Lamb Family 09: Heber Valley Reunion

This Independance Day weekend we went to Heber Valley to have our last family reunion before Kyson leaves for his misson. It was so fun- more of a relaxing trip, but well worth the time and effort. We stayed in a HUGE cabin (two stories high, and two stories deep=four floors altogether) that had 8 bedrooms and a nice layout. It was a really adventurous trip!

Below is me and Hailey on our last day. She said to Sarah, "hey, mom, can i get a picture with Addie?" I love this girl! There was the foursome that always stayed together-

Lizzy, Emma, and Rachel.. we are missing Arden in this picture :-(

The little girls in the hot tob. This became quite a hit after it was opened.

(Hailey, Lizzy, Emma, Rachel)

We saw a ton of animals hanging everywhere throughout the house. The main attraction (or I guess, the main scare) was the bear in the front room. I'll post that in a moment...

Nate and Chelsea got the master bedroom. Personally, I'd hate to be in there! There was a small cougar overhanging their bed. Nice pair of eyes to watch you in your sleep...

Nightmares!

A little more of the huge bucks in the game room...

Me, Morgan, and Hailey put on a little "preschool" surprise for the younger girls. Audrey had singing time and a puppet show, and I was the secretary and the desk clerk and helped them sign in and set up. They had a great time, but it was extremely difficult to keep their attention. We lasted 10 minutes before they ran their seperate ways.

A bunch of little kids attempted to set up traps to catch the dozens of squirrels (I mean, dozens) that wondered around the backyard. They tried everything- empty soda cans, boxes, duct tape.. their attempt was the only thing that seemed to work. Their success...didn't. But it's okay. They had a jolly good time setting up their traps.

Such a beautiful world we live in...

L-R: Aunt Lizzy, Chelsea, Audrey, Ali, Chris, me, Nicole.

We played round after round of Nerts, and in the end, team Addie and Nicole striked victorious. Well played, team!

Mitch and Nate made such an effort to get us out there before we say goodbye to Kyson. It was so much fun- everything, even the endless rounds of pool and air hockey; the delicious home-cooked meals; the kayaking on the Uinta Overlook; Kyson's hilarious fall and Mitch's fear of cold water; and all of the intense games that never failed to impress.

What a vacation indeed!
We had the entire gang there night 1, but missed out on Mike and Mandy, and said goodbye the next day to Matt and Corie and Katie and Tom and their kids.

All in all, two thumbs up.

ARIZONA!

Although here there's no solid evidence I went to Arizona, I'm telling you right now how idiotic I was just to forget that I brought MY digital camera along and didn't bother to crack it open until I unpacked. But then it was too late - I was back home and my only option was to forget about the event. How sad? Yeah, I know :(

However, Arizona was no mistake. Audrey and I packed up, bought tickets, and choked up some extra cash within four weeks to fly down Ar.i.zon.a! For most the trip, the weather was great, apart from some nasty wind that whipped up some minor dust devils... ack!! The plane ride? Okay, I guess. Normal, no movie, get your drinks, sit by a mysterious stranger, enjoy the psychotic "view" of the window, while sneaking obliged handfuls of Tropical Flavored Skittles (Audrey insisted we sit closeby emerengcy exits on both plane rides.. safety first!!).

I'll go through our daily events a little slower. We got into the airport at.. 7:20?? About.. then we were met up at security by grandma and grandpa. Audrey and I embraced them both, expressed excitement, and made our way to baggage claim. After picking up our suitcases we got in the car and hurried back to Grandma's. Moments after settling in, the long plane ride came back to me and I snuck into the bathroom. Sitting on the counter sink were two neatly approachable baskets: one labeled "AUDREY" the other labled "ADDIE"... here are the contents, which included: a neatly descriptive letter from grandma and grandpa, facial mas bar, two razers, a small deoderant, a toothbrush and toothpaste, a small chicken box filled with large jelly beans, a large pack of Ice Breaker mints, and a small bag with lotion, shower gel, and perfume all with the scent of Warm Vanilla... mmmmm :)Day 2 - sun shining through the slats on the large window, and nice, light dainty room (smells like summer out there!) with the sound of sprinklers outdoors. Perfect. Glance down on my phone for a brief moment, only to realize that, of course, I stuck to Utah time. 6:30 am?? These people aren't joking! To get a good start on my day, I woke up and got out of bed alongside Audrey. Us two went out in the kitchen and were welcomed with a delightful breakfast (along with Grandpa's ultimate treat, donughts). The morning went by quickly. We watched Fried Green Tomatoes with grandma and got an early start on our day, by dressing up and hitting the malls. 8:30?? Wednesday? Puh-lease! School in session, and Audrey and I hitting Santan for some partying! Here's the verdict: two shirts for a screamin' deal at Aeropostale, along with bermuda shorts 50% off? Really? Heaven on earth - we just got a bargain! We met up with Lizzy and her darling kids, London and Everett. Can you say a.dor.a.ble?! Psh!!

That night we went to mutual with Abbie and Zach and Jake. Thanks guys!! :) :) I'll just skip ahead a few days to Friday (yeah..I'm really skipping events here!) Although the older girls had school, Alex and Sydney agreed to stay back with Audrey and I and McKinley decided to go to school, but agreed to sleep over. So the next morning, Aunt Katie walked in at 7:00 am, waiting for us to get in the car. Pull on church clothes, straggle in with recomends, head temple-ward. It's odd not having a temple in reaching distance here. It was a pretty hearty drive.

Grandma and Grandpa work willingly at the the temple, so they had been up and moving at a very early time in the morning. Us girls piled in (along with Jake- the only boy, this being his first baptisms for the dead experience) and got there.

The experience was phenomanal. It was a great time, thanks Grandma and Grandpa (and Syd and Alex for bringing it up). Sorry that the order is all wacky. You got a taste of our Friday and Wednesday - now embrace yourself for Thursday, which was another great day, which we got to experience the thrill of the new movie Seventeen Again-- the new Zac Efron movie that left us screaming for more. The movie was pretty good, I guess. Worth watching, but not for little kids :-/ it was really funny, with great humor. Zac Efron looks GREAT (as always) and the movie had a fun story. :)

What could the experience be without some little Arizona fun? No.. we never went swimming. Like I said - there is a certain temperature you need for swimming to be enjoyable. This week just wasn't that way. The weather was fabulous, but the wind was horrific. It didn't take away tallies about how FUN this episode turned out to be, of course. I hope you catch my drift :)

We also got to see Mattie play baseball and watch The Wedding Planner and 27 Dresses over and over.. and Twilight! Movies satisfy :)

Thanks grandma and grandpa!! We loved it and we love you :) :) :)

Arizona!

It's official! Audrey and I are flying down to Arizona for our Spring Break to hang out with Grandma and the gang.. Both of us by ourselves on the plane going to Arizona, without the rambunctious screaming, we hope that this flight will be a good one!

Camping at the AF

Last Friday, my parents went to Midway for a business meeting, while the rest of us had it easy chilling with Melissa and wathcing botomless hours of Psych and Monk. However, that "rest of us" was me, Emma, and her son Lucas. Thanks to the Rose family, we were able to have a sweet GNO while the boys took it to canyon for a last-minute camping trip and the last of the year. Everyone was talking about their fish, their hikes, the animals they saw - it obviously meant way too much fun. They had an awesome time. With the seasons changning, the boys said last good-byes to the American Fork canyon for a year plus. But I must say, everyone had it good. Thanks to all who helped out, watched us, and gave us a great weekend.

Congrats to Lizzy for giving birth to a healthy baby boy, Everett Christopher Rigby born 8 lbs., 7 oz. on September 9th. Way to go!

California (Screamin')

Emma and Rachel in Seaworld . After all the walking, though, these two tired ladies got to sit down and relax. It was such a thrill to go to California with the entire rally we call the Lamb Fam...be prepared for more pictures and more shirts...
Group Pic...(there's a lot of us) Nobody really counted, but this is the troupe that came to Cali. Thanks Lizzy and Chris (Chris, thanks for teaching my how to surf...that was the best EVER). Lizzy made this possible. Everyone who came had a great time and those who didn't we're sorry you couldn't come but we'll see you in two years (hopefully less...). It was great. Totally worth the thirty-six-hour drive (for us...)
Emma and Olivia "diggin' around"... Emma refused to get into the water, so most of the youngers spent time in the black sand on the beach, which was still way too much fun. Building sand castles, "brigades", and digging for sand crabs and seashells . . .nobody got hurt on the rocks (that's a blessing, honestly).
Family picture (black&white) Us on the rocks, courtesy to Suzanne, since our camera is pretty much AWFUL. But the cool shirts (I warned you, did I not?) and the high, scary. heavy rocks made this vaca the best.
(Back-Front, L-R) Chris, Lisa, Scott, Sam, Rob, Tal, Max . Those brave enough to take on the Journey to Atlantis...of course I went, don't be silly!!! You cannot walk out of Seaworld without being driven onto that ride, with the family we're in ;)

Me on the boogey board - Oceanside, California . I also took a surfing ride with cousin Audrey (below) and other cousins, Talmage (brother), Dallyn, and Zach. But the mastermind behind all this, of course, was Chris. Couldn't have done it without him!!
Addie and Audrey (best of cuzins!!) We spent time together twenty-four seven and we spent every night on the far couch by the big window, woke up together to see the dolphins and six am EVERY MORNING, and we spent every boogie boarding wave together. If that's not best of cuzins, I don't know what is. :-)
Ethan and Seth (classic...) These little troopers were elected captains on a beachfront baseball game right after the family pictures. Seth and Ethan are two years apart, btw. But they are so cute together and this picture just HAD to be taken, while the little pros worked it out on the hard sand before high tide. Go, team!
Cuzin picture on the pier (about a mile, maybe a tad more, away from our beach house) It was great to walk to the pier. all the kids were enjoying the people all around catching squid, fish, and tiny makarel, ect and people all around were going "whoa, nice big family you got there". We'd laugh and say, "this isn't even one-fourth!" But hey seeing dolphins up close and personal was pretty AWESOME.
Walk to the pier (Emma, Lisa, and Rob) Totally the best California vacation you could ask for. Nothing better than some realy-big-family quality time on the beach. Nice and cozy, and totally fun!Walking to the peir was great, though, because it was a Hollister-town city and everything was what you'd imagine. Way to go, Lizzy, for the awesome vaca!!!! Do it again in two years, PLEASE.





California...and pretty much screaming!!!! It was a totally wicked awesome vaca for the Lamb fam, thanks ONE MILLION PERCENT to Lizzy Rigby for the FABULOUS reunion. She worked so hard to make it great, and IT WAS. Everyone enjoyed the pics, the boogey boarding, the dolphins every morning, and places to sleep...EVERYWHERE. It was great. Pictures are courtesy to Suzanne, and her Magical Camera. We also went to Seaworld, and a chunk of us went to the USS Midway.

And . . .we're there!

Finally, after a thirty-six hour drive from one coast to the other, we have finally rested in California. I am so tired, but whatever. It's getting better. And you can't say we didn't cross over nine states this summer for once, and we are on our way to moving here (not Cali, another state). As we move along with this vacation, we'll be posting pics of us in California, Salt Lake Lake Powell, Oceanside, and we've got a bucketload of Nauvoo. So stay tuned for more, folks!

Love from,
Addison

Nauvoo, IL

We've taken a wonderful vacation to Nauvoo, Illinois to visit our grandparents, Jerry and Marilyn, as they continue as missionaries in Nauvoo. They worked hard, and we've already seen their Rendezvous play and we're going to see the Sunset on the Mississippi...Nauvoo is such a wonderful place! Enjoy... Grandma learning her song on the ukelele for the Sunset on the Mississippi, which turned out to be a more successful thing than we thought. It was busy and fun and the boys did a parade. Grandma really works to impress the crowds, and it's funny becuase it is a wonderful place to stay.

Grandpa preaching the Gospel at the Seventies Hall . We learned so much there and at Lands and Records. Grandpa does a great job at whatever he does in Nauvoo, and he is such a friend to those people. Way to rule, Gpa!

Grandma and Emma at the Mississippi River . It's crazy flooded there now, and where they are standing, the water would be up to Grandma's shoulder at least, and Emma wouldn't be in that picture. Glad we came when we came.
Grandpa working at the Family Living Center making a barrel! You can make barrels, bread, candles, rugs, and ropes at the Family Living Center, and it's so fun and it looks so much easier than it is :( but it's awesome and totally worth it.
"Emma's rock..." at the Mississippi River , which, if not mentioned before, is totally flooded. Emma wouldn't let anyone throw her rocks. She'd get fussy and throw it on the ground, pick it up, and yell, "Get away from my rock!!!" She has attitude problems, but hey she's a sweetheart and we still kinda love her :)

Us in front of Hyrum and Joseph Smith statue at Carthage Jail . Such a spiritual experience and a great place to go and learn about the JS Martyr
Inside the Seventies Hall at the potium , right where Grandpa taught. We loved how clean and in tact it was and how funny the picture was. (look close and you see a coupla frowns and scrunchy faces)
Emma reading the signs creatively (in her own words...hysterical) on the "Trail of Hope" . She would start talking about how shoes should never be orange or something, and then she'd say how Dora found the city of lost toys...pretty entertaining, if you ask me!
Down by the Mississippi river taking pics and skipping rocks. Enjoying the company of others, as in each other, and playing NEAR (strict orders not to go "in") the water, and looking for rocks to try and skip. Talmage was labeled the "skipping master"which totally fits.
Tal's turtle (it looks like a rock, but it's a cute little turtle...HONESTLY!!) Talmage was looking at this "perfectly smooth" rock in the water and shouted, "Look, I found a baby turtle!" You can't see, but it's got an amazing pattern on the "belly", and it's really cool.

Emma
Caught working (Blackberry works just fine on the beach)

South East veiw from Condo deck

Ethan and Tal

Ethan's sand chair

A little pool time

Sunset on the beach

View from our condo

Evening walk on the beach

Disney World 2007 (way too many people and too much money, but worth it...)
End of day one (can't move one more step - except for maybe Emma...)

We all get wet (very wet, making me the wettest...don't ask why)

Who does this man remind me of??

Some 3D action with the nerdy glasses

Buzz Lightyear (Something worth kicking in the shin)

Family Safari Trip (too exciting)

Grumpy Emma (stay clear...she'll blow)

Peace out from E (or V for Victory)

On the way home (gun in hand, bangs in face)

We had the most thrilling vacation ever. Ethan won two giant stuffed toys (one on the cart and the otehr hidden somewhere) on the exact game Talmage won nothing. Me and my mom went on Everst (the biggest roller caoster in teh park) three times in a row non-stop within about five or ten minutes with fastpasses!!! It was tragic when we were forced to go home, but the thought of missing school for two entire days was actually pretty cool. Anyway, we love you all and RECOMEND Disneyworld/land to everyone nearby. :-)