More from California

Russ in line @ Big THunder Mtn. (if you could call it a line)  Most days were great!  The worst one was the friday before Labor Day, but that was to be expected.

We decided to do the big all you can eat bar-b-cue lunch on our anniversary!  It was pretty good!

This is our hotel room.  We stayed at the recently renovated Red Lion, it was just 1 mile to the gates of disneyland!

This was our beautiful bathroom!

We're Back!!!

As most of you know by now...  Ben received his mission call to Atlanta, Georgia while Russ and I were in California on Thursday!!!  We thought it would be for sure 2 weeks and up to a month!!!  I'm glad he will be in the states... I think... looking at pictures, it looks like a really big city!!!  Does anyone have any info???  He will enter the MTC on December 9th!!!  Just 3 months.  I don't know yet if he will be there for Christmas OR if he will fly to Atlanta on the 23rd!?!  I will post more info as I get it!

This is Russ & I in front of Cinderella's castle.  It was 87% or more HUMIDITY each day that we were there!!!   We were dripping as soon as we went outside!  We stayed at the Red Lion hotel which was only 1 mile from disneyland and walked to and from once or twice a day!  Needless to say... many miles were put on my new flip flops!!!

This is Russ' 1st attempt at taking our pic. while he held the camera... I figured with his long arm it couldn't hurt!!!   We didn't take many pictures... but I will post a few more next time!!

It's out of our hands now!

Ben has officially turned in his papers for his mission tonight!  He met with the Stake President and hopefully it will be just a few weeks before we know where he will be serving for the next two years!!!  Anyone care to take a guess where he will go???

More Lake Powell...

I know this is a little long but this was so cool!  While everyone else went hiking up one of the slot canyons (Jen, Desi & I stayed to keep the boat from hitting the rock walls), these kept coming to the surface!!! I had no idea that there were jellyfish in Utah!!!

Lake Powell 2009

We are back!  What a fun trip!  Jen, Tom & Desi went with our family to Lake Powell this week!  We all had such a great time!  The pic's are soo cool!  I will try to load some videos of the AMAZING wipeouts!!!

Zack was sooo happy cause this is what he ate for dinner on the way down! 

He held the record with 5 sandwiches!!!

Brayden thought he'd look cool in Uncle Tom's hat & glasses!

Ben wake boarding!

Desi loved to be in the water!!! She was sooo good in the boat!

Morgan was extremely brave!!!  I caught her 1/2 way down!

Megan & her little lizard!

Jen , Tom & Desi

The kids are still in awe that their dad can really ski!!!

What a stud!!!

I will post some more pics later!

Have you heard the saying...

     Have you ever heard the saying... "I feel like a chicken with it's head cut off!"  Well lately that is my state of mind!  Last night we had a fabulous Make and Take!  Most everyone showed up and we even were finished before 9:30!!!  Russ was tired and had already gone to bed (That's what you get for waking up @ 4:45 AM to go to work every morning!) and I was wiped out!  I finished up and read for a while thinking... I will be able to sleep SOOOO good tonight!  After 2:00 am I quit looking at the clock!  Why is it when I'm at my most tired that I cannot sleep!?!  I just lay there and think of all the crazy things going on in my life!  Granted a lot of them are of my own doing...  maybe I will seriously that about that lovely word SIMPLIFY and do just that!

Thomson Reunion

Every year we get together as siblings and go on a camp out.  This year it was Liz & Dan's turn to plan it!  We ended up @ Anderson's Cove, up by Pine View.  It was so nice and shady with all of the tall trees!

This is my favorite picture!  I didn't end up taking very many... and there were more of the cousins than my own kids.  Sammy was so fun to have around!  Zack kinda liked having a little shadow.  

Chloe ended up being our tattooed lady!  Thanks to Aunt Laura, all of the little girls especially had SEVERAL fake tattoos.

We were supposed to play a game with the milk jugs... but they ended up being used for other things...

Of course the guys had to have a project... luckily Russ needed our bumper readjusted!

I'm so glad that Zack had lots of energy to fly the little boys around the camp!

Grandpa just chillin!

Sammy had to try out the milk jug hat!

I took this picture as Seth raced down the pavement!  I couldn't believe it wasn't blurry!

Morgan has lots of fashion sense.  High tops DEFINITELY go with a swimsuit MOM!

One of the the highlights of every camp out is when Laura & Becky con their families into performing some sort of skit or song!  This year it was the village people!  Hopefully I can load the video later!!!!

Thanks Liz & Dan for such a fun reunion!!!  Hopefully others took pictures of my family and we can trade!!!