Bear Lake

Went to Bear Lake with the family last weekend. Bear Lake is one of my favorites, as always good times!

Of course we waste no time! lets get dirty! Sweet little Jerzee!

and what trip to the lake is complete without the air matress??

Grandpa Blaine giving the boys an easy ride!

Grandma Sheri playing ring around the rosies with the girls.

Then the played it together. These moments were too cute!

Now here I am being forced to head out on the tube my first time out. And if you could see my face you'd know I was panicking. What? where did all my bravery go? it went out the door as soon as I had kids I tell you!

Jessica and Jerzee

Jared. The guys were much braver and more daring on the tube than I. That is ok I will leave it to them.

what a good sport! All the kids wore their jackets without a fuss.

Jessica probably wasn't as chicken as I was.

Jared, Jaxon and Jerzee (who took a little snoozer)

Embrie was getting pretty cozy with her older cousin Colton. Ready for a nap I think.

And I was right.

Yes that is my littlest brother on the mattress I haven't been able to get away with not claiming either of them so I might as well go with it.

and in case you were wondering, this is the reason you take an air mattress ;)

It got a little choppy there at the end. But Embrie is such a fish! she rarely comes in from the water!

Garrett said his favorite part was riding on the boat, but he sure loved playing on the beach too!

pull up those pants son!

Kemp Family Legacy

My grandparents Shirl and Barbara Kemp


They are actually my step-grandparents, if you want to get technical. But honestly they took me and my brother's into their family (full of grandkids already) like we'd been there all the time.

They both passed away from Cancer this year. Grandma in January and Grandpa in June. I take comfort that they were not separated for long. They were together for 62 years! And I know that they have found a place with our Father in Heaven and His son Jesus Christ.


Grandpa was born during the depression. He was a WWII Vet. he worked aboard a Submarine, the USS Sea Robin. He met grandma on a blind date, that mind you she didn't want to go on. She was quite capable of getting her own dates, she told her friend (which is true grandma was a pretty girl!) but from that night on they only had eyes for each other. They had a family of 4 boys, my step-dad being the 2nd eldest.
They were such a good example to me of how to be kind, giving, and hard working. I love them and will miss them dearly.

24th Weekend

For the Pioneer Day holiday I convinced my friend Nickie to go with me to my home town of Cokeville, Wy. and run a 5k with me. It was the least expensive 5k we'd ever run, it was pretty but it was cold! Ha! you'd think having lived there growing up that I would remember that the temperature at 6am is around 40 degrees (yes even in the summer). I totally forgot to bring a jacket. The elevation is higher as well so it was a little bit more difficult on our lungs. But despite all that I was surprised to finish with a personal best! 26:26 Wish we would have gotten a race picture, but I guess you can only expect so much brain power at 5:30/6am.

We were there Thursday night through Saturday afternoon. So we got to do a few fun things before and after the race. This includes seeing the horses.

We got to feed them some grain.

pet them

Take a little ride.

We have one little . . .

Two little . . .

Three little Indians

threw some rocks in the creek

We went to a youth rodeo. And so that you are aware these are cute and fun but not nearly as exciting as an actual rodeo, but Garrett was very excited. He was bummed that he was not signed up for the muttin' bustin (which I honestly don't believe he would do even if he says he will) or the dumby cow roping, or stick horse barrel racing. I think that we will have to sign him up next year.
He found this rope under the bleachers and began practicing his routine for next year.

The next day after the race we went to the parade. Jared and his family were there too!
candy chasing extravaganza!

the only thing we missed was dad.

Bingham Canyon Mine (Kennecott)

First of all this was the first day that I tried to do something besides a ponytail or pigtails with Embrie's hair. Now this is not the work of a professional but the mere fact that I tried (that being the key word) is progress. Good thing she is cute despite her mother's lack of talent.

A playgroup visit to Kennecott was a lot of fun. It was a free day and so very busy, but we didn't mind! I may have taken a more centered picture of our group with this huge tire if I hadn't been so concerned about the little screamer who didn't want to have to hold still for the picture. Hmm I wonder if you can figure out which one I am speaking of . . .

Embrie was enjoying the view. She would have let me hold her up at the rail all day. She was almost as much into the trucks as Garrett.

The kids ran from one display to the next.

I hadn't been to the mine since I was a little girl and didn't remember much about it so this was a fun and interesting trip for us all. Garrett was so excited about it he didn't stop chatter boxing all the way there!

Nature Walk

Since Brad doesn't have many weekends off this summer I decided that we'd better start doing stuff on his day off during the week so that we don't feel like the summer has passed us by. So my first idea was to take a picnic lunch and head up a trail in the nearest canyon.

Embrie was quite the trooper. It was a little bit rougher terrain than she was used to. but miss independent wanted to walk it herself. I knew eventually wear out and wouldn't mind being held or holding hands.

as you can see she was filthy

I didn't know where we'd end up eating lunch but we actually found a open area with picnic table.

Garrett was on the look out for animals. The one in particular that he wanted to see was a bear. hmmm I am glad that we didn't see any bears. But we saw some birds, heard some squirrels and a snake.

One animal we saw a lot of was horses. There were a few groups on horseback and the kids loved this part of the trek too.

We all got very dirty.

So of course we headed home to strip down and rinse off in the hose (don't worry it was just the kids).

Independance Day

"We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, that to secure these rights governments are instituted among men. We . . . solemnly publish and declare, that these colonies are and of right ought to be free and independent states. . . And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor."

-The Declaration of Independence

"God who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that his justice cannot sleep forever. Commerce between master and slave is despotism. Nothing is more certainly written in the book of fate than that these people are to be free. Establish a law for educating the common people. This it is the business of the state and on a general plan."

-On the wall of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial

I am so grateful for my freedom and those who have and continue to fight to keep it. I know that sometimes it feels this country is going crazy, but each of us has a responsibility to be the best kind of person we can be and encourage others to do the same.

Above all I am grateful for a God who saw fit to grant us with this freedom and all that we hold dear! Let's not forget to thank Him!

We spent the 4th of July with Brad's family. We had a pretty good time (despite the fact that both of my kids had the 24 hr flu on the 4th). Our first activity on Saturday was a small town parade.

We have an even 8 kids between us, 4 girls and 4 boys, just right. Aren't they cute!

Sydnie, Ansley, Molly, Embrie

Riley, Alex, Cooper, Garrett


After the parade we all went swimming.
Garrett loved this slide, he would have gone up and down it all day if possible.
(even for not feeling too good)

As you can see little miss independent had a rough time. She didn't believe that she should have to hold my hand or let me hold her in the water, but really she swallowed enough water going under that she just made herself more miserable. She did have a few moments of fun when she wasn't trying desperately to escape me and Brad.

The rest of the afternoon we bbq-ed and played. Brad and I thought of every possible game you could play with the kids to keep them outside and leave it to Grandma to have fun and interesting thins to do!

Getting ready to light off fireworks in the street!

On Sunday night we drove out to the area where they were having a fireworks show and sat in the back of my sis-in-law's truck with 4 of the 8 grandkids and watch the fireworks. The kids loved it! I wish that I would have taken my camera and gotten pictures of their little faces, it was Embrie's first time watching fireworks.
We had a fun time.