Aunt Lael’s

We LOVE Aunt Lael!  Some aunts are hard to love, but this aunt you can’t help but LOVE!

My girls planned a trip to Arizona to visit her this summer.  She was cute and sent a list of activities and projects they could choose from.  They talked non-stop about this trip ALL summer long.

Finally the day arrived.  I ended up flying down there as well to stay with my sister Alesha, that had just moved to Phoenix.  So with lip gloss on and a bag filled with treats we boarded the plane to start our adventure.

Isn’t Aunt Lael beautiful!  She is one of the sweetest!

The girls made fancy treats, cute bracelets, and snuggly blankets.

 

They went out for Janie’s birthday, to a water park, on a gorgeous hike, and out to lunch with Grandpa and Grandma Brenda to Chili’s. 

 

You Arizona people probably will recognize this hike.  I can’t remember the name of it.

I on the other hand hung out with this cute little sister.  We decorated her new home, shopped like crazy and enjoyed an amazing dinner at The Yard.  Dave was teasing us about taking pictures of our food, but how could we not with a tomatillo FLOWER!!!  So enjoyed the conversation and that night!

Then we headed home to our normal, ridiculously boring, not fun, real life!  :(

     

And started dreaming and talking about our next trip …

Ice Bucket Challenge

An Ice Bucket Challenge was in full swing for ALS when school started.  Everyone was challenging everyone and videotaping.  Dar challenged me, but I will spare you with that and instead show you Jacob’s and Rebecca’s.  I don’t know how I managed to not get a picture of Kaylee’s!  Hers was hilarious!

And cute Jake….

How awesome that something like this brought so much awareness and money to ALS!

One last look at that refreshed face of Rebecca….

Back to School

I have two in high school, two in middle and then two in elementary…

Ashley made a little pearl bead apple for the secretary Pam.  The adore each other!

They did ALL quotes all over their lockers…

Finally, all day and gets to take her lunch!

Cried all day just like I do every year.  This year was particularly bad.  I was mowing our lot and so my tears mixed with all of the dust causing quite a muddy sad looking face! 

Quote of the Day

Wristband

Oh yeah, this little chica swam her heart out the first of June and got a wristband for the summer.  Which has meant waterslides, mom doesn’t have to be 15 ft away at all times, and basically pure freedom at the pool!

Roller Skating and Dalton’s Head

The next day Kristy took half the kids swimming over at Flying Horse, and Alesha went with me and a bunch of the kids roller skating.

Some were cute…

Some were fast …

Some were a little “thriller” like …

This one here in the middle we pretended that it was his birthday …

You can imagine the looks he got as they sang Happy Birthday to him.  A big 17 year old hanging out at Skate City with a bunch of little girl cousins.  (my boys were still in the mountains at camp) Dalton was a good sport though!

Ice cream is just a half block up the road so away we went for a treat.

We then all met back up at my house in the afternoon and did some crafting.  Everyone made a clay necklace.  They were all as different as each of the cousins.  Here is Rebecca’s … Rae is her middle name.

Then we played a game with the kids.  It’s a “little different”.  You put two tables together with a gap between them.  Then a person kneels in the middle of that gap so that their head is level with the tables.  You cover their head with a pot or bowl.  On the rest of the tables are pots that are covering various common household objects.  One by one you let each one come into the room and tell them that we are having a race.  They have to lift the bowl, name the object underneath and keep going down the table as fast as they can.  WELL, I’m sure as you can guess it’s a little freaky lifting up a pot and seeing a live head under it. 

    

Yes we are a little strange on my side of the family.  Those expressions were priceless!  However, you should see the night we did Aunt Polly to the kids at my mom’s house!

24th Celebrations

We celebrated Karley’s birthday!

Two days of parades, one of which had a 5K run before the parade.

A wonderful play put on by some amazing actors!

The family dance was a blast.  Grandma got out all of her jewelry so the girls had some bling. 

Stitches in Jerrica’s little finger.

The fire hose that blasted everyone after the races.

The actual races….

Thomas was SO excited because he had a real flower in his vest pocket.  Nathan was over the moon dancing with a cute girl from Sanford.  We discovered that the kid has some moves!  It must be all of the soocer tricks!