better

everything is always better (more fun) when it is with nana and papa.  

the extended koch crew

 thank you again to dave and tina for opening their house to a family get together.

troy was only in utah for a couple of days with us

 (he came for a week- but

ditched and went back packing with his high school buddies- and had a great time!)

so one of the only things he had a chance to do was see the family.  loved it. 

love everyone of them.  and i also had a chance to get together with the 

girls for a shower for kaitlin who got married just after we left.  Congrats! 

gardening+ yummy

i can thank my parents for teaching my kids that you can actually grow (not kill)

things in your garden and then make something with it.  Well not really anything my

kids will agree to eat, but others might eat it!

the kids had a blast making homemade strawberry rhubarb pie with nana.

they are pro at the criss cross crust now.  i can promise you- they will likely never learn

this skill from me.   and maybe just maybe next year they will

agree to try the pie! 

med family

medical school is well- a nightmare.  

this is the family that kept us going.  

We have such an important place in our heart for med school friends

and loved getting together with them while we were home.

we were able to round up a few that are now in slc.  funny that still is 3 years or more away

for us.  we are the slow ones getting back home :)  

(the koch family, dayton family, lewis family, bachison family and marriott family)

these 3 were study buddies through the good and the bad.  

casey and shane are amazing guys.

and i have such a special place in my heart for haley and dixie. love you girls!!

wheeler farm with the cannons

i was giddy to get together with one of my dearest friends meagan and her kids

spencer and eliza.  the kids had a blast together. we played at megs house for a while

and i got to see her new home.  love it!!  and then we braved the heat and headed to wheeler farm 

which is always a winner with the kids.  

can't wait to play next time! 

singing in the rain

we had some fantastic rain storms when we were in slc.  the sky would get black and just open

up buckets.  the kids thought it was amazing!  they loved running around in the huge puddles that would appear out of nowhere.  

dancing in the rain is one of the best parts of being a kid.

the smell of rain in utah = unbeatable.  

even little e thought it was fun. or maybe she just thought her brother and sister

being wild in it were fun.

canoeing with the grandparents

my parents took the kids canoeing- they forgot to take pictures of the 

actual canoeing part- but did get these cute one from the day where they "landed".  

*on a different note*

I added a few at the end because these pictures reminded me so much of a few

that i took a few years ago.  The bottom 3 are from Hawaii when cam was about 2 and Braden 3 1/2

Notice camirons dress/ shirt.  It was a dress when she was 2 and she refuses to give it

up and is positive it makes a perfect shirt.  so here we are 2 years later, still wearing it!