This summer around the 24th of July, Brian's sister Amy and her family came to spend a week in Salt Lake from their home in Minnesota. We took advantage of all the partying and fun and playing with cousins too! There was lots of badminton (or at least it was attempted... a lot!)
Miles, Asher and Elliott
Ben helping Asher
Holden playing and Elliott and Lili playing around.
A miraculous discovery was made as well. Back in 2011 when all the Ashtons gathered for Karen and Wendy's weddings, we left Elliott's new Buzz and Woody dolls at grandma's house. After everyone went home, we couldn't find them anywhere. I helped Lorraine look in toy and puppet bins and all over the house and yard. Eventually I figured they must have accidentally been thrown away. Well, when the Browns returned a year later, Asher came upstairs with Buzz and Woody. He must have been the one to put them away and so knew where to look to find them again. And so we have new toys...again! What luck!
Elliott was very attached for a few days and still sleeps with Buzz Lightyear to the rescue and Woody.
Falling asleep with friends.
And YAY for our new tradition of a water balloon fight! I filled up a few hundred water balloons for the battle. I had lots of super helpers of course!
Asher, Miriam, Lili soaking herself and Holden
Elliott never ventured very close since he doesn't enjoy being splashed (we're working on that - no sissies here!) Melinda had her clothes on, but clearly is in the danger zone so I don't feel that bad that she got soaked too.
Uncle Scott was game for the fun and made it more fun too!
And then later the buckets came in handy to wear on your head. Of course!
Elliott trying on a bucket for size.
Some of Brian's cousins came over for a barbecue and so there were many more extended cousins to go around. Lanie and Kristen and Loren aren't shy.
Elliott and Lanie may or may not have fought over the bucket.
Asher and Hunter wrestling
Karen's cute baby Samuel is definitely a people and party person!
There is nothing like eating ice cream outside on a nice summer afternoon!
MMmmmm!
Elliott loves computers and is proficient at using pbskids.org and disneyjr.com.
This is the result of asking Elliott to show me a sad face.
Elliott's angry face
And my favorite: Elliott's happy face!
Elliott and Uncle Ben on the other side of a camera!
Of course at every big party, I bring all of my finger nail polish for a painting party on the blanket outside! Here are Eliza's beautiful fingers.
My nieces helped me choose 20 different colors for my fingers and toes.
My toes and Elliott's toes that cousin Saffy painted for him.
My youngest charge was baby Ruby and she loved her pink toes too!
What a happy, gorgeous baby!
On another of the vacation days we went up to Kennecott's Bingham Canyon mine. It is seriously cool and worth the drive up, especially if you have boys who love large (huge) dump trucks!
Elliott and Miriam posing in front of some trains.
Future scientists examining samples. Nigel in orange, Elliott, Miriam and a stranger boy.
Copper is pretty cool and the extraction process is mind-boggling to me!
Brian is learning too with Miriam, Holden and Elliott.
The massive mine that takes up the entire center of a mountain - it is so huge! That dump truck is much bigger than it looks - refer to tire picture below!
Waiting to wrap-up and go home: Lili, Miriam, Saffy, Elliott and Brian
Elliott wanted to climb in the train car. We are used to kids' museums where it's allowed to climb on and explore more hands-on. But this is just for looking.
See the huge tire. Almost make you believe giants exist to drive vehicles this big.
We had a lot of fun playing with cousins and visiting with Amy and Mark and their family. Arden and Lorraine are so generous in opening their home and pantry for all these family parties. We are blessed to be part of such a great family. Now we can look forward to more family parties when the family gets together.
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