Perkins at Pineview Reservoir...

Luke and Andrea planned a fun weekend up at Pineview Reservoir. We camped nearby in what seemed like a big grassy park and I loved not having dirt everywhere! 

Grandma Ce Ce brought a bunch of games like Hot Lava, fishing in the kiddie pool, parachute, soccer goals, and digging in the sand for treasures!

Paul finally got to use the one man tent and sleep outdoors all by himself...right next to our big tent!

Presley is always the main attraction and center of attention for my kids. They always say things like "Presley is the happiest baby in the world!" and "Presley never ever cries like most babies!" We all adore her!

I was trying to get a selfie of us, but Presley just wanted to grab my phone and wouldn't sit still!

It was a scorching hot day and great to be near cool water! Caleb and Lauren brought a whip cream game where you squirt some on your arm then throw it in the air and catch it in your mouth. It was pretty popular!

This little cutie crawled over and found herself a whip cream bottle to suck on! This is one of the cutest pictures ever and is now the screen saver on my phone. It just makes me smile!

We finished up our trip by stopping at Soda Crazy in Layton where they have amazing Italian Ice and custard creations. Luke has been telling us about this place for months, and it did not disappoint! It was almost as good as eating shave ice on the beach in Maui!

Handsome lunch date...

One day this week Blaze and I went up to Fashion Place Mall to shop for family picture outfits. Since he was such a great and patient shopper, we went to the Corner Bakery for lunch. He loves to pick out restaurant food...go figure! He got mac'n'cheese and downed it in about 3 minutes. The sweet boy took half of his cookies home to share with his siblings since they were at school and didn't get to go with us. I just can't believe he's in Kindergarten and growing up so fast.He's still my sweet baby boy though!

First day of school 2016...

FINALLY,.,the BIG kindergartner! He's been waiting for at least 3 years for this day!

7th grade! So Bittersweet! I took him to the school a few days before it started to find classes etc. I was so nervous for him and expected to be holding his hand around school finding everything. He just grabbed the map and started zipping around to all of his classes as I trailed behind. When did this kid grow up?! I swear I was just standing at the bus stop with Michelle waving goodbye as our boys rode off to Kindergarten! He loves it and comes home with a huge smile everyday and tells me all about his school lunch and the art class he loves! He's also really into his Utah Studies (history class), and Math is ok...at least he's doing well in it.

3rd grade! She was so excited to be reunited with her friends, especially Kiya! She likes to fill me in on all the classroom drama of who likes who more than a friend! She hasn't admitted to crushing on any boys though. I don't know if they are off her radar or she just doesn't want to tell me!

5th grade! He's completely obsessed about the classroom pet, Oreo, a hamster. After telling me a daily disgusting story about Oreo, (ie, she climbed up his shorts, or she pooped on the classroom floor), he begs me to get him a pet hamster. No way! I have a strict unbreakable policy: NO RODENTS in my house EVER!

Lombardi, Saunders, Williamson Campout 2016!

We went to the Spruces in Big Cottonwood canyon, and the kids had the best time of the summer! There was a creek behind our campsite (which Blaze fell in no less than 4 times) that kept the kids thoroughly entertained, as well as kickball, bow making, and stick carving! It was freezing cold, but of course, that didn't bother the kids. We hiked to Solitude lake, and Donut Falls. Of course, we ate like royalty with our fancy dutch oven cooking skills. And Cassie and Norah were so sweet to help me with my duties since my wrist was still recovering.

This was outside the "Cave of Isolation) on our hike to Solitude lake. There was a guest paper to sign and leave a message that the kids loved. What a great idea whomever started that!

Every huge rock we saw had to be climbed on and investigated

Looking at this picture makes my heart skip a beat! Those crazy kids climbed up high in the tree and began calling for us and we couldn't find them.

We challenged the kids to make fairy houses out of only things they found in nature. They were SO creative! When it got dark, we cracked open some glow sticks and splattered glow all over the houses. And the kids may have splattered a bit on their clothing. They all looked like a starry night! In the morning, the fairies had left a little treat for the kids.Jackson made a really cool bow from a perfectly curved stick he found in our campsite. The kids found a legit arrow and they were shooting it with the bow when it broke. Cassie related it to when Nephi's bow broke and everyone murmured at the loss of food they were going to experience ;)

I love these families and hope we will continue on our tradition of an annual camping trip!

oh...I can't forget the excursion to Donut Falls! There are signs that say don't hike beyond a certain point that goes up to the donut looking fall. The Lombardi kids were so excited to have their hiking shoes and wanted to venture up. Of course, James was the instigator as he is missing his sense of survival and self preservation. He and Koy and Chris went up with the older kids who dared James to go into the falls! He has a ridiculous video of him walking through the donut....and then the kids followed after him. Bad example! On the way back we lost James and Blaze for a while and were worried, but they eventually returned to the campsite. Blaze had to go "number 2", so they had to stop and make do. Yuck! Glad it wasn't me!

Visit from Samuel the Lamanite...

In sharing time each month, a Scripture Hero has been highlighted. We have been waiting for Lane to make his appearance of Samuel the Lamanite, and he did not disappoint! I actually posted these hilarious pictures on the ward Facebook page because they are too good to miss out on. At one point, Kristi had her class throw markers at Samuel...we can't ever put him through enough to get back at him for the torturous sharing times he put us through when he was in the bishopric! He made us chew several pieces of gum at a time, stuff our faces with marshmallows, had the kids cover us in sticky pads, made us answer ridiculous trivia etc. He played a game where he put the Primary Presidency's enlarged faces on the board, along with Samuel's, so the kids could shoot an arrow at them when they got a question correct. Jocelyn, his daughter, was first to go and hit Samuel on the first shot! It was hilarious, and Lane didn't seem to be too pleased!

Alanna's Baptism..

 August 6, 2016, Alanna Liberty Williamson was baptized by her father. The witnesses were Grandpa Joe and Poppy. In her Priesthood circle for the confirmation were Uncles: Luke, Caleb, Chris, Steven, and both grandpas. Jackson played "When I am Baptized" on his guitar, and then he gave a wonderful talk on covenants we make at baptism. He used each color of the rainbow to explain a convenant that we make with our Father in Heaven. Everyone was so impressed with his guitar skills and his thoughtful talk. This is the introduction Bishop Lombardi gave for Alanna:

Alanna is the perfect name for our little girl. It's a name her mother always loved, and convinced her dad to love it too, because one of the meanings of Alanna is " rock, or rocky". James wanted to name one of our boys Rocky, so Alanna was a perfect compromise! She is definitely a "rock" in many ways when it comes to her determination and tenacity. We love to hear about her developing testimony and her love for reading the scriptures. 

It's possible that Alanna spends more time in the air doing cartwheels, back hand springs, and now aerials, than she spends upright on the ground! When asked what she wants to do when she grows up, Alanna will often say she wants to be a mom and have an eternal family. Her favorite Primary song is "Gethsemane", because it reminds her of how much Heavenly Father and Jesus love her. This baptism day couldn't have come soon enough, and she's so excited to be an official member of the church!

After the baptism, everyone met back at our house for dinner. Andrew Williamson was married that morning, so lots of family was in town and were able to attend the baptism. The cousins loved running around and playing pool .Later on, Caleb got the kids and some adults to play basketball with our new hoop!

As we attended a temple sealing in the morning,and then Alanna's baptism a few hours later, I had the opportunity to really reflect on the covenants I have make with my Father in Heaven, and contemplate on how I am keeping them. As Jackson spoke about specific covenants we make at baptism, such as taking upon the name of Christ and always remembering him, I thought about how much I have been blessed by others helping to bear my burdens these past two weeks. Like most of us, I love to help others, but I am reluctant to accept service. I'd like to think that I'm self sufficient and can handle whatever comes my way without burdening others. Well, two weeks ago I broke my wrist and needed to have surgery to put in a plate and pins. It's surprising how debilitating having only one functioning hand is! I couldn't dress myself or pull back my hair, much less cook dinner or grocery shop or do the essential things to care for my family. My parents too the kids for 5 days which was a huge help since they would have been so bored and restless at home. And I had friends bring over treats, meals, offer childcare, send messages to check up on me etc.! i definitely felt my Heavenly Father's love for me through their selfless service! It has been a great reminder of several things, but most importantly to take time to look outside of myself and thoughtfully serve others in their time of need.