Grandpa and Granny's House

Granny and Grandpa's house in Kaysville became sort of the base of operations while all of us were in Utah in July.  Some days ALL of the cousins would be there, and some days not so many!  One afternoon while Noah and Jacob were still at Bear Lake, Isaac and I went with Granny and the Carrs to Layton Park.  It is just so beautiful and peaceful there.  It started to rain and we had to make a mad dash to the picnic area to eat our lunch (Cutler's!).

After the rain slowed down, we ventured out to play and to feed the ducks.  Lots of people had the same idea that day.  The ground was just covered with uneaten pieces of bread and the ducks weren't even interested in what we had to offer.  Still, they were fun to watch.

Isaac and Liam rode the tricycle around Granny's cul-de-sac one day.  Happy 24th of July!

Spencer and Noah each took a turn mowing Grandpa's lawn.  He's a better-paying employer than I am!  It was Noah's first time and he was nervous but he did a super job.

One afternoon Granny was spinning Grant and Luke in a chair and their grins were so darn cute I couldn't resist this photo.  We don't get to see them very often, only when they visit from Brazil, so I just eat up every minute we spend with them.



The Last of the Fun

Bingo Night is new at Bear Lake and we all decided to try it out.  The host (and "caller") was a riot!  He loved our table and we ended up winning lots of prizes.

Jacob and Kallie Jane

Noah and Cameron

Isaac

Cameron won the very first game and received some awesome prizes, which included free ice cream.  We couldn't leave anyone out, though, so we all got to choose our favorite.

Later that night, Noah and Jacob took their last rides of the season on Papa's electric scooters.

Then the next morning the boys used more of the prize winnings to attempt the coconut tree climbers.  All of them made it to the top!  Isaac was so proud to do it all by himself.

Jacob

Isaac

Isaac at the top

Noah and Cameron

More Fun!

Mini-golf is always a must when we stay at the condo.  Uncle Jon always makes it fun!

And we tried some new things this year, too.  Slip 'n Slide...

And a water balloon toss, which turned quickly into a water balloon war!

Pickleville Playhouse is another family tradition.  We love that place!

This us with with Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

And we spend hours at the pool.  Jacob and Noah are always competing for most spectacular dive.

Isaac was a little nervous to jump this year but we finally convinced him we (Jacob and I) would catch him.

And even "I" took the plunge!

This year each family chose a holiday to feature on their assigned day.  Nana and Papa had so many great activities planned for Chinese New Year: kite-flying, paper dragons, and writing in Chinese symbols.

The Beach

The boys just love spending time at the beach at Bear Lake.

They always try to dig a hole to China.  This year Spencer nearly made it!  He dug for literal hours until he was below the level of the lake and couldn't dig any more because of the water filling the hole.  We told him to forget college because he would be a master ditch-digger.

Isaac had fun being buried in the sand.  Love the hat!

Everyone laughed at this photo.  Hopefully we face the same direction in matters of real importance!

An impromptu game of beach lacrosse.  Noah and Jacob vs. Cameron and Jon.

The iconic fun island.

Jeremy and Spencer had to leave to get back to Arizona, so Isaac and I took them to the airport and then stayed in Kaysville for a few days.  Noah and Jacob felt so lucky to be left behind at Bear Lake.  They were the only ones in our family who got to go jet-skiing this year.

"Old Papa" and the baby of the family, sweet Collin.

And, in this rare, never-before-seen photo, we see Nana resting in a chair.  She is always the one playing with the grandkids, keeping them entertained, while the parents just relax.  She deserves the break!

"Talent Show"

One night at Bear Lake we held a "talent show," which was more like a "Minute to Win It" show, and I got to be the host.

First, Isaac and Kallie competed to see who could empty out a tissue box the fastest.

Then, Jacob and Kaitlyn had to stick spoons on their noses.

Cameron and Noah worked to build a tower of cups the quickest.

Kami competed against Spencer in a bubble-gum blowing contest.

And Brian and Jeremy ate saltine crackers and then tried to whistle.

Finally, Papa and Nana raced to write 100 numbers in order.  The trick was to write 100 down to one (backwards!).

Papa flashing his victory sign!

It was super fun!  We all laughed and laughed and it didn't matter who won!