Happy Father's Day

 Happy Father's Day to the three wonderful Fathers in our life!

Papa:

 

 

 

Grandpa:

and of course the amazing Daddy to our own crew!

 

Summer is here!!

We have already had such a full summer, and it has only begun! We are having a blast enjoying our time as a family and the sun!

Helping clean the car in our swimsuits of course!

Summertime means corn on the cob! This kid loves it!!!

This month Isaac also hit his 15 month milestone. After we came home from Arizona in May he took off on his walking skills. He is now officially walking more than crawling. Actually, I think it may be better called running. This kid can move!

 Isaac is an absolute joy. He makes us all smile with his constant giggles and smiles. He wants so much to keep up with his older siblings!

 

Luke's birthday gift was a week long horse camp. It was a very long and full week of sun, sweat and flies. He loved every minute of it!

Luke loves horses. He lives and breathes horses. The instructor told me that she has been teaching her whole life and had never met a kid who loved horses so much!

Luke's favorite part of camp were the twice daily riding lessons!

At the end of the week Luke was able to show his siblings some of what he learned.

Ms. Cynthia was a wonderful instructor. Luke loves horses even more than before if that is possible!

We have been catching up on some really great books over the summer too! Summer reading is the best! Here is Kaylin taking time to read to her cousins. (Kaylin was the flower girl in our wedding! Hard to believe she is in high school and will start practicing driving in the near future!)

Of course we are also soaking up lots of time at the pool this summer!

Our school of fish. (Minus Luke who was at camp during this swim session!)

Happy Summer!

Flower Girl

Our baby girl had her first ballet recital! Her dance studio put on a Sleeping Beauty production. Gracie and the other girls from her class were the flower girls in Princess Aurora's wedding!

Beautiful flower girl. Beautiful inside and out!

 

Gracie with her super sweet, amazing teacher Miss Sarah!

 

Our friends Emily and Bekah came to watch the show too!

Gracie has plenty of support and encouragement! Kaylin, one of our cousins from VA even came down with Grandma and Grandpa to watch Gracie! We were so grateful that she would spend her weekend with us!

Daddy's Girl!

Gracie has really enjoyed her ballet class. She has thrived in her class and did such an amazing job! We are so proud of her!

40 Years!!!

This weekend my parents celebrate their 40th Wedding Anniversary! Happy 40 years Mom and Dad!!!

To celebrate this milestone my siblings started a few months ago planning a family party.  As a gift to Mom and Dad my siblings helped fly Isaac and I out to be a part of the celebrations! We wish the whole family could have been with us. We missed them terribly. Daddy did an amazing job keeping them busy, safe, and enjoying their one-on-one time with him. It was a very quick and full weekend trip!

 

 It was a full-time job trying to keep a 14 month old busy and quasi-quiet on a 4.5 hour flight! He was such a trooper, and so were those sitting around us! :) Thankfully on the way out to Arizona it was a late night flight. With the 3 hour time difference he did sleep for a few hours. That was not the case coming home! 

 

 

 This was Isaac's first introduction to airports and flying!

 

Just as Daddy enjoyed his one on one time with the oldest five, I soaked up my one on one time with our youngest!

 

 Uncle Nick and Aunt Katie, Mia, and Wyatt did an amazing job taking care of and hosting Isaac and me in their home. Thanks guys!

 

It was priceless to be able to surprise Mom and Dad. They were both very shocked to see us walk through the door!

Here they are playing a "Not so Newlywed" Game at the party! I think they know each other pretty well in 40 years!

All of the kids were missed, but Gracie was especially missed at the girl table!

During this trip I was able to meet  FIVE new nieces and nephews since my last visit 3.5 years ago!

Sweet Campbell

Precious Jensen

Sweet Danny

Busy Logan

 and silly Wyatt!

Isaac loved meeting all his cousins!

In 2013/14 Kamie, Reagan, Raleigh, and I were all expecting or in the adoption process at the same time with these four handsome boys!

 Isaac enjoyed his cousins, but missed his brothers and sister terribly!

 

Meeting Uncle Jake! Uncle Jake has three little girls. He kept teasing Isaac that he was going to take him home with him and change his name!

 

 Isaac chilling with some pool time!

 

Here is a picture of all the cousins at the party. Missing Shelby, Richard, Jake, Sarah, and Luke, Ben, Grace, Jacob, and Caleb.

I figured out that Caleb is now the only child in the whole group that has not met most of the family.

Mom and Dad with their 8!

 Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!