Marble Painting

Yesterday the girls were driving me a little crazy come the late afternoon.  The whole day Kylie and Ellie switched back and forth from laughing with each other to screaming at each other....usually within seconds.  Kylie kept taking toys away from Ellie then Ellie would try to bite Kylie and would chase her around the house....both of them yelling of course.  Yep, the younger sister refuses to be pushed around anymore!  When Chris came home from work he asked Kylie if she wanted to do a craft.  She wanted to do some painting and we decided to try painting with a marble.  We placed a piece of cardstock in a shoebox, dolloped some paint inside and dropped in a marble or two.  Kylie loved it.

 

This is my favorite one that Kylie did.  Reminds me of the ocean.

 

  

Ellie really wanted to do it too, so I just gave her a marble in a shoebox to shake around.....no paint.  She liked it, but I had to take it away because she kept putting the marble in her mouth.  Then we resorted to the markers that only draw on the special paper included.

 

Here is Kylie today...drawing on some butcher paper (actually the backside of the welcome home banner Daddy made for the girls...we finally took it down.)  

Provo Parade

We attended the Provo 4th of July parade again this year and both Kylie and Ellie LOVED IT!  Kylie was standing the whole time and got so excited with each float, banner and marching band that came our way.  I actually was surprised at how attentive Ellie was the whole time.  She clapped and danced and waved her little American flag.

 

Kylie loved the fire trucks and the "sparkly motorcycles" (the police motorcycles had their lights on.)

 

Kylie moving her flag like the marching band's flag girls!  It was so funny/cute.

 

Daddy was taking pictures for the newspaper of course.....here, the girls spied him.

Here are my favorites of what Chris shot....

Oh, and for those of you wondering about the Stadium of Fire this year....there were't any skydivers gliding in carrying American flags with long poles that would hit barracades and make a certain photographer (and his camera) go flying.  I am glad Chris came home unscathed.  

Ohio and Grandma Abe's Funeral

It has taken me a few days to sit down to write about the last leg of our trip.....probably more to do with the circumstances of it than with actually finding the time to do it.  Our original plan after our time in South Carolina was to drive to Ohio to visit my Abe grandparents for two days on our way back to Wisconsin.  Friday morning (June 22nd) while we were in Charleston, Grandpa called with the heart-dropping news that Grandma had passed away that morning.  The 11 hour drive to Ohio seemed twice as long as it really was.  The girls and I were supposed to fly back to Utah on Monday, but postponed our flight until Thursday.   Kylie and Ellie were pretty worn out from our previous travels, so this part of the trip was the hardest for them.  And they could definitely feel the emotions and stress of everyone else.  Kylie kept asking when we were going back home...."to our home in Provo".  She missed Chris immensely and jumped at every chance to talk to him on the phone.  But I am very grateful that I was able to be there with my family at this time and to remember and honor Grandma Abe.

We spent the weekend being with Grandpa and helping prepare for the funeral.  It was fun to go through old pictures to put on our collage boards we made.  Grandma's viewing was on Tuesday and then her funeral was on Wednesday.  Both were beautiful.  I accompanied my sisters when they sang "Nearer My God to Thee" at the funeral, which was very special. All my cousins, except one were able to make it and it was so good to see them!  We haven't seen each other since our last family reunion which was ten years ago!  We were planning a reunion for this summer (and to celebrate my grandparent's 60th wedding anniversary!), but we called it off a couple months ago after Grandma spent some time in the hospital and then at a rehab center/nursing home.  Kylie and Ellie especially loved meeting these "new" cousins and became instant friends with them.

 

Grandpa's home (and where Dad grew up)

 

Channing and Kylie at the viewing

 

Even though this was their first time meeting, Ellie loved Great-Grandpa Abe.  She always waved to him and gave him kisses. 

 

The mausoleum where the funeral was held and where Grandma will rest. 

 

"Cousin time" at the luncheon

 

Jessica, Kylie, Alexis, and Alyssa

All the cousins (minus Jacob)

Miranda, Alyssa, Alexis, Chelsa, Chandra, Derek, Devin, Channing and Jessica

 

Sibling and spouses....my parents, Jeannette and Richard (Canada) and Bonnie and David (Georgia)

The whole Abe clan

 

Our family with Grandpa.  We love you!

  

Finally back in Utah (did you notice Kylie's rat's nest, I mean travel hair?)

The girls were so excited (and extremely tired) when we got home.  We found that three weeks away (with two and a half of that away from Daddy) is a little long.  But we will have fond memories of all of our travels!  Chris said it was like Christmas when we arrived back and even had a welcome home sign and balloons for the girls (and flowers for me!)  It took the girls a few days to catch up on their sleep and to adjust to Utah time again (Ellie was waking up at 5am for a couple mornings!).  Kylie has already been asking when we are going back to the beach.  Well, not for a while my little fish.  I think we will hang at home for a while....or at least until the next family reunion in a couple weeks!

Charleston, SC

After leaving Myrtle Beach, we drove two hours south to the historic town of Charleston, SC.  It was a beautiful drive and it is a beautiful city.  I wish I had taken pictures of some of the buildings and houses.  They were so cool!  But I was busy keeping two tired little girls occupied and happy until we found a place to stay for the night.

On our way into town, we toured a home that belonged to Charles Pinckney, who was a principal author and a signer of the United States Constitution (as well as SC Governor, Senator and member of the House).  We then just walked around downtown for a bit and stopped outside the Powder Magazine Building/Museum, which is the oldest surviving public building in South Carolina..  The next day we toured Fort Moultrie, located on Sullivan's Island which was built in 1776.  It was used during the Revolutionary and Civil wars (it was between Fort Moultrie and Fort Sumter where the Civil war began) and had to be rebuilt twice.  It was updated over time and even used during WWII.

 

Charles Pinckney's property.

 

Ellie running around.  Aren't the trees (and their hanging moss) there cool?

 

Channing and Kylie rocking on the porch (which didn't last long because of the mosquitos). 

 

Charleston

 

Fort Moultrie

 

Fort Sumter across the channel.

 

One of the powder magazines

 

Ellie exploring

Unfortunately we didn't have more time in Charleston.  I would love to go back someday.  And when I do, I will be taking a tour of the city by horse-drawn carriage, a tour of one of the plantations and a ghost tour!

Next post: Ohio: the final leg of our trip.

Jensen Family Reunion at Myrtle Beach

The Jensen Family reunion this year was a blast.  Myrtle beach was super nice and we had it all....good weather, warm ocean water, fun games (along with some healthy competition), and of course lots of aunts, uncles and cousins to play with!

The whole gang

Each day we were at Myrtle Beach was pretty much the same, but definitely not boring!  We would eat breakfast as a whole family and then go swim and play on the beach.  Every once in a while we would hit the pools or lazy river.  Then we would all gather for a late lunch and then go swim and play on the beach again.  (My little girls would squeeze in a nap.)  And then we would hang out together at night, grab something to eat or play games.  

Kylie and Ellie loved playing with my younger cousins.  Kylie would even go out into the ocean with them and "bob" in the water for up to an hour.  She loved the waves and didn't even mind the saltwater or being tossed about.  She would just cry, "More!"  In the pools, Kylie would swim from one cousin or aunt to another.  Ellie really enjoyed it all too, even when she would eat sand along with her snacks. :)  I loved being around and playing with my extended family.  It was fun to play paddle ball on the beach and volley tennis at the park (when Ellie would let me).

 

Our first full day on the beach....the girls didn't want to take a picture though.

 

Ellie loved digging in the sand and sitting in holes others made.  

 

Channing and a living sand dollar.

  

Tahryn, and Alanna, Ashley, Lauren and Paige, 

 

This is where Ellie slept...yep a closet.  (She likes it dark.)  Kylie slept with me in a real bed.

Tuesday was my Dad's birthday.  Kylie wanted him to open presents right away that morning.  We had cake and ice cream at lunch time with the whole fam and then went out for pizza at this delicious brick oven place with the Grovers and Buths.

 

Grandpa and Ellie fetching pails of water.  

 

Ellie enjoyed lying down and having the waves come up on her. 

 

Grandpa and Grandma J

Wednesday morning was a little chilly in the water and it even sprinkled for a little while, so many of us played in the sand.  But the day turned out to be beautiful and the waves were awesome.  I even got to go out for a while while Mom took Ellie up for lunch and a nap. 

 

Ayla, Paige and Ellie

 

Claire, Ashley, Lauren and Tahryn

 

Aunt Andrea showing Ellie how to made dribble castles.

 

Brady, Hunter and Treyson

 

Ellie wanted some boogie board action too!  She enjoyed lying on it while I pulled her along in the shallow water.

 

Riding the waves on Jensen's big tube was fun!

  

Kylie loved swimming and floating in the deep end of the pool....all by herself of course.

  

Cousin time in the hot tub

Thursday morning we had to check out, but still hung around to swim for a couple of hours.  Before breakfast, the girls and I went to the beach with Grandma to find some seashells.  It was hard to keep Ellie out of the water!

 

Kylie collecting some seashells for Daddy. 

  

A crab

 

Ellie picked up anything and everything 

 

Matching suits!

The Abe family.  We missed you Chris, Devin and Lori!

Next post: the historic town of Charleston!