Mr. Eagle

We are so proud of Grant and his follow-through. We took advantage of having Bill's parents in town for his nephew's baptism and scheduled the Court of Honor. Grant worked hard and was anxious to have scouting behind him...of course we all know that he will be a scouter/helper for the rest of his life:) He is already helping his troop with the cinematography merit badge that he already earned...he's a great kid with some wonderful abilities. Way to go Grant!

Grant...the 3rd and last Casper Eagle...

Proud and relieved Mom and Dad:):):)

Sibling support

Grant gave the "mentor" pin to William...it was a total surprise...and so sweet.

Papa and Grandma came from Las Vegas and they each did an outstanding job speaking at the Court of Honor...we love how they love and support our kids.

The Cottrell Cousins

Aunt Marnie and Uncle Steve

Seriously!

THIS is what I woke up to one day last week! It was quite a task getting that thing out of the pool! After tackling the yard...with the help of the kids, and then dealing with this critter...I was ready to move to an apartment:) Not really...just a couple of tiresome days:):)

Going Home

All good things must end...we hit the road early Saturday morning...2 long days of driving through the most "gosh forsaken" land...Grant insisted on taking the rest of the family to the Big Texan for lunch...there was actually a guy (happened to be Mormon:) trying to eat the 72oz. steak! That's the big deal...if you eat it, then it's free. If not, you pay...the guy ate all but 7oz....he barfed towards the end too. So glad I was done eating when that happened. We also stopped at the buried cars in the middle of nowhere Texas...after being gone for 15 nights...I was so happy to be back in my own bed:)

Theatre Camp BYU

Our kids are hooked on theatre! BYU offers a 2-week camp each summer and they absolutely love it! Garrett went solo this year. We didn't hear from him much..."no news is good news" was what comforted me:) He was busy and happy and learning and growing. He made some new friends and met up with some friends from last summer. These are talented, smart, solid kids. The play they performed was "Crazy for You". Garrett played "Moose", kind of the town idiot:) He did a great job and had a blast! We are grateful we can provide these opportunites for our kids...

Provo...

We were glad that Dad finally joined us on our trip. We loved Seven Peaks as well as our ski lift ride at Sundance...Utah has some pretty incredible scenery! Simply beautiful!

Another Man V Food Stop:)

During some of his down time in one of hotels, Grant jotted down some possible stops along our path back northeast towards Utah. He found another Man V Food spot that he thought would be fun for lunch...and he was right. We stopped at "Hash House a Go Go" in Vegas. It was a fun little quirky spot with ginormous portions! The pictures really don't do the sizes justice...Christine and I shared the huge, yummy burger. Grant did his best to tackle his mammoth-sized pancake. It was funny to see so many folks taking pictures of their food. Thanks Grant for saving us from a McDonald's lunch...it's nice to break out of the routine once in a while...if you are ever in Vegas, give it a try.

A Quick trip to Disney:)

Because we were so close to Anahiem, Grant and Christine insisted we head to the "Happiest Place on Earth! It was a quick trip, but well worth it. Knowing the lines would be long and the crowds big, we made a plan and ended up riding everything we wanted...we started early which made all the difference...not to mention the wonderful "Fast-Passes"...we love, love, love Disney! Nothing but happiness in the following pictures:)

Ok...so back to another installment of our Summer Fun!

We traveled south to pick Christine up at the Las Vegas airport where she had flown in from Dallas...and then on to my beloved hometown...El Cajon, California:)We stayed with my brother Jim. It was a great few days. We visited my Uncle Terry and his family. I loved being able to catch up on what is happening in their lives. Dinner on the patio was nice too. We don't get to do that here in Hell, I mean Dallas. We went to my favorite beach...La Jolla Shores...The San Diego Temple,Seaport Village, Coronado, Gaslamp District and Sea World...it was Heaven. Bill says when the kids are out of school we can move there...yeh right...whatever! I can dream, can't I?