Boat Week 2024

Our favorite week of the summer is here!  We were able to rent a boat for a few days and spent some time at Deer Creek which is my happy place!  We had amazing weather and perfect water.  We got up early and on the lake before most others are even awake which is the way to find the best water of the day.  Josh, Rease, Rhen and Liev all slalom skied right off the bat and everyone did amazing.  I'm so impressed with Liev especially getting up on the ski almost his first try!  It's incredible what a little testosterone in a kids body can do for his muscles and abilities! Rhen and Rease are both excellent skiers as well and it's always fun to watch them out there.

Keen loves to wakeboard and got up right away and out of the wake.  He's making so much progress with his skills too!  Beck and Desh used the double skis and both got up on their own.  This is the first year Desh has been able to get up on his own and he was so proud! 

It's one of my favorite things as a mom to watch my kids to things that they love and excel at!  It makes my heart full!

The boat we rented included a banana boat with it and OH MY GOSH was it fun!  I remember riding these as a kid but haven't for so many years.  We had a BLAST on that thing and the kids loved bouncing off the back of it with every bump we hit.  Wow so fun!

By the end of the days, the kneeboards are always the go-to.  Rease, Rhen, Liev and Keen did doubles on doubles knee boarding.  It was lots of trial and error, but eventually they got to stand up on the back of both boards with another rider on both of them.  They're so funny!

Liev took charge of the rope and became second mate to Josh this week.  We had the most beautiful days on the lake - so picturesque!

We feel so lucky to have this time together as a family and the chance to keep our traditions going.  It's something we look forward to all year long and we had an amazing week on the lake together! Lots of Love of this family of mine!

 

Weekend at the cabin

We spent the weekend at the cabin and love being able to be there for a few days at a time!  While we were there we booked a last minute tour around BYU and rode a golf cart to all the athletic facilities on campus.  It was so fun to see it all and be inside some of the places we haven't been to.  Of course we had to stop at the bookstore and get our football shirts and a sucker for the road!

Rhen, Josh and I took a run down the canyon one morning and got back to find the rest of the kids in the river outside.  The cold water didn't stop them from building a dam so they had a swimming hole to soak in.

One night we invited the Preece's to come up for dinner and games.  We spent some time at the park playing pickleball, tennis and ultimate frisbee which was so fun! The boys took Tayson on skateboard rides and the big kids gathered on the hammock for "talk time." 

The best part of the whole day was when the kids all challenged each other to a "river soak" to see who could last the longest!  Some didn't make it more than a few seconds (Liev and Desh), others lasted a few minutes (Ashlynn, Rhen and Madi).  Rease and Carson showed everyone up and stayed in over 5 minutes when we finally decided to pull them out so they didn't get hypothermia!  

We had such a fun night with them and are so grateful for good friends that we're surrounded with!

 

July with the Young Women

During the summer we have been doing a lot of combined activities with the young women with so many people coming and going.  For July we decided to learn so outdoor skills so we gathered together to learn how to chop wood and light a fire.  Brother Sorensen taught us and each of the girls had a chance to chop wood if they wanted to.  It ended up being such a fun activity and such a beautiful night in Sister Birchenough's yard!  Summertime is the best!

 

The cabin water project

We discovered that there was a problem with the water at the cabin when we tried to turn it on after the winter.  No water was getting into the house at all and didn't know why.  Dad and Josh decided to figure it out themselves and try to get it fixed.  It turned out to be a bigger project than they thought and they had to to dig out a big cavern on the side and underneath the cabin to finally find the problem.  There was an old pipe that had been melted from the warming tape that was put on it last year and it had broken all the way through.  Once they found the problem, they got a new section of pipe and put that in before covering it back up and placing a new box for the water outlets.  It was a project that took them a few weeks but they got done with it just in time for us to enjoy it for the summer!  Thanks for getting us all squared away!

 

Beck's 10th birthday

Beck's birthday has been drawn out for a couple weeks since we were in Connecticut on his actual birthday.  There's nothing wrong with celebrating birthdays for weeks at a time!

We had a party a few days after we got back and al he wanted to do was play nintendo with a group of friends so that was fun and easy!  We loved spoiling him for the day and are SO happy that he's 10!

10 year old stats from Dr. Erickson:

Height: 5'1" - 98%

Weight: 97 lbs - 92%

My favorite things about 10 year old Beck:

1 - Beck has always been super sweet.  Although 9-10 years olds aren't typically always kind and thoughtful, this boy finds a way to be.  He never shies away from saying I Love You or telling me he likes what I'm wearing.  He is thoughtful from the heart and I appreciate this side of him more than he knows! This boy loves his mama!

2- Beck is SUPER smart.  He's thoughtful about his schoolwork and is always analyzing everything that's going on around him.  He always has an answer to whatever question comes up and is top in his class in reading and math.  He has a bright future ahead of him with those big brains!  

3 - Beck is passionate! He LOVES the 49ers, BYU and the Warriors and HATES to see them lose!  He has some great passion inside that little body and just wants things to be right in the world - so when they're not, it's not easy to reign in the emotions.  I love that about him though and know it's going to be a great quality for him in his life!  Passion is a good thing and I hope he keeps it forever!

Love you so much my boy!

Happy 10th birthday!

 

Our trip to Connecticut

We had the chance to go visit Chad, Britt and family in Connecticut and we've been so excited for it!  It's been a long time since we've been back to visit them as a family so we were really looking forward to it.  We found some pretty cheap flights on Spirit airlines, so we packed tiny suitcases and off we went.  We got there on the 4th of July afternoon and had a fun firework show that night at their house.  They live in the woods in Connecticut in this beautiful spot called Guilford.  We loved it instantly and were so happy to be there with them!

Britt took Rhen and I on a run the next morning down to the beach.  It was close - about a mile or two away and it was so beautiful along the coast!

The kids LOVED being with cousins and just wanted to hang out with them doing whatever.  They have a great pool and hot tub that we spent lots of time in.  The boys played lots of soccer, hockey, football and anything else they could figure out to do.  Beck helped us out with breakfast - German pancakes of course.  And Britt was dog-sitting another dog named Miko while we were there.  He was a silly little dog with a high maintenance hair plan.  The kids thought he was amazing but I just couldn't get over the grooming that he needed.

Chad took us on a tour of Yale which was so awesome! The campus is pretty amazing and has such a great history to it.  I loved being there and seeing everything on the campus!

We also visited the temple, went to a baseball game with a firework show, made homemade pizzas and celebrated Beck's birthday while we were there! What a place to celebrate - surrounded by all the cousins!

Rhen and I ran every morning and fell in love with the woods and the greenery surrounding us.  It was a beautiful, peaceful time to explore and I was glad to have her with me!

We didn't want to say goodbye to the fun and the family! When it was time to go, we left reluctantly. It was so fun for us to be there and be a part of their Connecticut world.  What a beautiful spot to land!

We flew in and out of Newark, so on our way home we made a stop in New York for just a few hours.  We rode the ferry out to the statue of liberty and walked around the island there.  It was a beautiful clear day and we loved looking across to the New York on the other side of the water.  We ate some New York pizza and then settled into our hotel for our early morning flight the next day.  

What a fun trip we had and we're so grateful to see a new part of the country that we've never been to!

 

June round up

Ending the month on a good note!

Working with Papa is always great

A small bike wreck with a little road rash

Quick trip to Delta

Tricks on the Trampoline

A fridge full of Prime

And time with cousins

 

Youth Conference

Josh and I got to be a part of Youth Conference this year as "roamers" which was amazing!  Josh is in the stake young men's presidency and I joined as his companion.  We didn't have a family to be in charge of so we got to wander around camp and help out where needed and see all our kids.  It was a really fun and incredible week up at Heber Valley Camp.  

Our stake put on a handful of Book of Mormon skits and Josh played the part of Abinidi in one of them.  It was such a fun way to see the Book of Mormon come to life and the kids loved it! 

The Heber Valley activities are such a fun way to get the kids involved.  We loved catching up with all the leaders at the lake that we know from when Grammie and Papa were missionaries there.  Such a fun week with all the youth from our stake!

 

Parade camp

Liev joined Rease this year for their band parade camp.  It's a couple days where they learn the basics of marching band and practice marching for the parade.  They were in the Herriman Days parade this weekend and it was so fun to see Liev a part of this fun group!  

 

Girls Camp 2024

Girls camp 2024 is here!  We have been so excited for camp and Chelsea has worked so hard to get it together!  We were so lucky and were able to use a cabin in Mt. Pleasant that worked out so perfectly for us! The girls camped outside on the lawn in tents and there were beds inside for the leaders along with a full kitchen and bathrooms.  So it was the best of both worlds for us!

Team Jesus was our theme and the girls were all on board.  

Girls camp is filled with all the good things: silly skits, late nights, bracelet making, goofing around, lots of food, craft making and lots of fun!  This year did not disappoint!

We were close enough to Manti that we took a little trip one day to the temple and walked around and had lunch outside.  The temple is so beautiful and it was fun to get out of camp for a few hours and do something different.  

We had a few polaroid cameras for the week and the girls took pictures and hung them up for everyone to see.  This was one of my favorite parts because you got a little glimpse into the girls' lives and what they love and what's important to them.  It was so fun seeing those hanging up all week!

We also had a spotlight wall and got to recognize and spotlight each of the girls that were there!  It was so fun and cute to see them all as little ones and try to guess who was who.

We ended camp with a water day (so fun!) and the faith walk and testimony meeting the last night.  It was fun to have the bishopric join us and participate in all our activities.  Girls camp is the best time to make memories, build our testimonies and strengthen relationships.  I know we accomplished all those things this week!

 

June at La Brisa

Summer is here and we couldn't wait to get out of town and back to La Brisa as soon as possible! Josh and Rhen had to stay back for a few days for some commitments they had, but the rest of us headed out as soon as school was out.  We had some fairly cheap flights which unfortunately meant we had 2 short layovers.  Well those two short layovers turned into two different delays and overnight in two places (LAX and Miami) before we actually ended up in PR.  It was a LONG trip to say the least and we were so glad once we finally got there.  We were comped two hotel rooms and meal vouchers for both nights, but I still told myself I would try to never book a trip with 2 layovers again - no matter how cheap! 

Once we rolled up to La Brisa we were so happy to be back! The long trip took a toll on us though and we zonked out pretty quickly after getting there and had a long sleep before we had our energy back and could really enjoy it.  

There was lots of rain in the forecast for the first couple of days but that didn't stop us from enjoying every bit of it.  We all swam in the rain anyway and that makes it even more fun! All the water keeps everything so fresh and green that we don't mind it at all.  I think because of the rain, we had quite a few power outages while we were there which is just a little inconvenient.  We're pretty used to it happening so it doesn't slow us down much.  

We were happy to welcome Josh and Rhen once they arrived on island and got to work getting a few projects done around the property.  Josh has been wanting to cut down a tree that he doesn't like and is afraid it will get too big for the area.  So we set the boys loose chopping it down and they got it done in no time.  Trimming and weeding always needs to be done and a night swim is Josh's favorite thing of all!

One day we went to the arcade at the outlets and played for a few hours.  It was fun and a little break from the power outage we were having at La Brisa.

We kind of settle in to a routine when we're here.  Projects, swimming, fruit bowls, homemade pizza, sunsets from the deck.  It's all part of our day and we all join in on it together.  It's such a nice break from the real world for us and we soak up every minute of it.

One of the things we wanted to get done is powerwashing the walls around the pool and painting them gray.  Everyone had their job and worked hard getting it done.  It looks so nice now that it's all painted!

The boys have been asking for haircuts and Josh took them to a Puerto Rican barber to have the full treatment done.  A women in our branch has a son that cuts hair so we went to see him.  They were there for hours getting their cuts just right and finishing off with the right product to make them look fully Puerto Rican!

We got to be at church Sunday and we stopped in to visit one of our favorites - Hermano Vasquez who has been sick for the past few months.  We happened to drop in on his 88th birthday so that was fun to celebrate that big day with him!

One evening we spent in Old San Juan flying kites and hanging out at the Morro.  It was a lovely evening with perfect weather and amazing views.  

Of course we can't got to Old San Juan without a trip to Bari and Anita - it just wouldn't be right.

The best thing about having a couple weeks on the island is we can get a lot of things in and not feel like we're rushed to fit it all in. Josh changed the fan in our main room, we had a visit from Laura and her sisters, we stopped at the school and said hi to some old friends and Rhen got together with her friends for an acai bowl.  

And we got to spend a day at our favorite beach Playa Azul! It felt amazing to be at the beach.  The sun was hot and the water was warm.  We have missed it!

Josh left early for a conference so the last couple days of our trip were spent just me and the kids.  We went to the temple one night with Laura and Jonathon from the branch.  We got one last acai bowl and spent lots of time by the pool.  And we sold our van!  We figured that it wasn't worth keeping since we're not on the island long enough to use it and keep up the maintenance.  So we dropped it off at the dealer on our way out of town and we're sad to see it go!  It's been through the whole rebuild with us so it feels weird that we won't have it anymore.

Our return trip ended up being just as eventful as the way out.  We got stuck in Phoenix one night and only half of us made it on with standby tickets to get to Salt Lake.  I sent all the older kids home and Beck Desh and I stayed overnight again before catching an early flight back the next morning.  What an ordeal getting back and forth, but everything in between was amazing!  And just what we needed!

Rease's 17th birthday

Rease's birthday always falls smack in the middle of a trip to Puerto Rico.  I think she's celebrated the past 4 birthdays there!  What a girl - she's so great and flexible and doesn't mind a birthday on the fly! I promised her an actual cake when we get back so more from that day to come...

We celebrated with Carlos and Laura and Rease's famous Oreo cream cookies.  They're literally the best thing on the planet and she makes them the best.  We're so lucky we got to celebrate this day with some of our very favorite people!

17 year old stats from Dr. Erickson:

Height: 5'8" - 93%

Weight: 194 lbs - 97%

My favorite things about Rease at at 17:

1 - Rease is about the best oldest child you could ever ask for.  She kind, mild-mannered, helpful and sweet.  But she is also passionate about things and people she loves and stands up for what she believes in.  That combo is just what I would wish on any child and she happens to have it all!  I know we just have one more year with her :( but we'll take every bit of her while we have her!

2 - Rease is a really great student.  She has worked hard to keep her grades up but more importantly, to continue to love to learn.  She loves listening to podcasts and figuring out what's going on in the world.  And forms her own opinions and thoughts about what she wants in the world and how to make that happen.  Love seeing her brain work!

3 - Rease is my go-to sports fanatic to go along with any sort of sporting event that I want to attend or watch.  She loves the Warriors, is loyal to the Cougars and is always a Sentinel in her heart.  I love that she will be by my side for whatever adventure we're up for!

Happiest birthday to you my oldest child!