And Now You Have....The Rest of the (Vacation) Story

So, finally, here I am posting the events of the rest of our family vacation. In July. It seemed like August just slipped away from me. I think it was busy, I just don't have much to show for it.
After our time with Kade's family, in Southern Utah, we headed up North for a little bit of vacation, Corey style. (this includes lots of junk food, late night card games, and passing the stomach flu around.)
My mom is brave enough to do a camp out in the backyard with the little kids each year. The kids LOVE it. Maryn still talks about it. This year, we were missing a few of the boys, so it was mostly little girls. In the morning, we put all their hair into pigtails, and took pictures of these silly girls. And Hudson. We spent a few days boating out at Blacktail Lake. Ailee went for her first ride on the tube.

Maryn, my little fish, loves playing in the water.

I was too lazy to change Ailee into a swim diaper, so I let her wear a regular diaper until it was near the point of exploding.

I have a quick poll for all of you.

This is my hat:

I bought it because I was so tired of getting my scalp sunburned. SOME people made fun of me because I kinda looked like an old lady. Who lives in a cottage. On the beach.

I like it. It matches my swimsuit cover-up. And, I don't have to put greasy sunscreen in my hair.
Whaddayuh think? Should I go with it? Yay, nay?

Our ultimate purpose for this family gathering was to bid farewell to my nephew, Brad, before he left to serve a mission for our church in Pennsylvania. My sister hosted a luncheon at her house, during which, we were feeling brave enough to take some family pictures. I admit...I am an armature photographer. It's hard to get more than two people together for a picture. And to have all the kids looking at once. And smiling. And also, we were dealing with two cases of an active stomach flu, and one case of heat stroke. Gooooood times.

Jenni, and her family. (Brad, my nephew leaving on his mission, is that handsome devil on the left) Jill and her family

Ryan's mugshot picture.Ok, ok. Here he REALLY is. Unfortunately, his family couldn't make it with him.

Erica and her family

Here we are!

Aaaaand, Marybeth and her family. Of course, how could we not try for a HUGE group picture???

And the producers of all this mayhem:

We had a fun vacation. It's so nice and relaxing for me to be with my family. I feel like I'm really on vacation, and not on a business trip (maintaining children), when I'm with them. I only wish I'd been better at taking pictures. I had a few days where I wasn't feeling well, and even got to spend a fun-filled morning at the local hospital (which was very friendly...hmm...probably a small town thing.) waiting for a round of antibiotics and pain meds which my doctor on call wouldn't prescribe to me over the phone. I now have two "trophy" kidney stones and some bills to show for it all. I do count my blessings that we were spared from the stomach bug. I don't think I could have handled that.