September 2024

September started off with Grandma Greats Bday. The boys started another season of soccer- both ironically named their team Sharks, so we are all about the sharks this year. Carter was super curious about scissors and cut his lip. Sadly this happened right before his big surgery so we couldn't really address it. He definitely learned what scissors can do. He had his eye surgery and was a trooper. We are so grateful for all of the people that prayed for him, visited, and supported our family. He woke up so calm from surgery and was so happy when he recognized that he could still see. The first thing he said after surgery was "Olive" helped him be brave. We were confused but then we realized he was talking about the service dog that visited him right before surgery. So grateful for services like that. In the commotion of post surgery we lost Olive's card but our wonderful friend Kenna tracked down another card and mailed it to Carter. It made his Month! He got bored playing school just with Goggy and was so happy when he was recovered enough to go back. He had a lot of recess to catch up on. We had some friends over for smores this month and Bella ate an entire graham cracker which sadly made her sick, so at 11 months of life she threw up for the first time and had a sick week- poor girl. She has since recovered fully and is enjoying the cooler nights, we even found her all snuggled up in a throw one night. On one of our no school days, we took the kids to the space museum with some friends and they had a blast making slime. It makes us smile how much our boys love music and how it is a regular occurrence to find them hanging out together making up new songs. Carter continues to entertain us with his kindergarten stories and shenanigans. One day he announced at dinner he lost part of his recess because he and his cronies were barking at a dog. He was so serious and said he learned his lesson and he won't do that ever again. Brad and I were trying so hard to keep a straight face through the whole story. Another day we couldn't find him in the house and discovered he was outside with a shovel and water telling us that he wanted to plant his own tomato plant in the middle of the grass. And it seemed straight out of a calvin and hobbes one afternoon I looked out the window and saw Carter on the playhouse ready to launch himself off the slide on a sled. Oh the mind of a 6 year old. 

August 2024

August, our last hurrah of summer started off with a cousin sleepover and Jefferson finally got to make a tie dye shirt- thanks to Dixie. We got up to a few daybreak concerts- including the Taylor Swift tribute concert, which was incredible. We hiked up to Gloria Falls- not nearly as full this time of year but still incredibly beautiful. The boys followed Brad's lead and found sticks hiking back and we learned that hiking sticks are meant for air guitars. Ryan played at open mike night in daybreak and Carter loved it so much he came home and said he needed to practice for Meckla. We asked him what Meckla was and he told us it's his and Jefferson's band. And then Jefferson showed us the CD cover and songs they have written. And then a concert ensued of course. Carter has declared that he is the mailman in our house and rain or shine he has to check the mail. We had another cousin sleepover and took everyone bowling, it was so fun to see Alec & Connor's first bowling experience, especially seeing Alec running from the drinking fountain to push the ball. We watched clips of the Opening Ceremonies (and like the rest of the world missed being in Paris) and watched the Olympics recap each night. Of course we had to have our own Dennis Family Olympics. This time Brad got gold, Carter silver, and Jefferson bronze. Carter passed up Jefferson all because of achieving his swimming goals and his flips in gymnastics. Bella even got into it. Bella got a summer hair cut and is loving her 10 months of life. She loves going for walks and saying hi to every dog she can. She has been Mary's farmer market companion and loves bike rides around the lake- though she had to be in front. Carter started kindergarten and Jefferson started 4th grade. When Carter walked in he didn't look back once- he was so excited. We are so grateful they both have great teachers and are excited to get up every day to go to school. We were finally able to check out the Dragon Boat festival- super fun (a blend of living traditions with a regatta). And we ended the month with a hike to Oktoberfest, we enjoyed the entertainment and dancing and rock n roll in the mountains. On our way out we found an amazing craft booth with Guatemalan crafts and Jefferson was thrilled to get a hackey sack with Guatemala written on it. So grateful he has such pride in Guatemala. And since starting school Carter is keeping us entertained with the play by play of the kindergarten day- who plays with who, who eats what for lunch, who gets mail or gets in trouble, and who gets to go to fun places afterschool. Our favorite was when he told us he sat by a boy named Thomas at lunch and he asked Thomas why he was named Thomas and Thomas said "I don't know they just started calling me that". LOL! So grateful he is making lots of friends.