Going Away Parties

So this past weekend was our last weekend in Utah before we move, so both sides of my family decided to throw Robert and I a party. This way we could see nearly everyone before we left.

To start it off we went up to my Uncle Garn and Aunt Kim's house where we got together with my Tolsma side of the family. It was a perfect day to have a cookout with hot dogs and hamburgers and play some games outside. We played horseshoes and this other fun game like horseshoes where you throw these roped balls onto a stand to earn points. It was a lot of fun!

Some of us were not as skilled as others and kept getting the roped balls stuck in the tree, so Kim had to cut some branches down to clear a path.

I think I need some more practice. ;)

Where's Tyler?

It was a lot of fun getting together again and catching up. We are going to miss being able to see our family so often.

Jenny, Aunt Lori, and Grandma Tolsma

Cousins


The following day we got together with my mom's side of the family and the games continued...

This time we played some croquet and money was at stake. I almost took the first round, but my cousin Drew took me out! Lucky bum won $20! My Uncle Murray won the second round.

Tyson, Jessica, Drew and I sitting back and relaxing after finishing up our game of croquet.



After eating taco salad and playing croquet, we took our party up to Mountain Green where my Aunt Susan and Uncle Bob just moved. We celebrated my sisters birthday and ate lots of dessert.

Farewell! Thanks to everyone for making these past five years here in Utah awesome. It is definitely going to be a bittersweet move. We are excited to start a new adventure, but sad to leave family and friends.

Swimming Party

Last Monday, we went over to the Asay's barn to have a last get-together with two other couples in our ward because two of us our moving.

The Asay's were so nice to open their home to us, so we could all hang out and go swimming. Here we are left to right: Kaydee, Eunice, Jaclyn, and me.

They have the sweetest pool! As you can see, they have a 12 foot rock wall that you can jump off of into the pool. The boys loved it. I think they liked climbing up the wall more than they did jumping off it. I spent most of the time on the dark water slide tunnel that they also have.

They also have these water guns that you can shoot at people while they are swimming.

Here is the gang! The Cranes on the left, Jaclyn in the middle (her and Brandon are moving to VA for medical school), and us. It was such a fun night! We had the best homemade burgers I have ever tasted, swam, played lots of ping pong, and ate some yummy desert. We keep saying how much we are going to miss our ward when we move. We have been so lucky to have met such wonderful people, and they will all be greatly missed. I wish we could take them with us to Florida!

Timpanogos Caves

On Saturday July 18, 2009, Robert and I met up with my mom and Grandma Tolsma to hike to Timpanogos Caves. It was my mom's gift to my grandma for her 79th birthday. This is something that she has been wanting to do for quite some time. Also, it was the first time for Robert and I.

Here we are starting the hike up!

On the way up, we saw some beautiful wildlife.

It is a steep hike, so we had to take a couple of pit stops for rest. My mom and grandma did awesome!

It was a perfect day to hike. Look at the amazing view we had on the whole way up the side of the mountain.

We are halfway there!

Getting closer...it started to get pretty steep towards the end.

We finally made it!

Once we reached the top, we had to get all geared up (wear jackets) to go on our cave tour.

It was a really fun cave to explore. It was really narrow at times.

Cave spaghetti

On the other side! We made it out. Now for the easy part: the hike down. Except that was the part that made us most sore the day after. I guess we are not use to using those muscles that it takes to go down a steep incline.

One last view of the beautiful canyon.

Well she made it! Way to go Grandma!

It's time for some real fun...

On Friday night, our friends Devin and Kaydee took us out on their ATVs. We went up in the Spanish Fork Canyon where we spent the evening taking these ATVs on some fun off-road trails.

It was another first for Robert. He had never been riding on an ATV before, and I think we initiated him well. We went on some fun off-road trails that were very difficult. He did awesome and loved every minute of it!

Hard core!

At one of our pit stops. It was a perfect night for being up in the canyon. The weather, company, and scenery were perfect! It was one of the best times we have had this summer!

Boys being boys...

One of my favorite things to do is go 4 wheeling. It reminds me of Sourdough, a place my Grandma and Grandpa owned up in the mountains. All my cousins and family would go up spend the night and go 4 wheeling all day! I miss those good 'ol days.

Here is some video from our drive back down the canyon after our off-roading adventure.

Who knew that the drive back down would have such a surprise.

On our drive, we found some skeletal remains of a cow jaw and an actual dead cow. It did not smell very pleasant! We didn't think you needed to see a picture of the cow.

After playing around all evening on the trails, we ended our night watching the sunset from on top of a hill. Utah summers are a lot of fun, we are surely going to miss them!

Unfortunately our fun came to a close when the sun went down. Here we are all dirty from all of our fun!

Thanks to Devin and Kaydee for an awesome night! You guys have been the best of friends! We are going to miss you so much! We can't wait until you come and visit us in Florida.

God Bless America!

To kick off the 4th of July weekend Robert, my mom, and I went to a drive-in movie. It was so much fun! I haven't been to a drive-in since I was little. We watched Ice Age and Night at the Smithsonian. We picked the two shortest movies possible since you watch back to back movies.

As you can see, we had some of the best seats in the house. We sat on top of the van and ate pizza and lots of other goodies.

It was Robert's first time at a drive-in movie, and he loved it. That's the screen in the background where our movies were shown. We watched them until 2 AM!

Happy 4th of July! The next day we slept in and missed the parade. After sleeping away the morning, we decided to get out of the house and do something. We took my grandpa to a car show up in Perry near Logan. On our way back from Logan, we decided to make a pit stop and have a picnic at the park.

While we were eating, a few seagulls started to stalk us. They were waiting for us to let our guard down. Robert, being an animal lover, started throwing our leftovers to them and sure enough we ended up with a whole army of birds!

After watching the main city fireworks, we came home and decided to do our own street side firework show.

We gave grandpa a show of a lifetime! ;)

We are so blessed to have been born in the beautiful U.S.A! Forever let freedom ring!

Birthday Surprise!

Yesterday was my Grandma's and my brother's birthday. I decided to ask for work off and drive up to Ogden to surprise my Grandma for her birthday. I showed up with flowers and she was so surprised she just kept starring at me. I almost had to let myself in the house. It was perfect! She still had her curlers in her hair, I loved it.

We spent the morning relaxing together, but in the afternoon her siblings Don, Dorothy, and Burton came to visit her as well. We went out to lunch with them and had a very nice visit. I think it really made her day to have all these visitors.

For the evening festivities we went out to dinner with the family. Here is a group shot of the whole gang that came out to dinner.

After eating lots of pizza and cheese bread, we capped the night off with Grandma's favorite dessert, carrot cake. It was yummy! I think she had a great birthday! Happy 79th Grandma!