Brookelyn's Baptism and Week in Utah

Ok so this summer was completely wonderful, spiritual, and crazy busy.  Arik had a priesthood encampment to celebrate the 100th year of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and the Boy Scouts of America.  He also had youth conference and High Adventure.  Not to mention a few fires that took him away for weeks at a time.  :)  I had girls camp and then there was, what my sister called "Heaven's Weekend".  My sister Melanie, sister-in-law, Tara, and brother-in-law, RJ took out their endowments.  We had the four oldest grandkids get baptized.  Melanie and RJ and their 4 kids were sealed together forever.  RJ was able to officially adopt Alex, Lily, and Ivy just a couple of weeks before the sealing.  Garrett and Tara were also sealed together forever, just a few months before their first baby will be born.  It was awesome!!  Lots of crying and temple hopping and just so cool.  Because I can take my work with me and Arik could only come for the baptism, the kids and I headed down way early for the fun and got to spend a whole week in Utah visiting with family, playing, swimming, and eating and eating and eating, and late late late game nights.  But is was all worth it and so great!!!  This was probably the last time that that my family will all be together for a very long time.  Garrett and Tara live in Japan (he is stationed there with the Air Force), Melanie and RJ live in Virginia, Brandee and Spencer live in Wyoming and we live in Idaho.  Not to mention that mom and dad live in Texas.  Yep we are spread everywhere.  Oh one last note, since I use this for journaling also.  Tara is due Oct 30, we are due Dec 2, and Melanie is due Jan 27.  It is so much fun.  This only proved that I really could only get pregnant when one of the sisters ( or my brother's wife) was pregnant. 

The four cousins getting ready to be baptized.  This will never happen again because none of the other cousins were this close in age.  24 days separate all of them. 



Uncle Garrett and Aunt Tara brought us gifts.  The kids LOVE them. 

A little side note.  RJ baptized the twins first.  Alex's toe kept pooping up and he had to get baptized a couple times to make sure that everything was and stayed completely emerged.  When Arik baptized Brookelyn they did it in one try.  Brookelyn came up out of the water and on the stairs said to me, "Mom we are awesome we did it in one try."  She is not competitive at all.  :) 

Brookelyn and Dad getting ready for the big time. 

Did I mention that we did a lot of swimming and at many different places.  For a pregnant lady it didn't go over well for me because I was sick every time I got into the water.  I am grateful for the awesome cousins and dad who took my kids so that I didn't have to get in the water. 

Brigette and Aiden.  My kids are so happy Brigette is home from her mission.

Grandpa with Brighton and Ivy, Lily is under the water and Brookelyn is looking the other way. 

Alex

Lily

Grandpa, Brighton, Ivy

Just playing.  Alex, Uncle RJ, Lily, Brookelyn

My Uncle John has a motorcycle and my girls were able to ride it a few times.  They were in heaven.  One night he told them he would take them home from Great Grandma's house to his house.  They waited up til 1 in the morning just to ride.  I told them that we would wake them up when we left.  At 3 AM I woke them up and they still wanted that ride so my totally awesome Uncle took them home on the motorcycle.