Cousin Pictures!!

 Presenting the last complete cousin picture for the next three years....

 We finally had to move the oldest two cousins to stand behind the couch!

 Isaac (6), Derek (6), Logan (5), Andrew (5), Preston (4), Emeri (3), Bryce (3), Savanna (3), Clara (2), Sierra (2), Oakley (2 weeks shy of 2) and Asher (16 months)!

The reward for compliance? MARSHMALLOWS!! :D

Crazy Sick

These poor kids! Derek woke up this morning with a roaring fever. Any medication given wore off a couple hours before I could give the next dose and even a tepid bath had no effect. Bryce's fever started around noon and when Clara started warming up at four, I called the pediatrician. Our thermometer was broken, but their poor ears were bright red and their little bodies were furnaces on overdrive. Sure enough, Derek was running a 104 temp (with a crazy high heart rate at 153 bpm), Bryce had 102 and Clara was sitting on 101. The after-hours physician's assistant we were referred to was a joke and started grasping at straws like a contagious ear infection instead of admitting he had no definitive idea. The only effective advice he gave me was to alternate Tylenol and Ibuprophen every three hours which finally brought the fever down to a manageable level. I'm so grateful to Mitchell and Jon for giving each of the kids a priesthood blessing. I know through their faith and the power of the priesthood, the kids were helped to speed their healing and finally rest comfortably. 

 Poor Derek. He feels horrible. :(

 The nurse was so kind to give Clara a pair of gloves to play with.

 Derek was apathetically entertained watching Clara try to fit her tiny hand into a large glove

 Poor Bryce. He's starting down the same symptom path.

Movies and the promise of slushies helped the boys get through all two hours of the doctor's office

Park, Pizza, P...uh... Movie

Today was a full day! We played at the splash pad and the park and then drove to Austin and Liz's house for pizza and a movie. The kids have been looking forward to seeing Zootopia and tonight is the night! It's so much fun having all the cousins together and they had a great time taking up the ENTIRE couch. All the adults ended up sprawled on the floor or corners of the giant love sac.

Constant motion

Bryce and Emeri off on a whirlwind adventure

Levitation!

Derek really loves these water jets

Running, running, running

Derek's favorite things - moving his body and playing in water

Clara and Sierra were a little less enthusiastic about getting wet

Preston found an itty bitty toad

See?

Isaac, Preston and Logan were fascinated with that toad and took turns holding it

Logan was actually happy to hold the toad

Love these sisters of mine! :D

Derek and Andrew apparently weigh as much as Bryce and Preston

Sweet Savvy!

Sweet Sierra!

Windblown

Later in the day, Clara fell asleep in the car and Derek was struck by a tender, big brotherly kindness to hold her hand and be so very sweet and gentle with her

 Caught him stroking and kissing her little fingers

...and then she shifted in her sleep and the funny-boy face was priceless

Movie Time! That couch is getting full!

Pinstack Bowling with Aunt Mary

We were so excited to hear Aunt Mary is in town this weekend! She wanted to spend an evening bowling and playing games at Pinstack Bowling and the kids were thrilled to be included. I had previous plans with Liz, Jenna, Sereen and Lanae to meet for dinner at Cheesecake Factory and the movie Me Before You. Thankfully I was able to meet them for a delicious dinner and then head over to catch up with the rest of my family. Derek, Bryce and Clara were having a blast running from game to game and all over the arcade portion of the building. Mitchell, Tyler, Andrew and I dominated a couple games of Lasertag. At one point, Bryce snuck off with Aunt Amy and Danny to get some food and he was in heaven having a whole plate of chicken strips and fries to himself, as well as the undivided attention of Aunt "Mamie" and Danny. ;) It was great to see Aunt Mary; Val; Aunt Veronica and Andrew; Aunt Jenn, Uncle Tim, Dillon, Tyler and Ally; Beth, Declan and Jilli; and Gamm and Papa. I think I just missed my mom, but we had a lot of fun hanging out with family and playing games together. Clara turned out to be kind of a good luck charm for Gamm and Aunt Mary at one of the games, Derek scored 500 tickets in a single round of a game, and Bryce was obsessed with the Transformers game. At the end of the night, Aunt Mary took all the kids, (Derek, Bryce, Clara, Declan, Jilli, Ally, Tyler and Andrew) into the prize room to pick out prizes. Altogether, I think we scored over 13,000 tickets! It was a super fun (super late!) night with my family. :)

 Derek loved playing this giant Connect 4 game

 Clara's great-grandma and great-great aunt ADORE her. 

 My lovely sister, Val and my lovely Aunt Jenn!!

 Derek, Ally and Dillon had fun playing this game together

 Mitchell was Phaser 22, I was Phaser 28, Andrew was Phaser 26 and Tyler was Phaser 33. Blue team for the win!

 Bryce loves Danny, Aunt "Mamie" and food. Triple score!! :D

 Who knew fishing was such intense work?!

 Derek's face when he got the biggest fish, haha!

 Mitchell helped the kids with another fishing game

 Aunt Mary, Gamm and I!

 Derek and Bryce loooooved playing this Ghostbusters game. They shot ping pong balls at ghosts.

 Bryce, Aunt Mary, Clara and Derek! :D

 Clara and Bryce took out the Decepticons on the Transformers Game. Mitchell eventually jumped in to help them out.

 Papa kept his eye on Bryce while he perched on the rotating entrance wheel

 Papa, Bryce and Danny

Bryce loves Hulk

Walking the Square

We met up with the cousins to get cupcakes from Tammy's shop and walk around McKinney Square. I didn't take many pictures (my stroller is a tank!), but the kids were cute and happy to be out and about. Derek was pushing Asher in his stroller and Lanae and I were both a little on-edge. "Derek! slow down!" "Derek, watch out!" "Derek!" "DEREK!!!" :S Asher was alive and well at the end of the walk and Derek was happy to have helped out. Savvie got tired toward the end of the walk but the strollers were full, so we let her sit on Bryce's lap/squish in with him. These kids were so cute!

Clara, Savvie and Bryce being sooooo cute!

 Driving back home, they fell asleep!!! Boom.

 Derek's hat still creeps me out, haha!

Playdate with the Healy's

My camera phone didn't do so well taking pictures of fast-moving, giggling kids, but Bryce and Clara had a blast playing with Ethan and Cassie. The kids took turns throwing stuffed animals into the pop-up tent, gathering them up to take them out and throw them right back in again, haha! They spent quite a bit of time tumbling and wrestling and jumping on the stuffed animal piles. Sharlene and I were able to snatch a few bits of conversation and had a good time watching the kids. :) 

 Rushing in and out of the tent!

 Tickling Cassie

 Clara and Bryce pretending to drive cars, lol

 Cassie is too cute! 

 Striking poses and being silly, haha!

Buddy boys!