Archive for August, 2013


Sunday

Friday, August 9th, 2013
When we left Kaysville, our destination was Logan, Utah, to see Shauntae and her father. I was so excited to see my niece and her family. She use to come down regularly to help Rawlin, and since he moved up there two years ago, we have not seen her. I was excited to see Rawlin too, I just love that family, but the highlight was seeing my favorite niece.
The Drapers were nice enough to feed us lunch before the girls and I went to church with them. At church I actually saw the brother to a mommy blog I follow. I remember the sister blogging about his mission return, and then his wedding.ร‚ย  It was pretty fun to see them in real life, but I did not say anything, because I’m shy like that.
Jon stayed at the house and had a visit with his brother Rawlin while we were at church. Lilah and the two older boys walked home from church, which I loved. I wasn’t sure how my girls were going to relate to these three boys, but Austin, who is 11, had no problem talking to them and playing with them. Ethan, 12, was a little more reserved, as was Matthew,7, but they all got along.
We had a lovely BBQ at their house that evening, and just visited.ร‚ย  I did not get many pictures. ๐Ÿ™ The kids played on the trampoline, while I discouraged them from getting water on the adult, that were sitting near the trampoline, with the water guns.blake01
Rawlin and I enjoying the outdoors.(I was going to lift pictures off my niece’s blog, because we did not have many, but I can’t due to computer difficulties.)
While visiting Shauntae, we stayed in Brigham City with my cousin Ruth. She was nice enough to let us stay there, and we saw Sherilynn, my cousin once removed,ร‚ย  and her new baby Callen. Sherilynn use to live in Las Vegas, so her two older kids had lots of fun playing with my girls, their “old friends”, while staying at grandma’s. Emrilynn, 4 1/2, would often be upstairs waiting to play when we woke up, and there as soon as we returned in the evenings from Logan.

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Family

Tuesday, August 6th, 2013
Way back in June we made a week long trip to visit various family members. We had decided to visit Jon’s brother Rawlin, and my sister Andrea, but we snuck in a couple other family members as well.

Our first stop was in Ceder Hills, Utah to have a BBQ with my Aunt Robin and Uncle Mike, and some cousins.ร‚ย  I think the last time we saw them was three years ago. My cousin Amanda was getting married, and she now has two kids, so I think it was around 3 years ago.

We didn’t have much time, but it was nice to see those who came, and the kids. Everyone is getting so big, and I did not do a good job getting pictures.

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Eden, Lilah, and Elana flying a kit. (Elana is my cousin Mike’s oldest daughter.)
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Carston, who belongs to my cousin Kristen. 3 years old. He was a baby at Amanda’s wedding.
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Amanda, me, Kristen. (Uncle Mike in the background, my dad’s half brother.)

We left the BBQ around 9:00 and showed up at Jon’s cousin’s house at 10:30 pm. DeEtte and Mark were nice enough to house us.ร‚ย  The two oldest girls were still awake, and waiting up to meet their second cousins. Ava is Lilah’s age, and Brynn is Eden’s age. We saw them briefly two summers ago on our way to Yellowstone, so it was nice to spend two nights, and one day with them.

The first night we stayed there I was awoken by a little girl. The room was still dark, and I thought perhaps it was Eden. The little girl asked a couple questions, and I realized it was not my daughter. It was a little scary, but she was nice enough and didn’t turn into a poltergeist. It had been Cailyn, confused by the adult in her bed, even though she had slept downstairs and knew someone would be sleeping in her bed.

In the morning we enjoyed some yard sales and goodies. The two older daughters had danceร‚ย  classes, so once home and feed, we went to the one and only water play at a park in Kaysville. It was a little cold for my girls, while it was hot for our Utah family.

Later that evening we enjoyed dinner with more cousins, and Jon’s aunt and uncle.

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Draya with chocolate on her face. Jon took a picture just like this two years ago.
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Brynn and Eden. Second Cousins.
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Draya, Lilah, Ava, then two random boys.
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Cousins: Rayanne, DeEtte, Kyson, and Jonathan.
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Uncle Kyle, Rayanne, DeEtte, Kyson, Jonathan, Aunt Annette (Sandra’s sister.)
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Cailyn, my shadow.
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The girls loved playing together.

DeEtte’s youngest two girls really took to me, and Cailyn became my own special friend. She followed me around and ate dinner with me, and Draya followed her. Eden was so preoccupied with the fun slide upstairs, the swing in the basement, and the hammock out front, that we rarely saw her. It was Sunday morning before she realized I had gained a new shadow. She said she was not jealous, but that morning I had three little girls that would not leave my side.

DeEtte and Mark headed off to church, while we finished getting ready and packed up.
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Second Cousins: Brynn (7), Eden (7), Lilah (9), Cailyn (5), Ava (9), Draya (3)- The Jensen’s were ready for church, while our children were waiting to get dressed, and mostly played.
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The Jensen Family. Mark is even taller than pictured. We joked he was too tall to fit in the picture, and he bent down just a little.
ร‚ย ร‚ย  ~
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We took time to get some nice pictures with their flowers once we were dressed also.
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It was so nice to see Jon’s cousins and I’m happy we decided to include them on our visit, and that they made the time to see us.

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July Highlights

Thursday, August 1st, 2013
All:
Getting caught in a flash flood. Mostly because the rail road rails malfunctioned and came down when they shouldn’t have. We had to camp at a friends house till the rain stopped. A tree of theirs had fallen right before we got there.
Lilah:

Getting sick on the 4th of July, so you had to stay home from the family reunion. ๐Ÿ™

Getting glasses. You kept saying, I can’t see it, now I can. I can’t see, now I can. I remember being amazed when I got my first pair.

You helped to patch some of the drywall in Dad’s library. Now you ask to patch it at least one-three times a week.
Nearly passing out when you had to get blood drawn. You had to fast for it. (Though you say you were fine, and not going to pass out.)
The same day you had to have the purple bump removed from your hand and were very nervous and shaky.
Then we had to go back and get more blood drawn due to them not freezing some of the blood. It was a piece of cake the second time, due to the traumatic experience of the bump removal, and not needing to fast.

Eden:

Being an only child on the trip with Carolyn and your mom. You played the DS nearly the entire time, whenever we were at the hotel, and a lot in the car.

Being the only cousin for our family at the reunion, you weren’t sure how to handle Zarina’s enthusiasm.
Getting lost at the Children’s Museum with Britta. You thought I said second floor, when I said to meet me and Sam on the third floor. I went looking for you two and found you right as you had started to ask workers for help.
Turning 8! I can’t believe you’re getting so big.
I learned you do not like cantaloupe at all, and you only kinda like watermelon.
Jon:
Buying a bike.
Riding your bike to work.

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