Golden birthday

 

Mckenna turned 19 years old on June 19th!  Since it was her golden birthday that was the theme of her party. 

Her college friends Cadey and Bryson came by to visit Kenna and wish her a happy birthday.

I was happy to have some time just with Kenna to enjoy our birthday traditions!

Kenna chose Chick-fil-A for her birthday dinner.  It was nice to eat outside on our deck.  Most of us hadn't had Chick-fil-A in a long time. Kenna introduced us to all the sauces. 

We had a family party for her that night at our house.  She and her Aunt Kayley had fun looking through pictures.  They told me the cutest story from when they were in preschool.  Kayley is only one year older than Kenna.  They both went to BYU preschool in the summer of 2006.  They had recess at the same time but at different playgrounds. Kayley used to help pull Kenna up and over the fence so they could play together.  Then she would carefully help lift her back over when recess ended so they didn't get in trouble. I can't believe they are both grown up now and in college.  The days when they were in preschool don't seem that long ago. 

Kenna had fun opening up her presents.  She mostly received gifts that she could use on her mission.  We gave her clothes, a small keyboard to attach to her phone, and a journal.  Her grandparents were very generous and gave her money to spend on things she needed for her mission. 

I made Kenna her favorite Oreo freakout  dessert. We also had some golden candles to go in it.

She made this cute face after blowing out her candles.  My phone is full of many pictures just like this!

Her bestie Brooke came by later that night to hang out with Kenna and bring her a gift.  We had a fun day celebrating together. It has been a memorable year for Kenna.  We are glad she had fun at Utah State and made many new friends. We are happy that she is going to serve a mission.  She is providing the best example for her younger siblings. We love you Kenna!

Kev's birthday

 

Kev turned 42 years old on Thursday June 17th! We had fun celebrating with him when he got home from work.

Kenna made him this awesome poster with lots of treats.  I know he loved it!

We went to dinner at JCW's.  We always enjoy eating there.  We were missing Parker who was at High Adventure with the YM. 

It was a nice night so we came back and played croquet in the yard. 

We had chocolate Dunford donuts for dessert. This picture of Kev plugging his ears makes me smile.  Was our singing really that bad?!?

He taught Kenna how to drive his motorcycle. It is crazy to think he has had this motorcycle since he was 15 years old. I'm thankful for my awesome husband and that we get to experience life together! He is always up for an adventure and lives life to the fullest.  He can fix just about anything. He smokes the best meat for all of us to enjoy. I admire how supportive and loving he is to our kids. 

Family vacation

 

We went to St. George June 6-9th! We made some great memories together as a family.  It was a little sad knowing that this would be the last trip we would take together before Kenna leaves on her mission.

We loved the townhouse we stayed at! It was spacious and comfortable.  The backyard was perfect.  

We spent lots of time enjoying the hot tub. It only made me want to get one of our own someday.

I also loved that the townhouse was decorated in a cute farmhouse style.  The owners thought of everything.  There was a welcome snack package and even a Traeger in the backyard for cooking.  

On Monday morning we headed to Sand Hollow. It was so nice because it wasn't busy.  We learned that  Monday's and Tuesdays are the best lake days.

The girls and I had fun hanging out in the tube while the boys were out on the waverunners.

Parker and the rest of the kids were entertained digging holes. We were missing many of our shovels from last year. Kev stopped by the store and bought the kids more sand toy sets.

We went and checked out the pool that night.  Addy wanted me to take a picture of her showing off her flexibility. 

 

Kenna looked graceful before her belly flop into the pool.

This was our view as we walked back from the pool. I love seeing all the palm trees and red rocks. 

We made smore's in the backyard that night. It was fun to listen to the kids talking and laughing with each other. 

The next morning we went back to Sand Hollow. The kids tried the new knee board.  I followed Halle around on the waverunner to get some pictures and video.  I'm lucky that my phone didn't end up in the reservoir. 

On our last morning we went to Pioneer Park. I love this picture of all our cute kids!

Kev helped Hayden up from the slot canyon below.  I was happy that I could still fit in the narrow slot canyon. 

Kev took a picture of us when we got to the top.  You can even see the St. George temple in the background.  We drove by but didn't get out since it's currently under construction. 

I'm happy that Kev plans these awesome vacations for the kids and I.  I hope they always remember them. 

In the afternoon we went to Fiesta Fun to do some mini golfing. It was a great course.  We were sweating it out because it was really hot.  The kids had fun playing at the arcade after and cooling off. We went and got some lunch at the Cracker Barrel before heading back home.  We hadn't eaten there in years. I was impressed with their fried chicken. Our whole family enjoyed it. 

Girls dance performance

 

The girls had their annual dance performance on Wednesday June 2nd.  The theme of the show was Defying Gravity. 

I love how Halle's dance pictures turned out! This was taken of her wearing her World Dance costume. 

The fan dance they did was elegant and beautiful to watch. 

Halle also took a Hip Hop class again this year.  She took a third dance class called Accro. They work on skills such as backbends, walkovers, and flips. 

Addy took a Hip Hop/Jazz class. She was glad to have Miss Claudia for a teacher. 

We always enjoy watching her perform.  She always has a smile on her face the whole dance. 

Kenna was able to come watch them perform. Addy gave her a big hug after the show.

We bought both the girls some flowers for after the performance. 

Kenna was happy that Addy wore the Vans she gave her.  They matched the peach in her costume. 

We had fun taking some pictures at all the photo ops that they had.

The girls were happy that Grandma Sue was able to come watch their performance.

We are proud of the girls and how hard they have worked this year. They started out the dance year with temperature checks and masks. We are grateful that things were back to normal by the performance!

Kenna's temple endowment

 

Mckenna received her temple endowment on Tuesday June 1st.  She was able to make an appointment at her favorite temple which is the Payson temple. 

We are grateful that we got to be there with her for this amazing experience in her life. I was honored to be her temple escort.  It brought back great memories of receiving my endowment. 

We were able to have a group of eleven family members there with us.  Both sets of grandparents, Uncle Mike, Aunt Amy, Uncle Spencer, and Aunt Megan were there.

We all had to wear masks when we entered the temple.  It was a beautiful experience to be back in the temple again! It had been 10 months since I had last been and longer for others. 

It was unique and memorable that we were the only ones in the session that day.  I felt such peace, comfort, and happiness while I was there.  I'm sure that there were many family members who passed on that were there in spirit that day. 

Kev and I are so proud of Mckenna and the good choices she is making in her life. 

She is setting a great example for her siblings and all of us. 

We went to eat at Magelbys after the session.  Kenna got to try their famous chocolate cake with raspberries. We love our Kenna! I will always remember this day with her!