I have always said that Fall is my favorite time of year, and while I think that is still true, summer is starting to give it a run for it's money. Especially July.
This year for Independence Day, we had an early morning breakfast with some friends. This is a tradition my parents have always done, and is something I think we'll try to do every year. It was fun visiting with friends and enjoying the beautiful day!
Later that day, we went to another friends' house for a barbecue.
Our annual "4th of July" family photo.
While we were at the barbecue, we got a chance to go tubing and jet skiing on Schmidt Lake. I feel like I have the dumbest expression on my face in this picture, but I felt like I needed to document the most wild, crazy tube ride I've ever been on!
Apart from the 4th of July, the big event of this month was driving from Minnesota to Utah for the England and Sainsbury family reunions. I wish I could have captured on camera just how long and difficult, yet also fun and interesting, the trip was. We saw the woods and lakes of Minnesota fade to the prairies of South Dakota, to the sage brush of Wyoming, and finally to the mountains of Utah. It was a really fun experience . . . that I wouldn't mind waiting awhile to repeat! That being said, the trip was well worth it because we got to spend a lot of time with our wonderful families.
Our first stop on the Reunion Tour was England cabin in Kamas. One of Mckay's favorite activities was painting with Grandma England and Cole. He let me help him paint this mastery, and told me to title it "King Mckay".
We spent a lot of time at the pool in Kamas. This year Mckay was NOT afraid of the water, and had so much fun! Logan also enjoyed himself, and was happy to splash in the toddler area, and Claire had her first exposure to a swimming pool. It was so nice for us to relax and enjoy the beautiful weather, and I'm so grateful for the many aunts and uncles to helped watch my kids so I could relax too!
Claire and her Dad loved swimming together. Claire especially liked being able to splash and splash.
We went to Temple Square one day as a family. We had so much fun wandering around the Visitor Center and learned some great things about our heritage.
Claire was a little shy at first with all of these new people around her. But, by the end of the visit, she began warming up to her usual, happy self. Grandma England was especially good about breaking down the "stranger danger" anxiety.
We took family photos one beautiful evening. Large family photos shoots are kind of hilarious events. It is no small thing to get young kids to look at the camera and smile at the same time! But we managed to capture some really beautiful shots of this wonderful family.
Time doesn't stand still when you move away. It was fun to get to know Marina and Kelsey better on this trip. I also loved catching up with my three fabulous sister-in-laws, Courtney, Chelsey, and Cassidy. Family really is the best! Sometimes, even though I really love where we live and what we are doing now, I really miss these people, and I wish we didn't live so far away. However, I know that I am so lucky to have so many wonderful people to miss! Thank goodness for family reunions:)
We loved this trip, and even though July isn't over yet, I think I will stop posting at this point. I wish I could have put in every picture that I took over these fun days, but I feel like this post is bordering on too long, so I will continue with the rest of our July adventures in another post.
We spent a lot of time at the pool in Kamas. This year Mckay was NOT afraid of the water, and had so much fun! Logan also enjoyed himself, and was happy to splash in the toddler area, and Claire had her first exposure to a swimming pool. It was so nice for us to relax and enjoy the beautiful weather, and I'm so grateful for the many aunts and uncles to helped watch my kids so I could relax too!
Claire and her Dad loved swimming together. Claire especially liked being able to splash and splash.
We went to Temple Square one day as a family. We had so much fun wandering around the Visitor Center and learned some great things about our heritage.
Claire was a little shy at first with all of these new people around her. But, by the end of the visit, she began warming up to her usual, happy self. Grandma England was especially good about breaking down the "stranger danger" anxiety.
We took family photos one beautiful evening. Large family photos shoots are kind of hilarious events. It is no small thing to get young kids to look at the camera and smile at the same time! But we managed to capture some really beautiful shots of this wonderful family.
Time doesn't stand still when you move away. It was fun to get to know Marina and Kelsey better on this trip. I also loved catching up with my three fabulous sister-in-laws, Courtney, Chelsey, and Cassidy. Family really is the best! Sometimes, even though I really love where we live and what we are doing now, I really miss these people, and I wish we didn't live so far away. However, I know that I am so lucky to have so many wonderful people to miss! Thank goodness for family reunions:)
We loved this trip, and even though July isn't over yet, I think I will stop posting at this point. I wish I could have put in every picture that I took over these fun days, but I feel like this post is bordering on too long, so I will continue with the rest of our July adventures in another post.
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