Mini Carlson Family Reunion

Over Memorial Day Weekend, we had a chance to get together with a lot of our Carlson family since they were in town for Chad's wedding.  It was soooo great!!! 

But first...just a couple pics from earlier that week

Emmalyn playing doctor with Landen

Maxwell eating with chopsticks for the first time.  He loved it and was pretty good (with the little helper tool)!

Unfortunately we weren't going to be able to go to the actual wedding because we had already planned on doing a Color Run as a family on my mom's birthday.  Luckily there were other opportunities to spend time together with our extended family.  We met up with everyone at the site of the wedding and joined in on a pizza lunch.  (I didn't get any pictures) 

Then we headed over to the hotel everyone was staying at to spend more time together.  We decided to go swimming since it was something everyone could do and we didn't have to go somewhere and spend money.

The kids were already making friends and having fun.  Emmalyn had a couple of the "older" cousin girls who were happy to mother her.

Angelina, Vanessa, Emmalyn, Landen, Max, Hayden, and David

We hung out in my Aunt Sue and Aunt Nancy's room.  We weren't prepared to swim so I ran to Wal-Mart with my cousin Melissa to get supplies for her kids, my kids, and Brittany's kids.  It was fun to have a few minutes with her sans kids!

We got there and most everyone was already swimming.  Britt's boys just jumped in wearing their shorts but of course, Maxwell my rule follower was eagerly waiting for me to get back because he would only go swimming with a suit.

All of my Uncle Rob's family was there except the bride and groom who were off doing things.  Many of them I have not seen for years!

The pool was filled with my much loved Carlson family.

Unfortunately the water was not heated!!!  It was soo cold but that didn't stop everyone.  I was glad Emmalyn's little mothers got into the pool with her so I didn't have to.

She had fun but it was nerve wracking not being in the pool even though I was watching like a hawk.

Maxwell out of the pool on a quick break (note his purple lips!)

Emmalyn finally was too cold and so she got out and bundled up with Angelina

Uncle Rob tossing Maxwell in the air, just like fun uncles do.  :)  I have some really great uncles who are not only great uncles but great grandpas and treat my kids as if they were their own grand kids.  That always really touches my heart.

Finally pulled this kid out of the water and he was coooooold. 

Some of the group

After swimming, Britt and I took the kids and went home since it was bedtime.  Late that night, the Kenyons got to our house to spend the long weekend.

The next morning we all met back up at a park halfway between the wedding and our place (since we were more than an hour away) for more time to play together and visit more.

I found the park by just googling... No one had been there before but the pictures made it look like it was a decent park.  It ended up being AMAZING!!!  Lots to do, a variety of toys for many ages, tons of places to sit, trails to run for the runners, and a splash park too!

Emmalyn was constantly entertained by her cousins, it was great!

Vanessa, Emmalyn, and Natalie

They did a great job of taking care of her.

Maxwell also benefited by having lots of cousins around (even though some of them he didn't know before yesterday) to challenge him and inspire him to play in new ways than he had before.

Peter wanted to hold Jackson.  Maybe he's ready for another baby??? (Hah - NOT)

Why splash at the splash park when you can splash in the muddy puddles?

Some of Grandma Carlson's great grandkids.  It's amazing how many there are and then you realize that there are so many still missing!  There was representatives at this informal mini-reunion from each of her children/their families (and mine).

We finished off our fun morning with lunch at in-n-out.  Luckily they had some tables outside and I had a bunch of blankets in the car for the kids to sit on.  We were a big group!!!

Natalie and Maxwell

Landen, Hayden, and David

Jamie, Lindsey, Morgan, Anna, and Cadence

Park of the lawn crew

The table crew - mainly adults.  :)

Gotta love in-n-out!

I am so grateful for these great people in my life who, while technically are not blood related, are my family and have always acted like such.

Utah Trip - Tubing!

I was so pumped for today!  (Aside from the hassle of getting everyone equipped to play in the snow and the super pain in the butt that is when you are looking for clothes to fit a non-size 6 body... Oh well, I made it work.)

We went up to a tubing park up by Park City with Peter's siblings and nieces and nephews.  I've never gone to a place like this so I was excited to try it and to have the kids try it too.

Clockwise from left: Korben, Payton, Jaxton, Jordan, Maxwell

The kids all hung out with me in a heated hut while the rest of the adults bought the passes.

And now the girls (and a few boys)

Jaxton, Payton, Harleigh, Emmalyn, Mariah, me, Felicia, Madison, Lola

All bundled up (poor Emmalyn could only move her fingers and her eyes).  Cute little snow kids!

Emmalyn aka Stay Puffed Marshmallow girl.  She couldn't even really sit up, just sort of lay against the chair.

Hitting the hills - - -you stand on this conveyor belt and it takes you up.  No big deal until you are trying to keep your balance, hold onto your tube, plus hold your puffed up daughter all at the same time.  It stressed me to no end.  After the first time, I let Peter take Emmalyn.  (Which left me with Maxwell which had it's own complications as I tried to help him successfully get on and stay upright on the belt.)

Maxwell and his tube

Everyone had to have their own tube, so Emmalyn went down in an adult tube because she fit better inside it than a smaller one (plus I felt it was safer in the wider base).  I didn't realize when we showed up that she would have to have her own tube and couldn't ride with Peter or I.  That made me incredibly nervous.

Video - Emmalyn going down the hill for the first time.  She wasn't sure what to think and you can see how she changes her mind a few times.  I thought for sure she'd love this since she's usually so bold and brave, but nope...not this time.

He was so happy and having a lot of fun.

Daddy's girl

Waiting in line to go up the hill.  The first couple times went really fast but after that, there were a ton of people you had to wait a long time.  That made it not so much fun for Emmalyn and Maxwell.  

Brothers and their daughters

I thought snow tubing was awesome (and I only did the little hill...that was plenty exciting)

It was a lot of fun having so many family members there.  We didn't stay together as a whole big group but there was enough of us that you frequently ran into someone.  After two times going down,  Emmalyn did not want to go anymore.  She decided it wasn't fun and was too scary for her.

At that point I took both the kids because Max was tired of waiting and starting to get cold, and Emmalyn kept saying she was poopy.  UGH!  That meant I had to trek all the way back to the car, holding my daughter who had doubled in weight thanks to all her clothes... get a diaper and wipes and trek all the way back to the bathroom.  On the way back, I grabbed our stroller so at least I didn't have to hold Emmalyn but that was tough too because the ground was snowy/slushy/icy.

Alex watched Maxwell while I took care of Emmalyn.  I think the diaper change took like 30 minutes because I had to take all the layers off and then put all the layers on.  And to top it all off - she wasn't even poopy!!!  She was totally lying because she knows that we act pretty quickly if she's poopy.  She was clearly trying to manipulate me and get out of having to go down the hill again.  Sneaky little girl.

Once Maxwell had some hot chocolate in him, he was ready to play on this mound of snow with Lola.

Sliding down on his rear

Trying it with a tube

Emmalyn was happy to just sit in the stroller and hang out.  She was so fussy that I gave her the binky.  I didn't put all of her layers back on after the diaper change so she was a little less puffy and I hoped still warm enough.

He was LOVING playing in the snow.

Nothing emphasizes how short one is better than wearing big bulky snowpants.  :)

She fell asleep (which made me confident she was warm enough - whew)

Maxwell tackling Korben.  They had fun playing together.

While I was with the younger kids, everyone else was having fun going on the big hill.

Group picture (minus Alex)...

...Oh, there he is

The area is just so beautiful!  I miss seeing these gorgeous mountains.

We all headed to McDonalds for lunch and then went our own separate ways after that.

Max and Lola buddying up

Emmalyn's cousins were so sweet with her :)

Peter and Madison

Peter, Madison, Mark, and Alex w/ Morgan in the front

Group picture with everyone this time

After we left, we headed to Sandy to go to my step-sister Katherine's grand opening of her esthetician salon.  We got to see Nana, Uncle Derek, Aunt Katherine, Aunt Marabeth, and Aunt Sharee.  We didn't get to spend much time with them because everyone was busy with the opening but I was able to help a little big and Maxwell and Emmalyn got to see Nana, which they were so excited for.

There were a ton of people there - it was crazy!

We were wiped out after our long day.  We stopped at Arctic Circle on the way back to Tammy's for another shake (I got cookie butter again because it was so yummy).