Part 3 - Yellowstone

We just happened to be in Yellowstone during the hottest days they had this summer. We came prepared with jackets, etc. but totally melted instead.

(Ok, so these bears were actually at a really cool bear park in West Yellowstone, but so amazing and totally worth the extra stop!)

Trying to make an "awkward family photo" :)

Doesn't that backdrop look fake?

I think these photos look like a postcard, but we really took them!

The pots were so colorful (and stinky!)

The bison really showed us the love. Saw deer and elk too,

but sadly, no moose.

Jones & Clarke kids goofing off= got to love these awesome tour buses

A little stop in Rexburg for a college tour

Took a quick detour through Preston, ID to see Napoleon Dynamite sights!

Summer part 2 - Road Trip...

with stops in SLC, Bear Lake, Preston, Rexburg,

Island Park, Yellowstone, Jackson Hole!

We were in 7 states in 7 days!

It was a whirlwind of a trip with lots of driving (way too much :)

but the kids were awesome travelers and we saw

things we'd never seen before.

First stop: the Joneses--love these cute girls!

Why doesn't CA have more shaved ice?

Cousin Emily

Hanging at the cabin

Clarke cousins + Grandma Ann

Minute to Win It Games:

Having a lot of brothers teaches you to be a sharp shooter

Fly fishing instruction from Grandpa

Summer part 1

Brynn turns 17 and celebrates at her favorite place, BJ's pizza!

A family adventure that wasn't so adventurous-

We tried to ride the orange balloon at the "Great Park" in Irvine. After waiting a couple hours, they shut it down right before our turn! (too much wind) The kids said it was fun anyway,

just chillin' and hanging together.

Waiting for the balloon....

GIRLS CAMP!

Getting ready for some fun, sun and beach in Santa Barbara...

Sister love--kind of sad since it was probably Brynn's

last girls' camp.

The boy moves on...

Last day of 5th grade - they don't really have a graduation,

but they have a "Morning of Memories." Here he is, off the school grounds with a big smile, ready for summer!

Way to go big "E"!

So strange that we won't have any more kids in Elementary school.

During the last week of school at the morning flag ceremony,

the 5th graders did a "flash mob". None of the other grades knew what was going on, so it was fun to see their reactions.

Here he is portraying his Revolutionary hero, "Ethan Allen".

It's easy to tell why he picked that one. He gave his oral

presentation at Open House and kept a British

accent the whole time...pretty funny!

Right before school ended, Ethan got his Webelo and lots of

other awards. He's so happy to move on to the 11 year old Boy Scouts!

These girls are goofy!

And this one just got her braces off!

L.A. Story

So it's been a super busy few months for us with Wayne's collarbone healing, calling changes (I got released from RS President and Wayne got called to EQ Pres the same week...crazy), a car accident, work issues, etc. etc.

In any case, I will continue to post some highlights from the past few months. I've been printing this blog each year and our kids love to look back through the books.
It's really our only family history, so I gotta keep going...

Our most recent family fun this past weekend included a trip to the Getty Museum, the Santa Monica pier, and Westwood for some yummy cookie/ice-cream sandwiches
(only $1.50 at Diddy Riese!)

love how this caught the drops of water

Cassie in the sketch room...She got Wayne's gift of being able to draw.
The rest of us just watched in wonder, haha

Snowboarding & Skiing at Bear Mountain (posted by Wayne)

Ethan learned how to snowboard this weekend...pretty amazing!!

He is the one further away and closest to the green lift tower.

I had a blast skiing all over the mountain while Ethan was in class...it was a beautiful day. I also came within about an inch of pulling off a sweet backscratcher on a jump. Instead, however, I did this...

Look left and then right (my left)...one of these things is not like the other.

That's my left collar bone up top in two pieces...ouch!
My worst skiing injury ever.