Jerome County Fair Parade

Briton kept well ahead of Parker and myself. We rode with the St. Benedicts Medical Center entry. The boys went to Bicycle Safety Day, got new helmets, and signed up to ride their bikes in the parade. We decorated their bikes a little with crepe paper and straws on the spokes. They had a blast and are looking forward to doing it again next year.

I pulled a wagon behind me with the little girl I babysit going along for the ride. Parker just learned to ride this bike. I thought he was going to ride his tricycle forever.

The worries of a protective mother . . .

As a new school year quickly approaches, I can't help but worry about my oldest as he prepares to enter the first grade. Will his teacher pronounce his name correctly? Will he make new friends quickly? Will he be able to find the lunch room? Will he like the food? Will the other kids pick on him because of his height? Will his long legs fit under his desk? Will he ever learn to tie his own shoes? Will he make it to the bus stop in the mornings? Will he remember his bus number to come home? I could go on and on. I handled the Kindergarten days pretty well; perhaps because I knew he would only be gone for a few hours. I am NOT looking forward to his absence for the better part of the day. He has been a best friend to his little brother and a protector to his little sister during these busy summer months.
I love my children and I love watching them grow! I pray often that I can protect them and guide them down the right paths. I pray for their success in everything that they do, whether it's schoolwork or just simply playing. I also pray that they will always know how much I love them. My heart could burst from the amount of love I hold for these three precious beings as only a mother's heart could.
Briton, as you start the first grade, remember to always treat others nicely, ask for directions if you get lost on the way to lunch, take at least one bite of everything, and please, please, do NOT forget your bus number! Mommy loves you!

1st Annual Hurst Family Reunion

Held at the CherryHill Campground in Kaysville, Utah; mom and dad had reserved 3 campsites

July 23
We all arrived at various times of the day and set up our tents
Mom and dad were first to arrive - they set up an area for the preparing and cooking of meals, an area for gathering and visiting, and several picnic tables lined up for eating and playing games.
Greg and Nancy were last to arrive because they had the farthest to drive.

July 24
We packed lunches after breakfast and drove into Salt Lake where we spent most of the day at the Hogle Zoo. We were able to watch the bird show, visit the Madagascar display, and ride the train. Before we left we made sure each grandchild got a small gift from the gift shop. Very little sleep was had by all due to the thunderstorm, but it sure cooled things off.

July 25
After breakfast everybody put on their swimsuits and headed for the water park, miniature golf, and the many other activities at the campground. Every one of the grandchildren got wore out and fell asleep as soon as their little heads hit their pillows that night.

July 26
Packed up camp and went our separate ways.
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We had so much fun! This was only the second time we have taken the kids camping (we borrowed a tent from Brian's parents). To see our family crammed into Brian's little car with all of our camping gear crammed in the trunk and around our feet was quite a sight. We took Brian's car because it has air conditioning. Brian and I both decided we would rather listen to the children complain about being squished than sweating to death, but to our surprise there was very little complaining.
At the zoo, the boys ran all over! They wanted to see everything as fast as they could. We had to keep reminding them that we had all day and that they needed to slow down. Parker couldn't wait to see the penguins and polar bear, but the polar bear died a couple years ago and they have not replaced it yet. Kaelee enjoyed watching the little monkeys jumping and swinging around their trees, she also got a kick out of watching the pelicans. Briton seemed to enjoy everything.
I think the kids enjoyed the water park the most. Briton wanted to go down all of the water slides and pulled Brian along with him. They really enjoyed the father-son time they were able to spend together. While waiting in line at one of the slides Briton turned to Brian and said 'I love you dad, this is the best day ever'! I stayed around the kiddie area with Parker and Kaelee. Parker loved playing pirate and climbing on the pirate ship. He ran everywhere and splashed everyone. Kaelee took some time getting used to the water. It wasn't any deeper than her bathtub water is, but there was so much more! She finally started splashing and pushing me onto my back, climbimg on top of me, and pretending to wash my hair like I do with her in the bathtub. It was fun and I enjoyed it too.
We played miniature golf as a family. Watching the kids play was the funnest part. Briton kept holding the club backwards, Parker got tired of all the swinging and missing so he finally started throwing the ball down the fareway, and Kaelee kept chasing the balls and bringing them back to you when they reached the green. Needless to say, we didn't keep score!
Briton tried climbing the rock wall and made it about halfway up! Brian and Briton both played aeroball; Brian played against dad, Thayne, and Andrea and Briton played against Ben and a couple other campers. Greg and Brett spent a lot of time at the batting cages and Briton asked Brian if he could watch him hit a few balls.

The time we were able to spend together as a family was enjoyed by everyone! It was fun getting to know each other all over again and watching the cousins play together like they have never been apart. I think mom and dad got to spend a little bit of time with each of the grandkids too and they loved it!

When I asked the boys what they remeber most about the family reunion, here is what they said:
Briton - going down the waterslides with my dad and playing games with my cousins
Parker - playing games with my cousins

I am thankful that I was able to gather with my brothers and sisters and their families and that we were able to pick up right where we left off, as if the time we spent apart and the distance between us was not a factor. I am grateful for the bond that our children have with each other and for the way they are able to play together so well. The big kids even made sure they included the little ones in their games! I look forward to the next family reunion.

Thank you to each of my family members and I love you all!
(I would like copies of any pictures you took over the weekend and I will send you what I took.)

Kaelee's kitties

Kaelee loves kitties so we got a couple for her for her birthday.

The gray one we named 'Cinderella' and the black one we named 'Tinkerbell'.

She carried them around by their necks and had scratches all over her arms for several weeks. We figured maybe she'd learn not to carry them around that way, but instead the kittens gave in and just let her do whatever she wanted to them. Unfortunately, they ran away after we had been living in Jerome for only a week. I don't think she really remembers ever having them.

Jerome Sweet Home

As promised . . . pictures of my home!
We moved into this home in Jerome mid-June. Brian began his electric apprenticeship with the union at this time. He is helping build the St Luke's Hospital in Twin Falls. The job is not all he was hoping it would be, but it has gotten us closer to family, which is where we want to be. I am still sekking employment and have decided to post fliers and put an ad in the newspaper to open a small (2-3 child) daycare in my home. I have really enjoyed the time I have been able to spend with my children.
Briton has been adjusting well and has several girls coming over to play everyday (I think they think he's cute). Parker is doing amazingly well; I continue to see improvement with him everyday. Kaelee is just fine as long as she has mommy; every time I turn around she is right there!
We have a wonderful ward and have never been welcomed so openly and with so much love before!!! The kids have even adjusted to Primary after only a couple weeks!
This move has been a blessing for us and I really, really, REALLY hope we are here to stay for awhile.