LeBaron Family Reunion

 Our LeBaron Family Reunion was at Aspen Grove, a family camp put on by the BYU alumni association.  Participants commit to standards of dress, speech, etc that support our family values.  It was wonderful.  At the opening ceremony, #1 is holding #5, who caught one of the Frisbees!

 This is actually the Lamoreaux Family t-shirt that mom designed as a copy of the extended Lamoreaux family reunion t-shirt from 20 years ago.  #1 is doing his age group cheer.

 All the LeBaron cousins

 #1 had so much fun.  He loved that he spent at least half his day with his age group doing things like hiking, crafts, rock wall, swimming, RISK, games, etc., but still had lots of family time.

 I "threw a pot" for the first time ever.

 #2 was constantly with these darling girls and -- a milestone -- came home with their phone numbers

 Lots of outdoor family games...here Pops helps #5 at the hula hoop ring toss (Dad is up the hill)

 Here Pops earns us extra points by getting in the garbage can we have to fill with water.  #3 is coming in to pour more water while #5 looks on.

 I spent lots of time painting with kids.  Here #s 4 and 5 paint with 3 cute cousins

 They had a ropes course that was about 3 or 3.5 stories high.  You climbed a pole with random chinks in it, transferred to the rock wall, then continued around the trees on wires.  Here #2 navigates the course.

 #s 2 and 3 love to fish!

 This is #4 on the rock wall.  This little boy is a crack up, unless he's getting lost just after dark on the very first night...

 #4 opted for Battleship instead of swim time most days.  His group leader was a champ and patiently played with him just as long as #4 was interested.

 There was a rousing 3 way basketball game (which I'm sure Mike won -- here with brother Rob)

 LOVE this picture of Nana!!

 #s 4 and 5 at the family dance with #5's group leader, Ali.  #4 asked if he could call her Ali Gator so he would always remember her and told her she could remember him because so many people use his name for their dogs (REALLY?  Where does he come up with this stuff??)  Ali said she'll remember him, too, because she'll name her first dog after him.  When we were going to pack instead of going to the dance, #4 told Mike he needed to go because he and Ali like each other so much...  :)

 #3 rammed the bottom of the pool with his chin.  The pool won.

 They had a minute to win it night, and #1 got to participate

 Walleyball was a big favorite--Earl went, too, but here are Pops, Rob, and Mike

 The boys got to use a lathe to create their own pens.  I opted for more kids craft time, but would have loved to cram this activity in, too.  The pens turned out sooooo cool!

 More family water activities...Uncle Rob was terrific helping the boys participate while I stayed dry manning the camera.

 This is Mike eating crow because he had just pushed "Simon" (#4's group leader, who was a judge during the water games pretending to be Simon Cowell...Mike got caught up in the crowd's jeering  (:  ) into the pool complete with wallet and cell phone.

 Each age group learned a song from a different country.  Can you tell where #3 learned his song from?

#1 was "Proud to Be an American."

Quick Stop with the Moultries

 Sandra's backyard is every boy's dream--swing, water fountain, darts, fort (I'm sure it started as a "playhouse" before my boys got to it  (:  ), basketball, soft grass...  Here #5 pushes #2 on that swing.

 #4 just chillin' on his 8th birthday

 Water fight!  So it turns out that if you save water bottles after you've drunk them, you can use a pin to poke tiny holes in the lid and re-purpose them as the perfect summertime weapon.  Sandra's good ideas never end!  #2 with Sandra's niece.

 Just hangin'.  No better feeling that I know of--friends and family, just relaxing together.

 Mike with #1, who determined himself officially too old for the water fight (he's a mature teenager, you know...).

 #4 was baptized!  It was an absolutely beautiful experience.  We felt the Spirit very strongly and felt the love and unity of family.

 #2 and cousin Porter spoke at the baptism and taught beautifully about baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost.

We went out for lunch at IHOP after with Sandra, Nana and Pops, the Brown family, Gram and Pops, and the Hamilton family.  The Stovalls headed off for new adventures.  Thank you so very much to Sandra and her family for hosting us--their support was amazing, and we are so grateful!

Vacation Through Lamoreaux Reunion

 We were at my parents' home for 2 weeks due to the unexpected change in plans (the mechanic had to come to Raton to pick up the car and return in to TX, and my Dad drove overnight from CA to pick us up and turn right around).  #4 LOVES riding bikes, but there wasn't one his size...

 #4 action shot

 #5 loved hanging with Pops--cleaning the backyard, watching TV, everything!

 So many hours of swim time (#2 with cousins) and even many hours of MOM playing tag.  Talk about feeling my age!!

 Pops throwing #5

 #2 (who never stops flexing!)

 100s of slides through an innertube.  #3 wouldn't slide until the very last day.  He then held on to the top bars and lowered himself down as far as he could, gathering his courage to let go.  After two slides managed that way, we heard him tell himself, "Well, I didn't die, so I guess I'll try it sitting up."

 Quynh took us to a science museum in San Francisco.

 Including a butterfly exhibit (#s 1 and 4 with cousins and Pops)

 These are actually 100s of sea lions at the tide pools.

 This is one of my very favorite pics from the entire vacation, #5 once again with Pops.

 #1 starting the "burying in the sand" activities that ended with all the boy cousins burying their legs in a circle.

 Fedoras are in!  #2 and cousin Porter.

 #3 enjoying our view from Sams Town the night we spent in Vegas before the reunion

 My sweet Grandpa Orien, who passed away the night after we returned to TX

 Grandma Hazel

 #4 LOVES babies

 #5 with Gram

 Mom messing with cousin Leland

 #2 had a sick day or two in the middle  :(

 We did all kinds of crafts and activities with the kids

 Including blanket sleds

 Croquet, trampoline, tree house campouts...

 #5 climbing in Valley of Fire

 #s 1 and 3 at the very top

 #3 also had a sick day--I think from dehydration at Valley of Fire

 So much swim time...it's a miracle Mike survived this one!

 Water balloon launcher--serious hit!

 Our target...PAPA!

 Mike and I got to go to the temple.

 Lake Mead slide, tubes, mud, food, SO MUCH FUN (#1 here)

 The whole fam-damily!

 Cousin Kim and her husband Kalani made an incredible luau dinner for us.  Never tasted something better than that guava cake!

Who extended Lamoreaux family joined us Thursday evening (here #5 is making friends with Reese)

The Great Road Trip of 2012 First Day

We took off on Tuesday, June 26th with a new transmission, a loaded car, and high hopes!  We were shooting for about an 18 hour drive to Grand Junction, CO, as our first leg of the trip.  Our first clue that plans might change came in Amarillo when that shiny new transmission overheated. 

Our next clue came when the highway signs started to come in the shape of OK, which we never intended to pass through!  Why is it that the men in our lives literally cracked up when we asked for help since our GPS wasn't getting signal?

Soon the clues started coming fast and furiously (and on 2 lane roads thanks to our foray into OK).  By nightfall, that shiny new transmission was overheating too frequently for comfort, and we turned back toward TX (we were only about 3 hours from our destination!  :(  ).

Heading back after 18 hours--and with 5 (OK, make that 7) incredibly disappointed faces staring out the windows--we overheated two more times between Trinidad, CO, and Raton, NM.  At the first stop it appeared that a trucker was going to stop to help us.  While we might have welcomed that during any of our many daylight stops for car trouble, this made Mom and I pretty darn nervous.  By the time one of the kids asked why we were nervous when the truck might be stopping to help, the stress must have gotten to Momba because she replied, "Because it might be an ax murderer in that truck, OK?"  All eyes a little wider we watched as the truck continued down the road feeling more than a little relieved.  This stop took quite a bit longer to cool the car down, and anxiety mounted as Momba, Michael, and I took turns holding up the hood (which wouldn't support its own weight for some reason) because we heard a pack of wild dogs.  It didn't really peak, though, until we heard the gunshot, which caused us all to pile in and try once again to continue on.

We overheated one more time before deciding we needed to sleep in the next town rather than trying to continue our homeward trek--this time literally right next to a bear crossing sign.  I asked the boys to keep an eye out for bears (thinking that 5 children watching their mother mauled by a bear would NOT be the perfect end to our day), but they were already worked up about the ax murderer comment and wouldn't believe bears to be possible.  Luckily, none showed up, and by using the last bit of extra water Momba had bought us, we were able to cool down just enough to make it to Raton (overheated again in the parking lot!).