Backyard Camping

We got a chance to get out of this insane heat (it has gotten up to 116 here in Mesa) and take a week long camping trip with our darling kiddos, but first we made a 2 day stop at my parents house in Lakeside, where my sister and her 3 little ones were visiting. Since my parents only have a 2 bedroom house, we put our tent up in their back yard and partied! My niece Elizabeth fell deeply in love with Lyndsay right away, Tristan enjoyed having the big boys around, and Cole loved having so many arms to hold him! I loved getting to hang out with my little sister, as always, and had a great time. As usual our time was not nearly enough... it is hard having my only sister live all the way out in Arkansas! I have to give it to her, it is beautiful out there, and she has a very nice life set up, but man do I miss her! This is the first group picture with all of my parents grandkids all together (and that is ALL you will be getting mom and dad!!)

I guess with 8 kids only having 1 or 2 not looking at the camera is considered a success~ This is the whole gang anyways!

Here are a few more of my favorite pictures from the visit......

If you know Tristan, you know that Trucks = pure joy..... and there were plenty of trucks to be played with..... The dirt hill gave us hours of fun for the little ones :)

Here is Ms. Elizabeth teaching Zander the rules of sliding down dirt hills on your butt.... heaven forbid he messes THAT up ;) They were so cute playing together!

Little baby Cole (AKA Cole-eo) thought he was pretty dang sly nabbing Zander's bottle as well as his own and alternating drinks, so cute!

Aiden Tanner and Elizabeth got the primo napping spot, snuggeling together on the hammock.... they just talked and giggled, and man can those two giggle cutely!

This is my favorite shot of the day.... the love between a mother and her son.... MY baby sister, and HER baby! There is nothing sweeter!

Angie brought the kids fireworks all the way from Arkansas (where things like this are legal) to Arizona (where they are not so legal) but it was a big hit for sure!

Papa and his oldest (and probably dearest) grand-daughter just laying together star-gazing. Nothing like good old family bonding time, I love days like this!