Utah Continued...

Tuesday June, 30th

Today was kind of a free for all day. The girls snuck away again to do some shopping in one of my favorite places, the Park City outlets. We had so much fun just being together, bumming around the shops. The dads and Braydon went to the movies and all the cousins just had fun being together and playing at the cabin!! After we got back to the cabin and made dinner we all just relaxed and played games. The bigh boys had plans to go long boarding down in the canyon and Braydon had VERY much been looking forward to it. When it was almost time to go one of the boys broke the news to him that they were short a board and he was going to have to stay behind. As his mom I was so bummed for him cause he was the one who had kind of set the plan in motion and I knew how much he was looking forward to it, but I was relieved also because I am a mom and I like my kids whole!

The next morning when we met up for breakfast at the blue cabin my dad broke the news, that they had had an accident long boarding. My bother in law PAul had wrecked pretty bad and went face first in to a bolder. He had a couple pretty BIG gashes that required many stitches and shattered hid nose. He had also taken all the skin off a knee almost to the bone. SOOO not good! They had spent the entire night in the ER. That is a real vacaction killer! But again I was thankful Braydon was safe and sound and I think so was he!!

Wednesday July 1st

My parents, sister and I went down to Salem where we grew up to attend the funeral of my great Unlce (who was more like an uncle). I didn't know this before but at the funeral I learned my cousin Mary who is just a year or so younger was the 100th grandchild and got to be named after great grandma Wright!! They were our neighbors growing up and their kids are our ages. He lost his fight to a brain tumor and he will be dearly missed. I was thankful to have been able to be there and see and support them. Following the funeral we all met up at Jumping Jacks and let the kids play for a few hours!! Then we headed over to Mike and Kelliann's for pizza and drove over to check out their new house!! Then back up the canyon to unwind!!

Thursday July, 2nd

We took all the kids to the Kamas Rec center to go swim. I had no idea they would love it so much. We swim all the time at home so I would think it not that much of a novelty. I think we stayed for about 5 hours!!!! It was the perfect activity for the day, about an hour after we got there a huge storm hit and it was pouring outside. We had a picnic lunch on the fllor in the rec center because it was pouring so hard we couldn't go outside!! I absolutely love watching my kids interact with their younger cousins. They adore them and love entertaining, playing and interacting with them. I appreciate what awesome examples they are to all those little kids and get so excited to watch them all grow up together and be such great friends!!!

After the rec cneter we just relaxed at the cabin. At this point everyone is getting a little worn out!! And of course we played more games!!Kiley jumping off the high dive! ( I missed the picture of Keaton jumping off, he totally was doing flips and everything!!)

The most "PRUNEY" kids ever!!!

Friday July, 3rd

Everyone went to Heritage Park in Salt Lake. This is another one of our favorite places to visit in Utah. I keep thinking my kids will get sick of coming here but thankfully they still LOVE it!! It was a perfect day. The sun was shining, it wasn't to hot and it is a beautiful place!! The kids all did great! No whinning or fighting, everyone stayed together. This is the first time we've been here and everything was open! We rode trains and pony's, made crafts, played on the play gorund and just enjoyed being together! After the park the kids and I headed down to Springville to stay at Uncle Tadds. We can't come to Utah without visiting them. Don't tell the rest of my family but those are their favorite cousins!!(Technically they are my cousins and their second cousins but Porter is just a couple yers older then Braydon). It was late when we got there so we visited for a few and then hit the hay. We had an early morning with the fourth of July the next morning!!Kiley Halley and MalerieA whole lot of cousis!!!

I love this picture with the Salt Lake Valley in the background.
This was one of my favorites. All the baby kids (goats) and baby lambs. That is my dream to live on a bunch of land have a huge garden, goats, sheep and what ever other animals tickle my fancy!!

More Utah

WARNING really long post, tons of pictures!!!

Sunday June 28th

After church we decided for tradition we would all drive over to Cascade Springs for the day. We grew up going there. It was beautiful!! All the greenery has come back so much since the fire, it's finally looking like we remembered it. The kids just had fun being there together and it's always a good time trying to keep that many little kids from falling or JUMPING in to the springs by accident!! It was the perfect way to spend the day. We wrapped it up by enjoying a nice Sunday dinner back at the cabin and of coarse playing games!!!

Monday June, 29th

Today Missi (my sister) and my mom planned a day of games for the kids. Probably the funnest day of games ever!!! We laughed so hard and I hope it's a day my kids remember for a looong time!! The first game was a "fear factor" relay there were three teams of 3 kids. The first kid on each team had to stick their face in a pan of RED jello and with only their mouth pull out 10 little marble things, when they had all 10 the next kid could go and they had to do the same thing but they had cholcolate pudding, the last kid had a bucket of COLD water. I really didn't think they would do it but they LOVED it and us parents were laughing hysterically!!! Keaton had the jello and he was an animal, when he was done his entire was was bright red!! Braydon and Kiley versed each other with the chocolate pudding, they were really good and flinging the pudding EVERYWHERE, not so much at finding the stones!! Malerie had the bucket of water and she did awesome!! She was totally soaked when she was done!!

I'm not sure what the next game is called but it involved sugar so it was perfect for this crowd. We had 4 teams of 5 people. Every person was given a brown lunch sack with some sort of food item in it. The first person on each team had to open their bag and completely consume the item in their bag then the next person could go and so on!! I think the items were 5 pieces of bubble gum, 3 packs of pop rocks, 5 pixie stixs, a baby bottle with water (they had to drink it), and 3 or 4 of the big marshmallows!! With this group it could be anybody's game?? I loved Dysons face they dumped all five pixie sticks in at once. My cheeks hurt just think about it!! The adults eneded up with the bottles. The girls bit the top of the nipples off, Steve just squoze the bottle as hard as he could. Good times!!!Looking good Steve your policeman friends would be so proud!!WINNERS!!!WINNERS (Braydon was thrilled-sorry bud!!)

THE BEST GAME EVER !!
CRACKER WACKER!!
Pictures could never do this game justice!!
My mom strung a saltine cracker on a piece of thread and tied one to each persons back side! We had to play it by age or it would have been brutal!!
We made a big square in the grass that you had to stay inside of. Each person got a rolled up newspaper and the idea was to wack everyone elses cracker while trying to keep yours from getting "whacked". The little kids just ran in one big circle chasing each other, laughing their heads off! The bigger girls meant business and I think Malerie was the winner. That girl is fast and she can hit!! Keaton may have won out of the little boys, it's all a blur! The best was playing with my mom and sisters. NO MERCY!!! We were beating the tar out of each other and loved every minute of it! It was hard hitting each other and laughing so hard. Carli got the rest of my cracker and won!! The boys were equally as brutal but they hit even harder!! This ones going down as a new famiy favorite though!! Thanks mom!!
We also played the sawdust dig game, a couple relay games, swang on the rope swing and clothes line swings, and played human knot. To much fun for one day!!

After a great dinner and getting kiddos settled, my sisters, mom, Kiley and I snuck out to see the Proposal. Love that movie a sweet ending to an awesoem day!!

Decisions, Decisions

A few months back I heard a rumor that my grandparents were going to be having a 60th Wedding Anniversary party the end of June. We really had no intentions of going to Utah for the 4th like we usually have, due to girls camp being so close. In every way it just wasn't practical for us to go at this time. As hard as I was trying to be ok with not going it was killing me to miss out on an opportunity for not only my immediate family to be back together in Utah but also all of our extended family, some I haven't seen in waaay to long!! The closer the date got the harder it was becoming to dismiss. I was really determined to have as many of my camp responsibilities under control on the off chance we could make it happen, and I'm not going to lie I was REALLY due for a distraction. The party/reunion was going to be Saturday June 27th so realistically we needed to leave Friday. I think we finally made a decision on TUESDAY that we were going (just the kids and I). Because Eric had just taken off work to go on our Stakes Pioneer Trek and he was taking off again to come to camp. There was just no way he was going to be able to come, BUUMMER! Needless to say it was a little crazy getting ready to go!!

With that many family members in town I was anxious about where we were going to stay and how that would all work out, and of course when that many of my family-siblings, spouses and kids are together it can be a bit much (UNDERSTATEMENT!!) and making plans and following through with them and everyone getting along, and so on and so forth!! So it was excitement mixed with , stress, anxiety and fear that this was a bad idea but I'm always up for a challenge!

Our kids have always been excellent travelers. Usually my biggest issue is Braydon, and Kiley fighting over the front seat (really guys??? I mean seriously) Luckily this time it was minimal. Malerie and Keaton barely made a peep. I had to keep asking are they awake? We were fortunate to get there quickly and safely. It's hard for me to express the actual physical and emotional changes I feel as I drive into the Utah Valley. It's like my spirit says "YES were home!!" What is even funnnier is the kids have never lived there but they almost experience the same thing.
When we got to town we stopped at Mike and Kelliann's to drop Braydon off and say hi. the boys (my brothers, brother in laws and Braydon were going to some crazy air soft gun course and Braydon was so excited he could hardly stand it. He loves hanging with his older "not always wiser uncles"!!! We gave hugs and kisses to their cute little cousins that we don't see often enough and the rest of us headed up the canyon to Great Grandma's cabin in Midway!!

Saturday I was so giddy in anticiaption of being with all my family again!! I miss the good ol days when we would all gather for Sunday dinners and holidays at grandmas and play games and just have a good time together. The receptin was nice and we got to see a lot of old friends from when we lived here. It was amazing to see how much people have changed and not changed!! The best part was following the reception when it was cousins, aunts, and uncles up the wazoo! Playing games, eating and just catching up!! There is NOTHING better or more important in this world then family!!!
After the party all of my siblings and nieces and nephews went over to the Zermot Resort to watch the play Sound of Music that our dad was playing in. It was so fun sitting on the hillside on blankets with all of our family, under the star in the gorgeous mountains (except it got cold real fast!!) It was a GOOD day!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAL MAL!! (2 weeks ago!!)

We celebrated Maleries 10th birthday July 6th, I'm just a wee bit behind on my posts, so sorry lovey!! Every year poor Maleries birthday has to contend with either our annual Utah trip or girls camp or sometimes both!!
We want you to know how much we LOVE and ADORE you. You keep the Perkins home full of life and entertained with your dancing, funny faces, jokes and sweet spirit (and sometimes theat spitfire attitude that we love so much). I cannot imagine life without you!! I hope some day Heavenly Father will let me in on his little secret of why I got so lucky to have such awesome kids. I love when we have our little mom and daughter dates and look forward to many, many more!! We are so proud of the young woman you are maturing into and are thankful for your example. Don't ever forget who you are and that you ARE loved, Love you long time!!