We did lots of fun things while Liz and Mark were here for a visit. First, we went to a little barbeque with the ladies in the singing group I sing in. My Mom has been singing with them, the Sound Singers, for like 30 years and I just joined them a year or two ago. It has been a lot of fun and a really good learning experience for me. I am hoping to take the knowledge I have gained to start my own singing group with my 6 daughters!! :) Anyway, Loraine and Tom have some property and we were able to go have some fun there. It was really a neat place. The kids especially enjoyed playing in the creek (Loraine and Tom provided water shoes for all the kids) and riding on the rope swing. I enjoyed the great food and company (Loraine and Tom and son- Joe, my parents, Liz and Mark and children, Marcie and Scott, Judy and Mike, and Lara's parents, Cathy and Alan.) They even gave us a tour of the property and all the trails, camping spots, and awesome bridges they have made. Maybe someday we will get some property like that. It was a fun night!
One day while Liz and Mark were in town, we went to the Ocean and had a birthday party for Ethan (6) and Kate (2). It was a lot of fun to hang out with cousins, aunts, uncles, and Grandparents, at the ocean. (We used to go to the ocean every summer and spend a few days there, while we were kids, playing on the beach, riding our bikes to the stores, riding on go-carts, etc. So we have lots of fond memories together at the beach.) It was great to be there again as a (larger) family. 1-4) Playing with cousins in the sand, 5) Laurel looking cute with a mouth full of chocolate, 6) Singing to Ethan and Kate, 7) Aurora with a cupcake in each hand, 8) Mandy, Liz, and Angela, the 3 pregos, 9) I love this picture!! It totally makes me laugh! Kate had a sand goatee and she doesn't look too happy about it- so funny! 10) Partners in crime- Rori and Kate, 11) Our girls jumping in the (freezing) ocean!, 12) Our girls and Grant playing in the water, 13) Grant and Aurora- so cute!, 14) Me realizing just how cold the water really was!, 15) Ethan and Tia, and Rachel and Nina playing, 16) Tierra and Ethan running in the sand, 17) Mark and Grant, 18) Aurora dancing/clogging in the sand, 19) Karina's treasure, 20) 3 generations of footprints (Aurora, Mommy/Angela, and Grandpa/Mike), 21) Liz and Ang and one bright sun!, 22-24) Riana, Sariah, and Aurora with their treasures, including a couple of dead crabs, 25) Cars and kites, 26) Two sand monsters- Karina and Rachel!! I love this picture too! Hilarious!! 27) Joe and Tom's sand castle, 28) Swimming buddies, 29-30) Challupies for dinner and smores for dessert (after showering all the sand off and cleaning things up. Sand drives me crazy!!) It was a fun day!
After watching the kids in the morning so that Liz and I could go to the final Shade sell, Grant and Mark went on a little hike together (to prepare for the larger hike they were going to go on in September.) They went up for the day to Snow Lake. They both enjoy hiking and they enjoy spending time together (they actually grew up together and ended up marrying sisters.) They had a good time.
Our last outing of fun together was to go to Sand in the City (while the boys were on their hike), where the girls were dancing. Riana's class performed a few songs. Sariah finally didn't have to perform a solo. Her buddy, Sarah, from her class, came and they were so cute! (Sarah is my brother, Dan's, niece. Dan and Jolie and baby Cohen came too.) They all did great! Afterwards, we went to see the amazing sand sculptures and then took the kids to see and touch the water animals. Next, we let the kids climb on the climbing wall. They had a lot of fun! Riana and Sariah made it all the way to the top, and quite quickly. It was impressive. Tierra and Ethan did great, but became scared the higher they went up and decided to come back down. I'm sure they could've made it if they wanted to. Karina and Rachel had a blast too and were glad that they tried something new. On the way out, we met the cutest little dog! My girls, Liz's kids, and Sarah and her siblings were all loving on the little dog! The dog loved the attention! And it's owner was very kind to let the kids pet the dog. The kids were surprisingly gentle too. (We also received free books again this year and the girls really enjoyed that.) Lastly, we ran into a crazy, yet adorable, little monkey! (Aurora loves hanging and swinging from the handle in our van! It is hilarious!) We had a lot of fun! It was nice to have Liz and Mark come to visit. 