Camden turns 5, Bennett loses tonsils

Settling into life post-vacation!

We came home to our house still torn apart from the Great Flood but we finally had everything (except the holes in the basement ceiling) literally 5 minutes before Michael had all his Reading Rainbro friends over for book club. It feels so good to have our floors and baseboards and toilet put back together. That was quite the ordeal and I still can't believe that happened buuuuuut onward.

Bennett had his tonsils out Wednesday. He was brave and so sweet, no surprises, and everyone at the hospital just loved him. He did great with all the prep and really was brave. He took longer to wake up from anesthesia but even did that pretty calmly, though we weren't able to be with him for that part and they just told us. Then he had a steady stream of popsicles and some How to Train Your Dragon in the hospital for a couple hours before we went home. He got really nauseous when we loaded him into a wheelchair from the hospital bed, probably the nothing-but-popsicles morning combined with his anesthesia. That day and the next day weren't too bad, we did wake him up at night to stay on top of his pain medicine. Then day 3 he had a hard time and was really sad and started to panic about never feeling normal again. I felt so bad for him... feeling like you can't eat anything you want to and you'll never feel normal again, sounds like pregnancy! But luckily he started to feel a little better each day after that. In one week we should be back to normal!

On Friday Camden turned FIVE! Camden is hilarious. He's kind, he's fun, he's happy, he's smart, he's goofy, he loves music, he's creative, he's a good friend, he's observant, he's tender, he's very clean, he's helpful. Oh I just love him so much. He wanted to have steamed clams and crab legs for dinner (who are these kids) and opted for a birthday party with friends this year, so we threw a slip 'n slide bash in our backyard with his church friends and school friends. He's just so loved! I have wanted to freeze Camden every single birthday. But still he grows and really it's so fun to see him become who he is more and more. Camden, you're just a joy to raise.

Michael has been playing tennis more regularly on Saturday mornings and it makes him really happy. He has found a great group of guys in Fort Collins and I love that so much. 

On Sunday we had the missionaries over for dinner, which recently switched in our ward from four elders to two sisters, and that's a very different dinner prep experience! It will be fun having sisters here now.

Birthdays over, tonsils out, wrapping up swim team, on the other side of our trips... feels like summer is starting to wind down and I'm sad about it! But we have a few small fun things ahead still.

The age of magnets. These boys are playing with them hours and hours this summer!

Everyone was excited to pick Luna up from her haircut and see her in a cute purple bandana.

We had a paddleboarding and kayaking night for Young Men and Young Womens and it was really peaceful.

Surgery ready!

Kindal had told me that holding a stuffed animal before and after surgery was really helpful for her, so we had Bennett bring his favorite little Wolfie. They were so sweet to give Wolfie the same gear they gave him, complete with a hospital band. 

Bennett is a brave and tough kid.
He was pretty sad after but this is what that looked like -- a bummed face and a constant popsicle. Sweet guy.

Bennett got really sick when we loaded him from the hospital bed to the wheelchair to go home. 
He still had is IV so they quickly gave him some Zofran. Poor guy, not a very fun thing to go through but hopefully some better sleep ahead.

Chocolate frosty by mom at the park while everyone else runs around and eats things for lunch that aren't just a chocolate frosty. He was ok with this :)

Westin went to the mom and kids campout for the day with my friend Lindsey because I was home with Bennett that day. He loved playing in the water with his bestie Quinn.

Camden had swim lessons solo this week while Bennett heals up.
He really loves swim lessons.

Grandma and Grandpa sent a bubble gun for his birthday and all the boys just loved it.

Pizza for lunch for the birthday boy, his request.

Step one of a "cake that looks like earth!" for Camden's birthday party with friends.

I don't do fancy cakes but I do love oddly specific requests :)

It's supposed to look like big ocean waves but it kind of just looks like I didn't know how to frost a cake. But the 4- and 5-year-olds all enjoyed it just fine :)

Slip n Slide Party!

Pizza picnic with his pals.
He was so excited to see some friends from school.

It's hard for me to believe he's five!
He turned one in this house right when we got here!
Camden is such a joy.

Painting ice was a hit, who knew.

His sweet friend, Piper. They had a lot of fun together during the school year.

And his friend Charlotte. He seemed to run around with the calmer girls more than the crazy boys in their class.

Piper and Charlotte's moms were laughing together about the fact that both of them independently wrote "I love you" in Camden's birthday card and both of them wanted a picture with him. Haha he's a loved guy.

So sweet.

I keep sneaking in to check on this guy before bed because I love Asher and Camden's roommate set up and I love seeing him sleep next to all his lined up cards. They are really loving sharing a room.

Looked out the window and saw the boys chatting it up with our sweet older neighbors.

I meant to say pickle ball paddle, but this scene was hilarious to me.
Michael is fighting a raging battle against wasps on our deck.