We went camping with our good friends last weekend. The guys are getting the fire started...the fire pits were weak but they made great fires out of them. Of course the kids all kept them going by adding lots of paper plates, sticks, leaves and grass throughout the night.

The whole group. Wow, there are a lot of kids!

Savannah fell asleep shortly into our hike. It was her only nap and she was wiped!

All of the kids (except Baby J) are here with their walking sticks

Baby J and Savannah are often asked if they are twins because of their size and blond hair...they love each other. Savannah sat in this chair for a really long time and did not move.

Savannah and I on Jeb's birthday

Daddy and his boys...31 candles this year!

All of the Buffington cousins on the 4th of July

Savannah's 1st birthday...Blake thinks it is just as cute as I do

She loves these little books....they will entertain her forever

Not too sure she wants to get messy

Blake and Savannah at the zoo

The kids with friends at the zoo

We are finally moved in...not totally unpacked, but comfortable enough. We love our new house with all of the space we have again. The kids spend all of their time in our unfinished basement riding bikes, playing soccer and baseball, etc.

We went camping last weekend near the Rocky Mountain National Park. Unbelieveably beautiful there! We went with our good friends who have 5 kids under the age of 7 and we wonder how all 8 Buffingtons lived to see all of their birthdays. Jeb and I really understand the Buddy System now...you have to have the kids watch out for each other because they far outnumber the parents. Nothing too traumatic happened...it makes us want to camp all the time to get a way from it all. You just can't see the stars like that unless you get out in nature.

While we were gone, we had our backyard put in. We are so excited for the kids to have a normal yard to run and play soccer in. In Viriginia we were on too big of a hill and we didn't have a yard of our own in our apartment. We have the trampoline set up already and they have been loving that, but they need grass in to really enjoy it. Landen has mastered flips this summer and lands on his feet (I wish he would just jump and stop listening to Jeb about trying new crazy things!) and Blake does knee flips. They play together for hours out there or down in the basement...I hardly see them. :)

Savannah can walk, but won't. Only if we stand her up and tell her to "walk to Daddy" or "walk to the bed" will she do it. She prefers to crawl. I'm sick of her knees getting scraped and dirty but she doesn't seem to mind...so we will patiently wait. We are just happy to know she can do it. She is obsessed with these horses that we drive by almost everyday, it is very cute. She loves to try to put our shoes on and says a few words and animal sounds. She is a lot of fun.Jeb is loving what he does at work but has never been so busy in his life! He does a great job of leaving it at work when he comes home and doesn't have to put in so many hours now...but it is non-stop stress when he gets there. He is looking forward to having a year under his belt in January at Corporate Express. He is coaching both boys in soccer this fall and just got called to be the 11-year old scout leader (he loves scouts...ha ha). He will be busy!

I lost my running partner when we left our apartment, but I found I still need to get out and run to keep my sanity. I have been packing the kids up to go the new middle school track just down the road. It is definitely not the same..."How much longer?, I'm hot!, Is it time to go yet? How many more laps?"....not much of a break for me. Last week I figured out we could bring their bikes on the track and they are much happier. Savannah gets pushed in the jogging stroller. It is still an ordeal so we don't get over there enough, but thats okay.

Well, nothing much new with us except we are headed to Boise and Utah for the next 2 weeks for my high school reunion, Jeb's brother's wedding, his brother coming home from his mission, and other brother visiting before he heads to Iraq. Oh, and to see and play with my family too!

Becca