having fun with the Henricks clan

This last weekend we had our Hendricks Reunion. Lucky for us, this reunion includes my grandpa's brothers & their families & they are a FUN bunch.

The evening before all my aunts, uncles, cousins, & their kids got together at my grandma's house for for food & fireworks. Of course, my boys happiest moments are with fireworks so they really enjoyed all the new friends & fire fun. Jaden was at Chris's side lighting all the fireworks. Landon loved exploring in my grandma's backyard....he loved it all & was running all over the place. Even after it was pitch black.

I'm so grateful for these memories for my kids & for them to get to be part of such a wonderful heritage. My cousin Jake & his wife stayed with us & even today Jaden asked where my friend went & when he can come back.

Conversation of two four-year olds

10 minutes ago.....

Emily & Jaden are playing together & decide that they want to go to Emily's house. Since it's raining Jaden decides he needs his winter clothes on. Jaden is excited for winter because we bought him skis a couple of weeks ago & he can't wait to go skiing. Jaden then proceeded to inform Emily 'I don't have ski boots yet so I'm going to have to use my dads". Why Jaden said this I don't know, Chris has bad knees & doesn't' ski. Emily then told him "when you are big you can get your own boots" but then she continued "you will also have your own house & marry a girl." This caught my attention since she's been telling her mom in secrecy that she'll one day marry Jaden. I wondered if she'd let me in on the secret so I asked "who do you think Jaden will marry?" Emily "well I think it will be a girl in High School". Jaden oblivous to the fact that one day he will marry a girl said "when I'm big I won't go to school, I'll work." I didn't get Emily to confide in me but it was funny to hear & try to make sense of the way 4 year old think. I've decided that boys & girls minds definately work differently.

Impromptu Fun!

Today Jaden was kind of getting antsy & I was having a hard time getting anything done. I encouraged Jaden to find something to do....10 minutes later Jaden managed to round up some friends & their moms for some fun. On a hot day water fun is the only way to go. The moms hung out in the shade & the kids had a lot of fun in the sun!!!! Landon woke up from a nap half way through & got to enjoy in some of the fun.

Our week of visitors

So our week is full of visitors. About a month ago our friends from Washington called us to let us know they'd be coming down for a family reunion in Island Park & wanted to get together. We were very excited to see them & as plans were being finalized last week they offered to bring Chris's mom with them. So yesterday everyone arrived just in time for Jaden's t-ball game. After the game we got to visit as the kids played & then they continued on to Island Park & now Chris's mom is visiting with us for the rest of the week.

This morning I of course wanted to play with my camera & am so desperatly in need of lessons. If you have some tips for dealing with shadows since today was bright & sunny PLEASE help. Anyways, we went down to the greenbelt & snapped some pictures of the boys with their grandma Murphy. Posed pictures won't work with my kids so here are some fun ones interacting with their grandma...those are the best kind anyways:)

Tomorrow we are heading up to Island Park for some more fun with our friends and then on Saturday Chris's best friend is coming to visit. Thankfully Chris's mom knows all of them so it will be fun catch up for her too.

the FROG

On Monday my mom, Jenna, Dianna, & I PLUS all the kids headed to Utah for some fun. I of course was camera-less & was very disappointed when Chris called me on Monday to let me know my camera came. None of the trip was captured on a camera although I'm not sure there was time to capture anything. It was a fast & busy trip full of lots of shopping, lots of play, swimming, & chasing after 6 kids.

Exhausted we got home around 6pm but I had a couple things that we needed from the store so we headed out as a family to Walmart.

For Jaden's birthday we got him a swimming pool. After a day it lost it's shape & I took it back & got the same one thinking it was a fluke. It wasn't....the pool just wasn't holding it's walls up that well so I took it back & asked my friend where they got theirs....when I got to Target they were all gone. So time went on & I kind of forgot about the fact that we owed Jaden a pool. So at Walmart last night I remember & told him to pick out a pool. When we go to stores Jaden grabs what he wants & thinks he's entitled to everything in sight. I've been working really hard with him in reminding him that we only can get something for a special occassion. This is the only time he remembered me saying this EVER & kept telling me he couldn't get a pool because it wasn't a special occassion. Frustrated I told him it was time to leave & then he decided he did want a pool. So here's his new frog pool in vivid color (oh the joys of an slr)!!!!

{a pictureless post}

So I can not find my battery charger for my camera. I'm sure it's somewhere...I'm usually really good about putting it in the specific location so that is why I am a little baffled. BUT here is exciting news!!!! I've been very envious of my sisters cameras. I know we shouldn't envy but I totally have been jeolous. The beginning of this week Chris told me out of the blue that I should buy myself a new camera. Originally we decided this would be a good Christmas gift so I still thought I should wait until Christmas but then....I just couldn't. 20 minutes later a Nikon D60 is in the mail. I can not wait. So all future posts will be much more vivid & beautiful!!!!

Our week has been BUSY!!!! With little cousins in town we've squished in lots of play time. Spray Park fun, playland time, hiking, Sandy Downs mudfest, & a family reunion.

Our family reunion was a camping event which we really don't do so we went up yesterday to take in the day festivities. Jaden LOVES playing in the trees & made lots of friends with his 2nd cousins. Landon also had fun running up & down the mountain & there were several dogs for him to play with so he was in heaven. A funny story....Jaden is really picky about where he'll go to the bathroom. When he saw that they were outhouses he refused to go. I was getting worried but he kept saying he'd hold it. Finally he told me he had to go & I asked him if he wanted to go behind a tree. He said yes but kept walking up the mountain to find the perfect tree. After a long walk up the mountain, through a lot of brush, he found the perfect tree to go potty at. I'm not sure I should be encouraging this potty outside thing but he's so stubborn I know he would have never went in the outhouse therefore he would have wet his pants.

Our next week is even crazier but it will be full of friends of family....some we haven't seen for awhile. So look forward to some fun adventures:):):)

A fun filled week!

This post is crammed full of a VERY busy but FUN week!!!!

We got to spend the entire week with my family including all my siblings (minus Chanse on his mission) & their children.

My brother from Medford OR arrived on Sunday so we got to enjoy the beginning part of the week playing with them.

On Thursday everyone finally arrived where we met in Jackson Hole. We stayed in Teton Village which is a beautiful resort area at the base of the tetons. Probably Jaden's favorite part of the trip was the tram ride (he called it the flying bus) up to the very top of the tetons. The altitude made me a little loopy & I didn't do a lot of hiking but Jaden & Chris did some exploring while I watched Landon play with Rocks. We then went to a shootout in downtown Jackson Hole where we got to see actors pretending to shoot eachother. Jaden slipped to the very front. Then a delicous dinner at Calico & then it being very late a few of the littlest went to sleep & everyone else did a late night swim/throw everyone in the pool. LOTS OF FUN!!!

The next morning my Grandma Hendricks came up to join us for breakfast. My parents arranged a private Buffet at the Virginian since we were such a big group & it was so nice to have a lot of space to let the kids play. We then went to Jenny's Lake & ferried across & did a hike up to hidden falls. It was refreshing & I definately want to start doing some longer hikes without the kids:):):)

Jaden, my dad, & Chris headed to get fireworks while all of us headed home to do a BBQ @ my parents house. My BOYS love fireworks & we screaming in delight when we did Friday Night fireworks at my parents. (Melanie took the funniest video on her phone of Jaden that I've got to get posted, it's great).

Saturday was the Rexburg Parade, BBQ at my parents where we also did a belated 60th b-day party for my dad since everyone was there, & then we went & watched fireworks in Menan. Again I had two happy little boys. AND Chris ran his 5k early that morning completing it in 24 minutes. My brother-in-law Matt ran with him & fell in a hole & it appears that he may have broken his ankle. The sad part was the Chris didn't notice he disappeared & kept running having to search for him at the end of the race.

Today I'm pooped but we again spent time with Family since most were heading home and I have some nieces & nephews sleeping in my basement right now savoring every last minute together. So Sad!!!! We had a great week but lucky for us my sister-in-law Dianna is staying with her two kids for a couple of weeks & we get to play, play, play. I've kind of decided that summer is ALL play. I'm not sure I'll ever be ready to go back to reality.