When Grandma's Away...

We Get to PLAY!!

 

So my Mom normally watches all my nieces a couple of days a week.  But the week after conference is my parents fall break, they always go to the cabin for a week.  So guess who got to watch them?? ME!!  We had so much fun!!  I took them to Cherry Hill for the Scary Hill adventure!!  It was so worth it, we had so much fun!!  We got to mini golf, do a maze, rock climb, hampster haven, nerf wars and the batting cages!!  It was the perfect amount of time and they loved it!!

Ellie took the mini golf very seriously!!  She always made sure her ball went in the hole, even if she had to place it a few inches away from the hole to hit it in.

Alana rock climbing!

The awesome maze!

Ellie was pretty jealous that Alana got to do the batting cages and she didn't.

This picture makes me laugh!!  Describes their family perfectly!!

Fall at the Cabin!!



Cabin Oct. 2012

 As Clayton tradition, we always go to the cabin for General Conference!!  One of the BEST traditions if you ask me!!  It is soo relaxing and great to listen to all the great talks AND be in this incredibly serene enviornment!!  To add icing on the top... it is officially AUTUMN!!  My favorite time of year... I don't know anyone who doesn't love fall?  The last couple of weeks I have found myself just giddy and happy all the time... and when I ask myself why?  Because everything is so beautiful... it is hard to stay sad... in fact I can't when the leaves are changing and falling and the sunsets are incredible.. no you have to just be happy and giddy with me because it is fall!!

 

I got a new camera right before we left for our cruise... like 2 days before we left... Anyway, I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!  I hadn't  realized how old my camera was before!  Every picture looks amazing on my new camera because it is so much better.  For example... my old camera didn't have sound... it wasn't broken.. it was just made before digital cameras could do video WITH sound!!  So you can imagine how great my new camera must seem to me!  However it is also an addiction because I have taken thousands of pictures!! (literally!!)  So it is definately going to have to be something I tone down.. because I don't think I can forever store 200 pictures of the same tree!!

Feel free to be jealous of how amazing it was!!

I don't like getting cold.. so I BUNDLED up to go on a jeep ride... and yes I have officially learned how to drive the jeep!!

Joni listening to conference.

Walks in between sessions is a must!! (you pretty much get disowned if you don't come!)

HA!!  This was the only picture I got of Kris and Abby!!

Dad and Amy

Amy and Joni... the perfect sisters, makes me wonder where I fit in? hehe

This is my favorite... Amy always looks perfect in pictures... so it makes me laugh how cute Avery looks while Amy is telling a very elaborate story!!

Beautiful fall leaves!!

 



I love how many different colors are in nature in fall... it is the coolest!!

We had a GREAT time up there!!  I am so glad my parents have a place for us to go to be all together!!

Crusin' the Carribean

For Joni's big 26th birthday me and the sister decided to do something BIG!!  Last year her birthday turned out to be kinda a downer... so this year we made sure we would be giggling and laughing all week long!!  For those of you who know Joni... birthdays are a REALLY big deal... So we decided the way to celebrate was a cruise to the western Carribean!!  Seriously I think it is awesome that I got to go too... it was easier to wish Joni a Happy Birthday in the Carribean!!  So because I am not at all talented with blogger... actually it makes me CRAZY... I have all the pictures in random order... probably only bugs me but it is driving me crazy!!  Oh well...  hope you can catch on!

We made it on the ship... quite an accomplishment!! (and apparently we take awkward pictures..)

This is actually the end of the trip... :) our very last shore excursion to KENNEDY SPACE STATION!!!  I LOVED it!!  I guess this was my gift to me... hehehe... but was so awesome and interesting!!  Definately the entire park/museum was designed by engineers!! (funny sense of humor!!)

This was parasailing in Cozumel, Mexico... I was really not excited about going into the water... HELLO Sharks!!

For Joni's Bday we went Jet Skiing off the coast of Haiti!!!  SO MUCH FUN!! It was crazy and a little scary to be in the real open ocean with such clear blue water... seriously you could see all the way down... a little eerie when you are about to tip the jet ski over... ;)

In Jamiaca we kyacked over to the Dunne River Falls and climbed the waterfall... like literally!!! This was the safetly precaution set up... just hold hands so you don't fall!!  Haha!!  I really thought we were going to die on that waterfall!! Sadly we didn't have a waterproof camera so no pictures until the end... So this one is off google to demonstrate the safety of the hike!!

We were way excited to get off the waterfall!!





Just hanging around the boat... why not?!

Ha!! so these pictures are from the very first day when we stayed overnight in the Orlando Airport... YES the AIRPORT!!  How cool!!  This is our awesome room... and the hotel was complete with a pool and a gym... plus the airport under us was more like a mall.... could have been our whole vacation!!!

Joni had a problem with trying to jump off the boat!!

I did not have that problem....

Callie says I look like I am eating a Costco pizza in this picture...

Joni definately has the personality to pull off the rich girl hat!!

More to come on this... but this was the zipline we went on in Haiti!!!  I know you can't even see the bottom!!!  AHHHH!  It was the COOOLEST!!  We sailed over the top of the bay and landed on that little black dot on the other side!!!

Formal night... or as formal as I get.. :)

Getting ready for the zip line!!!

Warmest water... and so weird that it is sooo clear and salty.. never got used to the salt taste!!

This was taken from where we ziplinned from... yeah its a word I just invented it!!

So CRAZY!!

A cute Haitian man took this picture for Joni... proving we made the jump!!

I told Joni to look goofy... and this is what I got...

Haiti is BEAUTIFUL!

We can always count on Joni to do a supermodel pose anywhere!!

Joni wanted me to teach her how to wear a top-knot... Haha she is still learning!!

A real port hole!!!

Joni was REALLY excited for the oreo shakes at Johnny Rockets!!

These are at Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman!!!   WOW... it was seriously INCREDIBLE!!

Known for the beach and also for an amazing coral reef... we found out AFTER we walked on it... whooops!!!  Had no idea that is where we were at!!  We wondered why everyone else on the bus had snorkleing gear??  So we had to go pay the big bucks for a pair of goggles so we wouldn't miss out on the real view!!  Definately a different world down their!!!

Second formal night... we ended up eating pizza because we couldn't hack the awkward main dinning room again!!

Uh... Joni's formal wear... notice the people behind her... turns out they weren't excited about her tossing herself off the boat and got a little excited about it.... hahaha!!




We had such an AMAZING trip!!  Definately a once in a lifetime opportunity!!