BYU Roommate Reunion

Living in Arizona has so many benefits, but the one I really enjoy is catching up with my friends from the past. We decided to get our families all together for a barbecue, swim party. Noel Wood Frame, Katie Phelps Kunzelman, Missy Zaharis Fletcher and I were college roommates at BYU.  Missy and I were from Mesa, and Katie and Noel were from different parts of California.  Even Todd Stevens came who was close friends with Noel and I growing up and was also on Wade's mission. We owe Todd greatly for Wade and I getting together because he was the missionary who Wade stole my picture from.

When we get together all we do is laugh till we are sick remembering all the funny events from the past. Literally I came home with my stomach muscles hurting from laughing so hard. There is nothing like the bond, when we get together. We truly pick up where we left off. My family told me they loved seeing us together, seeing our fun, crazy, silly sides. While we were sitting around talking our 15 year olds decided it would be fun to go to the stake dance together. Who would have ever imagined when we were in college that some day our children would be friends and enjoy hanging out together.

Family Reunion 2010

Our Family Reunion this year was at the Haycock Hide-A-Way over Labor day weekend.  Being all together as a family is what makes life's journey all worth it. We had Nana and Paul, my brother Tom and his wife Holly and my nephew Waylan and our whole family, which made for the best of company. I am aware that I say every stage of motherhood is my favorite, but this stage has to beat them all!  To have my children's spouses join our family is so wonderful and an incredible bonus and addition.  We have so much fun all being together!  We spent 4 days in the mountains, hiking, splashing in waterfalls, cliff jumping, rope swinging, visiting llama farms, going to the pine days festival, playing outdoor as well as indoor games, riding the quad, attending church together, family sharing of ancestral history,  and lots of eating along with lots of laughs!


Our Family
Tom, Holly & Waylan Young, Joslyn and Justin Pattee, Monica, Wade, Jacob. Jacque & Paul Haycock, Mitch and Laurisa and Grafton Milne



Family togetherness at it's best, relaxing and enjoying each other's company.

We love to play games together as you can tell.  Laurisa and Grafton brought up their bean bag toss, it was a hit.  We couldn't stop playing it, and even played couples competition.

Fossill Creek made for a day of fun and and adventure.  We had a picnic lunch and played in the water.  We had some dare devils in the group that jumped off the tall cliff. Mitch realized it was a lot higher once he climbed to the top and didn't think he could do it until his sister jumped with him.  His whole family and everyone watching cheered him on.  Jake did back flips off the rope swing which entertained us, but we put a stop to him wanting to cliff jump backwards. 

The water was so refreshing and so beautiful.

The breathtaking scenery.  Such a beautiful place.

We were around the table playing games when we had the greatest suprise ever! Joslyn and Justin, after a drive up the canyon, walked in the door holding her hand out for us to all see a very large sparkly object on her finger.  We all screamed in unison.  The conversation the rest of the night was all about the surprise proposal.  Justin surprised us all and was so calm that entire day.  Way to be keep it a secret!  Mitch toasted the couple in true Mitch style.

Joslyn gave the boys all haircuts, including her fiance. As always it is always hard to leave this hide-a-way.  Thanks Nana and Paul for hosting a wonderful family reunion that we will remember with fond memories. And I think Joslyn will have it engraved on her heart forever.

A family that bowls together has a "BALL" together

 We know how to have fun and bowling is one of those fun family activities that we love to do together, so for family night we headed to the bowling alley. We love to bowl and cheer each other on.  How did I get such amazing bowlers for children...I love how excited they get for each other when they get a strike.  You can tell by their faces how well they did each round and their enthusiasm for each other.

I actually enjoyed playing the couples round, especially since Wade was my teammate. Mitch and Jake played against us. Very stiff competition...I'm so glad Wade was my partner...I married an incredible bowler.  If Pfizer doesn't work out he can always be a professional bowler. 

Trading places

Do these brothers look like twins?...well apparently their teachers on the first day of school thought so. They decided it would be fun to trade places for a day and go to each other's classes.  Their friends in their classes knew what was going on but the teacher's had no clue.  One teacher had Mitch prior, so when he sat in Jake's class on the first day of school and answered to Jake the teacher said, "you and your brother could be twins, you look so much alike, so how is Mitch doing?"   He had all the answers since he was Mitch.  The kids relished in the whole prank and it was the big talk around town.  Even Laurisa heard about it in her ward when her young women came up to her and said, Guess what your brother's did today?"

There was a close call when one of them got called to the career center to fix a scheduling mishap but they text each other so they both could leave class and then when Mitch went back to his class where Jake had been he sat in the wrong seat but corrected it when he saw Jake's back pack on the floor at a desk in front of him. When Jake went back to his class as himself the same hour the teacher didn't even notice.

When Mitch had to answer questions about things that would be discussed in the year he answered them all right since he had taken the classes previously.  The other students loved the points he earned for their group.  It was a day they will always remember but the teacher's obviously didn't....thank goodness for Mitch and Jake's sake.

Luau Family Night

 Our back to school family night Luau.   Joslyn, Mitch and Jake decorated in pure Hawaiian style.  I was surprised how the whole family went all out to make it a very authentic night, even dressed up.  We had Hawaiian haystacks for dinner, pineapple coconut desserts and Laurisa and Jake entertained us with a hula dance.

We even set up the volleyball net and had a competitive game of volleyball!  It was an Awesome family night and a great way to end the summer.

Amazing Jake's

Okay, we all know Jake is Amazing, but when a theme game center came into town named after him it became his giant playground.  Nana has made sure every year that Jake has his fill of "Amazing" fun at Amazing Jake's.

She called to see if he wanted a day at Amazing Jake's before school started and asked who he wanted to bring, Mitch and I were the lucky ones!  This place is jam packed full of fun and adventure from bumper cars, rides, games, miniature golf, bowling, dining and all with different themed rooms.

We spent almost the whole day going from one room to the next maxing out all the fun and adventure we could. Jake thanks for being so AMAZING, and Nana you are AMAZING for spoiling us with a whole day of nothing but fun!

Lazy Summer Days!

Relaxing Summer reading Fun in the Sun!

This is how we are enjoying our summer.  One of the perks of Laurisa and Grafton living at the Val Vista Clubhouse is we get to enjoy the amenities.  We spent a day reading at the beach.   We missed Jake, he was with his friends at the Barney's cabin. The enjoyment of reading with my children is definitely top on my favorites list.  It was the perfect day!  We almost had the whole beach to ourselves.

Beach with the Girls

I got a text a week before school started from my friend Kelly asking if I wanted to go on a girls trip to her beach condo in Rosarito.  I texted back, "I'm in!" It had been such a crazy summer that the prospect of sitting on the beach relaxing with a good book and good friends is exactly what I needed.  So Kelly Breinholt, Chay Roberts, Elaine Smith, and I headed for three days of blissful beach living.
Kelly showed us the best time ever and her amazingly breathtaking beach condo made for an incredibly beautiful and relaxing vacation.  We went shopping of course, got massages, played games until 3 in the morning (bluffers dice), read, sat on the beach, ate the most amazing food ever.. still dreaming of those shrimp tacos, and just relaxed.  It truly was exactly what I needed.  I love these ladies so much and thoroughly enjoy every minute of their company.

Rosarito Mexico~ just south of the border of California.  We loved relaxing at the beach reading our books.  The first day was a bit cool so we bought matching sweat outfits at Walmart.  We felt so safe at Walmart, the security guards were guarding us with machine guns...not something you see everyday.