Walker Family Reunion 2015

This weekend was the Walker family reunion.  We met in Boise and played hard for about 48 hours.

Everyone was there except Dan, Steve and Andrew.  Dan is finishing up a fellowship in California and Steve and Andrew went hiking with the deacons and teachers in our ward.

These are all the Walker grandkids minus Andrew.

Trying to get 19 kids to smile and look the same way is much harder than it looks.

On day one of the reunion, the park was hot so we got the crazy idea to get all the boys' hair cut the exact same way.    The hair place was air conditioned so we really didn't care! 

Carter was in dire need of a hair cut so I was happy we made this impromptu choice.

Grady even held still and was happy most of his cut.

A little pampering goes a long way.

Colby was happy to look so cool.

Aunt JaNae kept Grady happy the entire time by promising him a cold soda after his cut.  She didn't disappoint!  Her soda fridge is better stocked than ours!

The boys and their sweet cuts.

Colby, AJ, Wes, Dean, Carter, Grady, Dawson and Wyatt.

I have to pat myself on the back a little.  We stayed in a hotel both nights in Boise and I was without Steve.  Taking care of four kids alone in a hotel was a daunting task for me.  But my kids were wonderful, happy and well behaved…and best of all nobody got sick.  BONUS!

The breakfast at our hotel was pretty amazing.  The kids ate their way through the buffet and happily tried almost everything.  Colby isn't pictures here because he was making himself comfy at the hot chocolate bar.  He was cracking me up with his coffee collar and love of vanilla creamers.  I better watch this kid!

The best part of breakfast at a hotel is the cousins!   

(and maybe the bed-like couches)

I didn't take a ton of picture at the reunion, but I did capture some fun shots at JaNae's house and at Roaring Springs the second day.

 Hehe.

Uncle Jon.

Grady prefers the European look when it comes to swim suits.

Jon and Bentley.

Jolyn and Grant.

Grady.

And Grady again.

I pulled out the camera and he started posing.

He and this pole were good buddies.

Annie, Meg, Dad and Whitney.

Carter and Wyatt.

(Can I say how much I love that my boys have best cousin friends.  I'm so grateful for my siblings' kids!)

Saylor and Grandpa.

The unstoppable amazing Dean!

Man this kid is fun!

Wes, Colby, AJ and Dean…with a cute photo bomber Grady.

Can I mention how much fun Roaring Springs was??  We rented a large umbrella and picnic tables that was roped off just for us.  We also had a catered pizza lunch with all we could drinks all day.  It was awesome!  I don't think I could go back without all the perks!

The only child of mine that got sunburned was Colby.  His pasty white skin from not swimming all month caught up to him and me.  So sorry Colby!  My sunblock attempt totally failed.

Had to add this picture.

Let me stress, yet again, how hard it is to get 19 kids smiling at once.

Love these people!!

Packing

The packing continues at our house.  Oh the packing.

But one of the first things to be moved was our basketball hoop.  This thing is insanely heavy and it took four adults and a pully thingy (I don't remember what its real name is) to get it onto our little trailer.  Then…driving behind Steve's car driving super slow to my parents house was 

pretty hilarious.

You know, because an accord pulling a trailer isn't hilarious enough so lets just add a basketball hoop to it.  I wasn't sure if I should feel trashy or proud seeing this drive down the road.

It took the help of my dad's four wheeler to get it off the trailer and placed in its new home.   I think it might stay there forever.  Its too hard to move!

So as the story goes, we are moving in with my very gracious parents until our house is built.  The kids all have stars in their eyes and Grandpa's four wheeler adds that extra sparkle.  My parents house and the fun there rates right up next to Disney.

There is even a roller coaster!

Dad "tricked" us into picking peas with him after the basketball hoop was properly in place.  I think my kids are going to be tricked into lots of things the next six months.  Ha ha!

My newest pea lover.

Grandpa rides are the best.

No really, they are!  You should see how fast they zoom down the lane.  It kind of makes me nervous, but the smiles on their faces is all worth it!

Did I mention the packing.

We have a lot of junk.

Other than getting ready to move, this past week has been getting us into the regular schedule.

Swim team drives to the pool can feel a little early for a certain diva!

Colby had a fun day last week.

His old cast was taken off in preparation for his water proof cast!

The skinny broken arm uncasted.

I cant explain enough the anxiety I felt seeing this thing without the protection of a cast.  I was for certain it would bend back into the horrible form it was three weeks ago.  I'm a silly overprotective mom as always.

I couldn't be happier when his arm was properly wrapped up again.  

Summer is saved!  Hurray for waterproof casts!

It wouldn't be me without documenting the house project.

Here is a rough rendering of our new home.  The gray will be darker and (if it isn't too much extra) the blue door will be lighter and less turquoise.

I've been playing with color on a few websites and I really love this blue I found from Sherwin Williams.

I'm crossing my fingers I can use it somewhere in my house…like in the mud room on my lockers!

comings and goings

This week started out with me driving to Utah with my friend Megan to drop off our boys in Provo for BYU sports camp.

Barrett, Andrew and Michael.

Andrew was tired…hence the really excited face.

Andrew got to experience college life as he stayed in the dorms and ate at the BYU all you can eat cafeteria.  He might starve when he gets home this week.  The meals here have been sub-par.

I have to admit I was nervous to leave him, but happy he can experience this kind of summer fun.

He comes home tonight and I can't wait to hear all the details of swim camp.  I talked to him on the phone last night and heard about a slightly creepy stalker girl that kept asking him to eat with her.  I find this hilarious.

Colby had an interesting day on Tuesday.   I took him to Jerome for a bone density scan as the correct software for the scan isn't available in Twin. (Who knew Jerome was so amazing?)   Here Colby is showing his best "MOM" face as he was ticked I was taking a picture of him in his huge gown. 

Ready to go.

Strapped in for his close up.

 Colby's hips and back were scanned while he had his feet pinned to this crazy device. He was a trooper and kept his smile going for the entire procedure.  

I unofficially talked to our personal radiologist (Steve's brother Michael) and he explained that Colby's bones are indeed less dense than they should be.  We meet with Colby's bone doctor next week and will discuss options which I'm sure will include a trip to the endocrinologist for testing.  I guess its good we are tight with an endocrinologist.  (Oh brother.)

We are moving out of our house in three weeks.

I've been busy not packing quite yet, but going through every closet and drawer cleaning out so when we do officially pack, it should be quick and painless as possible.

I took this picture the other night of my flowers. This porch has been the ultimate flower growing porch.  Its protected and gets just the right amount of sun and heat for optimum flower blooms.  I hope the next owner loves this porch as much as I have.  I will be sad to leave my flowers this summer and am hoping to see all my day lilies bloom before I leave.  They have gone crazy this year and I've been excited to see their blooms all spring.

While cleaning out boxes I found this gem of Steve as a kindergartner.

Yes…we cloned the female version of him.

Saylor, you are definitely your father's daughter (with your mothers feisty attitude).

Grady couldn't let me not take a picture of him.

Side note:  this boy hates clothes.  I can get him dressed every morning, but after naps the clothing comes off.  He's usually naked just in a diaper most evenings.  I'm surprisingly totally ok with it.  Whatever keeps him happy at this point.

And the forehead roadrash?  Thats compliments of the carpeted walls in nursery.  Falling off a chair and hitting carpeted walls can be hazardous to your health. 

I also found these gems in my cleaning out frenzy.

My brother Jon and his cross country fan club, and then my sister Jolyn at a high school dance with Steve's brother Ben.  Cute stuff.

Found this picture...

and this one too.

This one is my favorite.

Steve and a Mexico sunset.

Have to add this picture for my own selfish purposes.

We are finalizing our house plans.

(kind of seems like a dream)

And it would be a shame not to include this screen shot of Steve's direct Instagram message to Andrew after we hadn't heard from him for a few days while he was away.

Andrew might murder me for posting it.

Took this one this morning.

I have a porch sitter.  He just hangs out (half naked) most morning while I water flowers.

(I will really miss our front porch.

Good thing our new back porch will more than make up for it.)