The Young and the Restless

Cousins in the Country

So while we were busy playing in Vegas, the boys were busy having fun of their own. While staying in Mesquite, Troy, Sam and Janessa took them to Little Jamaica, an unassuming little oasis hidden beneath the freeway underpass. How fun is this place? Especially when you get to play here with so many cousins! So grateful to them for taking on a few extra boys for the weekend, they had such a great time (and thanks for the pictures to prove it ;)!

This is one of my favorite pictures, a car wash style/assembly line shower for all the boys- ha! Love these brothers of mine.

After I took the little boys back home with me, Jayden continued on for even more adventures. Between Moroni's Quest, Troy's house while we were in Banff, Six Flags with cousins, the reunion and then this whole adventure, he has been gone more this summer than he has been home. It is definitely a summer he'll never forget. So Janessa took Jayden and Brenton up to Tyler and Margaret's house where he stayed for a few weeks in small town Mt Pleasant and came home convinced that is where he wants to live when he grows up. I don't blame him, they showed him such a good time! Jayden has always had a special place in his heart for Margaret, she still has a heart shaped rock that he gave her years ago. And he really looks up to Tyler, one of his favorite parts of the trip was having man-to-man talks with Tyler about medical school and his future. and I am so grateful to be blessed with such great family who love my kids like their own. .

Margaret was the best at documenting his trip, so I'll include all the pictures and texts that she sent...

Maybe not altogether the most fun day for the boys, we went up to Provo so I could see my best friend from Texas and they helped me with errands up there too, but we did squeeze in slurpees, pizza,  the "dollar store game" at DI, which was fun, and I showed them Sara pippin jolley's grave in moroni, and I told them all about it and how it's the one grandpa is restoring, and then we finished off with polar plunge mt. Pleasant style...running through sprinklers at night! 

Here are some pictures of our day-to-day! Poor boys, they got put to work a little bit. They were nice and helpful, they helped mow the yard for elders Quorum barbecue at our house tonight. We've been having fun playing a frisbee game. And we finally did our homemade root beer!  They said they've never seen a John Wayne movie or even knew who John Wayne was,  which appalled Tyler,  so they're out there watching that while they fall asleep. Seems like an appropriate place and an appropriate house to see your first John Wayne movie.

 Basking in the fog of homemade rootbeer.

Nothing makes me happier than when my counter is full of cousins!

Plenty of root beer Foap pictures, disc Jam, and Brenton and Jayden were introduced to the craziness of my other nephews , Matt and Josh. Their ages lined up pretty well and I think they had a good time together. They are crazy boys though, hope they didn't shock them too much.  We took our whole little group on the side by side and a four wheeler on a ride up to Potters ponds in Upper Jones Valley. There was a fire that went through there a little while ago so it was cool to see all the new growth amid all the fire damage. It was such a wonderful afternoon!

I love these pictures of all the boys just sitting and chatting after lunch on the four-wheeler getting to know each other. Makes me smile.

Jayden and Brenton both got turns driving the four wheeler so I think they enjoyed the ride. On the way back the boys all hopped off and decided to apply warpaint from the burned trees. 

Tyler made the most amazing Dutch oven dinner for us after the ride.

World famous Butterfinger Donuts from food Ranch, the gas station that's also a grocery store and racquetball court. 

Tyler took the boys for a ride on top of the Skyline Drive. We hit the Manti swimming pool when we got back from Joe's Valley, it's so fun swimming in the shadow of the Manti Temple.

There was lots of walks and bikes around the block

We took the boys shooting and gave them some lessons. It was a cooler night in Mount Pleasant, and I kept hearing the boys Shout penguin huddle and I'd look around and they were huddled together trying to keep warm. But they didn't want picture proof of it. It made me laugh.

We also hit a "haunted" Museum in Fairview. A tool box with old tools that were used to build the Manti Temple. The boys thought the old Sacrament trays and cups were super cool. In front of the Wooly Mammoth  they discovered in Huntington Canyon. And there's a lot of sculptures and artwork there by Fairbanks artist that is quite famous in the church. My very favorite part of the museum was when we found the old telephones. They had one there that you could dial and the boys had absolutely no idea how to use an old telephone. It was hilarious. I took a video of them trying to dial each other. After the museum we went and got some BYU Creamery ice cream, although Jayden crossed to the dark side and tried an Aggie flavor too.

Hearing the kids talk about politics:  Obamacare , Trump  you know all the usual  topics for kids.  
Jayden was proud of his blister he got from helping shovel at the ranch 
We return your boys having heard more than their fair share of 90s country, educated about
Garth Brooks and john Wayne. 
Ferlock the butterfly that Dustin caught and literally loved to death. 
Sleepover in cabin with Matt and josh
Smores and pre-teen boy jokes by the campfire
debate over country versus   any other music quality
Service projects at Joe's valley
Dogs teaching circle of life at Joe's valley
Activity day girls and Jayden  and Brenton being honorary members of activity days girls for the afternoon, and then having them scream their names during our walks after words.
 Parker being there with us for a little bit.
Despicable me 3 at the theatre
Matt giving  poor Brenton the nick name
Bridget and then being called that the rest off the time.  Good sport! 
Crossing their heart when we drove by the Y and making up a Y pledge 
Polar plunge jv and mt.p style
And the very end of the party was a trip to DI where we met up with all the girls to take Jayden up to the airport. Today we are going through withdrawals. Next summer let's do it all again!