Grandma and Grandpa Finlayson were nice enough to treat the entire extended Finlayson family to another vacation at BYU’s fun filled family camp – Aspen Grove. We last went three years ago; I was pregnant with Lindsay at the time. Why does it seem like I’m always pregnant? Ha. It does not make for easy travel up and down the curvy roads near Sundance. Barf.
Anyways – amazing how the clan has grown in the last few years. We’ve added a few in-laws, a few babies, and have a few more on the way. Seeing all the kids and cousins love on each other is one of the best parts. Lindsay and Ethan = BFF’s. They held hands everywhere they went. Our boys also bonded a lot with Rick and Julie’s kids, which was fun to see.
Getting to spend more time with the Nef/Finlayson newbies was also a treat. Jeff and Jamie were married a whopping two weeks before diving right into the family reunion festivities. Let’s just say we made sure their room was far removed from the others… 😉 Jamie is so much fun, and my kids adore her. She is such a sucker and will carry them, play with them, and take them anywhere. I know she loves kids, but honestly I’m wondering how long the uber niceness and patience can possibly last?? Ha. I don’t know, but it’s not just her. For the time being, our kids have a bunch of doting aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents, and not a lot of competition – and let me tell you, they milk it. Which is fine by me!!
Also fine by me, all day kids’ camp/babysitting for ALL THREE KIDS. So glorious. Pretty much the only time we saw them was for meals at the cafeteria, where they usually disappeared, choosing to dine with much cooler family members than us. And since Aspen Grove is basically like the Mormon family version of a cruise, we did A LOT of dining = EATING. And while some had complaints about the food, this preggars had no problems cleaning her plate… several times… morning, noon, and night. Let’s just say I do not do well with buffet style.
Besides eating, I choose the lazy lifestyle – reading, sleeping, and lounging by the pool most days. Brent was busier with basketball tournaments, rock climbing, ropes course, paint balling, golfing, and swimming. We did venture out on a few beautiful hikes, which I thoroughly enjoyed. And I single handedly united all the Nef girls in upping the fun factor for the family dance by declaring it 80’s night. We crimped, we teased, we applied blue eye shadow and purple eye liner, and rocked some seriously hideous shoulder pads. Mostly thanks to Jamie’s enthusiasm and her grandma’s closet – we pulled together some pretty awesome outfits on the fly. Sure, the rest of Aspen Grove thought we were weird or just had horribly outdated style – but at least we got a kick out of ourselves! I mean look at my pink velour onesie track suit! How cool is that?
It’s been so fun acquiring all these rad sister-in-laws! I love them. Good work, Nef boys. I approve.
Even with a few days of weird weather – sudden thunder storms, rain, hail – we had a great time. The kids wanted to stay another week they had so much fun. We definitely all had moments of missing Grandpa while we were there – but I’m sure he was looking down on us and was proud of his big, neon green posterity. 🙂
And while the family swept most of the sports competitions, if Grandpa feels anything like Grandma, he might not really be happy until the Finlayson’s take first place in Aspen Follies (2nd this year… so close!). More pics here.
And onto a quick and long overdue stop at my parents’ pad in Alpine. It was great to be on their turf and see them in their element. They work hard taking care of their big house and yard, give service left and right, make friends wherever they go, exercise all the time, and look so young, tan, and fit! My dad is 72, had open heart surgery last year and recently had major surgery on his shoulder after he tore his rotator cuff when he fell training for a race… and the guy is still running! And looks better than ever. Did I mention he also makes the best french fries in the world? These pictures of him and Lindsay are like gold to me.
And would you believe I was there to see my niece Kourtney BORN, and then was there to see her get married?? She is one of the most gorgeous girls on the planet. And I am OLD.
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