The Rec Center

Grandpa K has been wanting to go swimming with all his grandchildren since he always has to work when they usually go. We headed to the rec center on Saturday afternoon.

The boys love spraying each other with these guns

Nixon with Grandpa

Leila slept on the grass for about the first hour. Then swam for a bit, but once she found the food, that's what she did the rest of the time we were there.

I had to get a picture of Jace's long hair. One of my favorite things when we go swimming, is if you try to talk to him after he has just come out of the water, he has to lift the hair off of his ears so that he can hear you. It cracks me up!

We always have to climb the rock wall after we swim.

Jace wanted to help Leila climb.

Here's the big boy. He said, "Mom, I'll tell you when I'm ready for my picture." Then I took one, and he was pretty mad that I didn't wait. "Not YET! I said I'd tell you when I was ready!"

"Okay, now you can take it."

Beckett had to try too.

Leila sure loves her cousin Griffin! She's trying to give him kisses, but her binkie is in the way.

Then the kids wanted Brock to try.

Backyard Camping

Brock thought it would be fun to set up the tent in the backyard, and have a boys night on Friday night. The boys were so excited, and had so much fun. I love that they love their daddy so much, and that he makes sacrifices like this so that they can have neat experiences with him. I didn't get any pictures that night, but here they are the next morning.

They wanted to pretend to be asleep, but Nixon just can't NOT smile for a picture!

I love my boys!

Grandpa Sanders' 92nd Birthday Party

My Grandpa Sanders, my dad's dad, turned 92 TODAY, August 9th, 2011. We had a party for him last Saturday at my aunt and uncle Todd and Susan's house. They have a pool and a hot tub, and a trampoline, so pretty much the fun house! My grandpa is one of the best men I know. I am so grateful to have had him in my life for so long.

Here is the birthday boy himself!


The boys got on the tramp first thing.


Todd and Susan (their house) and Grandpa. Susan is blowing up the beach ball for the kids.

My Uncle Dave, Aunt Vickie, and Aunt Robin. (Cory in the back)

The kids table ;) Camille, Cory, and Julia

Marah, Katie, and Chris

The boys quickly got hot after all their trampoline fun, and decided to get ready to swim. Jace is such a good swimmer, and has started swimming without floaties. He will breast stroke from one side of the pool to the next. His favorite thing is his goggles.

They even have a fun slide

Brock went down just to get it nice and wet for the kids. They were getting stuck.

Jace even went down the slide without floaties! He is so good!

Leila loved that they had this wide step to play on.

Leah, Bella, Giada, and Dane. Just minutes before this picture was taken Dane had to jump in with all of his clothes and shoes on because Leah gave him a scare. I totally missed it because I was in the hot tub and my view was obstructed. Everyone said it was pretty dang funny. (Not Leah almost drowning, but Dane jumping in when there were a lot of people already in the water that could have done it if he gave us a second)

Katie, Annie, Todd

Grandpa, Jeannie, Ron, Aria, Bernie, and Marah

Dave, Craig, Robin, Melanie, Vickie, and Allison

Grandpa just taking it all in

Now Nixon needed to warm up on the tramp after swimming. I love that he sucks on his cheeks just like I do.

Jace being a little fish

Leila found a noise maker that Allison thought was hers, and Allison chased her around for 10 minutes! It was so funny. She was too nice to actually take it from her, so she just kept following her hoping she would just hand it over. Sorry Alli, she has 2 older brothers. She knows how to hold on for dear life!

After so long, Allison just grabbed it and took off. Leila tried to catch her, but decided it wasn't worth it!

Singing "Happy Birthday" and blowing out the candles.

Lean, Giada, Bella, and Nixon in the hot tub

Melanie and Julia

We sure love you Grandpa, and wish you many more birthdays to come!

Bed Time!

So bedtime at our house means the kids are bathed (usually), in their jammies, and in our bed to watch a movie, or as much of a movie as time will allow. Then Brock and I head downstairs to catch up on all of our shows. I know I have taken a few of these pictures before, but Leila wanted to join the boys this time, so I had to get it again.

Messy Leila

The other night I had to bring Leila with me to Young Womens. We had Oreos at the end, and she was in heaven! Gotta love the Oreo face!

St. George

We are always so excited when we have an excuse to head to St. George and we get to see Nolan and Treo and their family. Well, Kash's 1st birthday was July 30th, so we all headed down on Friday and spent the weekend together. Everyone was able to make it except for Maria, and my mom and dad, of course. We had so much fun!

We stayed at the Worldmark Resort, and the first night uncle Dane got a game out for the kids. Here they are all lined up. This was kind of late, so Nolan and Treo had already gone home.
Nixon, Giada, Bella, Leila, Jace, and Leah


Uncle Dane getting the game all ready, and the kids trying to wait patiently.


They had to do all kinds of silly things like turn in circles with a book under their arm, or jump 3 times with a fan in their hand, or walk backwards around the chickamastick (or whatever it was called) with a rake between their elbows. I only got this one picture though. Nixon walking around the chickamastick on his tip toes, with a ball between his legs!

Leila was in heaven with all these big kids around! She was having so much fun hitting Bella with the floaties. Bella was sweet enough to keep letting her! Leila was laughing so hard every time Bella would yell OW!

She loved chasing all the kids around even though she was always a few feet behind. They'd run down the hall, and she'd chase after them. Then they'd all run past her the other way, and just as she was figuring it out and turning around, they were all running the other way. It didn't bother her though. She just kept laughing and trying to run after them.

The next day was the big day. Everyone gathered in our hotel room for pizza. Nolan asked Nixon to do a "cool face", and this is what we got.

Most of the kids eating pizza.

And the big man himself! Cute Kash.

After pizza, we all headed to the pool for some swimming. Nixon just ran and jumped right in! This kid has no fear!

Jace with uncle Justin. Jace was such a good swimmer on this trip. He kept throwing toys in, and then swimming to the bottom to get them. We don't know where it came from! He didn't even do swimming lessons this year.

Daddy and his princess.

Mommy loving on her sweet girl.

Leila and Kash loved this little kid pool. It was just their size.

Leila just wanted to walk all around by herself, which was really fun for me since she'd lose her balance every 10 steps or so and I'd have to save her life!

Bella, Julia, Me, Leila, Kash, and Treo's sister in law Jodi. Nixon in the back.

I bought Leila's swimming suit at the beginning of the season. When I found twinner bottoms in my own size, I just had to buy them! She wasn't too happy about me putting her on the ground.

It's okay little one.

We were able to get a couple group shots of all the grandkids on this trip. Here's one of them.

Jaylee, Kash, Bella, Leah, Aria, Jace, Leila, Nixon, and Giada

Aunt Treo always has to make sure to get a silly picture!

Daddy got some cute ones of me and the little miss.

The entire Sanders Clan. (Minus Maria and Granny and Grandpa)

Then it was back upstairs for cake, ice cream, and presents.

Not too sure about this...

Ooh, now this is fun!

Then when the balloons came out, he was over the cake, and loving the balloons! Literally, he climbed over the cake to get the balloons! He played with them for like 10 minutes, just hitting them, and loving every second of it! They were covered in cake by the time he was done, and so was everything else!

Treo got him bathed while we all ate cake and ice cream, and then it was time for presents.

That night we went to a yummy Mexican restaurant for dinner. Leila and Kash were keeping each other entertained with their straws.

Afterwards we went outside for more family pictures. Here's Jace, Nixon, and Jaylee.

All 9 Grandkids again. Besides Aria being a little mad in the carseat, a pretty good picture!

Me with my siblings. Dane and Justin in the back. Me, Nolan, and Julia in the front.

I love my family so much, and I'm so glad we get to hang out all the time. It will be even more fun when my parents come home in 8 months, and get to come to these kinds of things again. And if Maria ever graduates, maybe we'll see her again too :)