Itri fun and what we've been up to besides being awesome

So, this is overdue and I'm sorry, but I'm a busy mom with school starting and fall schedule madness.  Unluckily for me, I'm on house arrest for most of the day because my poor little Seth has the stomach flu, today, but at least it gives me time to blog about what I've been up to lately.


First of all, my Itri family was all together for the first time in years because Kyle got home from his mission in Ecuador!!!  So everyone was in town to welcome him from the airport.

My kids remembered and missed Kyle while he was gone.  They were way excited.  Also there were three new neices and nephews since he'd been gone, so the neices and nephews got to hold up their own banner welcoming him.

This picture has all of them.  There are other ones, but this one makes me laugh because in the Canopy of Jensen's stroller there is some Asian guy sitting in a chair unintentionally  photoboming the picture, and it makes me laugh every time I look at it. 

Anyway, it was ALMOST a perfect picture if it wasn't for this random guy who's positioned perfectly into the picture.


Seriously though, if you can ignore the Asian guy, these are really cute kids:

Here is another picture of all of us waiting for him there.  We made a ton of signs so he could come home like a rockstar.

 Look how awesome these people are!!!  Wouldn't you like coming home from far away with a welcoming crew like this??

HERE HE IS!!!!  Complete with a camera so he can video record the moment. 

Welcome back buddy!!

 

Seth was So excited to tell his uncle that he's four years old now!

Afterwords we all went to the Cheesecake factory I HIGHLY recommend the Shrimp and Bacon club sandwich.  Mmmmmm

After that we all took some time to unwind, and then we had Dinner at our house with everyody, including some Itri cousins as well who were also excited to see Kyle again.  One thing we like to do when we all get together a lot is make our own personal pizzas and all eat them together, (Enter Italian joke here). 

Scott and Johnny chopping up vegetables for people to put on their pizza

So that was what we did for Kyle's homecoming.  It is so great to have him back.  We missed him.  We're also so proud of him for everything he has overcome and sacrificed to get to this point.  He is a wonderful person, and my kids love having him back and playing with him whenever they get the chance.  He's such a great uncle and will be an even better and loving husband and father one day. 


So the next day, we all took family pictures together since it was the first time we'd been together in over two years.
My cousin who's an amazing artist and professional photographer took the pictures, and overall the session went smoothly.  The best part is that we got some really great portraits that captured the family that I've been lucky enough to be married into and I love so much.  Being in the Itri family really is a different world, it can be crazy at times, but it's a blessing to have these people in my life.  I love them all soooo much.




MY SENSATIONALY WONDERFUL, AND LOVEABLE FAMILY

Attractive people everywhere you look!!  (Not that that's what matters, but still, LOOK at these people!)

"Papa Nick" and his "Itri mafia." it's okay for them to pick on each other, but if an outsider offends one of them, they will ALL come after you.

The Itri Wives.  It is known that you don't become one of these unless you have a strong personality.  We look sweet but  we can all pack a punch if you get in our way. I love being part of this amazing group of strong women

Our favorite brother in law!!!!!  Brian  has said many times that he loves his sister in laws more than his own flesh and blood brothers.  We love him too.  He is always there to make us smile, and he gives the best hugs.

I'm convinced that if our family had it's own reality show, that this would be the cover.  There is enough drama, action being up in each others business and craziness that it would for sure be a hit too. 

Ladies an Gentlemen, I present to you the most darling people in the whole wide world. This group of little rascals keeps us on our toes, and they brighten up the world because they are in it. 

The proud grandparents

Margie and Nick.  Two great examples of dedication, strength, and hard work.  The fact alone that they had SIX boys and they all turned out to be good boys who have stayed strong in their dedication to the gospel says a lot.

Rob is (the oldest brother) and Stephanie (looks AMAZING at 5 months pregnant), Regan, and Jensen (two very handsome boys who my two older kids can't get enough of)

Todd (3rd son) , Megan (supermodel figure) and Lila (beautiful princess with cutest giggle ever). It's amazing and inspiring to watch them interact with their little girl and see the love they have for her.  

Dan (4th brother) and Kelsey (not fair that she's so pretty AND has amazing style in clothes)  They look like they could be toothpaste models with those smiles

Nick and Margie (again) with the two youngest bachelors in the family Brian (5th brother, far right and the favorite brother in law) and Kyle (youngest...6th boy and handsome recently returned missionary.  Contact me ladies if you want to meet him! He's a catch.)

AND of course MY family group, because this is MY blog:

Everything you need to know about my children's personalities is apparent in the following photo:

What I see everyday

So that was family picture day.  The plan for that evening was to go up to the canyon and make a bonfire and roast some hot dogs and make smores, but when we got to our desired site, there was apparently a phone call made that a device looking like a BOMB was there, so we were welcomed by firetrucks and policeman who were there to check out the bomb threat.  So we left and tried driving up to squaw peak, which turned out to me a DISASTER and not work, but at least I got this great photo of the view.  Squaw peak is famous for being a great make-out spot, not foreign to many people in our family group, (cough cough) including my mother in law who admitted to going up there while growing up as well. HA.

So because the whole squaw peak thing failed, we went back to Todd's apartment with all our food supplies and made hot dogs and smores over the grill.  The cooking somehow made it smokey in the apartment so it was like being around a campfire without being bit by mosquitoes or being afraid of bears and mountain monsters and bombs or falling off cliffs or getting lost.

The following night, we were all able to get babysitters and go to the Temple together as a family.  It was a great experience to all be together in a place where we can feel closer to heaven and feel some clarity about family, priorities, and life.

We spent Friday afternoon/night at Aunt Jill's using her swimming pool and barbecuing.  Good times.

Regan, Crystal and Seth with Jason in the swimming pool

Seth and Crystal in the Jacuzzi with Pops

Saturday was our last day with Rob and Stephanie in town, which meant it was the last time we would all be together again in a while, so we decided to do something fun and we went out to Huntington Lake.  Scott and I first discovered Huntington lake two years ago on a spontaneous excursion.  We liked it so much we really wanted an opportunity to share it with more people to have fun with, and this was the perfect opportunity.  I didn't have my camera available that day, so these pics are from Stephanies blog.  Behold the fun we had!!!

It's amazing how much fun you can have with a boat and a couple of waverunners.  The waverunners were a blast because we were able to splash eachother, go extremely fast and even get thrown off.  Actually Scott and I were the only two getting thrown off because we both drove like maniacs.  First Scott drove and he was showing off and zig-zagging, which made me fly off but not before grabbing him and pulling him with me.  We sat there and laughed in the water like idiots.   A few turns later, I drove because I told him that his driving scared me, but then I kept jumping over waves really fast so that I wouldn't get any crap for driving like a chicken and as a result I accidently flung him off so hard he was sore for two days.  So I guess we are both really reckless waverunner drivers, but it was so much fun we wouldn't change a thing.


It was such a great week with everyone here!!  I think we will all look back and smile at it for years.  We had such a blast together.  I am so thankful for these fantastic Itri people.


So here is some OTHER cool stuff that happened since the last post.


CRYSTAL IS A FIRST GRADER!


My little girl is all grown up!  At least it feels like it.  Off she went with a new backpack, new class and new teacher.  It's the first time she has been gone most of the day.  I'm so proud of this beautiful little girl!

She has grown up SO much in just one year!!!  It makes me a little sad to think that every year my little girl will keep doing this...

Other cool stuff...


DENTAL CRAZINESS!!!

We have had a lot going on with teeth in our home lately!!  First, Jacob grew his two bottom teeth, (which wasn't that pleasant for everyone involved), but he did it!!!  My baby boy has teeth!  He looks so cute!

Sorry the one on the right is a little blurry.  It's HARD trying to get pictures of a wiggly infant's teeth.

So the fun part is, at the same time, Crystal discovered she had her FIRST loose tooth.  Her teeth were behind compared to most kids her age, but the dentist didn't said it was nothing to worry about.  So even though she had a lot of friends loosing teeth in kindergarten, she didn't even discover this loose tooth until the weekend before she started school again.  On her second day of first grade, she popped the tooth out all by herself!  I was so proud of her because she didn't freak out or get squeamish.  The tooth fairy left her a dollar under her pillow, which she is SO excited about because it's her first dollar bill ever.  She's earned plenty of quarters and change in coins, but never a real bill.  She keeps it in a safe place in her room.

First tooth lost!!!

Scott pointed out that it's kind of cool how our oldest had lost at tooth at the same time our youngest was gaining teeth.  It's a really cool experience to have more than one kid and to see the different stages in life.  No matter what age they are though, they are ALL still my little babies.


As you can see, a lot going on with me and my family has been happening lately, and so this month, I am particularly thankful for family.  I love that I can be with these people forever, and I love that they are such a huge part of my life.  I'm so thankful for the love I feel for them and from them, it makes me feel closer to Heaven when I share happy moments with them.