Helm Memorial Day Reunion

 This was not only a family Reunion, it was an EPIC EVENT! 
The stars aligned and within about a two-three week notice. ALL of Steve's 7 siblings were TOGETHER. Steve's mom, Pamela, and sister Amie- lives in Nevada, sister April- lives in Arizona, Brother's Darren, Dustin, and Nate and sister Camille are in Idaho, and we are in Utah. 

A pretty perfect middle ground. 

So we opened our house, yard and hearts to the crew, and the party began!

Steve and I prepped food, cleaned, set up tents, cleaned, rented an ice cream machine, cleaned,

and buttoned down the hatches!

Friday 28th- the family began to gather...We ate pizza, played games, and chatted until the sun set.

Saturday 29th-Steve coordinated a massive mountain biking expedition for all who wanted to join...many enjoyed, some thrived, most survived, and few will retire their dreams of doing it again. We had a few bumps and bruises, but everyone came back alive! Success!!! Well done ya'll.

Sunday 30th- We had our church duties, and then spent the day, chatting, eating, playing games, and tried our first step into virtual realty games.

Monday 31st- We had a slip n slide, food, adventures and 

LOTS of ICE CREAM ALL WEEKEND

Fishing adventures: Aidan, Reed, Justis, Jamison

SLIP N'SLIDE!

Kayla and Ava are twinners!

Paige and buddy Israel "Raelie"

Paige and her buddy Zeke and Ashlee

FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD!

ICE CREAM was a HIT!!!

and ice cream building became a real art and...competition!

We won't mention the water fight between Sherri, Darren and Graycee

(Though its water, they keep that "heated" tradition alive))

Just some Sunday dinner! Now that's a crowd

Ethan Aldrich received the 

grateful we were all there and we are excited for him to set off on his mission to Chile in July.

Virtual Reality-quite fun and "out of this world" crazy

Kitchen helpers

Non stop Food and games

Boys and their Virtual Reality and video games

Eva and Anna chillaxin'

Wrestling mania-stumbled upon a WWF in our own backyard

We know how to pack a house, pack a parking lot, pack the bikes 

and eventually pack the people!

Graycee, Darren, Steve, Noah, Riley, Justis, Harrison, Aidan, Hannah, Autumn

Emily, Paige, Anna, Shae, Geoff, Eva, Camille, April, Sherri, Stephen, Dustin, Kate, Patrick

While the biking crew was away...

Hattie and I went on a little adventure together down by the lake.

She enjoyed "Surfin'" on the long board and I definitely got my work out in running her up and down that path. Woooweee!

Paige- Softball

 

Avin, Aspen, Kaitlyn, Mazy, Paige, Claire, Talia, ?

Annie, Sunny, Ella, Reagan, Abby

"The Chili Peppers" (Stay Hot!)

Paige wanted to try softball this year, and I'm so glad she did. 

We signed her up through the Orem Recreation Softball League for 3rd and 4th graders. 

They played Tuesday and Thursday and practiced on Saturdays (May-June). She had such a fun time and esp. enjoyed playing with her friend Reagan Jeffs as well as making lots of new friends. 

Her coach Aaron Stephenson was a positive and skilled coach who really encouraged the girls in a constructive way. So grateful her first year was awesome!

They came in Second place in the championship missing first by 1 point. 

But it was such a great energetic game! 

Sunny, Kaitlyn, Claire, Aspen, Avin

Annie, Paige, Abby, Ella, Mazy, Reagan

Reagan Jeffs and Paige (#1)

GOOOO Chili Peppers...Stay Hot!

Her first game she hit the ball every time she was up to bat...it's too bad the season ends so soon because by the last few games she was really getting the "swing" of things. She was also the best stopper. She enjoyed playing second and short stop.

Though she wasn't a fan of getting nailed in the shins or ankles. One game she stopped the ball and it popped up and smacked her jaw. She pushed through the pain until the inning. She hustled in and ran to me hiding her face and tears. But she was first up to bat. She really wanted to sit it out but if she didn't get up, the team would automatically get an out. 

So Paige wiped her tears and hustled back in to crack that bat! She's one tough cookie!

Her buddy Reagan was the designated catcher and rocked it!

Papa, Paige, Sunny and Grandma Tootsie came to cheer her on!

Cousins Tyler and Seth Aldrich are fans!

Harrison Moon also came but missed a pic.

Coach hosted an end of season pizza party at Pizza Pie Cafe where the team was given awards and families got to come, eat pizza, and celebrate the girls!

Way to go Paigeee Paige!

Ava's 8 and GREAT! Birthday and Baptism

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

to this special spunky 8 year old!
Ava is one who knows what she wants.

She has been anticipating her BIG day for quite some time. 
On her birthday "To do" list the following were in the works:
Birthday breakfast
Ears Pierced

Eat at Black Bear Diner
Hawaiian Friend party: fancy drinks, leis, limbo, hula hoop contest, treasure hunt, movie

(Paige helped plan and execute the festivities)

chicken nuggets and fruit kabobs
Vanilla Cake that had flowers on it with a side of Ice cream

AVA JOY HELM

8 YEARS OLD

LOVES...

her sister (and brothers)

her friends, esp. Reagan and Mekell Jeffs, Hadley Roberts, 

Cora Brown, Mary Harper, Haddie May

Her cousins, esp. Brighton Brown

performing, dancing, her tumbling class

enjoys piano, likes to read, loves to bake

painting her nails, doing makeup, LOVES swimming and Art

loves watching movies and youtube with Paige

and loves her sweets!

Ava is truly a joy and brings so much laughter and happiness to our family. 

She is hilarious and very confident in the things she wants and does. 

She is kind and caring and EASY to LOVE!

We love you AVA

Ava spent her ACTUAL birthday MAY 3, 2021

going to school, then we took her to get her ears pierced at Claire's

Paige was so sweet and comforting when Ava was getting her ears pierced.

I love that she's holding her hand!

Then we went to Black Bear Diner where we ate our faces off.

Then we headed to TOP GOLF where we got our swing on!

It was a first for most of us. It was so fun! 

The FAM!

LOVE LOVE LOVE these people!

Top Golf gave this gal some birthday ice cream!

Steve pretty much killed it!

It's a good thing they had a back net 

because I think Steve hit it every time. 

Noah

Reed

Jamison

Paige

Ava rockin' the swing!

Aren't they adorable!

They picked up some fashion glasses at Claire's 

and of course had to get some selfies-silly girls!

BIRTHDAY BOOK

-photo album from Grandma Tootsie

Cousin Cam and Ava celebrate together at Papa and Sunny's

Camille made a delicious 20+layer lemon crepe cake-YUM!

Cam's Bday is May 2nd and Ava's is May 3rd

FRIEND PARRRTAAY!

Reagan and Mekell Jeffs, Mary Harper, Emma Moises, 

Hadley Roberts, Ava, Brighton Brown, Haddie May, 

Tiare King(not pictured)

Paige and her friend Naomi Perrin helping with limbo duty

Brighton, Hadley, Emma, Ava, Mekell, Tiare, Mary, Reagan

CAKE!!!

And the girls spent A LOT of time

cuddling the new baby bunnies!

BIG DAY FOR AVA!!!

Impromptu photo shoot...I'm not super awesome at getting things done months in advance but I knew I was going to want to get some invites out for Ava's big Baptism Day.

She is one heck of a goof ball...but such an ADORABLE ONE!

I should get SOME credit for trying...I created her invites, sent them to be printed...

and then....crickets. NEVER got them. print delay? lost? will we ever know? grrrr but at least I got a screen shot of what they might have been. Sorry my Ava babe. It's still a great day!

BAPTISM DAY! 

June 5th 2021

Steve, Me, Jamison, Reed

Paige, Ava 

* missing Noah who was in Lake Powell with Bramble family, don't worry, Ava gave him grief. 

Ava and Paige with their buddies...

Mekell, Harper, and Reagan Jeffs (Harper didn't sing)

These cute girls coordinated their dresses and planned the "special musical number-Gethsemane" to sing at Ava's baptism. It was so sweet! They practiced together a few times with Grandma Tootsie at the piano, and I only intervened in the early stages to discourage choreography. Probably not necessary or appropriate in the chapel. hahaha but other than that. They SHINED! 

Grandma Tootsie (Pamela Helm) and Ava

Some of the cute guests: Cousins Ali Derrick and Maddie Wells, Van Brown and Uncle Briant

Ava was too speedy...she got out of her dress before I could get a picture with Papa and Sunny

All those in attendance:

*Steve, Brittany, Reed, Jamison, Paige, Ava (Noah-Lake Powell)

*Grandma Tootsie *Papa, Sunny *Dan, Brooke, Maddie, Christian, Chapin Wells 

*Kristin, Ali, Cam Derrick *Briant, Camille, Brighton, Van, Aspen Brown

*Tyler, Seth Aldrich *Christine, Reagan, Mekell, Harper Jeffs *Kate, Stone, Cedric Griffith

*Karon, Haddie May

Confirmation: Steve, Rick Brown(Papa), Dan Wells, Seth and Tyler Aldrich