Our Trip to Roaring Springs

Every year Roaring springs has a reading program where kids can read to earn a free pass to the water park.  The tickets have to be used in June, and yesterday was the first truly hot day of the summer.  So we joined the masses and headed to the park to use our free tickets. ( I buddied up with others as well and was able to get the kids and I in for $15...can't complain about that!) 

The park was ridiculously busy so the majority of our day was spent in line.  I'm thinking we'll have to go back again with one of their summer deals and pick a day when the entire valley isn't there!

Ains and Owen were both determined to try the new ride "Cliff Hanger"  this year.  A ride where you stand in a capsule on a platform (with a window in it so you can see straight down) they ask you if you are ready, count down from 3 and the platform flips out from under your feet and you slide practically straight down for 6 stores.  Fun right!!!  We waited in line for well over and hour and finally had our turn.  Owen took 2 potty breaks while we were in line! I kept asking the kids if they were sure they wanted to do this.  And they kept insisting!  When we reached the last flight of stairs and I could see what we were getting ourselves into I was legitimately nervous.  But the kids persisted.  And I wasn't going to be the chicken of the 3 of us and make the walk of shame back down the stairs!  They insisted that I go first.  And while standing in that tube my heart was racing and I was breathing hard.  The floor shot out from under me and I immediately flew out.  And with a rush of water in my face and a huge wedgie I safely made it to the bottom.  Then I was nervous as I waited for Ains and Owen to join me at the bottom.  I had told them that even if they got in the tube and decided they didn't want to do it they could back out and I would meet them at the bottom.  Within seconds Ainsley shot out of the slide and then moments later Owen was there.  He was barely tall enough to ride the ride and he hopped up yelling, "That was AWESOME!" 

While we were waiting in line we got to see Emmie ride down her first thrill ride.  They have racing slides there that have no height requirement, the only trick is that everyone has to ride down by themselves.  I wasn't so sure Emmie would do it if I was there, but Kortney decided she was going to get her to do it.  So she took her girls and Emmie to race while they waited for us and to my surprise Emmie flew down on her own!  Screaming a bit...but good screams :)

I love that I have adventurous kids!!!  It makes me happy.

Summer Schedule

While our first 2 weeks of summer were action packed and busy, we are slowly settling into our summer schedule.  Which, if I'm being completely honest, is almost nonexistent.  We typically sleep in.  I can't seem to get out of bed before 8.  Then I go to the gym while the kids sleep in ridiculously late or if by chance they do get up work on their reading and math review and chores (how's that for being involved in their learning...here kids, read your library book and do your math on the computer while I'm at the gym :).  Then we are lazy until around 1:00 and then we find something to do.  We've managed to fill our afternoons with friends, $ movies, library, and other random adventures.  This week we're going to attempt using the kids free passes to the water park and maybe get in a little camping trip.  Who knows!  I guess that's the one good thing about me being so lazy about a schedule, we're always up for any sort of fun!

And just to mention Emmie, she learned to go cross-eyed last week.  It's funny because she gets her eyes that way by rolling her head in a circle.  And then we all laugh at her.  But this picture is most definitely the king of all Emmie pictures.  Her lipstick on (which she applies almost every day) her hair in true crazy Emmie Fashion, and her eyes crossed.  That's my girl!

A Favorite Conversation

While in Island park I heard this conversation between Emmie and Deacon (the Flake's 3 year old).  Deacon had picked Emmie a handful of flowers and handed her one and told her he loved her.  She was excited and grateful.  Then he handed her another.  This one had roots and dirt at the bottom.  And this is what was said...

E: Ew!  Deacon I don't want this one!  This one has poop on it!

D:  It's your poop!

Ahhh, kids.

Yellowstone 2013

Last year we went to Yellowstone with my family.  This year we went with the Flakes.  These ^ are the Flakes.  Brooke's family owns a cabin in Island Park, which just happens to be the cabin my family stayed at last year.  So this year we went with them for a little weekend trip. It was a great weekend.  Mostly because Brooke has become like another sister for me....so the whole weekend was relaxing and laid back. 

I posted a ton of pictures...but John took 388.  388 pictures!!!  That's a lot of pictures to sort through.  so here is a nice little photo montage of our weekend, with a little commentary from me :)

Craters of the moon (on the way there):

Our first day in Yellowstone, with the first buffalo we saw.

I love how in Yellowstone when you first see buffalo it's exciting and you pull over and look.  And then by the 50th buffalo you drive by and say, eh...probably not worth stopping. 

Stinky geysers.  This particular geyser is Spasm Geyser.  Weird name I think.

Snuggling at Old Faithful.  It was chilly and windy!

Hence the hot chocolate.

And the picnic in the cars instead of at the picnic ground 30 feet away!

Not sure what Brooke is scared of in this picture :)

The views from our cabin...I wanted to get a family picture in this meadow.  But we didn't.  We totally missed that photo opp.

We left Yellowstone early the first day because we were sick of being cold.  So on our second day there (after a morning of swimming and being lazy) we headed back and enjoyed gorgeous weather that day!

 

I think Owen climbed a rock every where we went.  Maybe we should consider getting him into rock climbing.  Or maybe he's just a normal boy?! 

Emmie was insistent of getting her picture on this rock.  Like brother like sister I guess?

The whole group....except for "photographer John".

Contemplating the geysers and hot pots...

The most enthusiastic park ranger I have ever encountered.  John's parents were there the weekend before we were there and I couldn't help but think that John's dad would have fully appreciated her stories about the geology of Yellowstone.  Her stories were wasted on the ears of our children.

Ainsley took this great shot of the grand canyon of Yellowstone.  She even got the rainbow!  Beautiful.

Proof that John was there!!!

Cute girl!

John always takes random pictures of me (usually of my back side...the kids think it's hilarious. I'm probably the only one in the family that doesn't).  Anyways, here are 2 random shots of NOT my rear end.   The first displaying the lovely zit on my lower lip that somehow morphed into a massive cold sore and is now a nasty scab the size of Kansas on my lip.  It's gross and it hurts.  Feel sorry for me please.

And here is another beauty....That Ains thinks is hilarious.  So, in an attempt to humor her and keep this picture alive and well documented on our blog, here is a picture of me doing....actually I have no idea what I was doing.

And we ended the weekend with s'mores.  And we all stayed up way too late and came home waaay too tired. 

Oh, and we celebrated (I use that term very loosely) father's day while we were there too.  We had a nice breakfast and gifts and then a long drive.  Good times.  Nothing reminds me of fatherhood more than putting up with kids in the car for a long drive.  Am I right?!

Quick Trip to Utah

Our first 2 weeks of summer vacation were a bit of a whirlwind.  Not only did the kids have swimming lessons but we crammed in 2 little getaways.  John was a presenter at the Mormon History Convention in Layton and so since he had to make the trip anyways, we decided to go down with him...even though we barely got to see him.  We left Thursday after Owen's swim lesson and managed to cram a lot into 2 1/2 days.  We got to see John's parents for a bit before they abandoned us and headed off to Yellowstone (totally kidding :) and I got to see Steph and her kids for a few hours one morning.  The kids always like to get to know cousins that they don't get to see that much.  I, however, am lame and took no pictures of the kids together.  And I'm regretting that....

Friday afternoon we headed off to Provo to stay with my sister for the rest of the weekend.  We spent the afternoon killing some time on campus.  We went to the Palentology museum, which actually had a few cool things at it and then just wandered around campus.  I love being back on campus.  I miss it sometimes.

That night Syd and Cy made us sushi.  We were all brave and tried it.  I want to say that I'm cool and like sushi...but I don't.  Sorry sushi lovers. 

We also went to the nickel-cade and played lots and lots of games and a little bit of laser tag.  Good times.

We woke up the next morning we woke up and hiked the Y.  It may or may not have been a bit steeper than I remembered. But we did it.  My most memorable moment of the hike will most likely be the moment where I had had it with Ainsley's whining and I was telling her (perhaps in not the kindest tone) to get her legs moving!  We were going down hill for heaven's sake!  And a nice lade walked over and gently took her arm and led her down the mountain a bit.  Lame mom moment for sure.  We also saw a lot of lizards, so I guess the hike was still cool.

Then we immediately dropped Cy off for his soccer game.  I think he was a little tired seeing as how he had just climbed the side of a mountain. But his team still won so no harm done.

My kids look tiny running in the huge football field!

After that is was off to the splash pad.  After a quick trip to Walmart since I forgot Emmie's swimsuit.  Oops.

Then we all showered, because by this point in the day we all smelled, went to Café Rio for dinner, and then went to Springville to celebrate their city art days with them.  I think they were pretty glad we showed up.  We got there just in time to catch the end of a Beatles concert.  I was actually kind of impressed.  These guys sounded great.  And it was only slightly laughable that they were dressed to the nine's and even spoke in British accents.  They full on played the part of the Beatles.  And it was actually a lot of fun to listen to them.

Emmie was pretty tired by this point.....

After the concert was a great fireworks show.  A great end to the weekend I thought!  We were all exhausted and the kids crashed that night.  A perfect little getaway.

Swimming!

Another year of swimming lessons has been completed.  Ainsley became a much more graceful swimmer this year and Owen is getting better at his strokes.  I need my kids to be rockstars in the water because I have a crazy fear of my kids drowning.  I'm quickly approaching the time when all my kids will be good swimmers and I can relax at the pool a bit! I'm glad my kids love the water though.  I think next year we might attempt swim team...maybe :)

Talent Show

It always amazes me that I have children that enjoy performing in talent shows.  Because I'm pretty sure I avoided that like the plague when I was a child.  At our elementary school the last day of school is all about the talent show.  What is amazing though is that the show is put together with very little parent involvement.  The parents never hear a thing about the upcoming show.  The principal announces it at school, the kids try out during recess (I'm not sure if anyone doesn't make it) and therefore we have some interesting acts.  My favorite this year was a girl singing a slower song while her friend danced gangnam style. 

Owen this year chose to jump rope.  The kids have been going to a jump rope club in the mornings for a few months now and Owen has actually gotten pretty good.  There were several jump rope acts (thank you jump rope club)  but I can honestly say that Owen was the best of the bunch...of the k-2 talent show, that is!  He got lots of cheers and did awesome.  The only glitch was when they used the full version of the 1D song he had chosen instead of the 45 second clip we had sent in.  He got to the end of his routine and the music just kept going and going and going.  I eventually got up and signaled the music people to just go ahead and turn it off.  The poor kid was exhausted!  He did great though!  He's got some mad jumping skilz.

Ainsley and her friends decided to dance to Miley Cyrus's Hoe down Throw Down.  Again, a stellar performance.  They never practiced outside of recess, which means they never practiced with the music actually on, and yet they all knew the steps to the entire song. Pretty impressive!

The rest of the day was full of parties and friends.  I spent most of my day at the school and we had friends over that night with pizza and home made ice cream.  And we all stayed up way too late, as you should on the last day of school.