One thing after another!

Yes, I realize it's been a little longer than usual since my last entry (thank you to all those who tell me weekly/daily/hourly!) but it's not because we have had nothing going on and have nothing to share...exactly the opposite. We have had family in town, friends in town, and lots of fun offers along the way. So instead of breaking them up into all these different entries, we're going to try and get them all into one. Hopefully all that care about what is going on in these pictures will see what they wanted to see! My apologies, my life is not normally THIS crazy as it has been the past few weeks.

The first group of pictures are from my family coming down for a few days and visiting with us over conference weekend. Their visit was short and sweet, but we did get to take them on the Mountains Edge hike that the boys love, play at the park that they love, and just play games and enjoy their company. We love having family come and visit, especially when it's family that we don't see down here very often! Thanks mom and dad, it was fun having you guys here!

After they left, we got to meet Lesa and her kids, and Miranda and her kids at the Clark County fair in Logandale. We took Alisa and Layden with us, and I have to say - being from a small town - with a fair every year that I thought was great....the Clark County fair was AWESOME. We will go back every year. The kids absolutely LOVED it, and had such a great time looking and petting (most) of the animals, riding the train, playing with their friends, watching the mokey show, and of course, going on the fair rides. They actually had more than enough rides for them all to ride, and the kids would have stayed all night if we would have let them. Jackson and Maya were very cute and brave going on the big ferris wheel and on the big rocking boat - that goes high in the air - with their hands high up in the air and giggling non stop. It was a great fair, and we wished we could have spent more time there...for all of you local Las Vegas people, make the fair next year a must-go, because you will not be disappointed.

 

The next pictures are from the Princes' visit down here for a few days, and our very fast trip to Disneyland with them, and then camping with the Hulets and the Carruths. Trista brought just Bryns and Stock down here for a fast and fun getaway, and we hung out one day with the Ogdens at Toni's mom's house, swimming, eating, and having fun catching up. Then we bravely took all four kids by ourselves for a very fun and quick trip to Disneyland. The kids had a blast, as usual, but this trip was the first time that Max got to be just like his older brother, and got to share in Jackson's crazy obsession for rollar coasters...because Max was finally tall enough for the Mickey Mouse rollar coaster in Toon town. I didn't really think he was going to be tall enough, but he barely made it, and he had a PERMA grin on the entire 20 second ride. (not exaggerating on the 20 seconds, either!) He kept screaming, "Max tall enough!" over and over again, and was very excited. (We rode that dang ride with all four kids, who shared in his new found love for this ride probably 15 times....they LOVED IT.) Anyway, it was so fun to have Trista and her cute kids with us - even if it was for a few days, and we love you guys!

 

Now onto the camping...I'm still smiling over the fun we had with our friends in the "mountains" a week ago. We loaded the car for just one night, and had a big campfire with tin foil dinners, lots of marshmallows and gooey chocolate and the crackers...nothing was left out! I can't believe how good all of the kids were, and how excited they were helping with everything. Jackson, Max, and Lincoln couldn't "help" out enough with the fire, and I thought for sure one of them was going to have an accident, but they were all so fun and we had a blast. I'm still not sure what my favorite memories were....Kate's rendition of an actual "bathroom" in the wilderness because she doesn't believe in squatting, Zack coming back with a whole tree that I swear he must have chopped down himself in the 10 minutes he was gone (after Emilee and I had spent a half hour collecting firewood with the kids, and making what we THOUGHT was a pretty good pile), staying up until 1:00 in the morning playing ONE MORE game of Settlers, or the four wheeling trips the next morning, and shooting Zack's gun. It was all so fun, and we have to hand it to the Hulets...they DEFINITELY know how to go camping. Thanks guys, we MUST do it again!