The Stevens Family: July & August

I can hardly remember everything which serves me right for not updating the blog. After the friend reunion, July went by so fast! We spent the 4th in Fillmore and it was so bloody hot. All I can remember is how hot it was and how I just wanted to go home. We did have the best seats in the house for the fireworks and Monty couldn't stop saying "WHOA! Wow! WHOA!" Needless to say, Monty absolutely loved it. He made the fireworks entertaining to the rest of the family. Well just kept giggling over Monty's reactions. I didn't get 1 picture because is was too hot to even think about anything but getting home to the AC.

During the middle of the month, we worked on selling our 36ft trailer, and kept praying about a certain house in Holden. We decided to go look at the house and after 2 different walk throughs, we were ready to try buy it. We talked to the owners, and I need to record how close we are to the family. They are Stevens', but related 4 generations back. The house that they lived in, now we live in, is the house that J.D. and I met in. We met here at this house where our friends reception was at. I even stayed the night in the house. This family has known us as a couple from day 1, and J.D. spent his childhood playing here all the time. It's a 5 bedroom 4 bath house, with a huge sunroom and jacuzzi in the back. Knowing that, there was no way we could afford this house. J.D. called the dad and explained we just couldn't do it. The dad said, "Well, what can you do?" J.D. told him our max budget and he dropped the price 40,000 dollars from the price they wanted to list the house, just for us, just so we could purchase the home! J.D. said, "What? No, Roger you can't do that. You go home and pray about it and talk to your wife." This family wanted to help us and kept telling us that they knew it would be okay and they wanted us to buy the house. They didn't want anyone else, and they felt right about us. Side note: this family is the most in tune family I have ever known. They are such a huge example as to what I hope to be more like.

Back to the house.... after the owners lowering the price, both families (us and them) and miracles happen. For starters, we had to sell our trailer and refinance our truck to actually qualify for our max budget. That very weekend we texted everyone we had every had any interest in the trailer and told them we would lower the price to 5800. (this is after we refinished the entire thing). We had a buyer. The next day a completely random person called and wanted to pick up the trailer that day and give us 6000. SOLD!

Meanwhile, I was in St. George and went into the bank and had the truck refinanced within 20 minutes. We waited until Monday to do all the paperwork for the house and we were on our way to closing. That weekend was my mom's birthday! She had posted a gourmet fruit cake that looked so good to her on Facebook. I decided to attempt baking it for her for her birthday.... it turned how pretty good, but too healthy for my liking.

My whole family was there and I got some pretty sweet pictures of Uncle Matt and Monty playing ball.

And, my family got Monty addicted to pepsi.....

We also got pictures of our two little boys who both have lost 1 front tooth!

Later that month they both lost the 2nd front tooth. Carson should have his by Christmas, but Dawson might be singing that song "All I want for Christmas is my 2 front teeth" because we have yet to see those permanent teeth come in....

Until we closed (which didn't happen until the 2nd weekend in September) we had visitors from Montana! The Oellermanns came and stayed with us for a couple of days and got to experience a real 24th of July in Utah. In any other state, its not as big of a holiday. Any who, the Oellermanns came and we went to the reservoir, we hung out and visited Thursday, and Friday after the celebrations they headed back to Montana. Our kids had so much fun playing at the reservoir. No one else was there and we had the entire beach to ourselves.

While the Oellermanns were there, we had more visitors come from Arizona! J.P and Jessica Cosper stopped in for breakfast on Thursday morning. So we had a big breakfast all together! We last saw J.P and Jessica at their wedding. So our reunion was long overdue. It was so fun and we laughed so much together. We were all ready for a nap by 10. Once again, too early in the morning to think about pictures. :-)

Friday we had went to the Holden parade and breakfast for the 24th of July. Adler got to walk with Dawson and be in the parade too!

Aren't they so cute!?

I had to get this cute pic of Tilden, Monty, and Brant waiting for the breakfast prayer to be said. Monty absolutely loves these 2. He gets so excited just seeing them!

That afternoon, after the Oellermanns had to go, and J.D. got home from work, we headed down south to a family reunion at Lake Powell with the Shelley's. We had a blast!!! It couldn't have been a better weekend to go. The beach was packed but we happened upon spots right next to each other and the whole family had fit all their campers and tents. We ate so good and just enjoyed spending time with one another without any stress.

We got back to Holden on Tuesday and we were so worn out, but we still had birthdays all that week to celebrate. Tilden turned 9 on the 28th, Brielle turned 2 on the 29th, and J.D. turned the big 3-0 on the 31st. For J.D.'s birthday I took him to the Red Iguana in Salt Lake. Oh MY! Best mexican food I have ever had!!

AUGUST

We continued to work on closing for the house. We didn't have to pack anything because all of it was still packed from moving in March from Montana!

We celebrated Jetta's birthday! She is quite the teenager and is good at being one! :-)

Dawson started his 3rd year of soccer and did an amazing job. However, he seems more concerned about good sportsmanship than actually making a goal. I can't even tell you how many kids he helped up from being knocked down. I have a video of him helping 4 kids in 1 minutes. He is such a good kid! I love that he is so aware of others and what is really important. On another note, he is so good at soccer. I love watching him dribble the ball down the field. I didn't get to watch him as much this year because I was grabbing Monty and trying to keep him off the field.

We would go home every night and Dawson would kick the ball around with Monty.... so now we've got Monty kicking every ball around the yard and house. He's pretty good for only being 1! Monty is absolutely amazing when it comes to balance and coordination. He has been riding Dawson's scooter all summer and needs no help. This is a 2 wheel scooter, not a 3! We get lots of comments about his balance and coordination for being 1. He is built like a man already too! Broad shoulders, thicker thighs, puffs out his chest.... I have no clue what's in store for us later on with Monty. He understands everything and loves taking off his diaper.

On a really good note, Dawson couldn't be a better big brother for Monty. Dawson teaches him everything and thinks Monty is just "soo cute and funny". Monty wants to be just like Dawson and do everything he does.

Monty has even learned how to make his tongue into a straw like Dawson....

Dawson started school on the 19th! His teacher is Mrs. Beckstrand and she couldn't be more perfect for Dawson. She is big on reading and is very calm. Dawson says,"she's even calm when she gets mad!" lol! Dawson is really good at getting his homework done, but still hates to wake up in the morning. J.D. goes down at 6 am and just talks to him for 30 minutes just to get him in a good mood for the day. J.D. is the perfect dad for him and I love that he is willing to do that just so Dawson has good days.

Parker started the same day, and we had to get a picture of these handsome boys together! They looked pretty sharp their first day...and everyday after that.

Monty got in the groove of school schedule too. He found a back pack and made his way to the truck and then screamed because he couldn't get on the bus with Dawson.

Also, Lynette and Shane came to visit at the end of this month! It was the best visit ever. We loved watching Monty and Ally together. They are only 10 hrs apart in age. They were so cute together. Dawson loved playing with Cam and Chase. He told me after they left, "Mom, I just love my cousins." Poor Cam broke his arm while he was here! I still can't believe how calm and tough he was. He cried little bit, but never screamed or complained. Shane has been to medical school and knew it was broke when he saw it. It's pretty nice to have doctors in the family.

The day Lynette left, we had to make a trip down to St. George and Kanab because my nephew returned home from the Billings, MT mission!

We got back to Holden fairly early and J.D. got to spend some time with the boys. I'm not sure if I've mentioned, but J.D. is the favorite according to the boys and they make it obvious....

I have 1 last pic to show for August and it was a Sunday during church. Monty is a little pill 90% of the time and we are willing to do anything to make him be quiet in church....