Wednesday, November 8, 2017

Little Nauvoo Reunion

Nauvoo. A little piece of heaven and a place that holds my heart! BUT the thing that made that experience so special were all the people. The senior missionaries have a reunion once a year and this year they invited our year of Young Performing Missionaries to come and sing during their program. I LOVE all those seniors and I love that it forced us YPMs to get together! We sang songs from our shows and dressed in pioneer clothes (my actual dress from Nauvoo). It was so wonderful!!



Us with Sis. Davis (our director from there).

2017 School Starts!

School always comes so fast! This year Emma is in 2nd with Mrs. Ross, Reese is now at Lincoln Academy with Emma and is in Kindergarten with Mrs. Dean. Nora just started her first year of preschool with Mrs. Jill (Zimmerman from our ward). She was so excited that she gets to wear and backpack and go to school like a big girl! I love my girls so much!

This year Emma and Reese are both in the Let's Play Music program (Emma year 3 and Reese year 1). They also both take dance together and love it. I'm excited so see how they grow this year.







Lake Chelan- Just Adults!

So my husband is pretty much the most amazing person in the world. Since he was going on a fishing trip with his Dad and Uncle and cousins in July, he told me I could go to Chelan with my parents and siblings! My mom mentioned, "Well, Dad and I ARE going to Chelan this summer after all and you guys are invited but children are not." Cade looked at me and said, "why don't you go?" I was SOOOOOOO excited. After it got closer I was feeling pretty guilty about leaving him behind and of course I wanted him to come with me. But we had just gotten back from trek the month before and Lucy was still having a hard time (sleeping and super needy) so it wasn't a good thing for us both to go. We flew Cade's mom up to Utah and she helped Cade out the 6 days I was gone.

My mom, Dad, Bryan, Jennie, Boose, Jor Jor and I all piled into Bryan and Jennie's van and road tripped to Lake Chelan Washington! Even the car ride was fun. I didn't have a screaming baby in the van the whole time and others needing snacks and hugs the whole time. Of course I missed my girls while I was there, but it was definitely a relaxing and enjoyable vacation with lots of games, water fun, walks, and alone time. I loved every minute of it.








One of the biggest highlights of THIS trip to Chelan was our day to Stehiekin. It is a 1 1/2 hour boat ride or 4 hour ferry ride (one way) to go to this remote town that you can only get there by boat- no roads lead there. My mom and dad had been but the rest of us hadn't because we always have children with us and its just tricky with children. So we rented a boat early in the moRning and it took just over an hour (we were SPEEDING!!!). When we got there we walked to the bike rental place and rented bikes to ride around. The town was just tons of trees all around and it was GORGEOUS. The bike riding was definitely a highlight. I could have done it ALL day long. Then we rode to a bakery and got the last of the cinnamon rolls. After that we rode for a while and stopped at a little old school and beautiful houses and scenery. Then we made our way to Rainbow Falls. I was a wimp for most of the time and didn't want to get in. I just waded along with Bryan and Jennie and Dad. Boose and Jor Jor were brave and swam around in it. I HATE being cold and this water was absolutely freezing. But as we started heading back to the trail I thought "ah, what the heck. What if I never come here again?" So I got in and my Dad, Bryan and jennie decided to follow suit! It was freezing and I screamed the ENTIRE time I was in the water but it was worth it for the memory.

After Rainbow Falls we rode back to the bakery and ate lunch (which was very yummy) and then stopped at a cute little garden/farm. I loved seeing this guy and how self-sufficient he was. Honey, fruit and veggies, goats milk, etc. It was a beautiful area. Then we rode back and turned in our bikes. Sad day. I wanted to stay there for weeks. It was so fun!!!!! I hope i get to go back someday!

Our adventures in Steheikin. Seriously so amazing:

















 








Sunday, August 27, 2017

Other Random Summer Fun!

This is a compilation of lots of fun we've had this summer that didn't necessarily need their own posts. We have had such an INCREDIBLE summer and I'm kind of sad that it's over. But there will always be fun during the school year and another summer just around the corner!

Hiking with Daddy (when Mommy was sick):







Splash pad fun:


Cade and his dad drove his good friend Jeremy Egan all the way across the country to New York! And they did it in less than 3 days! It was kind of crazy. But so grateful for a husband who is ALWAYS willing to serve and help whenever he is needed.





Cade biking for his birthday. He loves it, but doesn't do it near enough. I need to start supporting him even more in this hobby of his.



Kayaking at Tibble Fork Reservoir. We had so much fun! Even though it is CRAZY busy all the time.








Daddy-Emma date to the Salt Lake Bees game:




Sunday walks around the lake:


The new Missionary Training Center building tour. Pic on the left when Cade went to the MTC for his own mission (16 years ago), and the pic on the right was August 2017:

Summer gymnastics for 6 weeks. All three older girls participated:




 Manilla Pond with Nathan and Steph's family and Boose. It was sunny and gorgeous when we left our house.  A half hour later a CRAZY wind/sand/rain storm suddenly rolled in! We ended up just playing at our house:




Finally met up with my cousin Ashlianne Burton Drewry! I love her! We met up at the Thanksgiving point farm. Good times!




QUEEN FOR A DAY! Before summer was over I wanted each girl to have their own days where they could be "Queen for a day" and choose what activities we did that day.
Emma chose the Curiosity Museum, glitter toes, Pizza pie Cafe. Reese chose to play water balloon games, go to the park with her friend Emily, painting rocks, ramen noodles for lunch and spaghetti for dinner, and horse back riding (but she felt sick that night so horse back riding got changed to another day). Nora chose to go to Kangaroo Zoo in the morning, watch a movie in the afternoon and go out for ice cream.
OH, and they all chose to camp out in the basement. They slept fine so overall I think it went well!








The 2017 Solar Eclipse. It was really neat. We went to Daddy's work to see it with him. But...when it happens again I want to be there in TOTALITY!