4th of July 2016

We started our 4th out with smores and fireworks on Sunday evening with grandma, grandpa and some of the Hawkins cousins.

 

 Then Monday morning we hit the 4th of July parade where we got our fill of candy!

 After the parade we headed to the ranch for a bbq.  It has become an annual thing to do a picnic at the cabin and we always have fun. Only Chase's family was able to make it with us this year so the kids were missing a lot of their cousins, but had fun with the few that were there.  The weather was kinda crappy because of the wind so kayaking and fishing were short lived.

 Great grandpa and grandma Romrell made it and we even got Uncle Dale out on a kayak. It was a great day!

We finished the night off with fireworks in Menan with Shane's family and a quick facetime with grandpa and grandma Jacobson.  Hard to believe they will be home next month from their mission.  Can't wait to see them!

Laiklie and Sage

Laiklie has loved having her cousin Sage live next door in our old house.  Cousins make everything better! They decided they wanted to do a lateover together and since they go to the same school they have a lot of the same friends so it worked out perfect!

 Eva and Violet got to come too. Jenna, Sage, Laiklie, Blaire, and Ellie.  Emily came after the picture was taken.

 They made a craft, some smores and played night games. Such a fun night with friends!

Babysitting

Sometimes when we have Mem and Em we have to get creative on ways to entertain them when they get fussy.  This night my big jetted tub worked great!

 And of course the big kids loved it too!

 Don't let that scrunchy nose fool you....she LOVED it! She is a slick little thing when wet and it was like wrestling a baby otter trying to reach over the edge into the giant tub to wash her.  Thank goodness for Rhett or we wouldn't have got the job done.

We sure love these littles!

Dallin

Yvonne asked Dallin to come help her move her kayaks the other day from the shed to her new house and she sent me this picture she took of him riding in the back holding the kayaks down.  Hahaha!

I LOVE IT!!

Brothers

These two boys wear me out! BUT....they also hold my heart! They will never fully understand how much their mom loves them! They are my very best helpers and on this day they helped me mow the yard at my grandma's rental house.  They are either best friends or worst enemies.  On the bad days (like yesterday when I seriously had to break-up a fist fight while Dallin had Rhett in a headlock on the 4-wheeler) I have to remind them about two Joseph's that we learn about in the scriptures.  The first Joseph was sold into Egypt by his jealous older brothers, the second Joseph's big brother took a bullet for him while trying to protect him from an angry mob. (Joseph Smith) I have to ask my boys what kind of brother they want to be? The kind that would sell their brother, or the kind that would take a bullet for him?  They usually reply like they did yesterday that they would take a bullet for each other, and I truly believe they would.  Even on their bad days they realize that they are the only brother they are ever going to have and I know they will continue to become great friends as they grow older. Sure love them!

Family Pictures

For Grandpa Romrell's birthday he requested a big family picture.  While we were there they took individual family pictures as well.  So.....here we are.  *Linn's family was the gray shirt crew.*  I sure love this family of mine!

Memory

Ryan's brother Chase and his wife Yvonne moved in to our old house next door and so this sweet little Memory gets to come over usually atleast once a day.  The kids absolutely LOVE her and she is hilarious which makes it even better!

 Her and Oakley have a special bond.  If Oakley is home that is where I can find Memory.  She thinks they are best friends, and truthfully Oakley doesn't mind. :)

 This was a Sunday afternoon when we stopped to visit for a minute and Memory kept asking me to sit on her lap.  The funniest was when she asked Ryan to sit on her lap! HAHAHAHAHA!!! What a funny baby!

And this picture speaks for itself! ;)

Sure love having littles in our life again.  It makes watching my kids get big just a little easier.

Summer = Water Fun

On hot summer days we can't get enough of the water!

 Laiklie

Yvonne set up the slip-n-slide one afternoon when I wasn't home and sent me these pictures.  Looks like they had fun!

 Rhett

 We also tried out the new splash park one afternoon!

 Plus these two cutie pies got to play in the flooded lawn.  Memory loves Laiklie.  She has become her big sis when her sisters aren't around.

 We also made it to the lake one day with a few cousins.  We only took one kayak so these three boys all climbed in it together. ;) Looks like trouble!

Laiklie and Ember

Fishing

We finally got to try our lucky on the new fish in the lake at the ranch.  Each kid caught one, and Oakley even caught two.  Both the girls let theirs go (dads request). Oakley's first one was HUGE and actually got away as Ryan was trying to get the hook out of it.  We could see it floating on the top of the water out in the lake and knew it would die.  So sad.  Hate seeing that happen. The boys both kept theirs for dinner the next night.  Yummy!

 Dallin seriously caught his about 5 minutes into fishing.  He was bummed after he caught it when his dad told him he was done.  Good thing he was a good helper to the others and happy about his catch.

Rhett was the last one to catch one and we were a little worried he wasn't going to get one.  His dad was patient and waited it out with him though and he finally got one.  Happy to have one of his own. :) Such a fun night as a family.  We are so blessed to have a grandpa who has worked his guts out over the years to make it possible for us to have a ranch/lake we can fish at.