2013 Kremin Reunion

This past weekend we traveled to The LC Ranch in Altamont, Utah for the Kremin family reunion. We drove to Joey and Rayna's the night before and stayed there in order to break up the long hours in the car. 

We always love seeing Joey and Rayna, but we especially love seeing them at their house in Clearfield because it usually means we get to eat at yummy restaurants that we don't have here in Rexburg. Our favorites are In-N-Out Burger and a Vietnamese restaurant called Pho Calli. This time we got to eat In-N-Out. YUM-O!!!

I tried several times to get a good picture, but this was the best I could get out of these kids. Sorry, Jude! 

After our yummy lunch, it was back in the car and on our way to LC Ranch. We had a great time visiting with family. The kids and David went for many rides in the canoe:

Hanna begged and begged to go for a ride in the canoe, but when it came time for her to actually go for a ride she totally chickened out. We could barely get her in the boat to take this picture. 

There were movie nights, cupcake wars, face painting, a giant inflatable waterside and no shortage of cousins to play with. Olivia loved being outside and especially loved all the flowers: 

She was pretty sure they all needed to be picked so David and I spent most of our time trying to prevent this from happening. 

I also had the not-so-fun added excitement of waking up Friday morning unable to move my neck. It was terrible and I was pretty much in pain or some kind of discomfort the entire weekend. Only after taking ibuprofen and Tylenol for two days straight along with using a heating pad did I finally start to feel some relief Sunday morning. Not better, just not as bad as it had been. Even now as I sit typing, my neck is still sore. This has never happened to me before, and I  don't have the slightest idea what caused it. Definitely weird and definitely not fun. Luckily I have a great husband who took pity on me and pretty much followed Olivia around for two days straight. Although, lets be honest...she is such a daddy's girl that probably would have happened anyway. 

Smiling through the pain...

Summer Drive-In

Last weekend David and I decided to take the kids to the drive-in movie. They had never been before and honestly, I don't think they even knew it existed. I can count on one hand the number of times I have been to a drive-in and the last time was the summer after David and I were married. We took my nephews, Kole and Kylar, who were like 5 and 4 at the time. The then 5 year old? Yeah, he just graduated high school this last spring. So yeah, it's been a while for me. 

We were excited to introduce our kids to this new experience so we told them we had a surprise for them that evening. After dinner they asked and asked and asked about the surprise: Is it Snoasis? Is it Fat Cats? Are Grandpa and Grandma coming? Are we going to Green Canyon? Rexburg Rapids? Ice cream? 

We most definitely had them stumped. It was so fun!! As the evening went on (the movie didn't even start until 9:45 and their bed time is 8:30) they were beginning to doubt our surprise and we felt obligated to keep them guessing. They were starting to give up hope because they knew bed time was getting closer and closer. So as 8:00 approached, we had them get their pajamas on. We sadly told them that we thought we had run out of time for the surprise and that we would maybe have to try again the next night. They were disappointed , but being the good kids that they are, accepted it and gathered around for family prayer. (Are we just a little mean?!) Once we had finished praying David and I announced that they needed to go to their bedrooms, get their pillows and blankets and go get in the car. They were confused, but excited as they realized the surprise was, in fact, going to happen. We loaded the kids up and drove to the drive-in where we explained that we were going to an out door theater where we could watch a movie in our pajamas, with our pillows and blankets. They loved it! We had such a fun time and can't wait to do it again!! 

Here are some pictures from our evening: 

We weren't totally sure how Olivia would do with the movie but decided to just do it and try to go with the flow... She fell asleep while we were in line waiting to get into the movie and slept through the entire thing! 

A Goodbye

This home holds so many memories for me, I couldn't even begin to count them or list them by name. But there are a few that stand out to me. This is the house where I remember so clearly seeing David for the first time in more than two years. I knew as he walked down the stairs that this was indeed the man I would spend my life and the eternities with. He kissed me for the very first time in this driveway, although at the time the driveway was covered in snow. While we were living in the apartment above the garage I realized my dream of becoming a mother had come true when I became pregnant with Emma. I spent many evenings gathered around the dining room table with David's family, now my family, eating and playing games and laughing until we cried. Three years ago David and I moved our little family of five into this home while he finished his degree at BYU-Idaho. This is the home where our family grew from five to six when we brought sweet little Olivia home from the hospital last year. 

In this home, I became a part of David's family, not just an in-law. In this home, I grew to love each member of his family as my own. 

David's parents officially sold this home today. And while I am so sad to see them move to Wyoming, this home will forever hold a special place in my heart. On Saturday as we help them load up their belongings, I can guarantee tears will be shed as we say good bye to this home that holds so many precious memories for all of us. I am so grateful for the privlidge of being a part of this home. I am even more grateful for the knowledge that even though the home has been sold and we must say good bye, the relationships that were created within those walls are intact. I love this home and I Iove my family. 

2013 Annual Summer Kid Swap

Once a year, since we moved to Idaho, we have traded some of our kids with some of Colette's kids for a few days each summer. It started out as a desperate ploy for two moms to eliminate some of the boredom that can accompany summer vacation. Now, our kids pretty much have come to expect it and look forward to it all year long. For the first two years Sophie came to Idaho and Jase went to Montana for a few days  to spend some time playing with cousins. This year Caiden thought he would like to come to Idaho. So when we went to Billings for Benton's blessing we left Emma at Aunt Colette's house and brought Caiden home to Idaho. Jase and Caiden were pretty much in heaven playing Legos and video games. They also had fun playing outside. We went to a movie at the movie theater, played at the splash park and had ice cream. It was so fun having Caiden here and I think Jase especially loved having another boy around. I think sometimes he gets a little overwhelmed with all the girls in our house. ;) Emma had a great time playing with Sophie in Billings, but we sure missed her! 

They are such good friends. I love it!

A Blessing and a Blanket

The first weekend in July we travelled to Billings for Benton's blessing. I love being in Billings and spending time with my family. Stan gave Benton a beautiful blessing. I am so thankful for the opportunity we had to be there with the Hanson family and help them celebrate their sweet baby. Here are some pictures from that day:

Benton Kai Hanson

Colette and Benton. Isn't my sister beautiful?! I just love her!

Hanna and Benton

Stan, Colette and Benton  

That same weekend Emma, Sophie and Hanna made a blanket for their Great Grandma Eyre with my mom. They had a great time making the blanket and Great Grandma was so excited when she realized that the girls had made it just for her. 

Emma, Hanna, Grandma, and Sophie

Emma, Hanna, Grandma, Sophie and Me

Hanna and Grandma

Even though Hanna is practically as big as Great Grandma she insisted on sitting on her lap pretty much the entire time we were at the nursing home. Grandma didn't seem to mind. :) 

Fourth of July

We celebrated the 4th of July this year with David's family. Joey and Rayna came up for the holiday and we started the day with Rexburg's 4th of July parade. We have always liked the parade but in the years past we haven't been able to find a place with too much shade. Which usually meant that something that was supposed to be fun turned into just being hot and miserable. Remember how much I like the heat? Well this year, we were actually able to walk to the parade, which totally eliminated the added stress of traffic before and after the parade. Also, we found the best little spot to watch the parade from with lots of shade. It wasn't too crowded so the kids were actually able to see the parade. Let me tell you, that makes a parade infinitely more enjoyable for them! It was a great time and totally added to my fondness of this little town. I have to say, Rexburg is really starting to grow on me. Here are some pictures from the parade:

David and Joey walking to the parade. 

Hanna the Rock Star. 

Emma cheering on the floats. 

Jase, man those dimples just kill me. 

Livie enjoying her first sucker, courtesy of her dad. She LOVED it, of course!

Hanging with our cousins. Yes, Emma and Kenzi are wearing missionary tags. Yes, they were actually handed out at the parade. Only in Idaho...

Shannon and me, enjoying the festivities. 

Parade watching, in the shade!! 

We also spent the afternoon at David's parent's house for one last BBQ before they moved to Wyoming. 

Olivia discovered watermelon...and it was good!

All the Mecham cousins, minus Erin's family. 

Les & Joey enjoying the shade and each others company. 

Livie convered in chocolate cherry cobbler, made by Uncle Jeramy. Her dad let her eat it right out of the Dutch oven. She was a sticky mess!! 

Not cool, Idaho

Idaho is many things. Hot is not one of them. One of my favorite things about Idaho is that the summers are typically not that hot. The days get warm, for sure. But usually the evenings cool off quite a bit and provide a very nice relief from warm summer days. Usually around August or so, we get a stretch of about 2-4 weeks where the temps climb into the upper 90's and don't cool off too much at night. I struggle those weeks. We eat out a lot because its just too hot to cook. But it only lasts a few weeks and then the weather gradually cools and autumn begins to settle into the upper valley. 

Also, I feel it is important to mention that I do not like to be hot. At all. When I was pregnant with Emma I made David sleep with the windows open in October. In Idaho. My mom was forever trying to get me to wear a jacket and now that chore has fallen to David. I would rather be cold than even the tiniest bit hot. I get grumpy and irritable when I am hot. I am not fun to be around. 

Now I know that to many people temperatures in the 90's are not unusual. And not even among the hottest of days where they might live.  I have family members and friends in California, Arizona, St. George, even in Salt Lake that see much higher temperatures for much longer periods of time. To them I say: I do not live in any of those places. On purpose. I live in Idaho. It does not get that hot here. There is a reason I don't live in any of those places. 

Well, imagine my surprise and discomfort and dread and utter displeasure when the temperatures soared well into the upper 90's continuously in JUNE. My. Poor. Family. I have tried really hard to not be my usual grumpy, irritable dying-of-heat self. Sometimes I succeed, other times not so much. Just ask my kids. 

In an effort to try and beat the heat we have eaten downstairs in the basement, which is much cooler than the rest of the house, several times:

We make copious amounts of DELICIOUS Brazilian lemonade almost daily. Seriously, I should buy stock in limes. Can you even do that? I have no idea. 

We practically fight over whose turn it is to sit in front of the fan. 

We play in the water with our friends, the Batts:

Seriously, how cute are these girls in their little matching swim suits?!

We read. A lot. Because honestly, sometimes it's just too hot to do anything other than turn a page every few minutes. 

The heat has even made us a little bit crazy at times:

Hopefully I can survive the summer in a house with no air conditioner. In order to do that I see many, many Snoasis (Hawaiian shaved ice) in my future. And to this beautiful state that I live in and love the majority of the time all I can say is this: Not cool, Idaho. Not cool.