July 4, 2009, Smith Family Reunion, Washington

Fun on Aunt Janna's trampoline

More fun in Aunt Janna's pool.

Some crazy fun with my favorite Small Bear! I can always count on Derek to give me a smile. Thanks son!

With Uncle Stuart, Aunt Kim, Tate, Michah, and Gavin

Uncle Matthew's family, Aunt Kris, Adrienne, Claire, and Landon

With Aunt Janna, and Stephanie. They were so awsome and giving to let us all come and invade and feel so at home in their home and very fun yard!

A great picture with Grandpa and Grandma Smith, we sure love you guys!

Here is a picture with Eric, Kelly and their boys, Eli, Brandt, and Asher. We were able to go and visit them in Birmingham Alabama the beginning of June. We had a great time. It sure is great to see family. Our cousins are such good friends to us.

We have a tradition at the Smith Family reunion to roast S'mores. Yum!

Hannah and one of her best buddies, Grandpa Smith, getting some great memories and stories Grandpa Smith style as only the great legendary "Solomon and the Winkle" story teller can.

We have come out for our anual Smith family reunion and we are having a wonderful time. We arrived Friday the 3rd of July. Derek rode first class and Hannah and I rode in the back (lol).

Our first night we cleaned out the "Hobbit Hole" that we sleep in at Janna's house. The kids love the idea of sleeping in a Hobbit Hole, it makes it that much more fun. Uncle Steve has even painted a big red circle on the door to get in to the area with some Hobbit phrases also painted on the wall.

Saturday we had Utah weather here in the Northwest. It was rather hot, almost 90 degrees. Fortunately, Janna has a 15 foot pool to help keep the kids cool and a trampoline and a jungle gym to keep all 150 children occupied. It was a great day of cousins saying that each one of them were their favorite cousin.

Sunday we all went to church and then came back to Janna's. She has quite the garden. The kids helpped to "harvest" some sweet peas, and rasberries. We had a delicious 4th of July deseret. We had fresh blueberries, rasberries, whipped cream, ice cream and angel cake, very yummy. Grandma also helped Hannah get her geneology started on line, Hannah was very excited. She wants to do this for a goal for Young Womens.

The kids and I also went to visit Grandpa and Grandma Ely. We had a wonderful time. Here are some photos from this visit:

This photo above is standing outside of the beautiful gate to go in their yard and home.

This is the Yert that we slept in, the "guest house". It was quite luxurious. Inside was beautifully decorated in an Asian theme. There was a very comfortable bed, and even a T.V. and telephone. The heater was also much appreciated, even in July... The first night, Hannah and I slept out here, then the next night Derek and I had the privilage of sleeping out here.

This is down by their pond. It was so beautiful and lot of hidden beauty and treasures to find. Hannah was very much in her element there. :)

Hannah's favorite animal right now is a wolf. My beautiful Goldie is wearing a wolf skin hat from her Grandpa Ely.




Hannah and Mom looking for baby dragons, (otherwise known as Salamanders), she caught 3!
Derek and his Grandpa Ely. Two kids having fun in their boats. They also played with remote control boats (one right by Grandpa Ely) they also played with remote control helicopters later. They had such a great time together.





Wow, what a beautiful photo of the Sound! Great kids too! Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for taking us!

"Live long and prosper" Derek. :) More fun at the zoo with the elephants and next with Grandma Rita and the birds
Yup, that's Goldie on a camel!


On the way out of the zoo we saw this racoon. It was so cute I just had to get out of the car and take a photo of it. He was playing peek-a-boo with us. This was also not the first racoon but one of at least 11 that we saw, none of which were "road kill" all acting for us as if reading from a movie script...

We had another wonderful time together visiting with our Smith and Ely family. That is one of my very favorite things to do. I love my family so much and I am so greatful that we can visit them all as often as we do even though they are far away.