HAGS

Remember when yearbook signing day was the best? And when many wrote the abbreviation--HAGS-- also known as "Have a good summer!" We have definitely "Had a Good Summer." It's our last summer as a family of 4 and that has hit me hard as fall is rapidly approaching. I'm worried about transitioning from 2 to 3 kids. I certainly made the most of our time together and hope that our family fun continues after a brief hiatus. Read on to hear more about 3 adventures that happened this month: a museum, a baseball game, and a race.

The race scenery was beautiful!

• Natural Museum at the University of Utah--Saturday, August 5

This museum has excellent ratings and reviews and has been high on my list. The biggest holdup for me has been the price. Adult admission is $22.95 per person and children ages 3+ cost $17.95 each. Getting our family into this museum would cost over $82 (with taxes). Don't worry, my DNA did not change. I did not splurge and fork out that kind of dough. Instead, we used the free admission passes we got by completing our summer reading at the library.

Our free passes were only valid for 2 days, but we made going a priority. We happened to be watching Daisy that weekend, so she accompanied us. (She isn't 3 yet and was free.) The museum has 5 floors and is packed full of all sorts of animals-- mostly dinosaurs. Something unique I noticed throughout is that there are buttons that you can push to get a whiff of forest, flowers, and underbrush scents. The kids enjoyed this and thought some smells were stinky. There were some huge and amazing dinosaurs, minerals, butterflies, fossils, etc. There was a seismometer that the kids could jump on and see earthquake lines. They were intrigued.

We went to a live animal show with a gecko and snake. The youngsters did not have any interest in waiting in line to touch the snake afterword. They got that from their mama. James and Izzy sat through the 30 minute fact-filled presentation easily. Both kids even raised their hands to answer/ask questions. Andrew surprised the presenter when he knew the answer to this question: "Does anyone know what van-der-waals forces are?" Alex, the presenter said nobody in the audience has ever known the answer. Feel free to ask Andrew about this subject matter. It will lead to a riveting conversation. I married a genius.

We stayed at the museum for 2 and a half hours and wore the kids out. I would say we got our moneys worth, but we didn't have to pay a dime, so boom. What an awesome deal and museum! We even managed to complete the scavenger hunt that the library passed out which had multiple questions to answer on each floor.

• Bees Baseball Game--Friday, August 19

At the South Jordan parade earlier this summer, we got vouchers for free tickets to a Bees Baseball game. After our fun baseball experience in Cape Cod, we wanted more. Tickets for the bees game cost $17 a piece, and we didn't have to pay a cent! We saved $68! The game was in Salt Lake City, but a new Bees stadium is being built in South Jordan, which means we could become regulars. We figured out that the last time we went to watch a Bees game was almost exactly 4 years ago to the day. Andrew had a work party in 2019 at the stadium and we brought teeny tiny Izzy who was only a few weeks old (James was home with a babysitter).

August 17, 2019

August 19, 2023

Unfortunately, the game we picked wasn't high quality. The bees (or apparently the Stingers now?) failed to show up. The final score was 6-1. That didn't stop us from having a delightful evening though. McCall and I got to chat for hours, as did Trevor and Andrew. There were free train rides in the stadium for children which were great. Some candy helped the kids make it through, but honestly they were well behaved. One of the hitters, broke part of the bat and James thought that was pretty neat. The atmosphere at sporting events is unique and lively. The weather was perfect. It rained briefly on our drive to the game which helped keep the temperature cool. Even after a late night out, a child burst in our door the following morning at 7am on the dot.

• ICCH-- Friday, August 25

Andrew signed up to do the ICCH (International Canyoneering Championship) race again. This was his third time. He also did this race in 2019 and 2017. The race takes place near Goblin Valley in Southern Utah in the Ding and Dang slot canyons. The athletes do 2 loops of the course. If the runners don't finish the first lap in under a certain time (1 hour 15 minutes this year), they have to run the second lap in their undies. The race totals around 13 miles. There are different heats and you run with a partner. Andrew and his brother Logan were partners. Another brother, Birch also did the race as well as our nephews George, Cooper, and Tyler. 

I approve of the new ICCH t-shirts. Look at that color! 

Full disclosure here-- Andrew had to run lap 2 in his undies. He only needed to trim 4 minutes off his time. I guess they changed the time requirement for lap 1 and made it even more intense than previous years. Andrew enjoyed the course and is already talking about doing the race again in two years. (It's not an annual race and is headed by a relative of Birch's.) Andrew dealt with some leg cramping, but was happy that he was still able to go adventuring after doing such a grueling course. The boys hiked/rappelled Cassidy Arch and went to Lower Calf Creek Falls. 

We kept busy back at home and went to Blackridge Reservoir in Herriman one afternoon which is one of our favorite summer finds. Although, I have since learned there has been leech problem... Yikes.

I could hardly believe it when Andrew got cell service again and told me that his ETA for home was midnight. Last time, he rolled in at 3am. Andrew has been dedicated to training for this race and I'm proud of him. His foot has been a struggle and has taken a beating with so much running. In fact, earlier this month, Andrew went to Urgent Care thinking he might have a stress fracture. Thankfully, he did not. The doctor was surprised to spot a BB gun pellet in Andrew's foot x-ray. This has been there since childhood, but doesn't bother him. Andrew's foot held up just fine during the race which was a huge relief and a big worry of mine.

I am relishing in the mundane life routines-- school, teaching piano, and being home for now. As much fun as we had this summer, it was intense and exhausting at times. Cheers to cooler temperatures and... a baby!

Ditto Reunion

When the idea of staying in a Lakehouse was suggested for the Ditto reunion, we were in. Driving 12 hours to camp brings out all sorts of crankiness in me. Driving 12 hours to have a place to pee, somewhere to cook, and something soft to sleep on makes a world of difference. This year, we went to a new city- Priest River which is along the Pend Orielle river in Northern Idaho. We checked into the Lakehouse on Wednesday afternoon, and checked out Saturday afternoon. We drove to Spokane Tuesday and came home Sunday (well, technically Monday since we pulled in at 12:20am).

There were 44 people at the reunion and we were missing several! Nathan who is serving a mission in Madrid, Grannie who is serving in Chicago, Tyler and Hailee who just got married, Alysee and Dallin, and Tavia and Calvin (who stayed home for a football camp). We were in charge of making one of the lunches for everyone and Andrew grilled hot dogs from Costco. We got some of the huge 1/4 pound dogs too. We served pineapple, chips, and Oreos with the hot dogs. It is challenging to gauge how much food to get. 7 of the biggest pineapples I could find seemed like the right amount.  We were also in charge of a breakfast with another couple. We slept in the bunkbed room. We got to share the downstairs bathroom with some teenage and tween boys who left their mark. But hey, I'll take it. Anything but camping.

 Here are some snippets that I want to remember:

• An emergency stop on the side of the freeway near Dillon, Idaho so Izzy could pee on the side of the road. She could not wait the 15 minutes to the next gas station.
• Andrew handling incessant talking from our 6 year old. "James, you don't have to say everything that comes to your mind out loud. Sometimes you can just think about things without telling us." This made me belly laugh. Andrew handled our chatty child well! This advice was given after James spoke about cloud shapes, how small the mountain was we were driving by, that he could run up it in 1 second, as well as how good of a sledding hill it would make and can we drive back to it during the winter... etc.
• Staying at Logan and Julia's house. The 4 wheeler was thrilling as were the endless nerf guns. The kids started playing a chasing game with their cousins and would scream "ding-dong" and sprint throughout the house. Even 18 year old George joined in on the fun. Julia gave us adults some "ding-dong" therapy-- aka Reeses which we certainly needed.

• Our kids going tubing! We spent so much time outdoors basking in the sun by the river. It couldn't have been prettier.

Saydee and Isabelle

• James jumping off the tower on the dock! What a brave boy. This was extra scary/significant since Lincoln had taken a hard fall from there.

• Endless games. I loved getting my Hand and Foot fix in. It helped that Andrew and I dominated. Before I get too cocky, luck had a lot to do with it. We also finally had the chance to open "Cross Net" which is a crowd pleaser. The background was stunning.

• Izzy getting sick. She threw up twice and took a 3 hour nap. We think it was due to dehydration. 

• Our kids ate up all the attention and had handfuls of playmates. They played on the outdoor playground and dug in the sand. We hardly saw them. Izzy has many admirers and hung out with the big girls. She spent a good chunk of time in the hot tub. She also relished in the audience and had everyone captivated by dancing to Frozen and singing the books in the New Testament.

James and Rhett

Claire, Avery, Lucy, Malia, Olivia, Chloe, and Izzy

Lincoln and James

• Andrew got to water-ski lots, especially since there were 2 boats. His body took a beating and I guess he has some bruises from the pull of the rope. He also rocked surfing! I decided I didn't want to risk starting pre-term labor and steered clear of any potential wipe-outs. 

• 2 of our nephews gave their homecoming talks on Sunday. Welcome home Addison and Jacob! Both of them will be moving to Provo shortly. Their talks happened to be at the same time. We went to Jacob's talk since it was on our way home. We were able to listen to Addison's recorded talk too.  The people in CA and Argentina were lucky to have these missionaries.

Jacob

• Andrew and James kayaking!

• I read 2 books on the trip. It should have been more. I struggled to get into a book at the lake. I finished "This Time It's Real" (cheesy, cute, predictable, fun, and bingeworthy) and listened to "Three Keys" (Front Desk #2--quick YA about illegal immigrants) on the drive. 

We are home and boy does it feel good. I have made more cookies, rolls, and carbs than I should admit. It has been a hectic summer. Our kids will talk about our family reunion for the foreseeable future. Both children have already had dreams about going to the Lakehouse again. In James' dream, he wore his new back-to-school sweater into the lake. Oops. These are the moments.

Endless Sweat and Play

July whizzed by! Here are 5 events from July that stand out (don't worry, our Cape Cod trip is already engrained to memory. See last post). 

Sneak peak of the 5th event at the temple. Keep reading to know more.

1) Lindon Outdoor Pool with friends--Saturday, July 1

We met the Hendricks at the Lindon pool. The last time we were there, I was 9 months pregnant with Isabelle, so it had almost been 4 years. This is a spectacular pool. James has guts and wanted to try everything. He climbed up the rock wall a few times and managed to complete the obstacle course without dumping it. (He bragged and told people he did better than Dad. Sorry, Andrew.) Since our last time at the pool, there is an additional humongous slide that thrilled James. He went down a handful of times. Isabelle enjoyed the smaller slide. Our kids could have stayed all day. After all of that activity, James couldn't keep his eyes open on the car ride home.

Trip to LA to help Jess and Chris move-- Thurs, July 14- Monday, July 18

Another one bites the dust. Farewell to more family. I tagged along with Jessica and George on their car ride to Los Angeles. Rosie and Chris were in the U-Haul. We broke the drive up and spent the first night in St. George. Overall, George did well for a 15 month old. He is all boy and might have a career in baseball one day. He is quite good at chucking food and toys. He tinkered with lots of dollar-store toys Jess bought. The low point was when George threw-up twice. What a rancid smell.

The Elders Quorum was set to come and help unload the U-Haul. It ended up being less people than anticipated (Only 1 man came for the first chunk). Unloading took awhile. Jess and Chris found the perfect spot. They are walking distance from the LA temple. Their apartment is fabulous. It is the brightest apartment with huge windows. Jessica has already managed to make it look chic. We unpacked, ate delicious food, went on walks, and meandered around the Santa Monica Pier. It's just not the same as having Jessica 3 minutes away and my heart is already hurting. 

Sound of Music Play at Sundance--Thursday, July 20

What a night! After seeing "Cinderella" at this venue last year, buying tickets again this year was a must. "Sound of Music" is my all-time favorite. Jill, Grandma Langlois, and I went together. We missed you, Jessica! We are all very familiar with "The Sound of Music" and have seen the movie countless times. Jill noticed they took out the song, "I Have Confidence." Such a shame. I rolled my eyes through the 2 solo songs they added for the baroness (who we all agreed was our least favorite actress). 

I laughed lots and enjoyed the evening immensely. Maria could not have been better. Her voice was stupendous and her acting was natural. The nuns were incredible too. The Von Trapp family dynamic was chipper and light. The "Sound of Music" is lengthy, but they trimmed it down. (Again, we noticed tiny details like the song "Lonely Goatherd" didn't include puppets and "Favorite Things" was oddly placed. True fans right there.) I chuckled endlessly at Grandma's "feud" with her seat mate. Our seats were so close--4 rows back and centered. Ideal. It was refreshing to be in the mountains and a nice respite from the heat. We had a steep walk back to the car which I will never forget. Until next year, Sundance!

Timpanogos Cave Hike-- Saturday, July 22

We checked another item off of our summer bucket list! After reading many reviews, I was hesitant to do this hike. It is known for being hard and strenuous and over 3 miles roundtrip. I decided it would be easier to complete this hike this year before adding a baby to the crew. I got tickets over a month in advance. Children's tickets cost $7 each and adults $12. Our kids rocked the hike. The steep cliffs and drop-offs mentioned online were less intense than I imagined. The hike up was extremely steep! Luckily, we went early in the morning to beat the scorching temperatures. Going in, I was warned that this experience is a long one and to plan on 3+ hours. We began at 9:00am and made it back to the parking lot around 12:15. (It should have been later, but they had room to sneak us into an earlier cave tour.)

As always, I brought snacks galore and goodies helped us forget our calves were burning. Jill and Daisy joined us and Andrew carried Daisy in a hiking backpack. We toured the 3 caves once we made it to the top. The caves stay 45 degrees Fahrenheit year round and it was rejuvenating to explore them. We brought jackets. Daisy especially was intrigued in the caves. Isabelle was a bit weary at first because of the darkness, but she got used to it. At one point, all the lights in the cave were turned off. Talk about utter darkness. 

By the time we made it down the mountain, it was getting toasty. Walking down the mountain was way faster and easier than climbing up it. On our way home, we grabbed ice cream cones. James immediately went to lay down on his bed for awhile. He worked hard! We went over 10,000 steps and 4 miles. Note to self-- Izzy's hiking sandals hurt her feet. Also, leave hiking backpacks at the checkpoint, so Andrew doesn't have to trek back up to the cave entrance. I'm thrilled this hike happened!

Isabelle's birthday-- Sunday, July 23

We did not have a big party this year for Isabelle's birthday. Isabelle has many people that love her. I took her shopping and let her pick out her present from us. She chose a 3 pack of barbie mermaids from the new "Little Mermaid" movie. Isabelle got so many awesome gifts that family mailed to us. A mermaid dress-up, an Isabella (from Encanto) dress-up, a "How to Be a Mermaid" book, a box of 20 fun rings (you'd be surprised how many Izzy can wear at once), a Barbie nightgown (something Izzy has been eying and trying to save for), a squish mellow, a mermaid sensory box, a Cold Stone gift card, and a barbie that changes color in the water. Isabelle chose pizza for her birthday meal and waffles for breakfast.

She wore this nightgown to the aquarium the next day.

Things I want to remember about Isabelle:

• Isabelle can make a friend wherever we are--the park, beach, playground, you name it. She is very social and is always sad to say goodbye to new friends.
• Isabelle has not outgrown outfit changes. She likes to change a handful of times each day. She cares a lot about her clothes and accessories. She wears high heals often. She's always up for having her nails painted.
• Isabelle had her 4 year old checkup. She went dressed in her Isabella costume wearing heels. The doc asked where we were going. Nowhere. This is a daily occurrence. He told me he is not worried at all about her imagination. Izzy weighs 38 pounds (74 percentile) and is 41.1 inches tall (79 percentile).
• Isabelle loves to dance and is a natural. She is starting at a new dance studio in September.
• Isabelle still has a strong will. She hates cleaning her room and boy does it get messy, especially with all of her clothes/dress-ups. Brushing her hair is also tortuous, although chewing gum and picking music of her choice helps. She loves bubble gum. 
• Isabelle is beautiful. She gets compliments very frequently when we are out and about. I worry about this.
• Isabelle likes to sing. She sometimes sings extremely high which makes me giggle. She can sing all the books in the New Testament.
• Isabelle gets nervous. When we're going somewhere, she often asks, "do we have to go on the freeway to get there?"
• Isabelle can float and swim well.
• Isabelle is a mama's girl. She likes nights I put her to bed best. Isabelle comes out of bed/room most nights. She just wants to come see us and thinks of the funniest reasons and excuses for being out of bed. She still takes her time falling asleep and spends time playing with her barbies, singing, and reading in her bed.
• Isabelle inherited my facial expressions. Boy can she glare. She makes the funniest faces. We sure do love our not so little princess. 

Tyler and Hailee's Wedding

We got to see lots of family as we celebrated Tyler and Hailee's special day! There was a wedding dinner/talent show the night before. I learned that Hailee can sing! The couple was sealed in the Payson temple Saturday morning, and had an outdoor reception in the Wright's backyard. The weather was balmy, especially at the temple. Thankfully the reception was shaded. It was the perfect party setup. There was a food truck, ice cream, soda, photo area, etc. Logan and Julia came into town for the wedding as well as Kelly, Annie, Alayna, Lincoln, Maren, Tavia, Savannah, Macey, Olivia, and obviously Birch and Sara's family including Alex, Alexa, and baby Quinn. It was a delightful and tiring weekend. Tyler and Hailee were beaming.

Reception

Next up, a Ditto reunion!