We've had a crazy busy summer and I've been terrible at keeping our blog updated so here are the highlights...if I go into much detail, I'll be writing a novel. Ü
So first things first...Saturday: Hannah turned 2. The kids don't really like frosting so I sprayed the cupcakes with that food spray...it leaves fingerprints. 
We got her a little bike and helmet she can ride and feel all grown up with Sterling.
We got her a little bike and helmet she can ride and feel all grown up with Sterling.
Tuesday-Thursday: Moving Grandma from Missouri to Logan UT. We've decided we love Wyoming, it has so many train tracks, the kids were entertained the whole state.
Saturday: To Provo for the Stadium of Fire (we left early-I didn't feel well.) Then to Layton for a baby blessing on Sunday.
Sunday: Baby blessing, luncheon, saying goodbye to everyone on Spences' side and taking him to the airport. Then driving to Blackfoot with the kids for a few weeks.
Monday-Thursday: Water, fruit snacks, water, fruit snack, water, fruit snack..... between playing in the water and all the grandkids wanting fruit snacks every 10 minutes (the thought they'd die of hunger), yes, we were busy. This is a picture from last year, my mom has the pictures of the slide on her camera.
Thursday-Trip to Tauphus Park Zoo. It's not a big zoo, but nice enough you see the animals and still have time for a picnic lunch and some time at the park before you head home (hoping the kids will fall asleep in the car for naptime.) This is all the grandkids that were there so far.
Friday-Getting ready for Mom's side of the reunion.
Saturday-Family Reunion for the McMurtrey's...not a lot of people were able to come but it was nice to catch up.
Sunday-Finally a day to relax...the kids even did great in Primary...I had to reward them with frozen cookie dough when we got home, but they both stayed in their classes/nursery the whole time.
Monday-Trip to the Museum of Idaho for the Titanic display. We all got a card with a name on it, throughout the museum we learned things like the food we would have eaten (I thought 3rd class had the best menu...especially since I couldn't pronounce half of the foods on 1st class.) and things like that. At the end, we found out if we lived of not. Hannah lived, but Sterling and I died. I can't say that was the best place to take 2 very young kids and the 1 thing they could have touched...the iceberg...they played with the humidifier instead.
Tuesday: Water, fruit snacks, water, fruit rolls up...(We ran out of fruit snacks).
Wednesday: Getting everyone ready for the big hike....more family showing up for the weekend reunion and starting to get busy.
Thursday: This is the group that went hiking. This is the before picture... 
...and this is the picture at the top of Tablerock. You get to look straight out at the Tetons. It's very beautiful. I've never been on Tablerock, but the pictures are great and the hike last year was similar in the view you got at the top.
...and this is the picture at the top of Tablerock. You get to look straight out at the Tetons. It's very beautiful. I've never been on Tablerock, but the pictures are great and the hike last year was similar in the view you got at the top.
Friday afternoon is the official start of the Ellis Reunion. This was the Extra Extended Reunion (Grandpa's siblings). We got shirts this year... the green are the children (my parents), the blue are the grandchildren (me), and the orange are the great grand children (our kids.) Here are the highlights over the weekend:
The Candy Cannon 
The Ellis Express (My Grandpa build this out of 55 gallon barrels, the kids love it.) 
Various crafts and things: we made braclets, and duct tape purses. The purses are awesome and everyone we've showed them to just can't believe we made purses/handbags from duct tape. We figure it's better that way...then you can coordinate better...you have a whole fabric store to choose from, not just a rack at the store.
The Ellis Express (My Grandpa build this out of 55 gallon barrels, the kids love it.) 
Various crafts and things: we made braclets, and duct tape purses. The purses are awesome and everyone we've showed them to just can't believe we made purses/handbags from duct tape. We figure it's better that way...then you can coordinate better...you have a whole fabric store to choose from, not just a rack at the store.
The Duck races in the ditch. (We didn't win...but we all get prizes anyway Ü) 
Various games...this is a Water Balloon Game---the ball has a water balloon in it with a timer, you pass it like in hot potato, when time is up, the balloon is popped. 
A marshmallow eating contest,
The rapids (a canal with some broken up concrete and lava rocks that make some great times for floating.)
Various games...this is a Water Balloon Game---the ball has a water balloon in it with a timer, you pass it like in hot potato, when time is up, the balloon is popped. 
A marshmallow eating contest,
The rapids (a canal with some broken up concrete and lava rocks that make some great times for floating.)
and the biggest highlight of the whole reunion....
CHICKEN IN A BARREL
YUM YUM YUM YUM YUM YUM YUM YUM YUM YUM
It's a family thing I guess, but it's the best chicken every...we even had it at our wedding luncheon, thats how much we like it Ü After the reunion and saying goodbye to everyone, my Mom was helping with the Activity Day girls...they come over every summer to do outdoor cooking and this year, they played in the water. I get to help since she plans it while I'm there to teach outdoor cooking skils. This is a picture of Sterling enjoying his S'more he made with the girls. I was glad they were playing the water, it made washing all the marshmallow goo off his face easier.
Every reunion we sit down as a whole family and go around the circle to see what everyone has been up too. While sitting around with most of my cousins, aunt, uncles, and all thier familes...we were talking about how amazing it really is that every summer we all get together. There were 75 people there for Friday night and even more for the "Extended family" part on Saturday. We realized how blessed we were to not only have our parents still alive, but our grandparents...plus all their kids and the grandkids and great grandkids. If you look back through the pictures, you'll also see how little division there is between the ages and stages of our family. Everyone talks to everyone, everyone is intersted in what everyone else is up to.
You can't see it, and I'll adjust this post when I get a copy of it, but our shirts have everyones name and everything we do at the reunion (games, crafts, rapids, chicken in a barrel, dutch oven spuds...) the guy who printed the shirt couldn't believe that many people could get together and do that many things, every year---and still be friends. I feel very blessed to have that all in my life.
After the reunion, we got to spend some more time with Spence's family, we spent the night at Lukes, saw some good friends in Logan, watched the Pioneer Day fireworks in North Logan and then headed home...with Spence's Dad with us...we're excited to have him spend a few weeks with us and the kids absolutly love playing with "Pa-pa."
It's a family thing I guess, but it's the best chicken every...we even had it at our wedding luncheon, thats how much we like it Ü After the reunion and saying goodbye to everyone, my Mom was helping with the Activity Day girls...they come over every summer to do outdoor cooking and this year, they played in the water. I get to help since she plans it while I'm there to teach outdoor cooking skils. This is a picture of Sterling enjoying his S'more he made with the girls. I was glad they were playing the water, it made washing all the marshmallow goo off his face easier.
Every reunion we sit down as a whole family and go around the circle to see what everyone has been up too. While sitting around with most of my cousins, aunt, uncles, and all thier familes...we were talking about how amazing it really is that every summer we all get together. There were 75 people there for Friday night and even more for the "Extended family" part on Saturday. We realized how blessed we were to not only have our parents still alive, but our grandparents...plus all their kids and the grandkids and great grandkids. If you look back through the pictures, you'll also see how little division there is between the ages and stages of our family. Everyone talks to everyone, everyone is intersted in what everyone else is up to.
You can't see it, and I'll adjust this post when I get a copy of it, but our shirts have everyones name and everything we do at the reunion (games, crafts, rapids, chicken in a barrel, dutch oven spuds...) the guy who printed the shirt couldn't believe that many people could get together and do that many things, every year---and still be friends. I feel very blessed to have that all in my life.
After the reunion, we got to spend some more time with Spence's family, we spent the night at Lukes, saw some good friends in Logan, watched the Pioneer Day fireworks in North Logan and then headed home...with Spence's Dad with us...we're excited to have him spend a few weeks with us and the kids absolutly love playing with "Pa-pa."
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