Weekend Adventures

There just isn't enough snow in the valley to have the kind of fun that we yearn for...so we headed to Grandad's Lodge. And along with swimming in the hot springs pool we tried a little snow shoeing again this year. This time HY was big enough for the adventure.



He was thrilled to be able to walk "on" the snow instead of sinking up to his knees. And Mamma was so proud of his willingness. He's normally much more cautious about new things. But he was really anxious to try. And there was little complaining about our 2 hour walk.





This year we visited the ice castles at the Zermatt Resort. What a sight that was. I highly recommend it to anyone visiting in the area. It was spectacular. The gentleman that created them was there and we visited with him for a few minutes. He said they will get to be 40 ft tall. Right now, there only about 1/2 that tall. Pretty incredible! Maybe next year we'll go in and see the inside of the caves.


It was a very sunny day in Midway (as usual) but the temperature was around 15 degrees. Not too bad when you are all bundled up. HY helped Grandad break up the iced in the driveway with the shovel and hot water. And in return Grandad gladly took the kiddos swimming.

2009: Here I come!

Last year I started a new tradition. And not only did it stick, but it was & still is my word & saving grace every moment of every day. But, I'm going to add to my hope with my new 2009 word:

EXTEND!

I'm going to extend myself to others. I'm going to extend my talents, dreams, hopes, & wishes. I will extend mercy to those I love. I'm going to extend a helping hand where I see a need. I will extend my circle of friends. I will extend my faith in God & in His miracles. I will extend a listening ear. I will extend my time to include those I love. I will extend my experiences. EXTEND.

So to start off the year right, I did something that I've never done before. Snowshoeing!
And wouldn't you know it, I had a GREAT time.

photo courtesy of Farmboy

A day of sledding in Midway

Can I tell you how much I love going out for fun with my family and NOT being the one that takes the photos? I do, I love it. So, these photos are courtesy of Aunt LaLa.

We had such a great time sledding in Midway. HY and Mini-E were all dressed and ready for the snow so no crying like in years previous!


Farmboy took them all down the hill to get them geared up for more runs. I'm not sure if Mini-E is ready for what's about to happen.


Even all the moms had a turn. It wasn't the fastest ride of all time (as you can imagine) but it sure was a messy one for me being in the front. I got sprayed with snow the entire way down. Worth it!


A day spent in Midway is always spent well.

Halloween Festivities

Photos courtesy of Grandad.

This year, we headed down to Uncle R-d & Aunt Lala's house for some yummy chili & cornbread & the usual Halloween Trick-or Treating. HY & Mini-E weren't very interested in the pre-candy festivities. They were all geared up for the main event. But I tell you, that cornbread was FABULOUS! I should know, I had about 3 pieces.We headed out in the neighborhood with all the cousins. And we knocked on doors for about an hour and a half which is approximately one hour more than last year. The weather was unusually warm & Uncle R-d was smart enough to pile the two littlest ones in the wagon. HY ran with the big boys while Mini-E only had to lift her bucket for handfuls of candy. It was a dream come true for her.
And guess who showed up half way through trick or treating?
A very familiar witch. I'm telling you, she (Nonna) scared the daylights out of me. HY was pretty concerned about Nonna stealing his candy. I reassured him that it really wasn't her thing, but he may be scarred for life now!
After checking out our loot, we headed up to Midway for a night & a day "out of town." We spent our time swimming & just hanging out with Grandad. Mini-E is loving the water. And HY has no fear!
We can't wait for our next time at Grandad's Lodge.

Happy Birthday dear Grandad...

We spent the weekend in Midway with Grandad and Grandma J. We just LOVE being up there--away from the big city (if you can call Salt Lake a big city) & in the beautiful mountains.
We got to relax, watch all the session of General Conference, and enjoy being with family (cousins included). And of course, yesterday, we celebrated Grandad Grey's 69th Birthday!

I had a few more kids to make this shot more interesting. I thought it was fitting... We love you Grandad. Thanks for putting up with all of our chaos!

Rodeo

There ain't nothing better than a good ole fashioned rodeo to make you feel American!

This is our second year watching the Midway Rodeo & if I can help it...we'll be back again next year.
We love going with Grandad & Grandma Jo (and this time cousin B from Colorado) & watching all the events.
HY was totally enamored with the Cowgirls on horses & the enormous amounts of trucks with trailers.
Mini-E clapped and clapped the entire time. She got a bit squirmy toward the end, but when the fireworks kicked on, she was as focused as could be.
It sure was a great family date!
Every time we have to leave Midway, we cry and cry. Someday, we won't have to leave.


and my favorite shot of the night...my own personal cowboy!

My Family

Saturday we had a family reunion complete with cousins and all. Just like the good 'ole days.

I have one crazy family.

VA-CA-TION

We've had a great week. Couldn't ask for much more.
We spent the week up in Midway at the Lodge.
This time we had a special treat. Aunt Runnie & her family came to spend a bit of time with us.
They just sold their home in St. Louis & are moving back to AZ in the fall. But first, a little quality time with the family.
We had so much fun that I'm sure that HY will go through withdrawals this week. He's already been a bit of a stinker this morning. He used to being outside & playing with all of his cousins, so this indoor-cleaning of the house- isn't his idea of fun. (Mine either but..)

I have to admit that it was so relaxing to spend a week with Farmboy & my family & not worry about anything. We had a few interruptions to our week (wedding, funeral, teaching, & work), but for the most part, it was nice and smooth.

Here are a few things we did this week:
-Tried to hike to Timpanogas Cave (unsuccessful)
-Successfully visited Cascade Springs (so beautiful)


-Went Swimming a dozen times
-Fishing Galore
-Visited nearly ever hot pots in the Midway area
-Watched movies
-Stayed up late
-Ate & Ate & Ate some more


-Took a million pictures (of course)


And one of myself...


I'm excited to tell you that it's not over yet. This weekend I'll be headed back up to Midway for a reunion. We just can't get enough! Yep, someday we are gonna move up to Midway.

Birthday Surprise!

On Thursday, I got to spend the entire day with Farmboy. So so fun. We went to lunch, the temple, the train tracks for pictures, & then took a drive up the canyon for some more pictures. It was a perfect day. The kiddos spent the day with Aunt CC & it was just nice to be with Farmboy.

The kids got me graham crackers, chocolate, & marshmallows (my favorite treat) & Farmboy informed me that we'd be going up to Midway Friday night to have dinner with my Dad & roast some smores. Yum! I was excited but little did I know it wasn't just dinner & smores with Grandad & Grandma J.

When we arrived there was a huge surprise birthday party for me with all my family! It was AWESOME! And a total surprise. I had forgotten how much I love surprise birthday parties, especially when they are for me.

Thanks Farmboy for such a fabulous birthday weekend. Thanks to all my family who came & enjoyed the weekend. I couldn't have asked for a better birthday.


We all went swimming, drank sodas, & ...roasted smores of course. There was even a pinata.

Midway

We spent our Memorial Day in Midway.
It's always so nice to just get away from everything & be together as a family.
We slept in, watched movies on Grandad's monster movie screen, ate ice cream, went swimming & took our traditional drive around town. (more pictures HERE)
And it was wonderful! The kids had fun & the parents relaxed.
What more could I ask for?
HY even shared his root beer voluntarily with Mini-E!!!


And just as we were leaving town, we saw this guy!
Yep, Thomas the Train was just about to pull out of the station. But we caught him just in time.
HY was one happy camper.
I'm sure we'll hear nothing but trains for weeks!


Thank you Grandad & Grandma J for letting stay at your house for a weekend! What a blessing!

Sunday Sum Up

Tis the season to be really really busy. Right? Well, if that's the way it's supposed to be then we are right on track. Here's what we've been doing this week:

Thursday:

A much needed lunch date with these beauties. So great to see these friends from College. You may recognize a few of these gorgeous girls. Rach, Lise,& Jax (I think we'll get her bloggin' before the year is out...that's next year of course).

Friday:

Fun at the Lodge in Midway. Uncle L the Great is up from AZ for Christmas. All of us piled in the 4 wheel drive vehicles & took a trip down a few snowy hills. Even Mini-E took a ride (with Farmboy). The cousins had a blast.

It's all fun & games until.... Poor HY.

Later that night we ate & ate...and then had a gift exchange. HY couldn't have been more pleased with his gift...

And I couldn't resist throwing in a little picture of Mini-E. She's nearly 11 months old. Pulling herself up & walking along the edges of everything. 2 teeth in front & one random tooth on the top left side. Thank goodness she's not walking yet.

So there you have it, that's why I haven't blogged in a while. This next week will probably be just as crazy.

Stiff-Neck-ED!

I had to give the update on the neck problem. I was sceptical when I left the Chiropractor & I felt the act same as when I walked in. I still had pretty much Zero movement in my neck. I put ice on it (& heat--thanks Scully) & was thinking I was gonna have to just cut off the top part of my body.

BUT...A miracle happened....I'm better. I'm feeling great. A bit of tightness, but that I can handle. The sharp, jabbing pain has gone away. And although I'm very affraid of its return, I'm enjoying no current headaches.

And I'm also enjoying these freebies. Check them out before they are gone.

Let it Snow

A good friend of mine (someone I actually know not just through blogging) is the newest designer for Little Dreamer Designs. I'm so excited for her. She's got some great new kits out. Go check them out. I created this page with a few freebies from her. Read more about Heidi HERE.

PS: A few posts ago, Crazymama of 6 ask me about the snow & how it works exactly. Well, Crazy Mamma...Snow in these parts is a funny thing. It depends on the year. Generally, we get a storm that will give us a few inches, just when that snow is almost gone we'll get a bit more. This goes on for months at a time with the dry spells increasing at we approach spring. Of course we can get snow everyday for days at a time. (One year I remember it snowed in June)Most of the snowfall in the mountains which we love the best. That makes it so that we can have water the next year. So, as long as we don't get too much snowfall in the valley, this AZ girl is A. OK. Snow, an essential part of God's plan. This message brought to you by the center of snow control.

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

Friday & Saturday we took a family trip to Midway to see Grandad. He & Grandma J just returned from Hawaii to find this...What a Utah treat.

If you gotta live in the snow, you might as well PLAY in the snow! So that's what we did. We bundled up & P.L.A.Y.E.D

HY loved playing with his tractor in the snow...his job was to plow all the snow. Grandad helped of course.

I think Mini-E was the warmest of all. Trying to catch snowflakes in her mouth. Farmboy couldn't have been more pleased--Snow Lover!

With A LOT of help from Grandad...we made this very large, very fashionable snowman. I think it's the first one this AZ girl has ever really made. It took us close to 2 hours to do. But worth every minute. At one point, I was even a little too toasty.

Of course our favorite thing to do was swim in the hot pool while it was snowing all around us. that's all HY wanted to do with Grandad. Fearless little man. Here's the two of them swimming in the blizzard. Grandad had to force HY to come out. Look at the snow in their hair!

Thanks again Grandad for a wonderful winter weekend

(that alliteration was for you daddy)

Love you!