June 2015

We did swimming lessons this June.  I was surprised by how much they remembered from last year, and how fast they learned this year. 

Luke and Abigail were in the same class, and they went first.  Carly and Hailey were right after them in the same class too.  While Carly was waiting for her turn one day, she smacked her face with her knee on the tramp.  She knocked out her baby tooth and bled for a while.  She was mostly upset because she couldn't swim that day.  We always take pictures to send to Dad when the kids get hurt.

 We had s'mores one night.  I made the mistake of buying the GIANT marshmallows.  I think we all went to bed sick that night.

 more swimming lessons

 We had such a rainy start to the baseball season, so the season went even longer than 

usual with makeup games.

 Good thing there were Grandparents to bring plenty of treats to keep Isaac entertained.

 Every year the city brings goats to the field behind out house to eat the weeds.  This year we woke up to lots of mooooooing.  The kids were so excited to have cows this time.  Every morning Ike would say cow over and over until we took him on the deck to look at the cows.  He liked to sit in the back yard and watch them through the fence.

 I was dying laughing one day when Ike found the neighbor's ball.  He was screaming because he couldn't figure out how to get it, even though he was touching it.

 We went to our Harrisville parade and got lots of candy.  For such a short parade, they throw out tons.  All the neighbor kids sat and ate their candy together.

 Ben had his work party at Lagoon this year.  Before we even got there, Hailey said she was only going on the ride, Bulgy the Whale.  She is not very daring.

So pretty much Hailey and I waited around while the other kids went with Dad on the fun rides.  Which actually, I prefer it that way.  The older I get, the more sick I get on rides.  Oh, and the best part... Grandma said she'd watch Ike while we went.  It was excellent. 

 We had our annual block party with the best neighbors ever!  We're so lucky to live where we do.  We had dinner together and watched the city fireworks.

Before the fireworks started that night... the kids decorated their bikes (and themselves) and did a bike parade, but it was too dark for pictures.

Las Vegas June 2015

Brent and Shelley invited us down the first weekend of June, to Las Vegas for Wallace's baby blessing.  The whole Jenkins family made it.  There's nothing that I love more than vacations, except for vacations with all my siblings and their families.  We all stayed at the same hotel together, just down the street from Brent and Shelley's house.  We stayed up too late swimming and talking.  Saturday, we got up early and drove to the Hoover Dam.  It was pretty hot, but the kids were troopers.  For lunch, my Dad treated us to the buffet at Excalibur.  My kids thought they had died and gone to heaven.  As we pulled up to Excalibur, Hailey kept saying how magical it was.  She was so excited to be in a real castle.  Hailey and I had to go to the bathroom and of course we have to be in the same stall, so I told her to go first.  She said I could go first since I brought her to this amazing place.  Really, my kids are pretty easy to please.  The endless dessert was their favorite, until we headed to the arcade.  We spent a good amount of time playing at the arcade, then we went to see the house Brent and Shelley are buying.  We ended the night with dinner and Brent and Shelley's and swimming.  Sunday morning we headed to church to see sweet little Wally be blessed.  We had lunch at Brent's after, then drove home.  

The car ride was one of my favorite parts.  The kids did great and were so good the whole way.  I am a much more patient and fun mom while on vacation with my kids and Ben...  which means we should probably start taking more vacations.

 I left a whole bunch of stuff for the trip on my kitchen counter... including Ike's swim diaper and suit.  So ya, we kinda looked white trash.  But seriously, it's Vegas... not the classiest place right?

 This is what 4 people look like sleeping in a queen together.  Hailey and Abi both fell off the bed multiple times that night.  The next night they stayed in Grandma and Grandpa's extra bed.  Abi was sleeping with Ben and Luke and woke up early and took pictures of us.  Ike was originally in the pack and play, but started crying during the night, so in my sleepiness I just stuck him next to me.  And Carly was totally a blanket hog :)

 Ike hated the back pack.  He cried pretty much the whole time.

  Having  a geologist in the family comes in handy on trips like this.  Jed's a wealth of information.  Luke has now added Geologist to what he wants to be when he grows up.

 My new favorite family picture.  You might see this on the Christmas card this year.

 All the grands in order except Kael and Wally.  Kael was tired of pictures... I don't blame him.  We took a lot.

 Shelley has two nieces on her side of the family, so we got a picture of all the cute girls together.