Gold Rush

We recently went to Placerville to visit family. Since 4th graders study the Gold Rush... we went to Coloma for an afternoon to see where it all began.

Kiddos playing in a teepee to keep warm. Tanner thinking about doing highway robbery in the Wild Wild West

The kids learning about how to weave rugs, etc.

It's Great to be Eight!

A very happy 8th birthday to a very special girl. I'm not sure where the time has gone... but I know we have loads of photos and memories to document it. Makenna is 8... and we're so proud of the young lady she is becoming. She is kind, willing to serve, bright, busy and cheerful.For her party this year... she wanted a couple of girls to have a GNO... Corner Bakery... Pedicures... Shopping!

And her request for dinner??? Homemade pizza shaped like "M"

MIA

So we've been MIA on the blog scene for about 6 mo. Excuse is one word... TANNER. He is an energetic boy to put it mildly... five minutes on the computer = 45 minutes of clean up from Tanner being alone.

Anyway... here's what we've been up to:

Remember mission reports in 4th grade?? Well Brooklyn's mission was "Santa Ines" in Solvang. So we took a mini trip after Christmas to visit it. Building... I built this house for the girls for Christmas... for their American Girl dolls. It took every spare minute for a solid month... but I finished on time!

London!! The following photos are in reverse order... but we stayed in London for a few days at the end of our fun autumn trip. It was great to see old friends.

Venice... our cruise left from Venice... we wasted some time before our flight to London.Turkey... nope... not talking about the kids this time... we spent some more time near Ephesus, Turkey. We were able to see some amazing ruins... some of which are believed to be locations where Paul preached. Egypt. We were so lucky to see this beautiful country before the chaos ensued. This is a local market in Alexandria. You can't miss out on the camel rides. Definitely a highlight.

Unfortunately the time if day didn't allow for great photos at the pyramids... but it was still incredible.

Israel... the wailing wall in Jerusalem

the garden tomb

Makenna at the River Jordan...

Zack on the shores of the Sea of Galilee

Soccer!

First Day of School for Z

BYU Football w/ Daddy. Josh and Z flew in for a BYU game!

First day of school for the girls

Tanner just before his eye surgery

Summer Happenings

We have had kind of a chill summer... so here are some photos: Angels Game
Late mornings in PJs

Natural History Museum in LA

Lots of playing with Tanner

Rainbows (this was a double rainbow... just can't see the other arc with this photo)

Eating sand

Soccer Camp

Losing Teeth

More beach fun

Playing with friends from the UK

Family Fun!

We had a family reunion in So. Utah... so we spent a couple days in St. George, then went to Zions... then on to visit my BYU roommate, Kate on her ranch in Nevada. St. George temple
The Thurgood girls on the tram in Zions

Tan Man is ready for a hike!

Grandpa & Grandma Barlow with all the grandkids... well minus the four that live in Hawaii

Sean & Kate taking the kids to see the horses

The girls on their new thouroughbred, Johnnie

The girls and Mikelle

If Kate's boys (ages 10, 7) can do it... so can we, right???

They were laughing at us!