A bit of summer fun

 So this summer Jennifer, Matt and their girls Regan and Lexie moved in for a few months. Matt is on a long break from school until January and so they came here to work and be near family. I have LOVED it. We had  a lot of fun in the sun and in the warm summer nights this summer.

 We may have fed them chocolate for breakfast when their parents weren't around!

 Hanging out at our favorite aquatic center

 Warm summer nights and SMORES by the fire. I love it!

 Roasting
(and stuffing)

marshmellows

 

 Don's mom rented a house on the river in Post Falls. On Sunday night we did a family fireside and testimony meeting. Don did a little show with his fireside message for the kids.

 It was a fun and spiritual experience to share with his family.

Bryant Family Cousins Renunion

This summer my moms side of the family had a cousins reunion. For the most part it was my mom and her cousins. My grandma, who is the matriarch of our family now was there along with her brother Uncle John. They are a hoot when they get together! I can't believe how much my 93 year old grandma still travels. The reunion was held out in Sandpoint ID on the lake. One of my moms cousins has a house out there that we used. It was a beautiful and hot weekend! We used the boat a few times and went tubing, Easton LOVED it and even went alone a few times. The boys had fun playing with some of the other kids that were there. Some of them came from across the country and some just from over in Seattle. While we were all together we did family history. Each person there wrote down the names and dates of all their children and grandchildren and it was compiled and sent to each of us in attendance. It was interesting to see the difference in those who were raised LDS and stayed active and those who hadn't been. I am so thankful to be among those who were active in the church. I am so grateful for that gift in my life.

Here are some photos from the weekend

 

Everyone who was there                                                         

 All the Cousins

 My mom and her two brothers, brother in law, husband and her mother

Don did a magic show one of the nights for everyone. It was a great success. My grandma especially just LOVED it and LOVES him.

 Eating fire...rope trick (my favorite)

 Uncle Robin and his mom

 This was the BEST part of the weekend... 93 year old grandma swimming in the water. At first, she just was walking right up the dock as if she was going to jump in! Everybody freaked out and we helped her walk in from the beach. It was pretty special to be out there with her.

Little Easton on the tube. He loved it.

The Voice Audition in LA

So a few months ago Don took me down to LA to audition for The Voice on NBC. It was  a really fun experience. We stayed with a good friend of his, Dan Bird and his sweet family, who I had been dying to meet since Don and I have been married. We spent some time at the beach in Malibu with them and ate at some yummy restaurants.

The audition itself was a long experience!! Or at least a long day. I arrived at about 11am and finished about 4 or 5 hours later. At the beginning of the day you stand outside just waiting in this LONG line of people waiting to get into the building, there they check your idea and your audition pass and give you a bracelet showing you belong there. So, nobody was there who wasn't auditioning, unless it was a parent there with a minor. Then they eventually split you into several groups of ten... still waiting... and then those groups audition together in a small room with one or two producers present. You wait for your name to be called and go up, tell them your song and sing one verse and one chorus  A Capella, and that's it!! It's pretty nerve wracking, even tho you aren't on TV or anything. I felt like I did pretty good, but wished immediately that I could have done it again. One other person sang the same song as I did, but luckily a different verse, and he forgot some of the words. I sang  "I Can't Make You Love Me", I got my inspiration from Carrie Underwood. Anyway, it was a good experience... I didn't get a call back or anything from it, only one person in my group of 10 got a call back.

I was grateful for the opportunity and for a husband who loves me and believes in me enough to help me get there. I was grateful to feel the spirit after my audition and feel of His love for me and to know I had a wonderful and fulfilling life to go home to. As I looked around at the people around me who had been there waiting and hoping and wishing for something to change their lives, I wondered how many of them would also be going home to such a blessed life, as I was. I thought for most of them this may have been the "only" chance they had to happiness. How many of them thought life wasn't worth going home to after not making it there? I was so grateful to realize and to have a husband help me to see, how many other talents and abilities I had beyond singing and how much good I can do in my little world and for my family, which will reap far more benefits in my life than making it to some TV show. I also felt proud to be someone who wasn't afraid to try, even if it meant what some might call "failure". I hope it was an example to my children, but I am sure they have forgotten about it by now! I would still love a life full of singing and performing, but maybe for me it's just singing everyday with my kids and husband and performing in church. And, that's enough for me.

 Here are a few photos from the trip to LA....

 Malibu Beach... You can't see them, but there were about 4 or 5 Dolphins swimming around in the waves. It was amazing!!!

Pictureless

So... I have bad news! My camer is GONE!! My WONDERFUL boys took it without me knowing and lost it at the YMCA. I am so sad and so frustrated! I just expect more from people and expected it day after day to be returned, but no luck. I had a lot of pictures on there I would have blogged with and some I probably don't even remember. Very sad.
To add accident to injury I also recently lost my cell phone to a watery grave! I had a lot of pictures on there as well, just so sad! Luckily Don has a good phone that takes alright pictures so I will have to rely on that for now.
A few things I would have blogged....
Easton did his first ever sports camp. It was two weeks long and it was 2 days each of Soccer, Softball, Football and Basketball. He was adorable to watch! He is really gifted when it comes to sports. He's a very very athletic little boy. He really did a great job and had so much fun.
Cameron, Parker and Landon all did a strength training course at the school, early mornings for about 6 weeks. It was sort of a cross between Cross Fit and P90X I think. A few times when I would drop off  Cameron I would see the other bigger kids there pushing Suburbans! It was a great course for them this summer. Cameron really enjoyed it but I am not sure how much "strength" he actually gained this time around, I think it was pretty intimidating for him but he will know what to expect next year.... hopefully that doesn't mean he won't want to do it!
McCall and Jaxon both did Summer Track at the school a  few days a week. McCall is a great runner and was really into it. She will be starting Cross Country soon. Jaxon got a good taste of what it will be like for him in another year when he's in Middle School (WOW thats crazy!!). He is NOT a runner as of yet, he has a little bit of a husky build right now, but he really enjoyed throwing shotput. He is really hoping to also start on a tackle football league this fall. And I would love to get Cameron into a Basketball camp. It's been a busy summer to say the least!!!
I went to Twin Falls to see Jessica and Jennifer and the kids, that was fun. I took McCall and Easton with me. Then Jennifer came here to visit and decided to stay! Until January anyway when Matt starts back up at school. They will be living in Couer d' Alene with the Lymans and working for them at their resturant Scruds. It will be nice to have her here and her two little girls... and watch her baby bump grow! She's due early February. 3 kids under 3 years... that will be nuts!!
Right after I got back Don took me to Leavenworth for the weekend. Oh how nice that was! We stayed in a beautiful mini condo on a little putting green. Its a darling little town to walk around and shop in. It was a perfect get away. I am really hoping we will take the kids there next month before school starts up again.
Its been a busy, HOT summer, but it's been fun. Looking forward the last few weeks as we rapidly count down to school again.

Updates updates updates

I have been a bit behind on my updates! Enjoy the next 5 or 6 posts with things
 that have been going on the past few months. Make sure you check out one of my
 first posts with our family pictures, I finally have them on here!

Melissa and Glenns Wedding.. and a mini reunion

My cousin Melissa got married on June 9 in Pendleton OR. Don and I went down for the wedding along with all my siblings, except Josh who is overseas still. Here is Grandma just arriving at the church with Allison, Melissas younger sister and the maid of honor. Grandma amazes me! She is 93 and still traveling all the time!!

Melissa trying to get some last minute touches done on her hair. She looked so beautiful!

 Grandma came in the bride room and gave Melissa her "something blue", a beautiful little bracelet.

 Allisons little girl Faith was the flower girl, she was so beautiful

 Here comes the Bride

 They were really sweet together. I think during the above picture I was singing a song for them. They had just done their unity sand and were waiting for the song to finish. I sang "I will be here" by Stephen Curtis Chapman. It was an honor to be asked and my aunt told me afterwards that it made the whole ceremony come together, which was such a compliment. I even had a lady in their church ask me the next day if I would come sing at her wedding at the end of the summer!

 The first kiss

 This is Allisons little by Gage, he was sitting with his grandparents watching his mom up on the stage. At one point he was waving at her, it was pretty cute. He's a doll!

 McCall and Cameron came with us and Jessicas step daughter Chandra came with her, they were the designated babysitters during the wedding and reception. They are holding Lexie, and Regan as cute as ever on a little horse! I love that girl!

And.... On to the reunion portion of the post....

 So all of us siblings were together for the last time in who knows how long! Jeremy is moving the Luxemburg!! It's like this whole other country!! :) Hes going over for 3-5 years with Amazon.

The boys thought it was all about them.... this picture proves that!

Above is mom with both her parents and all but one of our siblings. This was I think the second time in my adult life that I have seen my moms dad. It was really special that they were both there. Below is Melissa with her cousins and sister. Kaylee on the end did Melissas hair for her.

Aunt Sara and Regan. She loves me best!! It was so good to see her. She kept asking me to come home with her when we were all saying goodbye. She is just such a sweetie!!

Me and Jen and Lexie who is about 7 months old. SO CUTE!!

I have no idea.... Jeremy and Jeff hijacked my camera for a while. I also ended up with pictures of half eaten plates of food and the mens restroom door. :)

Lucky for him, I still love him. This photo represents about 50% of his personality!

Ok, so Regan is the biggest HAM there is! She can't help but shake her little body when she hears music. She was immediately out on the dance floor when the music started. She's dancing with Faith and Gage in the picture above. And proves she can hold her own on her own in the one below!

Shakin' her groove thang!!

Me and my baby.

Matt, Jen and their baby.

And finally it was time to say goodbye. This is me with Uncle Phil and Aunt Maria who is my moms younger sister and my three cousins. Matt, Allison and Melissa. It was the most fun weekend! I really enjoyed spending time with everyone and seeing family from all over. And such an honor to sing in Melissas wedding. Don and I really had a great time and can't wait to spend more time with them.