Aspen Grove 2009

Once again, I stink at taking pictures! Maybe it's just b/c we had so much stinkin' fun that we didn't think to pull out the camera! Really, we did have a blast! I love my family. I love Aspen Grove!
Here is us at the family talent show!Jane just adored my dad! She would go to him before anyone else!Mom and Dad with all the grandkids. Pretty big group now!Here is Tom and Braden in our matching tie dye shirts.After Aspen Grove, we went to the Church Administration Building in SLC and Mom and Dad were set apart as mission president/missionaries. It was a really neat experience to meet Elder Nelson and really great that the whole family was there together!The cousins outside the temple. Our family, trying to smile into the sun!

The 3 amigos...troublemakers...friends! Cam loved tagging along with his buddy Marshall!

Another great Aspen grove! another great week! Mom & dad, see you in 2 years!

travel, travel, travel

So it all started with a trip to Utah. We drove down for a family reunion and used 1 1/2 days on each end to visit with a few friends & family. I didn't get pictures of it all, as I am a terrible picture taker these days! I just forget all the time!

First, on our way down to the reunion, we saw my old roomie Tiff, and my kids just LOVED staying a night with them. All 3 of my kids are within a month of tiffany's kids (Braden and meg just a day apart). They really do have a bond. I think they'll be friends forever!

Jane found a bosom buddy in Camilla. They were two peas in a pod, chasing the kitten, running around the house. Seriously, the cutest things I have ever seen!Braden terrorized Meg, and she LOVED every minute of it! No shyness when my kids are with these kids!

Cameron and Cooper read a WHoLE Captain Underpants book in the few short hours we had there. They thought it was SO funny! They took turns reading aloud...so cute!

One reason I think they'll be friends forever is b/c here is my mom and her old college roommate who have stayed in touch all these years. My sisters and I got to be friends with Francie's girls 20 years ago and we've been great friends ever since. Heather even stayed with me in NY one summer for a few weeks! Now she has 3 kids (Kaden (Cameron's age), Kameryn (Braden's age), and Ellie (a year older than Jane)). We had a great afternoon visiting with them after our reunion. Francie made us a wonderful lunch in the park!I love cousins. We got to see some of my cousins on my mom's side that grew up on the East coast with us. Amy and Abby, my beautiful, fun, amazingly talented cousins that I haven't seen in YEARS! I'm so glad we got to spend a little time with them!
We also got to see Grandpa and Grandma Hawkes for a few hours. Always great to see them!

People I LOVED to see but didn't get a picture...

Sugarhouse friends and old neighbors...thanks for squeezing me in for the few hours we had!!!

Cam and Mandee...thanks for the guest room!!!

TheTree Family...thanks for letting us stay the night! So lucky to have family like you!

Writing about it, I'm amazed I fit it all in with the few short days I had, one before and one after our reunion at Aspen grove!

I wish we had more time b/c there are a million people I would have loved to visit with!

Seattle trip

We had a fast and furious trip to Seattle last weekend for 2 major events... 1 eagle court of honor and 1 missionary farewell (actually 2).

1. the eagle court of honor. Why a trip for this? Well, because Tom's dad always imagined that when his 7th and final son got his eagle, that all of his boys would be together, in their scout uniform, to celebrate the occasion. How many families have 7 eagle scouts?

2. Jake, Tom's little brother, is heading to the MTC this wednesday where he'll be for the next 2 months before going to Paraguay for the next 2 YEARS!!! (His cousin, Blake, had his missionary farewell just 2 hours before Jakes in the same building, so we got to attend both!

Jane was not very happy about saying goodbye (or not happy about being held by a strange man)

With the whole gang together, we took some family pictures. A few different poses and some fun ones of the siblings...

It was also Braden's birthday weekend, so he got to have a HUGE family birthday party. He was so happy. I can't believe my boy is 6!

I had to post this picture of me and beautiful Kari because people always tell us we look like sisters. Seriously, when we are together, they wouldn't guess Tom and Jeff were brothers, but Kari and I were sisters! I'll take the compliment!
The boys had a blast with cousins, uncles, aunts, and grandma and grandpa.

Try to find Braden

So we've had a TON going on here the last few weeks. This video is of Braden at his end-of-the-year kindergarten performance. I was cracking up the whole time. This went on for 25 minutes. Yes Braden is the ONLY one, seriously ONLY one just standing there. Oh well. Blame it on the shy genes from the Dance family.

More pictures to follow soon! :)