Random Happenings

Since I haven't blogged forever, here is a random sampling of our Haymarket Happenings the past month.

It started with the first day of school. More importantly, my first day with no kids in 14 years.

Ahh...

Here is our street's bus stop.

Elementary School: Ethan (4th grade), Tate (1st grade) and Ashton (Kindergarten)
Middle School: Sommer (8th) and Calvin (6)

They are so cute together and such great friends. Calvin is loving his first year of middle school. He even made the football team being only one of two sixth graders who made it!


Then we went to the Renaissance Festival in Maryland.

Garth is the biggest fan of this annual event. And we love to take him!

Here he is getting ready to win an ax throwing contest. Yes, he did win. He says he was born in the wrong time.


The kids think he is a stud...so do I (minus the donkey hat).

Very tall man...

Our little Fool.

Our Gossip...

Another fool and a sloth...

They were punished and quickly repented.


And then just this past weekend I ran my first triathlon. The only problem is I still haven't swam or biked...maybe next year. Being on a relay was the only way to go...and much warmer.

Here is my teammates: Stephanie (biker extraordinaire) and Vicente (he could have whipped us in any event but since neither of us swim he had to take that slot).

We ended up getting fourth (by 30 seconds...not taking the fall for that one) out of 20 or so teams) and missing the podium...boo.

Garth was sent to Utah to see the BYU game (I won't mention which one). He had a blast with ALL of my siblings (boo again...wish I could have joined in the fun)! Thanks Matt, Mark, Mike and Hilary for showing him a super time!



Why so dorky?

Love my boys!

When Your Happy...

I love the song, "When Your Happy and You Know it..." I am happy. I know it (I am clapping my hands right now by the way). Nothing spectacular is going on here to make me extra happy. No glamorous vacations planned, money is still tight, so are my pants. Kids still think I am a mean mom, the basement has MESS written all over it. And so on.

But I will tell you a little secret:

I have been getting up early these days. We read scriptures with the kids (sometimes only a verse but reading...), get them all off to school without too much craziness (last year I was awaken by my daughter each morning as she sweetly said from the front door, "bye Mom, I love you." Yes, it is true, I was lazy). We kneel to pray as a family. The dishes are done, lunches are made all before 9 am.

I believe more in the council, "Early to bed, Early to rise." I am still working on the early to bed wisdom but getting up each morning is putting an extra spring in my step.

Get a Grip

I need to get a grip and start writing on my blog again. I have been so busy I feel like the most I can do is write a one sentence blurb on Facebook these days!

So much has happened the past month:

1. We moved west
2. Had another child
3. Got another dog (and a horse and a coup of chickens)
4. Garth had a face lift
5. Sommer graduated from High School and entered BYU
6. Calvin went on the golf pro circuit and placed!
7. Ethan finished and published his memoires
8. Tate joined the circus
9. Ashton took over as manager at the local McDonald's (mostly for the free chicken nuggets)
10. I retired from running and eat bonn bonns all day.

Wow! I really do need to post more often!

Maybe next week!

Bunny Day

Finally have a chance to explain bunny photos. We were out of town when the neighbor kid's taking care of Joey hear and see a small animal in his mouth. It ends up being a baby bunny. They find the nest in our backyard, move it to the neighbors safe yard (no kids, animals). Next morning two of the three babies have passed and no sign of the mother. Calvin brings bunny in and checks internet on how to take care of a newborn bunny. Off to Petsmart for "kitty milk" and a bottle. Calvin and his friend Jackson stay up all night to give bunny feedings. The bunny, also known as Thor, lives in their care for 2 days. He passed later the 2nd day and is buried with tombstone (or tombpaper) in our backyard. Precious watching these tough boys taking care of the little creature...

Beach Bums

We are official Beach Bums.

We headed to VA Beach last week to join up with the Andersons and Bloomers for a couple of days of surf and sand...oh yeah, and RAIN!

I say BOO to rain.

Garth and the kids didn't mind at all. But then again, they like to spend most of their time in the ocean so I don't even think they realized it was raining. I on the other hand, prefer the beach...in the sun!

And lucky me, we did get one day of sun. Then one day of clouds, and one day of rain.

Not to worry, I built an awesome tent.

Highlights from our trip:

1. The Free Breakfast Buffet every morning. If only Ashton would have eaten SOMETHING they were serving. Luckily, I had brought a box of Honey Nut Cheerios for our little prince.

2. Relenting and letting Ethan buy his beloved hermit crab. He played with it on the beach all day and in the hotel room. He loved that crab. The day after we returned, it was found leg less and dead. Ethan was devastated. The funeral and burial took place today. In lieu of flowers you can send him another crab...

3. Friends for all. Garth and I loved having our friends. The kids loved all of their friends. The beach was a perfect playground for all.

4. Timeshare presentations. Love these! I am never afraid to say no. And always happy to accept free gifts. After their lovely 90 minute attempt at getting the very POOR Porter family to purchase a VA Beach timeshare (yeah right!), we walked away with a $75 gas card, $40 lunch and a 2 night stay free for next year!

5. The freedom of kids getting older. The three older kids spent their days roaming the hotel and surrounding areas. Garth, Sommer and I were able to go to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory in peace. I went to bed BEFORE everyone else (remember those days of putting little ones to sleep in a cramped hotel room to then have to whisper softly or watch TV on mute hoping not to wake the sleeping beauties). We could actually relax around the water. Everyone could walk. And most of the kids could CARRY items!

6. I didn't hear anyone snore! Thank goodness for a hotel suite and 4 out of 7 of our family members non-snorers (for those that haven't heard, I am a horrible sleeper with any breathing, snoring, moving, blah blah blah...those things that keep people alive when they are asleep).

7. After a 2.5 hour drive from VA Beach to Williamsburg (this should take MAYBE 40 minutes), we were thrilled to use our season passes to Busch Gardens for a much needed break. No real lines...and it wasn't raining (it was pouring down in VA Beach).

8. The super long tunnel that takes travelers under the Chesapeake Bay, is a perfect place to have a "no breathing" contest. Ashton won by miraculously holding his breath while talking!

9. Racing three families in the Scurries (the 6 seater bikes). And almost causing some teenage girls to tip over at top speeds. Thrills all around.

10. Kids (and Garth) sleeping while I drove home (so cute seeing everyone sleeping...but did hear a fair share of snoring)...but absolutely NO TRAFFIC for the remaining 2.5 hour drive.

Kylie and Sommer...Striking a pose
The best beach toy ever...and it was given to us by a stranger.

Always looking for "Shark's teeth" or "crabs."

Garth and Jim waiting for the BIG WAVE!

Morgan and I keeping dry. Is that a great tent?!

Doing what I do best...lounging around and talking....thanks Cherilyn.

Sommer giving the evil eye to...someone...

Not sure what is going on here...but I think it was done while "roaming" without parent supervision.

Neptune, Kylie and Sommer

Ashton and Will. They had a blast playing together.

Better Shots

This is what a real camera and someone (Michelle) who knows how to use it can capture:

Turnigan Arm
Byron's Glacier

Glacier

The final rock climbing section to peak of Flattop...see...it's FLAT!

A better shot of Mr. Moose.

A Quick Peek at Alaska Trip 2009

I am back from a whirlwind trip to Alaska!

As expected, I had a wonderful time! Man, I love this place.

I have been super busy but I at least wanted to get some of the awful pictures (would have been better with a decent camera and decent photographer) blogged!

My wonderful friend, Michelle came with me. We were able to see some beautiful sights, visit with my parents and hang with my bro Matt and his wife Tiffanie (and their kids). I had a blast at my 20 year reunion too!

Let me start with my nature shots:

There is a moose in this picture...can you find it?
One of our many gorgeous views of Anchorage from Flattop mountain.

Another view of some of the trails we had just ascended...

Here is Michelle climbing up a rather steep part.

A view from the bluff off my neighborhood...turnigan arm is in the distance.

The other view from the bluff. Many, many a day were spent playing in these woods. Behind them now are huge neighborhoods.

We took the tram up Alyeska Ski Resort to the top of the mountain. I so DID NOT enjoy the 42 temps and very windy conditions. But the views were spectacular!

Looking down the mountain. You can see Turnigan Arm. By the way, we were lucky enough to see a very disappointing Bore tide (they only occur every so often...this is when the tide is rolling out and the new tide is rolling in...it was supposed to be a huge 8 foot wave)...where along with hundreds of people saw nothing.

Our tram view from the top. Matt did a race here last year where the goal was to see how many times one could run up this trail in 9 hours. Really? Is that fun?!

A glacier (on Michelle's camera it looked much prettier and blue).

My daddy-O

The best shot from like 6 attempts of me taking a picture of us...

My nephew, Josh making an attempt at the Skinny Raven shop pull-up record. He did 22 getting his name on the board!

My Brother Matt, making the same attempt. He got 18. Just enough for the free t-shirt. Boys...

I could do one (girls have to do 9)...barely.

Was it windy on our hike you ask?!!

Yes. It was windy. Very.

20 Year High School Reunion! Totally fun.

Some of my high school gal pals. Kristen (on left) had a little get together before the reunion. People asked me how I got so tall...heels baby...high uncomfortable ones.

Matt eating Thai food. So good...ha ha ha (he was speaking with a thai accent saying, "so good, ha ha ha....")...had to be there.

We have entitled this picture, "Summer in Alaska." We were freezing but no, we didn't wear my mother's furs out in public.

My darling mother! It was so great to see her.

Michelle, Tally and I freezing...where were the fur coats here!?

Flowers, flowers everywhere. Alaska is one flowered up place! Had to take a picture with these HUGE blossoms.

Eating lunch with Tiffanie, Liz and Tally. We did a lot of eating.

Feeding Tally honey for lunch. Look at the angelic light shining down...

One of the bears we saw...

The other bear...

Picture by glacier waters and large glacier (the name of the blasted thing escapes me).

The other "hot" bear we saw...you would have kissed him too...look at his six pack abs!

We were too "hot" girls in a very "cold" environment but we still had the best time ever!

I can't wait to go back!