family and friends

This Summer, althought slightly crazy, has been one of my favorites. It has been full, and I'm talking FULL of fun events and visits with family and friends. It has been so wonderful to spend so much time with family. We have learned a lot about our own little family and we've grown in many ways. Has it been a little overwhelming? Yes. Has it been difficult transporting my kids to and fro and sharing a bedroom with them for the past 2 months? Yes. Has it been worth it? Double yes.

This past weekend, after a few days in Logan, we made a quick trip to the Mortensen's cabin for the JD Mortensen family reunion. We had a great time with Scott's uncles, aunts, and cousins. It was fun to get to know some that I didn't know very well and even meet some for the first time. The cabin as usual is awesome. It looks beautiful in the summer, and the weather was perfect. Martha had made this cute "Mortensen" sign and I couldn't resist getting a family picture in front of it. I especially love that the Mortensen family is diverse. Different races and nationalities, and who all call each other family. What an amazing thing.

One thing I love and have always loved about the Mortensen family, is that "family" goes far beyond the reaches of a "normal" blood related family. The Mortensen's, especially Glenn and Martha (my in-laws) always have open arms and have amazing talents at making lasting friendships and relationships with people. Above, are my lunch partners. :) Patti (Glenn's sister and organizer of the reunion) planned so many fun activities. We drew names out of a hat and those people were our lunch partners! It was a great idea. So here are my partners Veikko Puikkonen, and cute little Ivie. Isn't that a great idea? We had a great time. Veikko has been part of the Mortensen family since most of them can remember, even before Glenn served his mission in Finland. He and his two daughters both came to the reunion. It was fun to see them and they really do feel like family.... isn't that what being a family is all about? Acceptance and inclusion? Loving each other for our differences? I think it is what family is about and I feel blessed to have such a family.

Now that the weather is warm, it's time to float the river! SO FUN!! My boys loved it. It's hard to tell that Eli loved it, in this picture.... but I promise he did. The river is just shallow enough that I wasn't worried, and just slow enough that was great for the kids. We had a blast. I am looking forward to our next trip to the cabin and more tubing down the river.
Tyler made our awesome T-shirts for the reunion. He took a picture of Grandpa JD and did a profile of him on the shirt. They look really great. Plus it was fun to see everyone wearing them and remember what a legacy and how much love and family can come from one man and one woman. Pretty amazing.

After our reunion, on our way back to Pleasant Grove, or "home" for the next couple of weeks.... we stopped in Centerville to visit some friends who are in Utah visiting family. These people are some of our most cherished friends. We love and respect them so much. We knew each other our first year in MN and have been able to stay in touch and stay friends ever since. They have two boys, Will and their oldest are the same age. Chrissy and I were "first-timers" in MN and had a lot of fun talking about parenting and the adjustment into motherhood. Plus, our boys had a lot of fun together! Chrissy is expecting her third BOY in November, so fun!

We just love these guys. I'm amazed at what true friends are. Even though we haven't seen each other in over 4 years, our friendship doesn't change and it feels like I just saw them yesterday. It's easy to pick up, right where you left off when it is a true friend. I look up to Chrissy a lot, she is an amazing person and wonderful mother. I hope we can visit them before another four years goes by! Thanks guys for the fun visit and yummy dinner!!