June 2020

July 08, 2020

June 2020

This was a big month for us!

Our backyard had a huge L-shaped fence that functioned as a carport that was used when the alley's were not gated (because the garage was closed up for more living space). The fence had a gate, but it was really a very unusable space because it blocked off a concrete pad. It became our storage yard--junk, lawn tools, grills, and bikes all were placed there. A while ago we had our bikes stolen from the fenced off portion, and since then, I've always felt uncomfortable with the area. There was a large opening right to the alley that was only secured with chicken wire fencing. It was secure enough that the girls couldn't get out into the alley, but anyone could come in.

Jake understood my stress, and we put out an ad to find a block fencer guy, and got recommendations within the hour. We got a great group of men and they came to break down the L-fence, and also built up 6 feet on each side to allow for a 14 foot RV gate. It was incredible! They finished the whole thing in a day, and several times I'd peek through the windows for a look. It got to the point where we watched in awe practically all day. It was hilarious, and I have video that I'm working on posting to a family YouTube page!

After the fence was completed, my brother, Morgan, started working on a custom RV gate. IT IS MASSIVE, AND BEAUTIFUL, LIKELY BULLETPROOF PERFECTION. I saw him make a post on Facebook about fixing up a steel door and immediately reached out to him for creating our gate. He got it done in a week, and I keep thinking to myself how cool it is to have such talent in the family! We love it, and it has seriously become a statement piece. We plan on painting the roller track white and I am in love. I feel so safe and so secure. It's funny how something like that can give such peace of mind.

Jake and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary! Earlier this year we purchased an ash tree for our front yard and said it was going to be our gift to each other. The tree was 10 years old, and it was a perfect symbol to us! Our best friends, Nick and Allisa, babysat the kids for dinner and even put them to bed so Jake and I could take out first Covid-19 date. It was magical. We got Mango's for dinner, and sat in the car to eat in front of a museum in downtown Mesa. After that, we went for some delicious treats to a Korean ice cream place with waffle cones and it did not disappoint! It was magical. I lucked out with Jake. He is the best. Just the other day we were swimming and I just looked at him, Gwen, and Emily, and the life we have made me cry! We are so blessed to have each other.

In addition to the tree, I wanted to get Jake a gift for the family. We got a Go Pro camera! I can't wait to see the videos he gets from his mountain bike rides, and I'm excited to take it out for our river/lake excursions! Before getting the GoPro I had taken pictures of the kids swimming with a waterproof case, but it was such crappy quality. I love underwater pictures, so expect them in bulk next month!

Emily knocked Gwen's tooth out! It was a total accident complete with a lot of blood and screaming (on my part--I'll explain later) but it was great! Here's the story: Emily ran into Gwen headfirst and the tooth got knocked right out. They were in another room, and I heard Emily say, "I'm sorry, Gwen! It was an accident!" and then I heard Gwen scream! She ran to me with blood in her hands and on her face. I'm not sure why, but Gwen spit into my hands, and in it was her tooth, with lots of blood and saliva! I realized that the tooth was in there, and started yelling happily, "Your tooth is out!!! You did it!!" but she didn't hear my words, only my yelling, and started screaming more! So naturally, I yelled louder, "Babe, you got your tooth out, YAYYYY!!!!" As soon as she realized it, her screams started turning into laughter, (the fun mix of crying and laughing is one of my favorite things) and then she told Emily, "I forgive you! You help-ed me! Thank you!" It was so funny! In her prayers the next few days, both girls talked about hitting each other and it being good. I would laugh during these prayers.

I had told Gwen a week or two before the tooth bump incident that when she wiggled the tooth out, we would have a girls day and get our nails done, Emily included! It was so fitting that the tooth came out with Emily's assistance because she really earned that manicure and pedicure! I love taking them to the nail salon. Ours has a great deal for little girls, and it is something that they think is so fancy! We get a lot of bang for our buck there!

Gwen and Emily went to the dentist for checkups, and both made the no cavity club! Huzzah! Emily got her first big girl cleaning in the dental chair and it was so fun to watch her talk to the dental assistant, hygienist, and doctor about her "important stuff." I love these girls so much!

We have been talking a lot with the girls about Black Lives Matter, and with it being Pride Month, we thought it was a good time to have some teaching moments. We've always taught Emily and Gwen about our LBTQ+ friends. We had a craft time and each made cool flags (because the gay pride flag is obviously the most fabulous one there is!). We also had several Netflix documentaries to watch as a family. This was my first year ever knowing about Juneteenth, and we solemnly celebrated that sweet and successful holiday. I saw a sign that man was holding, and it said something to the effect of "I'm learning. I'm sorry it took me more time, but I'm learning." I loved that. I was talking to one of my favorite friends from college, Aunt Hannah, and we were talking about how I thought it was better to "not" see color, but through all of this have learned to see, respect, and build up the black community. We have a lot to learn, and we are humbly learning as a family how to be better allies.

My phone and computer are both acting up, so the images are likely going to be huge and non captioned!