Girls camp

Well... I survived girls camp... Yep I'm still alive (barely, I think I need a week at the spa to start feeling like a girl again...). I never realized how much work girls camp is!! I think I would have died if I didn't have Zandy there to help me... Our theme was Blossoming Uniquely & Growing Spiritually B.U.G.S. Oh & there were bugs everywhere!! Bugs & dirt... Who knew bugs & dirt were up in the mountains... Now that it's over I can say I'm grateful for the experience!!! I may even go on our ward camp out... As long as I'm not in charge!!!

Hiking on the first day

Helping Annette make sconesLo kept making "special" scones for herselfYum, honey butter! The best part about making scones is eating the scones!! Lo & Zandy enjoying craft time! We had some really cute crafts! The river right behind our tent! I was thinking it would be relaxing to fall asleep to the sound of the water, but it was hard to hear over the girls screaming until 2 a.m.! Alex wore a sombrero to keep the sun outI kept singing the Mexican hat song "I dance I dance I dance around the Mexican hat" Ew... This made me want to vomit, but look how happy they are!

Alex & the bishop got to spend some quality "man" time together, making knots, collecting wood, starting the fire. Alex loved it.Alex played water kickball with the girls. He had to be on everyones team because no one wanted to get him out & everyone wanted the free point he always got them! Woo go Kailesha!! I tried to get all the girls to slide home on their bellies, but some of them didn't want to mess up their hair & makeup!! Blowing up tubes to go down the riverAlex & Traci hanging out by the fire. Our last night there I told him that we had to go home tomorrow & he said "But this place is so great!" Making bugs out of treats! I told him to turn his stick, but he decided to turn his head instead! Getting ready for the skits.. I don't look exhausted right?? The girls wanted Alex to be in the skit, he got to show off his acting skillsCamp Atoka was beautiful, but I was so ready for a shower (a clean shower) & my nice comfy bed!!

Adventures in babysitting

Ryan had a job interview in D.C. & Erin decided she wanted to go with him.. I was waiting for my invitation to go too, but they asked me to babysit instead. I figured it'd be good for me to attempt to watch 4 kids at once.. Monday we packed up & went swimming at the Oquirrh pool. Keeping track of 4 kids swimming was a little hectic, but Cait & Alex helped me out. Aidan couldn't decide whether or not he wanted to be wet & he cried when I forced him down the water slide, but then he wanted to go again... So I think he had fun! Later that night Alex had a soccer game. We were all exhausted & grumpy (or maybe that was just me..). Cait cracked me up because she insisted on wearing her cheetah ensemble even though it was still 80 degrees outside, but she was looking HOT!!
See he's tired & dirty.. I really tried to keep him clean! Oh little Sean was tired too!
The next day we played outside... Running through sprinkles is always so much fun! Wednesday we invited Jessica, Addy, Macy, & Sam over for some water fun.
Cait & Alex loved playing with Addy... They were SO loud!!
Macy loved hanging out with Sean, they were walking around the backyard holding hands (& I somehow missed getting a picture of that!)I realized the best way to get 3 minutes of silence is to shove food in their faces. Lo made this ice cream cake & it was delish!!
See look! He's not running around screaming!! Thank you cake!
I made the kids some water balloons to throw at each other... & I made me some water balloons to throw at them!! Watching 4 kids was not tiring at all! Really... I think I could do it everyday for the rest of my life.. I only slept for 24 hrs straight after they left! Oh & Ryan got the job in D.C.!! Congrats.. Now when can I come visit???

Fourth of July

Bestest cake ever...
It is over one million calories. Twenty-five pounds of butter per square inch. Covered with chocolate so dark that light cannot escape its surface
(ok there's no chocolate on the cake & that was a Simpsons quote... But that's what this cake reminds me of!)

My baby is SO cute!

Uncle Nic, the pyro.. He emptied all the snaps onto a paper towel, then he created a giant snap! We couldn't decide if his project was worth all the time & effort
Zupans & water fights.... The two belong together forever! It's great when everyone turns on mom!! She is always initiating them, but she never wants to get wet!!
Nic was spraying everyone who stepped out on the porch...
Watermelon!! So yum!

Another pyro Nic invention-- Putting all the fireworks together so they light each other off.. Genius.. This kid should be a professional fire starter.. He could burn warehouses down & collect the insurance money...

Emily & I will go into the glow stick jewelery business.... We had some pretty good ones!
With the flash on..
With the flash off... Pretty awesome.. We're so cool...

California, here I come!

Alex's first soccer game. Go GOLD team!!
After Alex's game we decided to pack up & head to California!!
11 hrs later (& on Tuesday) we arrived!! FINALLY!!

After we rested & baked a few things, Alex & I drove to half moon bay, it was kind of cold, but Alex still played in the waves! I was sitting on the beach with a blanket wrapped around me while he was frolicking in the surf... That kid is crazy..
Some of those waves were HUGE!
Batman na na na na na na na batman... That's what I was singing while he was running Oh it got cold enough for him to take his shirt off... Ya he's crazy!! But he had so much fun!We went to Marine World (they so wish they were Sea World).. It's also a six flags, but we forgot Alex's platforms so we couldn't go on the super awesome rides!Look, look, look!! A dolphin!!! I wanted to ride the dolphin, but someone wouldn't let me jump in the tank with it...
We also saw Shamu (or shuka as the northern Californians like to call her) it was pretty dang sweet... I didn't get to ride Shamu either... My dream of riding a sea creature is never going to come true..

Kayaking in Monterey. Alex looks like a little surfer dude.. SO CUTE!!!
We paddled up next to the sea lions & seals, they would pop out of the ocean right next to us!!! Then I pulled a starfish off a cement wall & I went to put the little guy back, but he fell into the ocean.. I was devastated, but the kayaking dude said it was ok... I can breath again...

We didn't get to bring the camera on the kayak... I guess I'll always have the memories...
So hot right now

The lovely Kayak crossing sign, we really did cross with our kayak there!!
Sunday after church we packed a picnic & headed back to half Moon.. I didn't want to get wet, but Alex was scaring me because he was getting SO close to the huge waves, one crashed down on us... & I looked like I peed my pants..

I am not pointing to anything special.. I am trying to explain to Alex that the huge waves could suck him up & take him out to sea, but this is a cute pic!
So sad to leave.. I didn't like the 11 hr drive, but I might be willing to do it again =)