A few days more please!

The reunion was officially over on Sunday but my parents and sister Kristina and her 2 kids stayed until Wednesday.  Partly to help clean up after all the chaos and partly just to have some quieter time together.  

We of course had to swim every day.  My mother was very impressed that Isla wasn't afraid of being on her back in the water.  Truthfully she's just a very calm baby.

She was funny though because she spent the whole time in the water licking her lips.

Grandpa was the favorite especially with his noodle/children train rides.

Here's my cute sister with her fabulous kids.  They are so smart and smiley and my kids loved having them to play with.

More noodle/children rides.

Tuesday morning we ventured up into the mountains for a little hiking since my parents LOVE hiking and we never got around to it during the reunion.  The kids were animated the whole time and kept exclaiming "oh there's a butterfly" "oh look at that stream".  Apparently I don't get them into nature enough!

Isla enjoyed the trip asleep in the bjorn- a little hot for her though pressed up against me with a blanket over her to keep the sun off.

Miles and Evan are just 6 months apart- so nice to have cousins that line up.

The Isla bundle- patiently enduring a morning that was clearly not at all about her.

We hiked a trail called Donut Falls up Big Cottonwood Canyon.  It's a fairly easy walk except for one place where you have to butt-scoot down a 6 foot rock face.  But then you're at the end and are rewarded with an amazing stream and lots of places to throw rocks.
If you're adventurous you can continue across the rocks and up a lot of boulders to the top of the waterfall where the water has created a natural "donut" hole.  My dad took Ethan because he was dieing to continue.

Miles and the rest of us stayed at the bottom and threw rocks.

Isaac, who was sad to be left behind, climbed halfway across the river himself and then waited patiently for my dad and Ethan to come back.

My cute sister with cutey Jillian.

Ethan and Grandpa at the top of the trail- about to start up to the boulders.

We were so glad they all stayed a few more days.  It was nice to have help with the clean up and nicer still to get to enjoy spending time together without 16 grandkids running around.