Summer fun

This summer we made it to a few water parks.  We have had quite a few hot days and the kids love to get wet.  

Our neighbors around the corner have generously opened their pool for the ward to enjoy throughout the summers.  I never went until last year because I thought I couldn't handle all the kids in water.  With the kids getting bigger and more comfortable with water we have been enjoying this great kindness.  The kids are still not fish in the water but they are getting use to it. My mom came with us this week so we tried no floaties today.  Camden thought he could just walk in the pool and was very surprised.  It didn't scare him too bad because he went back in.     

    



Family Gatherings

The Wilcox Grandchildren

This last weekend Mike's family was able to get together.  Mike's brother Matt and his family came to visit and baptized their daughter Kayla with family close.  Mike had to work some of the time but we were still able to get together.  We weren't able to be together for the 4th so we celebrated late with fireworks.  The kids loved it.  Uncle Matt knows how to put a show on.  The fireworks were really cool and uncle Dave had popcorn to go with it. 

 It hasn't been quite a year since the last family get together but every time they reunite it's like they pick up where they left off.  If you know the Wilcoxs you can imagine the process of taking family pictures.  While taking pictures I was laughing the whole time.

Here are all the boys!

Here is dad and the boys.

Here is the whole family.

Here are the Wilcox funnies.

 

I have learned so much from this family.  They have loved me and taught me to laugh and have fun.  I don't know how Kathy and Arn did it but they have raised some very talented children.

Reunions

Here is the greatest trainer ever!  My mission companion from Toronto, Christine. Ever since our mission, we have seen each other almost every year.  Our children are very close in age and the beauty of all this is she has 4 boys and 1 girl like me.

 

We haven't been taking many pictures over the years and I wish I had.  I still can't believe we have a group of kids this big.

Silly kids.  Elsie didn't want to be included in the goofy picture.  They all had a lot of fun.  I think Elsie forgot she was a girl that afternoon.  I guess that's what I get for having so many boys.

Christine amazes me everytime I see her and the kids.  She is an amazing women who never gives up and stays on the path.  She has traveled places I never imagined all to follow her husband and support him.  She has raised her kids in these foreign places and still has a smile on her face.  I just love this woman and am so glad to have learned so much from her on my mission and still stay in contact with her. 



I remember the first night I got in the mission field.  Christine and the other sisters prepared a special drink just for me.  I was skeptical but went a long with it hoping I wouldn't die from it.  Well, I knew something was up when the sisters got their cameras ready.  They gave me a drink from South America called "matte".  Oh my goodness, it was gross.  Tasted a little like grass but worse.  After that I grew to like it.  I learned the latinos put sugar in it and that tasted so much better, but i still couldn't drink it hot like the latinos.  Christine taught me so much spanish.  She would talk to me in Spanish all the time and make me do the same.  What a great leader she was.  I love you Christine.

Camping with Grandma and Grandpa

 

I have to start off saying camping is a lot of work and by the time we got home Mike and I were ready for another vacation.  We have been wanting to go camping all summer and haven't made it until now.  Mike was able to get 3 days off so we could go camping with grandma and grandpa O'Dell.  They asked us in the winter to go and we have been looking forward to this a long time.  I am so glad they were able to come out and have some time with the kids.  They haven't had a lot of one on one time and I am happy to report we survived and had a little fun too.
   
    
So the kids have been fishing a little but it has been a long time and they were so excited to attempt this.  Mike surprised us all by buying two fishing poles.  He convinced me to buy a year fishing license and even though Mike didn't fish he was out helping the kids.  I was so happy to see Mike helping the boys so much. I think he actually enjoyed it.
    

We had some success in catching fish but the kids had a hard time sitting and waiting.  Kaden and Elsie caught fish and even learned how to gut them.  Grandpa didn't make them do it but they learned for future fishing trips.  He even gutted my two fish I caught.  It was nice to not have electronics and tv around to fill our time.  Although there was sibling fighting we managed to make it.
    

Spinney was having so much fun helping the kids she went and bought a license the next day and caught some fish.

We took our boat out for the first time in the 8 years we have owned it.  Mike patched up a little whole and it worked beautifully.  We borrowed oars and life jackets from Chris.  Thank you so much.  The kids loved it.  We went for rides in it and even fished in it.  When I first asked Mike if we could take the boat with us I thought it was smaller than it was.  But we were able to get it around with some effort on my part.  By the end of camping Mike was beat from paddling everywhere.  He went out with my dad one morning and took him around the lake in the boat. It gave him a good workout. 

Two days we went and played in the water.  I think the kids liked the sand the most.  

  

 It was very pretty up at Payson Lakes.  The first night it rained nonstop for a long time making everything muddy.  We thought it was a fast storm but it went a long time.  We ended up going to bed at 8:30 that night.  The rest of our stay was beautiful and the kids stayed up way too late.  We are now paying for that and in our recovery stages.  We went on a scavenger hunt, saw a deer,  lots of flowers, chipmunks, ducks,  butterflies, and cows.  Have you ever seen a duck run on water?  They are so fast.  I have never been woken up by cow mooing.  Spinney claimed to talk cow and had a long conversation with the kids about cows.  They really believed her and when we heard the cows they asked Spinney to translate.   

 

You can't go camping without getting dirty.  I don't know if that is a rule but it sure happened.  There was a great place for the boys to dig in with their trucks.  Grandpa even brought some of his tractors for the boys to share.  I failed to get some good pictures but this one of Elliot face was on their faces all day.  Camden, I think was the worst.  He had dirt from head to toe.

  

This was our first family trip for more than one night and Mike is talking about going again so I am excited.   Next time I will try to pack lighter.  We did eat really well.  Spinney brought some great snacks.  We had a bbq, dutch oven pizza, and foil dinners.  The pizza turned out really great.  If you plans on going camping check out pinterest.  There are some great ideas I used and awesome recipes.  We didn't even get to use some.  I kept telling the kids "camping is so fun" even when things weren't so.  I hope they enjoy these times and see the beauty around us.  It will make it worth the effort. 

4th of July

With Mike working nights again I wasn't too excited about going anywhere with just me and the kids.  But since the parade was just up the street we went right when it started and came home after an hour when the kids got tired.  It was really nice to be close.  The kids wanted to get all the candy but I only let them take what the could carry.  Well, Rylan decided get as much as he could.  He ate all his candy right there at the parade.  The good thing is that he didn't bring any more candy home.  He was hurting later.

This is the float our stake put together.  It looked really nice but it also cost them a lot of money, more money than they thought. 

For lunch on the 4th Mike made us some ribs.  Three of the kids liked them.  Kaden thouroughly enjoys them.

Elsie spent her day making a modest dress for her Barbie doll.  She sewed it all by hand.  She has made a long dress and hair accessories since then.

For the 4th Mike invited the family to eat at our house.  Kathy was so wonderful, she brought everything we would possibly need.  We had more than enough food to eat. 

Camden loves to show me things.  Here is part of a hamburger he never ate.

Here is Elliot and cousin Taylee. 

We were planning on doing smores but since it was hot we opted for snow cones.  It has been a fun thing to have this summer.

We were so happy the family could get together and have some fun.