So, it has been about 5 months since I posted last and I figured it was time to post again. About what? I have no idea. This has been a whirlwind of five months and I am glad we are where we are. Summer was fun and the kids enjoyed their pitching machine/ fastpitch/ t-ball (depending what age group). Michael did soccer again in the Spring, so he didn't get to play pitching machine with a group from our ward. I think he would have had a good time, but he chose soccer. That took up all of our June and the first days of July. We headed to SLC a bit later than I wanted to because Molli and Hannah had tournaments that went in to July.
Andrea and I didn't run a 5k for the 4th of July this year, our first time in four years. I kind of missed it, but we were needed at the parade route for one reason or another. Molli, Michael, and Hannah stayed with Aunt Andrea and Nana and Papa for the 4th of July evening festivities while the rest of us went back to Idaho. Robert took the other kids to Menan to watch the fireworks there. I, on the other hand, stayed in Idaho Falls and invited a friend to come watch me play in the orchestra that played right by the fireworks by the river. It was really cool and I hope to do it again next year.
Towards the end of July Michael and I ran a 5k and then Michael, Molli, and Hannah ran a kid fun run. That same day we headed down to St. George for Daniel and Erika's baby blessing for Mayli and stayed in a condo there for two nights. It was fun to be there. Then our adventures led us to a resort in Las Vegas with my family. Shan, RJ, Jaycen, Ryan, Andrea, Nana, and Papa were all there and we missed Celeste and Lorell with her family. Family was coming and going throughout the week, but we were able to be together for a little bit, anyway.
Later on in August I took all the kids and me to spend a week in Hyde Park with Grandma and Grandpa. They loved helping Grandma in the garden, we went to the zoo and had a picnic at a park. We went to the Aquatics Center for a swim and on the last day they went camping with Grandma and Grandpa and Ben and Becca. Robert came up for the night and we stayed in the house with Jonathan. It rained the whole night while they were camping so I was glad to have been somewhere dry.
School started after Labor Day and I think the kids have gotten the teachers they were supposed to get. I never recommend teachers or ask that they don't get a certain teacher. Being PTO president again might have something to do with that. We just had our first Parent/ Teacher conferences and there wasn't a "B" for any of my kids :), so I guess they are all doing well. Some A-'s, but that is okay.
Robert has been busy at work, sometimes having to go back after the kids are in bed and staying into hours that no one should see on a clock at that time of day. The kids went trick-or-treating there this year and had a good time.
I have been busy with PTO, of course, and taking the older kids to swim club (which is now thankfully over) and picking Molli up from orchestra. Amongst other things, I was asked to play as a substitute for the Idaho Falls Symphony twice. We just finished the second concert last night...... and it was hard. I wasn't the only one saying that, either. With another orchestra I have played with, we did a concert with Mindy Gledhill in October. I enjoyed that one and Robert got to bring Molli to it. She had a good time, too.
Well, that about sums up our last five months. Oh, I guess I should also mention that baby Esplin #7 will be joining us towards the end of March. We don't know a gender yet, but the kids all want it to be a girl. A girl for the last one would be great. We just told the kids last week we were going to have another baby (Robert and I have known since August). I waited so long to tell people because I have heard a lot of people suffering miscarriages and even still births lately, and I didn't want to seem haughty taughty, for lack of a better word, that #7 is on the way and I have no problem getting pregnant and carrying it to term.
If you made it this far reading this super long post, I congratulate you. I will post a few pictures now and if you skipped to these, I don't blame you :)
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| Molli swinging |
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| Hannah swinging |
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| Evan at bat |
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| Hyrum at bat |
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| At the Museum of Idaho |
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| After running a 5K and a kid's run |
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| At the Condo in St. George |
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| Mayli's blessing day |
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| Hannah and Hyrum at a museum in Las Vegas |
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| Happy Jonathan |
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| Molli, Michael, and Hannah after a triathlon |
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| Robert cleaning out the gutters |
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| After the Mindy Gledhill concert |
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| Evan as Batman for Halloween |
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