Reno Vacation

Our nephew, Erik, was turning 8 this year so we decided it was time to make the trek to visit my brother and his family in Reno, Nevada.  We flew out for 5 days along with all of my sister-in-law's family and my brother, Aron, and my mom.  We had a great time with everyone and it was wonderful to be there for Erik's baptism. 

On Thursday, we went to Pump It Up and had a lot of fun running and jumping.  Kira couldn't go in the bounce areas, but they had a little play area for her to climb on. 

 Tori playing in one of the bounce slides. 

 Ben and Mackenzie in the wind tunnel. 

 Aron and Mackenzie playing air hockey.

Erik and Jalyssa taking a break. 

  Kira would let Aron pick her up and slide her down this part of the ramp over and over again.

Pump It Up has an ongoing contest that if you can get a Velcro flag at the very top of this slide, you get your picture and name on the star wall.  Well, I knew when I saw it that Ben's competitive nature would kick in and he'd try until he got it or until we had to leave.  Sure enough he did it.  Here's a shot with him in the air trying.  I didn't get a picture of the time he actually did it though.

 Alyssa and him by the star wall.

 

That afternoon Jalyssa, her two sisters, and I all got to go shopping at an outlet mall in Reno.  It was so fun to hang out with the girls, and I actually found a lot of new things I liked which hardly ever happens. 

Thursday night we celebrated Erik's birthday by going to Round Table Pizza.  Here is Mackenzie with a tape on moustache she got out of a vending machine.  I guess I put it on upside down!

 

Some of us eating.  The rest of Jalyssa's family was on the other half of the room.  It was really fun that our group took up the entire private room. 

Friday we prepared food for after the baptism and just hung out and played.  Erik asked me to be the pianist for his baptism, and I got to accompany the cousins in singing "When I Am Baptized."  It was really sweet.    

 

 All the ladies. 

 All the kids!

 

Saturday we went to watch "Escape from Planet Earth" on a base nearby, and Erik was able to rent it out just for us.  The girls thought that was so fun.  They all got snack packs and sat together with their cousins.  That afternoon we took the kids swimming at the hotel where my mom, Aron, and the rest of Jalyssa's family was staying.  They loved hanging out all together and got along really well with Jalyssa's family.  There was a little girl cousin of Erik's named Madelyn that Alyssa just loved hanging out with.  In fact, when it was time to leave they had gotten so attached that they asked if they could write each other.  That night the men went to the Priesthood session of General Conference, and after a yummy dinner of Hawaiian haystacks, we met up with them for ice cream.  We had a great time visiting and can't wait to see them all again.