Yesterday morning we woke up, got ready, packed up, cleaned and then drove back home. It was really cold but the skies were blue and the roads were clear. My dad had to drive us down to our van in his 4 wheel drive (thanks! to my parents who got us up to the cabin and back because our van wouldn't go far in that kind of snow!) and then made sure we could get on the road. We drove back through Zion and it was a quick, nice drive. Ethan even commented when we got home that he didn't even fall asleep and the drive was still fast (2 hours is quick to our kids now).
Our van had quite a bit of snow built up on top of it and as we were driving bits of it would fly off or streak down the front windshield. As we were driving through Zion I pointed out a piece to Bryan that looked like it was going to slide down the windshield in front of my face. He decided to help it along by pushing on the break. Suddenly, all the ice/snow on our roof came crashing down the windshield in sheets. Luckily there weren't other cars behind us because neither Bryan or I could see the road. Bryan just tried to pull over and then stopped the car. When we looked behind us, there was a big trail of snow/ice behind us. We were laughing so hard. Neither of us realized that the ice/snow on the top of the car was ready to slide down. But we were glad we had a spot to pull off!
When we got home, we gave Courtney a nap and Ethan and I went to the Church so I could practice the organ for Sunday (I was subbing for someone). He loves going places with just one of us and always calls it his "date." I kept messing up on the organ and was getting really frustrated. Ethan came up and stood next to me and began humming the hymns that I was playing. He told me that "if you get lost or can't remember what to play, just listen to my humming and I'll help you through." What a thoughtful kid!
After Courtney's nap we went for family photos. My family had a disasterous family photo session last year so I found someone else this year that seemed really good. She had us meet her at a park and she took a long time with us. She's actually a preschool teacher so she took a ton of photos of the kids playing around and Ethan really liked her. We get a disk with the photos in about a week so I'll post them and you can decide how they turned out.
Then the kids went with my parents and sister to play while Bryan and I went Christmas shopping. It was nice to be out and getting things done and the kids had a blast! My mom said Courtney showed a little jealous streak. They all went to Jumpin' Jacks (the bounce house place) and there was a little boy, about Courtney's age, who kept following Ethan around. Apparently this really upset Courtney and she wanted that boy to leave "my Ethan" alone. She only wanted Ethan to play with her and not this other little boy. She told us later that she didn't want to share Ethan. I think it's cute!
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Friday, November 28, 2008
There's so much snow!!
The kids have absolutely loved playing in the snow! Last year Courtney kept yelling at us to "get this white stuff off of me!" But this year she is so into playing in it that it's fun!
The first night we got here, she and Bryan went outside and made a snowman and then Thanksgiving day we played in the snow and had so much fun. We found a sled downstairs in the cabin and went outside to use it. Ethan loves throwing snow at the trees to get the snow to fall out of them. We went for a walk yesterday and Bryan told Ethan to shake a tree. He did it and snow fell all over him. But he loved it.
The only bad part of the snow is that the satellite dish got too snowed on for it to work, so Bryan and my dad had to get a broom and clean it off. But then the electricity went off so Bryan didn't get to watch football until it came back on in the late afternoon.
Here are some snow photos (the internet crashes when I try to make a slide show, so here you go).
The first night we got here, she and Bryan went outside and made a snowman and then Thanksgiving day we played in the snow and had so much fun. We found a sled downstairs in the cabin and went outside to use it. Ethan loves throwing snow at the trees to get the snow to fall out of them. We went for a walk yesterday and Bryan told Ethan to shake a tree. He did it and snow fell all over him. But he loved it.
The only bad part of the snow is that the satellite dish got too snowed on for it to work, so Bryan and my dad had to get a broom and clean it off. But then the electricity went off so Bryan didn't get to watch football until it came back on in the late afternoon.
Here are some snow photos (the internet crashes when I try to make a slide show, so here you go).
We are SO resourceful!
We had a fun Thanksgiving Day. We put the turkey in the oven around 8:30 in the morning and then my parents drove to Cedar City to pick up my sister (it's so snowy that only 4 wheel drive vehicles can get up here). While they were gone Ethan and I were playing the Wii and the power went out a couple of times. When my parents got back with my sister, the electricity went out and didn't come back. We waited for a while to see if it would come back and it didn't. Mom called the owner, who called the electric company, who said a power generator was out but that they were working on it. It was getting cold in the cabin, so Bryan started a fire in the stove. My dad cleaned the foot of snow off the BBQ grill on the patio, took the turkey out of the oven and put the turken in the BBQ.
I had made the mashed potatoes early and were going to warm them in the crock pot, but without electricity we wouldn't be able to warm them up. So I put the potatoes in tin pan and put them on top of the wood stove to warm them. It worked pretty well.
When the turkey was finished, my dad and I got some juices from it and put the pot on the top of the wood burning stove and made gravy. It worked pretty well.
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner of turkey baked in the BBQ, potatoes warmed on the wood stove and gravy made on the wood stove. I was pretty impressed at how resourceful we all were!
The electricity came back on right as we were cleaning up the dishes...figures!
I had made the mashed potatoes early and were going to warm them in the crock pot, but without electricity we wouldn't be able to warm them up. So I put the potatoes in tin pan and put them on top of the wood stove to warm them. It worked pretty well.
When the turkey was finished, my dad and I got some juices from it and put the pot on the top of the wood burning stove and made gravy. It worked pretty well.
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner of turkey baked in the BBQ, potatoes warmed on the wood stove and gravy made on the wood stove. I was pretty impressed at how resourceful we all were!
The electricity came back on right as we were cleaning up the dishes...figures!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
The Drive to Duck Creek
We are going to a cabin with my family for Thanksgiving. Last year we went to a condo at Bryan Head but decided to try another place this year. Courtney had tap class and ballet this morning at 9:30-11:00 so I took her and her friend, McKaye, to dance with the car all loaded to leave. After dance, Courtney and I went to get Ethan out of school, pick up Bryan at work and get "Old McDonalds" for lunch. Then we were on the road.
It has been raining in St. George all day. We had decided to go through Zion (we have a year pass, so we try to use it whenever we can) and then check out a spot for Girls Camp at Bryce Canyon before going on to Duck Creek. Zion is so cool in the rain. There was water running off all the rocks and waterfalls all over the park. It was so neat to see and Ethan got really excited and wanted to take pictures out the car window with the digital camera. He went a bit wild and got a little frustrated that we were going too fast to take a clear photo, but it kept him busy for a while.
When we got close to Bryce Canyon it started to snow. The kids loved it. I had Bryan roll down the window and take pictures of the potential Girls Camp site and then we drive into Bryce Canyon to look around (our pass covers Bryce too). It was snowing really hard and our coats were buried in the back of the van so we didn't get out, but we saw the trail heads. ;)
Then we drove on to Duck Creek. We hadn't really check out the location of the cabin too much but we knew that it would probably have snow. When we pulled off the main road to start up to the cabin I had a feeling we were in trouble. The cabin was much higher up on the mountain than I had thought it would be. We tried to drive up the road but couldn't get up there in our van. So I backed down the road and we parked at the bottom of the hill. We were getting our warm weather gear on when my parents drove up. They have a 4 wheel drive so they went up to the cabin while we walked. The kids loved it and it wasn't too bad of a climb. Ethan threw snow balls and slid on the tire tracks and Courtney ate snow. The snow was coming down but it wasn't too cold. When my parents had unloaded their car they came down to meet us. Dad drove Bryan down to our van and loaded our stuff into their car. Then Bryan drove our car back to the main road so we wouldn't get snowed in. Then they came up to the cabin.
We unloaded the vans, got things in order and then Ethan started playing the Wii system (something he has been looking forward to for a long time!). It wasn't long before he got tired of it and started watching a movie. Now he's tired of that so I think we're going to play card games.
Here are some photos:
Ethan's self portrait:
Our stranded car at the bottom of the hille:
Courtney playing in the snow:
Courtney, Bryan and Ethan walking backward up the hill so I can get a photo:
Courtney eating snow (which didn't look very clean at all!):
It has been raining in St. George all day. We had decided to go through Zion (we have a year pass, so we try to use it whenever we can) and then check out a spot for Girls Camp at Bryce Canyon before going on to Duck Creek. Zion is so cool in the rain. There was water running off all the rocks and waterfalls all over the park. It was so neat to see and Ethan got really excited and wanted to take pictures out the car window with the digital camera. He went a bit wild and got a little frustrated that we were going too fast to take a clear photo, but it kept him busy for a while.
When we got close to Bryce Canyon it started to snow. The kids loved it. I had Bryan roll down the window and take pictures of the potential Girls Camp site and then we drive into Bryce Canyon to look around (our pass covers Bryce too). It was snowing really hard and our coats were buried in the back of the van so we didn't get out, but we saw the trail heads. ;)
Then we drove on to Duck Creek. We hadn't really check out the location of the cabin too much but we knew that it would probably have snow. When we pulled off the main road to start up to the cabin I had a feeling we were in trouble. The cabin was much higher up on the mountain than I had thought it would be. We tried to drive up the road but couldn't get up there in our van. So I backed down the road and we parked at the bottom of the hill. We were getting our warm weather gear on when my parents drove up. They have a 4 wheel drive so they went up to the cabin while we walked. The kids loved it and it wasn't too bad of a climb. Ethan threw snow balls and slid on the tire tracks and Courtney ate snow. The snow was coming down but it wasn't too cold. When my parents had unloaded their car they came down to meet us. Dad drove Bryan down to our van and loaded our stuff into their car. Then Bryan drove our car back to the main road so we wouldn't get snowed in. Then they came up to the cabin.
We unloaded the vans, got things in order and then Ethan started playing the Wii system (something he has been looking forward to for a long time!). It wasn't long before he got tired of it and started watching a movie. Now he's tired of that so I think we're going to play card games.
Here are some photos:
Ethan's self portrait:
Our stranded car at the bottom of the hille:
Courtney playing in the snow:
Courtney, Bryan and Ethan walking backward up the hill so I can get a photo:
Courtney eating snow (which didn't look very clean at all!):
Bryan's Birthday
Bryan slept in so Ethan and I were able to make his birthday breakfast for him. Bryan had ordered eggs, hashbrowns, orange juice and sausage. Ethan was really cute getting all the things on a cookie sheet and taking them in to Bryan. Courtney woke up when we were taking the food in to Bryan, so she joined along. Then the three of us got our food and joined Bryan in the bedroom for a family breakfast picnic in bed.
That night we had a birthday dinner for Bryan. He wanted grilled chicken, green beans, salad and peach pie (instead of cake). I put the chicken out on the grill and then I went inside to get the other things ready. I went out once to turn the chicken and it looked pretty good. When I went out the next time to check it there were flames coming out of the BBQ grill and smoke everywhere. Apparently, grease on a BBQ grill makes a really BIG FIRE! So the chicken was BLACK AS COAL! Everyone nicely scraped the burned off before eating it but I felt bad. Luckily, the peach pie worked out wonderfully so that made up for it.
That night we had a birthday dinner for Bryan. He wanted grilled chicken, green beans, salad and peach pie (instead of cake). I put the chicken out on the grill and then I went inside to get the other things ready. I went out once to turn the chicken and it looked pretty good. When I went out the next time to check it there were flames coming out of the BBQ grill and smoke everywhere. Apparently, grease on a BBQ grill makes a really BIG FIRE! So the chicken was BLACK AS COAL! Everyone nicely scraped the burned off before eating it but I felt bad. Luckily, the peach pie worked out wonderfully so that made up for it.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Opening Presents...A Day Early
Bryan's birthday is today (November 24th). We have really confused the kids this week with birthdays. My Dad's birthday is November 23rd and we were going to my parents house yesterday to watch the BYU vs. Utah game. So my mom decided it would be easier to have my Dad's birthday dinner Saturday (a day early) instead of having us drive over two days in a row. After dinner, we had cake and ice cream and then my Dad opened some presents. But we were a day early and the kids had been told all last week that after Grandpa's birthday is Daddy's birthday.
Ethan worked really hard last week coming up with a present he could make for his dad. We put our heads together and thought of doing a coupon books. I gave Ethan some paper and told him to come up with coupons he would like to give Bryan and how many of each coupon he wanted to do. Then I found a site on the web that made coupon books. You put in the info and then print them out, cut them apart and put a cover on them. Ethan was thrilled! He came up with some fun coupons (breakfast in bed, clean your room, wash your car, take out the trash, make your bed, hugs and kisses, a game of catch, etc.). Ethan decorated a cover for it and then he hid it in his room so dad wouldn't find it.
Sunday afternoon we were talking about Bryan's birthday breakfast. We were going to make him eggs, sausage, hashbrowns and oj and give him a breakfast in bed. Ethan was really nervous about this because he hadn't given Bryan the coupon book so we couldn't give him breakfast in bed until Bryan had given Ethan the coupon for it. Ethan was really getting worked up about it. Finally, Bryan decided that the giver of the present is the person who gets to decide when the person receiving the gift should open it. So Ethan ran straight for him room to get the present.
Bryan loved it and Ethan was so happy. He had Bryan rip out the coupon for breakfast in bed and then Ethan wrote Bryan's "order" on the back of the coupon so he would know what to make ;)
Courtney, of course, had to go get her present for Bryan too, so he opened their presents last night. Courtney told Bryan that she would help him open his gifts because "I'm a really good present girl." It was cute.
Here are some photos:
Ethan worked really hard last week coming up with a present he could make for his dad. We put our heads together and thought of doing a coupon books. I gave Ethan some paper and told him to come up with coupons he would like to give Bryan and how many of each coupon he wanted to do. Then I found a site on the web that made coupon books. You put in the info and then print them out, cut them apart and put a cover on them. Ethan was thrilled! He came up with some fun coupons (breakfast in bed, clean your room, wash your car, take out the trash, make your bed, hugs and kisses, a game of catch, etc.). Ethan decorated a cover for it and then he hid it in his room so dad wouldn't find it.
Sunday afternoon we were talking about Bryan's birthday breakfast. We were going to make him eggs, sausage, hashbrowns and oj and give him a breakfast in bed. Ethan was really nervous about this because he hadn't given Bryan the coupon book so we couldn't give him breakfast in bed until Bryan had given Ethan the coupon for it. Ethan was really getting worked up about it. Finally, Bryan decided that the giver of the present is the person who gets to decide when the person receiving the gift should open it. So Ethan ran straight for him room to get the present.
Bryan loved it and Ethan was so happy. He had Bryan rip out the coupon for breakfast in bed and then Ethan wrote Bryan's "order" on the back of the coupon so he would know what to make ;)
Courtney, of course, had to go get her present for Bryan too, so he opened their presents last night. Courtney told Bryan that she would help him open his gifts because "I'm a really good present girl." It was cute.
Here are some photos:
Another Princess Birthday Party
Courtney's friend, Hayley, had a princess birthday party on Saturday. Courtney was asked to dress in her most "royal" clothing. Thanks to all these little girls in the neighborhood, Courtney has gotten a LOT of use out of her Snow White outfit she got for her birthday party last August.
Courtney was so antsy all week, waiting for the day to come. When we received the invitation on Tuesday, I asked Courtney what she wanted to get Hayley for her birthday. Courtney didn't hesitate, she said, "Mom, I think she really needs some princess pajamas." She had found some princess fabric in the basement that I had bought a while ago but never used and thought it would make nice pjs. So I made a nightgown out of the material and it turned out really cute. Then we went and bought some slippers to go with it. Courtney was so excited.
That morning we got her all dressed and ready. She happily carried the present down the street to Hayley's house and had so much fun. The played games, decorated crowns, played with some ribbon wands, decorate mini cupcakes and opened gifts (that's all Courtney could remember). It was cute to see all the moms pick up the little princess girls.
Here's a photo of Courtney when she was ready to go (she was dancing so they are kind of blurry, sorry):
Courtney was so antsy all week, waiting for the day to come. When we received the invitation on Tuesday, I asked Courtney what she wanted to get Hayley for her birthday. Courtney didn't hesitate, she said, "Mom, I think she really needs some princess pajamas." She had found some princess fabric in the basement that I had bought a while ago but never used and thought it would make nice pjs. So I made a nightgown out of the material and it turned out really cute. Then we went and bought some slippers to go with it. Courtney was so excited.
That morning we got her all dressed and ready. She happily carried the present down the street to Hayley's house and had so much fun. The played games, decorated crowns, played with some ribbon wands, decorate mini cupcakes and opened gifts (that's all Courtney could remember). It was cute to see all the moms pick up the little princess girls.
Here's a photo of Courtney when she was ready to go (she was dancing so they are kind of blurry, sorry):
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Soccer Videos
Here are some videos of Ethan playing soccer today. The first one has him dribbling the soccer ball. He has really improved with his ball control.
Here is a video of Ethan guarding his "guy" on the other team. He was really nervous that his guy would get the ball so he was pretty protective.
In this video, another kid on the team scores a goal and you can see how excited Ethan gets. It's pretty cute!
This is a video of when he was playing full back (his favorite position).
Here is a video of Ethan guarding his "guy" on the other team. He was really nervous that his guy would get the ball so he was pretty protective.
In this video, another kid on the team scores a goal and you can see how excited Ethan gets. It's pretty cute!
This is a video of when he was playing full back (his favorite position).
The Last Game of the Season
Today was Ethan's last soccer game of this season. They played a rain-out make-up game last night and then we had a team pizza party afterward to celebrate. (It was cold and windy but the boys didn't mind, they played around with pizza in their hands for a long time while the parents froze!) This morning was the last scheduled game. It was pretty cold so Ethan wore a jacked during warm ups, but once the game started he wasn't cold any longer.
They did really well. They have focused on getting the basic skills down (passing, positions, etc.) this year so they can really build on them next year. All the boys want to come back and play with the same team next year so it should be a lot of fun. Ethan did great dribbling the ball and was really into the game. He loves it and when he sat down after his last rotation he said, "I can't wait for next time!" I reminded him that this was the last game of the season and he said, "I know. I'm talking about next season! I can't wait to start playing again." I was glad because it's something he is really good at and something he loves to do. And Bryan enjoyed helping coach. Their trophies this year look really cool so the boys were all excited to get them in the end.
Next year Courtney will be old enough to play and Bryan has already volunteered to be her coach and Ethan volunteered to be the assistant coach. We asked her what mascot she wanted for her team and she said she didn't care, "I just want to play soccer." She wants to follow her brother.
And he's a great brother to follow!
Here are photos of their last game and I'll post some video later today (Ethan's playing on the laptop on www.lego.com and I don't want to bother him.)
They did really well. They have focused on getting the basic skills down (passing, positions, etc.) this year so they can really build on them next year. All the boys want to come back and play with the same team next year so it should be a lot of fun. Ethan did great dribbling the ball and was really into the game. He loves it and when he sat down after his last rotation he said, "I can't wait for next time!" I reminded him that this was the last game of the season and he said, "I know. I'm talking about next season! I can't wait to start playing again." I was glad because it's something he is really good at and something he loves to do. And Bryan enjoyed helping coach. Their trophies this year look really cool so the boys were all excited to get them in the end.
Next year Courtney will be old enough to play and Bryan has already volunteered to be her coach and Ethan volunteered to be the assistant coach. We asked her what mascot she wanted for her team and she said she didn't care, "I just want to play soccer." She wants to follow her brother.
And he's a great brother to follow!
Here are photos of their last game and I'll post some video later today (Ethan's playing on the laptop on www.lego.com and I don't want to bother him.)
Piggies
Courtney and I went to the Thrift Store on Friday and she made a bee-line to the shoes...no surprise there. She found the cutest piggy slippers and had to have them, luckily they were cheap! They are really big for her but she loves going around the house saying "oink, oink."
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
It came out!!
At 5:15 this morning, Ethan came busting into our bedroom saying "Red alert, red alert!" He ran to the sink, took his tooth out of his mouth and spit. Bryan and I just had to laugh. He pulled out his tooth!
I asked Ethan later what had happened. He was laying in bed wiggling his tooth with his tongue when his tooth fell out onto his tongue. It kind of freaked him out so he held it there, ran to our room and spit it out. I think the thing that worried him the most was that there wasn't any blood. I'm not surprised because the new one is already sticking out of his gums.
Now he wants to take the tooth to school to show his teacher that it fell out. I tried to explain that the hole in his smile would prove that it had fallen out but he doesn't seem to think that would be good enough proof.
Here is a photo of his new smile.
I asked Ethan later what had happened. He was laying in bed wiggling his tooth with his tongue when his tooth fell out onto his tongue. It kind of freaked him out so he held it there, ran to our room and spit it out. I think the thing that worried him the most was that there wasn't any blood. I'm not surprised because the new one is already sticking out of his gums.
Now he wants to take the tooth to school to show his teacher that it fell out. I tried to explain that the hole in his smile would prove that it had fallen out but he doesn't seem to think that would be good enough proof.
Here is a photo of his new smile.
Cute Kids!
I took some photos of the kids and I thought I would post them because they were so cute!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
It won't come out!!!
Ethan has a loose front tooth that just won't come out! It has been loose for a few months and now it is rediculously close to coming out but just won't let go! For the last few weeks I have checked it each morning but to no avail. Ethan has even tried to pull it out himself but it just won't come. He told me he needs some "yankers" like dentists have. A few days ago he was eating cereal for breakfast and it started bleeding, but we couldn't get it out. I'm shcked because he pulled the last two on his own without a problem. I put a plastic snack bag in his backpack along with a bunch of Kleenex just in case he loses it at school, which I think is a real possiblity. He's a bit worried about losing the tooth before he can put it under his pillow for the tooth fairy.
Here are a couple gross videos, so if your stomach is sensitive you probably shouldn't watch (they really grossed Courtney out!). The first video is of Ethan wiggling his tooth with his tongue. As you can see, it's really loose. The second video is after Ethan got the smart idea to push his tooth backward and see what happens.... it got stuck backward. I laughed so hard but Courtney was pretty grossed out. You can actually see his new tooth coming through his gums under the loose one.
Here are a couple gross videos, so if your stomach is sensitive you probably shouldn't watch (they really grossed Courtney out!). The first video is of Ethan wiggling his tooth with his tongue. As you can see, it's really loose. The second video is after Ethan got the smart idea to push his tooth backward and see what happens.... it got stuck backward. I laughed so hard but Courtney was pretty grossed out. You can actually see his new tooth coming through his gums under the loose one.
Courtney's Spanglish
When I returned home from my mission in Guatemala, my parents gave me a stuffed gorilla for Christmas that sings in Spanish (part of the song). A few years ago the kids got a hold of it and they love to play the song, over and over and over and over...
The song goes:
Mamacita, donde esta Santa Claus?
Donde esta Santa Claus
And the toys that he will bring?
Courtney now tries to call me mamacita, but it comes out "mama-sea-saw." She even calls Bryan "daddy-sea-saw." I have tried so hard to correct her, but she just says it her own way.
Bryan grew up hearing his dad use "pobrecita" and now Bryan uses that one with Courtney when she is dramatically throwing a fit. So I can't wait until she starts using that one on us too. ;)
The song goes:
Mamacita, donde esta Santa Claus?
Donde esta Santa Claus
And the toys that he will bring?
Courtney now tries to call me mamacita, but it comes out "mama-sea-saw." She even calls Bryan "daddy-sea-saw." I have tried so hard to correct her, but she just says it her own way.
Bryan grew up hearing his dad use "pobrecita" and now Bryan uses that one with Courtney when she is dramatically throwing a fit. So I can't wait until she starts using that one on us too. ;)
Monday, November 10, 2008
The Pack Family Circus
I was sick yesterday and spent most of the day in bed. I had been getting a head cold for a few days and yesterday it just hit me hard. Ethan had a cough and wasn't feeling well, so Bryan took Courtney to Church while Ethan and I spent the day in bed.
After Bryan was finished with his meeting and playing with the kids, I fell asleep. I woke up to some insane giggles coming from the hallway. Then Ethan opened my door and came in carrying Courtney on his shoulders!! She was laughing so hard and just having so much fun. I was a bit nervous just because Ethan kept leaning back and then would almost fall backward. But they were having fun.
Here are some photos:
After Bryan was finished with his meeting and playing with the kids, I fell asleep. I woke up to some insane giggles coming from the hallway. Then Ethan opened my door and came in carrying Courtney on his shoulders!! She was laughing so hard and just having so much fun. I was a bit nervous just because Ethan kept leaning back and then would almost fall backward. But they were having fun.
Here are some photos:
10th Anniversary!!
Friday, November 7th, was our 10th wedding anniversary. We planned a trip to Zion for the night and my parents took the kids for us.
We found out that history does repeat itself. We went on a cruise to Ensenada, Mexico for our honeymoon. The ship left from LA and returned back to LA. When we got off the ship, we found that the trunk of Bryan's car wouldn't open, so we threw all our suitcases in the backseat and began the long drive from LA to San Ramon for our open house. We were in a hurry, I think, and going a bit too fast. Anyway, Bryan got pulled over on the Pacific Coast Highway. I wasn't too excited about this because I knew it would be a lot of money for the ticket. The policeman, seeing all our bags in the back of the car, figured that we were on our honeymoon. He asked where we were from and Bryan told him Provo, Utah. The officer told us that, while he wasn't a Mormon, his wife and kids were. He had even sent one of his sons on a mission, so he respected the LDS people and, knowing their beliefs, knew that obeying the law was something they taught. He told us how much a ticket would be and then said to Bryan, "But I'm letting you off with a warning because, by the looks of her, I think you're in enough trouble already." Then he let us go. (I didn't think I looked mad but apparently I did.)
Flash forward 10 years and we have just left our house to go to Zion. Bryan's driving and there is a steep hill about a mile from our house on Pioneer Parkway. At the top of the hill Bryan was going 32 mph (the limit is 30). He let his foot off the gas and we coasted to the bottom of the hill just in time to pass a motorcycle policeman who turned on his lights and motioned for Bryan to pull over. I got out the registration while the officer walked to the car. He asked Bryan how fast he was going and Bryan told him he thought he was going 38 mph. The officer asked if Bryan knew the speed limit and he said 30 mph. The policeman said he would give Bryan a warning (we think it was because of the steep hill) but gave him a "verbal tongue lashing" for speeding. As we drove off we both had to laugh about history repeating itself. The officer followed us for a couple of blocks and then turned around.
We then drove to look at a possible site for girls camp and then drove on to Zion. We were there too early to check into the lodge so we drove to the East Entrance to look around and then we hiked to the Canyon Overlook (which was only 1 mile round trip and a really easy hike). It was nice to get out and hike around. When we finished, we drove to the lodge and checked in.
The Cable Mountain Lodge is next to the big theater at the entrance to Zion National Park. It opened in August and is really nice. We had seen it a few months ago and decided that's where we wanted to stay. It was really nice! When we made the reservation we had reserved a cheap room but when we got there I was a bit surprised to find that we were in a really nice suite. There was a living room, kitchen, bedroom, HUGE bathroom and a plug in toilet with seat warmer (a plus in the winter time). And there was a huge bouquet of flowers on the kitchen table.
My sweet husband had called up on Thursday asking if they had any packages that he could get because it was our anniversary. He found that if a man is trying to do something nice for his wife and he asks another female to help, the female who is helping will go to all kinds of trouble to help out! The receptionist Bryan talked to said they didn't have packages yet but were working on it and she would talk to her manager about it. A little while later, Bryan received a phone call from the female manager telling him that she had upgraded our room to the Honeymoon Suite and if he could find a florist in Hurricane, one of the managers would pick up flowers for me on the way to work and have them waiting in our room. He said they so went out of their way to help...wonderful women!
We went out to eat and then we had tickets to the big screen theater that came with our room, so we saw a movie. The next morning we got to sleep in (that is, past 6:30 a.m.) for the first time since...we haven't been able to remember the last time we slept past 6:30. We were going to hike but decided to just drive back to St. George and get breakfast at Bear Claw then do some shopping. We arrived back home around 1:30 to some very happy children who had a blast with Grandma and Grandpa (there was a lot of pizza, toys, parks and McDonalds involved).
It was a great trip and gave us a little break. Here are some photos from our trip.
We found out that history does repeat itself. We went on a cruise to Ensenada, Mexico for our honeymoon. The ship left from LA and returned back to LA. When we got off the ship, we found that the trunk of Bryan's car wouldn't open, so we threw all our suitcases in the backseat and began the long drive from LA to San Ramon for our open house. We were in a hurry, I think, and going a bit too fast. Anyway, Bryan got pulled over on the Pacific Coast Highway. I wasn't too excited about this because I knew it would be a lot of money for the ticket. The policeman, seeing all our bags in the back of the car, figured that we were on our honeymoon. He asked where we were from and Bryan told him Provo, Utah. The officer told us that, while he wasn't a Mormon, his wife and kids were. He had even sent one of his sons on a mission, so he respected the LDS people and, knowing their beliefs, knew that obeying the law was something they taught. He told us how much a ticket would be and then said to Bryan, "But I'm letting you off with a warning because, by the looks of her, I think you're in enough trouble already." Then he let us go. (I didn't think I looked mad but apparently I did.)
Flash forward 10 years and we have just left our house to go to Zion. Bryan's driving and there is a steep hill about a mile from our house on Pioneer Parkway. At the top of the hill Bryan was going 32 mph (the limit is 30). He let his foot off the gas and we coasted to the bottom of the hill just in time to pass a motorcycle policeman who turned on his lights and motioned for Bryan to pull over. I got out the registration while the officer walked to the car. He asked Bryan how fast he was going and Bryan told him he thought he was going 38 mph. The officer asked if Bryan knew the speed limit and he said 30 mph. The policeman said he would give Bryan a warning (we think it was because of the steep hill) but gave him a "verbal tongue lashing" for speeding. As we drove off we both had to laugh about history repeating itself. The officer followed us for a couple of blocks and then turned around.
We then drove to look at a possible site for girls camp and then drove on to Zion. We were there too early to check into the lodge so we drove to the East Entrance to look around and then we hiked to the Canyon Overlook (which was only 1 mile round trip and a really easy hike). It was nice to get out and hike around. When we finished, we drove to the lodge and checked in.
The Cable Mountain Lodge is next to the big theater at the entrance to Zion National Park. It opened in August and is really nice. We had seen it a few months ago and decided that's where we wanted to stay. It was really nice! When we made the reservation we had reserved a cheap room but when we got there I was a bit surprised to find that we were in a really nice suite. There was a living room, kitchen, bedroom, HUGE bathroom and a plug in toilet with seat warmer (a plus in the winter time). And there was a huge bouquet of flowers on the kitchen table.
My sweet husband had called up on Thursday asking if they had any packages that he could get because it was our anniversary. He found that if a man is trying to do something nice for his wife and he asks another female to help, the female who is helping will go to all kinds of trouble to help out! The receptionist Bryan talked to said they didn't have packages yet but were working on it and she would talk to her manager about it. A little while later, Bryan received a phone call from the female manager telling him that she had upgraded our room to the Honeymoon Suite and if he could find a florist in Hurricane, one of the managers would pick up flowers for me on the way to work and have them waiting in our room. He said they so went out of their way to help...wonderful women!
We went out to eat and then we had tickets to the big screen theater that came with our room, so we saw a movie. The next morning we got to sleep in (that is, past 6:30 a.m.) for the first time since...we haven't been able to remember the last time we slept past 6:30. We were going to hike but decided to just drive back to St. George and get breakfast at Bear Claw then do some shopping. We arrived back home around 1:30 to some very happy children who had a blast with Grandma and Grandpa (there was a lot of pizza, toys, parks and McDonalds involved).
It was a great trip and gave us a little break. Here are some photos from our trip.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Funny Courtney
As Courtney and I were hanging out today, I thought of all the funny little quirks she has and thought I would make a list of them. These are things that make her even more adorable and show that she is my daughter!
1. Courtney's eating habits: She loves dry Ramen Noodles with the seasoning sprinkled on it, dry oatmeal, dry cereal and anything frozen (chicken nuggets, fish sticks, tator tots, french fries, vegetables, etc.).
2. Courtney LOVES dolls. She bought one at the dollar store with her Halloween money from Grandma Pack and has named it "Cape." None of the other dolls have names, but I think she is working on it.
3. Courtney LOVES her daddy. If he leaves in the morning without giving her a hug or letting her give him a hug, there is trouble!! We usually end up calling him to let him know what he did wrong and then she can go on with her day.
4. Courtney can't wait to be in Junior Primary with her brother and be a Sunbeam. After the last Primary Program she asked me how long it would be until she could get on stage with the Primary and sing too.
5. Courtney is very mothering, which means that poor Ethan has two moms. She even tried to give him a time out, but he just laughed at her (which made her even more upset). She gets his pjs ready for him each night and tells him when it's time for bed.
6. Courtney always wants help using the toilet, even though she is potty trained. Many times I just have to stand in the bathroom while she takes care of her business. One day I asked her why I had to be in the bathroom when she goes potty and she replied, "Well, you were the one that wanted me to potty train." I guess that explains it all.
Those are just a few reasons why we love her!!
1. Courtney's eating habits: She loves dry Ramen Noodles with the seasoning sprinkled on it, dry oatmeal, dry cereal and anything frozen (chicken nuggets, fish sticks, tator tots, french fries, vegetables, etc.).
2. Courtney LOVES dolls. She bought one at the dollar store with her Halloween money from Grandma Pack and has named it "Cape." None of the other dolls have names, but I think she is working on it.
3. Courtney LOVES her daddy. If he leaves in the morning without giving her a hug or letting her give him a hug, there is trouble!! We usually end up calling him to let him know what he did wrong and then she can go on with her day.
4. Courtney can't wait to be in Junior Primary with her brother and be a Sunbeam. After the last Primary Program she asked me how long it would be until she could get on stage with the Primary and sing too.
5. Courtney is very mothering, which means that poor Ethan has two moms. She even tried to give him a time out, but he just laughed at her (which made her even more upset). She gets his pjs ready for him each night and tells him when it's time for bed.
6. Courtney always wants help using the toilet, even though she is potty trained. Many times I just have to stand in the bathroom while she takes care of her business. One day I asked her why I had to be in the bathroom when she goes potty and she replied, "Well, you were the one that wanted me to potty train." I guess that explains it all.
Those are just a few reasons why we love her!!
Sunday, November 2, 2008
I'm off to camp!
I was released today from being the Primary Chorister and called to serve as the Young Women's Camp Director. I am actually pretty excited. I didn't have the best experiences at Girls Camp (I was the only one my age or even close to my age, so there weren't too many girls to hang out with) so it's my chance to really make camp fun for some other girls. The Assistant Camp Director has been to camp as a leader and director many times and is super excited to be doing it again, so she will be a great resource. Now I just need to get all the gear.
When we were in Las Vegas and Bryan was called into Young Men's, the Bishop told him that it was the best calling because your wife had to support you purchasing all this camping/hiking equipment because "Hey honey, it's my calling!" So now I get to do the same ;)
The Primary had me go in at the first of both Junior and Senior Primary so they could sing to me. That was a killer! In Junior Primary they stood up and sang "I am a Child of God" and both Ethan and I were both bawling by the end. I have been in Primary with him since Sunbeams, with the exception of three months. So he was a bit nervous, but he did fine.
But I'm excited for camp.
When we were in Las Vegas and Bryan was called into Young Men's, the Bishop told him that it was the best calling because your wife had to support you purchasing all this camping/hiking equipment because "Hey honey, it's my calling!" So now I get to do the same ;)
The Primary had me go in at the first of both Junior and Senior Primary so they could sing to me. That was a killer! In Junior Primary they stood up and sang "I am a Child of God" and both Ethan and I were both bawling by the end. I have been in Primary with him since Sunbeams, with the exception of three months. So he was a bit nervous, but he did fine.
But I'm excited for camp.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
The Halloween Fairy
Has anyone ever heard of the Halloween Fairy? I hadn't until two girls from our neighborhood came to our house trick-or-treating last night. Ethan was home with his loot and was answering the door. He gave them pencils (yes, we gave out pencils for trick-or-treats and all but 2 kids LOVED them) and then they asked him if he knew about the Halloween Fairy. He told them that he didn't so they told him that if he put his candy by the fireplace on Halloween night that the fairy would come and take the candy and leave a toy in its place. Ethan explained to them that we don't have a fireplace, but they assured him that he could put his candy just in the living room and it would work too.
Ethan thought this was a pretty good idea, but I told him that the fairy may not know to come to our house so "don't be disappointed in the morning." Bryan and I didn't notice Ethan's Halloween bag of candy in the middle of the floor when we went to bed.
This morning when Ethan woke up he went straight for the living room and was a bit disappointed to see his bag of candy still sitting there. But he hasn't given up hope on the Halloween Fairy. He is going to try again tonight to see what happens and he's even gotten Courtney to try it too.
Some of our neighbors pay their kids $10 for their candy. And I wanted to try something like that to get them off the sugar, but this may work better...and it's cheaper!
Ethan thought this was a pretty good idea, but I told him that the fairy may not know to come to our house so "don't be disappointed in the morning." Bryan and I didn't notice Ethan's Halloween bag of candy in the middle of the floor when we went to bed.
This morning when Ethan woke up he went straight for the living room and was a bit disappointed to see his bag of candy still sitting there. But he hasn't given up hope on the Halloween Fairy. He is going to try again tonight to see what happens and he's even gotten Courtney to try it too.
Some of our neighbors pay their kids $10 for their candy. And I wanted to try something like that to get them off the sugar, but this may work better...and it's cheaper!
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