The Fourth

We kind of spent his and hers fourth of July this year. Britt wanted to go to Benson to celebrate their traditions. My favorite was the parade. I took Loren, Britt, and Mackenzie with me and we left Sunday night. The next morning was the parade. Mackenzie was in it. The rest of us watched from the sidelines. It was pretty good for a small town. Tons of tractors, even Ronald McDonald showed up on a tractor. There was a band but they performed on the back of a flatbed truck. I was not impressed.

But I was impressed with the Barney Auto Sales entry. They had a bunch of trucks on top of a trailer with kids riding on the vehicles and walking next to them. Dakota, Cheyenne, and their families were there and even Mackenzie got to ride up on the white truck. But best of all was this girl!!!

 

She is the reason I come here and I love her to death. This trip was a bit hard and this girl made sure I was taken care of. She gave me her time even though so many of the Barneys were there and I will love her forever for it!!!

We stayed for fireworks and then headed home.

 

Mackenzie's First Year at Girls Camp

 

Mackenzie went to girls camp for the first time ever! I was so worried! She was held back in school because she was too immature for first grade. She still acts a little childlike but that's okay. She is the baby and I gotta hold as long as I can, right? Anyway, she did very well! Tami was there and she kept an eye on her and Angela was her YCL. -  One leader commented that she always had a positive attitude when a lot of the girls didn't. That makes me so happy to hear! She is always making sure everyone around here feels better, Joey is her exception, of course, but that is a whole other story! I think she will be even better when her friend Alex  is old enough to go next year!

Special thanks to my awesome sister who took these wonderful pictures!!!

 She loved adventure day the most and but really she loved everything about it. She loved her leaders and said they were a lot of fun! One was Marie Montgomery, the 1st counselor in Stake Primary to my second. Wonderful lady!!!
 

Our Little Trip

 Such a busy week! Joey reported to Camp Raymond on Sunday, Mackenzie is headed to girls camp, Zach is going to  comic-con for a few days at the end of the week, which leaves Ashley and Travis here on their own. Oh, well. They are adults. They will figure it out!
 

With Joey and Kenzie busy for the week, I thought about it and decided I wanted to do something too! Britt and I played around with the idea of going to Salt Lake and doing Lagoon and what better time to go than the same week the little ones are busy! If Joey continues to go to Raymond I think this might become a tradition.
 

We bought our tickets and we left the same day Mackenzie headed up to camp! ME being the most responsible person in the world forgot my drivers license!!! They finally let me board with my insurance card! (Yeah, I called Travis as soon as I could and he promised he would send my Drivers License to Jeff's house ASAP!)

We flew into Provo and then took the FrontRunner into Bountiful where Jeff and his little family picked us up! They are so cute! They talked and talked the whole night. They didn't know our names but they called us friends. 'My friend this, her did that'. So cute!!! I can't wait to be a Grandma!!! 
Their front room window looks up to the Bountiful temple! It is so beautiful!!! And the girls had a lot to say about it! They went on and on about how Moroni got hurt and had a hole in his back. A few weeks ago lightening struck the Moroni statue on the Bountiful temple and it needed to be replaced.  The Meridian temple was not ready for theirs yet so Bountiful got it. and the girls were so excited that Moroni was better! If life were only that easy!!!
 

The next morning we woke up and Jeff called me into his office (He works at home). He was so cute, concern all over his face. Apparently I did not plan very well after all and it turns out that Lagoon opens the next day! I talked with Britt and we decided to play in Salt Lake for the day instead.

WE went to Temple Square, Joseph Smith memorial,  the conference center, and then to the mall for shopping and lunch.  Jeff picked us up early and we headed back to his house, stopping to get a kiddie pool first. We set it up and the girls and I played in the water while Britt had a nap. It was so nice catching up with Jeff. I really miss not having him closer!!! And he is so cute with his girls! They had the best time showing off, trying so hard to not to get wet in the pool, and enjoying having someone new capturing their attention. And honestly, I loved it too! Did I mention I cannot wait to be a Grandma?

 

Lagoon was the next day and I had a great time with Britt! The lines were short enough that even though we only had four hours to play, we still accomplished all we wanted to. We even caught the FrontRunner back into Provo. Funny, I had never seen Salt Lake that way before. It was very cool! (I barely got my drivers license in time!)
 And, to top the whole night of, we ended our trip with a four hour delay!!! We did not get home until probably 1 am. Luckily Mackenzie wouldn't be home until the next afternoon.
And I did get a glimpse of Travis before he headed up to Flagstaff that morning to get Joey! It was a great little trip and I am so in love with those two girls!!!! My parents are headed up next week to see them and I hear they have a big surprise, I kind of have an idea but I will keep that to myself for now!!!

Britt's favorite ride!

 

 

Camp Raymond

After packing for over a week, getting him a prepaid phone (heaven help everyone whose phone number he knows) and fitting that little body into two men's uniforms, we are here!

 

We did it! We dropped him off at Camp Raymond. We took the three younger ones with us and made it a day!

We arrived and we needed to put together his cot. Luckily the tents were already put up. We didn't get a chance to meet his roommate but we did see Landon Schnebly and he helped us get what we needed. He is waiting for his mission papers and we are so excited for him! He will be up there the whole time and he said he would keep an eye on Joey for me. That is one tall order!!!

 

!

The campsite was set up in a circle with a shade canopy in the middle. Kind of like the pioneers when they circled up at their campgrounds.

Here he is in front of his home for the week!

Zach, kind of helping but not really. He was too busy giving Joey a hard time and annoying him. Funny how the rolls changed so quickly!

 

He says he is going to call me every day. I love this kid! I am going to miss him! And our house will be so quiet!!!

 

Kenzie was not impressed. She is ready to head home. She has her own camping experience to worry about this week!

Gary's Visit

I got a call out of the blue from Gary!!! He was coming to visit!!! He was working at the Phoenix Convention Center for a week and wanted to stay a few extra days and visit with us so he called me! I was so honored!!! He came in the weekend before Graduation and we had a great time! We had dinner with Tami and Jim and that was a lot of fun! 

 

The next day we went to the ghost town with a bunch of the kids.
He said he got a kick out of the Zach and Joey, especially their relationship with each other. Apparently he thought they were funny and they made my house a fun happy place to be.

 He even came to church with us on Sunday. And then he joined us for dinner that night. It gave us a chance to catch up. In fact, we found out Garrett, his 2nd oldest son, was getting married while they would be visiting Jeff and it was decided that they were going to come to the wedding!!! That was perfect timing!

 

It was wonderful having Gary here! It is always awesome when my two worlds collide, but I will admit that I missed someone else  just a little bit while he was here!!!

 

Here is his beautiful Family. I will get the names wrong I am sure but they are Chandler, Garrett, Bryson, McKay, and the twins and I can't remember their names!!!

Class of 2016!

Congratulations to my niece, Danni Pace, who graduated with honors! So proud of this girl and love her to death!!!

 

 

 

My sister and I! We have been to 4 graduations together and four more to go!!! Couldn't do it without her and vice versa, I hope!!!

 

End of the Year Projects

Depending on the child. my favorite part of the end of the year is the projects. For instance, Mackenzie needs to turn in her book report in the form of a cereal box. She did cute! She cut out the front and has a picture in the inside of the box to represent the book and the written information on the back. Smart girl, that one!

 

Joey, on the other hand, has a very interesting project. In his math class he was given "15,000" from an uncle, Joey being his favorite nephew, to spend on stuff. The remaining money going to his brothers and sisters. So my little man decides he wants to buy a coffin. He has always wanted to sleep in one ( his eternal slumber doesn't count. Apparently you need to appreciate a casket while you are alive! Obviously I missed that life lesson!) He not only buys one but two! You know, gotta have one for his friend when they decide to spend the night. He then buys a mini fridge, a purple one at that, because he doesn't want to leave his room. He did get a dresser. I am proud! (...Just found out its to hold his 50" TV as well as his clothes...) And a vending machine! You know he needs to make money off himself apparently!
Oh no! I missed the treadmill so he can burn off all those calories from the fridge and the vending machine! ...And the skeet ball machine!!! I love my son!

The rest of the money was spent on Minecraft stuff! A desk, A computer, a camera, and other nonsensical items for becoming a Minecraft addict. He did get some curtains, though, to keep all the light out. (looks like he is never leaving the room! I am surprised he didn't spend money on a porta potty!) And the total bill came to 15,000, which leaves nothing for his brothers and sisters!!! Ain't he a sweetie?

Can I just say he really needs to go to camp this summer?