Labor Day BBQ Extravaganza!!

Ahh cute, hammock buddies!! lol
Kevin doing a flip into the pool. (You have no many ideas how many tries it took to get this picture... this is the best I could get!)
Max was being a total goofball, but he's such a cutie so all I could do was laugh and take pictures!
The best BBQ man in AZ!! Love the chef's outfit grandpa, almost as much as I love the Chef!!
Ingrid was so nice and cut up my big watermelon for me, but after giving her the knife I kinda regretted it! lol j/k
A super fun take on duck duck goose... "Hot, Hot, COLD!"
The game in action... Kevin dumped that cold cup of water on Ingrid and then had to run for his life! lol
We really got into this game, but Max did most of all, he LOVED it and kept saying "pick me pick me" to get the water dumped on his head!! lol
The party poopers! lol ya these boys would rather mess around on the computer than join in the fun!!!
Watermelon seed spitting contest!! The line of all the contestants
Yes, I know I look like a rat when I spit watermelon seeds!! But hey how can you be graceful and lady like doing something like that?
Kevin has that seed on the tip of his tongue, you can tell! lol
Water balloon toss! It's a classic!!!
Look at that action shot!
These guys got pretty far apart! As you can tell- I did not as I am standing there laughing at something, I got out pretty quick!! lol
I think the Kids' favorite part of the games was the candy bar prizes for the winners!!

For this BBQ I decided to pull out all the stops and plan a whole bunch of fun games and activities to make it the best BBQ ever!! And I am pretty sure it was! We played so many different games (not all pictured) and won prizes as well as just goofed around talked and ate- seriously I had SO much fun!! I kinda figured it was my last full blown BBQ with water games and swimming and everything for about 2 years so I wanted to enjoy it and really enjoy all of my extended family- and I really did! I am gonna miss MY WHOLE ENTIRE FAMILY so much on my mission- honestly I get a little sick to my stomach and teary eyed when ever I think about leaving all my family and my girls and all my friends! It's going to be so tough- but worth it!!

Take me out to the ball game!!

My uncle Jeff gave me four tickets to the Diamondbacks game Saturday night against the Colorado Rockies. I brought my grandma, my cousin Allison and my Maicy girl with me to the game. We all had a blast and it was a super fun girls night!! The game was really fun to watch and we creamed the Rockies 13-7!! I really enjoyed teaching Maicy and Allsion the finer points of baseball and they just loved being there in the whole atmosphere. I think the girls favorite part of the game was doing the wave, trying to catch t-shirts and foul balls, and eating all the junk food they bought!! We had a great view of the entire field, but especially home plate!!
Maicy, Allison and I cheering on the D-Backs!!
Grandma and I supporting our team wearing RED!!!
My Maicy girl- I brought her to her very first baseball game as a present for her 8th B-day which is tomorrow- I can't believe she's almost 8!!!
These two got along quite well and chattered non stop!!!
My fav player Eric Brynes nearly escaping a ball! They kept trying to give him something he couldn't hit, but to know avail!!! Man this was a good game!!!

A little Rae of Sunshine!

I drove out to Queen Creek today to visit my friend Allison who I used to work with when I worked for Mesa Public Schools at Eagleridge. Allison had her first baby last week and I got to go see baby Rae and hold her today and she is absolutely precious. I am so excited for Allsion and Jeff and I know they will be such great parents! I can't believe my friends are already having babies, life just goes by so quickly!!Rae Louise Johnson
Allison and Rae(Not quite 2 weeks old)
Rae fell sound asleep while I was holding her- she was being such a dream and I loved watching the expressions she made while she was sleeping.

FHE at Grandma's House

Last Sunday after I got back from Utah Grandma and Grandpa had us over for FHE and Family Dinner at their house. Grandma made a delicious Taco Salad and Grandpa gave a wonderful lesson! It was a great time and a full house with my whole family plus my brothers girlfriends and my Great Grandpa and Aunt Jill. Fun fun!!The crazy crew around the dinner table
This was the love couch- for couples only- I was not invited! Boo-Hoo lol!
My daddy and I! He was my date for the evening, lol!
My goofy brother Kevin stole my camera and took this pic of him and his girlfriend Ingrid

I love to see the temple!!

The Provo Temple fondly known as the Birthday Cake
The Salt Lake City Temple as seen from the roof of the Conference Center
Standing outside the doors of the temple- which in the not to distant future I will be going inside (well the Mesa one anyway)
In front of my fav picture in the conference center
Inside the tabernacle and by the look on my face I was done for the day and the week and ready to go home!!

Mom and I went to both the Provo Temple and Salt Lake Temple to enjoy the grounds. We went inside the visitors centers and took the tour of the Conference Center in Salt Lake. I loved being there and talked to some sisters missionaries about advice and what not but because we went the day before we were to fly home I was just exhausted and ready to be home sleeping in my own bed and back at work.

Education Week at BYU

Don't we look awesome at BYU- seriously there is a special glow about everyone you meet at Education Week! lol
Oh ya, too cool for school
BYU Creamery ice cream!!!
A very wise woman once told me "Vacation Calories Don't Count!" and I stuck with that philospsophy throughout the whole trip!!
One of my favorite LDS speakers: Brad Wilcox and I after one of his classes
My mom sport'n all her BYU bookstore bags
Aren't I cheesy?
A really crazy speaker: Barbra Barrington Jones
Mommy and me on Campus
That's me chilling on the sidewalk by the law building represent'n with my Ed Week Nametag!!

Only In Utah....

Oh ya. glamourous while pumping gas! lol
BYU Creamery, oh so good!!!
Ok so one thing I learned about Utah is that there are lots of spiders in the basement, this one is a wolf spider named Mr. Spidey, he lived in the bathroom at Ashly's and he didn't bug me so I didn't kill him, I squished all of them but Mr. Spidey!!
Ok so there is this place in Springerville, The Cedar Fort warehouse, where they let you look through there dent and scratch pile in the back and all the books were either 3 or 5 dollars!! We bought a ton of books!! I was in heaven!
Oh ya, donuts baby!!!
I was so excited when I saw a Krispy Kreme, I forgot they existed still because they went bankrupt in Arizona. We HAD to stop and get some donuts and ended up buying 2 dozen!!
Our wonderful rental car- the Chevy HHR, which I would not recommend to anyone!!
Gotta love the Grill at the BYU creamery, seriously the best Guacamole burger I have ever had and it was only 2.99!!!

Ok so the whole time we were in Utah I kept saying the phrase... "Only in Utah!"
For example.... There is a freaking Deseret Book inside the mall!
They broad casted President Faust's Funeral on the local Radio
There were over 9 brides at the temple on Saturday that all looked no older than 20
There are missionary stores everywhere
And there are missionary dress up clothes at build a bear, I mean come on!! Only in Utah!!!