Back to School....And then there were two!

Only two left to pose for the annual back to school picture. Austin and Carly were decked out and gorgeously tanned for the event and out the door before I knew it! Tell me, where does the time actually go?

Fourth of July...Extended Version...

The REAL July 4th.....at home....2010

BBQ

Julie and Chelsea made an amazing apple pie!

During all our trips to Utah...we scored these babies....

2/3 of our kids were home, so we made the best of it!

I love sparklers!

Summertime, Summertime, Sum, Sum Summertime:)

Summer has come in all her glory! With it has come a myriad of activities for my kids and an organizational energy from some mysterious force. Which allowed me to get my closet clean and a bunch of projects started.

First off, My husband and boys took off for an Aaronic Priesthood encampment the Monday after Graduation for 5 days and Carly left for Utah with Julie for a few weeks to play with her sisters there. (This is her goofing off at the Bean Museum in Provo) Love those lips Carly!

Aaronic Priesthood Encampment 2010

My hubby, enjoying some time with his boys in the mountains..

Sean is standing in the center, watching the chubby bunny competition...

Austin is the one in the red sweatshirt around the campfire....

On top of that, Chelsea has helped me hang pictures and get all sorts of little projects done, just in time for a baby shower at our house. (for my friend Jill's daughter Brittany). There's just no motivation like a shower or a family party at your house to get things done:).

After Carly got back from Utah, Austin left for football camp at BYU and then Carly started The Magic of Musical Theatre at MCC.

(This is the back of Austin's head after I cut his hair to get ready for football camp before he left. He forgot to take any pictures while there:(.

Carly at MC's musical theatre workshop...

The day after musical theatre, I took off for Utah with Carly and her friends for EFY at BYU.

......which meant I got to play with my Presh, (Hayden:).

I took the kids to the restaurant Chelsea worked for last semeste!r...Sakura....YUM!!

I was also lucky enough to join my girls for a VIP showing of Eclipse since Amy won a bunch of tickets for the special early showing. Each of us got a special ticket on a lanyard and a card for free goodies at the concession stand.

There's nothing quite like the beauty of Utah Valley in the Spring/Summer....

I love being with all my girlies:)

Before the week was out, I left Provo with Julie and Chelsea to get them home to get ready for their upcoming trip to Europe. I was starting to memorize the drive to Utah and home again!

Then I quickly turned around (the next day!) to head up to Show Low to join Steve and the boys at the Ellsworth Family Reunion in Show Low Arizona over the 4th of July weekend... This is the reunion that is only held every 10 years named for Steve's great grandfather, Edmond Lovell Ellsworth who has a posterity of over 10,000!!!

The boys enjoyed the Parade on Saturday morning...

After the gathering at the church, we went out to the gravesite where many of his Ellsworth ancestors were buried....

We enjoyed fireworks in the cool mountain air......my favorite thing!

And home on Sunday, where the girls made dinner for the real July 4th celebration at home....

It's now a tradition to have the "fruit flag" :).

Chelsea and Julie did an awesome job on dinner and that awesome apple pie!

The following Thursday Steve and I flew to San Diego for a legal convention. (This year we brought Glen, the lawyer that works for us and his wife Kristin:).

Glen and Kristin

The view from the hotel

And even more fireworks....

Meanwhile, Julie and Chelsea took off to Europe (London, Paris and Rome) for 2 weeks...

mmmmm...gelato!

And Sean went to Australia for 3 weeks at the same time!

Our family was on 3 different continents at once:).

Where he went to Cairns, Sydney and saw everything from mountains to ocean to rainforest!

This was the whole group of kids. It was a student exchange program where he lived with a family in Australia. It was such an awesome opportunity for him!

As the Summer came to a close, Carly left for A-camp (fourth level) where she learned how to "rough it" by setting up her own tent and backpacking:).

She was home in time to celebrate the 24th of July before we ALL left for the beach! Which will have to have it's own post:).