we were all together! all of the 3 generations of Nettesheims!
Rick and Kris Nettesheim – their 6 kids with spouces – and all 28 grand kids (42 of us!)
Michelle and Udine, Pete and Amanda, Rick and Jen, Matt and Jamie, Rick and Kris, Ben and Jana, Emily and Schyleur
all 28 Netty Grand kids with Grandma and Grandpa
Ben with his siblings and parents
Happy with our family pictures but we do plan to out date the picture in less than 2 months!
We took our Nettesheim vacation over the 24th of July! We had never been to Bear Lake so we were excited to see what this place was all about. The Lake is a beautiful turquoise. The Beach was LONG and SHALLOW and seemed to go forever. The water was warm and the kids just played their hearts out all day long. It was a great vacation for us.
It was a 3 hour drive from our house to the home that we had rented in Idaho near the North Shore. We left Wednesday morning and stopped in Logan with Michelle and her kids. It was Pioneer Day in Utah so Logan park had a bunch of festivities going on. We watched a little of the parade, played at the park and watched a magician. Then we lunched at McDonald’s before heading to the vacation house.
kettle corn in Logan
The house we stayed at had 3 levels. It had 2 secret rooms and a huge kids bunk bed room. It had a lot of character and almost enough beds for all 35 of us. It was really close to the lake so that was great.
the front of the house
Girls getting ready for bed
We spent Thursday and Friday at the lake all day. We arrived around 10:30 and stayed until 5:ish both days. The first morning was over cast so the adults sat in chairs and wondered what the rest of the day would bring but the kids went straight to the water and sand and played. They did ask for towels and sweatshirts between playing but the sun eventually came out and we launched the boat and wave runners and had a great afternoon.
overcast but FUN
playing in the sand
Ben pulled Rose and Cali in this boat for quite a while. I think Packer and Mia took a turn as well and then Raymond went on his back so that we could get him to take a nap.
rain clouds?
sometimes we forget to change to a swim diaper – big booty
Our kids liked to ride in Grandpa’s boat but none of them would try tubing. Packer LOVED going for rides. Cali and Benji really enjoyed riding the wave runner. They actually let us go fast! Rose liked the wave runner in slow motion and I never put her on the boat.
whose turn on the boat?
Pack was to nervous to ride the wave runner but sure seems to enjoy it on dry land 🙂
The Rosie Girl! – she LOVES to play with cousins and LOVED driving.
lots of cousins!
It was fun to spend time on the beach with the kids and with family and just be out together enjoying the lake. I love days in the sun and sand and water toys are always a good idea. We were exhausted at the end of each day but it was totally worth it.
Ray and Packer enjoying the sand
Pack and Ray on top of the volcano!!
Rose taking a break in the shade
life on the beach. Over Cast Thursday was much less crowded than Sunny Friday.
Cali and cousins and their sand castle
Packer loving the shallow warm water
nap time – the only way to put him out is walking in the backpack!
We ate meals at the house. We went out for fresh raspberry shakes. We celebrated a few birthdays. I tried not to fall asleep at 8pm. We tried to get the kids to bed at a good time. We played a few games and just enjoyed being all together in the big house. We avoided any major sunburns and just had a great family vacation!
July birthdays – Sydney, Emily and Udine
we will be back
Nettesheim’s at Bear Lake 2013
We had to check out on Saturday morning. We wanted to hike to Bloomington Lake with Matt and Pete’s families but this pregnant mom wasn’t up for the 12 miles of winding roads to get to the trail. Our kids were a little bumbed so we made up for it by stopping at Chuck E Cheese on the way home!! Our kids loved it. We haven’t been in years and they had a blast. It was a good end to our weekend of FUN at Bear Lake!
crazy drivers
lack luster?? she didn’t care
Pizza Time
FRUIT NINJA!
getting our full value out of that token! Ray was afraid to ride ANY of them.
The 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th of July are a blurr. I think we went to the pool. We unpacked and did laundry and unboxed the rest of the upstairs. Packer and Raymond were a little sickly. On Friday the 12th we started our busy-busy-ness back up by picking Tracie and Cedar up! They came and stayed with us for 4 days!!
we are pregnant and we want Burgers!
We started their stay with burgers and fries at JCW’s! That night Ben and I both didn’t sleep well. I had stomach issues and Ben had a fever. So Saturday should have been a fun day but I was too sick to do anything. I laid on the couch all day. Ben pushed through and got some chores done and Tracie just chilled with my kids and helped take care of everyone. That night I stayed on the couch and everyone else met up with Joel and Megan up the canyon for some food and fire!! The kids had a blast:
yummy Cali girl
sweet Cedar
joel and pack stokin the fire
a little rain
cute kids
Ray had no fear either
Cedar owned the splash pad
all those kids are mine!
Rosie really loves to swing
Ray loves to swing
crazy almost 1 and a half year olds 🙂
every child tries to ride in this cart 🙁
a little good bye ice cream between Best Friends
And the Fish were fun to follow around
Packer was so excited to show me the Moose
how we roll when we have 15 minutes to get in the car and to the airport – orphan children
5 Happy Meals Please!
cute little determined golfer
Ray is just one of the kids now – usually tries to deny his baby status
this guy claimed a hole in one
frog hopper – Benji will ride it, Cali actually enjoys it.
Packer insisted on a surfing picture
Pirate ship was the favorite
Saturday the 20th I took it easy. We got some chores done around the house and then we got a babysitter for the evening! Ben was able to get REAL SOCCER tickets so we went and enjoyed the game. Club Seats, free food, intense match up. A perfect date in my book. And a perfect end to this post!!
soccer date
On Saturday morning we got permission to go the sand cave in Kanab. It was a very short walk from the car and it was AWESOME. The cave was very big. It was fun to explore and the COLORS were really neat. We all came home with beautiful jars of sand creations.
That night we had one more reunion party at the park and then we came back to the house to clean up and pack up. It was a fun trip to Kanab. I enjoyed being with family and I enjoyed trying somewhere new. I don’t know when we’ll make it back but we had a good time.
Great Uncle Kent? brought his horses over for all of us to enjoy! I am not much of a horse person but the kids LOVED getting a short ride around the yard. That was the first time for my kids to ride a horse. They have been on a few ponies over the years but this was a first.
and I just found this picture – is this me in Kanab – decades ago? or is it Christy? and is it Kanab? madre?
Friday morning was a group hike with extended family reunion participants. We decided to support the cause and took our 5 kids to the meeting point at 8am. To make a long story short we walked straight up the red cliff mountain for an hour and then another hour through the sand and over to an old Indian cave with markings. It was a taxing hike. Especially with all of our kids and me being great with child. BUT we had help from my siblings and we made it.
We were worn out by the time we got home but that didn’t stop the kids from swimming all afternoon. That afternoon we hosted a party for Grandpa Johnson! and that Evening we had all of the reunion over for dinner and swimming.
(I had blog issues again for the last week- but Ben got it resolved for me – so the next 4 or 5 posts will be the Kanab Reunion that I promised – and then catch up before we go on our next vacation)
waiting for the parade
We got up and went to the parade on the morning of the 4th! We met up with Aunt Di and her kids and their kids and the Grandparents. The parade was pretty wimpy but watching the kids run for candy was entertaining. My cousin and his wife threw more candy than the parade participants so it was a success!
some of our people
Arden and Elma
After the parade we headed back to the house and swam all afternoon and made rockets to launch with Grandpa. We visited with family, relaxed, ate dinner, enjoyed our FREEDOM and then went to the city park to watch Fireworks at dusk.
Cali in Cheer Leader Heaven
The house we found to rent was great. We had a big group so we had to rent a second house that was right on the same property and that also worked out well. We all had a bed and somewhere to put our things. The cousins had big sleepovers. The kitchen was big. Three dining tables! And the outside pool and deck and playground and sand box were perfect. We spent most of our time in our swim suits by the pool!
rocket launching and football on the deck
mom and Aunt Di even swam it was perfect conditions
the pool
Cali Fish
Sean Diving through the ring
gotta love the attached hot tub!
Benji shooting his rocket with Grandpa!
family time on the deck
My dad being one of the boys!
Raymond had no boundaries
ALL 4 BABIES – first time we’ve had them all together
Game Time! Rook, Ticket, Nerts, 7 Wonders – pick your table…
My Grandpa Arden Johnson turned 90 in June. To celebrate him and his birthday our family decided that we should all go to his Johnson Family Reunion over the 4th of July. They have the reunion every 2 years and it is my Grandpa and all of his siblings and any of their posterity that can make it. Arden is the oldest of the siblings. We made up about 1/3 of the reunion goers. My mom, dad and 42 of us kids/grandkids (we were only missing Josh). My moms sister Diane with her husband and 11 (missing 1). And Aunt Carol, Larry, and their 6 that could make it. I think that makes 67 of us counting Grandma and Grandpa!
We rented the Goodfellow house just outside of Kanab and it was the perfect place for all of us to eat, sleep, SWIM, and play. We got their on Wednesday, celebrated the 4th on Thursday, had reunion activities on Friday and Saturday and came home Sunday.
Arden and Elma Johnson
The next several posts will detail our trip! – – read on…
My new house has a utility sink in the garage! OK, Not that exciting but when you don’t have grass and your one year old loves to play in the dirt the Utility sink becomes quite valuable:
clean boy
Rosies turn!
Benji cooling off