Family Reunion

Back in August we had our Ellis family reunion and Berny and I were in charge of planning it. We went camping at High 5 over by Carey. We did a "Red Neck Olympic" theme, so everyone made their own family flag and we participated in some red neck games. Like Bob Wheeling, Quadathalon, and Volleyball. Bob wheeling was like Bob sledding only with a four wheeler. You had to get at least 3 members of you family on the machine and then complete a course and whoever finished the course with the best time won. The quadathalon was like the biathlon except instead of skiing and shooting a Lazar gun, we rode on the four wheelers and shot off of it with paintball guns at targets. Who ever went the fastest and shot the best won. Then we played volleyball. I didn't change any of the rules for this game we just like to play it.

This is the Marquez family flag. The flag that we made had to go with a devotional that each family gave either for Flag lowering or raising. Ours was about being a peacemaker.

Mark, Aki, Tristen, and Leiloni. This day was Marks birthday, but he had gotten into some poison oak at his work so he was pretty miserable. For the games we all made some tie dye shirt that were the same color as their flag. Mark and Aki's family were lime.
This was David and Julianne's family flag. Their color was pink, David love that we gave him that color :)

This is the Green family's flag and of course their color was green.

This was Mom, Dad, Matthew's flag. Their color was sky blue.
We went for a family ride up one of the mountains.
All the kids ended up falling asleep.

This was our medals ceremony where I announced the winners for the games. This was volleyball. The Green Family,and the Stanger family were on one team and they got first. They played against Davids family, mom, dad and Matthew, who got second. It was a really competitive game. Kip and Larry were really strong hitters and blockers and So were dad and David but the brother in laws pulled a head for the win. Marks family and Derricks family were on the same team and they got third. My team was Berny, Johanna, Mollie and I. We didn't stand a chance but, we did do better than I thought. Mollie got some really good serves over which gave us some points and I chanted that we were team USA so that made us the best. I couldn't believe that we lost, I'll just blame it on Obama :)
Bob Wheeling! Yahoo we won this one. I strapped Lance to me and held on for dear life and Berny sped through. Yes I was a little scared. David and Julianne got 2nd and Kip and Leejean got 3rd.
This was Mark and Aki's flag. Their theme was Job.
All the flags were set up around the American flag.

While we were up their we had some really big rain storms. Luckily Kip and Leejean brought a really big camper and we all crammed into it. But with rain comes mud and the kids had lots of fun in the mud. This is a picture after we had washed them off in the stream.
Whitney and Leiloni playing in the mud.

My family and family flag. We were yellow as you can see.

This was for the Quadathalon. Larry and David tied for first, and Mark and Dad and Derrick came in second and third. This was a funny one because David and Julianne got a really good speed and pretty good at shooting. But whoever went the fastest got extra points and for the longest time Davids family had the best time. Then Mark and Aki ran the course, Aki drove and Mark shot. Aki ended up buzzing really fast through it, like a bat out of ..... I don't think mark even shot he just held on for dear life. They didn't hit any targets but they took the points from David and Julianne for being the fastest. So Larry and Steph were next and they went really slow through the course, but Larry made sure he hit every target. So they ended up in a tie, that Larry is really strategic.

This sossor saved my live. With all the running around I had to do it would have made it really hard if I would have had to pack Lance around too. But I didn't have to because he sat really good in the magnificent toy. Thank you to whom ever thought of it.
Mom did a really fun craft with the kids, they all made their own flags and then they had a flag parade. It was cool because mom had them paint their hands on each flag and then she told them about Elder Ucdorfs talk about us being the Lord hands.
This was the flag parade.

Lance and I.

Leiloni got a hold of the whole watermelon.Jared Green with a messy face. Matthew and Johanna about to run the Quadathalon.
Kip and Leejean, Kip drove and Leejean shot.

Their color was navy blue.
Cutsie!!

Stephanie and Larry

Joshua is cheering for his mom and dad.

Mark and Aki

Derrick and Shannon

Berny and I

Mollie and Johanna (Heath couldn't make it)

Berny and I while we are looking.

Dad and Mom

Derrick, Shannon, Hallie, and Deacon. Their color was orange.

Julianne, David, Gracie, and Adymae

Mollie, Johanna, Preston, and Zoe. Their color was red because that is Preston's favorite color.

Kip, Leejean, Maddie, Lilli, and Wesley.

This was our second day activity. We had planned on having two boats on this day and everyone going boating or fishing but both of Victors boats had broke down the week before. So we just swam.

Lillie and Maddie swimming

Whitney is so cute!

We hadn't taken any showers for a few days so we washed our hair.

Berny and Leiloni are fishing.

Lance is getting a little sleepy fishing with daddy.

This was Lance in the morning. He was warm and tostie.

Lance and Whitney keep warm while I make breakfast.
When you got to go you got to go :)

Witty Whitney moment! brought to you by mom :)

I remember as a little girl going out and picking a bunch of dandelions and thinking the bouquet of weeds were very pretty flowers, then bringing them in and giving them to my mom. She would act like I had just brought her the most wonderful thing in the whole world and she would put them in a vase , or a paper cup,on the table.

I still remember how I felt when I found out they were weeds and not very desirable ones. It made me wonder why she liked dandelions so much, I just figured she must have been faking it to spare my feelings. I know now, that is not the case.

Whitney made her first dandelion bouquet this summer. While she was making it I felt so proud of her and I really was excited to see how her little handful of yellow flowers would turn out. But most of all I was really excited for the moment that she would show her mommy how much she loved her by bringing in the finished product and wanting my approval. finally the time came. After many minutes of arranging each flower so that they would all bunch up perfectly in her hands she showed it to me. I beamed, I thought it really was more beautiful than anything I had ever seen and I was so proud that she had put so much time into something to give to me. I had already found the perfect vase that I was going to put them in. With a big smile on my face I asked her, "are those for me?" She gave me a sideways look, as if I had just said something ridiculous. She said, as she smirked, "These not you's these mine". And that is the only time in my life that I have been disappointed to not receive dandelions.

Matthew's Graduation

Matthew graduated from Richfield High school. He has overcome so many obstacles to get there and I am so proud of him.

Tiny Kent graduated with Matthew, I love this girl!

Class of 2010

Dance and Sing at the Senior Center

Both Grandma's were there to see us sing and dance.
This lady was so fun, she danced with us.

We were not as entertaining to others :)

Lance was pretty popular

The girls sang popcorn popping, and monkeys in the tree.

The girls dancing

Aki and I dancing.

Sometimes, for fun, we go and preform at the Senior Center. My mother in law works there so it is nice to go see her and it is always fun to preform to a captivated audience :) Also I grew up singing at this same center and it is fun to go back and have my daughter do the same thing. Their theme for the month was Hawaiian so Aki came too, and we all danced the hula. Whitney and Leiloni danced too, Leiloni knows how to do the hula better that me!

Lance is growing

These are pictures that I took if Lance when he was learn to roll over and army crawl on his belly. Well as of about Monday last week Lance has past that up and is now on to crawling on his hands and knees. Not only that he has shown me that he can go up stairs, pull himself up, and walk across whatever he has pulled himself up on. He also saws " mama, dad, and Dada". he is growing up, he just turned nine months.

He used to love this thing. He would stay in it forever and be happy, now he just wants to be on the floor getting into stuff :)

Whitney is such a good big sister.

Easter Egg Hunt

We had our Easter Egg Hunt at David and Julianne's house this year. All the cousins that could come were there. Aki made Whitney a pretty basket and brought her a pretty pink hat. It was a really fun day! Ready to go hunting
I think they all did really well trying to sit for pictures, even though they were so excited to go hunting for eggs.

Leiloni, Triston, Whitney, Lance, and Addie Mae.

The pink hat was a hit, everyone wanted it :)

Whitney and Lance

Whitney finding eggsLeiloni and Whitney

Preston and Whitney

Halie, Gracie, and Preston

Getting ready to do the Easter Egg Hunt.

Harmison Dog Mack, getting into the action. I wanted to get a picture of Deacon with Mack because we call Deacon bulldog, but Deacon was having to much fun to hold still for a picture. But Mack was lazy enough that I could get plenty of him.

Leiloni and Whitney enjoying their candy after the hunt.

Adaline, Gracie, Preston eating their Easter eggs from the easter bunny.

Matthew and Lance.

Nap time.

Tough Guys!

Mollie Heath and the kids stayed the night. Berny was working nights at the time so Heath went and rode along with him. I sure he got some good material for his comedian act. Tough Guys!They brought there bull dog Mack too. Roeg and mack really like each other. They wrestled around all night long.