Whitby Reunion - Bear Lake

Are you ready for the totals of our 4,000 mile trip this summer? We took 3 weeks to do this crazy trip and drove every mile in our van. We went from TX to UT and UT to LV and LV to CA and CA to UT and UT to WY and WY to UT and Bear Lake 2 times and our drive home UT to TX. Hottest temperature was 119 degrees in Death Valley driving to CA. We had a day in between to do laundry and repack. We made it and really did enjoy every moment, except for the drive home which was a long 18 hour trip. My husband is the best driver. We couldn't have done it without him. Proud to say we are still alive.

Johnathan would like to be referred to as, "Johnny Taco". A nickname his cousins came up with.

Luke knows how to have fun at Bear Lake.

Can you tell these two little girls are very happy about their new Belle nightgowns?

Sandbox Fun

My parents fixed up their sandbox for the grand kids. I think they liked it. These cute cousins will have many fun memories playing at their Grandpa and Grandma's house.

Van Dyke Reunion - Bear Lake

Bear Lake is one of my favorite places to visit. We go most years and always have a great time. Check out the big inflated floaty in the background. My aunt brought it up and it is much bigger than it looks. About 5-6 adults can get on it or a lot of little kids. It sits out in the water. It is not suppose to go behind a boat. It has a slide off one side. Very fun.

Johnathan and Walker buried in the sand. How will they get out?

Stand up and shake off the sand. It is harder to remove all the sand than you might think.

Finally broke down and bought my little girl this brim hat and shirt that has SPF in it. No sunburns for her and she kept it on all day.

Heaven. I wish I could live at the beach everyday.

Cabin - The Happy House

We went to my sister's husbands families cabin. They're grandkids call it, "The Happy House" because it makes you so happy when you visit. I told my kids before we arrived that there is no crying, no fighting, and no whining. Everyone followed my requests except for my baby he cried the entire trip. I am sorry to all that had to endure his constant fussing.

We went to the most beautiful waterfall. It was about a 30 minute drive from the cabin. Everyone loved it and the kids had a great time.

The crew.

The kids are trying to get under the waterfall.

All the kids packed in to the Gator. Note to self - you burn quicker in the mountains even if it is cooler temperature than you are use to. Thanks for the fun cabin trip. We love spending time with the family.

Happiest Place on Earth

Disneyland is one of the happiest places on earth. They play really nice music and have beautiful things for you to look at and have amazing rides. It is funny how after being there all day you forget how much your feet hurt and if you have to stand in one more line you might just not make it. The funny thing is we got up and did it all again the next day. How is this possible?

California Adventure Land.

Our favorite ride was the Grizzly Run Rapids because you get all soaking wet. It was so very hot and anything to cool us off was wonderful.

My sister Teri and her daughter Emma.

Ariel Grotto was the place to have lunch and relax. The princesses come to your table and the best part was no waiting in lines.

The girls had so much fun taking pictures with all of the princesses.

Don't let Johnathan's smile fool you he was actually really mad that the cute princesses kept talking to him and he didn't want to talk to them.

Lauren had been so excited to go to this lunch but by the time she finished her food she kept falling asleep while she was eating. She kept saying, "Dad my eyes are so tired". We had her lay down on the bench so she could take a quick nap while we finished our food. It was a good thing because she needed to have energy for the rest of the day.

This is Disney's new water show called, "World of Color". Ryan waited in hour and 1/2 to get these tickets. He is my hero because the show was amazing. They projected movie clips on the water with loud music. It was the best water show I have ever seen. Disney knows how to get you coming back for more. It was awesome.

Know it is time for Emma's Sleeping Beauty trick. I don't know who is more tired in this picture Emma or her mom from carrying her the entire 1/2 hour of the show.

We had a great time and will always share our wonderful memories with our kids. We love Disneyland.

California Here We Come

This is where our summer travels begin. We stayed a night with my sister in Vegas and then went to California. We stopped at Huntington Beach. It was so very cold, 75 degrees and windy. The kids didn't mind. This picture is of us on the pier. We are very excited to have my sister and her daughter with us.

We were so happy to be walking around after our drive.

Father's Day Cupcakes

Here are the cupcakes that I made for Father's Day. It is a cupcake cut in half with a brownie in the middle with green frosting for lettuce, red for tomato and yellow for mustard. The french fries are sugar cookie dough cut into strips. I got this cute idea from bakerella.com if you want to check out the original. I do not do it justice.

The kids couldn't wait to give these hamburger cupcakes and french fries to Dad so we could finally eat them. I am very grateful for my wonderful guy. He is outstanding husband and father. I hope all you father's had a good day. We couldn't be the fabulous Mom's that we are with out your help and patience.

Fun with Uncle Ty and Oliver.