We had a wonderful experience visiting Temple Square in SLC, UT. #5 even decided he wants to be married in the Salt Lake Temple.
We spent a week in Monterey with the LeBarons. 
The cousins LOVED being together...especially when it was time for the ice cream line up. Highlights were the Monterey Bay sea lions, seeing pink (girl time and getting to fix my nieces hair, nails, etc.), Dennis the Menace park, kite flying on the beach (OK, not so much a highlight for #3, who got pelted in the head by one), swimming, Santa Cruz, the aquarium, the farmers market, Mario Kart (they kids loved it so much that we caught #3 "driving" his toast without even realizing it--sort of akin to a mom rocking anything she holds on her hip), and family history devotionals.
We spent a week enjoying the Lamoreaux Family Reunion.
Highlights were the Tide Pools (except having the window smashed and my purse--with driver's license--stolen), Upper Crust Pizza, San Francisco Zoo, bounce house & snow cone machine, girl time (GILROY!), a dinner at Pedro's (my all time favorite restaurant because it's where my dad always took me when I got him to myself), movie time, tie dyed and embroidered shirts, Mario Kart, and swimming!
We also got to spend the next week with my folks (and part with my sister, Em).
Highlights were mini-golf with Grandpa, NASA museum with Gram, the incredible Redwood Forest, the Lego store, swim time--complete with ice cream stocked freezer next to the pool, bike riding, and the splash park in Turlock. I even got some one-on-one time with Grandpa, Gram, and Em.
Plus, we hit the Jelly Belly Factory on our way to Em's house!
Then we took our time driving home.
Highlights were visiting Ridgecrest, CA, where Caleb was born and we have many dear friends (unfortunately, it was only for an hour or two, so we missed most of them!), getting to visit with the boys Lamoreaux great-grandparents, Hoover Dam, the Grand Canyon, Albuquerque (one of my first homes), the modern art Cadillacs, driving on Route 66, and lots of prizes, games, and songs along the way.
#5 got bored a little easier than the others, as you might imagine. We heard "Loudly Brays the Donkey" on repeat for about an hour at one point. Another time he asked grandma, "How do you make it work?" literally 27 times IN A ROW. #1, our biggest entertainer/helper, had to get a bit creative! #5 was totally thrilled, though, to come home to a new bike as his 6 month birthday present (we do that because his b-day is so close to Christmas). Having his binky taken away upon settling back in wasn't as joyful...
#4 turned 5! This child is a total joy. He keeps us laughing and is just so much fun. It's breaking his mom's heart that he's going to be making someone else laugh 8 hours a day when he starts kindergarten! Here is the cake we made together--our version of kung foo panda.
On his birthday, we went to the zoo, the zoo McDonald's, and Aunt Allie's house for a movie.
He opted not to have a party, but to take his very best buddy to Build-A-Bear, where he got a dog with cowboy boots. If you know #4 at all, you know he chose cowboy boots over a chance to choose any toy he wanted when he was 3 or 4 and this year he spent most of his birthday $ from Nan-n-Pops and Gram-n-Pops on a new pair of boots. We all really laughed, though, when he insisted on naming his dog "favorite son." Like father, like son?
Mike and I celebrated 12 years. It was very low key this year. But after 12 years, we still enjoy each other so much. No one can laugh or make me feel special like Mike, even in all the little details of daily life...and five boys!
We redid the bedroom of #1 and #3. They chose blue as the primary color, green as the secondary, and royal purple as the "pop" color. 
We also worked in fish for #3 and space for #1.
Because I'm able to swap piano lessons for swim lessons, all 5 boys took 4 weeks of swim lessons this year (plus 2 weeks of mom and me for #s 4 & 5). Wonderful workout for the older 3, and the progress of the younger 2 was amazing. Thanks, Miss Ruth!
Quotables:
#4: "Mom, there's a lot of sand out there!"Mom: "Really?"
#4: "Yeah! That's why I think it's San Diego!"
For more quotables, click here or here.
