Jurrasic Camp d'Evegnee 2015

For phase one of Camp d'Evegnee this year, we decided to have a mini-session at the end of June to tide us over until Eric and I finished school at the end of July. The theme really chose us because of one of the summer blockbusters. To say that we were a little excited to see Jurassic World would be like saying Doctor Allen Grant is just a little handsome.

When our three oldest were just wee little ones, we had more dinosaurs than articles of clothing in our house. There were times when our trio believed that they had been hatched rather than born.

We watched cartoons, movies, and documentaries about dinosaurs until our video tapes were wearing thin. The boys knew more about Dr. Sue Hendrickson the Paleontologist than they did about Bob the Builder. They could pronounce words like "diplodocus" and "ankylosaurus" through their baby teeth before they could recite their ABC's.

We winced with just a tad of guilt when we showed them Jurassic Park on video tape when Holden was three because we were worried it might scare them. As the credits rolled and John Williams' score soared, our guilt was completed abated. The only time they had been scared was when the T-Rex seemed to be in danger. "Mom?" they asked with fear in their eyes, "Did the dinosaurs get hurt?"

We quickly realized that rather than identifying with the humans, our tribe identified with and sympathized with the dinosaurs. Jurassic Park soon became a regular in our family movie night rotation.

We even dressed up as Jurassic Park one year for Halloween:

This summer, we couldn't resist watching one Jurassic Park movie each day on the days leading up to our outing to take all seven kids to see Jurassic World. There. I admitted it. We took every single one of our kids to see Jurassic World. And we took them to see the. . . late. . . show. (I will look away while you judge me.). 

Each day we watched one of the Jurassic Park movies and prepared a Jurassic Park-themed meal. The kids helped me brainstorm about what we would make for each dinner and you would think they had been raised just to come up with party food. 

This one was easily my favorite in the world-play menu. When Caleb came up with this one, I thought my professorial heart would burst.

This is an actual photo of the ribs we ate for dinner, and as I was taking the photo, the kids said, "Mom! Wouldn't it be cool if you could photoshop the ribs so they looked like they were being lowered into the raptor's pen at feeding time?" How could I resist?

When we went to Utah for our family reunion only days later, I took Charlie to Build-a-Bear while all of the other kids were at Grandma and Grandpa Camp. I think he might be just a little thrilled out of his mind about this T-Rex. It was the whipped cream on the jell-o of our Jurassic Park Week.

Volume XI, issue vi, July 2015

The Hafen Family Reunion 2015

Meet the Hafengers! Don't mess with us--we'll correct your grammar or feed you dinner or analyze legal briefs or have gospel-related discussions until we wear you down into smiley submission!

Since the older kids/craft slaves were with my parents at Grandma and Grandpa Camp, Eric helped me paint dozens of t-shirts until the wee, small hours of the morning. He wouldn't ever tell you that he loved being part of my crafty assembly line, but he did admit that he tolerated it because he loves me. That, my friends, is progress.

This is the photo that one of my friends says looks like a bag of human Skittles. This SUPER photo was taken in front of the house my Grandpa Kartchner built with his own two strong and gentle hands. The whole chaotic mess of us boarded a bus and took what my parents called a "Heritage Tour" around Bountiful to learn about my Mom's history and childhood. I've never felt so loved and so appreciative and so weepy while on a bus! This was easily the highlight of the reunion. 

For part of the family reunion, we were all able to go to Lagoon, the amusement park in Utah that my parents used to take us to if we would practice our musical instruments during the summer.

After dragging my three teens around Lagoon all day like some teenaged amuse park cruise director, I allowed them to take a break at my brother, Jon's house for some dinner and then I forced two of my teens back to the park with me so we could make ourselves sick on rides until the minute the park closed.

When I heard that my sister, Rachel, had sweetly said, "Wow. Sarah took the boys back to Lagoon? She is the best mom!" I laughed out loud.

Holden and Caleb were quite reluctant to go on the newest ride in the park, (appropriately named Cannibal) which had only been operational for a half day before we arrived. I cajoled them with all of the maternal persuasion I could muster. Some mothers plead with their kids to eat their vegetables or to finish their homework.

I begged mine to please go on the insane roller-coaster with me. "Please? Please? It won't be that scary. I'm your mother! You have to defy death with me just this once!"