Summer fun in pictures!

We have had such a fun and busy summer playing in the water, watching fireworks, hiking & sleepovers with cousins!

we hiked to timp cave at the first of July. Here are all of evie's cousins on my side.

We hiked to doughnut falls for FHE in July with wonderful friends in our ward.

We have had a delicious harvest from our garden & Justin's dad brought home salmon from alaska!

 

This little girl is a fish! We purchased 7 peaks passes this year and so we visit there, swim at a pool close to our house or swim at grandpa's with cousins. Evie loves the water!

Summertime always includes cotton candy...evie's fav (and, uh, mine...)

 

My summer wouldn't be complete until I went on a sisters trip. What fun we had! Pedicures, shopping & chocolate made it wonderful. We spent the night in park city & the first night invited spouses to join us for dinner at Brazzaville grill....yum!! The second night for dinner we met up with mom & dad & dad took us all to Chinese! How fun!

Aunt rach always makes family parties so fun. Mustaches for father's day & a cut party favor at a family BBQ are a couple examples.

It has been a great summer!

 

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A fun Summer

We have had such a fun summer this year!  My sister and her family came to town, and so we stayed busy playing with cousins and friends.  It has been wonderful!  These are some pictures from the 4th of July week.

We hiked to the camp on Timpanogos Cave with cousins.  We saw the “heart” of the cave, and other amazing and beautiful creations.  Above, Ashley & Natalie & Evie are eating some snacks after the long hike up to the cave.Natalie & I inside the dark cave. 

On July 3rd, we decided to take the kids to the children’s parade in Centerville.  I thought about what kind of things my dad had still on hand that has wheels for the two 3 year olds.  I came up with Roller Racers!!  My dad jimmied up some rope and Megan & I pulled Jacob and Evie along the parade route.  Evelyn held on so good and just loved being pulled around.  It was  a lot of fun.  Centerville had their fireworks display on the 3rd and so the 4th of July, we had a spectacular show in front of my brother’s house.  I love this holiday!We have had some fabulous opportunities to play in water this summer.  Our family got passes to seven peaks and so we have been a few times there, to a couple splash pads with cousins & friends, and also to Tingey’s pool.  One one such occasion, Evie discovered the flippers.  She kept tripping over herself, but had fun discovering how they worked.

7-11 day!

Free slurped day at 7-11! We went with shelly's family. It was so fun! And evie, my non-sweets eater actually ate some of here's!

 

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ARISE & SHINE FORTH…. GIRLS CAMP 2012

In January, I was released as the YW’s president, and in the same breath, called as the camp director.  It was such a blessing to me to participate in this camp.  I loved spending time with the girls and their new leaders, and I loved planning and preparing for this adventure. 

Our theme was: S’more Shinin’: @ home. school. play.  Each day we focused on how the girls could shine some more (s’more) in their life in those locations.   

Justin got to go to girls camp with me!  I was the camp director and because it was ward camp,  we needed a priesthood leader with us, so he stayed in the room above the garage in the amazing cabin where we stayed!  It was on top of the mountain above Rockport.

When we arrived we split into groups and did mini workshops on how to “Arise” at home.  The girls learned about laundry, cleaning & cooking. What a beautiful view!  The first night we had a movie night on the big screen t.v.!  We watched Tangled & Princess Bride.  Below are leftovers from the snacks. Yes, we had to pull out the Tums….Early the next morning, we set alarm clocks to go off at 5:30.  I snuck (is that a word?!?!) downstairs while they were sleeping at 5 a.m. & placed 15 alarm clocks around the room.  I then went back upstairs and paced the floor eagerly anticipating them to go off.  At 5:20 the first one went off!!  The girls didn’t know what it was! They finally found it and turned it off, and went back to sleep.  One of the leaders said to them: “don’t get too comfortable…”  and then another alarm clock went off.  In the mean time, Just was out front setting up chairs and the polka-dot balloons.

We walked the girls out the basement door, around the side of the cabin and to the front drive where we had them sit in the circle.  There, we read the brother of Jared story in the Book of Mormon.  I love this story because it teaches how Heavenly Father provided the air for the brother of Jared in his barges, but The brother of Jared had to search for the light.  I talked to the girls about this concept and had Justin share with them some stories about women in his life who arise and shine forth.  I then had the girls write down something that they could do to acquire more light in their life.  They wrote it on a slip of paper, tied it to the balloon, and then we released the balloon into the sky as the sun came up for the day.  Beautiful setting.  A lot of girls camp for me this year was all about the food.  Because it was part of my responsibility as the camp director, it because a major focus for me!  (as food always is…)

One night we had hamburgers/hot dogs with french fries (you can get them frozen from Arctic Circle), veggie tray & chocolate fountain complete with strawberries, raspberries, bananas, kiwis, grapes, pretzels & marshmallows.  YUM!  One meal we Italian Chicken, scones, green salad & fruit.  Thumbs up to the meal…and below, Rylee faithfully making every scone in a huge pack of Rhoades rolls!  What a trooper!Brook, Kahia & Chelsea…love these girls!  They were my laurels…and will ALWAYS ben MY laurels… Love them!

For our service project, the girls learned how to cover a tennis ball with yarn (using kind of a knitting technique to do it).  These balls are then sent to 3rd world countries and given to children who really don’t have any toys.  YUMMY CHICKEN DINNER & SCONES!For the last night after Testimony meeting, we pulled out the annual pig troughs.  We fill them with ice cream, chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, bananas & whipping cream and they can dig-in!  Some were civilized and used spoons…but some had fun with it and didn’t use their hands. Either way you eat it, it’s YUMMY!!

What a wonderful

girls camp 2012!

Memorial Day Weekend

We spent Memorial Day Weekend with Justin’s family for his grandpa’s 80th birthday party.  All of Justin’s brothers and sisters were there – a huge group!  It was a lot of fun, and Evie had a blast playing with so many cousins. 

On Memorial Day, all the dads took the children fishing. all. day. long. there were 20 children and 5 dad’s and a grandpa.  Wow.  The mom’s crafted and visited all. day. long.  It was the most fabulous day! Thanks to amazing dad’s who are willing to do that!

The weekend expanded into the next week where two of his brother’s made their way north to Justin’s parents house for the week.  We went to Temple Square, a splash pad a baseball game, lots of thrift store stops, and lots of bar-b-que’s and get-together’s.  We even painted two rooms in Kristel’s house!  What a fun week with family. 

Here we are (some of us) walking to the church for the luncheon.  Each of Justin’s aunts/uncles had a different color assigned to them for the big family photo.  Ours was red. 

Temple square with cousins.  Evie, Jackie & Grace looking at the Christus statue on Temple Square.

I Love to see the Temple!

last day of Preschool & teacher appreciation

Today was Evie’s last day of pre-preschool.  What a difference a year makes!  I am so proud of her.  She is so sweet. 

Here are  a few teacher appreciation gifts I put together this year.  Hope they help as you thank your teacher for a great year!

First of all, mothers.  I’m a little behind in posting this picture.  These were the blocks I did this year for my mother’s day boutique.  I think they are so adorable!  It’s even a photo holder!

These 10 blocks spell about 15 different words about teaching. I found them from here.   We gave these to her preschool teacher.

This is a fun one that is a roll of paper towels, and to-go clorex wipes.  What teachers doesn’t need cleaning supplies!!?

60 years and going strong!

My MIL turned 60!  We threw her a surprise party and invited friends and family to the event.  She is also a cancer survivor and wanted to throw herself a survivor party, so we tied it all in together.   We had pink décor and all!  What a fun night honoring a great woman. 

Here’s the birthday girl!  We served pulled meat on buns with salads and chips.  We had a chocolate fountain for the dessert.Guests were invited to take home a bag of goodies from all of the tables. 

The entry area had a darling sign made by grandson Garrett and it also had a scrapbook from the last 5 years of her cancer survival made by her daughter Kristel.  I put together a framed word-art of 60 reasons we love her from all her children and grandchildren.

We took those 60 reasons we love her and attached them to the balloon centerpieces on each table. 

Granddaughters Evie & Jackie waiting for the party to begin!