Summer In a Quick Blurb

 Holy Cow! Summer has flown by. It isn't over yet (thank goodness), but its wrapping up fast. When I planned the summer it seemed like we would be home quite a lot and at the beginning we sort of were, but now that its wrapping up I don't feel like I have been home at all! However, here is some of what we did this summer.

Arizona--We went to Arizona Father's Day weekend. Jason came all the way with us and stayed until Tuesday. It was so great to have him around and it only made our time apart like 10 days which was kind of nice. We had a great time in AZ. I played pickleball most mornings. It was fun to play with Oma's friends and to have people think I was good. I really enjoyed playing. We went swimming every day at least once a day. All of my kids became or remember they were little fishes. The twins loved jumping in, Kylee worked on perfecting her dives, Hope kicked and floated around pretty content, and Tia just loved playing whatever. We also got visits from Kara and Klaire and their kids, so that was fun. I love the time I get with my sisters and kids. When we all get to my mom's house we are all technically 'on vacation' so we can just take care of kids and hang with each other. Kylee and I managed to squeeze a few trips to the temple. Kylee went once with Oma, once with Papa, and once with Me. I went and did an endowment session and sealing with my parents. We loved Arizona!

Proof we made it to AZ.

Hope was quiet. This is lotion all over her.

Kylee and Tia trying on our old prom dresses.

Kids working on scavenger hunt Aunt Kara invented.

Playing in the puddle from the micro burst.

Abby built me this cool hat.

Hope knows Papa is the best to sleep on.

At the temple

Swimming

Bubble bath after swimming.

Utah-Papa drove us from Arizona to Utah in one day. He is a trooper especially since he didn't feel good. I went to my cousin Lisa's house. She provided us with delicious homemade pizza and 9:00 at night. 15 hours after we left that morning. Then the kids slept in the basement all together and her and I visited until 1:00AM. My mom wasn't there to tell us to go to bed, so we kind of forgot (wink, wink). The next day we just let the kids play inside and out. They had fun and we had a great time hanging out. It had been a long time since we got to just enjoy each other. SO GOOD!

The kids in the splash pad

Lisa and I, cute as ever!

Hope and Elssie

Kade, Hugh, and Abby on the tramp

Bryce Reunion-After staying over night with Lisa we went up to Idaho where we dropped-off my dad and met up with Jason again. We went and stayed in Swanlake for the weekend. Then we made the trek to Bear Lake. This year I was 'in charge,' and decided to take over the food. Klaire helped me know how much to buy, but we bought it all and took it to the lake. Our car was packed!! There was really only lap space left and we had a bag on top too. Our best food find/pickup was when we went to Casper's Ice cream. We bought cookies and cream with caramel sandwiches. They were so good. We actually had really good food all of reunion. Some events of the reunion were two days at Bear Lake. We were there between 9 and 10 and stay until 3 or 4. The kids had a great time in the water despite it was FREEZING!, we also built castles and hot tubs. My mom, Klaire, and Kara watch firework on the 4th of July from the road in front of the cabin. The best ones were the illegal ones the neighbor lit off right by us. The whole thing was great though. Full of family and fun. 

Our car

Aunt Klaire and Hope

before we hit the lake

Brady Reunion--Right from the Bryce reunion we went to Grandpa Great's for the Brady Reunion. Lisa was in charge and did a great job. We had a fun family feud game, service project, talent show, fun games, and good food. Once again a great time visiting and having fun with family. For the talent show this year, Kylee play the piano, Kade and Abby wrote and colored a book together, and Tia was going to show off her coloring pages, but we lost them. After reunion was over we went back to Swanlake for showers, bed and to hangout for the rest of the weekend.

Home--We came home for about two weeks which the first few days we played with the Bryce cousins before they went to AZ and the last few days we spent with ourselves and the neighbors. Highlights from this point in time were swimming at sunset pool, the aquarium (my first time ever going to one), a packed dinner at the lake, splash pad with friends, making 'fairy dust' with chalk, and kind of just doing things. Also during this time, we started anxiety meds with Kylee. It has been a game changer for us. She is so much less angry, way more helpful, and just more relaxed. Its not figured out perfectly, but it is so much better. One reason I say it isn't perfect is because when we tried to go to the full dose she went back to being super crabby and also kind of out of it, so we had to back off again. I don't know if that's okay or not, but its what we are doing for now.

Tia with chalk dust glvoes

Abby and Tia with their fairy house

The the aquarium

Hope turned 2

Rode the little train

Went to Loveland Lake

Swanlake--After that two weeks at home we went back to Swanlake. We were there for about 10 days. We haven't stayed that long in a long time, but it gave us time to do lots of things. We went on 2 long four-wheeler rides. My favorite was the one where we went up past the Ranger Riders cabin up towards Shingle Creek. It was so pretty back in there. We might figure out how to go camping there next year, but we will see. The kids played on the haystack, until Uncle Aaron built them a hay fort instead. Jeff and Heidi came down one day to play. Another note worthy event is that Kylee went and did baptisms with Arlen, Grandma, and Grandpa. Then we went to a park in Pocatello for lunch. After that Grandma and Grandpa went to work at the temple and we went to Heidi and Jeff's house. The kids had fun just playing and being crazy together. We had rabbit and sour cream potatoes for dinner. I had never had rabbit before but it wasn't bad. After dinner we headed back to Swanlake and spent our first night in our tent. Friday was the start of the Merrill family reunion. In the afternoon, we went up to the pond. The kids were out on kayaks though this year their favorite thing has been taking out the paddle board and trying to sink and flip it or just take turns jumping off it. It was so hot up there, so once Jason came up I went swimming and it was still pretty cool, but also refreshing. Eventually, dinner happened, kids got showered, and we played a family feud game that Jason and I helped do. The kids watch a movie on a tv that was on the outside of a motor home. I went and visited for a  bit, but after the movie finished I took our kiddos down to the house and we all went to bed. Saturday we went home. It took us awhile to get out the door since we went and picked up meat from John and then waited for a candy/t-shirt drop from an air plane at the pond. It wasn't exactly what I thought, but the kids loved it. Not all the pics below were from this trip but they are all from Swan Lake.

Family picture

We made boats to float

Kade getting his dog fix

On a four-wheeler ride.

Abby Fishing

Jason fishing

Kade shooting. This kid loves to shoot

Horse rides

Me, Kade, and Hope in Pocatello

Kylee with Grandma and Grandpa at the temple

Now we are home to cram in as much summer as we can. Its been fun and we have grown a lot this summer. Abby lost teeth, Kylee is getting help with anxiety, Tia is loving not having homework, Kade is in his home room, and Hope learned to get out of her pack-n-play. As for me, I am apparently getting old, as I have been ready to be back home when the trips were over. But otherwise I am just trying to enjoy it all.