July 2024

Hayden and his buddies (Payton Boyd and Jordan [or Tyson?])

Hayden hanging out with Verity - building basement forts...

And playing laser tag! 

Texas Roadhouse for dad's (pre) birthday!

Riding the saddle (worth it for the free dessert!)

4th of July Trip to Star Valley - starting with a baptisms trip to the Star Valley temple.

Alex going on a beautiful Star Valley walk with Elsie

Sweet note we found from Averly to Gma Barrus

True farmers!

Front-yard football with the cousins

Afton 4th of July parade

Hello Iverson's!

Verity got to ride on Deb's parade trailer (campaigning for political office)

Free sno-cones after the parade!

Gifts for dad's bday

Fun game from Given and Grace

Happy 45th birthday, dad!

In the IF airport, headed to Portland Maine!

Just arrived at Portland Maine airport

The "Alaska" of the East :)

Portland Maine, look into the city skyline

Ocean Port in Portland Maine

Dinner at famous Seafood restaurant, DiMillo's On the Water

Alex braving out - full out seafood meal with Lobster, scallops, shrimp, fish (Mel got the Chicken Fettuccini) 

Out to the beach after dinner. Everything you'd expect Maine to look like!

Old bombed out house from WWII times

"So as I spent my time, lookin for beer..."

Maine is breathtakingly beautiful!

One of our favorite parts of Maine were the many beautifully forested trails right next to the Ocean. So beautiful!

We walked a lot of those trails! Many miles, many hours - so worth it!

Our hotel was in Freeport, a beautiful little town north of Portland. That's where we spend most of our time. This day, we spent the whole afternoon exploring Freeport. It was SO fun! This is a little Whoopie pie shop (Maine's most famous treat!)

We got a delicious sub sandwich at a little hole in the wall sub shop. So good!

Then we found a delicious pastry bakery and got ourselves a Danish. So good!

Playing around in a fun candy shop

Check out that gummy bar!

Delicious chocolates!

The world headquarters of LLBean

There was a super awesome concert at the LLBean park that night. It got rained out for about an hour. Music was fantastic. Such a fun fun place!!

This was our lunch stop. 

More trails after church on Sunday. So beautiful!

Picnic lunch

Gorgeous State Park for camping that we walked all through on Sunday night

Our Ferry ride on Monday morning. We took a short 30-minute ride to Peak's Island out of Portland.

We loved loved loved our time in Maine. Such a relaxing, beautiful, fun, simple trip. After this, we hopped on a bus that took us to the Boston Airport to go on our Northeastern workshop for S&I...

This is Grace being so cute and fun with Verity while Mel and Al were gone. Given and Grace spent a couple of days at home with the kids. 

Bonnets Melanie found for her and Verity on our trip

A visit to Provo to help the Iverson's. Kaleb swimming in a neighbors pool with Elsie

Hayden was at a basketball camp in Farmington, Utah, so Mel, Kaleb, and Verity visited Aunt Karma in her care facility

Then they played at Boondocks

Young Men's camp - hiking up to Upper Palisades lake

Hayden's ready to go (Alex didn't do the hike :)

Kaleb's ordination to Elder: Troy Barnum, Given, Alex, Kaleb, Tyler Cannon, Bishop Bradshaw

Barnum's, us, and Jan

Congrats, Elder!

Took a minute to get a picture of the boys...

But we got there :)

Love ya mom!

Given and Grace's July 24, 2024 reception in the backyard of Sister Gayle Powell, wonderful neighbor and friend

This is Alecia's master work! Thank you, Alecia!

Alene Kovac and Kaynel Chase

Mel's sweet friends

Technically day 1 of the Hatch reunion.

Grace's family, the Haller's, who all came up from Thatcher Arizona. Great great people!!

Hayden and Dayne Kovac

Long lines of wonderful people!

Parkers and Allisons

More long lines!

Jayson and Chris shocked us by coming all the way up and back in the same night! (With Abby!)

Some of Given's high-school bball buddies

Hosford's

Hatch reunion Rexburg, Idaho temple trip

In the awesome house the grandparents got us for the reunion in St. Anthony

Grandpa's great devotional

Get to know you game outside

Hoops!

The pool table was a hit!

So was around-the-world ping pong!

They had awesome tunnels and slides all throughout the house!

In the upstairs restaurant being served by the ladies.

Playing happy Salmon

Bridge jumping was awesome - that's Kaleb and Oliver

That's Hayden and Annie

Hayden and Annie

After bridge jumping, playing at the sand bar

Mel, Al, and Hayden snuck over to the local drive in to get a "world famous" strawberry shake

Annie got hurt going down a slide at the Sand bar, and they took her to the ER. All test results came back okay, so this is all the girl cousins huddled around her giving her love when she came back

Gma and Gpas 50th wedding celebration on the back patio. Party!

Families put on great shows for Gma and Gpa!

More bball

Loving swinging Elsie!

Kaleb's famous Shark Tank show. It was hilarious!!

This is what happens when grandpas fall asleep during family reunions!

Last day together after church. All the girl cousins giving Elsie some love at our picnic

Gma and Gpa came back to spend another couple days with us after the reunion. Love That!

Hayden's FSY pictures in Rexburg! (this is Kellen Malcom and Hayden being goofs!)

So cool - Alex got to be a teacher at the same FSY that Hayden and Kaleb were at (with James Petrus here)

Alex's object lesson: "Make sure you know the source!"

After one of Alex's classes

Lunchtime with Kaleb and his friends and dad. So fun to be there together!

Hayden's awesome company!

Hayden and Kaleb loved FSY. 3rd year in a row for Kaleb!