July was by far our busiest month this summer. We were going non-stop. Luckily, we caught a small break right at the beginning. I decided to take that as an opportunity to soak up as much swimming and family time as I could. The rest of the month looked a little something like this... a fun visit from Grandpa Clark, a wedding in Utah to celebrate, and an epic Clark reunion in Lake Tahoe and San Fransisco. Get ready for a picture overload :)
First stop for the month was at the Oakland temple with my girl Hayley. We had such a great time. We were able to grab lunch and serve some sweet people in the temple. It is always a good time with this lady.
Celebrating Fourth of July!
Our sweet neighbors brought over flags, sparklers, glow sticks, and mini fireworks for us to use. The kids had SO much fun. We had such a fun Fourth!
Sparklers for the win.
Jack made a cake!
Jackson has been really into baking lately. It has been a lot of fun. He chose a chocolate cake from one of my baking books and wanted to make it. He rocked it! We all devoured that delicious cake.
Pool Time.
Our sweet friends went out of town for 10 days and asked if we would watch their dog. Lucky for us they also have a pool, wink wink. They happily allowed us to commandeer it while they were gone. Huge bonus to dog sitting. We swam every single day. The kids were in heaven. With each passing day they became more and more brave with swimming and jumping in. The deepest part is close to 9ft!
Our three little swimmers!
Grandpa Clark came for a visit! We were SO excited to have Grandpa come and stay with us for a few days. Preston and I took off to Tahoe to check out some picture locations before our family reunion. With Grandpa here to hold down the fort we were happy to take a little time away. Pres and I drove around Tahoe, ate at a delicious Greek restaurant, and saw the new Mission Impossible. We had such a fun night off. Thank you Grandpa for taking on the littles for us.
A trip to Santa Cruz.
We unfortunately hit a ton of traffic on our way to Santa Cruz. It took us hours to get there, but worth it in the end. The kids did such an incredible job in the car. We stopped to grab Subway (a favorite) and thank goodness no one had to go potty until we got to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. We had such a blast at the beach and riding rides on the boardwalk.
Grandpa made it to the ocean :)
Building sand castles and digging holes. These kids were having a blast! A much needed break from sitting in the car, haha.
Jack is our ocean boy. He loves being in the waves, swimming around, and exploring life beneath him.
Football on the beach. Beckham could not have been more excited.
I couldn't believe how far the sand stretched up from the ocean. There was so much sand!
Love these three!
After time at the beach and in the waves, we headed to the amusement park.
Love Beckham's smolder, haha. The kids were very excited to try out some rides. It took Quinn a second to catch on to the fun, but she eventually joined in.
Poor Quinnie was too small to ride the glider ride. We walked back to where the boys would get off the ride to watch them come in. She and I found a sweet spot to wave and take pics of the boys having fun. Next time you'll be able to go Q :)
A shot from the boardwalk.
This was fun ride for Beckham and Quinn. Jack was too tall, haha. Beckham barely made it. They loved flying their little helicopter.
The Boat Ride
We had just enough tokens for all of us to ride the boat ride. I have not laughed that hard in a long time. Watching Jack and Beckham's faces were hilarious. They didn't know if they should be scared, excited, or worried. Pres, Dad, and I laughed SO hard. It was the perfect way to end our time on the boardwalk.
We stopped at a little place to eat on our way home. It was tasty food with subpar customer service. I think it was just a busy night for the people working. We were happy to fill our bellies and head home. The kids fell asleep about 20 minutes into the drive. We were all wiped.
Next stop UTAH!
I planned our flight to take off around the same time as Scott's. He took off about 30 minutes before ours did. It was so nice to have the help in the airport. We all had such a blast with Grandpa Clark. We were so happy he came to visit and spend some time with the Clark crew. I know the kids loved their one on one time with him. Pres and I always try to soak up as much time as we can get as well. It was a perfect beginning to a packed two weeks coming our way.
Practicing smolder faces, hahaha.
Watching Grandpa's flight take off from the runway.
Our first stop was to see baby Violet! We were so excited to meet the newest member of the Spung family.
I was thrilled when Jimmy asked if I could take some pics of sweet baby Violet. She is so precious.
Seriously! This girl is such a beautiful baby. She was the perfect little model.
The following day we had a water party at Aunt Erin's. The kids had such a blast. Playing with cousins, eating ice cream, jumping and sliding in the water, was just what all of these kiddos needed.
Cameron Craig with all of his cuteness.
Slippin and slidin.
Avery Renee, you have my heart sweet girl.
Pool time with water guns.
A view from the parents new house.
While I was in Utah Mom and Dad were settling on buying a new home. I couldn't believe they were finally making the move from the mountain. We loved that place so much. It was such an awesome retreat for everyone. This place will be great too. New memories with yet another incredible view.
Jenna Bean surprised all of us and flew in for Aubrey's wedding! I was SO excited to see her. I've missed my Mandrelle people.
I of course had to make a quick stop at Trader Joe's to see my girl Allie. She's working there with her sister Nicole. I couldn't believe they were both working. I had to take a pic with these cute girls.
Happy Birthday Lukey!
We were all super stoked to have the opportunity to celebrate Lukey's 8th birthday while we were there.
Camo reminds me so much of Jack at that age. It's like a little mini. Jack loves having a buddy that looks like him :)
We had a lot of fun staying with Craig and Er this time around. The kids loved all the time they had with cousins. Camo loved having kids around that could play with him and make him laugh. Win-Win all around.
Uncle Preston gets to meet Violet.
We had one last game night before Aubrey's big day. It was hilarious to say the least. I laughed SO hard. There is absolutely NOTHING like family.
Congratulations Brock & Aubrey Lloyd
Aubrey's a bride!
This wedding was bitter sweet for me. Aubrey was the one that made me an Aunt. I spent so much time with her when I moved to Utah for college. She was only five months old when I made that change. I have watched her grow and blossom into this incredible young woman. She gave her all as she went through life. I loved watching her navigate it all. She did it so effortlessly. She has always been such a light in my life. Aubrey is an incredible example to all and such a joy to be around. Now that she and Brock are married, it will change the dynamic of our family. She will start thinking about her own family. We may not see her as often as we once did. However, with that being said, she will always be an incredible soul with a light that will shine regardless of where life takes her. So proud of this sweet girl. Love you Aubs.
Last, but certainly not least, the CLARK TAHOE REUNION!
Our epic reunion started in Reno, NV where the OG Clark's spent several years before moving to Illinois. Visiting old stomping grounds, catching up with familiar faces, and a visit on Sunday morning to their old family ward brought all the nostalgia.
The originals at the Peavine Valley Ward building.
This girl!
We made a quick stop at Costco and Walmart to grab all of the goods for our trip. Audrey was a little rockstar. She loved hanging out with Uncle Preston while we shopped for all the things.
Let the fun begin! I am pretty sure that Gracie and Quinn were side by side the entire trip :) Love that Beckham boy smile.
We made it to the vacation home. It was huge! It fit all of us so well. Lots of places and rooms to explore.
LOVE.
Dads and babies.
Our first family outing was a hike. It was a gorgeous morning. Perfect for a hike. The views were outstanding. The hike itself was not too hard for the littles or the olders ;)
Happy Birthday Ella Bean!
The hike and Tahoe Treetops landed on this sweet girls birthday. We celebrated Ella all day long. I think it is safe to say that she had a super fun birthday that was perfect for Ella.
When you find a rock, you have to climb it.
We didn't make it to the waterfall, but we did get to see it. We were worried about missing the Treetop check in time.
How cute are these people?!
It's our fun crew!
Tahoe Treetops for the WIN in a very BIG way. This is an outdoor zip-lining and obstacle course park. You could go and do hard courses or more simple ones. I think everyone tried a little bit of everything. We were here for a few hours and the time flew by. Everyone had a ton of fun.
Everyone getting geared up.
They started everyone on a smaller course. That way you could get a feel for how it all worked. Some stayed here a long time while others moved on to bigger and harder courses.
This little one had a very hard moment with her first zip-line. She was terrified and not wanting to do it. One of the employees climbed up to talk her into giving it a shot. She finally found the courage to go for it. After that, she was laughing, yelling with excitement, and looking for the next opportunity to do it again and again. She became fearless. I always knew where Quinn was because I would hear a "Wooohooo!" Pres and I were so proud of our sweet girl. She overcome a big fear (heights) and didn't let it hold her back from lots of joy and laughter the rest of the day.
I opted to not do it so I could take pics of everyone else. I won't lie, it looked like loads of fun! I'll have to do it the next time our family goes up to Lake Tahoe.
That night we celebrated Ella with a tasty cake. Needless to say, everyone slept real good that night :)
The following morning was my time to shine as photographer. I was in charge of all the family photos this year. My biggest concerns were finding a location with great lighting and a layout that would work for 27 people. The sun was brighter than I had anticipated that morning leaving my lighting options to prove more difficult. Then, I realized that I have to take pics with me in them, haha. A little harder than I thought. We did it though! I made what we had work to the best of my ability. Everyone did such a great job!!
The crew we LOVE and miss often.
Grandma, Grandpa, and all those cute grands.
Grandkid solo shot.
The originals.
The two that started it all. So grateful to have them as my in-laws. I was very blessed.
Grands in the sand
Koudelka's
Williamson's
Clark's
Machanzi's
After this sweet photo shoot we did a boat/beach day. It was so fun to relax and soak up some vitamin D. The kids loved playing in the sand and water.
That night Uncle Brian did his famous "guess the flavor" game. He and Preston buy random drinks and gives every one a try. Then you have to guess what it is. Everyone has a blast trying to figure out what each flavor is.
Jack and Declan
We had cute Clark Tahoe t-shirts made. All the cousins lined up oldest to youngest :) With the oldest holding the youngest ;) So cute!
Quinn living out her dream :)
A few of us went into to Tahoe to do a little souvenir shopping and look around. Others headed home, went out to hike, or started the trek toward Manteca with a stop at Big Tree.
Once we made it to Manteca we planned out our SF day. Everyone was looking forward to checking out the bay. This time they opted to take the BART into the city. I think that ended up being a fun little treat.
Waiting for the BART.
Boudin Bakery for the win. Love me some Boudin.
Ghiradelli Square is always a favorite stop.
China Town
While everyone headed into the bay Beckham and I stayed home. We had his baptism the following day. It was a really fun mom and son day. We bought all of his decorations and food. He loved being a part of it all. He also had football practice that night. How cute is that kid in his get up?!
Beckham's baptism day!
Grandma, Grandpa, and the Clark family.
Beckham had such a sweet baptism. The spirit was so strong. Pres and I are so proud of this kid and the decision he made to be baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
After the baptism we met in the cultural hall. We had a pizza party with salad and a chocolate cake. We wanted to celebrate this tender milestone as well as a super fun week with the family. Everyone was excited to have the gym for knock out. It was such a chill evening. I don't think we could have asked for a better ending to an epic week.
Everyone surprised Pres with a little birthday celebration. It was so sweet. We had no idea they were going to do that.
Saying goodbye
To say that July was a favorite month of ours is an understatement. We were blessed to see and spend quality time with both sides of the family. It meant the world to us. Pres and I have said before and I will say again...these are the moments we cherish most. Building relationships with the people we love. Our kids spending time getting to know their extended family. Loving them and being loved. We are so grateful to have been blessed with such incredible souls surrounding us and our kids. We CANNOT wait to do all of this again. Hopefully soon :)
