Kissell Family Reunion

Way back in the middle of July we left for our summer vacation. The whole family flew from Manchester to Boise through Las Vegas. The trip really demonstrated how far we live from family these days! The first plane ride was 5.5 hours! After that it was a layover and then another 1.5 until we landed in Boise and then drove another 1.5! But it was worth it. Uncle Jesse picked us up from the airport and we got to see him for the first time post mission. It was great to see him but my kids were, of course, very shy! After a cramped drive we arrived at a very pretty cabin in the mountains of Idaho where we joined all the family for a fun long weekend. My kids loved every second of being with their cousins. Kate loved playing with American Girl dolls with her girl cousins and Sawyer just loved just being with his boy cousins (whom he affectionately called "his boys"). We had a fun dance party, swam in a very warm pool, did some crafts and just had fun together. My kids had a hard time going to bed at night with all their fun cousins still awake so we even had 11pm bedtimes!! With no naps! The kids handled it pretty well but every time we got in the car Sawyer was asleep within a minute. He was so tired! I apparently decided the beginning of my vacation was a vacation from taking pictures because I was lazy and I didn't get very many. Luckily I have a photographer sister in law! I did take the camera to the river where the kids enjoyed playing in the cool water. Sawyer loved throwing rocks in.

And one evening we did a family photo shoot and I took some pictures of my kids since I had them all dressed up and everything.

(and Sawyer with "his boys")

It was a really fun weekend and we were sad to say goodbye to our Kissell family! We got to drive with the Idaho Falls clan back and spent a night at Grandma Kissell's before we headed to Bear Lake for the Townsend Family Renunion....stay tuned....

Blast Off!!

We are loving all this cousin time in Idaho! My kids woke up yesterday and immediately asked where their cousins are. They are, of course, in school so we spent the day hearing "when are we going to see our cousins" about a hundred times throughout the day. I told them we were meeting our cousins at Blast Off, a fun little play place, and the questions then turned into "when are we goign to Blast Off?!" The time finally arrived and it lived up to their expectations! They loved it!

cousin fun

My kids have been in heaven with all the fun cousins! First Ben and Ethan (and then Jacob!) in Utah and now Grace and Ella in Idaho! Ella had school off on Monday and she spent all day with us. Kate loved it and I love that they play together so well! Love it!

Cousins!

Kate

SawyerEthan
Benjamin

We are so excited about Jen's newest addition to our lost-tastic family! Wish we could be there to see and hold him!

cousins!

We are having so much fun at Bear Lake! We are eating, wakeboarding, having volleyball tournaments, eating, playing games, having talent shows, eating, hanging out with cousins and....eating!
Aren't these boys cute?? I'm using someone else's computer and swiped this from them. I don't know when I'll start getting to my own pictures!
We still miss you, Daddy!

whew...

The Kissell Family has been busy. I thought I would share some of our shinanigins. We left for Utah and spent a few days there with my family (who was in Utah picking up my little bro from BYU) then we drove up to Idaho Falls and spent 5 days with Ryan's family. Then we drove back to Utah and Ryan flew back to Houston to go back to school while I took my kids to Tucson. So far on this adventure we have:
-hung out with our cousin Ethan
-had a combined birthday party for Sawyer, Ethan and Kate
-Sawyer was too tired to enjoy his cake
-but he did get a little dirty
-visited Grandma Pack in Orem
-and got some sweet wheelbarrow rides from Daddy
-met our cousins in Idaho and Kate LOVED hanging out with them
-Sawyer ate a Big Judd....okay, not really, but he liked posing with Daddy's
-Mike, Jesse and Ryan all really did eat Big Judds (a lb of hamburger.....igh! and if you eat it all you get your picture on the wall.) One of them didn't really finish it....I won't say who....but I will say I still love him anyway
-The kids got blue laffy taffy with their kids meals
-I love Sawyer
-Kate got birthday donuts on her actual birthday...a Shirley family tradition that we just might adopt!
-Cute Ella made a newspaper hate with Grandma
-Kate LOVES that she is actually 3 years old
-Her birthday cupcakes
-Had fun at a place called "Blast Off" where Sawyer LOVED playing in the balls
-Kate loved them too. She also loved following her cousin Ayden around everywhere
-Kate and Sawyer also rode a ride and played some games at Blast Off
-We had our family pictures taken...this is one with all the cousins and Grandma
-Ella stood on her head
-and so did Kate (Ryan took these)
-Ella was cute
-Kate loved her "Grammie Kissell"
-and then we said goodbye to all our cousins

whew. We have been having a lot of fun! But we are all pretty exhausted. Yesterday I was quite certain I had the swine flu because I was achy and had a fever and was really nauseous but I woke up this morning feeling much better. Now we're ready to party in Tucson for a bit before we get back to real life in Houston!

Chuck E Cheese? ugh, I'm so sick of Chuck E Cheese...

Name the show...

Yesterday we went to Chuck E Cheese and had a lot of fun. Last time Kate went it was her birthday and she was exhausted. She was a little older and a little less tired this time and had lots of fun. Here are some of the pictures...Ethan's not crazy about this....can you tell?Dani and Jared racing

Kate playing one of her favorites, the frog game.and the cute boys earlier in the day