June Rewind
Ephrata, Washington

The boys and I spent most of June in Ephrata, Washington. I usually go for about a week, but this time was different. My brother was coming back from his two-year mission in Brazil and a few weeks later my friend Jennifer from High School was getting married. We figured that there was no point in me coming home and then going again in such a short time. We did a lot of visiting and fun things and even though 3 weeks away seems like a long time, in the end it really wasn't at all.

June 12

The plane ride. Ontario, California to Seattle Washington 2 hours 30 minutes
Car ride with 3 tired little kids-3 hours

June 13

Sage and Sun Parade
This is the annual BIG weekend in the tiny little town of Ephrata where I grew up. Everyone in town attends the parade and all the festivities. This was my first time home for the parade in 14 years. Turn your speakers up and listen to the song, this is truly what my hometown is like. Trent too grew up like I did. I think this is one very important thing in our relationship, we understand exactly how the other grew up. No, we were not down at the "greenlight tavern" drinking beer like in the song, BUT everyone else was. I was laughing at most of the things in the parade. I am sure there are little festivities like this everywhere, but I have never in my life seen anything like this except in good ol' Ephrata.

Below: Elementary School kids playing recorders

Past Royalty Float

Past Royalty-This year was 100 years of the festival
(I think that is the year count)
so they asked all past royalty to return

The Ephrata High School Marching Band-yes, I am a past member and when
my husband found out this little tidbit of information AFTER we were married
I was told that could have been a deal breaker. Good thing he found out
after the vows were spoken :)

The Red Hat Society-yes, really they had a float

Royalty Float

Rodeo Queen-again, YES REALLY

The pooper scooper kid

Some guy and his racecar. There is a racetrack in Ephrata and
there are races every Saturday night of the summer. It is pretty LOUD.
You can hear them all through town.

Gymnastic girls

Some guy on his tractor

Watching all the excitement.

They both saw something they liked.

Yes, even Ronald McDonald came to the party.

FFA

One of the many things that I am not sure as to why they were in the parade :)

My boys first experience with people throwing candy at them at a parade.

Ephrata's military

Another guy on his farm equipment.

Local Sherriffs

The start of many fire trucks. The volunteer fire dept. is HUGE in this town.
Something to do I guess.

A very tired baby after the parade.

Ok, so a little explanation. My parents save pretty much EVERYTHING!! Brock found this sweater that my mom's friend made for her years ago. He just couldn't resist. One thing about my brothers-they will pretty much do anything, anytime. They are goofy characters and they really don't care what people think about them. I am not sure exactly what this pose was about, but it was all pretty funny.

My parents house is pretty small and there were 9 of us staying there this weekend. They have 3 bedrooms and 1 bathroom!! Poor Brock must have drawn the short straw because he set up his tent and slept outside all weekend.

Leonard/Hansen Family picture Day

Breck-the most return missionary, anyone have any single sisters.
Shannon I knew Vanessa thought my brothers were cute.

Brother Timothy and wife Melissa

Our attempt at a picture with 3 little boys

I love my baby brother!

The second closest situation Nathan will ever have at having a dog.
You will see the first closest further down.

Cute little baby.

June 14
Gifts from Brazil

I very much coveted this one. I wish I would have known about these because
I would have asked him to get me one like this too. He also got one of
Joseph in the grove for himself. I didn't get this picture, but I got one that is beautiful of course.

My favorite picture.

Welcome home dinner at Time-Out Pizza. The boys have a friend who is a little
older than me who owns this Pizza Place. He has always been kind enough to
keep them employed there. When Brock came home from his mission he made
a big roast dinner there for our family and any friends we wanted to invite. It was
so nice of him and his family to do this for us. When Breck came home he was out of
town and he had employees who are also friends go down and make the dinner.
It was on a Sunday afternoon so this is such a nice gesture.

Back together for the first time in 2 years 7 months.

June15-25
Swimming Lessons
Tyler-Level 2
Nathan-Preschool/Parent-Toddler

Practicing Back Float

Blowing Bubbles

Brotherly Love

A little Dive

He did not like something...

Awesome job by Nathan putting his face in the water!

June 16

Enrichment-Self Sufficient Living Dutch Oven Dinner

I taught a little couponing class that night.

June 17
Cael's first experience with grass

Visiting one of my best childhood friends Priscilla at her
parent's home in Moses Lake, Washington

Together with all our kids. You can tell how much mine
love having their pictures taken.

My dad helping out with little Cael's bedtime.

Last week of swimming lessons-no fear

Gliding by himself-so good this year!

Nathan's favorite face to make for the camera.

Much better

Swimming underwater!!

June 18
Visiting my friend Amy in Kennewick, Washington. I met Amy in the singles
ward when I was in Community College. She turned out to be the BEST roommate I
ever had!! She married her wonderful husband Kevin shortly after we lived together
and they were kind enough to let me live with them the first summer they were married for free!! Amy is a Scentsy consultant and I picked up some wonderful scents from her
on this visit. If you need any Scentsy products let me know and I can put you in touch!

June 19
A rare glimpse of a soft Grandpa Taylor. I love seeing him with the boys!

A visit with Trent's "Grammy" in her new assisted living apartment. I had my Grandma
growing up, but lost her when I was in the eight grade. I have never really had any
grandparents and when I married Trent 9 years ago Grammy and Grandpa Taylor took
me in as their own granddaughter. We have spent several Thanksgivings and other fun times
with them over the years. A year and a half ago I got the call that Grammy had fallen in
the shower because she was having a stroke. I remember this was probably the worst day
of my life. I have only lost one person in my life and we were prepared for my Grandmother's death from a brain tumor. The thought of losing Grammy so suddenly was really more than I could take. She was given a medicine to break up the blood clot in her brain and was stablilized that day. She went from being our active, vibrant Grammy to a woman who cannot do much on her own. It is VERY, VERY devestating to all of us who know and love her. It just doesn't seem fair that this has happened to her. She spent several months in a rehabilitation facility. She swears over and over that Trent worked there and that he was a night staff that came in to visit her in the nighttime. We have tried countless times to tell her that he was in California working as a Vice Principal, but we have given up because we realize that this was her comfort in that facility where she knew no one and could all of a sudden do nothing. We think that there was a man who looked a lot like Trent and was built like him that worked with her. Whatever the situation it is so neat to know that thinking Trent was there was her comfort through the most difficult time in her life. They have always had a special connection and I am so grateful for that. So the boys and I went to visit her at her new place which is about 2 minutes from the Columbia River Temple. The boys of course lasted about 5 minutes as you can see from the pictures. They don't really know Grammy which makes me VERY sad. Trent's aunt Kaylynn was kind enough to take them to her house for the day where they swam and played with the cousin's all day. Such a fun time for them. I stayed at the facility all day with Cael and visited with Grammy. We went to lunch with her and let me tell you, if you ever want ALL eyes in the room on you just take a baby to lunch at an assisted living facility!! Everyone in the room had their attention focused on Cael the ENTIRE time. When lunch was almost over one lady came over with her walker and said, "we at table 12 have taken a vote and we think you need to take that baby around to all of the tables and introduce him." So I did. And all of those people were just smitten with him. They loved seeing a little baby. After lunch we went into Grammy's room and she asked me to read to her from her journal while she rested. I started in October 1996. (I think that was the year, I should ask Trent.) Anyway, when we got to December she was talking about Christmas she strayed a little and mentioned that she was worried about Trent because mission did not seem like it was in his future and explained how he was going to school and everything else he was doing. I just wanted to keep reading that journal until the end!! Trent's mom died when he was 13 so that is where the written stories end. To have this journal that she has written about the boys would be so exciting!! To know things about Trent from when he was younger would be so fun!! Anyway, we read until about March of the next year and we talked a little. Grammy has lost her short term memory and since the stroke it has been difficult because when you have conversations with her you often repeat several subjects in one sitting. During the 8 hours I was there this did not happen once!! The next week when I talked to Kaylynn she said that Grammy had such a great week after we left and all she could talk about was our visit. I was so glad to see her and it was so fun to visit this lady that I love and admire SO much!! I felt terrible to leave her in this place and just don't feel like it is right. There is nothing else that can be done because Grandpa cannot physically take care of her, but leaving her there is one of the hardest things I have EVER had to do!! We love and miss our Grammy!!

After her weekly hair appointment at the facility.

Cael visiting with Grammy.

The highlight of Grammy's day!

Columbia River Temple

Roasting Marshmallows in Gregg and Kaylynn's backyard. A true farm community.
Logan, Kaylynn and Natalie

Tyler and Nate with cousin Logan

Natalie

Jake and Stockton

Washington Sunset-picture taken by Logan

June 20

Swimming in Grandma and Grandpa's pool-it's better than what we have!!

My parent's new "child" since we have all moved out.
She really treats this thing like a child, it's embarrassing.

My parents with Cael.

Encouraging my baby to take part in their bad habits.

Dipping his feet.

An Ephrata air show. Yes, there really is a little airport there. They have several airshows and a lot of personal planes parked there.

A glider getting ready to take off.

Beautiful rosy cheeks.

June 23

A visit to Chad and Brie's house in Moses Lake, Washington. This was such a fun day. Trent was friends with Chad growing up. He then spent 3 weeks on their couch while trying to find an apartment at Eastern. When we met we went on a few double dates with them. I became friends with both Chad and Brie. Chad is a fellow counselor so really good to talk to about his job. Brie is just a wonderful friend, wife and mother and a good role model. Their children are exactly the same ages (within months) as ours, except poor Halle. So it was extremely fun for the boys.

Beautiful blue-eyed Lindsey

Brie's perfect mother charts. This girl has a chart for everything and they follow them to a tee. When we got home we started a responsibility chart for Tyler and are trying to make sure we do it every day. Thanks Brie for putting us on the right track. She has a weekly schedule of activities, crafts, etc. What a good mom! I can only strive to be like her :)

June 24

Tyler and Breck and Tyler's newest picture pose.

June 27

My childhood friend Jenn's wedding. Priscilla and Jenn have been best friends for years so she was in the wedding party. They both looked so pretty!

Priscilla's little beauty April.

Priscilla and her husband Russell. Thank goodness for this guy, he was the only person there that I knew besides Jenn and Priscilla and they were both at the wedding party table!!

June 28

I'll help you big brother

Nathan's borrowed dog Jethro. The closest thing he will ever know to having a dog.
I know, I am the MEANEST mom!! But, Katherine says it would have been
easier to have another baby than to have their dog!!

The dart guns my dad bought for my boys (supposedly).

Fun family trip, grateful for the time we had to spend with my family!!