Our July was packed with lots of fun! The Anderson's hosted a big pre-4th of July party at their house on the 1st. We played a lot of Crossnet, the kids did a slip-n-slide, we had a BBQ, and got to chat with lots of people in the ward. Unfortunately, there were big trees in the way so we couldn't see much of the fireworks from her house but it was still great to be with everyone.
On the 4th we started the day by going to the Hilliard parade. Sarah came with us and got to try out our gigantic OSU chair! Sarah was so sweet to help us work on our bathroom and spent a good chunk of the day sanding walls. After lunch, we had a water balloon fight and got out the slip-n-slide and all the adults even got in on the fun of it! We played games and watched a movie and then ended the night by doing pop-its and sparklers in the backyard but Sarah's favorite part was catching fireflies! It was a super fun day.
Brooklyn has really loved planning parties but it's rare that she can get her sisters to participate (at least very willingly). She really wanted to plan a camping themed birthday party for her doll but for some reason Kaylee and Richard ended up not being there (I don't remember why). But McKenna and I had a blast with all the things she planned. She did a bunch of themed food for dinner and s'mores over the stove for dessert. She also sorted us into different cabins and made a label for each of the rooms telling us what cabin it was. Outside she laid out three sleeping bags and we did a few games with those, built something out of sticks and leave and then made some nature bracelets. I kept teasing her because we would move onto another activity and she kept forgetting to bring her doll. Poor thing was neglected at her own party!
We temporarily lost our minds and decided it would be a good idea to redo the girl's bathroom right before we had guests coming to stay... It shouldn't have taken as long as it did, but we ran into some trouble with the vanity and ended up having to wait longer to get one than we wanted. So even though we started in plenty of time, we finished the day before they came! It was a little stressful but I love the new bathroom and it feels so much better in there as well as gives us more storage space as the girls have gotten more and more bathroom stuff as they've gotten older.
The Awerkamps got into town super late Wednesday night so Richard just picked them up from the airport and took them to their hotel. I picked them up the next morning and we headed to the temple to do baptisms. Adam and Julie stayed home with Brooklyn and she was loving having some one on one attention right away.
Holly and Madeline came to join the fun while Chase and Emery were at Youth Conference. The cousins mostly wanted to just play together but we did convince them to get out by taking them to the pet store because that was one thing all of Julie's kids remembered loving about Columbus last time. They built a new pet store in Upper Arlington and so we went there and it was so much bigger and nicer than the last one! Everyone, even me, held a bunch of birds, mice, and dogs. I thought everyone wouldn't last super long in there but the kids never wanted to leave! We finally had to go when Richard's allergies couldn't last any longer and we were all getting hungry for dinner. We also had to go to Amy's Donuts because Sarah tried it once before and thought they were the best donuts she'd ever had so we got a couple dozen so we could try multiple flavors. That night, we took them to Strauser's to show them all the crazy candy there and on the way back, we saw the one thing Julie wanted to see more than anything: fireflies! It was fun to see all of their reactions to the first time seeing them since we've gotten more used to them. They are pretty magical!
The next day, we picked up a 15 passenger van and all drove up to Kirtland together! It made it a lot more fun that we could all go in the same car. We went to the Kirtland temple first and then did the Church sites tour. It is amazing what a difference you feel in one, where it feels like they are just stating historical facts (even about the appearance of the Savior!), and the other from the missionaries who are bearing their testimony about the events that happened and the Spirit is so strong. We wanted to check out one more farm that they told us was about a mile away before we headed home. All we found was a sign and a path that led to nowhere... but instead of wasting the opportunity, we found a quiet spot in the trees and Holly asked us all what our favorite part of the day was or what stood out to us. That was my favorite part of the whole day and I loved hearing everyone's different perspectives and feeling the Spirit as we shared.
The next day was Julie's birthday so we put up some decorations and planned some party games to play. We put up our Crossnet in the back and played that most of the morning and then did a few minute-to-win-it games that we had to do in 45 seconds in honor of Julie turning 45. Madsy and Kenna really wanted to go swimming together so we went to the hotel pool and let the kids swim for a while. Then Holly and Madeline had to take off to get back home and the rest of us headed to German Village. 
We stopped at the Fudge Haus and got everyone some chocolates and then Richard decided to buy some Bacon and Cheese flavored crickets and told everyone he would pay them $2 to eat one. I don't think he expected anyone to take him up on it but everyone ate one except Todd, Julie, Chris, and Brooklyn! They actually weren't bad at all. Kaylee found a wing stuck in her braces a few minutes later and grossed the rest of us out pretty good though! Because the crickets weren't enough, Richard went back in and bought some BBQ mealworms to try. This time, even Todd joined us! They were a little more gross than the crickets but still not as bad as you'd think looking at them!
We stopped and looked at a little gift shop while we were waiting for a table to open up at the Sausage Haus. Brooklyn decided it would be fun to pinch a cactus and got a fingerful of pokies! Richard took her to the car and found some tweezers to get them out and everyone gathered around her and was so concerned about her! Both Todd and Nathanael helped get the spines out of her finger and were so sweet and gentle with her. It was really cute to watch!
Unfortunately, the Sausage Haus took too long and we didn't have time to eat there so we had to run and grab some fast food so we could get to our last activity. The last thing Julie wanted to do for her birthday was a Game Show Battle Room. They had 3 different games to play- Family Feud, Wheel of Fortune, and some of the games from the Price Is Right. It was seriously SO much fun!
Monday was their last day but they didn't leave until the late afternoon so we played Crossnet again in the morning and then took them hyperbowling. It was super fun but we were so sad to see them go. We loved having them here so much!
That Saturday, I left for Utah with the girls. Richard had a conference in Colorado the next week so we went to Utah for the first time without him! McKenna was really nervous about takeoff and when I leaned forward to try to comfort her, I saw that Brooklyn had grabbed her hand and was holding it the whole time we were going up in the air. It was the sweetest thing!
The next day we went to church with Mom and Dad and the Andreason's. Brooklyn went with Mom to YW and all of the older girls loved her! They kept talking about how cute she was and how they wanted to keep her. Someone in Mom's ward (who I have known all my life) asked Holly if I was her daughter :) Holly wasn't quite as thrilled but I got a good laugh out of it! After church we went to Provo and had a BBQ with all of the Henricksen's. McKenna was, of course, glued to Wesley and wanted to carry him around the whole time. She was a little disappointed that he wasn't a baby anymore though!
Monday morning, we woke up to go to the Temple to Temple run. McKenna's stomach was hurting really bad and she didn't think she would be able to do it so I stayed home with her while everyone else went. Afterwards, we went to Scott's house and hung out all day until it was time for our family BBQ that night. While we were eating, the wind started blowing really strongly and broke a huge branch off of the neighbor's tree who lived behind Mom and Dad. The rest of us noticed and thought, oh that's too bad and then went back to our party. But Scott went and quietly grabbed a saw and went to help them cut it down and cut it into smaller pieces so they could haul it away. Dad and a bunch of the grandkids saw what he was doing and headed over there to help too. It made me so proud to see all of them selflessly helping and pitching it when they didn't have to.
The next morning we did baptisms at the Jordan River temple with Dad. It was really special to have Grandpa baptize all the grandkids and I love watching him in the temple. I was also so happy to take Kaylee and McKenna to my special temple that I grew up with and the one we got married in.
Clark and Patti's twins had given Mom a few outfits and the girls decided to put on a whole fashion show. They hung up a sheet, laid out some vinyl for a runway, and even played runway music. There wasn't very many clothes so I thought it would be over quick but they were having so much fun, they just kept switching outfits so they could come out again and trying new ways to wear the same things. We even convinced Emery to get in on the fun and he entertained us with dancing and singing when they had breaks to change their clothes.
That night we had a special retirement party for Mom and Dad. We had to make it like a graduation since that is Dad's favorite thing, and we also had to include golf and we had the theme "Third Times the Charm" since he has now retired 3 times and this is their 3rd full-time mission. We made them wear a cap and gown and had all their kids do a part of the ceremony. Scott was the emcee, I spoke about Mom, Kristi spoke about Dad, and then Julie talked about them working as partners with Christ. Then Holly sang "I Can Do All Things" while the grandkids joined her for the chorus. We all lined up and gave them hugs and then presented them with their graduation certificates. I thought it all turned out so well!
The next afternoon, we met up with all the families at Rush Funplex. It had bumper cars, go-karts, mini golf, laser tag, bowling, rock climbing, a trapeze swing, and mini trampolines into a foam pit. We had 3 straight hours of fun and could have gone on longer!
Rachel and Scott were volunteering for the traveling Tabernacle so we went over there to see it. I was glad I got the chance to see it because I thought it was so cool when they started it last year. Rachel did such a great job on her part and was pretty much the only one who didn't just read her card in a monotone voice. I love seeing my nieces and nephews being involved in good things and becoming such great people!! That night all the adults went to Kristi's house and we watched Love Again, a movie that had Celine Dion in it so of course we had to watch it with Holly!
Thursday, we went to Kristi's house to play the candy bar game, which has become a huge hit with her kids. Then we went to Classic Skating to meet up with Laura and her kids. My kids all did great on their skates and skated pretty much the whole time. Brooklyn did switch to a scooter near the end but lasted a long time on rollerblades! Then we hurried home so all of the adults could meet at the Jordan River temple to do sealings with Dad.
The next morning, Kaylee woke up early so she could go do baptisms for the dead with the Andreason's at the Bountiful temple before they left. It was fun because Mama Maddy met them there and her dad is the baptismal coordinator so he was able to get them in and do the confirmations for them. We spent the rest of the day shopping with Mom and then we ended the night by swimming with Emily and Peter at their neighborhood pool.
Saturday, we spent most of the day at the Awerkamp's house and they took us to a place in Provo where you can make your own soaps. It was fun to choose from all the molds and decide what scent and color we wanted them to be. McKenna, of course, wanted to be outside with the chickens every second she could. She even helped Todd dig a hole in the chicken coop to help with a sprinkler project they were doing. We stopped by Seagull Book on the way home to see Kimberly at work, which was also fun to see her in that environment. That night I went with Kristi and Scott to see the new Mission: Impossible movie.
Sunday we went with the DuValls to church so we could watch Kai and Rachel sing and Scott give a talk. Then we went to visit Grandma DuVall who told the kids some stories about what it was like for her growing up. I was also lucky enough to be able to go to the Murry NICU to meet baby Zion! I was very grateful I got to hold him before we went home.
Monday we met Sharon for lunch and then stopped by Julie's to say goodbye, and then went to Kristi's. She had some crafts for the kids to do and then they played night games outside until it was time for us to leave.
We left the next day and our first flight got delayed so we were worried that we wouldn't make our second one. We had to get off our flight as quickly as we could and RUN from one terminal to another and barely made it on the plane just a few minutes before they shut the door. It was a little stressful but we made it home safe and sound and we were happy to be reunited with Richard!
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