Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Summer trip to D.C. and Virginia! August 2014

I always love to go and visit my family in Virginia. I cherish all the memories I have  a great family!  A week after Ally returned from her mission I took her,Ashley and Bryn with me to Virginia to see family. Spencer and family moved to Rockville, Md.... outside of DC so we were able to see many of our dear family.

 This is a photo of all the family that showed up to our picnic in Newport News Park. Thanks Aunt Jude for  organizing this great event.

 Aunt Charlotte took us to a museum with her grandsons...Brody and Kellen. Bryn loved it!
                             My brother Paul loves babies and really bonded with Bryn!
 Virginia has beautiful oceans and Lakes. Sydney loves splashing in the water off the dock.
 So glad Spencer and Suzy made the 6 hour trip to come to this event. It should only take 3 hours but the traffic around DC was crazy the day we drove and it doubled our traveling time.
 
                     Shawn loves his daddy . Spencer is a great dad!
                           Suzy and Kate talking with Aunt Dina.
                            My sister Mary with Ally.
 It has been at least 25 years since I have seen my cousin Sean. He is living in Quantico, VA after retiring from the coast guard. He is as handsome as ever!
 We were able to be with Shawn for his birthday. We went to a carnival park and rode the train.

                                    What a fun birthday...all had a good time.
                                          Princess Kate....she's precious.

                                          Ashley and Bryn.

 So we went to DC with 2 babies, a six year old, a three year old, 4 adults and three strollers. I would say we are strong.... brave women to maneuver the subways and crowds. It was a long walk to the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial but so worth it. Thanks Suzy. You were a great guide
                                  Kate, Sydney and me and the WW2 memorial.

 I really thought this was a beautiful memorial with many touching quotes to the men and women who served and protected our freedoms. There were many countries represented.


 Try getting into elevators, subways with our crew. We barely fit. We had a good laugh at times .
 
                                Sydney loves the subway rides! She's a trooper.!
                 Ashley and Ally went to the Holocaust Museum and we fed the kids lunch.
                                               Ally and Bryn!
                                           Shawn, Sydney and Kate.
 So glad I could share this trip with Ally and Ashley. So glad Ally served a mission and that she is off to BYUI. She has a great family! We love her!

Ally returns from her mission to Colorado Springs!

 We had the whole crew go with us to the Fresno airport in July to pick up Ally from her year and a half mission.
                          Gracie helped make signs for Ally. The kids were so excited!
                           Having a great time in the airport! They did a great job with the signs.
 
             The moment she walked through the gate. What a great memory. We love you Ally!
 Ashley drove from the bay area and brought Bryn...born while Ally was on her mission.
All present except for the two boys, Mckay and Andrew who wandered off during photo time.

Monday, July 21, 2014

Spencer and Suzy back in the USA...A visit to Turlock!!!

Arriving from Okinawa after a long flight. It was so fun to see them come out of customs and to have Shawn and Sydney recognize us and run to us!


                                                   I see grandma and grandpa B!!!!

                                          They look pretty good for a 12 hour trip...
     
                            Glad to finally be in the US and at grandma and grandpa's house.

Bryn, Kate and Shawn enjoying some of our play food and toys!


                                               
                                             Arts and crafts and coloring are always a hit.
                    Kate and Bryn outside with grandma and grandpa...they are 6 weeks apart in age!
                         Shawn loves it when grandpa makes him a biggggggg train track!
We went to the splash park but the winds picked up and the temperature dropped so it was a bit cold but we had a great time being together.
One night we went to Incredible John's Pizza for dinner and enjoyed the arcades and rides with Sydney and Shawn.
Suzy and Sydney racing Shawn and Spencer.... I forgot who won! They are all winners in my book!
                               Kate is a little angel....is a happy go with the flow child.
                                              Kate getting to know Grandpa B.
I promised Shawn we would go bowling one night because I know how much he loves it. This was his reaction when he made a spare! He is a sweetheart!
I have a talent of winning toys from the claw machine. So I spent like 5 dollars and won 4 stuffed animals...Sydney had to leave them here and when I talk to her she keeps reminding me to bring them to Maryland when I come.
A visit to Donnally Park is always great fun because there are lots of ducks to feed and also lots of fish in the pond which I think Shawn enjoyed more than the ducks.

One of the ducks pecked the bread out of Shawn's hand and scared him so we had to hold him because those Honkers were trying to grab all the bread from us...It was a bit scary for me too! They must have been super hungry that day!
                Feeding the ducks from a safe distance we climbed on the picnic tables!
                                           The double swing is always a hit for the kiddos.

I had just bought this tiny pool for Bryn but Sydney and Shawn had a blast filling it with water and dumping water into buckets. We also filled water balloons and had a water fight.


Ok Spencer... take it easy on Sydney she is a kid...This shot captured the moment perfectly right before the water burst all over Sydney. I think she wasn't to happy with how hard he threw it but she was a trooper!
 I have a really large tub and all my grand kids love bubble baths in it...of course they are in bathing suits using my tub like a pool and we even put food coloring in it...its green....
Water balloon fight with cousins at Crane Park...Gracie, Sydney, Shawn,Andrew , Mckay and Hannah.
                                 Cousin Time...waiting to leave for church together!

                   Sweet girls...Taylor, Lucy and Sydney...where is Maren???

We have 13 grandchildren and number 14 will be here in 6 weeks. We will have 9 granddaughters and only 4 grandsons so of course Grandpa B wanted a grandson picture...and only two of these will carry on the Bjarnason name...Andrew and Shawn.
                      We had a dinner at the farm and had water fights and lots of family.
                            Getting ready for Uncle Dwain to do a magic show.

                                                   Spencer and Suzy
Magic show a hit...Andrew, Mckay, Shawn, Benson,Aunt Karen, Jared and Sarah... the kids were so into the show..Thanks Uncle Dwain. It was awesome!
                       





Taylor, Gracie and Lucy



All the family at Uncle Ron's...Back row: Spencer, Suzy, Dad, Ashley, Clarke,Char,Spencer with Hannah,Nick, Kellie,Karen and Dwain...Middle row...me holding Bryn, Taylor, Elise,Sarah....Sydney, Maren, Stephanie, Lucy, Ron, Andrew behind Ron, Mckay. Porter, Jim and Jim's dad...Gracie, Shawn, Benson, Ron...hope you got this!!!

                             Enjoying a swing with Bryn...she loves to be outside!
                                             Shawn loves water balloon fights.
                                        Everyone trying to get Spencer Hyer wet....
Swinging at the park right out my front door.Its so nice to be able to walk here and have a beautiful park with swings and grills and shade!( Shawn)
                                                                     Bryn...

                                                     Char and Andrew!
                                                   Ashley, Bryn and I


All the cousins...great fun . I am so glad we went to Crane Park and hung out for 5 hours with many activities and great family fun!






                                    Sydney is always such a little lady! So cute!


              Mckay was quite the athlete in our 40 foot obstacle course...adults enjoyed it also.
                        Uncle Ron with the three youngest babies...Bryn, Kate and Jasper.



Memorial Day would not be the same without a trip to the cemetery in Turlock where they Honor all the VETS. Grandpa Bjarnason is buried here.
When ever I took pictures of the girls I would never see Maren because she was hanging out with Bryn and Ashley!


Spencer Hyer and Suzy with Kate....I always call him Spencer Hyer because we have my son Spencer and it's always hard to keep them separated so I just call Sarah's husband Spencer Hyer...It works!
Shawn giving Hannah a big cousin hug...this is the first time they have actually met...Precious!
Dad...worn out on blanket and my two sons...Clarke and Spencer getting to enjoy some time together!
                                                  Ashley, Bryn and Sarah.



Suzy and Sydney getting some lunch..Yum!




Love this photo of the looks when Uncle Dwain did a magic trick with Spencer's dollar. How did he do that????

There's the dollar.....I never thought Spencer and I looked that much alike until I saw this picture...WOW you can tell I am his mother for sure!!
Sweet Hannah and Sarah enjoying a hug... She is a sweetheart and loves her grandma B.

                                             Bryn, Kate and Sydney hanging out!        

I am so glad we were able to spend these few days together and that we will have forever together in the future. We are such a blessed family and have such a rich heritage of love and joy! We are so proud of all of you and love you so much!!! Hurray for Israel!!! We have alot of future missionaries out there!

And And I can't forget to include Ally in our fun! While we were having our family reunion Ally and three sisters were having a bit of water fun with Mark. This is Mark whom Ally has been working with for quite some time. He and his wife Sarah are getting baptized on July 26th...Ally has been praying for this for some time! Again a big shout out...Hurray for Israel!!