Happy Reunion :)

Disclaimer: This is long and wordy with more detail than will be interesting to anyone who wasn't there, but I keep this blog more for me than for anyone else so I am not going to change it!!

Yea for family reunions!! We went to Island Park in Idaho-- it was so gorgeous and the weather was nice. I LOVE the mountains. I was so busy having fun, that I didn't take many pictures (which Preston is informing me is a major flaw of mine--I can't help it though-- who wants to stop doing the fun thing to turn every moment into a photo op?! Luckily my Dad posted a few on our family website so Preston feels vindicated and asks me to show him the pictures every day. "Remember when we went and slept in the cabins in the mountains, Mom? Remember how much fun we had? Remember when I rode the horsey? Let's go explore the trails around here (what?!) Remember when I went in the canoe with baby Jake? Can we go back to the mountains next week and sleep in our cabin?" . . . . You get the idea that I have been playing 20 questions everyday since!

Really I loved every minute of it! Burke and I went on a trail ride with Rachel, Matt, Mom, Dad, Brooke, and Harrison. (Thanks to Brittany for keeping Rebekah and Jill and Brittney for keeping Preston!) It had been a L-O-N-G time since I was on a horse and I would be lying if I told you it was easy or that I was not sore for days afterward, but it was super fun!

Preston and Burke went on a short canoe trip on the lake with Tj and Jacob.

Rebekah could not get enough of the pony ride or get out of the "h-rsy's" face. She was not wary at all--she kept trying to get into position to kiss and hug the pony. Pretty cute really if I had not been so stressed that she was going to get stepped on!

Rebekah and the little girls & Jacob had a great time in the wading pool! Cute :) Thanks Jill!

It was so fun to see my cute family and SING with Rachel and Brittney-- our one hour a year practice definitely was apparent, but it felt so good to sing with my girls.

We sat in the hot tub and laughed until our sides hurt.

We ate yummy food, snuggled newborn babies, and enjoyed an actual slide show of the "olden days"!

The talent show was a highlight as always :)

Only two regrets:
(1) Missed Karmen & Camille and their families
(2) Not long enough (never is)!

Otherwise for us it was PERFECT :) Thanks Mom and Dad you are the best!!

Right upon our arrival!! Don't we look awesome after 10+ hours of driving?? (thank goodness we didn't do it straight through!!)

Pancake Grill Master Burke --one fine breakfast (if I do say so myself!)

No smiles for the camera--but they LOVED this activity!

For Grandma Hill

Dear Grandma,
Thanks for this awesome blanket that you made my dolly. I love it so much, and sometimes I even share it with my dolly! I love you and I keep pointing to your picture and telling Mommy your name, "Gramma". I hope she is getting the hint that I need to see you again really soon :) Tell Grandpa "hi" for me!

Love,
Rebekah

P.S. Sorry I was so sad and cranky when we saw you last. I was so happy to get home to my own bed where I could get real sleep!

The Bookworms

My little kiddos LOVE to read :) I think I have pretty much lucked out on this one-- I love to read and wish I had more time to read for myself, but I am thrilled and blessed that my little ones are so inspired by books and stories. Fruita has a small rather pathetic library, but my kids don't know that and I just feel lucky that I don't have to go far to visit it! We try to visit each week and we had fun with the summer reading program. Preston thought the prizes and books they both "earned" were so cool. When we were in Idaho last week Grandma Hill let Preston and Rebekah both choose several "new" stories from her book shelves. All I did was read the whole way home! The kids were so thrilled with their new stories and I keep finding them curled up somewhere reading to themselves or to each other.

Water Party

So I am enjoying my new calling in Primary as the 2nd Counselor-- I totally feel like I am flying by the seat of my pants most of the time, but hopefully I will get the hang of it (and then I am sure I will get released as soon as that happens!) Anyway we have a fun Primary Activity planned this week and one of the games we will be playing is Water TBall. Sister Pace brought me the game as she won't be able to be there on Thursday--and so I "had" to set it up and "make sure" it worked and I knew how to use it right?! My kids thought this was the BEST thing ever! It really doesn't work amazing, but we got really wet and had a lot of fun. I am only posting the photos of the kids, because I don't think the world is ready to see the photos of Burke and I in bathing suits (I mean we don't want you to all be jealous right?!) So anyway. . . enjoy!!

Preston could not be convinced to wear his bathing suit! Here is a pretty good pic of Rebekah trying to "catch" the water spraying out! She kept leaning over to get a drink out of it too--She could not get enough!

The coolest part of running though the sprinklers here is that the City water never gets cold (yes I have to refridgerate TONS of water because I can't drink it warm--but it is great for playing in on a hot summer day!!)

Mom's Salsa

Fresh Salsa is one of my favorite things! My tomatoes are coming on like crazy so I picked the ones that were ripe and also a few peppers and we were set! So yummy!!

Here is the recipe I love :)

Mom's Fresh Salsa
12 Roma Sized tomatoes
1 Green Pepper
1/4 onion
2 Whole jalapeno peppers with seeds
1 can green chili
1 tsp minced garlic
2 TBSP lemon juice
2 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar
2 TBSP Brown Sugar
1 tsp salt
1 can chopped olives (optional)

4th of July

The Fourth of July was PERFECT this year! We made a very fast trip to Idaho to see Burke's family (with a much too short stop off to see my Parents also--but we will make up for that in a few weeks when we go to the Andrus Reunion!) We left Fruita on Thursday evening and stayed in Sandy (Thanks to Sheldon & Becki!) and then got up and made our way to Idaho! By early afternoon we were oohhing and aahhing over the fantastic remodel job that the Hill's did earlier this year! It is sooo beautiful and we are so happy for them! We really had a relaxing fun filled weekend. We were able to spend some great time with Burke's family (but we sorely missed Mel, Ben, Quinn & also Uncle Zach) I only snapped a few pictures at the Ucon Fireman's Breakfast (Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Hill!) and the Idaho Falls parade. We also enjoyed the beautiful fireworks on the Snake River sitting right next to the temple. ---Perfect! We got up Sunday and went to Sacrament Meeting before we headed out on the long drive home-- But we made it home by about 8:30 that night and we can't wait until it is time to go again!!

Rebekah thrilled about the parade! She held this pose for quite a while! (Nap time?!)

Quotable

As we were stopping to fill the truck with gas the other day Preston asked, "Is the truck all passed out of gas?" To me this picture of Preston can be exactly described that way . . .he goes and goes until he finally "passes out of gas" and falls asleep no matter how uncomfortable he might be!

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Preston: "Mom, are the kiddos driving you crazy yet?"

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Preston sniffing Mom's arm.
Mom: "Ummm what are you doing?"
Preston: "I'm smelling you"
Mom: "What do I smell like?"
Preston: "You smell like a Mommy!" (Duh)


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Preston: "Mom do you know where Daddy's boots are? I need them to tie up my bike!"

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