Backyard Campout with Cousins. Making Memories.

James was nice enough to set up the tent and get everything ready for their cousin campout. We finally got them all in their sleeping bags at 10:00 when the neighbors started fireworks. They enjoyed running around the yard, jumping on the tramp and looking at fireworks. The little girls didn’t campout with them, but all the boys made it through the night.

Who is this?

Best Cousins

Celebrating the 4th of July

I LOVE the 4th of July!!! We had so much fun celebrating our wonderful country’s birthday.

We went to our same spot and met up with our photographer Kristin (thanks). Our kids enjoyed running around getting candy, hanging out with friends, seeing friends on floats and getting stuff from them. It was a great parade this year.

We went to diving for dollars and it was crazy busy. Ethan did really well, and loved getting the money. Conner had goggle issues and by the time he started diving (which he doesn’t do well) it was too late, he was so sad he didn’t get a single coin. Then Bryant’s group was the biggest, we tried to have him go with the 7 and 8 year olds (he was 8 for 4 more days) but he wanted to be with his friends. They put the 11 and 12 year olds with the 9 and 10 year olds and it was crazy. Bryant who is a great swimmer only came out with a quarter. While walking through the crowd I saw several 12 year olds with tons money, I heard one kid say she got $12. I hope next year they keep the two groups separate, I had really sad kids this year, but they got over it.

Conner lost his first tooth on the 4th at my mom’s. Then he really lost it, and luckily his cousin Cameron found it. Then he lost it again, and Cameron who is apparently good at finding lost teeth found it again. Conner refused to let me hold it for him and then at the fireworks he lost it for good in the grass. Luckily James sent the tooth fairy a picture of Conner with the tooth, and told her where he lost it.

We later went jet skiing with my brother David and his family. It was a lot of fun, but really busy. David even tried to show James some tricks on it and ripped his shorts.

  I forgot my camera for fireworks, but they were fun. The kids loved them. Ethan kept yelling, “I want more rainbow ones!”

Our good friends Andy and Alicia Black invited our family and Beth and Danny Millward’s family to go camping at Lake Powell with them. We (when I say we I mean James and Andy) had been working on getting my parents old jet ski working and got it going a couple of weeks before the trip. Then James and I decided to buy a bigger family jet ski that wouldn‘t tip so easily, so everyone could ride it. The bigger one can ride me and all four kids.

When we first got there unloaded and started towards the camp site the family ski started acting up really bad. I had me and the kids on and it was barely moving. We put the two older boys on the boat but it was just dragging and I felt like we were sinking. I asked James if he remembered the plugs, and he said he did thinking I meant the spark plugs. Then I asked again “are you sure you put in the plugs?” He realized I meant the plugs that are used to let excess water out of the jet ski. We had forgotten to plug them in, and we were really sinking. Once we got them in it ran better, then we put them on shore and drained it, for the rest of the trip no more problems.

 

We had so much fun with great company. Everyone got along so well, and the kids for the most part played very well together. The food was also great especially the chicken (thanks Andy and Alicia). Everyone had so much fun playing in the water and sand, riding in the jet skies and on the boat, on the tube, knee boarding, and skiing, I got up on the skies the first try, which shocked me.

Going down to Lake Powell brought back so many great childhood memories. Thanks Andy and Alicia for inviting us and helping us make fun memories with our kids. I hope we can make some more memories with everyone in the future.

Francom Reunion

James and I were in charge of the Francom (kid) reunion with all of his siblings. It was a lot of work before hand, but when we got up there it was all worth it to be able to chill and enjoy our time up at the cabin. Almost everyone was able to come, we missed (I mean really missed) Dave, Davin, and Nash we hope to see them next year.
 

I pretty much decided that no party is complete without a piñata. The piñata was a big hit (hahaha, excuse the pun).
 

Afterwards we talked almost everyone into coming down to Recapture and riding on the wave runners we just got. It ended up being so much fun. Steve Francom was there with his boat and a couple of his boys, he was kind enough to give everyone rides on the boat, and pull them around on the tube. Conner was a big chicken on the tube, but Chloe was right by him (with me) comforting him and telling Steve to go faster. When we went without Conner Steve went pretty fast and she didn’t cry or anything, she loves it.

Thanks everyone who came and helped, it really was so much fun seeing everyone and hanging out. I look forward to the next reunion.