Flying to the mainland and California dreamin'

We made it on our trip!!! All our hard work, dedication, endurance, prayers, etc. has paid off and we're actually headed off to the mainland to visit family. We will first go to northern California, visit Brad and Kelli, then Erica and Sam. Then we will drive to Utah to visit all our grandparents, then drive to Colorado for a Hicken family reunion. We'll stay after at Janae and Enoch's place. Nate will leave on August 13, then we will follow on August 22.

With all the hard work we have done these last few months preparing for the trip, especially preparing our business to still thrive while we are away, we are ecstatic about taking a vacation.

Here we are with enough time at the gate to take a picture. That may be a first for our family. ;)

Holy smokes!! so this is what all the hub bub is about about shopping on the mainland! Items for $1?!?! REally??! We went (okay, I went ) crazy. We bought a whole bunch of stuff, especially reading books and workbooks and flashcards for the girls -- all for a dollar.

Ivy and Cole playing together

Wahoo! A playground with swings for everyone!!

Sticker fun with Cole

Brad and Kelli took us to Jack London's farm. It was really cool.

I really enjoyed the placards near parts of the farm that described some of London's trials that eventually failed. Sometimes we forget that the opportunity to fail is also part of the American dream. That our culture allows our citizens to try, fall down, and get back up again. Here is one of his failures: A crop of Eucalyptus trees was planted with the hope to sell the wood for furniture making. The wood was too weak, so it wasn't successful.

We also loved the beauty of the different plants, animals, and landscapes we saw there as well as all over the mainland, like the grape vines, pinecones, wild berries, and trees that reached the sky.

The girls saw a warning sign for rattlesnakes. Trying to calm their fears, I explained that we most likely won't even see one, but if we do, we'll get some ice cream. Just a little while later, we saw 2!! See if you can spot them in the video. We had an ice cream party that night.

Besides taking care of us so well and being with family, a definite highlight of being at Brad and Kelli's was partaking in Kelli's gourmet cooking. WOW!! How does Kelli stay so trim with such good eatin'?

We had a great time at Sam and Erica's -- playing on their slip n' slide and sleeping in their tent in their backyard. The girls couldn't get enough of each other, and Elysse and Lucy acted like they knew each other for years. But where are those pictures?!? I can't seem to find them anywhere...

Road Trip! And Utah

Visiting Sarah Steed and her beautiful children, Addy, Jerome, and Aiden. Addy was like part of the family when we used to do babysitting trades when Kezia was 3.

The Reunion

Playing sand volleyball on the court Talon made for his Eagle Scout project. Obviously a good time...

BBQing for 42 people
Goin' fishin!
The reunion was up in the mountains above Colorado Springs. It was so pretty -- and so, well, western.
Kezia, Ivy, Aspen, and Sierra loved the quartz rocks they found along the paths. They were plentiful, but the girls were hopeful to make a buck on them. Each day they would tend to their store, trying to sell them while free rocks surrounded the lodge. They also sold their crafts and wildflower bouquets. On the last day Grandpa bought all the rocks, making the girls happy, and the mountainside is happy to be clothed with quartz again.
Balloon launching!

Cheesy pictures of the siblings


All the 2 year olds! Top: Lily, Jordan, Taryn Bottom: Addison, Claire, Elysse
All the cousins! First row: Jordan, Elysse, Ryden, Cameron Second: Addison, Taryn, Claire, Kierra, Aspen, Kyler, Joseph, Avery, Ivy Third: Carter, Jonathan, Renen, Kai, Sierra, Kezia

Top: Lily, Talon, Alana, Nathan, Ike
Ivy playing with her cousins
Janae, who did an AMAZING job organizing the reunion, planned a fun "Minute to Win it" night, with the family competing in teams to complete odd tasks. Here's Ivy trying to suck the skittles and blow them onto a plate.
Fishing with Aunt Sunny, before a huge thunderstorm started them running toward the lodge.
Playing foosball with Grandma
Aunt Susan was the best friend to Kezia and Aspen. Here she and Kezia and Ryden are going on a hike.
Inside a teepee made of sticks we found in the woods









Flying one of the cool airplane kites Mom and Dad brought with them

Dad made stilts to play with. We all had a stilt race that was a lot of fun -- and quite funny as well.



Kite fail #1 and #2 if at first you don't succeed, try, try again.

The kite is up! The kite is up! I find it quite humourous listening to everyone cheer from the deck.

These are some highlights from the "Minute to Win it" activity Janae hosted. It was funny to see everyone compete on silly tasks.

Valley of the Gods

Right after the reunion we went the Valley of the Gods with Mom and Dad, Kerri and Steve's family, Janae and Enoch's family, and Tauna and Chris's family. There were a lot of red sandstone rock formations to climb on. We got to see deer there, including a buck!

At Pirate's Cove waterpark

Hanging with the Fredericks after the reunion