Trip to Utah

Mckell got married on July 10th and so I was able to go back to Utah for the 4th! I have not been to the Perry 4th of July festivities for the last 6 summers. I have been to some fun places and cool firework shows but I still love Perry's! Perry has a parade, games at the park for the kids, softball tournaments, a city breakfast, and fireworks that night in Brigham, it is wonderful!

I flew in on July 3rd and the Reeder's had a BBQ. Not the best picture of me but this is what Sunday afternoons look like at my grandmas. Had to add this for my memories!

We then all went to the church for a fireside. This year Perry was celebrating its 100 years so they got Elder Perry to come do a patriotic fireside and then be in the little Perry parade! It was really neat. When we got back from the fireside my mom set up a projector and we all watched a movie outside and then slept under the stars. We used to do this every 4th of July when I was younger but it has been a few years since it has happened so I was excited they were doing it while I was home.


The kids played "No bears are out tonight." It sure brought back a lot of fun memories from when I was little

My Uncle Alan made us an amazing breakfast the next morning! He made homemade bisquits and gravy, eggs (anyway you wanted them), hashbrowns, pancakes, and fruit. He is pretty much awesome!
Of course I couldn't get enough of little J this trip. He is so funny! I taught him a lot of fun new words and saying, ha ha. They are good don't worry. Dave teaches him the bad stuff.


Mom got us matching shirts to wear for the 4th.

The Parade this year was longer than normal...I think it was a half hour. We watch it at my grams house and the kids always get tons of candy (I may have stole some from them). It was neat to see Elder Perry in the parade. Orin Hatch also was in the parade.

Getting ready for the parade to start

Didn't get the best pic of Elder Perry :(


After the parade I headed to the park to help my friend and her kids at all the fun booths. Then my brother played in the softball tournament. The tournaments start a few days before the 4th. Growing up my dad, his brothers, and a few of his friends would be in the tournament. I loved watching them. Dallin's team made it to the championship! Dad didn't put a team together this year but did play on the 50 and older game. He tried his best but is a little out of shape and after a few innings pulled something in his leg and was out the rest of the game. Poor old man!

One thing about Perry is everyone knows everyone! It was so fun to see people I haven't seen in awhile. I was also able to visit with my friend Michelle for a bit.
Dallin playing softball

My moms friend had a booth at the park for catching trout.

This is Dallin and Amanda happy they caught 2
This is mom concentrating really hard.
This is mom happy she caught a fish! She ended up getting 2 as well.

And then there was me....I didn't even get 1!

That night we watched fireworks at the farm.
Mckell and J

We tried to spell words with the sparklers while my mom took a picture. It didn't work...We still had fun!
Me, Mindy, and Amanda

The rest of the week was busy, I didn't get to do everything or see everyone I wanted to but I will be back in a month. Some fun things I did do while I was there was...

-Went to lunch with the ladies who work in my room

-Went to 3 movies with grams
-Went to a Mexican restaurant with grams
-Went shopping with my mom, sisters, and grams
-Visited Sarah in SL with Brit and Tif. (Wish I would have gotten a pic..) They are so fun! It was a little weird though because they have 7 kids between the 3 of them... I may be a little behind!
-Hung out with Ina for a few hours
-Visited with Caramie. She is moving to Omaha in a few weeks and I am sooo sad. I don't know what I will do without her. :(

-Hung out with family
Mindy and Oakie


It was so nice to be back in Utah during the summer. I do miss not being there when the weather is nice! I of course wished Dave had been there as well. Summer is such a good thing and bad thing. It is good that Dave has a job that helps provide for us but bad because we don't get to enjoy the summer. I feel so bad for Dave in the summer, it isn't the funnest job ever. While I am out playing and enjoying myself he is in the hot heat working 10 hour or so days.. I appreciate all his does for us!

The Taste and Peter Pan

The day before I flew to Utah I went with Dave's parents to the Taste of Chicago. It is where a bunch of restaurants in Chicago set up a booth and you can go around and buy a little portion (a taste size) or a larger size. The restaurants just choose a few items to sell at the Taste. They also have live bands all day and evening. I went 3 or so years ago with Dave when we came for Danny's mission homecoming. When we went then there was rides, a Farris wheel, and more booths but it was still way fun this time. This is Dave's favorite thing, once again I am sad he couldn't come. I know we would have spent and ate ALOT more if he was there ha ha. I got a slice of deep dish pizza (my favorite), popcorn from Garrets (?), slushy, guacamole (I have been obsessed with this stuff lately), and a few other random things.

Renee and I
Renee and David
After the Taste we went to the Broadway play Peter Pan. It was different than any other Broadway I have been to. It was in a tent like structure. The stage was in the middle with the seats surrounding it in a circle. The dome ceiling would project a lot of the scenery and make it sort of 3-D? It was cool to go and it was a pretty good play. There was a lot of flying around and I liked that!

I should have taken more pics and taken some before it got too dark. This is the top of the dome tent.

Hawaii Trip

A few weeks ago I went to Hawaii with my grams, aunt Sandy, and cousin Riley. It was a blast! We stayed the 1st night in Waikiki and then the rest of the time in Laie by the North Shore. I loved how laid back and not crowded that area is.

The first night we ate at the cheesecake factory. I love cheesecake so I had to add this pic. :)


We went to Pearl Harbor. This is grams and I waiting to go into the movie. Grams didn't like all the pictures but I am all about memories so she was out of luck!

It was so sad to see all the lives that were lost that day. I am so grateful for all the men and women who fight for our country.

Some of the survivors of that day that have since past away have requested that they be buried back on the ship. They are cremated, there is a service in their honor at this memorial site, and then taken down to the ship. I thought that was pretty neat.

Riley is so funny. She sat out for a long time making her little sand castles. They are of a pineapple and Sponge Bob. She is so carefree and fun. Wish I could be more carefree!




We stayed at a beach condo. It was sooo fun, nice, and cheap. I highly recommend going to the site http://www.vrbo.com/ when you are looking for a place to stay. People post their rentals on this site and they have places in every state. It was so much nicer than a little hotel room and it was cheaper!

This is the beach by our condo. It was very beautiful!


We bought the spray sun screen, I had never tried it but thought it would be a good idea so our hands didn't get all sunscreeney (that is a word if you were wondering :) )....bad idea! That stuff doesn't work! We got pretty burned our first day at the beach, it was sad!

We spent a day at the Polynesia Cultural Center and didn't get to everything! It was a lot of fun! This is us at the Fiji stop. They have demonstrations at each country and usually fun activities. Samoa and Tonga were my favorite!

The guy from Samoa climbed a coconut tree!

We went to a luau at the cultural center. It was a fun experience.
They even roasted a pig. It looked disgusting!



Grams got flip flops, had to document that! She had a little bit of a rough time at first but was a pro by the end of the week!

We walked to the Waimea falls.

We went to the Dole pineapple plantation. We got a Dole whip and loved it!
Ate at a yummy Mexican restaurant on the North Shore. That is grams and my thing, we love going out to eat Mexican food and had to keep our traditions up in Hawaii. We also sat right next to some famous surfer from Australia or something.

Tried coconut juice from some sketchy place on the side of the road, don't think I will do that again....

Visited the beautiful temple grounds. My grams and grandpa served a mission to the visitor center here and so it was fun for my grandma to visit. She said a lot has changed. While they were on their mission they took care of all the sister missionaries, we ran into one of them at the grocery store, it made my grandma's day. She also saw some people in the ward she knew, I think she had a great time!





Played some card game. Grandma and Sandy are very competitive. I would sometimes read instead... lame I know. I read 5 books while I was there. I love to read and find it very relaxing... nerd alert!


Went to Hard Rock on our last day. We did go to some local dive places but of course didn't have my camera.

I loved this trip, wish Dave was there of course but had a fun girls trip! I have a pretty cool family! Now I just need to talk everyone into going on a cruise!