Temple trip

We took all the kids 12 and over to the temple to do baptisms. We had 9 cousins and 10 adults. Lori and Rachel stayed home with the babies and younger girls. It was an amazing experience. I'm so glad we live near a temple.

The End of an Era

The family cabin has been sold. There are a lot of reasons but mainly, it is because the family is getting so much bigger and the cabin isn't. It makes me sad but I can see the logic. It has been in our family for 38 years and the volume of memories is gigantic. I think of a sleeping cabin full of giggling girls, flying angel food cakes, midnight skinny-dipping, bowls of pistacio pudding, stitches, broken arms, and appendicitis. I think of stories of Mickey, Sticky, Icky, and Stuffy. Late night Pinochle, huckleberries, and jelly bellies. I think of cross country skiing, and waterskiing. I think of honeymoons and birthday parties. It is time to make new memories somewhere else. My dad say's it's on to bigger and better things. Farewell dear cabin, you will be missed.

McCall Revisited

This great picture was taken by Nicali, age 7
Zach, Kyle, Christopher, coaching Jacob

A flying leap

Emily and Abby

Emily

Emily got impatient waiting for the fire to be ready
A new game, called Roll the Crazy Boy over the Log
Christopher, Kyle, Josh, and Zach

Sean's new teething toy. It worked!!

Kyle and Miles, "Sledding"

The girls,

Emily, Nicali, Hannah, Shelby, Sean(not a girl), Abby

We have so much fun in McCall. We play games till all hours of the night. We swim in the lake, go fishing, and hike. It is just great family fun. We had a corn roast at the beach. Kyle took a sled and pulled Miles around. Who says you need snow to sled? The younger kids perfected their dives.

Pearl Lake Revisited

Kyle getting ready to dive in
Ren and Kyle

Michael giving Rachel some fly fishing tips

Shelby doing what she does best, Loving Babies

We really did revisit Pearl Lake. This time we hiked around the lake and found an amazing place to fish and camp. I think we will backpack in next year and plan to stay a night or two. Michael caught some fish and crazy Kyle dove in. The water was FREEZING. That just doesn't seem to bother him. All the cousins played tag and had a great time!

Wood Hucking

Jon picking slivers
Christopher

Jacob and Rachel

Dad, Jon, Brian

While in McCall, we went wood hucking to fill my dad's wood pile. We took 14 people and can I just say that 14 people can haul a cord of wood in no time at all. My dad used the chain saw and the rest of us made a line and passed the wood. It was really quite fun. The kids were wonderful and never complained. We found a TON of huckleberries when we were finished and picked enough for 2 huckleberry cobblers and huckleberry pancakes. So good!

Corn Roast

Phoebe, Sylvia, Miles
Christopher, Kyle, Sean

Shelby

Grandma Pearman

Dad, Brian, Phoebe, Nicali

Oh My, where has August gone. Well after a series of unfortunate events, Ashli and Philip finally got here. We were so happy to have them and their girls. Mom hosted a corn roast. This is a family tradition from way back when I was little. You build a great fire then you put fresh unshucked corn in the pit and roast slowly. We just ate corn, watermelon, and fresh cucumbers. We finished off with homemade icecream and brownies for desert. Tell me, does it get any better than that?

Bridge Jumpers.

Emily jumps

Trying to be brave

Josh jumping off



Blake and Jacob

Shelby being brave

Ren in the air

Blake the Brave

Josh the Fearless

Brian took us to a bridge that the kids could jump off into the river. It was over 15 high and they plunged into a cool green river. Most of the kids were pretty scared, but not Josh. He just climbed over the railing and jumped!!! Well, then it became a matter of pride. Blake was next then Ren and Jacob. Josh jumped again and stayed in so he could help Emily. And in she went. I have to say it was scary to watch my 10 year old jumping off a bridge Shelby worried and worried and finally went in.

Tie Creek

Josh, Ren, Jacob, Abby, Grandma, Shelby

Emily, Shelby, Abby

It was over 100 degrees for the last few days, but we didn't care because we were at Tie Creek Campground. It is a small campground with not a whole lot to do but the one thing we did. Which is floating the river. It is pretty shallow, in some places we hit bottom in our boat. But it was so gorgeous. Pine trees and clear cool water and great company. Stefani and her two little boys went with us. It was great to be with MY cousin too.

Pearl Lake

The beautiful Phoebe
Eight cousins
Blake, Josh, Ren, Shelby, Abby
Emily, Miles, Jacob


Sweet Emily eating an apricot

Shelby and the would be frog prince

Abby, Emily, Ren, Jacob, Josh

When we are in McCall, we love to hike. This time we went to Pearl Lake. It is just a tiny lake and the hike is just under 2 miles. It is perfect for short legs aka the three and under crowd. The mosquitos were brutal but is was so incredibly beautiful. Green meadows thick with wildflowers, meandering creeks, and old burnt trees among fresh green pines. The cousins caught frogs by the dozens and floated them down a little stream. Miles fell in the lake while Rachel was fishing, and Shelby kissed a frog hoping for a prince.

McCall

Kyle and Phoebe
Hot dog roast at the beach

Four cute boys
Jacob, Ren, Kyle, Blake

Emily, Jacob, Abby

Cousins just sitting on the dock

I do love McCall. I just spent a week there with my family. Sometimes there were over 20 people there. People just come and go as they can. Last night we played games and laughed until the tears were rolling. It is so great to have the cousins play together all day. We are so happy to have some of our Virginia cousins here. The weather was perfect including a roaring mountain thunderstorm.

4th of July

Hailey

The Winchester's

The Hansen's

My attempt at firework photography




Our good friends, the Winchester's, came to visit us from Utah. They arrived at about noon on Saturday and we plunked them right in a raft and we floated the river from Linder to Star. Erica and Joe, my parents, and Jordan made up the floatilla. We had 5 rafts, 2 canoes, and a pontoon boat. It takes about 3 hours and it is so beautiful. We saw herons and eagles and played with frogs and a tiny snake. I love that we can do this right out our back door. We came to our house to swim and then went to my parents house for the traditional BBQ. Michael and Kyle had a little nap and we lit off fireworks in the baseball field behind the church. We had a blast.