Service

This was a very fun week.  We are really having a good time together as a family this summer.  Today at church we spoke as a family.  Brynlee got up and said I love my Mom and I show her service by giving her hugs and kisses, she then got down and gave me huge hugs and kisses :D  It was darling.  I wanted to hug her forever.  Maverick got up and said that he does service by making his bed, helping Brynlee put away her toys, helping Dad with the dogs and helping Mom cook.  Elizabeth got up and gave a full blown talk.  She said a few remarks about what service was, including making Mom glasses of Chocolate Milk (which she does almost daily).  She then read a whole story from the Friend magazine.  Her reading was full of emotion and she paused at all the right places.  She did a great job.  Andrew and I then spoke on service.  It was so fun to be there as a family.  I was so distracted with my own kids I wasn't even nervous.  Andrew had about 5 minutes by the time the rest of us were done. 

Andrew has been putting his boat together.  He finally got the motor he has been wanting and we went for a little ride yesterday.  It was pretty fun with the kids.  We stopped and swam for a little while.  The little ones transformed from being very nervous to confident and happy to swim.  I hope we can have more fun trips like that.

We told them whoever smiled the biggest would get dished up first. 

Brynlee loves shasta

This swing has gotten a lot of use this summer.

Coloring time.

Loving Grandma's swing.

Hanging out at Aunt Janie's watching a movie.

Maverick showing off his muscles.

Shaw family reunion 2015.  Alexa holding Avery, Dallin, Hailey, Samantha, Elizabeth, Maverick, Macy, Brynlee.

Hanging out on the tractor while we bail hay.

The kids and their Dad.  More than once this summer have they piled on and gone for a ride.
 
I have come to love this picture of Andrew and Brynlee.  She loves him.  They are such a cute pair.  Andrew looks particularly handsome as well.

The kids are all sitting around Shasta's Bed and reading a book.  We decided to let Shasta in the house now that Charlie is gone.  It was a little hard at first because it was a reminder that he was gone, but still better than nothing.  It took her a few weeks to get used to being inside.  She was scared of the stairs and was failing at her duties of eating up the food the kids dropped on the floor.  She is doing better though and getting to be friends with the cat, which has been funny to watch their relationship unfold.  But they both licked each other yesterday. 

I love this new little face that comes to see me in the morning.  Sometimes I get love songs that are especially nice :D

Painting for Mavericks room.