All-Stars

Royce made the All-star team for his baseball league....and yet STILL hasn't mastered that "All-star smile"

And where the HECK was the wear-gray-pants memo???!?!?! Welp, it made him easier to spot!

 I'll tell you who the All-star selfie taker is.....EMERSON! (with Wynn)

 Which is ALSO the reason I don't see him ever getting a phone!

 Kellyn just has the best smile. For this reason, her frog-catching picture deserves to be on this All-star post!

 Emerson's Schwinn bike was stolen out of our driveway!!!! It was HORRIBLE since he rides it everyday. He rode it to school, to the gym, the movie theater, to Sonic and to the church (the essentials, ha!) He was devastated and started praying it would be returned or he would find it.

One day while Brooks was riding to work he found Emerson's bike parked in front of a clinic there! It was for SURE his bike because of some markings on it. Brooks quickly called me and Emerson and I drove down and picked it up. He was SO excited.

(Definitely more excited than the thief would be when he walks out and sees "his" mode of transportation gone!)

Fuzzy Butt Falls

Okay...... when I found out there was a waterfall named "Fuzzy Butt Falls" I told Brooks we are NOT leaving Arkansas until we go there!!!! (it just goes to show the importance of a name!)

Note: It got it's name from the guy who first documented it and took a picture in front of it mooning the camera. True story!

Ever wondered what it looked like?! Well wonder no longer! BEHOLD "FUZZY BUTT FALLS"!!!

Bronson kept threatening to throw Iris in so she wasn't too happy.

The first one in the water was ROYCE!

The first one actually IN the waterfall first was Emerson

Then Bronson seem to find everyone to throw in.....Camden being the hardest to get.

Back down by the river had more areas to play and the kids loved it.

My "bookends" 💗

We had a rock skipping contest and Camden WON!

The kids found this "slide" that I find awfully bumpy and not worth trying.

And yet, they all wanted to try it.

Everly was NOT a fan and did NOT like the turbo-wedgie

It really was such a gorgeous and peaceful place!

High Adventure 2019

Brooks, Camden and Bronson joined other young men from our stake on a high adventure trip in NEW MEXICO! (Please don't bring up the length of the drive to Brooks.....#soretopic)

The boys were under STRICT instructions to send me pictures. The first and only one I got from the first day was from Camden and his new friend he had with him for a bit I guess.... I'm not sure what to believe.

I told him what any respectable mom would tell him....to not come home if it's still with him.

I got a few pics of hiking and backpacking and some of landscapes. It's funny how they would send me pics not believing how dry everything was. I forgot they didn't grow up in Utah like me who regularly visited Arizona. They were amazed though.

 This picture was taken at the top of their highest hike. Not everyone made it and even Brooks said it was super challenging. It was SO hard that apparently the boys couldn't even SMILE at the top !

Also I have no idea why Brooks has two rags hanging from his pants. Maybe to wipe his hands?

Their favorite part they said was the white water rafting. Brooks was on a raft in front of them and saw this real time. These are professional pics I found on a website. 

So this is the boys' raft. Bronson in front right and Camden second back on the left going into the rapids.

 Then the looks on their faces change when the raft starts get get knocked around a little and they start to get worried.

Even looking at their faces now makes me laugh.

 I think it's about NOW that they realize they are dead. Camden can't even be SEEN!

 BRONSON'S FACE!!!!!!!!

Brooks said he was just dying laughing in his raft ahead of them.

When the boys got home I heard so many stories that I'm SO glad I didn't hear DURING the time. Like about boys feeling like they were going to die and fall off a cliff and kids getting lost. But that's all part of the fun....right? RIGHT?!?!?!

STILL a sorry fisheman

Brooks' DREAM came true!!!!! He got to be in a real life fishing tournament with his friend, Tray. Tray HAPPENS to really be a pro fisherman who regularly does tournaments. WHY he asked Brooks to be his second-man is beyond me. But Brooks seriously was giddy excited. He even wore his fishing SHIRT!

Well when he came home with a bag of fish and plopped them in the sink I couldn't believe it!

And I was RIGHT to not believe it. Turns out he didn't catch a ONE of them and Tray caught them all! haha. But he did let Brooks bring them home.

 He really was so pleased. Which made it hard for me to tell him to get the stinking (literally) fish out of my kitchen.....so I didn't.

 His autopsy skills came in handy as well!

 And although they didn't win, their number was picked in a raffle and they won Costa sunglasses. 

The MAJOR cherry on top.

One last Arkansas camping trip

Before moving we thought one more camping trip along the Buffalo was in order. The twins fell asleep on the way there in identical sleeping positions. 😀

Well the picture is sideways, but how cute are my little dutch oven cookers. Brooks is the master of dutch oven when we camp.

And everyone loves a hammock! LOOK AT THOSE HAPPY CAMPERS!

And the winner of the first caught fish goes to CAMDEN!

I went on a walk in search of wifi to get a hold of Bronson who was on his way a little late. Trying to walk even short distances with these four takes forever.

It is IMPOSSIBLE for Wynn and Iley to take a normal picture now!

#Wynnshand

They were just so pleased with their water shoes and the hats I got so Iley's scars wouldn't sunburn.

I find a kid solo games so funny sometimes. Like when a kid (Iley) will walk the whole way with one foot on pavement and one on grass.

We love the view here along the Buffalo with the cliffs.

(WHAT is up with my kids' hands in pictures?!?!)

Brooks is DETERMINED to catch us dinner with his "jorts" (jean-shorts) rolled up.

Aleeya caught some tadpoles or almost-frog creatures

Then the kids had a brilliant idea to make a lagoon thing with walls on both sides to keep the fish within grabbing distance. How nice for the fish....

They actually ended up with quite a few trapped in there. Which I LOVED because it kept all the kids localized in one spot.

Emerson was the ultimate fish catcher there. I think he got up to seven.

I LOVE the cliffs behind him. It's one of my favorite places we have camped.

Nothing like holding up the fish with your teeth so you can display that it was your 7th catch.

Then Brooks caught a few bigger ones and decided they were going to be cooked for dinner. Which is fine with me.....as long as it didn't get within a few inches of my tinfoil dinner SANS fish.

He had Camden clean them or gut them or whatever you do with the fish before.

And the kids all LOVED his fish. haha. I sat on the other side of the campsite so I didn't have to smell it.

I got some NICE snuggles from worn-out toddlers. Little Iley-May was OUT!

I love seeing my kids just being together......ESPECIALLY in nature. It's a parent sigh-of-relief-and-joy moment.

This picture cracks me up because I told everyone to look since ALL my kids were in the picture and Emerson is all acting like he's reeling in something big.....(and he's not!)

 On the last day Brooks took Bronson, Camden, Emerson and Aleeya kayaking down the river. They did this last time and had HIGH hopes of catching things while they floated the river.

Turns out they caught two fish.

And then they loaded their kayak with a few of these cute things.

TURRRRRRRNS OUT when they went to go return their boats that the ranger saw them with fish. Let's just say that there was a FINE for keeping any fish that are under 14" inches that is bigger than any speeding ticket. (WHO KNEW?!?!?) And that's for ONE fish! Good thing they were still alive so Brooks let them go. When the ranger saw the turtles it was an even GREATER issue. Think close to a thousand for one turtle. They were let go too. 😂

Family bonding is greatest when there are a few mishaps, adventures and when there are 7 kids sharing a tent with me while Brooks and the boys all get their own sleeping accomodations. 

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