Ahhh! Don't eat me!

This is what we told the kids to say as they posed in front of the shark at the museum. Sariah won the prize. While David and Amy were here, we got to spend a fun day at the dinosaur museum with them. Mom, Nicole and her friend, Jordan, joined us. Jordan works there and hooked us up with a discount. Thanks, Jordan.



The other kids were not so cooperative, but Caleb and Zac did find their inner dinosaurs.




The kids had a blast just running around and being together. We are not sure who had more fun in the sand, the kids or Amy. She is a master volcano sculptor.




By the time we were done playing, we were definitely ready for lunch. I think the kids had almost as much fun at Wendy's as they did with the dinosaurs. Thanks for the fun day. Hopefully if we ever make it to St. Louis, we'll get to play in the museums out there.

Walker Family Reunion

The weekend before the Anson reunion, we had a Walker family reunion. Mom, Dad and Brian actually came a few weeks before and we had a great time with them and Emily and Chris at the pool, rodeo, parade and Owlz game, just to name a few of the activities that kept us busy. (Of course, I forgot my camera most of the time. We were too busy having fun.) Laura, Donny, Katy, Kevin, Toni and Caroline all got here the day before the reunion. We started on Thursday morning with family pictures. It was a bit of an ordeal at the studio, but overall the pictures turned out well. After we grabbed lunch we headed to the cabin. Our friend's very generous parents let us "borrow" their cabin for the weekend. We will be forever grateful.



It was a major odreal just to get all the cars unloaded. There were five cars in all. We eventually got everything where it needed to be and we all claimed our sleeping spots. It was wonderful to be all together under the same roof. The kids love the four square court. Caroline kept us all entertained with her "performances."



Joseph and Kevin put together a new grill so we could fix dinner. It is a good thing there is no audio with this or you might hear some "grill words." Emily and Laura were taking requests at the piano and Sariah was in heaven. Katy and Brian taking a chance to chill.


On Friday morning we had a great breakfast thanks to Kevin and Toni. I still crave those biscuits. After we cleaned up we headed for the zoo. A highlight was a stop at the carousel. For several weeks before we went, the kids talked at length about which animal they would ride on. I guess half the fun is in the anticipation. Poor Sariah was so patient all day waiting to see the camels. When we finally got there, we could not get to the exhibit because of some construction. She was truly heartbroken.




Brook became quite attached to Donny. He was super cute with her. That's right, Donny, I said you were cute. The girls took "turns" in the stroller. It was nice and hot so it was worth lugging around the water bottles. Caroline and Brook were too cute. (There's that word again.)
Friday night we had another yummy dinner and stayed up too late laughing, eating treats and playing games.



Saturday we ate again (boy, we had a TON of food) and headed to the reservoir. Dad rented a boat and a wave runner. It was a blast. I forgot my camera when it was our turn in the boat. The kids loved it. Brook did not really move so we were shoked when she volunteered to ride on the tube with her dad. We pulled a huge innertube behind the boat. Saraih and Caroline did not want to ride but the rest of us did. Brook was hilarious. Halfway through her ride, she waved at all of us in the boat. Zac had no fear. He loved any chance to ride and everytime we stopped to change riders, he was over the side of the boat for a swim. He even got a ride on the wave runner with Kevin. Ally had enough of the tube when we got swamped. She was petrified even though she had a life jacket on. I was laughing and she clung to my neck so I could not swim her back to the boat. Thanks Kevin, for helping. Despite a wardrobe malfunction, I enjoyed my rides, too.

We got back to the cabin and reluctantly packed up. We got down out of the canyon in time for an exteded Walker family party. On Sunday we got to go to church together and then went to an extended Puckett family party. It was a whirlwind of family. We were exhausted, but so grateful for all the memories we made. Here's to 2011 and the great time we'll have when we do it all over again.

Anson Family Reunion

Being Labor Day weekend and what some consider as the official end of summer, it really is time to finish blogging our summer adventures. We had a wonderful reunion with Joseph's family at the beginning of August. Daivd and Amy were here from St. Louis. Zac was in heaven having another big boy cousin to pal around with. Marc and Liz came down for the weekend, too. We started with family pictures which turned out nice even though some of the cousins were a little uncooperative, namely Brook. When we got back to the house, Grandpa had a BIG surprise. He borrowed a huge waterslide from a generous neighbor. He gave the kids waterguns and let them at it.

Ally was a little unsure at first. In fact it took us most of the afternoon to convince her to try the slide. Once we got her up there, she loved it.

Some of the "big kids" got in the water, too. David was the only one with an actual swimsuit. That did not stop Marc. He dove in clothes and all. Marc and David tried to send Joseph for a swim, too. When will you boys learn that Joseph will always be bigger and stronger? Dad did try to come to Joseph's aid, but all three boys turned on him and sent him into the pool. Nice try, Dad. Sariah just soaked it all in. She decided to try to take a drink from the cannon on the slide. What is it with her and drinking from sprinklers?

Brook was content to stay in the pool. She splashed and squealed to her heart's delihgt. Sariah eventually decided to try the slide as well. She thought it was pretty cool.

Zac was the only kid that needed no coaxing. He took to the slide in nothing flat. He ran around squirting everyone and loved when someone would chase him down and throw him in the pool. Sometimes, he just does not know when to quit. The kids all had a blast. They were running around so much, it was hard to snap pictures, but the cousins really are there, too.

After a yummy dinner, we let the kids play with glow sticks and put them all to bed in the family room together, minus the three youngest who got to sleep with moms and dads. They did fairly well all together. The adults snuck upstairs and mangaed to stay awake through a few phases of Phase 10 before we all passed out.

The next morning Liz made her yummy pancakes and then we all headed up the canyon for a picnic lunch.

Mom and Dad found a beautiful picnic spot. The kids loved climbing all over the red rock. There were several small "caves." They speculated about what might live inside. Ally announced they were bear caves. She must have sounded like an authority, because Caled got a little nervous until David assured him that if any bears came Uncle Joe would wrestle them. He was fine after that. After lunch, we took the kids to throw rocks in the river and headed home. We loved being with everyone and it was over way too soon. I have decided that one of my favorite things about summer is the chance we have to see family. It is like a little taste of heaven on earth.