Hiking Grotto Trail

Lowell took some time off this week so we got to do some extra fun playing.
Tuesday Cyndel and I took the kiddos to the zoo. We enjoyed seeing the new baby Snow Leopard Cub. Tuesday night we hiked the Battle Creek Falls trail again. It was busier this time, but still fun.
Wednesday we joined Anthony and Andrew to see Water Horse for summer movie club. Wednesday night we checked out the new Lindon outdoor pool. It was fun, I still like Legacy Center better, but it was fun to try something new and the kids especially loved the big slide and swimming under water (and there was weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth when we made them leave after over an hour).
And then today we hiked the grotto trail up Payson canyon. I am so glad my twin friend Sally recommended this--so fun! It was short (.6 miles round trip) and easy on the kiddos.

Balancing on the bridge across the creek

Marching across another bridge with Daddy watching on

The falls--it is almost like a cave that it falls into, very cool

And quite cold in fact. The boys exploring the "cave"

I got in on the action too--I thought the kids needed to "touch" a waterfall. They loved it!

See!

So that was our week in a nut shell. Tomorrow Lowell and I are getting BOGO massages at the massage school, hooray! And the rest of the weekend is pretty chill, just hanging out enjoying the summer which is rapidly speeding past. Hope you are enjoying yours as well!

Sunday on the blog

Faultless by Hillary Weeks (from If I Only Had Today Album)

When the sun sets and another day is over
I think about the person I wanna be
When I hold up a mirror to my life
Sometimes I don't find who I was hoping to see

I made mistakes today and I'll probably make
mistakes tomorrow
I couldn't save myself no matter how I beg or
borrow
I'm gonna need His grace

(Chorus)
On that day
On the day of grace
Through the Sinless One
My sins will be washed away
And I'll stand worthy
Only because He stands by me
With mercy
And love without end
He will lift me
So I'll never fall again
Then He'll present me
Faultless
Faultless before God

If my sins were like drops of water
And I tried to hold them with my hands closed tight
Some would slip through right past my fingers
I couldn't catch them all no matter how hard I tried

But there are Hands that have my name forever
written on them
The price was paid and not a single soul will be
forgotten
As we receive His grace

Chorus

I made mistakes today and I'll probably make
mistakes tomorrow
I couldn't save myself no matter how I beg or borrow
I'm gonna need His grace.

Chorus

And one for my BFF Kristina:
When You Least Expect It

It's been raining for days with no sign of it
letting up
And all I can think about is how much I miss
the sun

The sound is almost hypnotizing, pounding
on the pavement
And drop by drop I forget how good the sun feels
on my face

Then through the shadows
Beyond the clouds
A ray of light hits my window
I can't believe it
But I can see it
Right in front of my eyes

And that's when it happens
When you least expect it
When it feels like the storm will never end
That's when it happens
Light cuts through the darkness
And Heaven surprises you
When you least expect it

I quit counting the hours I've prayed for answers
But I can't help wondering how long will I
have to wait

And why is Heaven silent while I'm running
out of words
I keep on knocking but nobody hears me
standing at the door

Then through the shadows
Beyond the doubt
Heaven sends the answer
I can't believe it
But I can feel it
Deep inside of my heart

And that's when it happens
When you least expect it
And you know God has heard every prayer
That's when it happens
Love breaks through the darkness
And Heaven surprises you
When you least expect it

I can't believe it
But I can feel it
Deep inside of my heart

Chorus

We're praying heaven surprises you soon . . .

Happy Sunday!

Celebrating Pioneer Day . . .with foam

More of the same this week, Gardens, Aquarium, lots of swim lessons and a fun UVMOM play group. Note worthy items . . .Tuesday I remembered why I adore my sister Hillary, she met up with us at the children's Garden and brought a segway just so Lowell and I could cruise it back (hooray, seriously so fun) then she babysat so Lowell and I could go see Harry Potter. And in between we discussed the difference between an M6 and M7 leukemia (she is in the lab tech program at Weber). I bet your sisters can't do all that :p. Lowell and I enjoyed Harry Potter, Lowell says it is his favorite so far. I felt it followed the book fairly well, a few significant differences but they weren't distracting (unlike Angels and Demons). I appreciate film makers who realize people have read these books and will know when you change things. I understand some change is needed for plot clarity and length of the film, but when you change names, characters, and major plot lines I get to call them on it. Anywho . . .some of the transitions were a bit awkward to me but I did like how the tone of the movie fit the book. And of course it was sad, but since we've all read the book, we knew it was coming. Also of note, Carter and Davis have graduated from their Level 1 swim class. Hip Hip Hooray! I think the requirements were to enter the pool, walk 5 feet, and bob 5 times so it was a big shocker when they passed, but they got a little certificate that they have been showing to the grandmas so it's all good. And because they followed my behavior requirement (stay with your teacher, do NOT go on the slide) they got to pick a toy. Hooray for 60% off toy sale at Smith's Marketplace and the $11 remote controlled Batmobiles the boys have hardly parted with since. We also had a swim playgroup for the twin club which was fun, though we had to take off early for swim lessons. We made 5 minute ice cream in a bag which was surprisingly yummy (I noted other moms snacking on their kids' too, it wasn't just me ;)) .Finally, I think I have found my new favorite sno cone flavor, green apple and wild cherry with Pucker Up. You know that was note worthy! :)

On to the main focus on this post (i.e. the only thing I photographed . . .) Pioneer Day. For those not from Utah, July 24th is a holiday here that honors the day when Brigham Young and the first wave of Mormon Pioneers arrived in Salt Lake City. It is celebrated like a 2nd 4th of July, and who wouldn't like that? Apparently Lehi celebrates it with foam. I had never heard of this but Lowell saw it in the paper and the park is a stone's throw from our house so we went to check it out. The Lehi fire department was spraying heaps of foam (fire retardant foam I am guessing?) onto the field and all the kids were welcome to just play in it. Davis looked at me like, can I really get wet and messy? And then jumped right in. Carter was a little more timid.

I had to take his shirt off before he would consent to getting wet.

Davis swimming in the foam

Yes he was covered in it

Carter finally warming up to the idea

And getting into it!

Foamy brothers, life is grand! Note how all the kids covered in foam look the same--I lost my monkeys a time or two in the fray.

And then everyone got in the giant shower . . .

And went home happy (still finishing their lunch).

We then had my family (just my parents and sister Hillary, boo hiss to those who couldn't come) up for a BBQ and fireworks.

Kiddos throwing snaps at the ground

Then waiting for the fireworks

And enjoying them. This was the Jr. version of our 4th festivities with mostly legal fireworks as our area is much more likely to start on fire than my in-laws (i.e. dry weeds next door and a barn filled with hay in the backyard).

We also tried the chocolate zucchini cake recipe my friend Ashlee shared with us and it was delicious. Hooray for being able to pretend it was healthy because of all the veggies. :) Next week is actually pretty tame, no big plans, weird for us. I'm sure something will come up . . .

I finished reading 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea this week (and came to the funny realization that the title means they traveled 20,000 Leagues while under the sea not that they were that distance beneath the water which really doesn't make sense but I never really thought about it) and enjoyed it. It was a slow read, 300 pgs in 2 weeks and much like Around the World in 80 days except under water. I was impressed, as always, with Jules Verne's ideas considering the time in which his books were written. Now to think of such a submarine is no big deal, but of course in the mid-1800s it was a different story. It was fun to read his conjecture on the continent of Antarctica knowing what we know now. It has also spurred a reading idea for me, to read all the books about the characters in League of Extraordinary Gentleman. If you haven't seen the movie, you should, it is fun and who doesn't love Sean Connery? It is the tale of multiple literary characters thrown together in a story of adventure. So my reading list now includes: Invisible Man (starting it today), Dracula, Tom Sawyer, The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Jekkyl and Mr. Hyde, and one about Allan Quartermain (Solomon's Tomb or something like that). Then I should have reached my 2000 pages so I will read Breaking Dawn again and then move to Wuthering Heights (because of its Eclipse connection) and Pillars of the Earth (recommended by my dad). That should keep me busy for a while, yeah for a job with so much down time. Happy Summer Reading :)

We "heart" Summer!

More summer fun, hooray! There were a few things I really wanted to do this summer and I am happy to say we have now done one (camping) and I have reserved the other (Snowbird, in August). But first . . .Friday we had the privilege of being interviewed by Thanksgiving Point. They contacted me through the blog, wow, somebody does read it ;). And they somehow found the biggest Thanksgiving Point fan of them all. :) Yes I raved about it, what can I say? I love the place! The boys will make their video debut riding ponies and having their shirts eaten by a baby cow (Farm Country) at a fundraising dinner next month. So exciting! And as a bonus, the sweet interviewer got the boys these pirate hats: Thanks Erica, they love them! Last week I told the boys if they could go 3 days with no accidents then we could go camping. They did one better and had 4 day in a row with 0 accidents. Awesome! So we also threw in the carnival:

"Roller Coaster"--they LOVED it!

Daddy and Davis on the big slide

Davis on a flying dragon

Carter and a turtle

Davis (Carter too) driving the 4X4s. Of course they loved the carnival, such a thrill for them. A snow-cone (Mowee Wowee and Peach, mmmm) and a nap later we were on our way camping. My family joined us in a double spot (#1) at Timpanooke campground (up AF canyon). What a great site and camp. And it wasn't hard to reserve, even for a weekend. We were just a quick walk away from the Timpanogos summit trail head (which we just might try this summer, old and fat as I am) but this time we just took a short side trail.

Robbie helping Carter check how cold the water was

Robbie and his boys, such a good uncle!

Sideways Lowell and the kiddos at the peak of our hike--can you believe this is only 30 minutes from our house?!

Carter and the flowers he picked for me (awwwww. . . .)

Cyndel, grandpa, and Carter sitting around the campfire.

Lowell, Davis, Rob, and Hillary--Lowell thought it would be funny to make a face--haha jokes on you, I used it anyway :p. We had tin-foil dinners (with some extra flair like asparagus, squash, and cream of mushroom soup) and S'mores, more flair, toasted coconut marshmallows with Reese's cups for the chocolate. Yummm-O. It was a bit of a wrestle keeping the kids in camp and getting them to go to sleep (they were super super wired from the moment we got there, SO excited to be camping) but all in all it was okay.

Plus who wouldn't want to wake up to this view? It sounded awesome being right next to the stream all night. Not too cold either.

While breakfast was cooking we found a little swing

And everyone got a turn

Then spent an hour throwing things into the stream while I marveled at just how beautiful it was

And tried to get some pictures that don't do it justice

Then we ate, watched some squirrels and dirty and tired, headed home! (sorry Cyn, you still ended up in the shot).

That night Davis made us some special Rice Krispie treats, coconut mallows plus Choco-Nilla Krispies. Delish!

My little fish and A day in our lives . . .

So, it turns out we have little fish on our hands! Who knew? Seriously last year Davis would barely swim with us holding him the entire time and though we had a pool they never spent more than 20 minutes in it so I was in no rush to replace it this year. Well after swimming at the Legacy Center last week the kids wouldn't stop asking about swimming so we picked up a little pool for them. And some squirt guns which became their constant companions for a few days (why wouldn't you want to sleep with a foam squirt gun???). Here they are squirting the grass, yes that stream ended up pointed at me a couple of times but the rule was set, no squirting mommy or daddy.

Unfortunately poor Oscar was not included in the rule (all the dogs have been tormented at some point, they are learning to just stay inside, see how anxious Max is to get in.)

And squirting each other is fair game as long as they are both armed. Notice how dark it is getting? This is because I could not get them out of the pool--it had been an hour already and I had long since given up and just eaten my dinner without them. Luckily we have a hot water spigot outside (thank you plumber who built our house) so they were still cozy in their pool like tub. As long as it is bedtime and it's like a tub . . .

We just went ahead and took our bath in the pool. Such silly kids, they loved it!

We started swimming lessons Monday and after a little hesitation from Carter (he had jumped in solo when we went swimming and was a little timid about getting in without me--Lowell had jumped in after him with no problems but he needed some convincing that a teacher would be with him and he would be where he could touch) and a little hesitation from mommy, 2 teachers, 6 3 year olds, the math is a little scary to me . . .it has all gone well. Davis also needed a reminder that the slide is not part of swimming lessons. Oh how they love it, so happy. I have to sit a ways away from them and I am gearing up for preschool already, how strange to hand my kids over to someone else and watch from the sidelines. How weird for them to do things on their own that I am not a part of. It will take some getting used to.

Tuesday we decided to try out an edible play doh recipe I snitched from facebook (1 c. peanut butter, 1 c. dry milk, 1 Tbsp honey) and it turned out pretty good. A little sticky still, maybe too much honey? Either way the kids had fun before they figured out you could eat it and then munched away (me too, tasted like peanut butter cookie dough).

Davis and his "airplane"

Carter's butterfly

Tuesday took an irritating turn after swim lessons. I needed to go pick up my new cell phone from UVRMC ( hooray for a functioning phone!) and managed to meet up with my mom and sis for lunch first. We went to Magleby's Fresh which I have always enjoyed but they were SO rude to me and the kids and all but asked us to leave. The kids weren't even being bad, climbing the booth a little and maybe leaving some fingerprints, but I had given them a tip knowing my kids are messy. Needless to say I will not be back and I would not recommend it to anyone else either. Being the vindictive self that I am, I am going to go leave some comments on restaurant review sites letting others know it is not a family friendly restaurant. Sorry, I was miffed. Then my mom and I took my tired kids through the hospital and the lady with my phone wasn't there. I was already irritated so it didn't take much to put me over. Plus I was tired from a long night of call so a 4 hour nap later life seemed a little better. Until we went to try the Hawaiian Shaved Ice place in Lindon and after a 30 minute wait, it wasn't very good. The ice was awesome, so soft but there was no flavor in mine or Lowell's. The boys Cherry was good, so get that if you go. We're sticking to Snowie's (and yes I have had like 4 this week, Lowell calls it his liquid crack). Then I went to get my phone, which yes was there, but it was odd the flood of emotions that involved. All it took was going in the after hours Labor and Delivery entrance . . .and remembering all the times I came in that door late at night or early in the morning to go see my tiny little Carter. I mean, seriously the kid is so healthy and strong now why should it bother me? But I couldn't help almost tearing up thinking about the stress and concern there was to have a kiddo in the NICU. They took him away from me on a ventilator for goodness sakes, me a brand new mom. I was happy to be done with Tuesday I must say.

And just for kicks, I decided to make Wednesday a "Day in Our Life" to remember some day what our average day was like. I'd call this above average, but still.

8:45 am (thank goodness for kids that sleep in!) Wake up to Max throwing up on the bed (lovely!--too much edible play doh dropped on the floor).

8:47 am Kids are kicking their doors, ready to get up. Get breakfast going and head to use the potty myself

8:52 Exit the potty to find this:

9:00 Get myself dressed, exit to find this:

I guess Carter has a future life in crime??

9:01 Get kids dressed and all their swim stuff together and in the car

9:25 Leave and go to Target to buy goggles, dog food, and diapers (for bedtime, first time in 6 weeks I've had to buy diapers, hooray!)

9:50 Arrive at the movie theater and get a drink, and take a pic since we are early for once

Davis insists on having his goggles and yes wears them during the movie. We watched "Arthur and the Invisibles" which I enjoyed even with a potty interruption and a few trips to the foyer looking for our friends (no luck).

11:25 Leave early to go to swim lessons (may have to rent it to see how it ends).
11:50 Get into swim lessons late after a huge amount of soda necessitates learning how to pee in a bottle. Thankful for boys. I sit back and read 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (so fitting for pool side don't you think? The kids would get a kick if they knew I was reading about "Nemo".)
12:25 Head to get Arby's freeby Wednesday but the kids are demanding chicken nuggets so we go to McDonald's instead where Davis gets a cheeseburger (?).
1:15 Kids are ornery and tired, after eating I get them in bed for nap. I pick up lunch and lay down after finishing Eclipse (again). I loved it, again.
4:45 Wake up to Lowell snoring and Carter screaming--I tell him to lay back down not realizing it is time to get up. He did go back to sleep so it worked out. Lowell looks at me amorously. . .
5:15 Get the kids up and a snack and dressed again and head to the Gardens

Davis won't take his goggles off again, but he's still cute!

7:00 Head for home with a stop to get sno cones. I try raspberry and mango and it is very syrupy, yea for me!

7:30 I make dinner (sweet sticky chicken, rice with almonds, and thai cole slaw) while Lowell works on the garden and the boys head for the pool.

It is SO fun to wear goggles apparently

My fish, actually they said they were a dolphin and a shark

8:30 Drag kids inside to warm up in the tub

The goggles are a necessity in the tub as it keeps the soap from their eyes, or so they say.

8:50 Get them in their jammies and finally get them to eat dinner

Davis' sad eyes from wearing goggles all day, he has a nice bruise today.

9:00 While kiddos eat, I take the puppies for a walk. Hillary calls while I am out and offers to watch the kids so Lowell and I can go get dessert or see Harry Potter. Too tired for a movie, we choose dessert.

9:45 Home again, kids getting down, Hillary comes over.

10:00 After multiple story, water, and kiss requests Lowell and I head to Chili's and have Skillet Queso and chocolate chip lave cake. This day rocks!

11:15 Home again, thanks and some queso to Hillary we head for bed. Carter is still awake.

11:45 I watch Dinner Impossible and make a final trip to tell Carter to go to bed.

12:00 Turn off TV and go to sleep

So there's our day for you, I just know you were dying to know! LOL! And one last funny, if you made it this far. You can't really hear it, but Davis says he is "Dadis, Booty Shaker"