First Day of School

August 23rd was the first day of school!  Mazryn started 3rd grade and Bronson started 1st grade!  Can't believe my kiddos are this old!  So far they are both LOVING LOVING LOVING school and doing really well!

Randomness....

At the end of July we decided to get a dog.  Ryan was completely in charge of this and wanted to find a dog that I wouldn't be allergic to.  He found us a 8 pound 8 month old Maltizu puppy.  (So he's half Maltese and half Shitzu)  He doesn't shed and we LOVE him!  His name is Bender (we kept the name that his previous owner's gave him).  We are pretty sure he wasn't treated very well, and it's taken him a while to adjust to being around people, but he's doing great now!  He's been a wonderful addition to our family!  It was fun to surprise the kids with him. 

At the first of August I was able to go to Young Women Camp up to Bear Lake (and no, this was not my choice, but I sure as heck wasn't going to complain).  We had a great time!  I LOVE spending time with these amazing young women!  I got to spend most of my time out in the water with the girlies!  Too much fun is all I can say!

We had a few boating trips this year up to East Canyon, but for some reason, we never took any pictures of these trips.  Oh well, we had lots of fun anyways, even if there is no proof!

Right before school started, Ryan and I decided to take a couple days and go up to Bear Lake without the kids.  We spent one day with Ryan's childhood friend James and his wife Steph, on their SWEET boat!  We had a great and relaxing time!  I'm always so glad to be able to get away with my best friend!  I love him so much!  I'm so grateful for all he does for me!  Thanks hon for the fantastic time!

Bronson's 7th Birthday!

How can my baby be 7???!!!  I can not believe how fast this little boy is growing up!  I love him so much!  He keeps me on my toes, and is pretty much my little ray of sunshine!  He is my little kidder!  He loves to make people laugh!  And best of all, he's all mine!  I thank my Heavenly Father every single day for this little man in my life!  Thank you to EVERYONE who came and celebrated his special day with him!  We have some of the best family and friends around!  Love to all!  And to Bronson, I love you so so much!  Happy 7th Birthday sweetie!

 I made Bug a volcano/dinosaur cake this year.  It was actually pretty yummy, even though it looked more like a bell than a volcano.

More Fun in July!

We went back up to Bear Lake with my family for Bronson's birthday!  He was so excited!  We had tons of fun together.  Ryan, Kaden and I worked on our wakeboarding skills, which I'm proud to say, I'm starting to get some sweet air (finally)!  We got all the kids up and going on the knee board, which was pretty awesome!  They all did great at it!  Bronson was even doing little tricks, letting go with one hand, almost spinning....it was pretty cute!  One of the days we took a day trip and hiked up to Bloomington Lake.  It is a natural glacier lake, with pristine emerald green water.  It was beautiful!  There was quite a bit of snow up there too.  The kids had a blast sliding down the big hill on there bums!  We even had a little surprise birthday celebration for Brons.  It was another fun filled trip to our heaven on earth! I LOVE my family so much!  I don't know what I would do without them.  Thanks for coming with up with us!

 Here's the kids dying to play in the snow!  (This right by the trail to hike back into Bloomington Lake.)

 Here's Bronson, Mazzy, and Stryder by one of the first lakes you pass on the hike to Bloomington Lake.

 See the "iceberg" floating in the water?  Yes, the water was FREEZING and there were kids playing in it!

 Grandma Shell and Grandpa Thayne with the grandkids: Mazzy, Kaden, Stryder and Bronson.

 This is the view just walking up to Bloomington Lake.  It's beautiful!

 Bronson sliding down the "snow bowl".

 My little jail birds!

 Bronson knee boarding!

 Mazzy knee boarding!

 Stryder knee boarding!

 Brons opening a few presents for his surprise party.

The kiddos swimming out to the dock with Grandpa!

Some Fun in July!

  During the month of July, we were pretty lucky to spend A LOT of time at our favorite place on Earth....Bear Lake!  Ryan's brother Greg and his family came up with us for our first trip.  We had such a great time!  The kids swam, played, went tubing.  We even got our nephew Jake up on the wakeboard!  It was so fun to spend some quality time with Greg and Gena and their awesome kids!  Love them all so much!  After they left, my best friend Julie (from 1st grade) and her family came up for the day with us.  We had a blast just swimming and relaxing together.  Unfortunately we didn't get very much boating in with them, due to the windy weather.  But it was still tons of fun!  So thanks to Julie and Trevor and their cute kiddos for sacrificing to come play with us!

Above and below is Brons and Brookie!  They were little daredevils! Brons is giving the thumbs up to go FASTER!

Mazzy and Cassie's turn!  They liked to go, oh, about the speed of a snail!  It was super fun for them though.

 Greg enjoying the boat ride and watching his boys get thrown off the tube!

Here's Jake wakeboarding.  He did AWESOME!

Maz and Brons giving me the thumbs up that they want to stay here forever!

Here's Brook and Kennedy (Julie's kiddos) having fun in the paddle boat together!

The First of July

 The first part of July we took a drive up Little Cottonwood Canyon to see the snow pack that was all the buzz!  We drove all the way up to Alta Ski Resort.  I could not believe it!  It was still opened and there were still people skiing....in JULY!!!  It was a beautiful drive and the kids had fun playing in the snow and throwing snowballs at each other! 

The river was roaring under snow and ice.

 Every 4th of July we go with my family and a few friends to Eaglewood Golf Course for fun festivities and fireworks.  They do their celebration on the 3rd of July, which in this years case was on the 2nd because the 3rd was on Sunday.  It is always a good time.  Lots of things for the kids to do, live band and dancing, and good fun and conversation with those that come along with us! On the actual 4th of July, our awesome friends Brett and Jaycee had us over along with the Vincent's: Fred and Jamie, for an awesome BBQ and firework display!

The kids sliding down the BIG slide!

 Mazzy enjoying her snow cone!

 My parents bought the kids these blow up USA hammers, that we beat each other with all night!  It was lots of fun!

Jonesin for the Jones'

 On Father's Day, Ryan's side of the family got together to have a few more family pictures, and then a BBQ.  Ryan had made this AWESOME water rocket launcher and so decided to have all the kids make their own rocket and there would be a prize for the rocket that went up the highest!  It was so much fun!  I'm so grateful to have such wonderful in laws, who don't make me feel like an in law!  LOVE them all so much!

Gena and me...looking confused?

 Everyone watching the rocket shoot up!

 Luci and Spazzy Mazzy, holding a rocket.

 This is Sarah and I's interpretation of a wedding announcement for 2 female's....seriously haven't laughed that hard in a LONG time... we seriously act like teenagers together and it's the BEST!  Love ya Sarah!!!

 Me and my beautiful niece Lexi Lou!!!

 Ryan soaked and Bronson soaked from launching the water rockets!

 Ryan's Mom (Renee) and his sister Andi, posing so cutely together.

 Greg (Ry's brother) and Chum (Chelsea, my cute niece)

Chalk Art Festival in Salt Lake City

 Ryan and I also went on a double date with Shadd and Jessica to the Chalk Art Festival in Salt Lake at the Gateway.  I LOVE it!  There are some seriously talented people out there!  I'm excited that Shadd (my Uncle) is going to be doing the Chalk Art Festival in Bountiful next year.  He is among those seriously talented artists out there!  There were lots of other funs things that we did during the month of June, but I can't remember them all!  We are still living it up, so more posts to come.....maybe today.

This one below was done by a youth....I wish that they would give the ages on the youth ones.  I was really impressed!

 This one below, the guy wasn't finished yet, but I thought it was spectacular!