Girls Camp 2012 {flaming gorge} Day 1

I have been so excited for girls camp this year since last year I had to miss it since Emmie was just a few weeks old.  This year was Ward Camp so we headed to Flaming Gorge with our girls and set out for a fun week!

Setting up tents was a challenge:

Seriously our view is gorgeous!

Tish, Heather, and Lori

Our camp theme this year was pirates and our camp directors Jessica and Janet had a blast at the camp kickoff!

After we got the girls sorted into their tents we headed to the lake to "walk the plank" aka cliff jump and swim.  It was so hot so we were all very excited to get into the water!

I think most of the girls, leaders, and bishopric were shocked I just went for it and wasn't scared at all.  Thanks to all the Lake Powell jumps I have done with Mike I knew I just had to go for it :).  It was so much fun!

Me jumping off the 30 ft cliff

Chalyse, Me, Allie

Kaylee, Allie, Me

Our fabulous YW President Tish is very afraid of heights and was so scared to make the jump.  She was shaking so bad and even crying at one point as I tried to talk her through doing it.

She is such a rock star though and finally did it!  All the girls were so excited and screamed like crazy!

Tish was pretty ecstatic too!

We have such a great group of girls and there are so many girls that it just makes things so much fun!

Everyone gathered for FHE

For our FHE activity we did the iron rod object lesson and even though the girls have done it before everyone still had such a great spiritual experience.  I loved watched the girls go through my section and seeing how they approached it and handled themselves.  Some girls had no fear and just went for it while others were very timid and waited for the little promptings to help them.  But the best part by far was at the end when our YW president Tish welcomed each girl with a huge hug!

Brother Kilpack & Jessianne

Brother Lythgoe & Aitana

Tish & Alicia

Such a great ending to a great first day of camp!  

Will's Favorite Activity

Lately Will has decided he loves his little tractor that Great Grandpa Beard made for him.  He loves it and has been having so much fun with it this summer.

He also loves not wearing pants ;)

July 10,11,12,13 in St George Girls Trip

I was lucky enough to get invited with the Houghton ladies for a girls trip at Dale and SherRon's second home in St George this week.  I was so excited that I could actually make it since they invite us a lot and things never seem to work out.  Stacy and Whitni were going to go too but they both ended up sick so I made the trip solo.  Will and Emmie were pretty good on the drive down but it was a little challenging doing that long of a drive on my own!  We stopped in Cedar City to see my cousin Samantha and it was the perfect little break.  I wish we would have had more time to spend there but regardless it was so nice to see her!

We made it to the house just in time for dinner and a quick swim before bedtime.  The house is so nice and such a perfect getaway especially with the pool.  Will was so excited!

The best part about this trip is that we literally had nothing planned so I was able to meet up with a few friends that I never get to see.  Wednesday morning the kids and I went to Menchies with my adorable friend Kourtney.  It was so fun getting to catch up with her and just talk for a bit.  I always seem to be texting her asking where things are in St George so it was nice to actually have time to see her!  We headed back to the house and spent the day swimming and relaxing together.  The best part of spending time with the Hougton's is never feeling like an outsider and just feeling apart of the fam!  It truly is amazing :).

Pool time!

Will, Emmie, Heather, SherRon, and Alisha

Will was in heaven!

Emmie & Mason

Thursday I was able to meet up with a friend I haven't seen for over 10 years!  I was excited to get together with my friend Kristen and meet her adorable girls at her gorgeous house!  She was like a big sister to me at my first job ever (shout out to Robyn Todd!) and one of those people you can just pick up where you left off without any awkwardness.  We had such a fun time catching up and her hubby Bret made it home in time to say hi as well.  I cant wait to do it again!

Friday morning it was time to head home and Will and Emmie decided to wake up at 5am, 5AM!  So I kept the kids in my room and got all my stuff packed up before anyone in the house was even awake.  I helped clean up and then started the trek back home.  It was such a fun break and I loved everything about the trip.  I felt so at home and relaxed and it was definitely a fun week!

Emmie Walking

Our little Em is officially walking!  She has really figured it out these last few weeks and it pretty dang adorable.  Emmie is the first baby I have seen with "swag" in her walk and it is so stinkin cute!  She is already trying to figure out how to run and keep up with Will and he loves running all over the place while she chases him.  My kiddos are getting so big!

Football Kids

Last time when I came to IF to watch Jess, Nat, and Ty, Tyler made a football helmet out of duct tap and it is definitely one of Will's favorite toys ever!  So of course today they had to have a football game against Papa Clint!

Thanks Grandpa for playing along ;)

Tyler's Baptism

This weekend we were able to go to Idaho Falls for my nephew Tyler's baptism.  Will was so excited to give him the gift he picked out and it was a miracle we kept it hidden until this morning!

Who doesn't want/need a giant teddy bear right?!  I am pretty sure my sister Aimee was less than thrilled but that just added in fun! Tyler loved it so it was perfect :).

Us with Tyler

Uncle Justin & Will

It was so fun sharing in Tyler's special day and Will just loves coming to see his cousins and Papa Clint and Gammy Bev!

Wakeup Call

This morning when I woke up this is what I found:

Ha ha Will is such a little 'helper'!

{Independence Day 2012}

Happy 4th of July!  We decided to keep things pretty low key this year so I ended up taking Will to Cherry Hill in the morning while Mike stayed home with Emmie.  I think everyone was at the parades so the park was pretty empty and Will and I had a great time.

Later in the day we headed to Gammy Stacy's for games and a BBQ.  

We headed to the fireworks stand and Will found a backpack stuffed full of fireworks!

Will & Papa Brent

Our kids were tired and cranky so we ended up heading home early and calling it a night!  We had a great day though and maybe next year we will make it to a parade or fireworks ;).

St George with The Jorgensens

A few months back at our wards youth auction we won a weekend trip to St George with our awesome neighbors Ross and Carmen!  We were so excited to get out of town and have some time just with each other for some much needed alone time.  I was very nervous to leave Emmie since this was the first time I have left her over night but I knew Will would be a big help and that they both with have a lot of fun with Gammy Stacy and Aunt Whitni.  

We dropped the kids off friday afternoon and headed on our way to St George.  I think we were all shocked at how much of Utah was on fire with all of the crazy fires right now.  It was seriously insane and felt like a scene from a movie or something.  Here are a few cell phone pics we snapped:

We got into St George just in time for dinner so we grabbed a bite and then headed to the condo.  We dropped the boat off and then decided to try and catch a movie at a nearby theater.  We weren't really into any of the movies they had so we snagged a Redbox and snacks for a movie at home instead.  We ended up renting This Means War and both Mike and I loved it.  It was really funny!  Its funny how I honestly haven't stayed up late to watch a movie in seriously forever!  

We slept in on Saturday until 9am (whoot woo!) and then got some breakfast and headed to the lake.  It was such an unusual but fantastic day of boating!  We literally didn't do a thing but swim and relax.  It was so fabulous!  I can't remember the last time I could just sit and do that so it was such a great break from real life for me.  We laughed a lot and had some great conversation with Ross and Carmen.  

My handsome hubby :)

Mikes muscle shirt :)

We headed back to the condo that evening and played games and had a fun night hanging out.  We slept in again (9:15 this time, haha) and then loaded up and headed home.  It was such a great break and even though I missed Will and Emmie like crazy it was so good for me to getaway for a few days.  Will and Emmie were both so excited to see us and I haven't got that many hugs and cuddles from Will and in a long time!  I would like to think they missed me but I am grateful Gammy Stacy and Aunt Whitni kept the kids so entertained and took such great care of them :).  Here is a pic Whitni posted on Instagram of our handsome Mr Will:

It was such a great getaway but it sure feels great to be home!