Summer Fun in Canada!

So besides all the Birthdays, family reunions and ball games....what is your favorite part of summer? Is it staying up late giggling in a tent set up at Grammas? Is it roasting s'mores with your cousins? Is is riding bikes, digging up worms or swimming all day? I think we did every possible summer activity this year up in Canada. It was so much fun! The kids had a blast playing at their Grammas' houses and goofing around with all their cousins. Nothing better than summer vacation...no worries...just PLAY PLAY PLAY!

First Day of School!

So I have one more post from Canada, but I must take a break because yesterday was Gracie's first day of GRADE 1! Crazy, eh? I asked her if she was ready the night before and she said she was "SO ESITED!" (translation: SO EXCITED) I asked her about what and she said EVERYTHING! I think her favorite part was picking out her first day outfit. I took her shopping for some new clothes and she handed me everything off the racks: "How 'bout this one Mom. Its a size six. Look Mom, it has sparkles...its pink...I like it...its cool..." She liked everything. But she really liked her 'Rockstar' outfit, as she calls it. Doesn't she look like a Rockstar?!

And don't forget the shoes! She was so proud last spring when she learned how to tie her own shoes. And I told her if she learned, we would buy her a pair of lace up runners. So these she picked out last June, and she has been waiting PATIENTLY all summer to wear them!

Her new teacher is Ms. Howell and so far the last two days she has come home just as excited as when she left the house.

Brody was all excited to take her to school that morning, but he was a little sad by the time we got home. Your Mom isn't near as fun as your big sister, I guess.

Henry Reunion 09

Four years ago my Grandmother on my Fathers side and her children

(Aunt Sandra, Uncle Greg and my Dad) and their respective families

decided to start a little tradition. We started having family reunions every summer.

We always get together on Boxing Day for Christmas, but its hard to get EVERYONE together the rest of the year. So they picked a weekend and we started.

AND WE HAVE FUN!!

Everyone camps in Grammas backyard ...well except for our family

as we have Mom and Dad next door. But everyone sets up their own little tent or trailer

and we enjoy the weekend of basically doing nothing!

We have a wiener roast on Friday night and s'mores.

Saturday we went tubing down the river and had a little carnival for the little kids with prizes. Sunday we tried out slingshot golf (pilates bands and beanbags...great fun!)

and tried out Human Battleship, which didn't turn out so great

and ended up with the guys coming around and bombing us with the balloons

and some people (namely my husband) throwing others (namely myself) into the pool!

I did get him with a bucket of water, though.

And then on Monday everyone cleaned up and headed out.

Gramma's yard is really ideal for it because she has bushes, fences, buildings

completely surrounding it so we put up gates at the openings and the kids stay in the yard.

Not too hard to keep them there with the tramp, swings, sandbox and pool.

Saturday and Sunday they basically got out to dry off and then they were back in.

They played so well together...I think we only had 1 or 2 fights, but nothing big.

They had alot of fun and I think its awesome they get to know their extended family like that. Gracie really likes it because there are other GIRLS there!

She had a great time with Cassy, Racheal and Madison.

Once again I am so grateful for family! And that weekend is really great because I get to see Aunts and Uncles and cousins that I might not get to see. So I really enjoy it. And with the kids being fenced in, you don't have to really worry about them....even better! I really enjoy spending time with my family, and since we only get a couple weeks out of the year I really enjoy it and appreciate the time we have with them.

I am so thankful for my Heavenly Father giving me such a wonderful family!

Magrath Days...Hangin' with the Godlonton fam...

So every year Magrath (Dustin's hometown, where we went to High School, where our fam is...) celebrates its birthday in classic small town style. The Weekend full of festivities for all...Pancake breakfasts, parade, races, town entertainment, lots of good food and a family ball tournament. It is alot of fun and we always get to catch up with people we went to school with who come home every year to celebrate with their own families.

Dustin's whole family comes down;

his brother Jamie and wife Jody and their kids Wyatt (4) and Cole (2);

His sister Kelsey and husband Steve and kids Rylen (6) and Ryder (4) and Gage (4);

His other brother Tanner and wife to be Lindsay and their daughter Sloane (6 mos.);

His sister Leanne; and us with our clan, kids 6,4,and 1.

Now did you see the childrens ages here? Yes...that would be 9 kids ages 6 and under.

Its a little chaotic that weekend, but the kids get along pretty well and of course,

they are at Grampa and Grammas house so they are loving every minute of it!

Us parents...well, we are grateful for bedtime!

So we spent the weekend eating great food and playing ball.

(The big green machine took second this year!)

We watched the parade...well, the boys watered the parade.

My in-laws house is the last corner of the parade route and our 4 grown up boys

(we include Mr. Wetherelt in this category) must have hundreds of water balloons (300?)

and the hose to make sure NO ONE in the parade is too hot. Wasn't that nice of them?

The problem is many of those people fought back and us poor bystanders

were also watered in the process. But its all good fun!

And of course, it wouldn't be Magrath Days without fireworks.

Tanner's Firework Spectacular was pretty good this year

(because of his 5 P's: Percise planning promotes perfect performance(I think!?!))

It all was so much fun and so great to hang out with our friends and family.

I am so grateful we have such great family on both sides that we really enjoy being around

and spending time with. The kids love it as well, getting right back into the grove of playing with cousins they only see every few months. I am so thankful for our FAMILY!!

Brody's Birthday...July 12...

So I'm going back a little in time today because my little boy turned FOUR YEARS OLD while we were in Canada. Gramma Sherry said she would make him a cake this year since we would be home (she made one for the other to rugrats as well!) and we had a little party for him. It was fun!

My little boy is four, I can't believe it! He is such a good kid, but he is so serious. This I blame on myself as I am the same way. He likes to do things his way and he doesn't really like to be helped...he likes to do it on his own. He was a tough baby, especially after Gracie and us being away from family. But he seemed to grow up so fast! His first phrase was "I do it" at about 17 months and he applied it to everything. He even insisted on dressing himself, which took alot of patience on my part.

He is so smart. He lovves doing 'school work' in the work books and loves to read. He is even picking up words out of the stories we read. He catches on quick, but it makes me a little sad because I don't want him to get BIG!

He is very helpful most of the time, though when he doesn't want to do something he usually says something like "I decided I didn't want to do that, so I'll save it for later...". What a goof! He comes up with some good ones!

He loves BOY stuff. Guns, sports, cars. He will play with his sister but he always is the Hero, the Bad Guy, the Dad or something. He loves helping his dad, and has to get the tools out when Dustin is fixing something. He often will find something he likes and he carries it around for days. He has a paint stir stick that is his 'boomerang' and he used to use the play rolling pin for a sword. He has the best imagination!

So happy birthday Brody! We love you and are so happy you are with us. I hope you'll learn one day to not be so serious, but we still love your determination about everything! Love you buddy!

First part of the Trip home....Las Vegas to Canada!

We made it back to California! Its good to see our family, but its good to be home as well. We had such a great trip and so many things going on! My camera was working over time, so I am breaking the trip into sections because I think the entire trip would be way too long to blog all at once! So we'll start at the beginning...getting back to Canada!

So I had decided to drive back early with the kids, and my parents said they would meet us in Las Vegas and drive up with us. We stayed with them in Vegas for a couple of days so my Dad could see the sights a bit. The first night we went and seen the fountains at the Bellagio, the volcano at the Mirage, and the gondolas at the Venetian. You forget what a walk that is up and down the Strip! Then the next day we went to the M&M factory and the Coke Store. My dad loves everything coke. He collects old bottles and other Coca Cola paraphenalia, so he was pretty much in his glory! That night Mom and Dad went to the Tournament of Kings and the kids and I had an early night.

The next day we took off towards Canada. My dad had wanted to go to the Grand Canyon but after looking at the maps and things we decided it would be too long, so we went to St. George and over towards Zions Park. We took this little loop road that went out towards the park and towards Bryce Canyon. We stayed in Panguitch, Utah and the kids got to play on the playground there, which I think was thier favorite part of the trip! The next morning we headed towards Bryce Canyon. Now there was just some unbeleivable rocks and cliffs in this area. Even around Zions Park. I am from Southern Alberta and I grew up hiking in the Rockies, which to me are some of the most majestic mountains anywhere, but the formations and colors in these two areas were unreal. We had to drive very slow and stop often so the photographer (aka Dad) could try and capture the beauty. The pictures hardly do it justice though. It was a very cool drive. One moment you would be driving through green farming valleys, then you'd go up around a hill and there would just be rock and canyons all around you. So cool! At one point we were driving on top of a mountain pass and it just dropped off on either side! Nothing between the car and the cliff but a nice little wire fence. (Not very reassuring!)

This little loop road hit the 89 and went up through Manti (beautiful Temple there) and up to Provo. Even went through a town called Henrieville! (My maiden name is Henry) so we had to get out and take a picture of that! A little out of the way than our usual trip but well worth it for scenery. Very beautiful. I'm not sure how much the kids appreciated it, but they were really very good for being such a long drive. I packed their play cameras in the van and they had to take pictures when Grampa did. They even had to get out of the car a couple of times, or lean out the windows to get the right picture! Cooper was done by the third day...he just cried everytime he had to go into the car seat! Poor little man!

We made it home on July 1st...Canada Day! It was a long long drive, but alot of fun with Gramma and Grampa. Thank goodness for them, especially Gramma keeping Cooper somewhat happy in between stops! I am so grateful for wonderful parents who love my children so much! More on our trip home tomorrow! Enjoy the pictures!

Almost ready to come home...

So I'm going to have a lot of blogging to catch up on over the next couple of weeks...and pictures! We have had alot of fun this summer...its been a blast seeing our families and friends,and a little sad that we are leaving in a couple of days...I'm not sure if I can get back to 'normal'! HA HA HA! The kids have played and played and had alot of fun with both sets of grandparents and all their Aunts, Uncles and Cousins. Its really great to be able to see all of the family in one place! With family reunions, birthday parties, Family ball, reunions and going out with friends, its been a very, very busy summer! But so much fun. More later! Only 3 more days...