Happy B-day..once again!

So yes we already celebrated Mason’s Birthday while in Cali…but we had to do a little something on his actual birthday.

As always…special birthday breakfast! (That’s the best I could do in the 10 minutes I had before I had to get ready for work)

Then we met up with friends at McDonalds for lunch and ice cream…

The next day Aunt Lindsay and Uncle Daren were in town…so we celebrated once again at Kimber’s house!

It’s always so boring at Kimber’s….(j/k)

This one didn’t quite go as planned… (LOOK OUT BELOW)

It was fun seeing you Lin and Daren!

HAPPY B-DAY AGAIN MAS!

What an experience!!!

I never got to go on trek when I was younger…so I’ve been praying for this opportunity ever since I found out the stake was going on trek this year.

Trek is where the youth of the church are given the opportunity to go out and re-create the journey the early members of The of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints made to the west in handcart company’s. It’s a small experience that helps us understand, just a little,  how much our ancestors sacrificed for us and how much they had to bare while crossing the plains. 

WELL I GOT WHAT I PRAYED FOR! We were called as MA and PA REEVES!

   A lot of preparation went into this little venture. Even though I started months before the trek…I still found myself stressed out the night before. So Rich jumped in and helped by sewing my bloomers (YES YOU READ RIGHT…HE SEWED ME SOME LACEY CUTE BLOOMERS)….he may have lost his man card for the evening…but he sure knows how to keep his wife happy!

The first thing we did when we got up there was our skit to introduce ourselves…

We titled it “Richy Rich’s top ten tips to get into trek-a-leckin shape”

Then we were assigned our amazing family… ( I look good for bearing 10 kids)

We had amazing spiritual moments that I will never forget…

We did A WHOLE LOT OF WALKING…

AND PUSHING…

At points we thought we would die…

But we didn’t….

Then we FINALLY made it!

And the fun started…beginning with me getting my trashed kicked on the stick pull.

And who knew tossing kids over a rope could be so fun!

I wish square dancing was still the cool thing to do…we had a blast!

I will never forget the things I learned and the spirit I felt on this trek. I will always appreciate and honor the pioneers for what they had to endure. I can’t even begin to imagine what it must have really been like on their journey. I will forever be grateful for their willingness to endure hard things so we can practice our religion freely!

First day of school!

I think we were all ready for this day to come. Arizona in the summer is hard on us. If we are not traveling, or have an all day excursions planned … we tend to get bored being stuck inside most of the day. The kids were so giddy the morning of the first day of school.

Of course, Kendyl wishes more than anything she could do what her older sister and brother are doing…so she insisted on being in on the pictures even though she just woke up moments before.

Sadie insisted I did her hair like “Dalancy” in Barbie Princess Charm School. So I did my best to do a fancy updo…

Sadie’s starting 3rd grade!

We feel very blessed that Mason got into Sadie’s Charter school this year. Doing 2 different schools last year was a little rough on the pick up and drop off.

Mason’s starting 1st grade!

I can’t believe my kids are so old already!

Starfish explosion…

One evening we went out to Coronado Island. Dad discovered on the beach there some seaweed that had floated in with a TON OF LIVE STARFISH all over it.

Being the descendant of their Grandma Reeves…Mason and Kendyl took it upon themselves to save every last one

By placing them onto a raft (seaweed) and releasing them back into the ocean.

Then when they weren’t looking…the tide would just wash them right back up onto the shore…haha!

Then Kendyl started digging for sand crabs…  apparently Daddy was standing too close!

But she did her best to clean him off….

Sand crabbing…

She even found a clam…but it was too strong for her to open.

LOVED CORONADO

Next time time I want to stay at that hotel right behind Rich … just need to win the lotto first I’m sure!

Vacation’s over: Time to give the kids their suckers, put them to sleep, and drive on home! What a great way end the summer!