difficult to do with a fused spine. You can't bend.
We were able to pull out of that one, and things looked good for the next rapid.
We were wrong.
I was fighting to stay in the boat.
Eilee, me, and Emily started to fall out.
I think we were all worried that the whole boat was going to tip over.
There we go! Poor Tiger Lily got thrown about. Thankfully our niece managed to stay in the boat.
The red thing in the air was Eilee's water shoe.
Bye bye shoe, and we are all now in the drink.
It's scary to look at it and realize that I was completely underwater. Emily did save her oar though.
I was desperately trying to find the surface of the water. My hand is just poking out of the water right next to the boat.
I think it was a tender mercy that I was able to stay so close to the boat, because Eilee and Emily got tossed away from the boat. There is no way I would have been able to swim back to the boat.
It was on poor Stephen to get all of us back into the boat BEFORE we hit Lunch table. He got me into the boat first, then he pulled Eilee in, and she landed right on top of me. Stephen was barely able to get Emily in before we hit Lunch Table. So, I went through Lunch Table with Eilee on top of me, laughing hysterically the whole time. It was fun, but I certainly wouldn't want repeat it.
In this boat, up front is Brent, I think, and his son. In the middle is Sarah and Meow-meow, and in the back is Richard and Jimmy.
They didn't have any issues.
And seemed to get through the rapids with no problems.
And they came out unscathed. And this is why we had Meow-meow take swimming lessons. Thankfully he did not fall out on any of the runs.
In the front is Tiger Lily and Grandma Debbie, the middle is Jimmy and one of the nephews, and in the back is I think Stephen and Matt.
They made it look so easy!
They made it through so easily.
In the front is I think Eilee and Sarah, I think. In the middle is me, I think, and next to me is one of the nieces. In the back was Richard and Brent
And we came out unscathed.
Apparently there were no adults in this boat.
Up front is Tiger Lily and a cousin, in the middle is meow-meow, and in the back was Jimmy and Richard.
It looks like Jimmy is about to get tossed out of the boat. I think he was hamming it up for the camera though. Am I right Jimmy?
Hooray, they made it!
I think this set is the first run of the second day.
Up front is Sarah and Grandma Debbie, in the middle is Emily one of the nieces and Jenni, and in the back is Stephen and Matt.
They seemed to do just fine.
So, up front is Tiger Lily and Eilee, in the middle is me and one of the nephews, and in the back, doing all of the steering was Jimmy and Richard. Jimmy is such a ham, and I love it.
We had a blast on that whole river run. We got to laughing so hard and other people on the river kept giving us odd looks.
Right as we were approaching Big Kahuna, there was another boat that decided they wanted to race us, and we accepted the challenge.
We beat them and hit the rapids first.
When their boat hit the rapids, and because they had been so focused on beating us, they didn't hit the rapids the right way
And several of them got thrown into the water.
But we made it through unscathed.
It was a lot of fun, and 10 out of 10 I would do it again!!
Well ya'll, we've reached the end of July 2021, 2022, and 2023. I had a lot of fun going making this blog post. I hope you all enjoyed it. Come back for tomorrow when you will get to find out what happened in August 2021, 2022, and 2023
