Hill Family Reunion

We had a good time attending the Hill Family Reunion last weekend up at Heber Valley Campground. We spent Friday night there in cabins and then spent Saturday doing one of the ropes challenge courses.

**I didn't mention who the Hill Family was! This is Rob's mom's family! So MaryAnn's maiden name was Hill.

Warning: picture overload

Some of the Hill family making treats!

Enjoying smores! He was posing all funny. And thanks Amanda for this awesome fleece, he loves it! :)

Rob was telling stories to Robby and Annie to get ready for bed. Stories about a boy named George which Quattro pronounces "Dordge." After each one ended he would say, "Read me another story about Dordge." How can you say no to that?

Proof I was trying to be a happy camper - despite the lovely woman issues I was having that weekend! Party! Hey, I was happy to be sleeping indoors at least and we weren't freezing cold all night!!

We played this game where we had to swing from one spot to the other... the rope hung between the two places and Rob had to dive out to grab it... I usually hate these kinds of activities but it was actually pretty fun.

Robby couldn't swing across by himself so he held onto Rob to get across. Oh yeah, and we were supposed to all stand on that black mat together - if one fell off it we had to start over. Kind of tricky!

We had two groups, and raced on these wood boards - had to hold on to the ropes and all lift up the same foot at the same time... teamwork...

This one was two cables that formed a V, you held hands and walked down the cables getting farther and farther apart - you had to push against each other's hands to stay up. Annie and Quattro looked so cute doing this!!

Almost there!

"We did it!"

Me and Becca's attempt...

Yay for us!

Andrew and Rob - getting to the end!

Zip line time!

Ok I kind of can't believe I did this so it needed to be well documented. Sorry for all the pictures.
I kind of surprised myself by just climbing all the way up quickly - I was trying to go fast to not be scared.

Oh yeah, let me just walk across this beam all the way up high. No big deal. AH!

One word: PROOF

So proud of mommy! :)

Or you could go like Rob and JUMP off and then not even hold on! I sat down before I got off the platform and ended up bumping my bum on it - so not recommended... but a safer feeling way to go! :)

The last time I went on a zip line I was about 5 years old - I was the test dummy for my brother and his friend's zip line they made in the back yard... let's just say they hadn't quite worked out the "stop" part which they figured out as I slammed into the tree. ;) I survived. The ride at Heber Valley was fun but I'll say for the scariness factor once I finally got going and enjoying myself the ride ended much too quickly.

Wish I'd gotten more pictures of the family but it was a good time!

Am I a brother?

On the way home from Taba's house last night Robby asked me, "Mom, am I a brother now?" Wondering what he thought had changed from earlier today to make him a brother now I replied, "No, why?" And he said in a crying voice, "But I WANT to be a brother now."

I tried to explain, "You're not a brother now but you have cousins that you're like a brother to, and their you're friends. You'll be a brother when mommy has a baby. You'll be the baby's brother when we have one. Okay?" Robby wasn't satisfied: "I want to be a brother TODAY!"

I know, Robby. I want you to be a brother now too.

Tonight I was asking Robby what he was going to do to pay me back for the wave machine he broke (he just broke the stand off of it) so I said, "What are you going to do to help pay for it? Hmm??" He looks at me and says, "take a hower with you?" (shower) Um, no, honey, thank you for that generous offer but that's what YOU always want to do, not me! Then he said, "do some jobs for you?" Yeah, that's more like it. It was just hilarious though, Rob and I had to hold back the laughter. But yeah I can't really take a shower without him running in the bathroom and stripping down and hopping in! No privacy around here!

We have a blast driving in the car, singing along to our favorite songs... the other day we were listening to Justin Bieber's Baby song and Robby loves to sing along to, "when I was 13, I had my first hove." It's so cute! He loves to dance in the car and sing along!

The other day we were eating lunch and he was across the table from me - so, a whole 2 feet away from me - and he's like, "but I want to be near you!"
I said, "you are! You're right next to me!"
He said, "I always want to be near you."
Me: "You are!"
Robby: "No, not when we go to the gym!"
Me: "But you like going to the gym! You play with toys and have fun. It's good."
Robby: "Yeah, but not the part where I'm not next to you."

I sure do love that he loves being with me so much!!!

Wow, this kid just doesn't even know how adored he is and how lucky he is to have all of our attention and not have to share it with a sibling yet! So we'll all just look at the positives and enjoy the time with just Robby cause he is such an amazing little boy. We thank Heavenly Father for him every night!!!! And hope he'll get to be a brother soon.

False alarm

Ok everyone who has been worried about me driving across country with my mom can take a deep breath and relax because CHANGE OF PLANS!

My mom decided she didn't really want to leave when I did - I was trying to get there by the time Rob flies in so we can spend time with the Parsons first but she originally had planned to leave the second week of August and that was just going to be much better for her. So Robby and I will be flying out with Rob - still doing driving back and forth to Deep Creek when we're there and 2 long plane rides, on the way back without Rob, but NOT driving all the way across the country. I know this is going to be much easier on us and probably my mom too, I'm a little disappointed to not have our big adventure!

And I feel like I owe an apology to you guys who've been worried about me - especially AMANDA who we have been receiving awesome things in the mail from for our trip! Amanda, I'm sorry!!! But we'll still be having a lot of travel time so we can use all the stuff and Robby will LOVE IT but we won't be as desperate as you thought. Ah!

I have to admit, I'm a little relieved. But I spent HOURS researching games and activities for the car, making a huge list of all the stuff and snacks we'd have, going to stores looking for good little things to buy... so I feel super super prepared for the 4 1/2 hr flights back and forth and 3 hour car drives we'll be doing.

Thanks everyone for all the great ideas - they won't go unused! :)

Road trip - HELP!

Ok everyone, I posted this on FB and got lots of good suggestions but I'm still looking for more great ideas!

I'm going to be leaving in 2 weeks to drive from Utah to Maryland with my mom... and Robby. I love a good cross country road trip, but I've never done one with my kid! Ah! Robby is pretty good in the car and I think this will be a great adventure but I just want to be armed with as much as possible for this experience!

So for a 3 year old - best movies? Games on itouch? Other games or toys that are great for the car? That will distract him for like 5 hours??? Ahhh! Snacks that aren't too messy?

This is definitely going to be interesting! I'll let you know how we survive!!

*July 4th*

My parents drove from MD to UT and got here in time to celebrate the Fourth of July with all of us! It was a family-fun packed weekend...

Trunnell Family Gathering

Too bad the picture turned out all spotty... this is my amazing Gran! She had 17 kids! And has about 100 grandkids now...

Quattro so happy to be with his Babu... (my mom)

Annie and Gwen watching the talent show... I asked Robby if he wanted to go up and sing the fight song during the talent show and after a few minutes he said, "mom, come up on the stage and sing the fight song with me!" It turned into me and Rob basically singing it and him whispering it... oh well!

Can't believe I didn't get more pictures from that day...

FIREWORKS

Rob gave all the kids and I motorcycle rides while we waited for it to get dark...

Crazy cousins....

The Carters joined us just in time...

Thanks to the people next to us we had a nice little pre-show...

Robby thought he'd be scared of the fireworks but they weren't too loud! It was a good way to celebrate!

CAMPING

Annie is my little buddy. She kept wanting to sit on my lap...

Luke enjoying an apple...

Annie & Quattro helping me shuck corn... we had corn, hot dogs, pasta salad, and watermelon for dinner....

the kids LOVED playing with the fire... and look how dirty they got!

Robby loved staying up late...

Enjoying this chair... much more comfortable than sitting on the ground. And at one point I made us sing patriotic songs which was fun!

Breakfast... muffins, bananas, eggs...

Rob cookin the eggs...

And I surprisingly SLEPT some on this camping trip! Might've been the 15 inches of padding Rob brought with us for me, including a tempur-pedic mat... but it was quite the miracle! It was nice not feeling so grouchy and tired in the morning! Overall it was a great time! We'll definitely have to do it again...

And who would've thought throughout all these things I was having some of the roughest bad news days I've had in a long time! Grin and bear it... I do have a lot to be grateful for. We're grateful for the wonderful country we live in! Hope everyone had a great Independence Day!

Grateful for Robby

Lately in Robby's prayers he keeps saying, "and please bless that we can be grateful for the things that we need..." Hmm... we could interpret that to mean, grateful for our trials? Anyway, we sure are grateful for him. Robby is such a joy - I couldn't even IMAGINE my life without him. And to think I desperately wanted to have a girl first! Ha! Another testament that Heavenly Father has a plan - he gave me this lovable little momma's boy first to hug and kiss and enjoy and I love him so much.

(at Berto's birthday party)

Ok so what have we been up to lately?

Lots and lots of swimming...

with cousins and friends at our clubhouse...


got to go out on Tara & Jeremy's boat one day! So fun!


I even took Robby to Seven Peaks one day with some other girls in my branch and their kids. It was so crowded and crazy but we had fun!


Quattro showing off his tan line at a Primary activity...


"thanks dad!"

And scooter rides
(thanks Will & Amanda)


Do you know this kid can drive the scooter all by himself? Rob actually lets him steer and do the gas! I couldn't believe it till I saw it. It's pretty cute...

Just enjoying the summer!!!


playing at the park...


birthdays...


hiking the Y with dad... Rob said Robby walked almost the whole way up by himself!