Road Trip!!!

Several months ago my friend Mallory and I were discussing our plans for the summer. Mine originally included attending Young Women's Camp for our stake as a counselor, but I wasn't able to find anyone to take care of the boys for me. My parents, who did it last year, would be out of town, so I had to cancel those plans. I really missed camp! I told her that my parents were out of town because my sister was graduating from BYU-Idaho and that i might try to go if I don't attend camp. Well, as my plans for camp fell through, we discussed it more and decided to go together and to make a road trip out of it!!!

So, Mal and I...

...loaded our four crazy kids into the car. This included my 4 and 2 year olds, and her 2 year old and 4 month old! Were we asking for it?!? Ummmmmm, yeah!!!
We drove all night and ended up in the Salt Lake Valley at the Cambra household! We spent a few days there and had a lot of fun! The boys ran through the sprinklers...

Payton

...played games and made HUGE messes!!!

We also spent one day at an awesome pool (post to follow)!

After all our Utah fun, we continued with our drive up to Idaho!!! Mal and I have made a lot of connections and realized why we each looked so familiar to one another. We both attended BYU-Idaho about 7 years ago, and frequented the same areas. Crazy! So, we wanted to go back and visit the place together!

Our first night we had dinner at Auntie May May and Uncle Allen's apartment!

The kiddos loved playing around and destroying the hotel room!

On Thursday we went to Bear World (post to follow)...

then headed to the temple later that day!

The Rexburg temple has been built since we each left Rexburg, so it was fun to check it out! My boys were admiring their favorite part of the temple, Angel Moroni!!!

Part of our Eternal Family!!! Daddy's at home!

We enjoyed walking around the temple grounds...
and came to this grassy hill! The boys LOVED running down it! The following day we took the boys around campus and told them about the different places we went. Where Daddy and Mommy met, got engaged, lived, all the fun things! It was really more for Mal and I than it was for the kids! Haha! That evening we went to the gardens, which is where Justin and I spent much of our time! They are truly my favorite part of campus! (post to follow)

The main event!!! Megan's graduation!!!
My beautiful sister graduated with her Bachelor of Science Degree in Social Work! We are so excited that her and Allen will now be in Cali with us!!!
Three BYU-I graduates!!! Ash, Meg and I!!!
Auntie Megan with her boys!!!

Everyone who made the trip out to celebrate with Megan!!! And help them move back!!! The following day we headed out to Craigo's, a Rexburg classic, for some lunch!

Then out to the sand dunes and Egin Lakes for some riding and fun in the sun (post to follow)!!!
After all that fun and play, we had to end our trip with some delicious G's Dairy ice cream while we watched the Pioneer Day fireworks!!!

Aside from the tantrums, the meltdowns, the lack of sharing, and the midnight feedings, we had a GREAT TIME!!! Thanks Mal, Payton and Scarlett for joining us!!! Congratulations Megan!!! We are so proud of you and excited to see where your life takes you!!!

Over the weekend of the 16th and 17th we headed up to L-Town for a big family event! My Aunt Jannelle was married in the Sacramento LDS Temple. I, of course, forgot my camera, but remembered it when we got together with everyone for a luncheon!
Mary, Papa, Austin, and Auntie Natalie!

Ryan, Austin and Mary!
Austin was infatuated with her hair and kept trying to wrap his fingers in it! Little Stinker! Ryan played a lot with his cousins and made friends with the grooms little boys. They all sat at a table together, and Ryan told everyone they were having a "Kids Party!" He's enjoying getting to be a big boy and experience a bit more freedom and Independence! After some food, they enjoyed dancing up on the stage and had a great time!!!
The following day was a blistering 106 degrees, so we headed out to the lake! The boys had a great time playing in the sand......and in the water!!! Austin wouldn't go into the water unless I was with him! It felt so good! He finally went in with Daddy, and Auntie Ashley!
Our little family!!!
Papa was there with the boat and was taking trips out on the lake with some of the family that was in town for the wedding, so the boys patiently waited for their turn! Once it came, Ryan was soooooo excited to go tubing and talked Austin and Uncle Trevor into coming with him!
No surprise, Ryan had a ball!!! Austin's little head was bouncing around like a bobble-head doll, so I had my dad stop so we could take him off. Let's just say, Austin was NOT HAPPY with Mommy!!! He wanted back on the tube! So, after a short ride for Ryan and Trev, Austin and Mommy jumped on with Ryan! We had a lot of fun and nearly fell off several times! My boys are so adorable and fearless!!!

Lake Powell 2010

The week of July 5th-July 10th we enjoyed some time at my most favorite place on earth...

Lake Powell!!!

We had a GREAT time and did a lot of AMAZING things!!!

...THE TOYS...
Ryan loved playing on the jet ski and would ride around in circles for hours if we let him. Justin did ride around on his jet ski for hours and had a lot of fun!His partners in crime Trevor and Steve!!! Everyone loved cruisin' around in the boat! The boys had to go out often and even went fishing a few times! ...PLAYING IN THE SUN...
The boys loved playing in the sand with their cousins or anyone else who would join them! Austin especially loved it and would put sand in anything! Cups, buckets, shoes, on the jet ski, anywhere! Ryan played in the sand often, but enjoyed spending more time in the water! The kiddos thought it was fun to climb onto the tubes and pretend they were pirates! It was fun to watch them all play together!

...SWIMMING...

The kids LOVED swimming!!!
Ryan and Addy

Papa with his boys! Mommy and Ryan being silly! Papa and Austin Austin learned how to swim, with his life jacket on, but was able to keep his feet underwater and stay afloat! It was really nice and made it easier to swim and enjoy the trip! He was adorable! He would say to everyone, "I swim like a big boy!" ...FISHING...

Austin couldn't keep his focus on fishing and lasted for about a minute.

Ryan did a little bit longer! He was a pretty successful fisherman! Every time a fish would bite, he would immediately start crying and yelling "Help!!!" Once we were able to calm him down he was able to reel the fish in. Luckily, his fish all lived and were successfully released back into the water, unlike last year!
Ryan, Daddy and Austin with his catfish!!! ...TUBING...

Ryan loved tubing!!! He cracks me up, because he's so fearless when it comes to some things and tubing is one of them! One time while tubing he hit a jump and flew 6 feet in the air and landed on the other tube. It didn't scare him at all! Crazy kid!!!

The first time I went and watched... ...but I eventually got on with him and had a lot of fun!!! The bigger kids were playing musical tubes and ended up in a pile on one!All of the little kids!

...THE WATER SLIDE...

While cruising in the little boat one of the days, Justin came across and met some people who were parked behind us on the other side of the hill. He and Big Ryan helped them get a rope they wanted off of a cliff, so they offered for him to come and try out this giant water slide they built. So, he and the boys took them up on their offer!

Ryan and Daddy

Daddy and Austin

Ryan loved it, but Austin wasn't so sure!

...DANCE PARTY...

Our final night out on the lake, it's sort of become a tradition to have a dance party on top of the boat. The kids were a crack up to watch!

We definitely learned that Austin has his Dad's dancing skills and rhythm. He would just spin in circles, then abruptly stop and kick one leg a few times, then start over. Austin and Sydney really put on a show for all of us!

We LOVE our time with family no matter where we are at, but Lake Powell is amazing and makes it that much more enjoyable!!! We have been so lucky to enjoy many of things we have because of them, and we love them sooooo much! On our last night on the boat, I was walking through and found Ryan laying with his Great Grandpa Callaway, my Grandpa! It was so sweet! He was telling Grandpa everything he had been doing at the lake and what his favorite things to do were! (It was tubing in case anyone was wondering!)

Thank you Grandpa and Grandma for an AMAZING trip!!!