Fall is coming . . .

Bike trailer weather is ALMOST here! I love this time of year as it starts to cool down. It always make me remember why I love, love, love living here. I'm just not a cold weather person, and knowing that the next 8 months brings fabulous park weather just gets me all sorts of excited. We took a morning ride in the trailer the other day to feed some horses. Note the lack of shoes on the kids. Yeah, good job. Had to hold each of them while they took turns feeding the horses so they weren't standing in manure.

This time of year is St. George marathon time too! This was Dave's 6th marathon and he did great. He was a little bit tired from hiking 23 miles 7 days before the race, so he took it easy and enjoyed the scenery. We are proud of our hard working, hard exercising Daddy. I didn't get to watch him run it, but our friend took this great picture of him coming in to the finish line. Thanks Erin!

I was signed up to run St. George too, but after Seattle I was just too tired! I had no desire to keep training at that level, so my hats off to Dave for keeping is focus. I told him that for me running two in a row was like asking a new Mom, as she is leaving the hospital if she wants another baby. Maybe eventually she does . . . but not right now!

This weekend we had three of Dave's siblings and their kids come in town and we enjoyed every minute of our time with them. We met baby Sam Ellingson who is about 14 weeks and he was so stinkin' cute. Lily loved him and wants a baby of her own. I got my camera out exactly ZERO times this weekend, so this picture from my phone is the only one I have of Sam!

Here is a video of a few of the kids enjoying playing at Mimi's. I don't know why Cannon is so cute to me in this video. He's just such a nut these days. I love his age. And, yeah, it was pretty much that loud the entire weekend. With 9 kids 4 and under it got a little crazy! We can't wait for Jack and Gracie to join them at Christmas, and hopefully Ellingson grandkid #12 will make her appearance not long after Christmas!

Havasupai Post is coming in no less than 24 hours. Promise.

Ellingson Family Reunion

Warning: long post.

I didn't forget my camera this time! I took about 600 pictures. Seriously. My sister-in-law Kristi was even nice enough to let me shoot with her Nikon D300 and her 50mm lens on a few occasions. (my dream camera and lens . . . hopefully I can afford one someday . . .)

We had a blast thanks to this guy . . .



The Ellingson's take turns planning the reunion and it was JR's turn this year. He did an amazing job with the planning! We sure missed Matt & Lara's fam, and Caralee & Spencer's fam. As of right now all six families + Mimi & Papa are going to be at next year's reunion and it's Dave and I's turn to plan it! Hmmm . . . what shall we do next year?

Here are some of the pictures from this year's reunion in no particular order . . .

We took the "big" kids to Thanksgiving Point on Thursday and they loved it! Is it weird to you that Cannon gets thrown in with the "big" kids, because it's weird for me. His vocabulary has exploded in the last week and he is saying so much now!



Rob and Corinne have an awesome back yard complete with a huge patio, sandbox, trampoline, swingset and lots of room to run. Since the weather was great in Utah we hung out back there a lot! Here is Cannon playing with Kyson's moon sand.



We made a waterslide out of the swingset and the Lily loved it! Cannon went down it a few times too!



Cannon is a fan of sand (see previous post). He was having a blast in Rob and Corinne's huge sandbox! I just love his expression in this picture. Have you ever tried to get sand out of a little boys hair? It's really not that fun.



Here is a picture of Cannon at the campfire/cookout we had in the Wasatch Mountains. It was beautiful up there! I'm sure many of you are wondering if he is every fully clothed? The answer is . . . occasionally.



We went to a beach in a place called daybreak and it was gorgeous. Mountains in the background, a pretty lake and once again, sand. The kids loved it. Corinne snapped this picture of Dave throwing Cannon in he air.



Lily spent 90% of the trip with her 4 1/2 year-old cousin Kyson. They got along great! They are both missing each other terribly right now. According to Corinne, Kyson wants to put his house on a trailer and move it to Arizona so he can live by his cousins. I say, go for it!



We had a barbeque and shot off fireworks in Rob & Corinne's cul-de-sac one night. Once again, a huge hit with the kids. Fireworks are illegal in Arizona, so it was a "luxury" for us. I had just read a post on the Pioneer Woman's photography blog about night shooting and Kristi gave me her camera to experiment. I love this shot I got of the sparkler lighting up Lily's face!



We took the kids to a petting zoo one day. Cannon kept sticking his tounge in the cages where the animals were. It was pretty much disgusting. He's lucky he didn't get his tounge bit off by a goat!! Who knows what diseases he got from it. I'm sure we'll find out in the coming months . . . stay tuned.



They had pony rides at the petting zoo and Lily and Cannon both rode on them. I had to walk next to Cannon. Thanks Kristi for this cute shot of Cannon and I.



Little miss Lily sat up there all on her own and posed for Aunt Kristi's camera!



Mimi gave all the little kids dollar store sunglasses that day and she let them make fruit loop necklaces to wear/eat. They were in heaven.



One morning we had a giant shaving cream fight. Cannon wasn't so sure all about all of that craziness. He just stood and watched, but Lily was right in the middle of all of the fun. Papa took pictures for us, so the adults could enjoy.



Here is a shot of Corinne spraying the heck out of me.



We had a designated "guy time" and "girl time". The guys headed up to the mountains and went hiking. The girls chose to go shopping in Park City. Apparently we were too busy shopping to get a picture . . .



Here is a shot of the "attendees" all dressed up in our Sunday best, minus JR who was taking the picture and baby Alice, who was sleeping.



A big thanks to Mimi and Papa for continuing the Call tradition of an annual family reunion. We always have fun! I'm glad my family has started the same tradition!



Good times had by all! Now we're back in Arizona for the entire month of August! We'll be enjoying lots of 100º weather. I'll have another good post this coming weekend! Lily is turning 3 on Sunday!

Elllingson

Thanksgiving

What a fun time we've had the last two weeks!! We had Dave's family in town for a long visit and we LOVED it. We only get to see Matt/Lara/Jack/Grace once a year, and Rob/Corinne/Kyson/Camree & JR about twice a year, so having everyone here together was a blast. We did LOTS of fun things, so beware of the picture overload, but this is my on-line journal, so I have to document the happenin's. I didn't have the patience to try to put everything in chronological order, so in random order . . . here is our Ellingson Thanksgiving:

Our attempt at a quick family picture before Thanksgiving dinner.
Made more difficult by people like this . . .

The "BIG" kids at Mimi's grandkid party. The 2+ year olds got to spend a special evening with Mimi and Papa and they did loads of fun things!
Played follow the leader

Read Christmas storiesRaced remote control cars.

Ate popcorn and watched Frosty the SnowmanAnd the cutest part . . . the girls were so tired and Mimi was trying to get them to sleep, and they refused to lay without touching Mimi, so they all fell asleep "touching" Mimi. Luckily, Papa snapped a picture!Just a cute one of Cannon in his "hand-me-down" old man pajamas. He looks so cute in them! Thanks Jill!We went and rode ponies at the King's house in Lehi and the kids and parents loved it.

Mommy & CannonMounting the Pony like a true pro.

Lily swinging in the King's backyard. For those of you who are not aware. Do NOT put Lily in a swing unless you are prepared to push her for at least 20 minutes and then negotiate with her to finally get her off of it.Cannon riding Gidget.

Mommy and Cannon on Gidget.We blessed baby Alice. I don't have a picture of her on my camera, but Lily and Gracie showed up in coordinating outfits and it was so cute!

Here is the some of the family taking a walk to feed the horses in Mimi and Papa's neighborhood. Lily riding her bike on the horse feeding excursion.

The boys working with their Dad one day. In this picture they are fixing the pool filter.Cannon picnicing in the backyard.Swimming at our house.

Hot tubbing at our house.

Dave and I ran the Turkey Trot and beat the Turkey!! Can you believe this guys runs 6.2 miles in this costume, in 48 minutes?
Uncle Rob sporting a fabulous apron for the Turkey carving. Somehow he always get stuck with the job of cutting the turkey.Shooting with Uncle Doug and cousin Jon.We had our Christmas party while everyone was here and we had a Nativity and it was hilarious. I'm sure it's not supposed to be hilarious, but with all of those little kids how can it not be funny? (don't I make a fabulous star?)

Uncle Spencer drew Mary out of the hat . . . next year we're going to have a separate hat for the male and female roles . . .

Our surprised Shepherd.Opening presents.Some of the Grandkids.
Lily in her fabulous new dress-up she got from Gracie. Isn't it slimming?

A few of the boys hanging out one night.I didn't have the kids take "official" pictures with Santa, but between Lara's shoots I was able to have her snap Cannon with him. Ignore the ghetto outfit and focus on the adorable face. Lily wouldn't sit on his lap, so no pictures with Santa for her.

We were able to snap a quick one of all of the brothers with Santa.

So, that was only a FEW of the things we did with all of the family the last few weeks! Hope you enjoyed ;o)

We're looking forward to having all of my family in town for Christmas. I'm sure you'll get another long post with picture overload then too!