behold the power of ice cream

We made a quick visit to Papa and G.G.'s the other day. It ended up being a pretty fun day!

Cool Pool!!!!

pick nick lunch!!!

other cool things you come across at g-parent's houses like fun cups!

and out for ice cream with the cousins!
Gma Sheri, Papa, Jaxon, Garrett

Jerzee and aunt Jessica

mom and Embrie

double the mmmmm!

major mmmm!

and total ice cream annihilation mmmm!

thanks for the fun day and for the ice cream Gma Sheri, Papa, & G.G.!!!

as good as camping

A Father and Son bonding moment!
Brad decided to camp-out in the backyard with Garrett last weekend. Oh the excitement! Garrett was bouncing off the walls with it!

this was pretty cute! he got his toy tools out to help put the tent up !

they played a game, ate snacks, read books and slept in the tent! It was perfect, just what these two needed!

SWEEEEEET Candy!

We got the chance to go with a group of friends to the Sweet Candy Factory and go through a tour there! It was pretty neat. We all had to wear a hair net as you can see. And of course when the little ones weren't convinced about wearing the nets what did our tour guide bribe them with? candy of course!

We learned a lot of interesting things about candy making. I am pretty sure I gained weight just being there! I will never forget the smell of the room where they dipped the candy in chocolate! I do not doubt what our tour guide said, "there are calories in the air!"

We loved looking at the big machines and seeing what each candy kitchen looks like inside, we also were intrigued by the pipes over our heads that were flowing with liquid candy! But I am pretty sure that Garrett's and Embrie's favorite part was the free samples we got along the way.

The tour was free but you can't leave the candy shop with out candy! :)

my attempt to get all three of us in this photo did not quite work as you see.

What a Chicken!

So about 2 weeks ago we went to 7 Peaks water park with most of Brad's family. This was a good time! All the kids had an absolute blast! Garrett was up and down the water slides non-stop and Embrie cried if she was in in the water in some way. Unfortunately, I forgot the camera and therefore don't have any fun pictures. I am pretty sure the adults had fun too, but I will tell you it is pretty crazy sometimes trying to keep an eye out for 8 kids in a busy place filled with water, but luckily no one was hurt! ;)
I seriously wish that I had the camera when Embrie fell asleep in my arms in the last slide line of the day. It was pretty cute to have her zonk out in her life jacket and all just as we're coming to our turn. But she did so good for not having a nap all day. She fell asleep at about 6pm but of course woke up for the ride home.
As for me I have to laugh at myself. My sisters-in-law had to talk me into going down one of the big speed slides, ya you know the kind, they pretty much drop you straight down. When we got to the top I kept looking at it thinking "who invented this stuff? someone with a death wish?" but I went down it and survived and after the first time I was willing to go again. Unlike the tube ride at bear lake (see previous post). As far as that goes I thought about dumping myself off in the first couple of seconds just to get it over with. Its the anticipation that kills ya! I just am amazed at all the crazy (fun, but crazy) things I used to go without thinking twice. LOL What makes us this way?
What about you? what do you think causes this? motherhood, old age, gradual blindness???

The morning after. . .

a couple cute things . . .

Well the morning after the day at the lake we found ourselves being served breakfast at home but restaurant style! Grandma Sheri helped Garrett and Jaxon run the show. They took our orders, made some awesome smiley or grumpy faced pancakes, and served us all! They thought this was wonderful!

Then when the boys started playing trucks this is the scenario they came up with:
the trucks were going to the lake
one was towing the boat
the other was hauling the tubes
and both were being driven by . . . Grandpa Blaine
Yes yes there were two grandpa Blaine's, if you can imagine. They had to keep reminding each other that they could both be grandpa Blaine. It was soooo cute. Grandpa was definitely the hero. And this is not the first time that I have heard Garrett play this way pretending to be any of his grandpas driving their trucks around.
Occasionally there was also a truck driven by grandma too!

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.