I have so much to blog about!  Our summer began with Andrew's birthday on June 13th and has been steadily and happily chaotic since then.  After his birthday came a weekend camping trip, two weeks of family visitors, then our California trip, and now some getting-ready-to-start-school confusion for both me and Audrey.

To start out, here is a bit about our Dobbins Family Camping Trip:

Two of the four couples (I guess five if you include Bonnie and EJ) in the family have been living in Idaho for the past few years and the other two of us are living here in Utah, so we've been very lucky to have been able to hang out a lot and develop closer relationships during this time of only living a few hours apart.  It's really meant a lot to me to get to know all three of my sisters-in-law better and have my own personal relationships with each of them.  Matt and Hyrum have been brothers to me from the start, even before Andrew and I got married, so I'm so grateful to have been able to develop those relationships into these married friendships now too.  I love their wives, Cassie and Joselid and I love Andrew's sister Brittney .  I love them so much.  It feels like we would be friends outside of having married into the same family and that means a lot to me.  

Matt and Cassie and Hyrum and Joselid have all graduated now from BYU Idaho and are moving on to their next adventures in life.  As one last hurrah Andrew and I suggested a big family camping trip before they all moved away, Matt and Cassie to Southern California and Hyrum and J to Virginia.  

If being a Dobbins means anything, it means CAMPING.  That's like the first thing I learned about this family even before Andrew and I were together.  So it just seemed like a perfect thing we could all do together one last time.  Magically schedules worked out for everyone and it all came together for the middle of June- up the mountains, every other campsite empty, surrounded by forests and big skies and fields of yellow flowers.  And the most perfect hammock hanging trees you could ever wish for!  Good thing...because everyone brought a hammock!  Seriously there were SIX hammocks surrounding the campsite.  

I'm sure some of the more experienced campers in the group could've done with more vigorous hiking and exploring but other than that for a camping trip with six small children I'd say it was almost perfect.  The food was great, the company was fun, the nature was amazing.  I love the smell of campfire on my clothes for days after the trip.  Star gazing in the hammock with Hannah while everyone else went for a night time walk (to use Lynny's new telescope, how perfect is that?) was my favorite part.  We just laid there staring up at the big huge glittering sky, swinging ever so slightly with the wind.    

I'll let the pictures speak the rest.  

...I have been trying hard to learn about taking care of curls AND I've been trying to get my curls back.  I had curly hair when I was younger, much like my daughters (p.s. sometimes it's really cool to me to say "my daughters") and I still definitely have some funky waves going on every day which I have learned indicates that my curls still exist.  I stopped straightening my hair more than a year ago but from there didn't really have a clue how to bring back the curls and take care of them.  My newest sister-in-law Joselid introduced me to a curly hair support group on Facebook.  A support group!  For your hair!  I love it.  It has been so incredibly helpful to me in figuring things out for our hair over here in this Dobbins house.  

Sometimes I feel quite silly and superficial spending so much time (and a little money- not too much though, trying to be methodical in trying the different curly options so that we don't spend a ton).  But when starting this journey I felt strongly that investing in this (time-wise) is investing in my kids self esteem, loving themselves and their natural beauty.  And I feel more passionate about it every time Audrey says she wishes she had "soft" hair- thats the way she describes straight hair, giving a hint about how she feels about her curls.  So I'm hoping that learning myself and then teaching them how to take care of their hair as they grow up will be what does.  I've read on these facebook groups that a lot of girls hate their curly hair when they're young and I remember feeling this way too, because of just not know knowing what to do with it!  And then honestly the time it then takes once you DO know how to do it.  Curly hair is a commitment.  On the Facebook groups girls will post pictures of the difference in their hair after doing the Curly Girl method for a year or so- and it's quite amazing.  It can take years to get your curls back and a lot of time and patience.  But from what I've learned and seen it's WORTH IT!

I'm really really loving learning about this and being a part of this community!  It's a new obsession.  I had no idea there were so many girls out there who have been in the same boat as me, just not sure what to do.  It's a whole science, the first kind of science I've ever been fascinated by.  (Although marine biology was always cool to me too)

If anyone wants to talk about it or wants to try the Curly Girl method to see if their funky waves are actually curly ringlets, hit me up.  I don't know a ton but we're on the lovely journey here in my house and I'd love to share what I've learned.  I need a curly friend!  Joselid is moving to Virginia :(

Here are some pictures of our curly journey up to now!

I still need pictures of Audrey's big bouncy curls on the good hair days.  She just such a busy little person it's hard to get her to stay still and take a picture!  

My girls hair is pretty predictable for me now.  I basically know exactly what I'll get depending on how I do it.  For my hair though it's a different story.  Every day is different.  Sometimes the curls look nice and smooth and well defined and voluminous.  Other days they turn out crunchy and frizzy and piecey looking or flat on one side.  Or both, like in this picture:  

Anyway, we're making progress.  I love having this new hobby that for me is all about loving myself and teaching my kids to do the same.  I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE HOW ELI'S HAIR WILL TURN OUT!