The Great Escape!

We decided to take the kids to Las Vegas at the beginning of March for a weekend getaway.  The kids were so excited to see all the famous casinos.  They couldn't believe how huge they were!  It was super nice weather so we took them to see a few.  The Excaliber,

New York, New York

MGM Grand

And Ceasar's Palace!  

This was an awesome fountain at Ceasar's Palace.  The kids used our spare change to make wishes!

Lots of HUGE statues.

We stayed at Circus Circus and spent one day in the Adventure Dome

Lots of fun rides!

We also went to the Coca Cola Factory and tasted samples of soda from all over the world!  Some were really good, others....not so good.  But it was a fun experience!

Liberty Park Fun!

My cousin Rachel came to visit from California so it gave us a good excuse to get together and play!  The kids especially loved the rivers!

They relaxed,

explored,

climbed on the waterfalls and rocks

took turns sitting in the lakes to make the waterfall faster!

 

 And posed for pictures, of course!

I got to follow the kids around 

such fun to hear their excitement and imaginations!

We even stopped by the lake to roll down the big hill!

Even the BIG kids decided to race!  It was the perfect day.

Happy 12th Birthday, Spencer!

For Spencer's 12th birthday, he decided to invite a few friends camping.  We reserved a spot at The Spruces, in Big Cottonwood Canyon. 

 These goofy boys were making me laugh constantly!

There was still a little bit of snow in the mountains.....in June! It was a little chilly so sitting around the fire kept us nice and warm!

 But nothing stopped these guys from goofing off and having a good time!

 Brooklyn and Savannah were like two peas in a pod!

Audra bought the girls matching shirts, and of course....they had to bring them up camping.  The shirts were never the same after that!

 Grandpa Louis let the boys borrow his pocket knives.  They made all kinds of spears with them!

Fun times in nature, celebrating special times and being with people we love.  That's what life is all about!

Summer Fun Creates Lasting Memories!

This was just one of the many sleepover activities of the summer!  The merry-go-round is a huge hit at the Bluffdale Park.

Brighton and Jaden are sticking together....with this many girls, what else can you do?

Look at the monkey on the monkey bars!!

They've got their weapons, and they know how to use them!  Tough boys!

The kids were enthralled with the teeter-totter.  I don't think I've heard so many giggles in my life!

Yep, they all had to try it out!

Up & Down!  Audra and I even tried it....not gonna post that pic!

Look how big my baby, Lydia is getting!

Her FAVORITE thing to do at the park!  She's a happy girl!

Katelyn climbed all the way to the top!

What a perfect day!

Bridal Veil Falls, Provo Canyon

We decided to drive up Provo Canyon and check out Bridal Veil Falls. 

Hiking up to the falls was quite the hike

But totally worth the view!

Ken and the kids hiked up past the trail, so coming down was a little tough!

Brooklyn and Spencer looked for fossils in the rocks.

And found this fish looking fossil.....they were so excited!

The river was SO high!  Lydia was with cousins and missed the fun day, but we'll take her another time!

The Easter Bunny came today and left surprises along the way!

 The kids had fun coloring eggs and the mess left behind was proof of that!

 They were all excited to see what the Easter Bunny brought

 I think he went a little overboard this year, since the baskets were overflowing!

 The more the better!

Fun toys, candy, surprises!

For our Easter egg hunt, we went to Taylorsville park. There were lots of us this year!  

There was our family, Lori & Aaron's Family, Sandi & Paul's family, Grandma & Grandpa Larsen, Charee, Marianne, Colby & Christina's Family, and Andrea & Scott's family.  Audra and the kids usually come too, but didn't make it this year.

Eggs are hidden all over the park

Any time they found another child's name on the egg, they had to give them their egg instead of letting them find it on their own.  Silly kids!

The Easter Bunny hid some very well!

Grandma and Grandpa Larsen helped the kids find their eggs 

and hid a special one for each of them 

(with $5 in them).  The kids were thrilled!

Lydia searched and searched for all of her eggs.

Her basket was over flowing and eggs kept falling out.  I think the Easter Bunny better remember to hide less next year!

Even the older boys had fun together

This will always be a tradition for our family, no matter how old the kids get!