Summer is going Swell!

Warning: this got a little out of control with an overload of summer catch up. I'm just too lazy to split it all into different posts.
you have been warned...


So far our summer has FLOWN by! We just got back from spending 2 weeks in Utah....

So. Much. Fun.

I don't even know what to do now that we are all by our lonesome selves. Taryn has become a total fish in the pool this year. I had her in swimming lessons the 2 weeks before we left and then we pretty much swam everyday in my aunt's pool while staying at her house.

there are like no pools in Reno.... or as my mom would say, "right by lake Tahoe in Sparks, Nevada." For some reason saying we live in Reno scares her.

renorenorenorenorenorenorenorenorenorenorenorenorenorenorenorenorenorenorenorenoreno

So I signed Taryn up for the next course of swim lessons! It's at this really fun resort just 3 minutes from our house.... basically after lessons we lounge around and enjoy the afternoon at the resort without actually paying a fortune for a membership :)
Might be a little sneaky, but a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do.

Taryn the fish and Tenley being entertained with food, as usual.

Spending the 4th on our home turf was super fab. We spent the morning watching the very homemade evergreen avenue parade. Nothing compares really. It was a bonus to see a lot of old neighborhood friends. -and I met our "replacement family." How crazy is it that the family that moved into our old place is a lot like us... tall dad, blonde mom, two kids (4 year old and a baby) but both boys. It was kind of creepy how many times I ran into this family. I felt stalkerish, and wanted to yell, "HEY YOU FAMILY... YOU ARE LIVING MY LIFE!"

Sunday before the 4th... I took a bajillion pictures of them in these dresses
L~O~V~E!






waiting for the parade to start


yelling for "candy over here!"


Taryn's favorite part.



Tenley's favorite part


My favorite part - seeing my cute primary kids! I miss them!!

Later that evening we had a BBQ with the Wilson's (totally forgot to take pictures there!) then saw some festive fireworks at the Holiday Elementary. (again... a must do) My kids were in heaven getting all the attention and being around grandma's... aunts... uncles... and cousins.

Taryn with the lovebirds



Still lovebirds.... Had our very first kiss 9 years ago on this very night!
I'm telling ya fireworks were boomin!
cheese cheese... more cheese


totally normal



My kids love a good dance party


I seriously love this Harajuku girl pose!

After all the 4th of July hoopla ended, we did a ton of hanging out in my Aunt Becky's pool. My mom is having her kitchen completely remodeled and adding on another living room area so her house was somewhat out of service. Lucky for us my Aunt Becky and Uncle Steve live 5 minutes away and they welcomed us to stay at their place! Could you ask for a better setting?

Pool - check
Kid toys - check
Yummy food and treats - check
Late night chats on their back porch - check check check!

Lisa and Tar soakin' up the sun

Amy Lou aka the pool cleaner/keeper/slave

Taryn and Becca. They played like crazy.

my other favorite picture... Tenley as an e-wok spying on Taryn and Ava in the shower

Oh! I saw Harry Potter with my sister Amy and her friends. Loved it! We got prepared by watching the first part of Deathly Hallows on my Uncles prized posession.
The big huge flat screen screen HDTV with an amazing surround sound system :)

We were pumped.

Amy defiled her forearm with a sweet death mark.

And the whole reason for this trip... to be there for my brother who went through the Temple for his own endowements.
So proud of him.
He's going to be one awesome missionary. :)

My brother and his wind blown sisters
I think we look pretty hot

What's left on the agenda for the rest of this month: THIS.... THIS... and THIS.

Hope you're enjoying summer time as well!

Get prepared!

So my cute friend here in Reno is selling this awesome food storage. I am so glad she introduced me to it because I am a total slacker and NEED to get on the ball with food storage and preparedness.

Right now she is doing a giveaway on her blog. http://sweetnsimplepleasures.blogspot.com/

If you want to know more about the Thrive product go to her website(and save money if you order any through her)

I've tried some foods from this company and let me tell ya... they are soooo gooood! I am tempted every day to open my packet of dehydrated strawberries to snack on. mmmm mmmm mmmmmmm

They even have dehydrated ice cream sandwiches! Hello, that is genius! Who wants to be eating beans and wheat when the world is ending?! I'm all for ice cream sandwiches!

Here's to hoping I win :)

9 children + 4 mothers + vegas = a lot of craziness

So my favorite gals were heading to catch the sun in Vegas and I did not want to miss out.

Usually when we head to Vegas or anywhere else with overnight stays we do it to relax, laugh, and lay out by the pool all day long....

This time we brought all the kids along.
There was little relaxation, some nervous laughter, and not a whole lot of laying out. We did have fa good time, and the kids were in heaven. Especially the first night there... we let them all crash and have a big sleep over on the living room floor.

We decided that was a bad idea the next morning when they were all up and playing at 5:30 am....

I'm sure anyone who saw us as we hit Town Square one night with Natalie's husband James in tow, thought we were a polygamist family out having an adventure.

We managed to have fun, but I'm sure we won't be doing another trip like this anytime soon! :)

the perfect hike

Memorial day was hard on me... just knowing most people were spending the holiday with their families and doing BBQ's made me really miss home. I also knew my family would be visiting my Dad's grave, and that in turn made me miss my Dad. I wanted to make the most of our day though, so we ventured out and my prayers to turn my frown upside down were answered :)

We found the perfect hiking trail in Galena. Short, simple, and beautiful views of the valley.

Saw a couple of these guys along the trial






Check out the beautiful view!

Thankfully I always have this guy to help cheer me up!

I was also thrilled when our friends called and invited us to their family BBQ! The Cottrell's have seriously been such awesome friends! I don't know how I'd be surviving life here without Kaymee as my go-to gal pal!! Shout out to ya girl!

and the ride home was filled with the competitive yelling from these two....

Tenley usually wins