Ooooooone more trip home

While in Utah I was able to get a quick get-away with my sister in law at the temple and then out to eat. I haven't seen her in 8 years and she's one of those people you just miss being around.

Speaking of sisters......my two sisters, mom and I went had a Sisters-Sleepover at a hotel one night. The fact that NO ONE told me we would be taking pictures is quite obvious. ;)

I got to pick the place to eat. Of COURSE I picked one of my most favorite-est restaurant (that my husband doesn't like)...... CRACKER BARRELL!!!!!!

I love this little game on the table.....except when it tells me I'm "just plain dumb"

My mom did the best, apparently getting the title of "purty smart" leaving only two left. So next time she tries to convince me that "She's losing her mind" I will remind her of this game.

It was a fun night of laughing, crying (afterall, we ARE Degn girls), dancing, laughing and collectively swearing off ANY drink coming in a 32 oz. cup.... thanks to my sister Sarah.

Brooks and I loaded the kiddos up for one more visit up to my parent's house..... THIS time w/o all the cousins there. Not that the noise level went down or anything, my kids took care of that. But it DID give more time for raspberry picking....a LOT of it.

Honestly, if I couldn't find Brooks he was usually in the raspberry patch, because as you can see, you can get lost in there.

The kids basically all separated in their own areas be it the trampoline, zipline, "Girls-room", playing pool or hiding out and playing in the play-house. 

I didn't want to distrupt them but I had to get a picture. They were just too cute playing in there.... FOREVER.

Grams and Grampy also took us to the movie "Inside Out" and to Hyrum Dam to spend some water-time......we actually got the water time from the raining sky that day too. :)

Down a little ways from my parents house is a "water-hole" where a train runs by. Brooks wanted to introduce the kids to something HE always did as a kid and that was putting pennies on the train tracks to flatten them when they got run over. They REALLY thought this was cool.

There's a ropeswing at the watering hole that the kids had fun on.

That is, until Camden pushed Emerson off too fast and he fell in the freezing water.

Which only meant that Camden ended up having to be pushed in and completely submerged. #eyeforaneye

 Wellsville is such small farm-like town that you can just stand on the back of the truck riding back home.....with cows grazing in the background. It was fun seeing my kids have so much fun there.

Before leaving town we drove to Texas Roadhouse where my little brother is the manager.... we wanted ONE more quick visit to see "Uncle Boy" before we flew back home.

I love this picture Brooks took of us eating......Everly was SO SO SO busy there that I had to hold her in the death grip and couldn't cut my food. So just like when I was a little girl, by dad cut up my food for me.

One quick drive-by the Logan Temple where Brooks and I were married. My kids had never seen it!!! Such a special place for me. Oh, and I didn't edit the picture at all! Doesn't this look like the temple is glowing?!?!? So cool.

As I was walking through the house making sure we didn't forget a THING Brooks had to squeeze in ooooooone more pool game with my brother and niece. And he won, obviously, since they are hanging their heads in shame.

Grandma and RA's

I promise I will EVENTUALLY finish our summer trip home to Utah and then get on to the rest of summer and now school starting. But since it was "the best trip ever" (according to my kids), it MUST be documented appropriately ;)

Here are some pictures from our stay at Brooks' parents' house.

Everly was SPOILED there always being held. Whenever she screeched for attention, she got it. 

Aleeya was regularly found snuggling RA

 Grandma painting Kellyn's nails. Kellyn happened to be Grandma's buddy most of the time.... probably because Kellyn kept getting left with her. :)

I would NOT be exaggerating in saying that I'm pretty sure RA took the boys golfing almost everyday we were there.

Which was convienent for ME since my sister lives just down the road from the Smiths for me to take the other kids to have some major cousin time..

This picture cracks me up because Emma is one month YOUNGER then Emerson and taller then he is. (and to think that I AM THE TALLER SISTER!!!!)

These two are both......well.....2. And I found these two trouble makers drawing crayon ON the sheets. They look SUPER sorry about it.

Shaving cream with cousins.....oh yea.....

The kids also enjoyed playing with their other cousin Elle......who in this picture looks like she blends in with my kids just fine.

But THESE two look related. Here is Kellyn and (cousin) Emma at Lagoon, the amusement park.

I hope Kellyn had fun that time at Lagoon because all the other 12-ish times we went she was left at home (with Everly).....doing important stuff like helping Grandma weed.

We bought season passes to Lagoon for the older 6 and Brooks and myself. It ended up being the BEST idea ever since we could come and go as we please and the kids could get their first amusement park feel to the MAX. 

Their favorite ride was the new one.....Cannibal.

 The majority of the time we would meet up with cousins at Lagoon, which always makes things more fun.

 Get ready for a LOT of cousin-bonding action....

And I can't get over my nephew Lincoln in this picture!!!

(Royce kills me)

Iris' new attachment-victim..... Emma.

(they are so cute)

This picture has Aleeya/Emma, Royce/Me and Grandma/Iris (Iris was NOT thrilled to be separated from Emma)

Sweet Olivia and I got SOAKED on one of the rides, then our homeless-wet look graced the music ride where she INSISTED that she be the one completely squished by her aunt. I felt so bad but she kept giggling the whole time.

They look like sisters here.

One of my favorite pictures..... hopefully Elle's reaction isn't a future prediction of Royce's dates one day.

good ol' Roycey

Grandma took the older kids to Lagoon sometimes too. Aleeya loved the one-on-one, since the boys just went off by themselves.

I know it SEEMS like we only went to Lagoon the whole time at Grandma and RA's but here's proof we went to hang out with friends as well.....because Everly took a nice tumble on the Hinckley's swingset.

Sunday morning Brooks and I took the three boys (you have to be 8 or older) to "Music and the Spoken Word", a live broadcast of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

Then we walked around on the WINDY roof of the Conference Center

This is actually a RARE thing when I get them all smiling normal to me! #handsomestboys

Okay, THIS is more like it.

They got to see the Salt Lake City temple for the first time. Pretty cool considering their ancestors had a lot to do with the construction and dedication of this building.

They also went inside the old Tabernacle that was built in 1867. Their ancestor Joseph J. Daynes was also the first organist to play that organ at the age of 16 and did so for 33 more years. Wonder why the musical talent didn't pass down to my kids.....

Then we went across the street to the prettiest mall in the world, City Creek. All the stores are actually closed on the Sabbath but the mall doors are open to walk around and enjoy the creek running through the middle.....oh, and the escalators.....my kids love those things.

The creek in the mall had a TON of trout in it too!!!! The boys could've stayed there for a LONG time but we needed to get back for church.

My in-laws live in the backyard of the church so it was cute to see my boys just walking home from church and climb the fence to get home.

We also got together with our friends the Gassers from our residency days in Winston-Salem.

Another day Brooks invited all our close high school buddies and their families to his parents home for a Nacho bar. Brooks' parents were SO nice to let us keep "hosting" so many people there.

There were also Grandma dates to movies......

(she took the boys to "Home")

and the girls to Cinderella

I was thrilled Brooks got to go to the temple with his parents. 

I just love this picture so much considering it has three of my  most favorite people in it.