Mammoth Cave Campout

Summer just wouldn't be summer for us without lots of hours spent driving places in our gool ól Kia. After returning from Idaho we checked into our house for a couple of weeks and then were off again to Mammoth Caves in Kentucky. We planned a camping trip there with the Brown family from Chicago. We had become good friends with them when Kaitlyn and Payton were in the same kindergarten class and became best friends. When we moved we promised each other that we would try to get together in the summer for camping trips. We bought a 16 person tent (a definite upgrade from our four person tent) and drove the short 4 hours to the campground.

Cade and Payton hit it off pretty well too. 

 We had a great visit! The kids played, rode bikes, caught fireflies, and played with flashlights and made shadows in the tent for hours. They only had a little scare when the park ranger stuck his head in the tent to ask them to quiet down and to find out where their parents were. :) We were just enjoying some yummy food and sitting around the fire while the kids were playing. We went on a tour of part of Mammoth Cave. Apparently a very small part. It is said to have 400 miles of surveyed passageways. It's the second largest cave in the world. It was great to see the Browns again: Graham, Kristy, Payton, and Brady!

What a May!

 Cade and Kaitlyn had their first "team soccer"experience this spring. They played at the YMCA and had games each Saturday morning. Sometimes their games were at the same time so that made it tricky to watch. They did great! Cade was a scoring machine most the time. He would just get in there and get the ball and go. One game he scored 5 goals! He would come over to us after each goal and tell us the score of the game. He really got into the competition of it all.  Kaitlyn played more defense as they often had her play goalie. Her confidence grew each game with this being her first experience in sports. Mekenzie Herring, our next door neighbor, was on her team. Another neighbor/friend from our ward, Josh McCormick, was on Cade's team. Sadie will play next time. She would go out with Cade as his team was warming up and stand inside the goal net.

Sadie would spend most of her time during the games playing on our phones. 

The kids took swimming lessons in April. Sadie was determined to wear her goggles from the moment we got to the pool until after her lesson. She had a 15 minute wait for her lesson to start since the older kids started first and had a longer lesson. She was content to wait with goggles and all.

The kids had a great school year. Kaitlyn had Mrs.Connard the first half of 1st grade and then had Mrs. Hall for the second half. That has given her 4 different teachers since starting school. The end of the year singing program was so cute. 18 first grade classes performed!  

Mekenzie and Kaitlyn. Great friends!!

Cade went to First Baptist Concord for preschool since January this year. He was in the same class with his church buddy Tyson Ebbert. They did an end of the year program too with a pledge to the Bible and all. :)

Sadie and Lucy had some "special" bonding times while the others were at school. Lucy is a very patient youngest child and just goes with the flow. Sadie loves being a big sister and has been helpful getting things for me to take care of baby Lucy.

What a sweet baby Lucy is! She is very patient with the kids holding her and  doesn't cry a lot.
  

For her first few months, Lucy has taken most of her naps in the swing. It calms her instantly and she stays asleep through just about anything.  

Walking up to the bus to get Kaitlyn on the last day I ried to do a little trick photography with Cade "holding" Sadie. This was as good as it got.

The last day of school was pretty exciting for a few reasons. No more having to be up to get on the bus by 6:45, Kaitlyn was going to be home to play with, and we were heading for Idaho to Michael and Ally's wedding as soon as Daddy got home. 

The ROCK by the bus stop. A kids magnet the they would play on while waiting. 

 We left for Idaho and did our normal drive straight through til we got there. It's getting easier for our kids now that they have the portable DVD player to watch movies on the way. Nate still does 99% of the driving. Lucy even did pretty good for her first ride across country. We got there the night before the wedding, just on time to be there for Henry to open his mission call. It was great to be there for that event! He's going to the Chili, Antofaugasta Mission and was to fly to the Mexico City MTC July 31st.

Camille and Henry after receiving his call. 

It was a beautiful day for the wedding! We loved gathering as family and our kids especially LOVE their cousins! 

 The wedding reception was in Boyd and LeAnn's beautiful backyard. They have been working hard to landscape and put up pergolas for it. The wind was pretty strong while setting up, but prayers were answered and you couldn't have asked for a more lovely evening in Idaho for a reception. Ally's colors were peacock theme. They hired a DJ and had the dance going throughout the evening. Our family really got into it! Our kids had a blast dancing around. Kaitlyn was in heaven!!

 Sadie spotted a worm right in the middle of the "dance floor". Everyone paused a minuted while she pulled it out of the ground and showed us her treasure. We love our Sadie Girl!

 We forgot Cade's clothes at Grandma's house and he talked Nate into bringing him back in pjs instead of church clothes. He got cold and borrowed a long jacket. Here is his attire for the evening.

We continued our family together-ness with a trip to Shoshone Falls for a picnic followed by a visit to the really cool cave and taxidermy/everything from all over the world museum. The peacocks that welcomed us when we arrived to the museum made a lasting impression on our kids. To this day Kaitlyn sounds just like them when she mimics the peacock call.

The best pic we got with this many people.