Welcome Home Grammy & Pa!

Mark's parents have been serving faithfully as missionaries in Ukraine since January 2012. When they left we were not even aware of we were pregnant, but just 7 weeks later we found out we had triplets waiting to join us. So they came home this July and met 4 new grandkids, including the triplets.

How many does it take to entertain triplets?

Swimming when it's 109 with cousins. Living the good life. 

Play time with Pa

Pocket Frogs

We attended a Maxwell reunion while in southern Utah, and the petting zoo and pony rides were a favorite.

Creighton unsure about the pygmy goat

Thea petting the sweetest little donkey

Paxton confirming that he really does hate animals

Horse ride triplet style... not moving

 

Just love these girls!

Two fussy babies led to a 3 baby picture moment

 Some of the Maxwell cousins with Grammy & Pa

Other fun moments

My cousin Bronson married a darling girl, Hilary, on his birthday, no less. It was an incredible weekend full of wonderful moments. A few pictures after the ceremony and before the bride & groom appeared were certainly in order.

Girl Cousins (and our girls) It was just us 6 girls holding down the fort growing up at Garrick events.

All the girls together, in-laws, aunts, cousins, kids! Now we have reinforcements and have grown! So wonderful!

My family

 With girls you do cindy-loo-who hair, but Makaela taught me that with boys you do mohawks!

Little baby boy mohawks right now.

 The girls rock climbing at the Fun Friday at Fat Cats!

Get-aways & Welcome Summer!!!

We had a wonderful week with our friends in Park City! We enjoyed eating out, eating chocolate, going for walks, touring museums, visiting the park, discovering bounce houses, and just spending time together. Our friends, The Shimoda's, had been living in Australia so having them move back was worth a celebratory vacation! After all, it is the relationships we make that are the most important things in this life. Our families and close friends give us memories and support that we will forever cherish both here and into the eternities.

Makaela watching the moose swim in the pond across the street from where we stayed. It was very cool to watch her meander around. She even surprised us when we opened our front door about 30 minutes later and she was just 15 feet away! Ella was not nearly as thrilled as the rest of us.

We went walking on this trail one afternoon and I remembered the camera! 

Consequently, I have a lot of pictures from this adventurous afternoon. 

Creighton

 So glad for good helpers. Even if it's only on the downhills.

 Paxton

 Weston playing with the grass

Thea & Ethan discovered a pussy willow that they were determined to get. It took both of them pulling with all their might for a few minutes to obtain the prize. 

 Victory!

Makaela & Ellie are getting older. They were perfectly content to walk and talk like little grown-up women. 

And we managed to have our first day of summer party on the first day of summer this year (last year we had to do it early to accommodate me being in the hospital). The trade this year was that Mark didn't get to make his elf as he spent the creating time chasing triplets.

Zoo Day!

We had time to enjoy the Lego displays, both the hands on and the professional displays.

 Summer just keeps on flying by. The days are melting away as fast our popsicles in the 100+ degree temperatures. I am trying to get better at being ok with messy floors and laundry that is always behind so we can make the most of each day.

Family Vacation

It has been a while since we had a get-away together as a family. And a year ago my parents convinced us that we could indeed take all 6 kids away to their time share, with a promise to help (of course). I wasn't sure and I thought it was kind of crazy, but how could I pass this up!?! And I am so grateful we went! It was worth every effort and ounce of work to spend a week in paradise with my family. Thank you mom & dad for making this possible!

  The "dipping" pool on the porch of our room

My dancer girl!

Creighton and Weston would not stop eating sand. The blanket lasted only a few minutes because it was pointless as they crawled to the edge and devoured handfuls. Paxton on the other hand hated it!

Loved watching the girls play! They all took a dip in that beautiful water.

The hot tub with a view on the top porch of the room. I could live out here.

We had the most interesting high chairs there! These were some favorites. They were often made of wood and had all kinds of interesting designs and colors. By half way through the week every restaurant seemed to know us. "You are party of 10 with 3 high chairs!" Yep. That was us.

Dinner on the beach

The boys did go swimming most every day. Creighton LOVED this as well and spent plenty of time splashing and floating. Weston also seemed to enjoy it most of the time and really liked splashing with hands and feet until he was soaking wet. Paxton... well he cried. Every time. He never did fall in love with the water.

I have at least 1/2 a dozen pictures of these book worms. Warms my heart.

Los Arcos with sand underneath

All together! So grateful to have been blessed to take this vacation!

Before Makaela and I went up in the parasail

Thea's first time parasailing. Had a few nerves but got up and did fine. Now she loves it! And when they came down Mark's foot was covered in blood! Apparently he lost a toe nail on the way up. Gross!

Creighton's model pose (he does this all the time!)

Another month has passed...

Last sunset

Last dip in the hot tub

Time to leave. We didn't see a single cloud during our beach days!

 Green hair = a great vacation!