October Rocked!

In October, we went on a family vacation. This vacation had been in the works for almost a year as well. We were so excited. We took the family to California and played at the beach for several days. The weather was colder than usual but that did not stop us. On the first day, we purchased boogie boards and that turned out to be the best purchase of the trip.

Here's Jacob trying his board out...

Here Matt riding the waves...

Chloe was a little "energizer" fish. She just kept going and going and going...

Here's Ben having a good time...
Here they are, all approaching the mighty ocean in an attempt to conquer...
Here's a shot of each of them with their board. They sure loved it.


We sure do have some of the best kids around. This vacation was just what we needed. It was so great to spend time with one another and not have to worry about work and errands and going back and forth. We could just be together. What a great family!

Lake Dierkeys... (In September? Brrr...)

Earl got a new job in August and it could not have come at a better time. I was about to go crazy without him on the weekends. We really needed him home. It was so hard for him to give up those days with the kids when we see them so rarely. Now that we had our weekends back, we needed to get in a trip to see Grandma Carly. It's a favorite family trip that we try to make at least once a year. September is a bit late in the season for Lake Dierkey's but we went anyway and had a good time!

Jacob likes to climb the cliffs and explore. He looks pretty cool at the top of this rock. Ben really got into the cliff jumping this time. He went several times. I never got used to it. It always made me a little nervous. But he looked awesome doing it. Just went for it with very little hesitation!
Grandma Carly always makes us feel so welcome and takes such great care of us. We packed a fun picnic and enjoyed the temperate weather. It was too cool for me to get in but the kids and Earl were quite brave.
I made the kids pose for me on the diving board. It was hard to catch them all in the same place. So, while they were taking turns diving, I had them pause for a Kodak moment. They are awesome kids.
Chloe and Jake found a few moments to play. They found a place with some fish and they were trying to catch one. Although, by the look on Chloe's face, I am not sure she is sold on the idea.

August - River rafting in Wyoming

Earl has always wanted to take the family river rafting. In fact, he started planning this river rafting trip back in December. It was fun to get it all together and finally go. My parents were amazing. We planned the location, date and rafting details. They agreed to plan the meals. It worked out! We barely had room in our van for our kids and camping supplies, we never would have been able to fit food in. My parents also did a lot of the cooking!
Chloe had a good time. She figured she was camping and could get away with not combing her hair... at all.. I mean I don't think she took a brush to it once...
But, we had a great time together. She is a funny person and we are sure happy she's a part of our family.

The food was great. The last morning we did a big breakfast... pancakes, eggs, bacon, you name it. It was fantastic. It was the traditional Jeffery chuckwagon breakfast. It couldn't have been better.


We had a wonderful time. Kevin, Wendy and kids joined us along with Richard and his family. Unfortunately, I lost my camera after the first day and did not find it until the last day. Wendy will eventually send me the pics from her water camera. If there are any good ones, I will probably include them. This was a family tradition from Earl's childhood adn one we will most likely repeat.

July - BBQ's and Scouting Milestones

In July, we had a barbecue with Earl's family. Dad brought the banjo and played a few songs, we had a campfire and we made yummy tinfoil dinners. It was awesome. The kids played and the grown ups visited and it was great.


We also had some scouting milestones. Ben received his Arrow of Light. We are so proud of him. He is well on his way to getting his Eagle. Matt is working hard too. He received some awards as well.

June Catch up (not to be confused with the condiment...)

I sit at a computer all day and when I get home computer time is the last thing I want to do. Then, when I do sit down, I usually don't know where the camera is or the cable for the camera. There's always an excuse. So, I thought I would blog about what we have been up to for the last half of the year. Yes, it really is that bad....

June - I had a yard sale. It was a lot of work but Wendy and I did it together so it was fun. Isn't she cute? I think so. I really enjoy talking to Wendy and spending time with her. She's down to earth and REAL.
We also had a fun visit from the Arizona cousins. It was nice to see them and hang out! The kids spent the whole day playing in the pool. They were in the sun so long, I think they got a bit sick. We don't get to see these guys enough so it was great to be able to spend some time.