After our Camping Trip #2 with the Noonans, Maren and Grant headed to Cedar City with them, and Avery and Ryan headed home with Dustin and I. Dustin had a few days of work before we could go down for Camping Trip #3.
Wednesday of that week was Maren's 15th birthday. We got to Cedar late that night, so we decided to do a second celebration with her the next night.
My awesome sisters gave her a bunch of treats and a card (which they forgot to sign) on her actual birthday.
And the next night we did her cake and ice cream and presents from us. She got a big, crowded family party for her 15th birthday!
Speaking of Maren being 15 (!), I can't believe Maren is 15!! Although, in the last year she has grown up so much and she looks and acts like a 15 year old. Maren is a great student, awesome at the baritone, an amazing athlete (runner, volleyball and basketball player), funny, fun, so good with kids (her little cousins all adore her). She is a hard worker and determined in her goals. She should be getting her learner's permit this week and then we will have a 2nd driver in the house! It is always fun and strange to see your kids growing up, but it is also really cool to see the people that they are becoming!
Earlier that day, we all went to Quail Lake Reservoir in St. George to spend the day swimming, paddle boarding and jet skiing. Quail Lake was the perfect lake for us. The water was a great temperature and it wasn't over crowded. We had so much fun knee boarding and tubing behind the jet skiis. Everyone got a little toasty by the end of the day (except me-somehow I actually applied enough sunscreen and didn't get fried).
On a side note, when I saw this picture of Ryan, I immediately thought of my Dad's father, Lane Shurtz, who passed away when my dad was 3. I think Ryan looks so much like him!
On Friday, we all went up to my parent's property at Brian Head. We spent the day 4-wheeling, hiking, eating and enjoying the mountain. I love being in the mountains!
It was supposed to be in the low 30's that night, so Dustin and I, the teenage girls, and Jen and her younger kids all went back to my parent's house to sleep. It ended up being a blessing that we did because a man in our ward passed away Saturday morning in an ATV accident, and because we were in Cedar and not on the property, we had service to get the phone calls and coordinate with ward members and talk to his wife. A little tender mercy from Heavenly Father that Dustin could be available for our ward family. This was his 7th funeral since becoming bishop a year and half ago!
We went back up to the property around lunch time and spent a few more hours enjoying the mountain.
We came down that night and ate dinner and relaxed with the family. Grant and Liam made a cake!
The next day was Sunday, and the older girls planned a fun Come Follow Me scripture study with everyone.
It was a big crowd at my parent's house and property. There are a lot of us when we get together now, even when we are missing a few. But, we always have fun together and it is fun to see the kids all interact with each other.
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