Beazer Blast

We had the BEST weekend.  My Uncle George and Aunt Karen invited any family who wanted to come to their little piece of heaven out by Beazer AB.    Initially this date on the calendar was reserved for a larger and much anticipated Toone Reunion.  However do to some unfortunate circumstances and other conflicts, many in the family couldn't make it this year, but all who were close enough came.  It was such fun! 

My Uncle & Aunt have done so much to make this property of theirs a great place.  They built an outhouse, an outdoor hot tub, a dining area and fire pit area which could accommodate large numbers.    There was a huge sand pile for the little kids, an authentic native tipi with a blazing campfire inside, horses standing at the hitching post, and a jeep for people to use at their leisure to explore the hills with.      The backdrop was breathtaking with old chief on the horizon, rolling hills and vibrant wildflowers dotting the land as far as we could see in some places.   Lee's Creek cuts through the property which provided Sam with one of his favorite pass times - throwing rocks in the river.         (I took several photos that I plan to paint sometime soon.)      It was great to see some of my cousins whom we don't see often enough, and to visit with so many loved ones.       George and Karen kept us fed with the most amazing campfire, dutch oven cooking ever!          Jewel coordinated a fun little game that was played after dinner around the cosy campfire. It was great to be outdoors so much and enjoy the beautiful weather and awesome company.       I love these people so much and the only thing that dampened my mood was the often reoccurring thought that there were many who were not there.     We hope all of our cousins and family who could not make it know how much we missed seeing them.  We can't wait until next year.    Uncle George and Aunt Karen -  Thank you BOTH!  

John and I opted not to camp out there with everyone on Friday night, not that we didn't want to.     Here's a little confession for you.  ...our kids have NEVER slept in a tent!       A little pathetic you might think?  Don't worry- my brother has already stated that it isn't pathetic,  more like, "poor parenting."  :)    In our defense we both LOVE camping, we just happen to be Mr. and Mrs.  "All talk and no action".    We decided we'd better do a test run in a tent in our back yard in case the kids didn't like the cold much.  Sam and Jess developed a little cough though so John offered to stay in for the night with those two.      So it was just Abby and I.  Me and my bud in a tent! Abby was so excited.         She hurriedly got ready for bed, put her hat on, grabbed a flashlight, AND some books and practically pulled me out the door.  

We had a fun time the two of us, looking at the stars, reading, and talking together until she drifted off in her sleeping bag.  She loved it.    

I wish I could say that we stayed out there all night, but...      In my defense, I'd read a very creepy and disturbing story in the newspaper which left me convinced that the world is full of psychos and on this particular night I was equally convinced that one of those said psychos was lurking outside of our tent.        As I laid there in that Diego sleeping bag, listening to Abby breathe I tried to stay calm and not let my imagination take over.      Really I did.       But when a neighbors cat brushed up against the tent - that did me in.       I couldn't get in our front door fast enough.    I sent John out to get Abby.     I assured John that when Abby woke up in the morning disappointed to find herself in her bed and not the tent, I'd just tell her I got cold.     "Cold FEET maybe,"  John said to that. 

You know what -  don't judge me!  I could have very well saved us from a deadly encounter with a roaming maniac ok?  

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Here is a montage of pictures from our weekend!  I recently acquired a snazzy dazzy new lens for my camera.  I really like some of the shots I took using it.  

Here are just a few pictures of the past couple of days.   I've enjoyed the garden and yard so much.  Abigail, Sam and Jess are settling back into a bit of a routine.    Do you ever find that after you travel it takes a week or so to adjust to normal life?    

Back in the old days...

Yesterday was my high school reunion. It was 10 years ago that I graduated from the good old WCCHS. We drove to Claresholm with the kids and attended the family portion of the event, at the newly built splash park. The kids had fun getting wet. At one point it started pouring rain as the kids continued to play in all the sprinklers. Can't get any wetter then that I guess! I really enjoyed getting re-acquainted with some of my former classmates and introducing John to them. Ten years ago, these were not necessarily people I would have considered great friends. No fault of theirs,it's just that we had so little in common. Visiting with them yesterday though, I felt like the division that once existed, had through the years, dissolved. It didn't matter who of us were on "teams" or who was "cool or not". We all had kids. Jobs. Partners/ Spouses. If I could have known back then how insignificant my high school life would be compared to the rest of my lifes experiences I perhaps would not have stressed so much throughout it:)

We enjoyed talking about some of our old teachers, and reminiscing about the styles, fads and music of that day. I couldn't help but laugh when I was reminded of some of the songs us "girls" used to sing in the locker room! Our grad theme song was "Won't back down", but that only became the song of choice after a long drawn out debate. Half the class wanted it to be "Raise a little Hell"! Can you imagine that? (Actually that probably describes a lot of my old classmates pretty well:).


John and I had to leave from the park for home, as we didn't have childcare, but it was nice to have a brief moment to reflect on a bit of my past. So much has changed since 1998. Back then I was this tall, scrawny, awkward girl with braces



Now? ... well, I don't have braces anymore!

a fresh idea

Fresh Garden Vegetables served in a basic white sauce has got to be one of my favorite things about this time of year!

New Potatoes
Fresh carrots sliced
Onions chopped
Freshly shelled peas

Boil these vegetables until tender. Drain water, and add this to the white sauce.

White Sauce

2-3 tbsp margarine
2-3 tbsp flour
4 cups (or more if needed) milk or cream
salt and pepper

Melt margarine and stir in flour. Add the milk and whisk together over medium heat until the milk thickens. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour over the fresh produce. Serve this as a side dish to practically anything - but be sure to eat it out on your front deck on a beautiful summer eve. (that's part of what makes it so good!)

Enjoy!

Anyone else have any favorite summer recipes?

Writing from home!

Well we are home! The kids have been traveling on and off for three days, but they’ve been great! We opted to take the scenic route home through the mountains instead of using the interstate. It was an absolutely breathtaking drive. We drove through places with names such as Devil’s Mountains, Heaven's Gate, and Hell's Canyon. Doesn't that sound like a scary place? It was gorgeous! At one point I metioned to John that “we can now officially say, we’ve been to Hell and back., and that it really wasn’t all that bad!” ☺ ..I was just kidding though.

What a trip this was for us! I know I probably bored half of you with all my accounts along the way, but even those could never really describe how much we really experienced. Until this trip I’d only been to the US a few times. In the last two and a half weeks, we’ve driven through and seen 6 states: Montana, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, California, and Oregon! We’ve seen the mountains, the desert, the ocean, and amazing farmland. Seriously, we were amazed at all the orchards we saw, and especially seeing cornfields way taller then JOHN! Everything we’ve seen has been beautiful and stunning in its own way.

More importantly than that, we’ve enjoyed seeing so much of our families home life. I remember a few months back we decided to drive down to Bozeman to see John’s sister and her family. I was so amazed at their lovely home and lifestyle and I remember thinking that I could get used to a place like that. I’ve since said the same thing to Gina, and again to Sarah H. I’m beginning to see a pattern here as I visit other family. Seeing how they live, and where they live and what they do has been so enjoyable for us. Each member of our family lives a life that is so charming in it’s own way, much like the geography in which they reside. I could have pictured John and I living in any one of those places and loving it!

That said, there were moments when my mind would wander off to a little mobile home located right in between both Glacier and Waterton. It has been happily sitting on its own for almost three weeks now. It doesn't seem as beautiful, or spacious, or impressive in any particular way…but it’s mine. As ordinary as it is - I’ve missed it.

I’m looking forward to working in my little garden again, to seeing my sisters and John’s more “local” siblings. I’m excited to see my friends, and to begin Abby and Sam’s swim lessons. I’ve got big plans for the rest of the summer. (Yes LUCE I’ve been thinking of my list) I want to go fishing, harvest my produce, hike to Iceberg Lake, see Bertha Falls, paint one more picture this summer, and enjoy the company of all our relatives that will be visiting..

Thanks to all the family we visited and also to all of our family that took care of our home while we were away. We are so lucky to have such awesome people in our lives.

Here is a slideshow of some of our favorite events over the last couple of weeks. Enjoy!

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Well our trip is officially nearing it's end. We will leave Reno sometime tomorrow and begin making our way back up to Canada. So much has happened in the past two and a half weeks and I feel like I need to dedicate this post to Aaron and Gina and their family. They've hosted us for over half a month- and they must be EXHAUSTED! What a lot of work that must have been. Gina has never let on to how busy she has been by us being here, but I'm aware of the efforts it takes to cook, clean, prepare and entertain. Gina THANK YOU! I'm so grateful for your thoughtfulness to our kids. They adore you. Kaden, Ethan and Trevor- thanks for giving up your beds for us. Little Luke thanks for sleeping in a closet so that Jess could have your crib! You are all such great boys and we had fun playing with you.

A huge thank you to Aaron who made this happen for us. When he mentioned this trip months and months ago I never really thought we'd actually do it. Aaron made ALL the preparations, rented and drove the van, took us everywhere we needed to be and gave my family the trip of a lifetime!

We love you guys and hope you've survived the past two weeks with us. We sure enjoyed being with you!

Goofy, Fast passes and a trip to the Beach!

Wednesday and Thursday were pretty packed with fun. Wednesday morning, Aaron had made arrangements for us to have breakfast in "Goofy's Kitchen." It is a fun restaurant located in the Disney hotel. Amazing buffet style food is served where the kids can choose whatever they want to eat. (believe me they had EVERYTHING from mickey mouse waffles to chicken enchiladas to smoked salmon) As we ate Disney Characters would walk the room and mingle with us. On two occasions Goofy created a situation in which the kids had to get up and interact with him. They once started a band, using kitchen supplies as their instruments, and another time goofy had all the kids on the floor doing morning exercises with him. It was so entertaining. We got lots of great pictures of Chip, Alice, Jasmine, Baloo, Pluto, and Goofy. I will save the bulk of these pictures to show when I get back but trust me the kids loved this, and I think it was a highlight for everyone. Other highlights on Wednesday included California adventure. This park contained some of our favorite rides. Abigail has surprised us and has turned into quite to little "roller coaster...er" When we first arrived here she was scared easily. Now our little angel has been accustomed to it all including California screaming. (The biggest roller coaster in the park) I was literally terrified on this roller coaster. At one point I was reaching over tried to squeeze Abby's hand and console her...hold her head back against the chair for her...you know. All the sudden I hear her scream "Mom I'm fine. Leave me alone!" Mind you, the Tower of Terror, is a little bit much for her...and me too. Yowsers.

Thursday we spent the first part of the morning in the Disneyland park again. We were entertaining the littlest kids in Toon Town, when a park administrator handed me and the 4 kids with me DREAM FASTPASSES! Now the thing about disnyeland and california adventure is that fast passes are the ONLY way to avoid the sometimes ` hour rides. You swipe your gate ticket to receive a fast pass for the big ride of your choice. Here is the hitch. You can only hold one fast pass at a time. Often you are told to return in 4 or 5 hours so in reality you can only "Fast Pass" a couple of times a day. A lot of time is spent in line ups. That is....unless you are us! We received these dream passes which basically worked as an automatic fast pass for 12 of the biggest rides in the park. We took the little kids back to the hotel and a couple of us got to business doing some serious riding and park hopping. It was a whole new experience to not have to wait in line. What fun.

In the evening Aaron took us all to Newport Beach so that we could see the ocean. It was incredible! Sure it was probably a bit stressful to try and pull off, but it was so worth it. I'm glad Aaron was willing to take us on that drive. For some of us it was a first time experience! It was a cooler evening, and the kids got down right filthy but that is ok. We saw the sun set, played in the water, the kids chased the waves and then at one point as we looked out we could see two or three dolphins playing or feeding together. I tried and tried to get pictures but those little stinkers would emerge and disappear without any warning. It was beautiful!
Doesn't this picture remind you of old Baywatch episodes. I kept waiting for this guy to yell SHARK! (I blame that on the fact that Jewels family watched Jaws the day before I left on this trip)



I drew this in the sand hoping that John would stumble across it, and you know, know of my undying love for him and all that. (sigh) The waves washed it away soon after I took this photo.
It's probably for the better though, since I already have a general idea of what John would have said. He would have looked at it and said something like, "Who the heck is TJ?"

Wells Fargo is a bank???

It is almost 7:00am in California. The kids are still snorin logs so I thought I'd steal a minute to journal our past two days. If I don't record it now, then I'll forget all those neat things about our trip that I'd wanted to remember. I know I will. I plan on doing a slideshow of photos when I get back... but I HAVE to record a few things now. Therefore, if you arn't really all that interested in our trip ...move on to other blogs, at least for the next few posts:)

We left Reno on Monday morning. Johns brother Aaron rented a 14 passenger van and so we were all able to travel together. Have you ever wondered how 7 kids (1-9 years of age), and 4 adults fair on a 9 hour trip? I wondered how that would go all last week. Much to my relief the drive was wonderful. I had lots of leg room (sorry to Gina, who did not), no one got sick, and everyone was happy. Sure the last hour got a little bit crazier. It seemed like the closer we got to Disneyland the more desperate we were to get out of the van!



I noticed a couple of things on the drive out here: 1) I had not really experienced scorching heat before. Not even in Reno. We made a pit stop in one town, and I almost didn't want to leave the van. I'd rather "hold it in" then melt my shoes off! 2) The vegetation was so interesting. Have you ever seen a Joshua Tree? Cool little things. And don't get me started on Palm Trees. I tell ya - if I had a dollar for every tree I've taken a picture of ... 3) Last interesting thing that I learned is that Wells Fargo is NOT a bookstore. Note to self: It is actually a BANK. All my life I've thought that Wells Fargo was a bookstore, which is why I was confused when Aaron stopped there one day to get money. Even worse is I remember awhile back giving a card to someone with some american money in it and instructions for them to go spend it at WELLS FARGO!!! Ahhh. I thought it was my sister in law Sarah, who I'd done that too, but it wasn't. Blast...for the life of me!

Well that was our Monday Trip! Tuesday was JAM PACKED! We are staying at the hotel Paradise Pier and it really is that. A fun place with a rooftop swimming pool, great rooms, ...I love it. I've noticed this trip how much John likes to fill up the ice bucket. It's one of the first things he does any time we arrive at a place. Just something interesting...the ice does come in handy!

Yesterday morning we got up early and left for our first day at Disneyland. On Tuesdays and Thursdays we hotel stayers get into the park an hour earlier then everyone else, so we wanted to capitalize on the shorter lines. I would not be able to sit and recap our entire day, but the rides where all so fun and the atmosphere is amazing! A few things though:

1) The Indiana Jones ride ROCKS!
2) In the afternoon, John and Aaron took the little kids back to the hotel to sleep. I enjoyed this time so much. I went with Kaden and Ethan on some of the bigger rides and it was insane. Despite the fact that they assured me none of the rides were scary there were moments when I was trying to catch my breath from the excitement of it. I enjoyed just playing with these two awesome boys for a couple of hours. Gina took Abby to the Princess end of the park, and I'm so grateful for Gina for being willing to spend that time with Abby. Abby saw several princesses tell their stories, she did crafts, she went to a princess parlor and got all dolled up and face painted and then was invited on stage by three Disney princesses. They had these little girls make a princess oath and then they were all introduced to the audience as official princesses. It was a big deal for Abby and as they were leaving she told Gina it was "the best day of her life!"
3) I didn't miss out on the princess stuff either though. I took Abby to the afternoons princess parade. I can not even begin to explain or describe Abby's excitement. Every time a princess came out she began dancing and shouting to them. As they walked by Abby and sometimes winked at her or gave her a high five...her little smile just got bigger and bigger. I found myself getting a little choked up at times ...just watching HER!!! It was that magical Disney moment that I think made this trip for her totally worth it!

4) The evening light show AND fireworks show was INCREDIBLE! There was something about remaining in the park at night, waiting together to watch the show. As we stood along the rivers edge, a live band floated past playing Jazz music. I danced with Sam, visited and just enjoyed the atmosphere. It was perfect. Gina had insisted that we get a chance to see this nightly ritual and I'm so glad I did. The funnest water/light/firework show EVER!


Well the kids are starting to wake up, and in one hour we need to leave and join several Disney characters for a "GOOFY" breakfast. Then it is off to California Adventure today.


Let the FUN begin!

Muddy Buddies and such

This post is mostly intended for my own cleansing purposes. I'm trying to clear our camera before Disneyland and these were some of our favorite things about this week. As mentioned earlier on Wednesday we went to Virginia city and then spent hours at a nearby pool/water slide. By Thursday both Gina and I were pooped, and I think the thought of taking the kids somewhere without the Dad's was exhausting. Gina decided to show us a place called Jump man Jump. It's was this warehouse basically filled with all sorts of giant inflatable Astro Jump type toys. It was SOOO much fun. The kids were contained and they could literally bounce around and jump until their hearts content! It was the perfect activity for the kids. Gina and I both enjoyed the slides a time or two ourselves. Sam enjoyed this place so much I caught him Skipping from bounce house to bounce house!
Apparently Jessica thinks she can dance:)

Abby was brave and contended with total strangers in fighting matches. She didn't ever defeat anyone, but she enjoyed wearing the little safety helmet. Even funnier was watching Trevor do this. My 3 year old nephew never lost a match. He was so small, and he just stood there holding that heavy pole, yet he stood so firmly that other people would take a swat at him and they'd be sent off their pillar. He was so proud of himself too.
My nephew took this family photo of us this morning. I really wanted a picture simply because my girls looked a-d-o-r-a-b-l-e in their new dresses. (thank you ROSS:)
And this is a picture of Aaron and Gina's yard. You may not know what it looked liked before, but it was your basic Nevada desert clay. It was amazing to me how John and Aaron made it look so different. They worked on lots together, and I think John enjoyed dappling in the landscaping world again.

Well it is official. Aaron and Gina have officially made it one week through with our little family. They've been amazing to us. I have a lot to learn from Gina. There is not much that she stresses about, and she's so great with the kids. Sam LOVES her. I have such amazing sisters, and sister in-laws who are all so good to my kids and I'm so grateful for that. Aaron of course has pulled off some amazing Hardy style meals. I think it needs to be said that Aaron can do a mean BBQ! (Roast, Chicken, Salmon and Steak all done on the grill) Warm weather, great food, awesome company...can you think of anything better.

I can. All of the above...only in Disneyland. We leave tomorrow morning and it seems as though Aaron and Gina have made all the arrangements that will make this an amazing time. We can't WAIT! Gina showed me how to make Muddy Buddies. If you have not heard about these tasty little crunchies then you are truly missing out. What you do is melt 1/4 cup of butter, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, and 1 cup of milk chocolate chips. Add 1 tsp of vanilla to that and then pour this over 9 cups of Rice chex, coating each one. Then you coat it all in icing sugar. Hmmm mmmm. We made them for the kids, during the 10 hour trip - but I think I've dipped into them more than I should have.

To all of our family back home (Max, Kendall...Jeremy...my sisters..thank you for all that you did to pull up carpet and tend to our house issue.) When we get back...MUDDY BUDDIES FOR YOU ALL!

"FIRE, FLOOD OR GUSHING BLOOD" Only call if it is one of those three things...

You know when you are on holidays the last thing you want is to be notified of ...a problem, but I got a phone call today (down here in Reno) from my sister Jewel. I had recruited her, along with my Father in law Max, to both look after my garden and yard while we were away. I was really worried about weeds overtaking the garden, or things not being watered enough so I really tried to make sure that I'd prepared things well. Jewel had asked me if I wanted her to check in our house at all and I assured her that it would be fine left alone, that she only needed to worry about the garden. It's a little ironic that when Jewel called me today it was news about our actual home. I laugh now at how tentatively and cautiously she explained how there must have been some kind of break in a pipe or something in our Master bathroom and that things were a tad bit flooded in our house. They found out about this when max noticed water leaking FROM the inside of the house into the garage. AHHHH!!!! Luckily, Kendall, Max, Jeremy and Jordan went over and all helped to move out furniture and try to pump/ vacuum out lots of the water. It sounds as though there is no damage to the walls, but we are waiting to hear if the carpets and underlay have to go. Here is the saddest irony. The day before we left for our trip I spent the morning STEAM CLEANING our carpets so our house would be immaculate when we got back.

Well I suppose it hardly seems appropriate now to blog and tell my family about all the awesome fun things we've done the past couple days. I don't need to mention the great food, swimming, giant kids play zones, and other such activities. I probably shouldn't boast about the beautiful weather and the awesome time we are having with Aaron and Gina. Nope I definitely won't mention the fact that we leave for Cali in just a few days. I'll leave all that unsaid.

Well I guess to my amazing brother in laws, Max, and JEWEL and CRYSTAL- THANK YOU for dealing with that mess. We love you!

A fun little dot on the map

So through the course of this trip we have driven through some interesting towns. We drove through one town that has officially and aptly dubbed itself the “armpit of America.” There was this other town that John referred to as “just another boil on the buttocks of the world.” You know the type. They're those sleep little towns where you might miss it if you happen to be blinking at the time you're driving through...

But today I saw a town that is seriously straight out of a movie. It’s an old fashioned all American, gun slingin, saloon kinda town. Virginia City is the name of it. Gina took us there because she thought I might get a kick out of it.


As soon as we rounded the corner and I saw the "city" (if that's what you want to call it) I laughed. This town consists of two streets. That’s it. You drive up one street, down the other and that’s it! Really though that isn’t it because in those two streets are crammed the neatest shops, with the most interesting people. At the back of one shop is an old fashioned bank vault and then beside it was an entrance to a real mine. They were giving tours and it was fun to go down into this dark damp tunnel and really see how a mine worked back then. The dead canary they had on display made me a bit nervous☺ We were stopped by people dressed up in western theme who referred to our kids as little buckaroos.

There were simulated gun fights, panning for gold, ice cream…and what would an old western town be without a good ol candy store. It was the kind of town that was chalk full of personality and entertainment that would take an entire day just to walk up and down all two streets. Mark Twain once lived in this town. In fact it was while living here that he actually took up his pen name of Mark Twain. Prior to that he went by ...oh I forget...Clements something...uh Mr. Clements I suppose. Is that right? ...Clements? Unfortunately the kids kept me from really delving it to some of the shops and museums but it was fun to get a little glimpse of the good ol west!

Thanks Gina

I had to post this picture of Abby with her cousins Ethan. They've gotten to be great little buds!

The second half of our drive (from Idaho to Reno) was a little more eventful then the first. I’d mentioned earlier that the kids had all been amazing in the van – which they had. And then…we reached the dessert! You guys …it is hot here. I’m not kidding, it is hotter then H-E – (you know where)! My kids had never felt that kind of heat and neither had I so I knew we were in for it. Halfway into day 2 Sam and Jess were traveling like this:



(We actually stopped somewhere before reaching Aaron and Gina’s to dress them a little) Every time we pulled over to gas up the kids got slurpees, Popsicles, smoothies…whatever it took to keep them happy for the next stretch. Still though, I think they did a great job considering they were so EXCITED to see their cousins and that moment just wasn’t coming soon enough for them.

Some things I enjoyed about the drive:
1) The gas stations I’m not even lying- there is some good shopping to be had at these American gas stations. In Canada you go to gas up and you can also buy snacks. Down here you gas up and you can also buy – men’s shorts, fake diamond jewellery, flip flops, glass figurines, chair cushions, fireworks, movies, and cd’s. All of the said things were items I had in my hand at the till. I was however keenly aware every time of John’s disapproval of me spending our money entirely at a gas station so most of the above things were returned guiltily to their places on the shelves.

2) I have enjoyed seeing the different terrain as we’ve now driven through 4 different states. I could not quite wrap my head around the vastness and emptiness of the Nevada desert as we traveled. However in the past few days the terrain, as well of the heat have grown on me. This red rock and all the mountains surrounding this city really are beautiful. Today we took a drive to the funniest little town ever (see future post) called Virginia City. The drive up through the mountains was exactly like driving over Logans Pass. Only there was not much vegetation. Oh and everything was red…rock. So I guess what it had in common with logans pass was simply that it was high up…windy…and pretty.

3) Target, Ross, and T.J. Maxx. - Need I say more.


We’ve had fun getting to see this life of Aaron and Gina’s. They have such sharp boys and my kids are enjoying every minute of it. Their oldest boy Kaden has been fun to visit with. He’s always teaching me all these random facts and I never know if they are true or not. I just follow along as if I was half as smart as he is:) Plus he’s an aspiring magician and he’s filling me in on all the secrets to every magic trick ever done. Yes I now know how to make a person levitate!

One Day in...all is good!

Greetings from the middle of NOWEHRE! Actually to be more specific – we are in Pocatello. We started our two and a half week long vacation this morning,, and I quickly realized that if we are going to remember everything about our trip I was going to have to maintain a journal. A travel log of all our adventures, no matter how small! I figured it would be a good way for our family and loved ones specifically to stay on top of all that we are enjoying and doing, and to reassure my very thoughtful and worried sister that we are alright. Crystal – so far ….all is well☺

The first day of driving went amazingly well. No arguments…no tantrums…no carsickness (touch wood). Of course that might have something to do with the fact that the kids were each given 2.5 mls of Gravol before we left. Not sure if they needed it or not. …Don’t judge me.:)))

We got to the hotel here early this evening and it is so much FUN! I LOVE LOVE LOVE staying in hotels.. Yeah I know they don’t wash the comforters but I don’t care. Something about a hotel stay just makes me so excited. As soon as we arrived the kids …and their mom.:) …started jumping all over the place. On the bed…off the walls…. I think we were all glad to be out of a van.

Some things we’ve learned since leaving the promised land: (Canada that is)

• Doritos and Dora Fruit snacks can go a long way and work miracles.
• The church website’s (www.lds.org) ward info and meeting times are not updated. Just in case you are ever traveling on a Sunday and think you could catch a sacrament meeting somewhere. Don’t count on it.
• I take for granted the No Smoking bylaws that blanket Alberta.
• John is usually right. Although it is true that in a marriage “teamwork” is important- that does not apply to reading maps. In such cases, I should just let John do his thing.
• The Idaho Falls temple is beautiful!
• Being “stuck” in a car with John and my kids …so far…has been heaven on earth!



Well I guess that is all for now. We will update this later once we have some “Real” adventures to write about.

Jewel…how’s the garden? Just kidding. I’m really not worried.

Gotta go now. We are going swimming. Yeah I know it is Sunday but after spending all day in the van…the kids have earned it. Besides, John agrees – so that makes it right☺ I LOVE holiday John – he’s so fun!!!

Road Trip

We can hardly wait! I've mentioned our upcoming holiday before but I've never been too specific about it. I didn't want to jinx any plans. :) In a short while we'll be loading up the van and driving down to Nevada for the rest of the month. Actually that is not true. For one week we'll be in Disneyland California! AHHHHHH!!! I'm getting so excited for this and my little pile of things to pack is building. Hats...sunscreen... hopefully NO bug repellent. I don't know what I'm most excited about. We'll be visiting with John's brother and their family the whole time and I'm really excited to get to know them better and see their home. I'm travelling outside of Alberta... that's always rare and exciting. We'll be away from everything that makes us busy - that is going to feel GREAT! I'll get to see the OCEAN! So many things to look forward to! Abby has been telling everybody about this trip for months, and now I find myself doing the same thing!

I'm a little bit sad to be leaving my garden behind but our house and yard will be left in good hands! My biggest fear is about the two day drive it is going to take us to get to Reno. Now, if any of you know me...and if you know Sam...the thought of being in a van for that long has me terrified.

I've been working on building up a supply of new (dollar store) toys, and candies that I can pull out for the kids along the way. We hopefully will stop during the trip and explore some of the places we are passing through. I'll pack some movies, treats, and everything else I can possibly think of. Still though - I'm not looking forward to that.

This is our first BIG trip. So all you expert parents I have a couple of questions:

1: What are your favorite songs to listen to on a road trip. (You know the kind of songs that make you feel glad to be driving in a car. I need to make some CDs that are chalk full of that "life is a highway" kind of stuff. Oh yeah and maybe share some great kid songs as well)

2: If you've ever been to Disneyland I'd love some tips on how to manage our three small kids there. You know so we don't lose them forever or anything!

Wish us luck!

Canada Day

I just LOVE Canada day! I always feel so blessed to live in Canada, I truly feel that there is nowhere better. We celebrate this afternoon by going to our local "Party in the Park." They had set up so fun Astro Jump play areas for the kids, had a small petting zoo, and of course we were able to pig out on the regular carnival type junk food. Seriously no matter how much I've eaten before hand, hotdogs at a fair suck me in big time! Lots of fun.


Believe me, we had cuter pics of animals then this one but I loved how I caught Abby checking out this pigs bum. She was fascinated with their tails. (I think she was surprised to see that they really are curly)!



I think these are two great shots of Jess. She was content throughout the evening to just watch all that was going on. As long as she was free to roam that is. She is such a sweet girl! We sat to watch a couple of performances. She really liked watching the Aboriginal dancing, and she would just clap and clap when all was finished.




And then ...there was Sam! This little stinker threw such a fit because we weren't letting him go on the BIGGEST astro jump of all. It was intended for older kids and consists of a steep/tall climb and then a rather steep slide down the other side. Finally John let him on with the intent to watch Sam climb up and then run to the other side and be ready to catch Sam as he slid down. Only problem is...Sam never came down. Blasted little monkey. He stayed perched on the middle secction of the slide. As teenagers went crashing down on either side he was content to sit there and enjoy the view.

I think he just enjoyed the fact that he was up there and John couldn't reach him. He can be a very wicked little thing at times:) We sure love him though.




And last but not least- the fireworks. I played around with our camera a bit and learned a thing or two about shutter speed. I spent hours the other night trying to photograph lightning during a storm. Atleast I figured things out in time to get some fireworks shots. Sam and Jess were snorin logs by the time the show began but Abby enjoyed it. She kept commenting often about how I'd "never taken her to see fireworks before- their amazing!"

She's lying. I've taken her to see them lots before:) But they were Amazing!


Now it is back to normal. Party is over. Atleast for me and the kids. John left this morning for our Stakes Moroni's Quest. John was asked to play the part of Moroni. He's pretty excited - but we'll definately be missing him here! Actually I wish he was here and I was THERE, I'm so jealous.

Hope you all had a great Canada Day!!!

Happy Canada Day!

Here are some of my favorite pics taken during a hike yesturday. Enjoy the holiday.