Last night the girls wanted to go play outside, and since it was not so hot, after dinner we took them to the playground by the pool. The girls had a ball running from toy to toy trying to decide what they wanted to play on. Rylee was quite funny going down the slide. She thought that she needed to turn around to go down the slide but it worked well for her. Here are some other pictures of them.
Today has been a pretty blah day. We were going to go to a friends house but her daughter got sick and so I thought that I would take the girls to the little playground that they have here but it started to rain. So we have just been hanging out at home. I have to tell you something funny that Paige said today. She was helping me make dinner and I needed the frying pan, so as I was cutting the zucchini she said that she would get it out for me. She had to pull out some pots to get it. Well as she was pulling them out she says "It's okay mom I can do it 'cause I am the biggest strong, mom." Man I love her stinkin' guts. She is becoming quite the grown up little girl. Well that is all I have to report today.
The other day we went to the Kansas City Zoo. The girls and I went with Adam, Kasia, and Spencer Anderson, Sally, Maddy, and Stockton Rhodes, and Brandi, Austin, Faith, and Paige Rogers. It was really awesome. It was pretty big to. They had trains that would take you to different parts of the zoo. Plus it was so hot that day that the train to Africa was free because it is about a 20 minute walk. Anyways we decided that we would just go to the Australian part. 
So here are Maddy, Stockton, Paige, and Paige climbing on the rock so that they could see the things that are in the cage. I can't remember what was in there. 
This is Adam Anderson from Idaho Falls and his son Spencer and of course Paige. They had climbed into the rock to get a better look at the animals.
This summer they had a new Koala exhibit. So here is Maddy, Stockton, and Paige checking out the new addition to the zoo.
So the day that we went there was a heat warning and I think with the humidity it was between 101 and 110 degrees. Can you say hot and sticky. So as we were walking down the trail we came to this tree that had a branching spanning the pathway. On the branch they had somehow wired a couple sprinkler heads to the branch. This was a much needed cool down. We let the kids play until they were drenched and happy again. From left to right we have Paige R (running out of the shot), Maddy, Paige M, Austin, Faith, Stockton, and Spencer.
Ok so we are walking down the path minding our own business when we happen to look over and there were a bunch of Kangaroos just laying around about 10 feet from us. All that they have around where they were was some logs that were only 1 high. It was the neatest thing. I had only seen them in cages before so it was really neat to see them up close and personal. The sign behind Paige's head said "Wild animals about please stay on the trail."
So we got up on Saturday and decided that we should go for a bike ride since I had gotten a bike for my birthday and still hadn't ridden it. So first we had to clean out the garage since it wasn't too hot outside. Then we took a ride to the mall because I needed new tennis shoes. 
When we moved in and got our garage it was not in the best condition. It had a huge oil spot and was really dirty so Blake was sweeping it out with a little "help" from Rylee.
It must have rained the night before cause there were some puddles out in the roadway and so the girls had a blast running through the water and getting all wet. They really miss being able to run in their backyard so they thought that this was great. They finally had some freedom.
After all the sweeping and the running it was finally time to get into the bike trailer and go for a ride. It was a beautiful day out and a great time to ride bikes. 
We are all ready to go get mom some new shoes since hers have tons of holes in them. Come on dad hurry up.
When we got to Payless Paige was so cute. She had to try on all of the high heeled shoes and have me try them on as well. I really don;t know where she comes from because I really hate high heeled shoes and dress up stuff. Rylee also was being cute. She was keeping her dad busy. She would run around and pull the shoes off of the shelves and he would run behind her trying to put them back. She definitely won that race.
So yesterday was officially Blake's first day of school. Before now it was like an introduction into law school. He only had 1 class, now he has I think 3 classes. He has a very interesting professor for one of them but he will be ok. He is really excited about it though. Well me and the girls have just been hanging out exploring Topeka. We went for a drive the other day and found some interesting places. Yesterday we went swimming in our pool. The girls loved it. It was a lot of fun. So other than that not much has been happening.
We just got home from the 1st Year law student BBQ. It was pretty fun. There were quite a few people there and we met some new students that seem really nice. Blake met a kid at school yesterday and his wife's uncle was one of Blake's mission presidents. So we are finding that it is a small world here in Topeka. Anyways we went to the Kansas City Zoo the other day and had a lot of fun. We will need to go back when it is cooler so that we can see more. We also went to a meeting today about Paige's preschool, so she will start that on September 4th. Blake went and did a service project today with the law school and they painted a building. They were up on a roof painting and so he came home and was drenched with sweat. It was pretty gross. When he got home Rylee wanted to be held so he picked her up and then wouldn't touch him.
So last night I was reading Angie's blog about the boys getting into all this mischief and was telling Blake about it and we were saying that we were so glad that we had 2 girls and not 2 boys. Well that all changed this morning. I was in our bathroom organizing it and Paige and Rylee were in their with me when all of a sudden I here a "Plop" and thought O no. I looked into the toilet and there was my baby monitor siting their because Rylee had thrown it in their. So I pulled it thinking that maybe I could save it but as I pulled it up the water started pouring out of it so I am not to hopeful. Then Paige says that she is hungry so I tell her to go get a yogurt (which usually she is fine doing) well all of a sudden she starts screaming so I came out to the kitchen and she is hopping on one foot with yogurt on it. I thought well this isn't too bad we can just wash her foot. Then I look over at the garbage and there is yogurt all over the carpet and the garbage can. This all happened by 9:30 in the morning. Hopefully this day will get better. I don't know how it could get any worse. So wish me luck as I try to salvage the day.
So today was the second time we have attended our ward here in Topeka. The people here are really nice. I think that we will get along well here in this ward. Paige was driving me crazy today in church though. We need to work on her reverent skills and her listening skills. We spent most of the sacrament meeting out in the foyer with her arms crossed. It was great. I was talking to some girls in our ward and they invited me to do a preschool with them. It is a type of Joy school. So Paige will start that in about 3 or 4 weeks. Well it is Blake's first day of Law school tomorrow. He is a little nervous about the unknown of it all but is excited as well. So please remember him in your prayers.
So we have finally made it back from Philadelphia and New York. It was so much fun. If any of you ever get a chance to go I would do it. We crammed a lot into 7 days but we got to do almost everything. In the last month and a half we have been to 2 provinces and 16 states and have traveled about 6700 miles. I am including some pictures and will try and explain them as we go. Sorry that they are backwards in their order but I am still trying to figure this out.
The last thing that we did before leaving was we went back up to New York City, after we left the beach. We didn't get see everything when we went the first day so we decided to go back. We went and ate at Pomme Fritte. It is a Belgian French Fry place that has 32 different dipping sauces. It was good but not all that great. After dinner we went to time square. It was unbelievable. The first thing that we did was go into the Toys R Us that has the big Ferris Wheel in it. We wanted to take the girls on it but we got there right before it closed. It has 3 floors and each floor is huge. We then walked down to the end and saw the big bill boards where the road splits. It was the best thing ever. If you ever go to New York make sure that this is a top priority but do it at night because the lights are amazing.
On Monday the 6th of August Brooke wanted to go back to the beach for her Birthday. It was a cooler day but the waves were absolutely huge. It was a lot more fun.
This is a picture of the Washington Memorial as I was standing at the Lincoln Memorial Building.
This is the Lincoln memorial. It is huge.
We got to go over and see the Vietnam memorial.
On Saturday we went on down to Washington, DC. We got to go by the White House. The day after we went there we were watching the news and it said that there was a "not fully clothed man" that jumped the fence at the White House and was quickly aprehended.
In one of the buildings we went into was a big board with this picture of a ten dollar bill with the face cut out. So here is Paige posing for the camera.
On Friday we went into downtown Philadelphia and did the tourist thing there. So of course we went to the Liberty Bell. It was a lot smaller than what I thought it would be.
WE left Ellis Island and took a subway up to Central Park. It is the most beautiful thing. You are right in the middle of this huge city with thousands of people and all of a sudden you are in the middle of this gorgeous park. I can't describe how amazing it is.
At Ellis Island (all the immigrants that came to America had to be processed at Ellis Island before they could enter the country. If they were sick or undesirable they were shipped back to where they came from) there is a cool wall that as you come up on it from the other side you see all these pictures of these people. And then as you look back on it from the other side it is a huge American flag. It was so cool.
Coming around the bend and seeing the Statue of Liberty from the boat was an interesting experience. It is so impressive.
On Thursday the 2nd of August we went to New York City. We took a ferry over to Liberty island and Ellis Island. This is a picture of the New York City Skyline. It was really impressive to be there and see how big the buildings really are.
Here is another picture of our fearless water beauty.
Paige had an absolute blast playing in the water. She wanted to be out in the waves. We had a little blow up mattress that she would lay on and let the waves splash on her and push her higher onto the beach.
About 2 hours from Philadelphia is Ocean City, New Jersey. It was so much fun. It is what dreams are made of. There was white sandy beaches and waves lapping on the shore. The water was 76 degrees. It was absolutely amazing.
So the whole reason for our trip was to go see the new addition to our family and for her blessing. So here is Brynlee Victoria Murray.
This was after we had picked the peaches. We had to look hard for the ones that were ripe but it was really neat to be able to be out picking them.
You have to get into the back of a truck loaded with hay to get to where the peaches are.
After the zoo we went out to Linville Orchards. It is this big farm that is U-Pick farm. We went out to pick Raspberries but got out there and found out that they were done so instead we picked peaches.
This is Paige and her cousin Kenna. They were standing by the Kangaroos.
Here we are at the Philadelphia Zoo. It was a ton of fun.
