Our Summer So Far ...

It's hard to believe that school starts again in less than a month.

This summer is flying by! 

It seems like summer vacation just started last week,

but we've done so much in the past few months.

I've put together some posts to share it all with you.

It's filled with all our travels and fun.

We're finally back home now, with only a Boy Scout

camp and a choir camp to finish out the summer.

In between our Utah trip and our California trip,

a few of the cousins met for EFY in Nauvoo.

I wish I had pictures of that week!  What a fantastic

experience it was for them!  And it made a good boy

even better!  Zach was so uplifted by his week there.

It's definitely on the agenda for next summer!

One other thing that I haven't yet included, is my newly attained

experience in building with ICF.  My father and I had the opportunity

 to go on-site for one of my uncles' building projects to get some

first hand training for our upcoming build.  My father has

built ICF before, but this was my first time.  I'm so excited to

give it a try on our own house!  I'll share pictures of it all soon.



Just in time

We got to Utah just in time for a few very important things.

First, it was Jordan's graduation. 

Not to be too mushy ... but I can remember holding

and spoiling this new little baby girl!  She was the first

granddaughter, and she was totally adored by everyone!

She's as beautiful today as she was 18 years ago.

Even more, I think!

Congratulations Jordan!

Next, we were just in time for Memorial Day.

We took a family trip to the cemetery to pay respect

to Grandma & Grandpa Thompson.

We each wrote a word about them on a rock

that we placed on their headstone.

Grandpa Guy shared memories as we walked around

the cemetery looking at headstones of other ancestors.

It was a nice time of remembering our wonderful grandparents and

great grandparents that we dearly miss.



Things we do at Grandma & Grandpa's

This might be too much for one post ....

but we do ALOT during our visit to Utah!

Of course, we like to eat well.  :)

We ride 4-wheelers.

(As you can see,

even the dogs insist on riding.

But that's OK, because I think it's one

of Grandma's favorite things to do...

besides mowing her lawn.  ;)

 

We enjoy being outside together during the nice weather.

And hanging out together inside during the hot days.

We have water balloon fights.

And launch water balloons at the neighbors.

We help Grandpa take care of the pets.

We beg Grandma for snow cones EVERY day!

And make mud volcanoes before bath time in the evenings.

We get into mischief when everyone is right there ...

but there are so many people, that nobody notices

or tells you to stop.

We do arts and craft projects.

And thanks to Aunt Dixie's generosity,

we always go home looking better than when we came!



Pine Lake

 Parker & Ian went to a fun day camp at Pine Lake.

I'm not sure if their favorite part was canoeing

or making these bows & arrows.

 We met them at the lake after the camp

and spent a few more hours rafting & fishing.

As always, Bella was the most successful fisherman!