Backyard Camp Out

The girls and Larren had their annual backyard camp out! The girls love camping with their dad! It is dad's and daughters only I am not invited. My job is to make the dinner and buy the 'Smores supplies and then make myself scarce! They are so funny! I got them pizza for dinner since that is an official camping food - ok it's the official easy to make easy to clean up food! While I slaved over dinner the girls and Larren worked on setting up the tent! They ate pizza in the house and then they ran outside to camp for the night! Larren always runs a TV and DVD player out to the tent so they can have a movie before bed. They watched Hannah Montana, made 'Smores and then snuggled down to bed. Nothing like a backyard camp out! Life is made fun by simple little things - I am thankful for little children who remind me of that!

Larren and Savannah working on setting up the tent!

Grace and Larren doing something important with the tent! Gracie is so dang cute with her little sleeping bag on her back! She was SO excited for the camping and took every bit of the process very serious! So cute!

Audrey doing something tent related - I think she is helping! And I know for certain she thinks she is helping! Larren probably would have had the tent up in no time by himself, but funny how all the extra "help" added a lot of time to the process! They had so much fun though - and that is what counts!

Savannah enjoying her 'Smore!

Kind of hard to tell from the picture but it was a full moon the night of the camping trip and it was huge! That was really fun for them!

Audrey, Savannah and Jonas snuggling in the tent!

Picnic at Palisade Creek

On Sunday September 20th the weather was beautiful and knowing that it may not stay that way for too much longer, we decided to head out for a picnic after church. Bryan, Jamie and their kids, Emily and Ronan and my mom and dad all joined in on the fun! It was a gorgeous afternoon and the kids had so much fun playing together! We grilled hamburgers and then roasted marshmallows and the kids played in the creek. I love living here in such a beautiful area and being able to enjoy the outdoors! And just to add a little moment of bragging, the day before on September 19th my dad, who is 70-years-old hiked the middle Teton! I am so proud of him! WOW, that is an amazing accomplishment, it would be an amazing accomplishment for a 20-year-old, but for him to do that it truly remarkable! Really awesome! Way to go Dad! I'll have to snag some of his pictures and post them, they are really impressive!

Here are the kids on a rock in the middle of the creek, Kendrik is clearly organizing something! They had so much fun jumping across the big boulders in the creek.

Audrey playing near the edge of the creek.

Ashlyn and Savannah on a boulder in the creek.

I am so glad they have each other to grown up with!

The litle boys (Ronan, Jonas and Kyler) all playing together!

Seriously Kendrik is the best kid EVER! He is so sweet, kind and helpful!

He took Jonas out into the creek and let him see the water up close!

I was taking a picture of Kendrik and Jonas in the creek, and Grace said take a picture of me! As soon as I pointed the camera at her she had to strike a little pose! So this is Grace's "take a picture of me" look! She is so funny!

Here are the kids out on the huge rock in the creek! There aren't cuter kids anywhere than this bunch! Chandler, Ashlyn, Audrey, Grace, Savannah and Jonas.

Grace Wants a Diamond!

A cute Grace moment to share . . . so first of all she has been sick since last Sunday with Hand Foot & Mouth Disease. It has been awful, the whole inside of her mouth has been covered in open sores, she hasn't been able to eat or sleep and I am not exaggerating when I say this - has cried all day (Monday afternoon, all day Tuesday and Wednesday and most of Thursday)! It has been rough on both of us. She started to perk up a little last night and then slept all night and has felt really good today (now Jonas has it)! Anyway she has been cheerful and so cute today - nice to have her back. So just a bit ago she came in the kitchen and was holding my wedding ring - here's the conversation:

Grace: Mom do you want your diamond?
Me: Yes, thanks, but I would rather you not pick up my rings they could get lost.
Grace: OK, but I want a diamond!
Me: When you get married you will get one, Daddy gave me this when we got married.
Grace: Why can't Daddy give me one?
Me: Because Daddy already gave one to Mommy to get married, when you are grown up you have to find someone to marry, and then it will be his job to get you a diamond.
Grace: Well it better be a BIG one!!!

Apparently money may be able to buy Grace's love! She is so funny! Anyway that little interaction made my day!

3 Cousins

Here are the three cousins celebrating Ronan's birthday! Hard to believe just one year ago, they were tiny newborns! Emily's threw Ronan a "Have a Ball" 1st Birthday Party! It was so fun for the boys! This swimming pool full of balls, was a major hit among the one-year-old crowd, they played in it all night! Ronan, (Emily's guy) in the "Birthday Boy" shirt was born last August, Kyler, (Bryan and Jamie's guy) in the red was born last July and Jonas, (my guy . . . oh and Larren's too :) was born last June! They are going to have a blast growing up together! I am so thankful Jonas has these little boys in his life! It will be fun to watch as they get bigger and wilder! Watch out world!!

Jonas eating a cupcake at Ronan's party!

Grace

Grace has been so fun this summer. She has been trying new things and is so much more independent. She loves riding her trike (she picked it our herself for her 3rd birthday), it had to sit in the garage a long time waiting for the weather to turn, but she has more than made up for the wait! Her trike has a little compartment on the back and she kept it full of treasures all summer long, flowers, rocks, sticks, plums anything she found in her travels! Here she is enjoying her favorite summertime treat! WATERMELON! She could not get enough this summer, a girl after her mom's heart! She has been one sticky dirty girl pretty much everyday all summer, but after all isn't that what summer is all about! I have loved watching summer through the eyes of a three-year-old!