What have we been up to?? Thanks for asking!

Consider yourself forewarned: This is going to be a BIG, LONG post about everything I DIDN'T blog about this summer. Which was...well, the entire summer. And then some!

I have a goal to update this more regularly, so hopefully you won't get a mass post like this very often. But for now - enjoy the many pictures bringing you up-to-date with the Call Family!

Clara had a dance recital last May. Beautiful dancer, ugly costume. She did fabulous on stage. Isabelle got to help her little class, which was fun. Aaaah, love my little dancers!








Lots of bike riding...after like the fifth time of me watching CLARA push JONAH up our hill, I had to get a picture of him enjoying the easy life. Sheesh, Jonah :)


Zak turned 16...hallelujah! One less kid I have to drive around!!! He got one gift...a car key :) (take a good look at the car picture because that's the only way you will ever see this car since Zak totalled it about a month after his birthday. Yes, totalled. He now drives a white Chevy, Cavalier Z24) He had a backyard BBQ party with some friends...










Eli FINALLY had that soccer party he dreamed about when he turned SEVEN in January. We were a few months late, but in our house you take what you can get when you can get it. So, a June party it was :) We had Eli and Abram's parties on the same day. Eli's insisted his be first since he had to wait so long. Makes sense to me :)










And Abram's Star War's Party...Darth Vadar made a visit to our home. What a hottie that Darth is!








BOYS ONLY Backyard camping. Isabelle, Clara and I watched girly movies indoors.


I got to take a trip ALL BY MYSELF to Hilton Head, South Carolina for my brothers wedding. This trip was like a little slice of heaven. I was pretty sad that I couldn't take any of my family because it seems like a waste of something fun and wonderful when I can't share it with at least one of them. However, it ended up being THE MOST WONDERFUL little two day getaway for JUST ME! When is the last time I got to do something like that? I absolutely fell in love with the area. It was breathtaking. The ocean was like bath water - I'd never felt anything like it. I could move there and be happy forever. Seriously.


Here I am with my Dad and Step-Mom, Ann, at the temple. I think we were at the Charleston Temple?






This is the Reception. BEAUTIFUL Scenery. The coolest, craziest summer storm beat down on us during the festivities. We were all indoors and had a great view of the lightning from inside.






A day in Savannah...what an amazing city with so much history. Loved the cobblestone streets and the trolley cars. I pretty much loved everything here and wish I could have spent a few more hours there. Chris and I will most definitely make a trip one day!








We went jet-skiing with the Call's and the Whiting's. It looks a little overcast and chilly, but really it was PERFECT. It wasn't too cold, but it made for awesome waves and some crazy jet-skiing. Hopefully we can continue to do this every year like we used to.
























The kiddos helping me grind wheat to make bread...


The FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL after a long, fun summer.

Zak - 11th Grade


Caleb - 9th Grade


Isabelle - 6th Grade


Jonah - 4th Grade


Abram - Kindergarten. We were giggling at the tiny-ness of the the bathrooms. These kids are not two :)




Eli - 2nd Grade. We were lucky to catch Eli at recess on his first day because my camera ran out of batteries right before his picture in the morning!


Isabelle TURNS 12! Can you believe that? Grandma Diana sent this fun package for her birthday. She and Jonah took a few friends to see the newest Harry Potter. I don't think I got any pictures of that, though.




Clara turned FOUR. How we all adore this baby girl!!










Lagoon with the Kiddos. We made each of the kids pay for half of their pass and we enjoyed going several times over the summer. Eli and Abram are little scary-ride maniacs, so it's a lot of fun to go with them! Chris and Clara usually buddy-up and go on the FOUR rides Clara will go on. He's getting old and she's a scaredy-cat, so they are a good pair. And it's kind of cute to see them wandering the park holding hands :) I take the older kids and go on all the fast rides :) We've got the system down!








Jonah and Clara zonked at the end of a long summer day. The kiddos played hard from sun-up to sun-down! We LOVE the no-schedule life of summertime!


BYU Football Season is in full-force. The boys are loving going down to the games. I am loving NOT going to the games.




4th of July with FRIENDS! We LOOOOVE the 4th. We always have a BBQ with the Williams (and Bouck's who couldn't come this year), then Eaglewood fireworks. What a fabulous night. This year was no different! This picture also shows my new haircut. I chopped all my long hair off on a whim. Some days I like it. Most days I don't.






I had to throw these pictures in because I love them. Isabelle had a dance competition in Logan that I took Clara and Eli to. Eli had to come because he was being SO MEAN that morning that Chris refused to keep him with the other kiddos (some days go like that with Eli). However, it ended up being one of the most enjoyable, happy days. We enjoyed every second of being together and ended the afternoon wandering the Logan temple. I was glad to share to day with these three!






Well, I'm sure I missed some things...but there you have it! The last few months in a nut-shell.

I am gracing you all with some "Florence and the Machine" as you browse the blog :) Goooooood music!

Brandon Flowers Las Vegas, Baby!

We had THE most fabulous time in Las Vegas a few weeks ago. We went to see Brandon Flowers play at the House of Blues. Note to concert-goers: awesome venue, horrible line-up/get-in process. Seriously, they were not prepared for the craziness of the fans. I thought I was going to get myself beat up a time or two. I am not even kidding. And I am a lover, not a fighter, so it might have ended badly. Even with Psycho Fan shoving her way through and telling the security guards not to let me through...I still got front and center. Ha!!! I waited 10 - yes TEN - hours to get that spot. Definitely worth it!!!!!

These pictures are all from Chris's phone camera, so they are not great quality, but you get the idea.

I title these next three pictures, "Creepy Paul".






Brandon Flowers was AMAZING!!!! The very best show of his we have been to yet. "Playing with Fire" was one of the highlights of my existance thus far.





Here we are outside the House of Blues after the concert.





We went to a late dinner after the show and who comes walking in but two members of the band. I got a picture with Jake. Had to save the battery on the camera in case Brandon decided to join them. He did not. I was sad.



And, yes, while it was raining here in Utah, I was laying out in 90+ degree weather poolside. It was HEAVEN. No kids to keep track of around the water. Hours of sunshine. No schedule, nowhere to be. Great music on my earphones. Totally hot guy laying next to me. Perfect afternoon.



Until next time...!

Clara

I went and had some pictures taken of Clara from a girl who is just starting her photography business. I did NOT love most of them, but these few turned out okay. She is pretty stinking cute in the close-ups!

Easter

We in the Call home quite love our holidays. Who doesn't, right? We spent Saturday evening dying eggs. Everyone always gets their own dozen that the Easter Bunny hides while we are sleeping. So, nine children x 12 eggs each = lots of hard boiled eggs stashed in crazy places in our home. Oh please let us find all of them (which we didn't this year - one of Isabelle's still hidden. Surely our noses will lead us to it at some point!).



Don't let that sunshine fool you - it was freezing that evening. Yes, Caleb is wearing his Snuggie and I am wearing my coziest sweatshirt. And Zak...? Not sure what he's doing.



It took quite a while to find all the eggs - especially for the two older boys. You have to feel bad for my children once they hit about 12 years of age or so. The Easter Bunny, who has a sense of humor a lot like Chris's, decides to hide eggs in the most ridiculously hard places. You know, this is fun for maybe 10 minutes or so, then it just gets old :) There were lots and lots of hints given. And if they thought the eggs were hard, well, the baskets were crazy hard to find.

Here we are after all the baskets had been found...








Clara LOVES peanut butter cups. Eli noticed his were all missing from his basket. It was like a five-second mystery as to where they could have gone. We took one look at Clara, saw the chocolate covering her cute lips and shiny wrappers surrounding her and deducted she stole the peanut butter cups. But not just Eli's! EVERYONE'S. Eaten. Gone. All of them :) Within 5 minutes of the baskets being found :)

Happy, happy Easter!

PS...We are not a "cute pajama" family as these pictures give away. No judging.