Reunion Time

We had a great time this past weekend with 2 different reunions. One with our dental family, and one with the Porter side family. We got together at the Baird's for lunch and visiting. It was like the good ol' days. Girls in a group visiting, guys in a group visiting and kids running around playing. It was fun seeing everyone and catching up. Eventhough we can follow in blogs, it was fun to see how much the kids have grown. Some that were supposed to make it didn't show and others just couldn't. We missed them. But here are a couple of pics of those who came. Good to see all of you! Looking forward to next year's get together in Colorado?!



Isn't this happening a little too early?! The confident male and giggling girls!

After we finished lunch, we headed up Provo Canyon for the Porter reunion. It was good to see everyone that came. The kids had a blast playing all day and the adults had a good time playing in the end! Here are a few pics of the good times!

Grandpa Porter with Isabelle

Cooper and Will...2 Peas in a pod!



Brian and Isabelle- She was beyond dirty!

A great smile caught of Papa John


Maya and Caroline were having so much fun together running and rolling down the hill.

Greg and Porter

A game of waterballoon volleyball that ended in a water fight. Every family reunion must have a water fight right?!

Love the Summer!

The girls are on their last 2 days of swimming lessons. They were s excited. I tried to take a picture to remember the experience. Caroline was more than willing

Elizabeth, on the other hand, said, " Mom, later. You're embarrasing me." I guess we've hit that stage.

The last day Bri's parents were here we took them up to Bear Lake to spend the day. It was super windy and colder when we first got there. To our surprise, Elizabeth was the only one playing in the water. She sat in a tube, Brian pulled her to the far end of the "pre-lake pond" and she blew back to where we were. Also to our surprise, the water was actually warm. Like warm enough that I would have played in it. The wind died down, the sun came out and it ended up being a good time.

What's goin' on...

There is so much to do around here in less than a 10 min drive. I took the kids to feed to ducks right by the mouth of the canyon. There were plenty of ducks and then after that, the kids played in the water for a little bit. These geese came by and Cooper thought they were ducks and he was trying to get close to one to pet it. I pulled him away and tried to explain they would bite him. He was not happy with me. Neither was this goose. Everyone had to get off the beach area while he sqwaked at us. I even tried to shoo him off and tap him with my shoe because he was getting way too close, but it didn't even phase him. Finally, someone's dog chased him off. Boy can they run!

A few pics before church last Sunday. We are really enjoying our ward. Brian got called into the YM's again as the Venture leader this time. Should be fun for him.


Photographers in the making!



Yesterday we took Julia, Grandma and GranChud to float down the canal. It was an experience getting everyone on their tubes, but after that,it was just an enjoyable ride down. It was so pretty and fun to be floating right next to the mountain and seeing it all around you.


Last Saturday we took the kids to a "petting zoo". It was tiny, but enough to enjoy for a little bit. They loved the bunnies. We've said we'd never have pets, meaning mainly dogs, but I could see a bunny. We won't tell them that though!


We've been doing some hiking and the nice thing is just 5 min. up the street. When we first started, Brian saw a snake and just about ran back to the car. It was a nice little hike and the kids did good. A little holding, but mostly walking on their own.



Last week was when we tried the canal for the first time. It's 3 min to the mouth of the canyon from our house and about 3 more up to the spot you get in. We were going to try to get all of us on 2 tubes. Once we got up there, I was like there's no way that's going to work. Holding 2 kids on one tube and trying to manuver it. So Brian went down with Liz and Caroline and I took Cooper and Isabelle to a little "river" area to play in. Everyone was happy.



Brian's sister Julia got here the 2nd week in July and we've been trying to think of some fun things to do. There's a "zoo" here and we went to that one day. It's only $1 a person and mostly shaded. It was perfect weather! Then we played little at the park this day. It's fun to have Julia here.

Fun Weekend

We had a fun weekend. Brian's sister Julia came into town and there was a get together at their cousin Jessisca's house, so we made a weekend of it down in Sandy. Well, kind of. Julia wanted to take a road trip down to Bryce Canyon, but I didn't think it would be all that fun with the kiddos, especially the drive back, so I opted to keep them wit me and let them go have their fun. We ended up going camping with my fam, which the kids actually did great. Not to say there wasn't frustration and chaos, but when isn't there?!
We had fun with the campfire. Papa John had Elizabeth light her first fire. She was freaked out about it. All the other kids wanted to do it, but she was afraid of getting burned. Papa John helped her do it and she was pleased about it in the end.


We had smores, a trip to see the rushing stream, hang out time, and then I slept in the back of the suburban with all but Elizabeth. It would have been just great, but Isabelle isn't a huge fan of sleeping out of her bed. We had it set up in the other car, but I couldn't get high enough to lay her in it. I had to kind of drop her in it, so that didn't end up working out.
Everything went well though, except I took 3 of the kids to the potty and then on the way back I had to grab something out of the car and let them walk the 30 ft up the trail to the campsite. Well I got up there and Cooper wasn't there. He had started up the trail with Caroline, but I guess she went faster than him. There wasn't really any other trail to go off on, but there was an almost trail that he scooted off on. I was freaking out because that water was moving so fast, but it was a pretty far way off, so I knew he couldn't make it there that fast, but in the time it could take us to find him he could have. Anyway... he took a moment off and we found him in less than 1 min, but that was a scary min. I asked him if he was scared and he said no. He then proceeded to tell us that he was poopy. Guess he knew what he was doing. Just needed a minute alone.
This is how we found him

This was Mom's reaction to his reason for disappearing.






We came back from the campout and had a little birthday celebration for Isabelle. It was her 1st birday. Very very low key. About 10 min to open a few presents and let her demolish her cake. Good enough. It amazes me how much we did for Elizabeth's and how much less we did for the others. Took us a few tries to realize how much the 1st party is for the parents and not the kids.



After the cake, Brian and Julia took the kids back to Logan and left me behind to have a girls night with my Mom and sisters. They had planned on buying me some clothes for my birthday. We started out eating dinner at Johnny Carinos. It was super yummy. Then we headed to the mall and shopped shopped shopped. They picked out the clothes for me to try on and a lot of them I was like, "um no!". But they ended up being everyone's favorites, so I just went with it. Especially Caroline. She picked out 3 or 4 things and I was not a fan, but they actually did end up looking good on. After a successful run there and then at TJ Maxx, we headed to the movies, but not without a quick pull over in Melanie's car. Tail light out. Warning, no ticket. Then we watched 17 Again. Cute movie.
It was a fun night. It was so nice to be able to lood for clothes and not have to rip them on and off as fast as I can to get in and out with all the kids. It was nice to not have to run them to the bathroom, stop fighting ,crying, crawling under the dressing room doors. Just calm taking my time. It was nice that they were up in Logan and Julia was there too so even if I did feel like I needed to hurry and get home, it was too far away to really make a difference. I ended up sleeping over and got to sleep in until 9:30. Nice! Then I got ready and headed home.
It was a great weekend. However, then I got home and they all broke out in tears and needs and wants and I just about ran back out the door! So far this morning though, I think I'll hang around for a while. :)

July 8th

Yesterday was Bri's 31st bday. He spent the day at work of course. Aren't birthdays so overrated when you get older? Seems to be to me. Anyway, we did manage to make him some cupcakes and drop them off at work and then have a little party for him when he got home. I think it turned out to be a nice day. I even made him a bday video like I do for the kids. It was fun to see the changes over the last 6 years.
Elizabeth has been asking me to spray paint her hair red like Caroline did for Halloween. I told her she could for the 4th of July. Well, we couldn't find any, so I tried to make my own. I ended up just putting straight food coloring on her hair (Bri's idea) 'cause the spray I made didn't really work. I'll have to put up some pics of that later. But yesterday I saw some blue at Walmart, eventhough they said they didn't have any. We had enough to spray all the kids hair. Thought the pic of the 3 turned out so funny.