A little boat ride...we took the boat out all day everyday. But in the evening it was left for those who wanted to see and hear the Loons. The Loons were amazing and beautiful. I could go to sleep everynight hearing their call.
Sassy aunt Sarah....This girl has so much personality. She entertained the kids during the day and the adults at night. She is so stinkin' funny. At one point she said I had a tail I ironed with......
All the grand kids taking a picture for Grandy!
Abe.....
Sleeping Caleb
Monson and Hunter
Daddy and Gil
Girl love....
This the huge frog that my boys caught with their dad....they were very proud of it. 
They felt bad and let it go back to the little pond that they found it in.....but not until Bob had to convince Tucker that we couldn't take it home on the plane. 
This was the first attempt to find a toad.
Gil and I watched from a far....I don't really like slimy things.
Gilly Bear on the look out.
He's sixty three axe handle high with his feet on the ground and his head in the clouds, Hey Paul, Paul Bunyan.
My boys had about a 2 year obsession with Paul Bunyan (remember Jamie when Tucker would act it out in the pool) It was so so so so fun to be able to see him in person...he even talked to the kids and knew their name. This was one of the trips highlights!
Grandy bought all the kids post cards to send to who ever they wanted. The boys chose Nannie and then Abe and Gwyn sent it off in Paul's Huge Mailbox.
We all rode the train and it was great.
Paul and his Woman
Sorry, I just think she is so dang cute!!!!
Uncle Nick found this antique ride in the very back of Paul Bunyan land and farm. It was by far the best ride of the park....we are hoping Papa Lyle can get one at his house.
All the men tried out this sweet ride...Only Dillon got it all the way around.
These three are quite the group.....Mills and Gwyn were so excited to get to know their cousin Ella that they haven't seen in over a year.
Gwyn and Mills on the 4th watching the fireworks...
Kate set up some chair in the lake so that the girls could enjoy it. She is so great with the little girls, she is really creative and had a lot of fun making games up for them.
Gwyn and Ella sporting the same pigtails and bows....You know how I love to do girls hair. While on the topic of Ella I think I should just state how much fun it was to get to know her. Her are my top 5 Ella moments...1)I will always think of her coming out of the lake singing her Little Mermaid Ah ahaha's over and over again. 2)How clean and dainty she eats, as opposed to Gwyn who was eating lake weed saying "mom, look, salad" . 3) How she flitters from one thing to the next, much like a butterfly. 4) How she talks better than Abe who is 6 and how kept looking for her Anaconda. LOL 5) I loved how she was a little clumsy...It fit her and and it endeared her to me even more.
Family picture on the 4th, maybe not the best but we are documented.
My darling sister in-laws Amy and Laura. I love them they are my sisters! I really enjoy spending time with them. Not to mention that we have babies that are a week apart.
Grandy and Gil 
Gwyn waiting to see the fire works.
We decided to hit the Brainerd 4th of July parade. It was fun but the Harley's were to loud and that was to much for miss Gwyn.....so cute Tucker and Kate were trying to cover her ears and protect her.
Love this moment....
Dillon and Bob with the babies.....
Gil and Monson
Nick and Amy found this awesome resort for us....it is in Brainerd Minnesota.
When we pulled up, Bob and I were so excited with how beautiful and nice it looked. We were also glad to be done driving because we were being pelted with candy from the Mitchell's Van as we drove....Jeff and Dillon....
The first two days were cooler and over cast but that didn't stop any of the fun. This is Tuck fishing, he couldn't get enough of the fishing.
It was cool but the little girls were determined to get in the water.
Hunter's first catch of the trip.
Here we are in Las Vegas getting ready to head for the airport... Once we got on the airplane (such an ordeal with 9 pieces to check on), the boys were so excited they could barely stand it. Right before take off Tucker says to me in a loud voice "Mom are we ready to launch yet?" Everyone around us started to giggle at this.
Once we got there, it was whirlwind of things to do. We needed to see Grandma Knutson and Uncle Bill and Aunt Ann before Caleb's blessing at 1 in the afternoon. So we left the hotel at 9 am and didn't stop until 6pm that night. We were thrilled to introduce Gwyn and Gilbert to their great-grandma. Gwyn really is an affectionate child and just kept hugging grandma over and over. It was really fun to see the family. 
The men who helped to bless Caleb.
Nick, Amy, Ella and Caleb
The girls getting to know each other.....
So we are off again for 8 days this time. Our plane leaves from Vegas tomorrow afternoon and we are heading to the lovely lakes of Minnesota. We are having a family reunion with Bob's family. I am not joking when I say that Bob is so excited he could hardly sleep this week. I feel like I just got home from my parents and unpacked washed and ironed clothes (thanks Andrea) and re-packed. Also I weaned my baby in the 5 days we were home and also fought with a nasty summer cold. I feel like I have been running since our car stopped at our home Sunday night. I didn't even talk to some of my buddies in SG to say hello and good bye...sorry Sarah W. I hope to come back with great tales and awesome pictures. I hope that Gwyn and Ella get to know each other...I also hope that we won't get everyone sick with that nasty cold we have been enjoying. We are so excited to meet our new cousin and nephew Caleb. My kids keep talking about riding on an airplane, and hoping that they get to see fireflies for the first time. The boys already have some plans about catching them. Probably Brooke will have her baby while I am gone, I am guessing that Sara L will too. We will also be missing our beloved hot air balloons in Provo on the 4Th....I haven't missed that in 15 years.. But we think it will be well worth it. Here we come Minnesota! I check back in about 10 days!!!!
Andrea sent this to me last night on my email. She took this of Gwyn a little while ago while our kids were playing at the park. Love Andrea, all of my sisters now do too. She is a great friend who has introduced me to some bad habits.....ironing(everything), shopping at expensive stores, and trying to get me to be crafty. I love and hate her for all of those reasons. It is not abnormal for us to talk like 10 times a day even if it is for 2 minutes or 2 hours. Who does that besides sisters? I guess we can adopt her in to our sisterhood. She is a great friend.
