Corner lake

My dad planned the funnest (I know that's not a word, whatever) camping trip while we were home to corner lake. Ha ha I know what you are thinking "Isn't Corner lake like one minute from your parents house and don't bumms live there permanently?" Well to this I would answer that yes, yes it is about 4 blocks from home and yes the only time I've ever heard of people going to Corner lake was to get drunk on grad night but then I will also tell you that the town has put quite a bit of time sprucing things up out there and they have done a good job, we had quite the fun time.

Luke boy got to snuggle with uncle Pete by the fire

Jade and the jardine crew joined the party even though Tatum and Jade both had a good laugh on the phone when I told them about it.

I love this picture of Laken, Lily and Grandma and Gramps. They are the ones who instilled in us how important family bonds are and I love them for that!





Good times were had by all. So next time you hear about a camp out at Corner lake don't stick your nose up in the air, go try it out it's a good time. Even Britt and Lins made an appearance

Cousins Cousins Cousins

I've said it before and I'll say it one million more times...
I LoVe COUSINS!!!

Cousins are the greatest. My best friends growing up were my cousins (still are) there is just a bond with cousins that I love. So since we live a million miles away from any of our cousins we really make it count when we do see them. Since getting home Luke says to me almost daily that he wants to see (insert cousins name) but that they live too far away and that we need to ride a big airplane to see them. Though sad it actually makes things easier for me because he understands that I'm not just mean and won't let him see the ones he loves. So here are some of the highlights of

Cousin Fest 2010




I can not even begin to describe what a good aunt Sophie is. She loves the kids they love her and she will literally do anything to make them happy. And yes that includes playing in the play house for hours on end, buying treats, painting nails, pushing kids on swings for an eternity. If I had one wish it would to have soph live next door to me...seriously


We got to spend a few fun days with our Edwards cousins. Grandma Rhonda this is as good as it get's for a picture, sorry it's not perfect but hey we saved a spot for Kingsly in the middle.


The coolest park ever at Henderson!! So fun


This is a glimpse of what it is like to have all 17 grand kids at my parents house at one time...Crazy especially at meal times but seriously so much fun. Soon we are going to find somewhere bigger to all meet, that or stick with feeding the kids in the yard!

Seriously the cutest girls ever in their matching TuTu swimsuits.

Having the classic Cousins Races in the back yard.

And 3 of the cutest girls I know dressed up for Mia's ballerina Butterfly birthday party.

Crystal throws a good party, all of the little kids made butterfly wings. Luke made blue ones and I think I told him he was a dragonfly or something like that.

Lily proved to be even more like yours truly when she would make people sit on the stairs for long periods of time so that she could do their hair. Her main client was Chelsea but I also saw her corner Hali and Peter.
She would say "oh... ok just hold still ok...now turn your head a little...oh um ok...just like that" She even told Chelsea that she had split ends. That's my girl!

July First at it's finest!

For a fun July first you need

Mia, Layla, Lily and Brooklyn all dressed up in their first of July best.

Lily showing her Canadian spirit!

Jameson, Luke, Brighton, Gavin and Jake all together and having the best time in G and G's backyard. (there were races but I was busy racing and not taking pictures)

Some of my favorite people all watching the parade together in our usual spot on main street. I didn't get to see much of the parade because I was wisked away to join my classmates on my 10 year reunion float. Fun Fun
But what is always fun is seeing the outfit that Pete will show up in... Good one Pete definitely first of July worthy.

Yes you girls are dressed exactly alike...Yes your mothers planned it and yes it will probably happen again next year.

There's nothing like First of July I love it my kids love it and I can't wait till next year!

note: Sadly this year we suffered the loss of a our dear friend, the first just wasn't quite the same without her. We rallied but Green Swinging bench you were missed.

Our first week in Canada aka the most fun ever

I have a few great loves in my life
first my husband, then my kids followed by several other family members then follow that up with other important things that I cannot think of right now and then insert WATERTON very high up on that list. I love that place. So what better way to spend one of the first days in Alberta than in Waterton with my family ahhhhh love it, especially my sisters and Mom. I love this picture


Couldn't you just live there??? Beautiful!!!!

Luke had an entire beach full of rocks to throw into the lake and I am pretty sure that he spent all day doing just that.

Luke absolutely LOVES Henry . And what's not to love, that kid is amazing

Honestly this first week in Canada I didn't even have to take care of my kids. They would go out into the yard and PLAY alll day it was Heaven!!!! They got dirty they ran they played they made soup out of sticks and mud and rocks (just like I did when I was a kid) all the things that a kid should do. I would go check on lily in the play house and she would poke her head over the balcony and say "Mom I'm making soup and my babies are sleeping...go away"

Peter turned 16. That makes me feel kind of old seen as I raised him as a child haha


And of course the kids loved mowing the lawn with Grandma Claudia!

Seriously why pay money to entertain your kids...just take them to my parents backyard, Always A Party!!!

Conversation with myself

Me (inner monologue) - Hmmm I should blog

oh look at everyone else in the world who is caught up on blogging
I'll just look at their blogs instead of doing my own

Me- (again to myself)- I really have had the best summer ever and I have about 1 million bazillion pictures to post to prove it.

hmm that means I have to get my camera out and plug it into the computer and upload about 5 bazillion pictures, then I have to sift through them all and decide what ones to use and what ones not to use. Then I have to think of words to write...meaningful words...words that I will look back on in years to come and say ohh now isn't that nice, good thing I blogged about it or I NEVER would have remembered about that. Then I will wait for comments ( I love comments) and they will never come cause I haven't commented on a blog in ages so who would throw me a bone??
Hmm this is all sounding like too much work
I'm going to bed
Maybe I'll blog tomorrow

(I said to myself)

To jump or not to jump?

That is the question on my young Luke's mind here.

I was leaving my friend Nancy's house the other day after her end of the year back yard bash when storm clouds started rolling in. As I was leaving I was telling her how one of my favorite things to do is to run in the rain and how I never seem to do it anymore. I used to hear rain and immediately head outside to puddle jump but over the last few years it seems like whenever I hear rain I go running for shelter.

Anyway, I was thinking about this as I drove home and when I pulled into my drive way I thought what the heck and I ran out into the pouring rain. Lily being the adventurous little thing that she is ran right along with me saying "this is fun Mom, we're all wet" Luke on the other hand stood in the garage for a good long while before he was ready to make that kind of commitment.
above picture-"hmmm should I do this"
below- "I guess I'll try"

and finally a full commitment from the little man. And then of course he had so much fun that he didn't want to come in.



And no Emily Lily is never fully clothed, shirt or pants take your pic, and sometimes neither

not such a great pic but proof that I was wet.

So next time it rains, and especially Kentucky rain, I am not going to care if my hair is freshly flat ironed or anything, I am going to walk, jump, run and or possibly sing in the rain...I suggest that you do the same

Wave pool

Who needs a fancy wave pool when your mom is so cool that she will buy you your very own blow up pool that is almost big enough to fit your big toe in.

So I'm just dumb and bought the first pool that I saw and got it home only to realize that it was meant for dolls, oh well my kids love it and they even ask me to get in with them, look at all that space to lounge in!

Oh well they love it. And then when we are done swimming we go into the pool house and Luke makes us all Naked peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Ahh the life



I love summer!




ps, Mom (or whoever else cares) there are a bunch of new post's before lily's hair cut one, but I posted them out of order!!