Summer Camping

3 Families

6 Adults

11 kids

2 dogs

1 FUN WEEKEND IN THE WOODS!

Kara was in heaven with the dogs.

On this particular occasion I had told Kara that the dog was going to take a nap in the shade.

She proceeded to take a chair over to the dog and sing him songs so that he could take a nap.

The songs varied from

"Jesus wants me for a sunbeam"

to

"I always feel like somebody's watching me"

As if she wasn't dirty enough already, lets just add a little water. . .

Hence, the need for one of these each night!

(maybe Kris should have been next - only a kid as cute as him could still be cute while wearing that much dirt)

We spent a lot of time at the LAKE!

Where we saw a new level of "white trash"!

A full on Air Mattress . . .

Maybe they didn't read the gigantic letters on the side of the mattress that read,

"NOT TO BE USED AS A FLOTATION DEVICE!"

We played in the sand. . .

We had some treats. . .

We passed off a few cub scout requirements. . .

And had fun on the slide. . .

The first day Kris decided he needed a life jacket to swim out to the floating dock.

But by the second day he realized he really could swim and didn't need that life jacket!

Even I tried the slide!

If the boys weren't sliding down the slide they were fighting each other and pushing each other off the dock!

And what would a camping trip be without some cliff diving?

GO KALE!

But the highlight of the trip was Kyle screaming and jumping up and down when one night this gigantic moth landed on his back while the "parents" were all around the campfire.

Last year we had bears and I don't think they scared us as bad as this thing did!

CAMPING MEMORIES!

Can't wait until next year!

Since I'm a little behind on our lives. . .

Here's a little preview of our summer!

And my new best friend this summer is BUBBLES!

I take them with us everywhere.

They are an amazing temper tantrum distractor!

How can there be less than a month left of summer vacation?

Am I Crazy????

I just got back from an overnight trip to San Francisco with these three kids. . .

And I'm leaving in half an hour with these same three kids to go camping. . .

Hopefully I make it until daddy meets us tomorrow night!

Happy Summer!

Moving day. . .

This past weekend was moving day

for Kyle's grandparents.

They left the home they have lived in for over 50 years

and moved closer to Kyle's parents and us!

We took our family down a few weeks ago for one last trip to

NANA and

PAPA'S HOUSE!

This girl had a great time watching all the action as we went through the garage in search of treasures from the past that we could take home with us!

The boys may have gotten a few of Papa's old tools,

and this girl, well, she had to have this little old ladder!

We ordered fried zuchinni from DINOS and ate it on the back patio.

It reminded us of all the backyard picnics we've had throughout the years on that patio!

I snapped this photo of my kids in the backyard. . .

and for one split second I thought about not posting it because Kara has chocolate all down the front of her. . .

How embarrassing!

But then I realized it is the perfect picture. Kara's clothes don't stay clean for more than 10 minutes every time we come to Nana and Papa's house because Nana hands out her famous "tootsie rolls" to the kids!

I also snapped a few pictures of my favorite things in the backyard.

This picture says it all to me.

Lemons and Birdhouses.

Two of the many things Papa is known for.

I sure will miss those lemons he used to bring up. . .

fortunately we are lucky enough to have a few of the birdhouses he has made.

similar to this one. . .

AMAZING!

Here is the stepping stone my boys made for them one year.

This is the pathway that leads all along the backyard.

I secretly wanted to dig up a portion and take it home with me.

It holds a special memory for me.

This might have been the pathway that I was walking on when I realized how much I really, really, liked Kyle.

We had been dating for a few months and over Christmas break I flew to California to meet his family.

Little did I know I would meet the entire family.

They were all down in the Bay Area having Christmas with his two sets of Grandparents.

It was the first time I ever came to this little yellow house.

It was the first time I met his parents and his brothers and sister.

It was the first time as he was giving me the tour of the backyard as we were walking hand in hand on this very walkway that I realized that maybe I didn't ever want him to let go of my hand.

We explored Papa's Shop. . .

Papa's empty shop. . .

It was really strange to see it empty.

And then I took this picture.

And 24 others just like it.

And as I took the pictures I may have started crying (for just a second).

I loved seeing Grandma playing with my kids on the lawn looking for bugs.

I'm sure she did the same thing, on the same lawn, a few years earlier with her own kids!

And I couldn't resist getting a picture of Kara relaxing on the "blue couch"!

The house holds a lot of memories, but the nice thing about memories is that you can take them with you.

So moving day was a success!

We will miss our trips to Fremont, we will miss fishing with Papa at Quarry Lakes, we will miss our Oakland Temple Christmas light tradition, but. . .

It's worth it to have them living so close to us!

Raging Fun at Raging Waters

We've been relaxing at the water park this summer. . .

OK - only twice but we only had to pay once!

They had a deal where you bought one day and basically got a season pass that you can use any day but Saturdays!

Deal for us since remember I said this was the summer of day trips!

These two hung out most of the day riding all the BIG SLIDES. . .

While I hung out with these two at the "kids pool", lazy river, and wave pool!

They decided it would be fun to splash me with the FREEZING COLD WATER. . .

But, I got them back!

My boys sure know how to make a SPLASH!

While my girl prefers to sit on the sideline and watch. . .

She does however LOVE the lazy river.

We sat on a tube together for almost 2 hours going around and around and around!

We both loved it!

THE BIG SLIDES!

Kale and Dad!

Kale and Mom!

(I love the lady next to us who thought my husband would for some reason take a picture of her!)

But, the highlight of the day was when Kale finally got the courage to ride the

"CLIFFHANGER"!

(he's the one on the left of the slides getting his courage up to walk to the very top!)

And that's my BOY!

VICTORY!

IT'S A FUN WAY TO SPEND OUR SUMMER DAYS!