The Beauty of Late Nights!

 Friday nights are typically KID nights in our family!  That means, our home can often be filled with boys and girls ranging from 4-12 years old, treats, games, play station, movies and just fun!

It was such a beautiful night, I had to take some pictures of the kids, the rain-filled night and beautiful sunset.

Candy Bar Posters for the 1st Day of School!

 Several years ago, one of my dear friends (Rachelle) gave me the idea to do candy bar posters for the kids as they arrive home from their first day of school!  I gladly stole it because I knew both the kids and I would enjoy it. 

And they did!

And their mother did too! ;)

Here We Go Again.......2013-2014 School Year!

Crazy to think that the summer is over and we are back at it.  But we are!

The kids and I posed on the deck for pictures of our first 2013-2014 day of school!  It was a monumental year for me:  year 20!  It was also a milestone for Taylor as she started junior high.  The boys are both at the same elementary and Alyssa, well....we all know she is in GREAT hands with Ms. Julie!

Here's to a great school year!

 (I was cracking up at his cuteness and just snapped the picture!)

Family Matters!

 I met my parents, my kiddos and Ginger's family at Maddox for lunch so that I could get my kids back from their Idaho stay with Grandpa and Grandma Hatch!  Lunch was awesome; the company was even better!  Ginger's little kids are adorable and so full of cuteness!  My kids were practically eating the baby!

 On Sunday we celebrated Poppie's and Leella's birthdays at Cheri's house.  Fun times!

Happy 14th Anniversary!

It was 14 years ago that we sealed the deal!  Fourteen years tells a lot in the story of life...and I can say that we are tighter today than we've ever been.  I am so blessed to have found such a wonderful man to call husband and that my children call father.  Happy Anniversary to us!

A Visit From Uncle Bob and Aunt Dawn!

 We were so happy to have Dave's uncle and aunt from CA come and stay with us for a week in August.  Uncle Bob and Aunt Dawn are so kind and genuine.  We enjoyed yummy BBQs, shopping, homemade ice cream, great talks and getting to know them in a way that only comes from when you share a home with someone.  They brought a special spirit with them.  It was obvious why Dave loves them so much.  We all do now!

 Homemade Rocky Road Ice Cream!

 Shopping for shoes with Aunt Dawn and Taylor!

 Monopoly with Aunt Dawn and the kiddos!

 Shaved Ice from Snoasis!  Delish!

Cousins' Retreat 2013

Our Cousins' Retreat 2013

Oh, what fun it was!  Since we don't see our cousins as often as we would like, I had an idea at the beginning of the summer to have a cousins' retreat:  a few days where cousins could create memories and bonds through positive experiences and good ole' fun!  

It was an enormous success!

On Monday, we met at our home and divided the cousins into boys and girls.  Melissa took the boys to the park in Alpine for four hours.  Included in their afternoon were all sorts of activities, sports, games and cooling off in the splash pad.

I took the 5 girls shopping to Gordmans and then to the new outlets.  It was so much fun!  The girls bought matching wallets, bought school clothes, treats at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and shoes.

Around 5:30pm, we met back at our home and started the mini pizzas.  Brendon showed off his skills in the kitchen!

 The girls dyed their hair with Kool-aide and the boys played with legos. 

 After dinner, we made popcorn, cotton candy and homemade ice cream for the movie on the deck.  What a hit!

 The next morning, we ate Ebelskivers, eggs and sausage for breakfast.  We had planned to on a hike, but Dave needed the suburban to pick up some more dry wall for the basement so we opted for an hour at the park instead.

 Next came the cousins' craft:  painting picture frames for our memories.  The kids loved the project and created the most unique frames.

 TIME FOR THE WATER SLIDE!  I rented a water slide for a few hours in the afternoon.  We had a BBQ and then played in the water.  The kids had a blast on the slide.

 The twins, Levi and Lydia, consumed our energies.  We love and adore them....and fight to hold them!  Here are Jessica and Jasmine with the babies.

 By the end of the retreat, we were exhausted!  Austin feel asleep on the couch.

I can honestly say the retreat was busy, exhausting and LOADED with fun!  We bounded together and enjoyed our time together.