Boulder Beach

Did you know there's a beach at Lake Mead?  Well, there is!!  It isn't exactly white sand and palm trees, but the water was warm and the kids thought it was a blast.  Here are pictures from one of Julie and I's sunset trips to Lake Mead.  We'd stay til dark and then put them in their pjs and drive them home.  Such a blast!

Speaking of Irvins, we are sure missing our friends.  Em talks about Jayne constantly (and they've taken up regular face time on the iPhones to fill the void) and Van keeps randomly telling me stuff he wants to show Jersey ("I show Jersey my tape measure"). 

WWW Reunion 2012

Right before we moved, the girls and I went to my family reunion in San Diego.  Remember how Emery was home scary sick (105+ fever, pink eye - awesome) for a week?  Well Van got it too (all of us got pink eye, if the truth be told), so he and Aaron stayed home for a sick boys weekend and I took the girls to CA.  It was really fun to have a girls weekend, actually, and the boys had fun too!

And it was GREAT to see all of my wonderful family.  My dad took most of the pictures, but we enjoyed lots of things not pictured - the adult dinner, beach day (including some great waves with Auntie Britt and Abe and then with Emma too - so fun!), Steers (my grandma's family) reunion, and Izzy swimming with Grandpa, and just lots of fun relaxing and catching up with my family.  They are wonderful!! 

this baby was quite a hit at the adult dinner

and very loved by all the cousins

this beauty did lots of her favorite activity all weekend - Izzy holding

Izzy holding on the beach is the best kind

Em and my cousin Demi (my dad's baby sister is 20 years younger than him - her baby is 8 months younger than my Emery - fun, huh?)

Grandpa and the Abe man

Moving

Most of you probably already know we're moving back to Utah (this weekend!) where my hubby will get his dream job of becoming a small business owner.  We are thrilled!!! 

But I'm already missing a few people...  :(  And lots of other people not pictured.  I'm so lucky to have such great friends.

My Maggi (and Jack and Liam)

Julie (and the 5 little J's)

Marissa (and Ty)

Sonna (and Ruthie and Reg)

In July...

She smiles...

and smiles....

and smiles.

He picks the coolest 110+ degree outfits (a beanie and work boots)

She weighs 10 lbs (50%) and is 22 1/2 inches long (75-90%)  at 6 weeks

She naps on her beautiful grandma

She spends 4 days home with a fever, but is still impossibly cute

He takes his family biking in the rain

He does cool bike tricks in the garage

He gets into mommy's mascara.  Twice.  (He really has gorgeous eye lashes.  And didn't so 1/2 bad applying the mascara....)

She plays Cinderella and cleans the church

She has the cutest face in the world

She has 2 daughters.  Wow.

She goes swimming for her 1st time.  And sleeps the the pool for all 25 minutes of it.

He helps dad fix stuff. 

She gets back on the bike (and treadmill, elliptical, down dog, etc.).  And then pumps.  This baby takes a bottle.  Hallelujah!! 

Ashton Family Reunion

Aaron's mom is one of 12 children.  They have the most FUN family!  They have more fun together than any siblings I've ever known.  Aaron really understands why I need my girlfriends... and never seems to be shocked when I'm extra crazy, silly or giggly when I'm with them.  I finally realized why - he's watched his mom and her 6 sisters do the same thing his entire life.  They are darling and hilarious.  Just how sisters should be.  And the brothers are wonderful, too.  They are an amazing family with an incredible amount of unconditional love for each other. It was so fun to spend almost a week with the 12 siblings and spouses and most of their children and grandchildren. 

We drove through my father-in-law's home town of Santa Paula, CA on the way to the reunion and got the play by play as we drove of all of the meaningful spots from his childhood - including a replay of the exact spot he proposed.  So adorable.  It was so magical to see so many places so meaningful to his life. 

Then we drove down the canyon into Ojai - my mother-in-law's home town.  Again - so magical to be in the place where her VERY magical childhood took place.  The reunion included parties at Uncle Trevor's beautiful home, the Ojai 4th of July parade and fireworks, parties at Aunt Nona's (Emery's new favorite place), a beach party and even a 1 1/2 days camping and playing on Santa Cruz Island (90 of us in matching blue reunion sweat shirts - people were shocked it was all 1 family!).  Oh ya - and an extremely elaborate treasure hunt.  This family knows how to party! 

We had a blast and Izzy (5 weeks old at the time) was a trooper.  She really did surprisingly great!!  What an angel baby!  Thanks, Ashton family, for the great reunion!  Can't wait til the next one!

the little girly cousins LOVE Uncle Taylor (Hailey and Emery)

Van thought this was a great way to watch the parade on the 4th of July

Lindsey, Tiffiny, me, Chelsey and mom at the 4th of July Parade

Awesome trampoline wrestling war at Aunt Nona's

This describes the fun my kids had at Aunt Nona's - Emery in an amazing dress from Aunt Nona and Nina, drinking a soda, Van picking cumquats off the tree and eating them.  And no bedtime.  YES!!!!!!

Reenacting the proposal.  I'm so glad she said yes!

Our family of 5 at the beach party!!

Izzy and Catalina.  My sister Lindsey and I had baby girls just 2 weeks apart.  Great timing, eh?

Most of the Wilkinson cousin crew waiting to get on the boat to go to Santa Cruz Island

Casey and Jojo with Izzy baby.  I met so many cousins I'd never met before.  Like I said - I LOVE this family!

Van in Casey's hat.... with Casey's girlfriend Rainey (she's a keeper) and  Jojo's husband Casey behind them

Pulling up to Santa Cruz Island

The world's best babysitters - Ally and Jilly. 

Sunset at the top of the mountain for family devotional on the island

Hailey and Nathaniel at the family devotional.  I've never seen two happier people!

Van played in the drinking water spicket and got his 1 pair of pants completely soaked.  So Uncle Lee kept him warm during the devotional.  Thanks, Uncle Lee.  (Uncle Lee also caught him trying to pee and poop at least 3 different times.  Van thinks camping means going outside.... not in an outhouse.  He actually pooped right next to the outhouse once.  Awesome.)

Ocean kayaking - Aaron with our seal friend.

REALLY big smile in a sea cave

Missy and Emery kayaking with their dads

Van and dad kayaking

On the boat back from the island we drove through a pod of 1000 dolphins!  Yes - 1000!!!  It was one of those things you're pretty sure only happens on the Discovery Channel.  It was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen.  Watching them all swim all around the boat, jumping in and out of the water.  Unforgettable. 

"Home on the Hill" - the Ojai mansion where my mom in law and her 11 siblings grew up.  I can see why their childhood was so magical.  The place has a bell tower, is surrounded by these majestic hills and to top that - it was haunted.  Crazy stories. 

Lindsey, Josh H, Tiffy, me and mom - gorgeous view from the top of the island

Linds and I with our tiny girls.  They were great little adventurers!