Summer Is Winding Down

We have had to get creative this summer on things to fill the time during open houses. Yes we are still trying to sell this bloody house. I don't get it. This neighborhood is exploding with greatness. It is a hipsters paradise. I keep telling myself to be patient, but keeping a house clean for showings with the tornado is a little impossible. As Seth likes to say, white people problems. So true my love. 

Summer is winding down. I can feel it in my bones, and I don't like it. We are going to end our summer with a trip to Canyonlands with the Quinns and Harbertsons. I love that place. We are camping in a new group site called split top. Look it up. It's in the Needles district. It's almost like it's in a cave. It's supposed to be awesome. If you haven't been to Canyonlands in a while, please GO. It is so great. Truly amazing.

Our bike trip to Hiawatha was magical. We stayed in Wallace, Idaho. This town is a gem. A true old mining town. What Park City would have been if California $$ had never come it. Take your family to ride the Hiawatha trail. Stay at the Wallace Inn in Wallace, ID. Great, inexpensive family vacation. 

Frankie had her little surgery. It was really interesting explaining a hysterectomy to a 4 year old and why we don't want Frankie to have babies. 

Seth and I got to go on a date the other night. I'm talking great food, cocktails, and no chasing our kids around or begging them to eat. It was FABULOUS. If you haven't tried Flatbread in Sugar House, GO. It is my favorite. 

Our little family, (little for Utah standards), is great. Quinn and Frankie are true besties. 

Seth and I soak up any time we get together these days. We are so lucky for everything we have. Good health (oh yeah Seth's blood counts are doing amazing) jobs, food, education, and the fact that we met when we were so young (thank you East High) and made these amazingly beautiful babies that are the best things that ever happened to us. 

Thank you!! 

 Seth and Piper at Lindsay Gardens

 Summer evening Ensign Peak hike

 Our beautiful nephew Ronan (another gift we are so grateful for)

 Billie Blanks (Quinn's blanket) nice travel style

 Missoula farmers market

 Huckleberry beer in Wallace, ID

 Seth on the Hiawatha

 Summer evening ice cream

 Piper's selfie. 

Everyone loves Seth

Dunlop family update

I can't ever remember a time in my life when we were busier. Think of a mini tornado that never stops spinning or making noise, and that is what we have going on in our world. It's called the Piper/Quinn twister. It keeps us on our toes and encourages us to live to our fullest extent every day. 

Seth's health scare and getting older were and are mini blessings. Don't hesitate ever at the chance to do something wonderful, or travel somewhere fabulous. Take chances and make change in your life. If you are just a talker, STOP, and DO. 

Our summer so far has been amazing. Movies, water slides, and lots of ice cream in the evenings on our front porch. 

We are still trying to sell our house, and nothing has happened. I feel like every house around us has sold but ours. I think we have a problem. Not sure what it is. If we are here by Christmas, we are going to notify our family that any present they have for the kids can't exceed 2x2 inches. Seriously. 

Seth continues to heal and seems 100% to me. I know he gets tired, but you would never know it. He ran a 9 min mile the other night. He is incredible. 

Piper starts kindergarten next month. Holy cow. She is beginning to read and can pretty much swim all on her own without any help. Emily Cannon you are a miracle worker. Piper has discovered yoga this summer. A yoga studio at Trolley Square does a yoga camp. She loves it. It might be her favorite activity she has done thus far. She knows all these poses. My favorite she does is the warrior pose. She is a mini cop and lets Seth and I know when we have said a bad word. Piper went to her first rodeo, and decided she was ready to do the water slide at the pool. She loved it. 

Mr. Quinn turned 2 and graduated from his crib. He was fine with it, but I on the other hand had a good cry. He is wild and has a fabulous sense of humor. Quinn has started swimming lessons with Emily. He cries so much she makes me leave the room, and then I cry a bit.

Frankie is growing at an astronomical rate. Great idea. Buy a huge dog for our shoe box house that we were already busting out of. She is a great dog though. 

I can't site my kids for being tornados because I think they got it from me. I don't feel like I ever stop. I seriously try consciously sometimes, but it's not in my DNA. Poor Seth. He is the most understanding man in the world. 

Next week we are going to Idaho to ride the Hiawatha Rail Trail. So excited. Thanks you Jacbosen/Dunlop family for the inspiration for this trip. In September we are going to Maui, and I am trying to convince Seth to go to NY for a couple days in August to meet our favorite children's author, Oliver Jeffers. If you don't know his work, buy one of his books today. I live for traveling and adventure. I love being at home with my kids and not changing out of our PJs til noon, but I always have a bag packed and am ready to go anywhere just in case the opportunity arises. 

Refresh your soul and enrich your mind. Plan your next trip today and GO. I know I know $$$. Get rid of cable, eat out once a month, ride your bike. Get creative on ways to save. We can all do it and it will be so worth it. Your kids will be better because of the adventures they get to go on. 

Piper's first pair of cowboy boots

Quinns party was wild. Kids got naked. Our nephew Ronan. 

My Ragnar team and co-workers. Amazing women. So lucky I get to be one of them 

Murray City pool. SL treasure. Great pool. Not crowded and really clean. We love it.  

Ronan's 2nd birthday. Backyard pool party.  

My beautiful son

My beautiful daughter 

4th of July 

Piper and her daddy. Dog days of summer 

4th of July. Fireworks!!!!! 

Birthday thief. Ronan loves accessories 

 Cake and tools. Happy boy

My baby is 2 

 Oakley Rodeo. Another Utah treasure

Kids new furniture. 1950s dresser. Love!!!

Dunlop family update

Quinn is sleeping and Piper and Ronan are rearranging furniture, so I have a moment to update our family happenings. 
Piper had her first dance recital. It was a fun first dance experience. We liked Miss Julie. Sweet sweet lady. Fun little girls. Piper was incredible in her recital. She knew all the steps. She loves tap and ballet. We are going to try out Virginia Tanner this summer. Hoping they won't ask us about our religious preference in front of the whole group. That was my only complaint about Miss Julie. Totally inappropriate. But enough of that. 
Piper graduated from preschool. This was really hard. She has blossomed during preschool. She loves her teachers and friends. She will do her kindergarten at the U next fall, so we get to be there for one more year. I truly love the CFDC program. It is wonderful in every way. I am so grateful we get to be a part of that family. I highly recommend it. 
Quinn turns 2 in 3 weeks. Holy cow. How did this happen. Oh and he's finally sleeping thru the night and we are almost done with the binki. I feel fabulous and rested. 
We are listing our house this weekend. Houses are selling like hot cakes in our neighborhood and for a bundle, so even though we don't have something picked out we thought if we could sell our house and make some money we could afford to move into our next phase home. We are so out of room, and we need to move into a better school district. 
We are excited and nervous. If our house sells quick, which houses in our neighborhood are selling in days, we are going to be in a scramble. Hoping we don't have to move in with my mom while we find something, but if we do we will make the best of it. 
There is an element of excitement in the unknown. Life is about risk and change. Yikes!!!
I am loving my job more and more all the time. I am getting the hang of teaching my prenatal classes and absolutely love teaching. They just asked me to teach another class, hypnobirthing. IHC is going to pay for me to get certified in hypnobirthing. This is in my opinion the most effective method of natural childbirth. I can't wait to start doing this. 

This summer we are going to take it easy. We are going to swim as much as possible, eat lots of popsicles, go on long bike rides and enjoy every day like it's our last. 
We are taking a trip to northern Idaho to ride the Hiawatha trail in July. Look it up. It looks amazing. Great family trip idea. Seth's brothers family did it a while back. Seth has always talked about doing it so I booked a trip and we are going in July. 
The older I get the more I realize how important it is to just have fun. People that have that figured out have it made. 

 Quinn napping with his best friend

 Piper ready for her first dance recital

 Piper wanted to celebrate with pancakes at Blue Plate diner after. 

Our regular Friday night family date spot

 Best date ever. Vampire Weekend at Red Butte

 Lunch meeting with daddy at the Pie Hole

 My favorite flower and plant in our yard

 Miss Tammy. We love you

 Miss Mary. We love you

 U of U Preschool graduation party at Laird Park. Treats, water balloons and tons of kids and awesome parents!!

 P, Bears and Christine. Our family

Thank you Sugar House construction for making my son's day. We came home and found this machine in front of our house. Quinn though he had died and gone to heaven.