Family Time

Over the summer, we had some grand times with all sides of the family! We are blessed to have much of our family close by so that when everyone's schedules align, we can gather together and enjoy each other. And when those who don't live close by come to visit, it is an even more exciting event!

We had a Kear gathering at which we enjoyed the two things that are a Kear staple - - good food and good fun! At the end of the evening, everyone decided it was game time and the name of the game was...Zookeeper? I think. Whatever it was, it was hilarious and crazy...two more Kear staples. :)
It involves making animal noises, having to guess who is making the noise, blindfolds, pillows to throw...it's a good time.
These pictures are from my phone so...sorry. They are awful.
But here is Matt, trying to be a good zookeeper and determine which animal/family member he is hearing.

James and...Corbyn? Um...it's a little blurry but I think that is who were are looking at. I just remember taking this picture because they kept sitting by each other and would bounce around and wiggle like crazy. As you can see.

Here, everyone is dying laughing.
This happens often.

Cute Mason takes his turn while everyone watches in anticipation.

Aw. Brother helping brother.

Grandma Polly took a turn with the blindfold, which delighted the little ones.

Josie is always ready for a good time.


As a sidenote, Ben had found the action a little too much for him and had banished himself to the playroom for some alone time.

But...
before long, he was back with a vengeance, even taking a turn in the game!

He wasn't the only one who had a great time! We are always so glad to get a chance to see all of our Kear Family!!

Not long after that evening, we spent an evening with the Ballards!
I actually remembered my camera, so these pictures are a little easier on the eyes.
Now that her little cousins are getting a bit bigger, Bethany was excited for the chance to play with them!
Shawn was all about it.

Brianna was unsure.
But she liked Ben's easy-going manner pretty well.

Bethany chased and played with Shawn...

Brianna watched and worried...

But she had Grandma to hang out with.
Grandma is a little less threatening than an especially lively cousin.

Bethany got Ben in on the action...

...which Shawn loved.
Yes, I promise that's a happy face.
You should hear the squeal of joy that came with the happy face.

We had dinner and visited...
they did puzzles...

...but it all eventually came back to this.

Even Brianna warmed up a little toward the end. :)

The kids loved getting a chance to be with cousins and hang out at Grandma Teri's house. It is always a treat!

Right at the end of the summer, we had a Hawkes Gathering!
Monica and Austin came down from Idaho, we visited with them, enjoyed our last bit with Laura before she left for Idaho, and we celebrated some birthdays!
Bethany likes to hang out with her aunts.

JC likes to do this at family gatherings.
Recliner? Check.
Phone? Check.

The boys like to do this.
Wait for the food. Haha...mostly because dessert usually follows dinner.

Ben's was one of the birthdays we were going to be celebrating! It had not quite come yet, so he called it his 'not real birthday.'

But before we could get too much celebrating done, we had to take care of something.
The boys had to meet their new cousin.
I love their faces as they look at her for the first time!

The kids hovered while Uncle Andrew got her out of her carseat.

And Ben got a closer look at Cynthia.

The boys were nervous to hold her, but Bethany was a pro.

James watched from afar off.

Since Aunt Monica was meeting her for the first time, Bethany relinquished control. :)

And...
then it was birthday time.

Ben got some very thoughtful gifts from the fam.
Now.
This is sort of...a doll.
BUT, more of an action figure.
And he wanted one so so bad.
See, we had been watching a lot of 'Tangled.' So, naturally, he identified with the male hero in the story. He loved Flynn Ryder. He pretended to be Flynn Ryder. Always.
He so wanted his own Flynn Ryder guy to play with so he had someone to rescue Rapunzel when we played. He was tired of Prince Eric being a fake Flynn Ryder.
SO, in comes Grandma and saves the day!

As things progressed, he ended up with lots of loot! Such fun!
He sat down on the couch next to Daddy (in the recliner of course), and took it all in.

Cynthia sat in her bouncy seat and kind of did the same.

Then, since the presents were all opened (JC and Bonnie were both celebrated as well), naturally it was time to ball up all the tissue paper and throw it at the fan.
Naturally.
Here, Andrew is doing some sort of new variation on the game...blocking? Is blocking aloud? Hmm...well, when one of us someday writes down the rules to the tissue paper game, we will know. Makes me wonder if the tissue paper game and the rolled up sock game will be represented as the same game or separate ones?
Maybe nobody but my family members are understanding this...

...but as you can see, my kids sure do!
James stood on the chair to get some advantage in the game.

Monica may have been away for a while but it's like riding a bike.
(Except, in her case, it turns out she actually did forget how to ride a bike at one point...unfortunate Walmart incident...)

James kept at it, determined to be true to his Hawkes blood.

And...who wouldn't want to be?
Look at our fine patriarch here.
And I like how everyone but like, me and Monica is oblivious to this happening.

Happy birthday!!!

Aunt Katie and little Cynthia.

Then, Aunt Katie and less-little (though still little) Bethany at the piano.

Katie apparently got run off the piano at some point and replaced by Uncle Austin, at which point being at the piano became super cool.

Also cool? Smothering Aunt Monica.
Look at the love!

And, after a long and fun night...
look at the exhaustion.
This is actually where Ben ended up when we came in from the car that night. He went straight to the playroom floor and zonked out. I think he's stretching and yawning here, when he got woke up as we were giggling over him.

Fruits of Monica and Austin's visit?
They brought geodes! They had visited Bear World up in Idaho and brought back these dull grey rocks that you break open to reveal shiny pretty insides!
JC took the hammer to them.
As you can see, it was loud.

I ended up not getting a great picture of the inside for some reason, but the kids thought it was pretty neat when they got to see it!

And...that's all for now!
We love being with family.
The more the kids grow the more I am excited about them building relationships with their family members. We are blessed to have so many loved ones in our lives.