Summer Vacation Part 2 - Jeppson Family Camp

With summer comes the Jeppson family camping trip. This usually consist of games, playing with cousins, wonderful food, and the dirtiest children you will ever see...at least mine were. This year we made camp at Kelly Canyon in Idaho. Nate's siblings are spread out all over the U.S. This is a perfect way to spend time and reconnect with those who we don't get to see very often.

Kennedy's pants had fallen down and apparently was walking around like this for a while before I noticed and helped her pull them back up.

Taylor performing in her first skit. She did a great job! Kennedy at Rigby lake
Grandma and Grandpa Jeppson singing us an Austrian song

Kennedy and I with Talia and Sarah

Nate and Kennedy during our evening devotional All the cousins filling up on candy during talent night

Kennedy sporting the light saber

The kids (and Nate) had a great time burying each other in the sand

Amberly as a mermaid

Taylor as a mermaid

Kennedy swimming laps at Rigby lake

Amberly, Kennedy, and Callie

Taylor and Tyson playing chess. Surprisingly both Taylor and Kennedy spent most their time under this canopy with the older cousins.

"light saber" fights with swim noodles. Kennedy loved to get her daddy

If I couldn't find Kennedy right away I knew she must be washing her hands at the water pump.

Taylor helping her cousins put up the family flag for camp

Summer Vacation Part 1 - Salt Lake City

When summer comes around we like to spend a little of it at Grandma Ricks' house in Salt Lake City. As usual we spend our time there doing a little bit of this and a little bit of that...

Paisley turned 2 and they had a pool party to celebrate!

With daily highs in the 100's, It was a perfect excuse to share one of my favorite childhood stomping grounds with the girls. Sugar House park was a huge part of my summers as a kid and it was fun to see the same excitement my girls seemed to have for it as well. There is this great little stream that runs through the park that my siblings and I would wade through, swim in, and explore around. Some 20+ years later it still holds its magic.

We went with Grandma Ricks to This is the Place Heritage Park. Among many things, the girls loved the horse rides and petting zoo. Taylor would have spent all week with these baby sheep if we would have let her.

As a child I fondly remember going to a park with Cinderella's pumpkin coach. I thought since the girls are in the height of their princess obsession that they would enjoy it...and I was right!!

The two amigos. Kennedy and Paisley are only a couple months apart and partners in crime! The are so cute together. This was taken on the day we arrived. They practically had the same outfit on and the same hair do. To top it off they had matching shiners under their eye.

4th of July Camping trip

Taylor and the frog she caughtA afternoon baseball game with the kidsKennedy's turn to bat Nate and I and the fabulous mini golf rang in Fairplay prior to fireworks
View while waiting for the fireworks

It got down to the low 40's at night so we opted to watch the fireworks from our car

Jumping in the bouncy house

Jami, me and Ashley hanging out before the fireworks

Me and Kennedy at camp
Heading down to the river to take the kids fishing

Nate and Kennedy waiting for a fish to bite

The kids watching the fish swim away

Kennedy and one of the fish she caught Taylor catching her first fish

Santa's Workshop at the North Pole (take 2)

We discovered this strange and yet fantastic place last year. What we loved about it includes rides that are geared toward very young children, a Christmas theme which is definitely a little quirky but a hit with the girls, a 10 min magic show that, if anything else, gives Nate and I a good laugh, beautiful surroundings as it is located at the base of Pikes Peak, and a huge slide that twirls alongside a gigantic candy cane. Taylor remembers it fondly and has been asking to go back for months. With a Saturday free of plans and cooperating weather, we decided that it was time to make the yearly voyage to the North Pole. It was fantastic.

Kennedy imitating the tiger she got painted on her leg (It was supposed to be a face painting but she would having nothing to do with that!)
Taylor and her butterfly
Feeding the deer
On the Farris wheel. Kennedy liked it as long as it was moving. As you can see when it stopped she was a little nervous
Anything with a steering wheel was a huge hit
This was the first ride of the day. When Kennedy realized we were just leaving them there this was her reaction...classic.
Although when the ride started she forgot all about how sad she was. The candy cane slide