A Good Week-Part Two

So the kids just didn't get enough of Discovery Gateway on Tuesday, so after piano and lunch on Wednesday we went back and took Luke and Max with us this time!  We love having a pass so we can go as much as we want!  We did the art class again and learned about horses this time and made clay horses (that looked more like bears).  

Wednesday evening I had a Primary meeting and we were able to get a lot of things discussed.  On Thursday, I took the kids to swim lessons and we had planned on going swimming at Lagoona Beach with Rachel and her kids, but as I sat at swimming lessons, I thought of the million things I needed to get done at home for PTA and Primary so we opted to stay home and get some of it done.  The kids didn't mind since they played with friends the rest of the day while I cleaned and worked.  We also went to the store and got two birthday presents for parties that Kaylee was invited to on Saturday.  On my way there I got a call from a member of the bishopric and in our conversation I found out a 9 year old in our ward lost his mom in a car accident the week before.  Him and his dad was driving his mom to the airport (They aren't married and he has lived back and forth with both of them).  She was going to a training to join the National Guard.  They were in an accident on the way there and she wasn't wearing a seat belt and died.  Luckily, the dad and son were just fine since they were wearing their seat belt.  It just broke my heart!  So as a primary presidency, we decided to make him a fleece blanket and we visited him on Friday.  He is doing ok and I am hoping that they can make it through this hard time ok.  I have been reading sad story after sad story.  A family of 7 had 6 killed from their ex-uncle in Texas.  A little boy drowned in his grandparents pool while they vacationed there.  And every other sad story I read on KSL of people dying.  It just breaks my heart.  So I just tried to really enjoy my family over the week and weekend.  Friday morning, we headed BACK to Discovery Gateway AGAIN.  Yes....that makes three times in one week!  This time we went with the Youngbergs.  We had a blast!  We were going to go to Lagoon, but it was raining pretty good and wasn't looking like it was clearing up, so we took our lunch we had packed and headed south instead.  We ate our lunch at the fountains before heading into the museum.  It was the perfect weather for it.    

We took another art class and this time it was about how they used to trade and barter.  So they went on a Beaver hunt.  So the kids would have to close their eyes while the would hide the paper beavers every time.  It was so cute to see them all on the floor, especially Livy.  I think Kate, the teacher, is getting to know us well since she called each of my kids by name throughout the class time.

We really enjoyed it and I don't think the kids would ever get tired of going back there.  Friday evening, Nick and I went on a date.  We ate dinner at the Habit Hamburger grill at Farmington Station and then watched the movie "Maleficent" at the theater there.  The food was so good and the movie was great.  It was nice to get out of the house and enjoy an evening with just the two of us.  I like date night...a lot!  Oh, on a side note:  Alivia and Kaylee passed their level in swim lessons, but it was recommended for Carson to repeat his level.  It is just a little frustrating since this is the third time he hasn't passed.  So we may need to try some private lessons sooner than later and see if we can get him swimming better.  

A Good Week-Part One

We started off the week with a trip to Lagoon Monday evening.  It is becoming a fun Summer tradition to spend our Monday evenings there.  We like meeting up with our friends, the Youngbergs, and just playing the night away.  On our way out I told the kids they could play in the fountains, and I really thought they would just splash a little bit and be good.  But they LOVED it and all were soaked!  We stripped Preston down to his diaper to get him in the van, but the other kids had to sit in their wet clothes on the way home.  But they didn't mind since they had so much fun.

The next day, they had swim lessons at 11, then ate a quick lunch at home and got the kids cleaned up to head to Discovery Gateway with our friends the Tanners.  I got to know Dawn and her cute family when she served in the Primary Presidency while I was pianist and chorister.  She has a little girl, Emily, that is Preston's age and then just had a baby a month ago named Ryan.  The kids had a blast at the art class we got to go to, where they made little treasure pouches.

 It was a fun day!  Preston took a good nap and slept through dinner but was awake in time to play outside while Carson and I mowed the lawn.  Nick had a Sunday School teacher training he was helping with that night.  As we were mowing, Carson wanted to help me pull weeds, and ended up playing with the bucket.  He does this with garbage cans too!  He will grab the little garbage cans from the bathrooms when I empty them and walk around the house with them on his head.  So it was funny he thought to do it with this bucket too!

 It was just a great start to a super fun week!

Rigby Lake 2014

After spending several days at Rigby lake camping last year, we were all excited to go back and play in the water there this year.  After Marisa and I did a Jazzercise workout that morning, we had lunch early and headed to the lake.  We found a good spot to put up the canopy and the kids played in a shallow little cove that was perfect for them.  We enjoyed Marisa's fun chair floats (we loved them so much we went and bought 2 for us to take to bear lake next week).  The water was a little cool, but it felt really good since it was such a HOT day!

Preston played in the water for a bit but then mostly played with toys and ate chips under the canopy.  Alivia was in heaven playing in the sand and water with Cooper.  With her puddlejumper she has a lot of freedom to just play and I love that she is so independent.  Carson loved being out in the deep water on the floaties with the adults and older kids.  And Kaylee was covered in sand from head to toe by the time she was done.  We stayed until about 4:30 and grabbed some frosty and fries on our way out at Wendy's.  We rinsed off everyone and had a quick bite of leftovers at Marisa's house before we took off for home.  We made it home by 9:30 and got the kids all in bed.  They were exhausted!  And so was Nick and I.  But I love weekends that we get to do so many fun things as a family and spend time with family, especially since we don't live close by each other.  I can't wait for Bear Lake next week with my family and then celebrating the 24th with Nick's family.  It is definitely the best part of summer!

Our Independence Day!

Warning: Picture Overload (But what else is new?)

After the parade we headed to the "Spot" that Justin had saved with their trailer.  The "Spot" was where we were going to watch the fireworks that night.  The Idaho Fall Mellaluca Fireworks is the biggest firework show west of the Mississippi and 2nd largest in the nation after Philadelphia.  Wow!  Since it is such a big deal, you have to claim your spot early!  We made it a lot of fun by basically making it our base camp for the whole day.  We got things set up and then headed to Pizza Pie Cafe for some yummy lunch.  We had never been and it did not disappoint. It was so yummy and with some coupons, it was very affordable!     

 Preston fell asleep on the way there (which he did several times through out the day because we didn't hold still long enough to let him take a nap and we went to bed so late every night we were in Idaho!)

After lunch we hung out at the trailer for a bit, but it got too hot, so we headed to Target to play around and keep cool and then went to the cheap movie theater and watched a show just so we could enjoy some AC for a bit.  Nick & Ris took the younger kids to go see Rio 2, while mom, Chris, Braydon, and I went and saw Divergent.  I read the series, so I was so excited to see it and I LOVED it!  Poor Nick, he is such a good sport.  He hung out in the lobby with Preston for most of it since he was such a pill.  This is the picture he posted on FB.  Made me laugh!

 We got back to the trailer and had sloppy joes for dinner and just played games, visited, and danced the night away.  Chris went on an 8 mile run, no biggie, and the rest of us got a few laps around the river and park on our bikes.  Marisa had several of her friends families there and they were so fun.  I think half of the fun of the fireworks is waiting for them to start.

The fireworks show last just over 30 minutes and was set to music and everything.  It was just wonderful.  Our "spot" was perfect and it was overall a great way to spend our Independence Day.  I love holidays like this.  It gives me a chance to reflect on all the blessing me and my family have.  The freedom we get to have is amazing and I am grateful for it every day!  I can't imagine how it would be to live any where else.  God Bless America!