A special trip to Utah (July 23-Aug. 11)

Even though summer is the best time to be in Seattle, we still can't help ourselves from taking off to enjoy a few weeks in UT at my parents house for some guaranteed hot and sunny weather and time with the family. This was a particularly special trip because the boys decided they wanted to be baptized in Utah so that more family could be a part of the day. Their special day took place on Pioneer day, July 24th, which is also my brother Paul's birthday so it will indeed be an easy date to remember and one that will always be special to us! In addition to having lots of family in town, we were thrilled to be surrounded by close friends who were able to join us. Thanks to the Merrill's, Cox's, Howard's, Hamblin's, and Horning's for joining us. Also special thanks to the Moore's who were traveling out from Chicago and barely missed the baptism but were at least able to make the luncheon afterwards. It was a great day and one that will never be forgotten.

My three handsome boys:



A darling shot of the boys with their cousin Teagen:



Here is a group shot of everyone in attendance. We may have been small in numbers due to being away from our home ward, but we were large in spirit. What a wonderful group of people we were surrounded by on this day...



We were fortunate to have every uncle in attendance, including both James and Steve who had traveled from both coasts!



What would we do without our gracious hosts, Grandma and Grandpa who so kindly turn over their home to us for a few weeks each summer not to mention cooking, cleaning, and babysitting for us! We could never repay them for all they do for us...



The visits to UT wouldn't be the same for the boys if it wasn't for Afton. Afton is the grand daughter of the Hamblin's who live next door to my parents. They are a wonderful family and my boys absolutely adore Afton. Whenever we are in UT, she is at the top of the list of "must see" people! Here she is with the boys on their special day!



The boys and Sage with cousins Boston and Preston:



A family shot on the big day!



After all the work they went through to try to make it to the baptism, we couldn't write this post without including a photo of our dear friends the Moore's. We included them in this family shot. We've known them since our first week arriving in NYC for grad school.



We also have to include a photo of Eydie with her daughter Deena and granddaughter Emery. Eydie is one of my mom's best friends and has always been so good to us and our kids.



In honor of Paul's birthday, later in the afternoon, Jack took all the uncles up to Sundance to do the digglers. After that it was Cafe Rio and a birthday celebration. Sage wasn't going to let Paul's birthday go by without her birthday hug to one of her favorite uncles...



After an eventful Saturday, we relaxed Sunday going to church and heading up the canyon. Then it was off to do some boating on Monday. One of the highlights of the trip to Utah is spending a day on Deer Creek. As you can see, it's a fun day...




Here is Sage heading out on the raft for the first time. She was surprisingly anxious to get on the first time but that attitude changed as the day went on and she saw everyone getting thrown off. You'll also notice evidence of me riding on the raft...even if it is only with the "safe" crowd...




When you put Sean or Paul at the wheel of the boat, there is no telling what can happen...




Next it was Grandpa's turn. And what a trooper he was considering he got submarined at the end...



Here are Steven and Paul getting a turn while Jack and the boys enjoy a calm ride in tandem. I had to laugh as I downloaded all the photos from this day because Ty was in just about every photo on the raft. I think there were only a couple rides that didn't include him on it. After dropping off Connor, Ty and Jack decide to play musical chairs...



Here's Ty testing out the knee board for the first time. He nailed it staying up the longest of anyone...



Here are Boston and Preston taking their turns. The rides didn't start off pretty but by the end they were starting to enjoy themselves...



Here are some of the other highlights of the trip:

Sean and I took the kids to hike the 'Y'. We were all so proud of Teagen for making it up the whole way by himself...




Swimming, swimming and more swimming...




The boys were so excited when they arrived at the BYU All Sports camp to find their best bud Harrison had come up from Vegas to do it with them. They were also very excited because they had their first ever friend sleepover with Harrison during the week. All I heard about was how awesome it was...Thanks Kristen!!!



Bridal Veil Falls:



A trip to Mirror Lake:




Hiking the Timp Caves: This was a great time. Ty had memorized the video we watched before entering the caves so each time our guide would ask a question, Ty would raise his hand with the answer. She asked Ty to be her assistant during the tour so he's use her flash light to show the group special things in the caves. At the end she said the day wouldn't be complete without a photo with Ty wearing her ranger hat...





When it's all said and done, nothing beats just hanging out with the family! Thanks mom and dad for another great visit!

Go Yankees!!!

So last weekend we went to watch what we thought would be the Yankees beating up on the Mariners with our friends the Bailey's. We got great tickets and the weather couldn't have been more perfect. It's tough when your two favorite teams are playing each other but being that Jack has been a Yankees fan since he was a kid and for me, NYC is the city I've lived the longest in my life (and I'm a Derek Jeter fan), we have to root for the Yankees. It's no secret the Mariners suck. They really do. On this particular night though, the Mariners fans had reason to be proud. During the third inning the Yankees scored the first run. Then there was nothing until the 8th inning when the Mariners got a grand slam giving them a three run lead. Unfortunately, when we had first arrived at the game we learned that Jeter and Posada weren't in the starting lineup. We were totally bummed but what excitement there was when after the Mariners got the grand slam, you see Jeter and Posada putting on their batting gloves and making their debut. Unfortunately, it was too little too late and the and the Yankees came up with nothing but what an exciting game it was to witness. The stands were going crazy, especially since this was game three of a four game series and the Mariners had lost the first two. They also ended up losing the 4th game by a landslide which made game three even more of a novelty!!! Fun times!!!



A-Rod...the one everyone loves to hate!!!



Our boys LOVE Ichiro and he makes watching the Mariners worth it...



Bringing out the big guns: Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada



After the grand slam the stadium went crazy!!! Something poor Mariner fans aren't use to seeing...



Jack was certain he knew the best place to valet park and boy was he right. Gotta love when you have to ask the cops if you can get through a closed off street because you want to park at Dream Girls... Seriously though, there was no 45 minute wait in traffic trying to get onto the highway like in past games. We were onto the highway within a few minutes of walking out of the stadium!!!

Nothing like watching your money go up in smoke...literally!

So it's no secret that the 4th of July is a favorite holiday in our household. How could it not be considering it's my dad's birthday. Sadly he has yet to experience a 4th of July in Washington and boy what a treat it is. The weekend began with our annual homeowners association festivities. This year, with about 15 minutes notice, Ty decided he wanted to participate in the kick-off parade. Kids decorate themselves and their bikes and follow behind several fire engines that do a loop around the neighborhood. I have to say I was quite impressed with what Ty was able to come up with in such a short amount of time. Unfortunately, I didn't have any cool 4th of July decorations laying around that he could use but he's not one to let that minor issue prevent him from being a part of it.




Straight from the parade we head over to our big neighborhood park for an afternoon of bouncing, rolling, sliding, riding, and eating! It's always nice to see our homeowners association fees actually paying off! Luckily, the carnival took place on Saturday where the weather held and we ended up with a beautiful afternoon and evening.






Unfortunately we can't say the same for the evening of the 4th. I'd like to say that the fog in the background was just smoke from all the fireworks but unfortunately, just hours before our show would begin, fog actually worked it's way into the area. Thankfully, it passed before the show but not without a few sprinkles also making their way through. We didn't let that stop us from lighting up the sky although it is funny to see the range of clothing from shorts and flip flops to ski parkas and rain boots.

If there is one splurge I have to give in on with Jack, it's letting him burn through a stash of cash on the 4th. Ty and Connor see nothing wrong with this...



The intro to the night includes sparklers, smoke bombs, worms, bottle rockets, fire crackers and those spinning flowers that I cannot stand...



Then we move into the fountains and roman candles. The roman candles scare me to death because the boys hold onto them, pointing them up to the sky while these balls of fire come flying out. This year we almost had a big problem when one of the boys' good friend had one in his hand but after the first one came out he thought it was done, pointed it at Connor, while at the same time watched another fire ball unexpectedly fly out toward Connor's face. Jack quickly grabbed it and pointed it upward. Thankfully I didn't witness this but hearing about it was enough to put me over the edge. Clearly, roman candles weren't something this boy had ever experienced. I think most smart people actually place them in a bucket and light them...



Then we move into the big stuff. Our street was full of bursts of light up in the sky. The on and off drizzle didn't stop any of us from enjoying it! We had about ten families come and join in on the fun. I wasn't able to get photos of everyone but here are a few shots of the fun...






I'm just thankful I can say that all limbs, faces, and eyebrows are still intact...until next year...