JACKson HOle

Here we are...on our way to the 'couples retreat'!  NO KIDS! yeehah!

Our amazing mother...DIANE...was gracious, loving and brave enough to let us fly her out here and tend our kiddos.  They LOVED her and it was great one-on-one time since they don't get to see her often enough! 






We got to Jackson on a Thursday night and ate steak, potatoes, salad
and shrimp.  We were in 2 separate condos with 4 bedrooms each...so
 we each got our own room and bathroom. They were really nice and
cozy.  Friday, my parents arranged a white water rafting trip on the
 snake river for all of us. It was so awesome, a definite out of the
 norm-activity! It was exhilarating to be on the water like that and be
 so scared and then realize you lived thru the near death experience
 (5x over)....pics on the river to come....next post maybe.

   

We got cleaned up after rafting and headed to Bar J Wranglers for dinner.

Had to have a picture by the 'infamous archway'.  My parents
went there for there honeymoon 40 years ago and haven't been
 back since!  But this is one spot they remembered well.

My incredible parents at Bar J, they are the best.

This is the food you eat there.  Not gourmet by any means.  They serve you what you'd really eat out on a ranch so it has meaning and this place serves 75,000-85,000 people a summer!  Talk about needing to mass produce!  This is my beautiful sis-in-law Jami.



Here is the whole fam-damily.  I love them all so much.  We get a long so great and I couldn't ever replace them, with the exception of replacing them with my in-laws ...I am so blessed!  Look how happy and relaxed we are without our chillens' ha!



Our Saturday hike...

We hiked Jenny Lake with my sis and her husband.  It was breathtaking.

I can never pass a body of water without getting in...esp. clear cold water like this. 

No, I did not have an extra set of clothes...or underwear.  The hike back was a little soggy.  But the dive was well worth it.

We ate at this fabulous place called Q. Roadhouse BBQ.  I had the thai green curry and coconut chicken and Marty had the shrimp and white cheddar grits.  I highly recommend this joint to anyone in the area....phenomenal and there is an outside field that sits between this and another restaurant for kids to play in while adults wine & dine-stupendous idea!

Games, games, games. I love it.  I love when my family plays games.  It's the best.  Here is the boys team trying to make one teammate guess the charades word.  Doesn't look like they are even trying to act out the same thing! And everyone is so intent.  It was a crack up!  We played a couple other group games that really got us laughing.

Thanks Mom and Dad for such a wonderful weekend!  It truly was memorable.  And treasured. 

the week before

Ruby had one free week before her first day of first grade started. (it's a big deal right) We'd been back and forth so much up north it hardly feels like we live in St. George!  SO...we swam for 3 days straight at the 'best indoor/outdoor pool in Dixie!'.  The kids were in h.e.a.v.e.n.  They've turned into quite the little swimmers!

This is the pool, that yes, Charlie
almost died in and it was right where this picture
was taken.  Above, Marty finally
had him on his back floating around
without him screaming it was
great. (okay it looks as though he is screaming
but he's actually smiling)

We went to the Washington County
Fair with our friends, Tasha
and Christopher.
It was, well, it was just what
you'd expect from a fair. The
balloon in Liam's hand is the best
I've ever seen from a 'balloon
man' -now that is a ride~ And the
sugar left over from the funnel
cake (recipe here) is NOT an option to waste-
must be licked off! (apparently)

We watched a man called 'dizzy hips'
 perform with hula hoops.
It was really amazing.  It's Ruby's new
aspiration-she can really get that
thing a swinging.  Wonder
if that's something she can
compete with in High
School, no?

And of course -because they saw them- we let them
 ride a couple rides...a couple meaning- 2. Not that we
couldn't see the excitement in their eyes
while they rode but because they
are like 4 bucks a ride!

And here it is...ba ba ba bum!-  first day, first grade pics! How excited can on 35lb kid get~!

Her brothers were sad to see her off, in fact Liam ran to her room the second we got home and locked himself in.  He stayed for HOURS playing with her stuffed animals.  He combined his with hers and found himself in a sea of stuffiness, a plethora of animals...his DREAM.  He can play and play forever w/those things and I am not allowed to play with him. I guess it's nice when I have stuff to do?! 

This is the second day of the first grade.  I had to get her pic by the school sign! It was too crowded before.  She is totally bugged and done with pictures...she just wants to get to her desk!  She told me that is her favorite place to be now.  wow.

Near Death

I don't know if I've turned into a frenzied, spacey mother or what!?  But Charlie has had these near death experiences in the last 2 weeks and I think I'm losing my mind!  Don't judge me.

1. The other day I was walking out of a school building with some friends and my three kids in tow.  I get ALL the way out to my car and turn to pick up Charlie to put him in the car seat and he's not there!  "Where's Charlie"?!  I ask my 6 year old Ruby-like she should be the one in charge of him.! " I don't know" , she responds.  I look all around the car and parking lot and realize I never noticed if he was even with us leaving the bldg.!  So I run back up the steps and some nice lady is trying to keep him inside as she is leaving saying "You can't come out alone little guy, I don't see your mommy".  THANK YOU kind lady for saving my baby from walking outside.  He obviously saw us leave and wanted to follow as his oblivious mom didn't give him a second thought as she laughed and giggled her way out of the bldg.

2.  So then, days later, we are swimming at the rec center (which we did 3 days in a row-pics to come).  I was sitting by Charlie in the shallow part watching him run around and some guy splashes me by kicking the water and I turn to see what he is doing -he apologizes and his wife says something funny and I laugh and say ''it's okay, we're at a pool."  One or two other sentences were exchanged and I turn back to Charlie and he is completely submerged on his back and struggling to get up, sit up-whatever...I gasp and dive over to him and yank the poor kid out of the water!  sheesh! Right there before my eyes...I turn away for not even 30 seconds and that's when he decides to go under!  It goes to show you how fast things can happen and it doesn't even have to be deep water!....  CRAZY.

3.  Finally we are at Walmart, my favorite place! ha., and I am checking out with a million groceries.  I am price-matching...which doesn't take that much extra time per-say but I have to stand there and tell the cashier what the prices are.  So I take Charlie out of the cart cuz he's maneuvered the strap up around his neck and is crying.  I set  him down by Ruby and Liam in the isle to look at stuff with them...I don't usually do this but it was one of those days.  I turn back around to quote some prices and it was maybe 30 sec. to a min. and I look around and notice that Charlie is not standing by Ruby anymore.  "Where is Charlie"?!  I ask my 6 year old....sounding familiar.?  I don't see him right around me but I think, he couldn't have gone far...he wouldn't.  Ruby and I split up she runs to one side of the check-out- looks up and down and I go to the other side and look up and down.  It's not like you can yell out his name and he'll respond.  I'm getting a little worried cuz we really don't see him and we're in WALMART.  I instinctively start walking towards the nearest exit which is almost half the length of the store away and I see a girl about my age with a baby  on her  hip...it's Charlie....she found him out-SIDE the electronic doors just struttin' towards the oncoming traffic!  She literally saved him.  I was so, so grateful and wish I'd at least gotten her name.  Note to self...don't let Charlie out of sight , not ever.  Thanks to some guardian angels.  Like I said , don't judge me.  I am not like this with other people's kids (just Charlie I guess, poor boy)...I swear, I'm still trustworthy.

.

Waiting Game...

This is the smile I should have on my face.... but it's hard to keep it this way.  We took our van into the repair shop in Ogden while we were up North over the 4th of July weekend and it's still there! Marty and I borrowed my Mom's car to come back to St. George while it was being fixed and thought we'd only have to borrow it for a week tops.  Well 3 weeks later we drove it back up to Morgan on a Sunday afternoon because our van was 'supposed' to be done on Tuesday.  The evening of that Tuesday we call and it gets pushed back to the weekend.  Marty decides he can't wait it out so he takes the shuttle from Salt Lake back home.  I stay with the kids thinking that a couple of days won't be bad and we can probably stay with the 2 pair of underwear and clothes we'd packed.!  Well it's now been almost 2 weeks and we are still here!  We plan to head back Saturday-van ready or not! (if not ready we are going to borrow my grandma's car-a 2002 Toyota Avalon which surprisingly fits 3 car seats in the back row)  Granted it is a huge repair...a new engine was put in...but this has been a tough waiting game-one I never want to play again.  aghh!  I hate cars...we've probably spent over 4000 in the last 8 months on car repairs!  On this specific engine replacement we have a secret santa helping us with the cost-(trade thru his company.)  I can't begin to express our gratitude for that and only pray we can pay it forward one day soon.  Without this person's help we'd have just driven it off a cliff-because add 1800 to  the 4000 we've already spent on cars, it equals=bankrupt. And although my husband is really good at doing those...we don't want to file our own!

So besides being in 'limbo'...we've had a pretty good time.  Before Marty took the shuttle back we went to a water park with my sisters and their families and my Mom and Dad.  Marty is trying so hard to get this ornery child to sleep!  He's doing the pat-pat , bounce-bounce, if you couldn't tell.

Finally!  Children are so sweet when snoozing...why can't we feel that way about them all the time?

Sleeping arrangements are always different when visiting family.  My Mom is a great hostess and she and my Dad put up with alot!  Ruby and Liam had lots of snugly naps! 

She better not have a twitch - or that knee is going to knock some teeth loose!

So great to see some friends while in town!  Thanks girlies for meeting up with me and JoAnn who had to leave early...you guys rock.

Don't mind I had to keep wearing the same thing...get over it, I DID wash things.  I love these two long time friends.  I wish the very best for them in their day to day struggles.  I count my blessings for good friends.  It's such a needed part of life.

I was able to participate in the Morgan Marathon while in town.!  I didn't run the 26 miles...don't get excited.  But the race was fun and my whole family that lives in Morgan was involved and it was great to be with them.  Such a pretty morning to run!  Jami (my sis in law) let me take her spot in the race cuz they went out of town.  Although no pics to prove it, we had a great time with Jami and Brett who are living with my parents for a time.  Late night ice cream runs!  And just hanging out with them-they are probably ready for us to leave but we've loved seeing them more.!  Jami also let me borrow some clothes cuz she was sick of seeing my same blue shirt!  ha!  Thanks girl!

Girls night -wahoo!  Always needed...and Trisha is always one to throw a party!  Love her.

My kids died over all the cousin time they were able to squeeze in!  I dolled these girls up one day in curlers, lipstick and nail polish...no end result pic though; my camera died and obviously I didn't think to pack a charger for a "2 night" stay at Grandmas~! ha!  We miss you baby!  We'll be home soon, don't let St. George forget us!