Family Pictures 2012

 During our family reunion this summer a monumental effort was made to take some new family pictures, we were long over-due and the family has grown so much. This is my personal favorite. Members of our clan are not to big on public displays of affection so that make is it even more fun.

 The original members of the William's family. All grown up!

The whole gang. I have to say this turned out really well, and I can hardly wait to hang it on our wall!

My obsession with Colored Skinny Jeans

One big item on Brittany's school shopping list this year was colored skinny jeans. The more colors the better. So we did our best Super-Shopper and found a couple of good deals on a couple of pairs. But I have a problem with thinking I can do something for cheaper. So after we had two pair of cute skinnies and I figured I had nothing to lose I started experimenting. I found a pair of white jeans at the thrift store for a couple of dollars. I picked up some purple  rit dye and went to town. I did learn a few things. I tried this again a week later for myself and improved on the process so what I learned is to dye the item in the more water the better. When I did the purple pair I put them in my biggest stainless steel bowl. It wasn't quite big enough and resulted in some uneven areas where the dye pooled. When I did my orange pair  I used a big 5 gallon bucket and they turned out much more uniform. I also added salt to help them keep their color. My cost on each pair was under 5 buck for me and 7 for Brittany. That means she can have a whole rainbow!

The Girl in the Bubble Plays with a Kitty

Brittany is allergic to cats. Sadly this means she never gets to have the fun of playing with one. Last week our neighbors were out of town and their kitty was lonely I guess and followed me home. He sat on the front porch meowing. Brittany sat down at the sidelight and started to play with him through the glass. They sat there like that for a long time playing. It looked like she was the girl in the bubble playing with the kitten!

Cherry Hill

 The summer is coming to an end. It has been another fun summer at our favorite water hole Cherry Hill. Big progress for Josh this year, he can carry his own tube up Cardiac Canyon.

 He does a pretty good job of hanging on too.

Josh and his buddy Gage. I can't believe how big these two are. Sun, water and friends. What a great summer!

Hogle Zoo 2012

 For the last three years we have had a great tradition of meeting with some long-time friends. We became friends with the Franks when we lived in Syracuse. Jen and I helped Brittany and Emme become friends when they were practically babies. They were both only children when they started playing together and look at the group of kids we have now!

 They are growing up to be such great young women, I am so proud  of them both.

 The boys. It's good that these boys seem to enjoy the same things. You would never know they usually only  see each other once  year. They had a great time, aren't they cute little birdies?

 Hogle Zoo has a great new habitat for the polar bears this year. It was fantastic! There was a whole glass wall so you could see them below water too. This guy was really putting on a great show!

 Josh liked the little elephant family. The baby is right behind the mother.

Just like their mothers these two girls picked up their friendship right where they left it and chatted the day away. I have visions of them as college roommates someday. Hey, a  mom can dream! I so enjoyed my time visiting with Jen too, we have got to get together more often! So grateful that we can at least count on our annual Hogle Zoo expedition!

Swimming with our Crazy Dad!

Part of the fun of going to Park City is staying in the fabulous condo William finds for us, which of course has a pool. This year it became even more fun when the spikey ball the boys were playing with ruptured. Our inventive dad decided it would make a perfect swim cap. So he hid Josh from me and then they told me to look. Wow! What a face and hair!

Of course we immediately had to destroy the other ball we had to make another and a father and son team was born.

Then Matthew had to try it. Aren't they cute little aliens? I tell ya, you go to the pool with boys and come home with human anemones!

Fishing in the Uintas 2012

 This year our annual trip to Park City overlapped Brittany's Girls Camp. I promised to make it up to her, arranged for Grandma to pick her up and we set off with one less kid. It was interesting experience to pretend I was the mother of just boys. I am grateful I am less outnumbered in reality. We did have a good time. First we set off for our day of fishing in the Uintas.  I don't know how many times I have taken this picture of my kids following their dad. I always think it makes such a pretty picture.

 Josh was really excited for the fishing this year. Last year it stayed too wet and we couldn't go fishing. The year before that he was really too little to get into the fishing part of our trip so he was pretty excited to try it this year.  Look how serious he is.

 Matthew caught the first one!

 And the second one.

 Look proof I was actually there! My job was hook baiting. Before my friends who know me in real life die of shock I must add it was just power bait, basically stinky putty. William said it had glitter in it so I should like it. The kids started catching them so fast William took them off the hook, I re-baited them, he cast them out handed the pole to one of the boys and we went round and round like that.

 Josh finally (it was actually about 10 minutes) caught a fish too. Then the race was on to see who would catch more.

Another Matthew picture. They ended up catching 8 fish each which seemed a good stopping place. It was great fun to take them to one of our favorite, beautiful spots. I figured  William and I have been going to that same little lake for almost 20 years. It was one of the first things we did when we were first married because it was cheap. We have been taking the kids off and on since they were big enough to dot he hike with a few skipped years when we had a baby around. It is such a fun family traditions, next year we will be happy to have Brittany back with us!

Grandma and the Sandcastle

I don't know what got into Grandma but she became obsessed with making a huge sand village. She was dedicated alright.

It just got bigger and bigger.

Finally I couldn't resist and had to join in too. It was really fun, made me realize how long it has been since I did anything resembling a craft.

We even got her an umbrella.

But look at that masterpiece!

Another view. We are going to remember Grandma's sand villiage for a long time!

Fun at Bear Lake

Days at Bear Lake! One of our favorite places to be! And the big event is always the wave runner. This is Grandpa being sent on his way by Tiff. The grandparents provide such great memories for all of us every year.

This year Grandma was so busy! Here she is teaching the girls how to skip rocks. Did I mention she needs shoulder surgery? Nothing stops grandma from doing something if she wants to, even pain.

Look at those gorgeous clouds and blue sky. The kids were thrilled when we found a spot with a moat already dug. Matthew got right to work improving it.

Look how graceful Josh is!

Tiff and Grandma.

Uncle Nate brought a raft this year and it was alot of fun too. Grandpa pulled the kids all over. Bet he slept really well that night!

Bear Lake Pool Antics!

We have been so busy vacationing and having fun there hasn't been time to document it here!  We had such a great time at our annual Bear Lake vacation. After we got a taste with William's family we turned around the next week and spent a little more time there. As much fun as we have at the lake, the pool is always fun too.  Especially if you bring your own Uncle Nate to ride/surf. The tolerence of that uncle is unbelievable!

Matthew had to give it a try. Josh was so lucky!

Brittany and her cousin Libby practicing their syncronized swimming skills. Arent' they cute?

Josh was so lucky riding everyone in sight including Grandpa! It was such a great vacation I couldn't stop taking pictures, more posts coming.