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July 2025

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August 3, 2025

The last three weeks have been a blur as we've had lots of extended family events and excursions. Here are some highlights over the second half of July. 

  • Welcoming my parents home from their mission to Germany
  • Desmond's discovery of his ability to open the front door and escape
  • Addie and my date to the Scera outdoor theater to see "Annie" 
  • Kas and Hinckley date to see Superman
  • Greyson and my date going to the batting cages with a machine pitch
  • Celebrating my parent's 50th anniversary at their home with family and friends
  • Splash Summit with cousins - Greyson did Freefall 3 times, and I got the bruises to prove that I did it too haha
  • The joy of organizing the sports equipment in the garage
  • Our family's final visit to the Burnsides in their SLC apartment as they prepare to go home to Colorado
  • Family reunion at Bear Lake with the Williams (lots of good food, cousin time, sunburns, water fun, spikeball, and some very tasty shakes)
  • Desmond walking - still looks like a drunk blind man but he's making progress
  • Hinckley's final swim meet of the summer at Park City, he's moving up to the next level on the team and is nervous/excited about that
  • Quick trip to Rexburg to see cousin James get baptized
  • Harry Potter day with potion and wand-making
  • Saying goodbye to Granny Williams and reflecting on her great life and example

The fam


50th Anniversary


Addie and Kelli



Anniversary gift

Annie

Business kids


Lake with cousins


Harry Potter day fun

Grilling at Grandma and Grandad's apt

Final meet with free pizza and Blake B

Cousin fun at the cabin

Welcomzie

Splash Summit

Cousin temple trip

Shakes!

July 13, 2025

This week Hinckley turned 12! Kassie arranged a surprise party for him and he had a bunch of boys pop out of hiding when we came home from getting some of his beloved pretzel bites from Auntie Annes. He loved it! It was a magical evening for him and he got a great haul of treats, some games, and other things he was pretty excited about. It's hard to believe how old and big he is getting. He stayed the night before his birthday at the Burnsides in SLC and enjoyed riding the tram at Snowbird and eating Einstein bagels (6 cheese is his other big love).

Snowbird with Grandparents

Auntie Anne's goodness

Donut cake with Mom

Party!

Hinckley decal


Addie had her performance of the Aristocats this week and did a great job! She had a lot of fun as many of the kids in the play were in our neighborhood, including her friend Brooke. She was very excited to wear some cat ears and really got into the songs. Everybody wants to be a cat now (except her brothers haha).

The cat and boy

The cat

Ducks



Biker boy

 

Greyson had his big baseball tryouts this week for a team of 15 slots and 40 boys trying out ... ! He didn't make it. We found out while watching an episode of Arther in which he is playing baseball ha ha. He still wants to play, so we are looking at other teams/options to find a way for him to play. Kas and I are both playing catch with him just about everyday and he can't get enough. He played a bunch outside this week with his friends and was VERY excited to get a batting helmet.



Desmond keeps being cute and flirts with walking but he is in no hurry to walk (thankfully). He enjoyed playing with balloons at Hinckley's party, and also eating anything we'd put in his mouth. He's one cute guy!


July 6, 2025

We had a happy 4th and celebrated with Kassie's parents and sisters who came to visit for the weekend. I ran the Freedom Run 10K in Provo in the morning, we ate donuts and played pickleball, later we went paddleboarding on Utah Lake. We also had a water balloon fight, played games, set off some fireworks at home, and went to bed too late. All in all, a success. We drove up to Antelope Island on Saturday and climbed to one of the peaks which had a great view. I don't think I'll return to Antelope Island again in this life, other than during my triathlon in September. In the evening, some went and saw the latest Jurassic Park movie. 

Desmond slams a snickerdoodle

Ready to run the Freedom Run 2025

Family pickleball

Swimming in the lake

Fireworks

More fireworks

Dominion

Lake food

Antelope Island - family picture

Antelope Island - Grandad and boys

Addie as a sheep ready to be sheered

Desmond and Oska yearning for outdoors

Greyson helping feed Des

Admiring aunts



Desmond enjoyed all the attention and had many moments of standing up with his hands up for celebration - then he'd clap for himself as everyone cheered him on. He took about 5-6 steps in the presence of many witnesses. 

The rest of the week blurred by with swimming, baseball throwing with Greyson, fighting and attempts to make peace, and patching up the vinyl fence with Greyson and his friend who hit and rammed holes in them with baseballs and sticks. 

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