This year our Camp Nauvoo camping trip was in September. We stayed the night in a super fun tent cabin that the kids really had fun in. Plus that we didn't have to set up a tent was a real bonus!
Dinner was a yummy array of hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, beans and watermelon! Katie John and I pose after dinner for a quick picture.Jonah and a bunch of friends went on a raft ride after dinner. As I should have guessed would happen, Jonah "fell" in the water.
After dinner John and I stayed up really late with a bunch of friends playing games. What a blast that was! I think we should do game nights more, I haven't laughed that much in years! I think my cheeks still hurt just thinking about it.Every year the Primary takes the kids on a "lollipop tree" hunt. They take a short hike up into the hills searching for the mysterious tree. The kids just love finding it!
Here they are with all their bounty!
Hopefully we'll be able to go there again next year. What a fun time we had--well, before we rushed off to Jonah's soccer game!
For the last two years Strauss has put on a family picnic in Elk Grove Park several weeks before the big event to be able to meet families and hand out awards to the volunteers of Strauss. This year John, Sariah and Katie John are participating. All three got "goodie bags" and a shirt. 
Someone thoughtful brought along a bunch of bubble bottles and bubble wands... the girls had a BLAST for quite some time! While the girls blow bubbles, I get to chat with my friend Christy and the boys, John and Jonah, play a game of catch with a football with the guys.
Sariah and Keira really enjoy the catered lunch. (Pyper Holt in the background)
Cheesey smiles from Jonah and Keira!
Fairytale town is one of our favorite places. So much to do in so little time. The crooked mile is a favorite of Jonah's. I'm pretty sure he ran the track about 5 times! Sariah enjoys the shoe slide and the castle the best. Keria loves the giant cheese and the peter rabbit hill slide. 
Here we all are at the pirate ship, nearing the end of our journey (and visit). Overall we had a nice time. 
Keeping with tradition we gather under the flag, recite the pledge and think thankful for our country thoughts. 
As it turns out our family is the only middle of the day activity attendees, well, also my sister Julie and brother Jonathan. So we rolled out the huge 75 foot slip n'slide and went a'slidin'. 
My mom and John are working on a patriotic puzzle. It's a puzzle on the Presidents of the United States.... so informational. 
Before the sparklers and fountain fireworks we gathered to watch some snakes grow. Katie John holds a sign that Aunt Julie made, it seemed to fit our activity well. What fun!
After almost a year, Jonah was finally able to reach his goal! He has been earning money for his very own bike. He went to the store with his dad and picked out his bike and paid for it with his very own cash. We are very proud of our boy, he worked so hard to earn $55. You can tell by his smile that he is just giddy with excitement! He LOVES his new bike.
Sariah has the small hands for filling jars and Jonah has the knife skills to cut the apricots in half. After a few days of hard work we have many jars of apricots and even more jars of apricot jam!
A little bit after her actual birthday, Keira recieved a package in the mail from Grammy in Arizona! It contained a super fun doggy and a whole handful of lollipops! Thank you Grammy for the fun birthday box!
Jonah was my main pitter helper all afternoon. Pitting cherries is hard work! I think we even had to take a few breaks. By evening we had two pies ready to bake.
These are the two finished products! We will surely have pie for quite some time. Yum-o!!
Four of the sisters (Sherry, Julie, Christina, Emily) are here posing in front of the same school sign that has been up since before our family arrived in Wilton in 1986. 