Squeezing In Some Last Summer Fun

We have been meaning to do this all summer but never made it up there, so finally this weekend, we did.

Go-karting at the Heber House.

This time, toothsome #2 was able to drive all by herself.

Out of the Mouth of Toothsome #3

Toothsome #3 has a crazy, funny personality. Really funny. We never know what is going to come out of his mouth. Yesterday, we were driving to Dentist husband's office and he says, "Mom, you know that guy who lives under Daddy's office?" (There is a rental apartment below the building where my husband's office is and currently a single man lives there.)

"Yes."

"I want to punch him."

OK.

FYI

This Lands End jacket is currently on sale in their overstocks section. I picked up one in navy. Just thought you all should know.

New, new, new.

Well, school is back in session for my kids. I miss them when they are gone and while it will be good to get into a routine again, this has been a banner summer and I am sad to see it over.

That said, with a new school year, the word NEW is being used a lot around here.

Here is a list of some of the NEW things that are taking place:

1. New teachers and for my first grader, attending all day school, taking hot lunch, two recesses--all new.

2. New shoes and clothes: For some reason, my kids wore out a lot of their clothes this summer, so I have had to run and buy some new clothes so they don't look like homeless people at school. They also all needed new "winter" shoes--aka not flip flops or my preferred word that everyone hates--THONGS.

3. A NEW battery and back tires for my minivan. Not necessarily a new school year thing, but just bad timing.

4. New dance, soccer, and scout schedule. Also, I really need to find my kids a good piano teacher. I have been teaching them and I am just not very good at it. At least I did save us some money teaching them through the first beginner books but it is time to get a NEW piano teacher.

5. Making dinner regularly again. Ok, in most homes this is not a NEW phenomenon but in mine it is. I am committed to eating out a lot less and thus this is a very NEW concept in our house. I don't make NEW year's resolutions but NEW school year resolutions and this is one of them.

6. New glasses for toothsome #1: His broke the first day of school. They are temporarily repaired and we have an appointment for an eye exam and new glasses.

7. New TV schedule with NEW shows. I don't pretend that I don't watch TV. I LOVE TV and am excited for the new shows, no more repeats. The new 90210 will probably be too raunchy darn it.

8. New football season: Go Cougars!


So, what are your NEW things?

Newport Beach

My father-in-law sponsored a family reunion for his kids this year to Newport Beach, CA. We have been there two other times for a family reunion and it has become a family favorite. Everyone counts down the days until the next one (approx. every three years).

Family reunions with Dentist husband's family is no small feat. There are nine children and it is very hard to come up with a place that everyone enjoys with ages ranging from my father-in-law (age 67) to 15 months (the youngest grandchild).

My father in law very generously provides the housing (his time share and then some at the Newport Beach Marriott) and usually funds at least two big group activities. This year it was: Sea World

and
Medievil Times (great picture of me huh?)
On our own, we took the kids to Legoland with Dentist husband's older brother and family , who I will call Surgeon Urologist (since that is what he does for a living).
We also spent a ton of time at the beach. Dentist husband looks so handsome here.
Anyway, here is a picture of the whole group. Dentist husband's sister (Kel to those of you who peak over at her blog from my links) designs family reunion t-shirts every year. This year, it had a picture of a family ancestor known as JEJ. Please click on the picture to enlarge it so you can see what I normally look like. I'm holding the baby on the back row.

So, it was a wonderful, magical, amazing trip. Now I need to start counting down the days until the next one. Thanks Doc!

I'm Back

We just drove in from California (St. George actually as we spent the night there last night to break up the trip). School start tomorrow and I have a pile of stuff to do before then. I will post more about our WONDERFUL trip to Newport later. I LOVE Newport and as always, it delivered. Again, I love Newport.

I'm Exhausted

(Better picture of my Mom--worse picture of my siblings)

I'm exhausted. Here is my list why:


1. The week of my family reunion, I stayed up until at least midnight every night talking to my family but waking up around 6:30 am with toothsome #4. I usually went through two Extra large McDonald's Diet Cokes to get through the day.


2. The Olympics: We don't have TEVO or anything like it, so I am staying up until it is over every night to watch. I am still buzzing from the Men's swimming relay. How AWESOME was that?


3. Breaking Dawn: In between the Olympics and trying to organize my life from my family reunion, I have been reading the last Twilight Book. I have now finished it. I have MAJOR issues with it. I won't say anything to spoil it for any of you, but let me just say, it needed much more Edward, way less Jacob and Bella's personality is nothing like her in the other books. (Don't get me started on the imprinting thing.) The first book was the best of the series. I really think I might buy a Team Edward t-shirt. (Am I too old for that?)


4. Trying to get ready for another big trip to Newport Beach in August with school starting the day after we get back.


If I wasn't Mormon, I would so be a major coffee drinker. As it is, I think my body is about 1/2 Diet Coke these days.

Devil's Head Hike

I definitely would not call my family an "outdoorsy" group of people but every family reunion we end up doing some hike. This one was a great one for young kids in that it was only 1.4 miles up to an active fire lookout station. The was beautiful! Here are some pictures: On the trail

Once we were at the top of the trail, we had to climb 143 steps to the lookout station. It was actually pretty scary and since Dentist husband wasn't with me, I had to enlist the help of some of my older nephews to help me with my kids. Toothsome #4 did stay home with Grandpa.
I didn't get a good picture of the actual lookout structure but it is still used. There is a good a good picture of the place, here. The current forest ranger spotted a fire just the day before we got there. He has been at this post for 24 years!
Once on top, the views were amazing.

Going "Home"

I have a wonderful life in Utah which I wouldn't trade for anything. This is where I live, where I am raising my children and where my husband has his great job that provides such a great living for us. That said, I can't fight the feeling that Boulder, CO, where I was raised will always be "home" for me.

Here is a list of the few things that I love about going home:

The Flatirons. Can you believe that I was lucky enough to live in a city with these amazing mountains as a back drop? I didn't fully appreciate them until I left home but now, I honestly see them and get teary.

2. 97.3, KBCO: Yes, this is the local radio station that introduced me to a great assortment of eclectic music listening. As soon as our car radio can pick it up, I immediately turn it to this station and soak in the listening pleasure.

3. My parents: This should go without saying, but parents still live there and they are the greatest sort of "going home comfort" there is. Both my parents bend over backward to make every visit amazing for me and my husband and kids. (I didn't realize I downloaded a picture of my mom with her eyes closed. Opps--don't tell her.)

4. The crazy liberals in Boulder that made me the strong conservative that I am today.

5. The University of Colorado : Yes, I am a BYU Cougar who knows all of the words to the Cougar fight song with a BYU diploma on my kitchen wall but when push comes to shove, I am Buffalo. (I used to listen to the CU football games while watching a BYU one.)

Remind me . . .

I go home tomorrow, but remind me to blog about our hike to Devil's Head. Way cool. I have pictures too.

Things to Leave Behind on a Road Trip

I let my kids pack their own backpacks for our Colorado trip. The backpacks are for the car and they are supposed to be full of things to help them entertain themselves while we drive the 8 (give or take) hours it takes to make it to Boulder.



Well, I should have inspected their bags more closely.



What shouldn't have been allowed:



1. a kazoo: Toothsome #2 played it loudly most of the way and every time we would pass a car would hollar, "We passed another one!"



2. Wack A Mole: How did this game make it in number #3's bag? It is REALLY loud and the after about 30 miles, the repeative tune was driving me crazy. However, it did help pass the time and kept him happy, so I am conflicted about this one.



3. Crayons: It is over a hundred degrees folks! Crayons melt in hot cars. What in the world?



4. Harry Potter book 2: Ok, this one is my fault. I never remember what CD we are on and we were 1/2 way through the 2nd disk before my kids let me know that we had listened to that particular one about 15 times. "Mom, are we ever going to hear the rest of the story?" Opps. We are now on CD 3. I need to write these things down. Oh, I just did. Good for me.



Anyway, the trip over was very easy and thanks to the good people in Rawlins, WY's Holiday Inn, we finally found a yummy restaurant there--Sanfords, at the end of Ceder Ave. So, if you need one, you can thank me later. I am serious. You can thank me later because your other choices are NOT good. We do this route about twice a year and so we know. Trust me, we KNOW.