Where Did Summer Go?

You will need to bare with me I have some catching up to do on the summer. Unfortunately I don't have pictures of my June and early July happenings, I will need to get them from Codi and you can also catch the 4th of July celebration on Amy and Tyson's blog.

June was very busy and crazy and thank goodness Codi came to stay with me and brought Mara and Branden. She came to help me get my house ready for our move to China. Jon headed out June 1st to start work in Beijing, and that meant I needed to get the rest of the house ready for storage and move, before we headed out in August.

Codi had her work cut out for her, between the house and me not wanting to do the work, since it meant I was going to China. But we did fit in fun for the kids, so they would not feel like all their summer was stuck in a torn up house.

In mid July we did get to go to Wyoming for the kids annual trip to Greybull, and we got to go to movies, mini golf, and the mountains. The kids were so happy to be in their element in Wyoming. Stockton, Nic and Syd went fishing with Grampa on Stock's Bday and Stock caught his first fish from start to finish, he was so proud. I was happy to see that my kids ended up with some of their Grampa's genes when it comes to fishing. In the mountains the kids got to play at their rock castle at the Dead Swede camp ground in the Big Horn Mtns. It was great for the kids to play with Mara, Branden, Audrey, Hunter, Berlynn, Carleigh, and Austin. Uncle Jared also became the best wand maker in all of Wyoming, Utah and Texas.. Branden, Stock and Nic, became obessed with Harry Potter and all the spells the whole ride to Wyoming that when we got there Codi and to look up on the internet all the spells from the movies. Then we were going to let the kids make wands out of tree branches. But Uncle Jared, had a wand making shop instead and all of the kids got to pick out their wands, and what magical power went into them, and also the color of their wands. Then Uncle Jared made the wands and magically created them for the kids to transform into the world of Harry Potter.

After Wyoming it was back to Utah to cram in last minute house sorting and the kids birthday parties. I was able to have Nic's party before Wyoming, he had a water fight and cake and ice cream at a park. Stock and Syd's parties I had to fit in close together, Stock also had a water fight party and cake and ice cream. Between Nic's and Stock's party Codi had to fill over 550 water balloons.. I did offer to help, but it was pathetic to watch Mara and I fill water balloons. Codi could fill about 15 to my 1, in Mara's defence she got a lot better at it then I could do. Kids loved the water parties. For Syd's party we had a luau party, so no water balloons needed (Codi was happy about that). Instead Codi and I made candy lei's, and Syd had both boys and girls at her party, and we did fruit and cheese and meat trays.