At the end of June, we made a quick overnight trip to Cedar City to see my parents and Nicole and Matt and their family, who were there from California. We got there Sunday night and checked our heights on the height wall, read stories and cuddled a new baby and a new bunny. 
The next morning we got up and went straight up to my parent's property on the mountain. It is one of our favorite places! My mom had a scratchy throat the night before, and woke up in the morning with a fever, so she stayed behind and away from us the rest of the time. We headed back home that evening and found out the next day that my mom had covid! Poor mom and dad! That ruined their plans for the rest of the summer! (Plus, made them feel lousy--dad got it a few days later)
We have had some beautiful clouds and sunsets this summer!
I can't remember why Dustin had his nose taped like a pig, but regardless, it didn't stop him from falling asleep in the chair! Hahaha!
Later that week, after Cedar City, Avery went through the temple to receive her endowments, in preparation for her mission! Monica flew in the night before, and Nicole came up from her in-laws house (Matt stayed back with her kids because one of them got covid from my mom!) and we had the rest of my sisters and their husbands there, some nieces and nephews and Dustin's parents and his aunts and uncles on his dad's side. It was such a beautiful evening and so neat to be in the temple with one of our kids and so much family! I love the temple!
The next few weeks were spent having way to much fun with family. We hiked in Ogden Canyon with all the cousins on an incredibly hot day.
And then went up to Logan for a car show that had Dustin's dad's truck in it.
That is some serious cotton candy going on!
Maren started working at Mrs. Cavanaugh's with Avery!
We went to the Plain City 4th of July celebration with everyone. Small town celebrations are the best!
This is the kids catching fish...
We went to Lynnette's that night for a BBQ and an amazing fireworks show that her neighborhood always provides. Jim's family and Gramma Lana were also there, so it was a big party.
Avery had her mission pictures taken! So beautiful! It's getting closer and becoming more real at this point!
This picture symbolizes moms and how they have to carry everything for their family. Hahaha! Maybe physically and mentally and spiritually, at times?
Her photographer is from Seattle and is a friend of Chad's family. So we sent this picture to Khalina and Ammon.
On the days that Monica stayed with me, we did a lot of hiking. Yay! I love hiking and have a hard time getting my kids to go with me anymore.
This day we hiked Elephant Rock. It was beautiful!
That is Monica out there on the rock. When it comes to a love or hate of heights, Monica and I are complete opposites.
Monica had her boys with her (James and the girls came out the next week) and we had fun with them.
We had a trampoline park day with all the cousins.
When the rest of the Noonan's got here, we went to the Planetarium and to see Temple Square under construction.
Ryan and a grandma, matching.
And it was Ryan's 15th birthday!! We did a pizza cake because he could eat pizza every day (and wants to, but I won't let him). And ham and pineapple are always his preferred toppings.
Ryan is such a happy part of our family! He is funny, always wants to be having fun (when he was little he prayed every single day that we'd have a fun day), is my biggest supporter in projects (and a great helper), talented, smart and has recently grown to be the same height as me. He is a hard worker, responsible and a leader. He plays competitive soccer and started running cross country with the high school this year. We love him!
We took the Wiberg and Noonan girls on tours of colleges while the Noonans were here. We toured Ensign College, BYU and UVU. It was a fun day! Their favorite tour was the BYU tour (or maybe it was the tour guide that was their favorite...).
Looking more bored than they should with this beautiful mural behind them, at UVU.
The UVU mascot is an angry alien??
Monica and I both went to UVU and remembered the Hall of Flags and being stared at by everyone on the sides as you walked down it.
We went with Avery to the temple again.
We went to the baby blessing of Flora Cragun down in Lehi. She is a cutie.
Afterwards everyone came back up to our area and we all went swimming at our friend's house. It was a party!
On a Sunday evening, Monica, Liam, Finn, Grant and I drove to Idaho to pick up a puppy that Liam was buying. While we were gone, the older kids all did a photo shoot in Bountiful.
Idaho and new puppy, Daisy.
Another day, we went to Dustin's Magna Regional Park with cousins and some of their Illinois friends. The splash pad was nice on such a hot day! It has been an incredibly hot summer here!
Maren and Eliza did a photo shoot. I can't believe these beauties are going to be Seniors this year! They are both beautiful, inside and out. It has been so fun for Monica and I to have our kids so close in age. They've had some fun milestones together (blessing and baptism).
Another day, another hike! Wild Rose Trail on this morning.
And, another day, and yet another hike. Holbrook Canyon on this day. I love where we live!
Remember how my mom got covid a few weeks earlier, and they had to miss Avery going through the temple, and all the fun family time, and the baby blessing? Well, that covid caused blood clots in my mom's lungs and a hospital stay for her. It was actually a miracle because she got kidney stones and went to the hospital for that and when they did the MRI, they discovered not only kidney stones, but blood clots, as well. She knew she had stones sitting in her kidney, just waiting to come down, because they were discovered 11 years ago when she got in a car accident and broke her back. Those stones decided to come down at just the time when she needed to know about the blood clots from covid. We felt grateful and blessed that she is ok.
Before she ended up in the hospital, we had made plans to go to St. George with the Noonans and stay for a couple of days. We were able to stop in and see my mom and then spend a couple of days in Cedar City, later on.
We hiked in St. George (Go figure)! Me, Dustin and Monica did a hike in the morning, and it wasn't even as hot as it usually is in St. George, but we still roasted.
We had so much energy that we also did yoga on a cliff. It's just how we are. We never stop.
He was delirious from the heat and thought he was hugging me.
The clouds came over every so often, and that did help, but I am still glad we didn't die of heat stroke.
We stayed at a resort that had swimming and games and it was a lot of fun.
We wanted Avery to eat authentic Mexican food before she left for her Spanish speaking mission, and we found it here! It was so delicious!
We went to the St. George Botanic Garden and found a desert tortoise! I grew up spending a lot of time all over Southern Utah, and it was the first time I've ever seen one in the wild! So cool!
Shakes at Iceberg.
The next day we went back to the Cedar City area and up to my parent's property to spend a couple of days. My mom had made it home from the hospital, and Lynnette and her girls came down and joined us. We stayed overnight and just enjoyed being in the mountains! (Lynnette worked from my parents house and stayed with my mom)
More hiking (more like gentle walking this time).
That afternoon we cleaned up on the mountain and went back to my parent's house. The adults went to the Cedar City temple and then we all went to the Shakespearean Festival Green Show and then had the best shaved ice I think I've ever had (and that's saying something, because I usually don't like shaved ice).
We came home, the Noonans and Haggertys stayed another day, and Ryan got his Learner's Permit! He has been driving everywhere ever since!
All of the groceries in one trip.
We went to the Tracy Aviary with all of the cousins and also Gramma Lana, one stormy evening.
And, another hike. This time to Tunnel Springs. I think I've only hiked one other time since she left. I'm glad we took advantage of it while she was here! Think of all the exercise I could get if we lived closer to each other!
Half of the Noonans flew home at this point and a couple of days later Monica and the boys started the drive back to Illinois. But before they left we took the older cousins to the Brigham City Temple to do baptisms for the dead. It always feels so good to be in the temple with loved ones!
The week ended with the youth of our ward being in charge of a Ward 24th of July breakfast.
So busy, but so much fun to have family around for so long! We are grateful for such supportive, loving family and the efforts they make so we can be together!
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