Dinosaur Park & SPRINKLERS!

For the summer, I was able to switch my schedule at work. I usually work EVERY saturday, and it normally isn't a problem. Well, I decided that it might be fun since the kids are getting a little older, to go out with them as a family and spend some time together. My first saturday off, we slept in a little too late and it rained almost the whole day, until Brian had to go to his football game. So, at first, I was thinking that changing my schedule wasn't going to pay off. This last saturday, we tried really hard to get out and do something. In talking to Brian, we decided that we would go to the Dinosaur Park with the kids. He had heard that it was fun, and I had never taken the kids there, so we thought we'd give it a shot. We were there for about an hour, and Brian and I were completely BORED out of our minds. The kids had fun, but all I could think was, "it cost HOW MUCH to get in?" Here are some pictures:

Later that day, Brian left for his football game and I got out the sprinkler! Brooklyn LOVES water, and was having a blast. Brison on the other hand, well, i'll let you decide for yourself!

Just so you can see, he did EVENTUALLY warm up to the water...well, kinda.

At least they were super cute while sharing Brison's popcicle. Hopefully by the end of summer he will MAN up and not be so scared of the big, bad, scary water!

P.S. Note to self: Sprinklers, fun and cheap. Dinosaur park, expensive and boring.

I scream, you scream

Last year, with Brooklyn's birthday, I decided to start a tradition of going and getting ice cream for a birthday. Luckily, I remembered it this year! If you join the birthday club at Cold Stone you can get a "like it" size with 1 mix in for FREE! So, I printed off my coupon and tonight was the night we went and got ice cream! It was sooooo good! Sweet cream with toasted coconut and pecans! Delicious! Brooklyn got chocolate with sprinkles and Allison got Cake Batter with toasted coconut and almonds. I think we all enjoyed it!

My Turn!!

After the Father's Day post, it's now my turn to write about ME! So, for my birthday, it's been tradition, (since we got the boat in 2002 on my birthday) to go boating every year ON my birthday.

This year it was on a Sunday, and we all know that water and the sabbath don't mix, so we went on Monday. My mom, and sisters went out with me.

It was so COLD!
When I was younger, I used to say that I wouldn't open any presents until the snow was all melted off the mountains. It's a good thing I didn't get any presents this year, because it was practically SNOWING! (not really) When we got to Willard, the temp in my car said 66*!!! HELLO! Luckily, the sun was shining and the rays were good, so it was worth it. I decided since I was 35 years old, I should be smart enough to know that cold water & a lingering head cold wouldn't mix well, and so I did not ski. (the water was too choppy anyway...yes, i've gotten picky in my old age!) Since it was MY birthday... i'm going to fill out the birthday questionaire that my friend Pam inspired me with!!!

1. If you could have one super power, what would it be? to be able to stop time
2. what was the last chore you did? laundry
3. What is your favorite song? personal jesus by depeche mode
4. What do you like to eat for breakfast? don't eat breakfast
5. What do you like to eat for lunch? cafe rio fire grilled chicken quesadillas
6. What is your favorite dinner? it's a tie between corned beef and cabbage and sour cream chicken

7. What is the nicest thing you've done for someone in your family lately? I tried to give Brooklyn a trip to Disneyland for her birthday! (notice the word "tried")

8. What makes you mad? when I am stupid

9. Where would you like to go on vacation? Hawaii? anywhere warm where I can not have to worry about any kids...
10. Who is the smartest person in your family? me!!

12. How old are you? 35, yep, I said it, 21!

15. What is one thing you did as a child that you'll always remember? when I hit Allison in the jaw with a golf club.

16. If you had a million dollars, what's the first thing you'd buy? a new house!

18. What's your favorite cereal? cinnamon life
19. What's your favorite tv show? biggest looser
20. What's your favorite vegetable? asparagus
21. What is something you own that you would never want to give away? my kids?
22. What's your favorite game? to play or watch? watch is FOOTBALL!
23. What's your favorite book? twilight, but then again, I am only 21!
24. What food would you eat everyday if you could? hamburgers and fries!
25. If you could have a different name, what would it be? I like the name Emma, but don't know if that's me...
26. What friend do you play with the most? Allison.....sad, I don't have friends that aren't family!
27. What's the scariest thing you've ever done? went to the top of the stratosphere...i'm afraid of heights! I actually rode the "Big Shot"!!
28. What is your favorite restaurant? The Garden
29. What is your favorite candy? Snickers
30. What is your favorite family home evening treat? what's that?
31. What is the best age to be? 21

32. What's your favorite holiday? 4th of July!!!
33. What's the best present you've ever received? I haven't gotten presents for so long, I don't remember!
34. What is something nice someone in your family has done for you lately? Brian has done the dishes!
35. What is something you would like to do or learn? how to take better pictures and edit them!!

Finish this:
I want: more time
I have: cute kids
I wish: I lived in Disneyland!
I hate: sleeping in!

I miss: my Grandma
I hear: laughing
I wonder: how to make more money

I regret: nothing!
I am not: organized

I dance: not very well
I sing: NOT AT ALL!
I cry: very easily
I am not always: on time.

I make with my hands: memories
I write: in my journal hardly at all!
I confuse: EVERYBODY!

I need: a vacation

Happy Birthday to me!

Father's Day

This year Father's Day was a little strange. It was the first time in our married life that I had to share my birthday. In an attempt to make it special for Brian and to try to get the focus off of me (just some of it, I still wanted recognition, by gollie!) it made for an interesting day. Our friends are here from Arizona, and we love having them here! I got up when Brison woke up, which was still kinda early (dang it!) and got him his SOY. I sat on the couch with him for quite a while. It was fun being able to spend some one on one time with him, and because it was kinda early, he was in a semi-cuddly mood, which I will take ANYDAY! After a while, I started on breakfast. I had 2 dad's in the house that I cooked for. We had scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns and freshly squeezed orange juice (that was from my freezer from this last Feb...see prior blog posting!) It was a good breakfast... then as usual, we were in a hurry for church. Church was good, Brooklyn sang the most beautiful rendition of "I'm so glad when Daddy comes home", which was hard to hear with 50 other children, but it was beautiful. Then, Brison decided that his present to dad was to throw a fit so we had to leave early. What a good boy. (not really, he's actually lucky to be alive!) We had family dinner at my parents and then went to my grandparent's house for dessert. I got Brian an hour long massage and an iPod shuffle for his Father's day gifts. I think that he had a good day. I hope that he did. I tried to make it a good day for him.

Surprises!

So, for my birthday, Brian surprised me with a little 'romantic' getaway to the Alaskan Inn. He came and picked me up from work and took me to dinner at the Timbermine. During dinner he kept looking at his watch and telling me we were in a hurry to get home because Allison was watching the kids and she had to get home to pack for her vacation. We leave the restaurant and he goes to Smith's. I tell him i'm too full for desert! He just shhh's me. He runs in and then back out and we head back up the canyon. I think he is just avoiding 12th street construction. Oh no, we head up the mountain. In my mind, I am thinking..."what in the crap is he doing?" I think he MIGHT have something for me, perhaps a surprise birthday party?, or a new boat?...not really. We continue to drive up the canyon and he brakes hard left and pulls into the Alaskan Inn. I still am in disbelief at what we are doing. I go into the lodge and he is checking in. The 'desk clerk' reminds him that our appointment for our couples massage is at 8:00! WHAT! A massage too! He even got chocolate covered strawberries and sparkling cider! The breakfast in the morning was good! The hot chocolate was DIVINE! I had never had actual whipping cream on top...it was SO GOOD! What a pleasant surprise and a lovely way to spend a pre-birthday birthday! Thanks Brian. Good Job!

p.s. yes, that is our cabin in the background.
p.s.s. he got me cough medicine at smith's...because I was still sick from GIRL'S CAMP!

HIT IT!

Our first time out this season! I was nervous about how Brison would do, because it has been a year and he was only >1 year old last time we went out. But, like I expected, he was a CHAMP!

(please ignore the white legs)

He didn't freak out about his life jacket, he loved to dip his feet in the water, even though it was FREEZING! He was such a good boy! Brooklyn, as always, loved it. She really looked forward to being able to go out and get to say HIT IT! She was practicing quite a bit. She's so funny.

At first, they were just playing in the water...but then Brooklyn got BRAVE! She was having me dip her feet, and then she climbed down the ladder and would get more of her body wet, then climb back in. Finally, she was jumping off the back of the boat, with me holding on, and pulling her back in. Then, she finally got up the nerve and said she wanted to jump in.

I didn't want to tell her No...so, I let her do it. She jumped and then immediately came up and was looking at me with the face that said....HOLY CRAP THIS IS COLD! I could tell the cold water had taken her breath away, and I watched as she was freaking out to find it. She is such a good swimmer that I wasn't nervous at all. She swam back to the boat, which wasn't that far away, and I helped her back in. I told her she did such a good job and she said Thank you, and then I asked if she wanted to do it again and she said...NO! It was only Allison and me out there on the water and so we couldn't have skiied if we wanted to...which we didn't! That water was so cold, and the air wasn't that much warmer!

apparently it was REALLY bright...take note of Brooklyn's sunglasses...goober!

Oh well, we should have more opportunities to go, like, every monday this summer!