Trip to Utah

So it feels like a long time that we have been gone for. We left the end of June for our annual summer trip to Utah and got back on the 10th of July. We had a good time and it was fun to see everyone. I really miss all of the family we have but don't get to see often enough. Thank you to each of you who made an effort to see us while we were there. As usual I didn't take enough pictures, but here is what I have:

Grandpa Mortensen flew down to Arizona to visit with his Uncles and to drive up to Utah with us. He was here for Father's Day which was a lot of fun. The kids were so excited to have him here. Jenna thought she would be a big helper on the trip. Watering the garden was her chore of choice. Here she is not helping by blocking the dishwasher.
I am realizing I have far more pictures of Jenna than Eric & Rach, but she is just doing funny things these days. Lately she will bring you her blanket and then turn around and you are to put it around here like this so she can walk around the house. Doesn't that look nice and cozy for when it is 105 out? Now this drives me crazy. So we have a nice expensive pool in our backyard that we swim in almost daily for about half the year. I would have LOVED a pool like that as a kid. Do you know how cool that would have been? Don't get me wrong, my kids love it, but what drives me crazy is that they are always asking for a little pool like this! I tell him, this is a pool that people buy who don't have a big pool in their yard. They don't get it. Luckily they have an understanding Grandma who bought them this pool, just like she did when I was a kid!

Unfortunately this was our last time to wear the red ruby slipper. Here we are at my parents neighborhood 4th of July breakfast. Jenna, who doesn't like very many people at all, decided immediately upon seeing my brother that he was in her top five. She went right to him and then later lept out of my arms and wanted to crawl across the table to him calling "Robert, Robert." Who knew you were so cool Robert? Here they are with Robert's little girl Ruthie who is about six weeks older than Jenna.

We set off our own fireworks again this year with my brother and his family. It really was a lot of fun and luckily neither Tim nor Robert set themselves on fire. It was questionable for a while. Don't ask what coffee creamer does when lit with a match because they don't need any encouragement.

As always, Rach is still our little dancer.

One day we went to a water park with Robert & Emily's family.

We had a birthday party for Eric who turned seven on the 10th of July. He was so excited to have his cousins there.