This vacation was a blast. We had everyone there except one family, who lives in Atlanta. Rylee was able to come for one day, which was nice. This little house was the same one we stayed at over the 24th of July weekend last year. It was fun last year, but I think it was a million times more fun this year--probably because Brian was around. He seems to make the world even better! Or maybe it was because Steve & Amber, Mike & Lindsay, and Curt & Evelyn and all their kids were there this year. Anyway it goes, it was so much fun. The house has tons of stuff to do and it is perfect for kids. The picture above is the zipline. The kids loved it and no one got injured on it this year. Even the younger kids figured it out.
Palisades Lake is just up the road and it was beautiful this year. The water was perfect and the kids and the Uncles had a fabulous time swimming. The rest of us had a nice time watching on the beach
The older cousins had the best time pushing each other off the dock.
Mealtime is a huge production number, but we got it down to a science pretty quickly. Each family took charge of one meal and it worked out great.
The little girl cousins all got Diamond's launch rockets and used them as microphones one night, used the merry-go-round as a stage and put on several vocal numbers for us.
Uncle Curt and Aunt Evelyn were awesome and brought several four wheelers, one of which was a little kid one. The younger cousins thought they were in heaven. Diamond, however, didn't see the irrigation riser in the middle of the little field where they were riding and when he drove over the top of it, he broke the pipe and sent a geyser into the air.
But, don't worry, the Simons boys can fix anything! Or at least a couple of them can. . . or maybe just Curt.
Back at it after our waterspout display.
Near the house is a fun creek that I took the kids to explore. The younger kids were hilarious. They zigzagged back and forth across the creek from rock to rock. They helped each other move from rock to rock by reaching out their hands and sticks, or I should say, twigs, to help each other across. The older kids found a bucket of tar and tried to tell their slightly younger cousins that there was a decapitated head in there. It took me about an hour to convince them otherwise.
Aunt Alicia decided to entice the kids into having a huge mud fight--which the kids loved, but I'm still not sure I have gotten all of the mud out of Florence's dredlocks.
After the creek and lunch we were all sitting around a little bored and a little slow about getting to the lake. We found a kiddie pool for the babies and they were in heaven. But then the adults didn't want to miss out on the fun. Aunt Lindsay started it and all the other adults followed suit of diving into the kiddie pool to cool off. It was hilarious. I think the cousins found it pretty cool that all of their aunts and uncles were so crazy and fun. Even grandpa got in on it!
Uncle Mike's belly flop.
Grandpa goes for it!
Once grandpa got in, he wasn't getting out quickly so we decided to get some pictures. Here are 21 of the 25 cousins--ages 10 months to 13.
Then the boys got in. Notice how you can tell Jon isn't a Simons boy? Yeah, he can tan--the others aren't just white, they're phosphorescent!
All the sisters-in-law climbed in with Grandpa, which was fine until Grandpa let one rip and turned the kiddie pool into a bubbling hot tub!
Lindsay, keep your hands off Evelyn, she's taken!
The cousins watching TV after we bathed all 21 of them in two little bathrooms. No small task!
Gauge is a daddy's boy and wasn't going to get off until the last minute. Three of the Simons boys went on a four wheeler trek our last morning. It was so cool to see them all hanging out together. It has been years since they have all been together with Mike in Sweden and Brian going to war. 
All in all, it was so great to have this time together as a family before we leave overseas for three or four years. We don't know if we will be able to make it back in that time, but if not, these are some great memories to hold on to until the next time.
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