1st installment of our Summer Vacation

We recently got back from Utah, where we went for our summer vacation. We packed a lot into the 18 days we were gone. Usually Adam will drive our family out there and will stay a few days and then fly home and work while the kids and I stay for a few weeks, then fly back out, stay for a few days and then drive us all home. We didn't want to do that this time. I enjoyed having Adam with us the whole time. It was heaven being together for that many days with our family and friends!

First we had a reunion with Adam's family at Little Creek Cabin.




This is the second time we've had the Seegmiller reunion there and it is so nice! There is plenty of room for everyone, even if the beds aren't very comfortable. There are acres and acres to explore and Uncle Hal always brings his horses and 4-wheelers for a great time. It's beautiful there and our kids always really look forward to it.


(Ethan and his cousin, Adam, earned their horsemanship badges for boy scouts, thanks to Uncle Hal.)

Grandma Janet had printed a story and pictures of ancestors for each of the kids to read out loud. She gave everyone a copy of all the stories in a binder so we could take them home and have them to read over and over. I thought it was such a great idea and am grateful that our kids will be able to know their ancestors better. Each night 4 or 5 of the kids took a turn reading their story to everyone.


(Ben reading his story with Adam's help. Grandma Janet had each of the kids put a sticky note, with their ancestors name on it, on the map to show where they had lived.)


(Levi reading his story. He's become such a great reader this year!)

We had fun making crafts, playing board games and horse shoes, and making s'mores. Grandma Janet even challenged the kids to bring books they were currently reading and read for at least 30 minutes some time during the reunion. She promised a treat if they did it. Fortunately she brought lots of treats because some of them read way more than 30 minutes so they could have more treats. Once again, a great idea!


(Here is our lovely Grandma Janet standing behind my nephew, Will. You can see a sliver of Papa Keith off to the right.)

After leaving the reunion, we went to Grandma Janet and Papa Keith's house for a couple of days. We caught up on laundry, played games, and Adam and Ethan went to see Great Expectations with Grandma Janet. I could've gone, but wanted to visit some more with my sisters-in-law, Mercy and Tasha. We all really enjoyed seeing family and catching up on their lives. The cousins had a blast together and we can't wait to see everyone again in a couple of years, if not sooner!

Stay tuned for details on our McMullin reunion, which was the next adventure on our trip!!