Manti Pageant

The smithson's invited us to go camping with them in June and go to the Manti Pageant.  So we left Friday and headed down to camp for the night.  We went to the pageant and watched most of it inbetween trying to get comfortable and getting the kids to relax and watch we got the idea.  We went back to the camp site and went to bed for the night since it was after 11 when we finally made it back.  We woke up had breakfast and then got ready to go to the beach.  We rented a paddle boat and took turns taking the kids for rides and letting them swim in the lake.  It was freezing cold water so I didn't get it, but Madyson and Jayden sure did.  The kids loved going out on the boat.  After about half of the day was gone we headed back home to unpack.

 Manti temple was so pretty

These are from my phone so the quality is not good

Having a good time at the lake

Payton's 3rd BIRTHDAY!!!

My birthday boy turned 3 this year!!! Time has flown by with this kid. We celebrated on Friday the 24th since we were going camping later that day and since his birthday was on a Sunday it worked out better anyway.  We kept it casual and did a no present party and played in the water like last year.  We are so lucky to have such great friends that helped celebrate Payton's day with us.  Tiffany, Derrick, Ashley, Julie, Allie, Carter (and Jake), Erin, Chloe, Kade, Ranae, Ethan, Molly, Marie, Noah, Gwen, Finn, Diana, Gracie, Ryan, Crisit, Lydia, Emma, Amy and Sydnee were ALL there with us and made it a blast.  The kids all did the slip n slide, threw water balloons and went down the slide into the little pool.  Payton requested a watermelon cake (I still don't know where he got the idea) so I did my best to make him one and he LOVED it!  He had such a great time and we couldn't have found a better way to spend his day.

Payton's 3rd Bithday Watermelon cake!

All the kids having a great time

More water fun

It's CAKE time!!!!

Blowing out his #3 candle

My handsome Payton boy

Payton and Carter (Payton's best friend)!

The Hogle Zoo with cousins!

Bre, Landon and Savanah came to Utah to visit and while they were here we went to the zoo along with Diana, Gracie, Ryan, Tina, Paisley and Ty.  The kids had a great time.  Right when we got there and headed down the hill the kids saw a zoo keeper holding a snake and Payton went straight for it.  If I remember correctly Jayden, Madyson, Payton and savanah were the only ones who were brave enough to actually touch the snake!  We went on the carousel, watched the bird show (one of the bird landed right in front of us and just walked along the ground, it was so cool) and had a picnic lunch.  We got to see the baby elephant and the brand new little monkeys, which were adorable too.

They had a zoorasic theme going on at the zoo this summer so they had dinosaurs all over that were animated.  And one of them squirted water at the kids and they loved it!

 The kids all "rode" the wooden horses



The big elephant squirts water when it sneezes and Jayden wanted to stand right in front of it and it blew water right in his face.  He of course freaked out and I of courses was laughing!

These cousins love each other so much and miss each other, we can't wait until they visit again!



Horse back riding

James has a friend that lives down the road a little that had horses and Madyson loved the idea of riding a Pony.  When we got there and he brought out the horse she said "wow that's a big horse", she was a little scared but after seeing Payton practically run right up and wanting to get on it right away she took a turn and loved it.  Payton wanted to ride the horse forever but he needed to give everyone a turn, even me!  I don;t believe I have ever ridden a horse before and I really liked it.  The kids looked so cute and asked about when we were going to go back to see the horsey!

You can click the collages to see them bigger!

Payton and Madyson riding together!