Double Whammy Reunions

It just so happened that last summer and this summer we had family reunions two consecutive weeks in a row. It is great to have reunions but camping two weekends in a row can be exhausting. We're hoping to change the schedule for next summer.

First we headed to California for my immediate Murphy family reunion. We camped at Dinkey Creek up in the mountains by Shaver and Shaver Lake and McKinley Grove Sierra National Forest. Every summer throughout my childhood, my family would camp at Dinkey Creek. I have many wonderful memories there. In fact Dinkey Creek is the first place we endeavored to tent camp alone after having Peter. 

All of my siblings were there! My older sister was able to come down from Canada with her two kiddos! The kids had so much fun playing together. They were instant friends!

And of course we played at the creek and the rock slides... It's tradition!

Sun bathing!

James LOVES water! and rocks... He had a blast splashing around.

They all slept in! They did great sleeping in the tent. = happy parents

After tent camping at Dinkey Creek for 3 days we made our way home, did laundry and repacked for the next camping adventure. We camped outside the Thorley Cabin in Southern Utah about a 45 minute drive up from Cedar City, UT. It is so beautiful up there! We always love going to the cabin. This reunion was an extended family reunion with all of David's grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins on his mom's side of the family. They get together every summer at the same time and place. It is always good to be surrounded by family! This year we packed a lunch and went down to the Kolob Reservoir for a few hours. We got to go out to a little island in the reservoir via canoes and paddle boards. The kids had a blast and so did we. I tried paddle boarding for the first time and actually made it to and from the island without falling off!

1 Year Down

We've been here in Las Vegas for a year now. How'd that happen?! Time has slipped by. It has sure been a wonderful year. We are grateful for David's career. We are grateful to be here at this time. We know we are where we are supposed to be for this chapter of life.

We have made friends and have had opportunities to serve and get involved with the community and our church here.

We are looking forward to another school year with the kiddos. We learned much at the Soaring Reynders School of Knowledge (still working on a name...) last year and we are geared and ready for another year. In the public school system, Peter would be starting 1st grade and the girls would be eligible for preschool. However, we are going to take Evelyn through the Kindergarten curriculum Peter went through last year. She is ready. Peter is excited for a "soaring" 1st grade year. He is especially excited for math.

The most recent excitement in the Reynders home has been our home improvement efforts. We haven't had a TV for our entire marriage (8 years!) simply because we didn't care to have one. But we decided to finally purchase a TV. So we needed something to put it on... David and I had fun remaking our old dresser into an entertainment console. We also made-over a bookcase to match. We're having fun putting our new TV room together. I still need to recover some pillows and hang a few things. Once it's completed I'll post a picture :).

Now we can have fun updating the rest of the house! I'm currently working on this tiny loft (if it can be called a loft).

I want to put a small round ottoman on either side of the table and bigger candles on the wall candelabras.

Another thing currently happening at the Reynders... sisters forging a bond.

The cuteness!!!