Trip to St. George

We got home yesterday after spending a few days in St. George. This was our first time staying in the new condos. They were nice. My only real complaint about them was the mouse that chose to show up the first night there. That wasn't fun at all. It liked to climb the fireplace. We did our best to chase it out and never did see it again. Going to St. George at the hottest time of the year might sound to you like a dumb idea. Does to me, too. But it really wasn't bad. We spent a lot of time at the pool. When we were in the pool, we really didn't notice how hot it was.

I'm sure driving would have been miserable if it weren't for the generosity of my parents who offered to let us take their van after learning how the air conditioning in mine really didn't work. And getting the air conditioning in mine working while we were gone. Even if it had worked in mine, I'm sure the kids enjoyed taking theirs more. Mine doesn't have air conditioning in the back so it gets hot back there.

Anyway, here are a bunch of pictures from our trip. This first one is of the view off the back of the condo. I believe those rocks are called Razor Ridge. Could be wrong there.

This is a view of the front of the condo as we were heading off to the pool the first time.
Here are a couple of pictures while we were at the pool.


Russ kept taking the kids through the waterfall at the pool. Dylan and Lyssa hated it.
Molly at the putting green by the pool. Cracked me up that they didn't have any putters. Just irons.
We like to hike at the Red Cliffs while we are in St. George. This time we managed to go there just after we had checked out before we headed home. It was very hot. Really was the only time that we noticed just how hot it was. This first picture is a family group we managed to take. Didn't turn out too bad for setting the timer and then running in to my place before the picture was taken.
The kids really wanted to do a goofy face picture.
This picture made me chuckle. Dylan really, really wanted a drink. Didn't want to let Russ get a drink.
The kids by a tree stump. The kids said the tree looked like a dinosaur.
Molly asked me in this one if she could sit and play in the shade here for a minute. I think she just wanted to sit for a minute. It wasn't much past this point where we came across some people who were rappelling down the cliffs. The girls got scared for a minute until we convinced them that they didn't have to do that.
Every time we have gone, the kids have managed to find frogs. They remembered this from the last time and searched until they found some. There were quite a lot. They caught one. Here Jimmy is holding it.
The kids were scared to try to get up the side of the rock on their own so Russ had them climb on his back and carried them each up. Getting down was a little harder. In the spring the stream is high (and is during rainstorms too) so it's harder to get up there. You can see in this picture where the water usually flows. Below it is a pool that always has some water in it. It's here that the frogs are usually found.
I think the kids were most happy to get back to the air conditioned car after hiking. And the cooler full of ice. I will admit, I was glad to get back to it as well.

As we were leaving, Emma asked why we don't go to St. George more often. I'll take that as meaning they all had fun. I know I did.

Family Reunion

About two weeks ago we went to a family reunion with Russ' family. They have one every year. This is the first one we've actually gone to. The kids had fun. Especially on the zip line. Dylan was the only one who didn't go on it, for obvious reasons. I helped Molly and Lys get on the zip line, so I didn't get pictures of them on it. I think Russ took video instead. He missed getting any sort of picture on me on it, and I'm not complaining about that. Molly and Emma liked climbing up the hills and got very dirty (see picture of Molly below). Anyway, here are a few pictures from the reunion. Yes, we all had matching shirts. Each family group (so Russ and his siblings and parents) were assigned a certain color to wear.

CHD Video

Paul Cardall, a local musician who was born with a chd and is currently waiting for a heart transplant, created this video of kids and a few adults with chd's. I thought I would post it here. Mostly because Dylan is in it. :) Just so you know, I had to change templates so it wouldn't cut off the side of the video. Ah well.

Work in Progress

Even though I'm a few posts behind, Russ wanted me to post pictures of the work we are doing in our kitchen. Not finished yet. I told him I thought it was silly to post pictures before it's done, but he wants "to show people." So instead of telling him to take pictures with his phone and show them that way, I decided to be nice and post a couple here. They aren't good pictures. The camera is charging so I used my phone's camera. The paint color doesn't show through very well. The bottom isn't actually as dark as it looks in the picture. Just so you know.

After having the better part of the week of not being able to really clean, I had a busy day yesterday of cleaning. Decided I was tired of sweeping the floor in the living room so dragged (I'd say carried, but it was quite heavy so dragged is more like what I did) the leftover carpet we have upstairs to use as a rug. We got extra with that intent anyway. Cut that down a little for a better size (after Russ complained about the size and got sworn at...for those of you who saw my status on facebook, that's why) and later started to paint in the kitchen. I'm not putting up a picture of the carpet. Just the kitchen. So really this paragraph is one big ramble.

Anyway, Russ has been working on tiling the back splash. Almost done. Not grouted yet. But you get the general idea.

Swimming with Grandparents

This past Thursday we took the kids and went swimming with Russ' parents. There is a community pool where they live and they had previously mentioned that Thursdays are a good time to go. Russ called them to see if it was still good and off we went. We all had a good time. Dylan wasn't real happy until I took him from Russ, and then he had a blast. Wouldn't go in the float we have for him when Russ had him but went in happily when I did. Don't know why. But he would lean over and blow bubbles. He was the first to decide that he had enough swimming. He sure did shiver. Toward the end we were the only ones in the pool. Made it nice. And it was late enough that the pool was totally shaded. We'll have to see about going swimming again sometime.

Anyway, here are a few pictures I took of the kids and Russ before I got in the pool. Sometimes it's nice to be the one taking the pictures. You will notice that I'm not in a single one of these pictures. For which you should be grateful. The pictures are pretty self explanatory. I'll just mention that Dylan could see me and was thus reaching for me in the last one.

Independence Day Part 2

I know, I know. I'm a bit slow getting this part up. But at least I'm finally doing it. After we got home from the parade and such, we pretty much just had time to get ready for a family barbecue with Russ' family at Mike and Katie's. The getting ready part was Russ running to the store to get the stuff that we were bringing to it. After making the cake for earlier, I really didn't feel like making something for the pot luck part and had Russ pick up some potato chips. I think the kids had fun playing together and had fun watching some neighbors light off a few really loud fireworks. The first picture I've added is of Molly, Lys and Joshua watching them.
Mike and Katie recently got this hammock from Katie's dad and the kids had a blast playing on and under it. We had to remind them a few times that it wasn't a trampoline.

Thought I'd throw this one in of Russ and Emma getting more food.
As it got dark, we lit off a few fireworks. Okay, Russ and Mike lit them, the rest of us sat and watched them.
As soon as the last one was lit, we rushed off so that we could watch the fireworks that were being lit off near us. Dylan managed to fall asleep on the way home so I stayed home with him and Jimmy, who decided he didn't want to go because he was tired. All in all, it was a fun and busy day.

Independence Day Part 1

I say "Part 1" because I have a lot of pictures I could put on. Once I get them all onto my computer, which I haven't done. And because there are so many, it's easier to break it into two posts. Besides that, the day could easily be divided into two parts. Part 1 consists of stuff done with neighbors and part 2 of stuff done with family. Not that I really need to explain why I'm doing it in two parts.

The past few years, we have been invited to watch the parade and then eat with some neighbors who live right on the parade route. Not quite sure how, but we were lucky enough to find ourselves getting invited. I think the kids almost look forward to the stuff at their house after the parade more than the parade itself. I think a large part of that is due to the zip line they have in their back yard. There is usually nearly a steady line of kids waiting for their turn. Earlier in the week I thought of a watermelon cake I made a couple years ago for a block party. I thought that it would be fun to make it for the festivities after the parade this year. (Later when I was at the store, I could not remember at all why I wanted to make the cake, but bought the stuff for it just in case I remembered. When I got home Russ asked me what I was planning on bringing. Made me glad I bought the stuff anyway.) The last time I made it, I used a smaller cake board so could only fit three of the quarter pieces along with the big round one. I finished decorating the cakes Friday evening. Saturday morning I looked at all the extra space on the board and decided it needed a few things and since I had some gumpaste already made, I quickly made a few ants and the checkered napkin and fork. The ants went quickly when it was time to eat. Jimmy had fun teasing a friend and telling him after he took a bite of one that it was actually clay. The napkin, ants and fork are the only things made with the gumpaste. The rest is just buttercream frosting and black piping gel for the seeds. The piping gel was used instead of frosting because I was being lazy and had a little bit left in a tube and didn't feel like hunting for my parchment paper decorator's bags to use more buttercream for the seeds. I will admit, though, that it took me longer to frost the cakes than I planned. Mostly because I took the time to really smooth out the frosting.

Last year we showed up to the parade just a few minutes before it started. This year we decided to get there a little bit earlier. I think mostly because Russ wanted extra time before the parade started to play with the water guns. The parade that is held every year is a water parade. They have the typical floats and such and then a little space to give the people who really don't want to get wet time to (quickly) leave and then come a few floats and fire engines that spray water all along the parade route. Many people bring water guns to spray those in the floats and along the route as well. Russ happened to have the camera at that point, so I didn't get any pictures. He, Jimmy, and Lyssa got quite wet. And loved every minute of it.

Anyway, this is a picture of the girls as they were waiting for the parade to start. Yes, they are looking for bugs. The weather was actually perfect for the parade. It was overcast during the parade itself so it didn't get real hot. Once the parade (including the water fight part) was over, the sun came out. Perfect timing to dry out those who got really wet. It stayed clear the rest of the day, which was nice for the fireworks later (which I will mention in part 2).
This is Jimmy with one of his friends as they are killing time waiting for the parade to start. Those camp chairs are ours. I have no idea why we bother taking them. We don't use them much. Okay, one might be good. Dylan fell asleep during the parade and I sat in one holding him. But the family whose house we were at provided a bunch of folding chairs so they really weren't needed. I'll try to remember that if we get invited again next year.
Emma, Lyssa and Jimmy watching the start of the parade.
Molly was a little nervous and didn't want to be right at the front at first. Which is why she has a little bit of a sad look on her face. I got her over that by telling her I would stand with her. Which I did. Until Dylan wanted me and got really sleepy. Then Russ stood with them.
After the food, the family provided a craft for the kids and even had a couple of pinatas.
Emma really enjoyed making hers. It was supposed to be a zipper pull. She turned hers into a bracelet instead.
Russ and Emma.
Jimmy waiting for a turn on the zip line. He thinks he needs to make a face at the camera lately.
Lys wanted her picture taken on this tree. Yes, she's waving at me in the picture. Molly decided to get in there too. Don't know how many times that day we had to fix her hair. Just did not want to stay pulled back.

July Birthdays

Happy Birthday this month to John, Amy, Savannah (turning 1!), Brian, Ben, Linda, Tori, Jo and Myrna! Hope you all have a great birthday this year. And yes, I realize I have no pictures. Just don't really feel like searching for any. Figure it's my blog, I can do what I want. So there.