Corbin and Crystal's Wedding!

We were able to attend my brother Corbin's wedding during our visit. It was absolutely a perfect, beautiful day at the Bountiful Temple. He and Crystal were so happy and everyone was happy for them. They are a great match in every way! Here are some of the pics from their day:

While we were getting ready at my sister's house, Emma practiced doing her princess walk down the stairs. Don't you remember doing that when you were five?

My pretty niece Alex.


Alex and Tal were done even before Corbin and Crystal came out of the temple!!

My mom, my grandma and the great-grandkids.

Emma and another little girl caught the bouquet, so they each took a flower from it! So that breaks the "you get married next" part, right?!?!
I have good looking siblings!!!

Can you say, "Tal on a sugar rush?"

Tal, Alex, and Emma!

All he wanted was another bite of his animal cracker!!!!
The new Mr. and Mrs. Corbin Beckstrand!!

Swimming, Pirates and 4-wheelers... oh my!

Whenever Tal had a free second you could find him on one of the four-wheelers. He was obsessed, and when he got to go for a ride on the "blue one" with my dad all his two-year-old dreams came true!The sprinkler ball was a big hit with Tal.



Pirate Island! What a fun place to eat. We met my cousin and her cute kiddies, but did't get the camera out until they had left. Dang it! Alex, Emma, and Tal were trying to figure out this skeleton guy!
Swimming lessons

The second week we were in Utah we put Emma in swim lessons. Of course she thought it was the greatest.

A view from the top!

The last night of our trip to Utah was spent up in the mountains. What good would a trip to Utah be without seeing it from the top of the mountains?

You don't get views like this in MO!!


We really enjoyed our trip. I guess I'm the sentimental type, but I have wonderful memories from growing up and I get excited to share them with Matt and our kids. We loved seeing old friends and reliving some really fun and happy times. Being able to stay an extra week was a real treat which meant that the kids and I only had to do the drive one way, and we got to spend just a little extra time.

Memorial Day!

Once again we went out to the lake and Matt's parents farm with a group of wonderful friends. The weather was incredible for a day of food, water, and....

naked bums! Tal's buddy Steve was the streaker! He was a cute one though!

We had a fun day.

Here's Steve with his clothes on!

Fill it!

Dump it!
Happy!

The kids loved jumping off of the dock. Emma needed a little help from daddy at first:

But then decided to try it on her own.

Ready...

Jump!
Cannon Ball!!
One with daddy!

Matt became the kid thrower!

Mission accomplished!

Corbin Graduated!!

I have to brag about my brother Corbin for a second here. He just graduated from BYU a couple of weeks ago in the Business and Finance program. He not only graduated but at the top of his class! He is now working at a successful Real Estate investing firm and doing really well. I'm so, so proud of him. I wish I could have been there! Good job Corbin. You ROCK!

What a stud! Hands off girls, he's engaged!!

My family: Tyrel, Lindsay, my mom, the Grad, his cute fiancée Crystal, my dad, and little sweet girl Alex (we're a tall bunch aren't we)!!!

Preschool teachers!

Do you remember your preschool teacher? I do! I loved my preschool teacher. Beth Whatcott. I remember every time I'd see her I would run to her and give her a big hug. Even in high school I would always say hello. She was such a wonderful lady. I always got such a fun feeling inside when I would see her.

Emma's teachers this year were no different. They were incredible. At the begging of the year they do a "home visit" to get to know each of the kids and at the end of the year they do another visit to say good-bye and give the kids their books that they, the teachers, had been working on all year! Emma LOVED her teachers. I LOVED her teachers. They were wonderful. I'm so happy that this was her first experience of school. It was a wonderful one. One I know Emma will always remember!

Mrs. Knickmeyer, Emma, and Mrs. Strubberg

Missouri...Redneck Style!

This 'ere is whut we in Mizzoura like ta call a Mud Run!

Our good friends Robbie and Karen introduced us to this hidden gem! Someone who owns a bunch of property O-U-T in the country decided one day, "Hey! We have a lot of dirt. Why don't we soak it with water and charge people money to come and run their trucks and four-wheelers through it!" The outcome is what is now known as the Mud Run, open every 2nd Saturday and holiday weekends all summer long!

Here's what we brought along:

The Ranger.

And Robbie's super cool orange truck.

This is what you see when you first arrive in this majestic redneck shrine: The Pit!

Matt got to take on The Pit! Can you tell how happy he is!

Then after you've unloaded your Muddin' equipment you drive over to where it all happens. The Runs (That's what I called them anyway. It seemed to fit, if you know what I mean)! There are 3 trenches dug deep into the ground and soaked with water. The challenge: to see who's truck had enough guts to get from one side to the other!

Here were some of the contestants for the day. I won't explain. The pictures tell it all!

This is Robbie's brother-in-law. He made it through no problem!
Who doesn't want one of these?
Look at these goobers! During:
After:

I was really here. Watching. Believe it.

There was even a dirt hill the kids could play on while everyone watched. Something for everybody!

Then there was one more contestant. Can you guess who it was? You'll never get it!

They got stuck though...both times!

Surprise!

After that thrilling ride we rode around on the different trials they had there as well. But unfortunately the day ended on not such a good note for Robbie's brother-in-law.

Matt was very helpful!

This is the unfortunate part of the "sport" they say. "You know sumthin's gunna happen. You just don't know when!" Comforting!

I really can't poke fun, though, because it brought back memories of doing similar things with my family growing up. We didn't do the mud, though. We went to the hill climbs out at the sand dunes. Much better! It was fun to relive some redneck fun. I'm sure it won't be our last!!