100

This is my 100th post!

To commemorate: a list of 100 details of our trip.
(Don't worry, I'm about as anxious to write 100 items as you are to read them. Let's just see how many I actually get.)

1. Utah feels like home. There's no getting around it.

2. Our flights were the best yet despite an 8-minute layover in Detroit. Ethan was a rock star keeping up with me and the stroller as we ran through the airport. I mean ran.

3. By the way, the Detroit airport may just be my favorite airport.

4. Mom should get a grandmother of the year award for helping her grandkids sew beach bags. That was a fun day. The next day her sewing machine literally feel to pieces in her hand. I think it was sending a message.

5. The beach bags were meant to be used on our annual trip to Bear Lake. A trip we never took due to two freakishly cold Saturdays in a row. I'm still bummed.


6. We visited friends in Jackson Hole. Now that is an awesome place to live. I used to raft the Snake River with my dad when I was a kid. Driving into Jackson brought back a lot of fond memories.


7. It turns out Jackson Hole has an alpine slide. And since I happen to be the only native born Utahn who has not been on Park City's slide our visit seemed like the perfect opportunity to right a wrong.


8. The ride up on the chair lift is much scarier than the slide itself.

9. Seriously, the entire way I had horrible thoughts of my little girl slipping from the seat confirming Randal's long-time claim that I can envison the worst-case scenario of nearly every fun activity there is.

10. He's right. I am morbid. And a little chicken.

11. A lot chicken.

12. As for Adelaide, she obliviously hung as far over the edge as I would allow, chattering on about all the flowers she would love to pick below.

13. Because of Bear Lake cancellation #1 we managed to make a surprise visit to Randal's family reunion. It was fun.

14. We stayed a few days in Tooele with my long-time friend Stacy.

15. By long-time I mean 16 years. We calculated it. And then we felt old.

16. We spent a day at Lagoon. And boy did we have fun.

17. I had fun mooching off a very generous offer from a kind lady in line to use her extra discount passes. $10 a ticket--freaking awesome!

18. Watching my chicken-heart boy get brave enough to try some of the bigger rides was a real treat. He's growing up.

19. But then that meant I had to go on them with him. It's funny, as a kid I used to close down that joint riding every ride possible. Age has given me a healthy sense of mortality and I find them not so fun anymore.

20. Adelaide is a dare devil.

21. Is she my daughter?

22. I hate the sky ride. I think it's the scariest one. Jacob (8) wished he was riding with Ethan (6) and Brooklyn (6) instead of with me (33). I'm the wuss who wouldn't let him swing his feet.

23. Stacy and her family introduced us to waffle dinner Haight style--bananas, chocolate sauce, strawberries, whipped cream...heaven.

24. Speaking of heaven, we ate at Cafe Rio twice.

25. And while on the subject of eating, meeting up with friends for lunch and fabric shopping was fantastic.

26. We didn't get to see everybody though. In keeping with our family tradition, Adelaide woke up puking making it necessary to cancel some plans.

27. Normally I hate puke.

28. I hate it even more when it is my kid puking on someone else's bathroom floor.

29. It's a good thing Stacy and I have been friends for 16 years. We know too many of each others' little secrets to let vomit get in the way.

30. There is a children's museum in Ogden which I love. On Fridays its only $3 per child. We introduced my brother and his family to it this visit.

31. There Ethan and Adelaide participated in a little play. Their cousin, Abigail, did as well...briefly, she's only two.

32. I know I'm his mom but Ethan cracked me up trying to sound like a grumpy, old grandpa as he delivered his lines. I thought he did an excellent job.


33. At one point Adelaide (the duck) was to be chased around the stage by an older boy playing the wolf. The two were then to run off stage. Well, Adelaide does not do stairs too quickly. The wolf chivalrously helped her down before continuing the chase. It was really funny. I guess you had to be there.


34. Even better than the museum of play...the ice cream stand across the street.

35. Instead of Bear Lake trip #2 we hit up an indoor pool. I really miss good indoor pools.

36. But I left Ethan's swim suit at the pool. Swim suits aren't so easy to find in stores at the end of the season.

37. I spent an entire day shopping at my favorite stores while my kids stayed back with Grandma. Thanks, Mom.

38. I now have enough projects to keep me very busy through another nasty east-coast winter.

39. I miscalculated luggage though. I had to bring back another piece of luggage to make it all fit.

40. My dad helped me make a set of pipe chimes for my new calling as Primary chorister (of which I am still terrified). The chimes look like pipe bombs. I worried I might be detained at the airport.

41. As you can see we didn't really do too many spectacular things. My kids were happiest playing with their cousins and friends at the park and in the sprinklers.

42. I learned to knit. That means sad-looking scarves for everyone this Christmas! Thanks, Tammy. It was fun.

43. Our last day may just have been my favorite of all. Randal's parents came to my parent's for the day. So did my grandma and aunt. We played games, ate and visited. I used to take days like that for granted.


44. At the airport Ethan was broken-hearted to say good bye to Grandma. I was too. I feel like a jerk for taking my kids so far away from the people they love.

45. I also feel like a jerk for not making it to the temple during our visit. I feared our plane might get struck by lightening.

46. Another, more leisurely, walk through the Detroit airport. I do really like that airport. The underground musical tunnel is kind of cool.

47. The kids ran to Randal. They missed him so much. During our entire trip Adelaide would say her daddy was lost.

48. He wasn't lost. He was in Japan.

49. We ate dinner at our favorite bread and soup place. It's sad but food always makes me happier.

50. Ethan jumped out of the car and hugged the house. As sad as he was at the airport I think he was glad to be home.


I'm done. Multiply this list by 2 to make the 100.

We had a great time in Utah, Wyoming and Idaho. Thanks to everyone for places to stay, great meals and so much fun. It's going to be a long year before we can be with you again.

We're Back, Baby!

The kids and I have been visiting friends and family while Randal was traveling for business. As you can see I took a vacation from nearly everything, even blogging.


Well, I'm back.


But before I post on some of our adventures we have some important news...


















No, it's not a baby!

Ethan lost his first tooth!

Blueberries

I said we put Grandpa to work during his visit. Oh, we put Grandma to work too. We took her to a farm in PA for blueberry picking, knowing full well she wouldn't be able to take her spoils on the airplane and have to leave them with us.


Adelaide was a blueberry picking machine. She stuck by Grandma the entire time, picked only the blue ones and served as excellent quality control making sure stems did not find their way into the bucket.


Ethan picked about two cups. He didn't whine, complain or tromp down a blueberry bush so I was completely satisfied with his contribution. I think his favorite part may have been the ride on a little bus from the farm to the patch and back. That and being with his friends.


As for me, I'm thrilled to have 7 bags of blueberries in my freezer at $1.60 a pound! I don't mean to keep rubbing that in, Mom (he he). Hopefully the blueberry muffins Adelaide made today will help ease Grandma's burden of going back to Utah's berry prices. We're going to miss her!

Reveling

We've had company the past week and a half. My dad, mom, brother and sister. And it has been fabulous! Here are some highlights.

The Hill Cumorah Pageant. Great fun. Ethan loved meeting "King Noah". Currently the story of Abinadi and King Noah is his favorite BOM story. (We suspect it has something to do with his morbid fascination for burning.) Ethan asked this actor if he was going to drink real wine like the real King Noah. It threw him for a second.


Joseph Smith's farm and the Sacred Grove. Honestly, the most beautiful place I've ever been.


We've been a few other places, but truthfully we brought my dad out here to put him to work. He built us a mantle for our fireplace. In return we gave him a 10-year-old mattress to sleep on in an unairconditioned home. We're hoping the utter admiration from his grandson is enough for him to want to come back. Ethan said, rather amazed, that Grandpa sure was a good builder. And we need Dad to come back. We'd really like a new deck! ;)

(I'm teasing, Dad. I so appreciate all your help and advice. Randal and I have felt at times like we were drowning in this house. We really needed your encouragement. I love you.)

We have had so much fun with our guests. Every morning Adelaide comes into our room, early, asking when her friends are going to wake up. And every night our kids go to bed exhausted. This night Addie didn't even make it to her bed:


There is so much more, but in an effort to keep somewhat brief I'll leave it for a future post. To keep you on the edge of your seat, you can look forward to:

1. Randal's new nickname, Captain Gangsta.
2. My new calling. Aghhhh!
3. Ethan's junk sale. Literally.
and
4. The big reveal of my dad's mantle (once I paint it).

The Power of Ten

In honor of our 10th wedding anniversary.
Come home, Randal!

Sunday Blues

My contributions to the blogging world have been a little scarce lately. I'm not sure what to say. Randal's been out of the country for the past two weeks. It seems little has happened in the meantime. The 4th was nice, but simple. The kids and I have hit up a few parks, the Redbox and ate pancakes for dinner a number of times. None of it that blog worthy.

Really things have gone well. The kids haven't quarreled--too much. And I've tried not to lose my patience--too often. I even managed a few visits with my nemesis, the elliptical.

However, Sacrament meeting today did not reflect this in the slightest. Despite my best efforts (and believe me I really did try), we were late. After waiting in the foyer until the sacrament was over, we made our walk of shame to the front row with Adelaide protesting (loudly) the entire way still angry with me for not letting her pick every dandelion she saw on the way in. After wrestling a few more minutes with her nonsense, I had to haul Addie out along with her near full-blown tantrum. After a time-out she agreed to happily walk back to our seat with her arms folded. Halfway down the isle I had the gall to lightly touch her back in encouragement. She flung me such a dirty look the couple sitting nearest us started to laugh. All this took place during a very nice talk about reverence...of course.

Afterward, one of the older ladies came up to me and hugged me tight. And now I'm left dumbfounded. Two weeks with very little incident and Adelaide chooses to unravel it in an instant--in front of the entire ward. We all cannot wait for Randal to come home.

My kids may be failing miserably when it comes to being reverent, but one thing they love to do are projects. Our house has been project central thanks to the dollar section at Micheal's and the creative brain of one soon-to-be-six-year-old. Ethan is constantly coming up with things he and Adelaide can make together. The wood projects in the photos I had nothing to do with. Ethan put them together himself and helped Adelaide with hers. As for the bead coaster thingies--three hours, three hours my kids sat at the table and tediously put those together. That day just may have been the nearest day to heaven.
I zoomed in on Addie's latest artwork. Far be it from me to call my child a prodigy but this, she informs me, is a slug. The resemblance is uncanny. Perhaps the girl may have something.

Welcome, July

Well, June flew by. Mainly due to the recent visit of Randal's sister, Amy, and her four boys from Arlington,VA.

With so many precocious, little visitors in the house for a week and a half we tried to find some places to go, close to home, to have some fun and make some memories. Perhaps the favorite night (at least according to 3-year-old Cyrus) was playing in the waterfall after a campfire, hot dog dinner.


The photo below has the kids standing in front of a crazy glass figure at the glass museum. Even more crazy were the three adults behind the camera thinking being outnumbered by children in a glass museum was a good idea.


Our week also consisted of exploring a few places we've never been. Like a six-story tree house, for example. It's hard to see in the photo, but it was awesome.


At the entrance to the tree house.


Round two: playing in another waterfall.


It has been a busy month. Through all this, we even found the time to steal a baby. Okay, we didn't steal him. Baby Oliver is on his way back home with his mom and brothers as we speak, but Ethan and I would have liked to keep him.


Actually despite the craziness, we were sad to see all the boys go. Ethan and Adelaide miss them already. With six kids under the age of six I would've expected more scuffles and crankiness, but they played so well together and really enjoyed one another.

Plus we'll miss Henry's comic relief.