The Ride Home

It took us 9 hours and 5 minutes to get home...a RECORD!! It was unbelievable. We only took ONE bathroom stop the whole time and the kids did great! Don't get me wrong, we were all very happy to be out of the car when we got home and Courtney did her usual fall-asleep-20-minutes-from-home trick, but we did it in record time. Bryan has a hard time figuring out how our kids can ride in the car for 9 hours and NEVER FALL ASLEEP! He is out within 30 minutes, that's why I drive. But Courtney will always fall asleep right before we get to our destination. Oh well. It was a great drive home and we were home in plenty of time to clean up and unpack.

On to a new week!

Here are our tired travelers:

The Denver Zoo

Saturday morning we woke up early, changed into Church clothes and then Andrew was set apart as a missionary at 7 a.m. as his Stake Presidency was leaving town for the week. It was a neat experience to be there. He received an awesome blessing and is going to be a wonderful missionary.

After breakfast we loaded into the van and went to the Denver Zoo with Andrew as our guest. He had been to the zoo many times so he was able to help us navigate around. We saw all kinds of animals and we thought this would help Courtney get over her fear of animals...it didn't. But we all had a good time.

We got some fun photos of the kids, watched the seal show, rode a train and spent a bunch of time in the reptile house (Ethan's favorite). When we were finished, Ethan got a plush snake and Courtney got some binoculars at the gift shop. We all had a great time!

Swimming and a Movie

After the train museum, Ethan wanted to show off his swimming skills to everyone so we loaded up and went to the APEX Center near Grandma and Grandpa's house. It was REALLY crowded when we got there. Someone had pooped in the kiddie pool so everyone was in the big pool and it made for a lot of bodies. But it was fun. Courtney insisted on wearing her kitty swim cap and Ethan was in his green, so Grandma could easily find them. We spent a lot of time in the whirlpool and then Ethan, David, Andrew and Bryan played around and played tag. It was a lot of fun. We stayed for over an hour and Grandpa came to see us on his lunch break.

Here is Courtney's swim cap:


Then we dried off, changed and went to the movie "Up." Andrew really wanted to see it before he left on his mission and he was being set apart on Saturday morning (at 7 a.m.) so we had to see it on Friday afternoon. I'm not a huge fan and it was pretty scary for the kids. But now we have seen it.

We then went home and crashed!

The Train Museum

We went to Denver on Thursday to see Andrew one last time before he leaves on his mission. We drove there on Thursday right after Ethan's swimming lessons. We met up with David and Andrew in Fruita, Colorado, where they had been riding their mountain bikes. But it was raining and they decided to leave early. We ate dinner with them at Wendy's (funny story, but I will never eat at the Fruita Wendy's again) then caravaned to Arvada. It was rainy and not too much fun to drive in, but we made it and the kids were super excited to be there.

Ethan had his agenda of things he wanted to do all ready when we showed up. Last time we were in Denver, Grandpa had taken us to the train museum and Ethan loved it! So Ethan wanted to go again this time. Courtney was on board because she wanted another toothbrush from the gift shop (she has a thing for toothbrushes). We figured out our day and decided that, since it wasn't raining in the morning, that we would go to the train museum. Andrew went with us and we had a fun time. We got to look at a small model train set of the real things. They even had a model Thomas the Tank Engine which Courtney was thrilled about. It was a fun time and we even bought some little flashlights shaped like trains. They had a great time.

Grandma and Grandpa Pack's Tree Swing

This is a favorite of my kids. The minute we got to Denver Courtney wanted to get on the tree swing and be pushed. It was so fun to watch her fly into the air. There are 2 swings and I got pretty good at pushing both Ethan and Courtney so they didn't bang into each other. It's all about timing!

Ethan's Swimming Lessons

Ethan passed Advanced Beginner!! He is amazing at swimming...just like a little fish ("I'm a shark Mom, not a fish!"). Sorry! He's like a little shark. Anyway, he has been doing so well. He had his tubes taken out so he had to wear ear plugs, but didn't want to wear the "goofy" headband. We solved the problem by buying him a swim cap and he loved it. It's great too because I can find him anywhere in the pool by his green head!

Here are some photos of his last lesson where he got to show off for us. Bryan also was there to watch since we were leaving immediately after the lessons for Denver.

Crab Walking

Growing up, Bryan was the crab walking king! Last week, Ethan challenged him to a race. Bryan won and I was completely blown away by how fast he can crab walk! I really should have video taped it.

Ethan's Little League Team

Here is a photo of Ethan getting his little league trophy at the team party last week.


Here is a photo of Ethan's team. He is the tallest by far!


He won't be able to play with this team next year because he will be too old, but the coach said the next year he is going to be recruiting and will keep Ethan in mind.

Annual Father's Day Campout

Last year we took Bryan for a hike on the Saturday before Father's Day as his gift. He loved it so this year we decided to make it into a camping trip. It's warm in St. George (although we are way below normal so it's been really nice weather this month) so we wanted to go into the mountains. We didn't get on the ball and make a reservation for Pine Valley so I found a spot that Bryan and I had scouted out for Girl's Camp last November. It's called Oak Grove and it's only 16 miles from our house, as the crow flies, but over an hour drive on bumpy, dirt roads. I was nervous that we wouldn't get a camp site, so the kids and I went up on Thursday afternoon and got the last spot open for the weekend! It was a great spot too...secluded but near a bathroom (not flush though). Courtney, Ethan and I put up the tent and then went back home.

Friday we did our normal things and Bryan came home from work a little early. We finished loading the van, bought KFC (Bryan's choice) and then drove to Oak Grove. It's beautiful up there because it is so green with A TON of trees, but the road leaves something to be desired. It's one lane most of the way and makes me really nervous, but we did okay.

Courtney had been sick all day long (she had an allergy-induced ear infection) so she was on medication and kind of out of it. She slept all day Friday and was pretty out of it. She talked a lot in her sleep and just didn't feel well. She slept all night and this morning woke up feeling fine. It actually was kind of nice to have her asleep most of the time because she can be a handfull in the woods...she has a HUGE, HUGE, HUGE fear of any bug and screams very loudly when she encounters one.

Anyway, Ethan had a great time helping Bryan make the fire, listening to Harry Potter and being in the outdoors. Finally we went to bed and slept really well. It was a great temperature up there. During the day it was in the high 70s and at night it was 60!!

We woke up, made another fire, had breakfast and then went on our annual hike. Courtney was still pretty worn out from being sick so she rode on Bryan's shoulders most of the hike up, but it was fun. The hike took us from Oak Grove to the boundary lines for the Pine Valley wilderness area. It was a steep hike but the kids did great. Courtney was done when we got to the sign saying "Pine Valley" but Ethan wasn't finished. So I carried Courtney back down the mountain while Ethan and Bryan continued up. They didn't go too far but they had a lot of fun.

Courtney and I made it down in good time, went back to camp and laid down to take naps. When the boys came back, we broke camp and went back home. It was a fun campout and we can't wait for our next one...next month is Bryce Canyon (I will be there for Girl's Camp one week and the next week I'll be there with my family!!).

Here are our photos of the Father's Day campout:

Roadrunners Baseball

Last night we took the kids to a St. George Roadrunner's baseball game. They are a minor league team here in St. George. Our friend down the street works for the hospital and they get free tickets each year but they aren't used very often. So he told us that anytime we want to go we just have to ask for the tickets. So we did! It was a beautiful night with great weather (not hot at all!) and the kids had a blast. The first baseman was even a lefty just like Ethan (that's his favorite position to play).

Every time we have been to a baseball game the kids haven't lasted very long (I think the last one only lasted 2 innings) so Bryan was hoping to make it to the bottom of the 5th. Ethan took his glove to catch any foul balls and Bryan spent quite a bit of time explaining things to him. Now, there aren't a whole lot of people who attend Roadrunner games so it was kind of empty, which meant that the kids could hang out at the railing and not be in anyone's way. Ethan spent most of his time there trying to catch a ball and Courtney spent most of her time dancing and entertaining the crowd around us.

Toward the end of the game a foul ball was hit over by us but it missed the stands and went into the parking lot. A nice old man, who is definately a regular at the ball field, yelled down to someone to have them throw it up to him. He then gave it to Courtney (who was a bit nervous about taking it so she passed it on to Ethan). Ethan was excited but still wanted to catch one of his own. After a while Courtney decided she wanted the ball after all and took possession of it. She then had me run her around to the 2 mascots to have them sign it!

Toward the end of the 7th or 8th inning (I don't remember which) Ethan was standing at the railing with his glove when the Roadrunners came in from the field. The center fielder saw Ethan there and threw him the ball that had just been hit to center field. Ethan was so excited! He brought it up and was happy that he had caught it but he wanted more so he went back to his vigil at the railing.

We lasted all 9 innings. Unfortunately, the Roadrunners lost but there was a fight in the 8th inning so it was exciting. But the kids were up until 10:30 and then Courtney had a rough night. She woke up at about 1:30 screaming that her ear hurt. It took a couple of hours to convince her to take anything and to get her calmed down and asleep. She has an appointment today to see the doctor about it. But it was still a fun outing.

Next Tuesday it is "Backward Day" at the Roadrunner's game. You get in free if you wear some article of clothing backward and you also get a $2 coupon to the concessions stand. They are also going to play the game backward, so it will start in the 9th inning and all the pre-game things like the Star Spangled Banner will be done at the end of the game. It should be a lot of fun!

Star Wars Lives On

I am just amazed that Star Wars is as old as it is and it's still around and going strong! I know it's because of Episodes I, II and III, but still! Ethan has 2 light sabers (or as Courtney calls it, "life savers") and loves fighting with them. He has even been practicing his spin move so that he can catch his opponent off guard. He is always Luke Skywalker and Courtney is always Leia. Right now he is in the backyard with a friend playing light sabers and Courtney is trying to look like a damsel in distress. It's hilarious! One of the light sabers is longer than the other so Ethan gave that one to his friend, but Ethan has been practicing so much that I have only seen his friend on the ground "dead", not Ethan. ;) It's funny But a bit odd because I remember neighborhood boys playing Star Wars when I was a kid.

He's a Trend Setter!

Ethan had his tubes taken out of his ears a couple of weeks ago and he can't get water in his ears until they heal (which takes about a month). I scheduled swimming lessons for him before I realized that he wouldn't be able to get his ears wet. The doctor recommended we use the moldable ear plugs with a special swimming headband. Since they don't have anything like that in St. George, I had to buy one on-line. It came and Ethan was super excited to wear this headband thing...until he actually did. He was invited to a swim birthday party and we put it on him. He felt really self conscious and I don't blame him.

I talked to Ethan's swimming teacher about it the week before he started lessons to see if she had a suggestion. She mentioned that a student of hers had used a swim cap to keep the ear plugs in place instead of the headband and it worked just as well and didn't make the child feel self conscious. I mentioned it to Ethan and he thought that was a better idea. So we bought him a green (his favorite color) swim cap. (Courtney had to get a swim cap too, but hers is bright pink and shaped like a cat.)

We went to the pool last Friday for our Ward party and tried it out. It worked great and Ethan wasn't as self conscious. On Monday when he started lessons, I outfitted him with the bright green ear plugs and the bright green swim cap and he hopped right in. One kid asked why he was wearing it but no one else even seemed to notice. Today when we went to lessons, his teacher told him that he had started something. All the kids in the class after his, who saw him with his swim cap on, want one too! So she asked me where to get one because the entire class wants her to get them swim caps! Ethan was really happy about this because he was nervous people would think he was weird and now they all want to be like him. He is even talking about wearing it after his ears are healed so he can still be "cool."

Seriously...the diving board?

Last night we had the end of season party for Ethan's little league team. They reserved the St. George City Pool and we had a BBQ and the pool all to ourselves. It was pretty late for us (dinner didn't start until our bedtimes) but we decided to make it a late night. It was overcast and windy, so it made for a cold swim, but we had fun anyway.

Ethan loves to swim and started swimming lessons yesterday so he was in the water mood. I turned my back and when I looked back at him he was on the diving board ready to jump off. We have tried to get him to jump off at the Sand Hollow pool we go to each week but he never would. But for some reason, at this pool he was ready. He walked right up to the end and jumped off. I was really nervous because Bryan wasn't near him but he did fantastic. And he just kept jumping off over and over again. I was so impressed but kind of nervous because this is my little guy, but he did great. He was pretty tired by the end and is still asleep this morning but he had a great night!

Camp Invention

Ethan spent this week at "Camp Invention." It's a national program that send lesson plans to various site where the program is taught by approved teachers. Basically, kids show up and they get to make all kinds of inventions and learn how to think "outside the box." Ethan took a VCR and, in the space of a week, took it apart and made something else (a dog that was made of boxes and some VCR parts as accessories). He made up a comic book character and designed what he would look like. He made a shield out of recyclables that kept him dry from a water balloon attack. And he made a viking ship that kept a stuffed animal dry while sailing it across a swimming pool.

It was long each day (from 9-3:30) but he loved it and couldn't wait to go back the next day. Today they got to show off all their inventions and we loved watching how excited he was to show us his stuff. He wants to do it again next year.

Here are some photos of his inventions, comic book character and his group. There's also a video of the camp invention cheer (part of it, at least).

Swimming Lessons End...

for Courtney. Courtney finished her 2 weeks of swimming lessons today with a "show off" class where I got to see all her "tricks." I have been watching her almost every day so I have seen it all, but it was fun to watch anyway. She has really gained a lot of confidence in the water and loves to dive for her purple diving rock the teacher gave her. But her favorite part is splashing around with the other kids.

Ethan starts next week, so we get to do it all over again! ;)

Here are some photos and video:

Our Gorgeous Boy!

When Ethan had his physical for kindergarten the pediatrician asked us to take Ethan to have an eye exam. I did, and was told that he didn't need glasses but to have him checked again when he was 7 years old. So, on the last day of 1st grade, I took Ethan to an eye doctor for an exam. It was not a very good experience! The doctor didn't have the best bedside manner and when he told me that Ethan needed glasses he wasn't very kind about it and Ethan was devastated. I hate to admit that Ethan got my eye sight. I got my first pair of glasses in 2nd grade and was devastated too. When we left the office, Ethan asked me to take him to another eye doctor for a second opinion.

So on Monday we found ourselves, once again, in an eye doctor's office. But this time the doctor was great and Ethan was fine with it all. The doctor confirmed that Ethan does need reading glasses and Ethan accepted it right away. He still wasn't too excited about it but he cooperated in picking out some frames (well, if you call trying one pair on and saying "This is it, let's go home now" cooperation). It only took them a day to make his glasses so we went back for them today.

Ethan wasn't too sure at first, but he tried them on. After a few adjustments they fit well and he was surprised by how much better he could see. But he still wouldn't wear them. Tonight during scripture study he got out his glasses and began to really give them a chance. He discovered that he likes seeing through glasses because he sees things he couldn't before but didn't realize he couldn't see. So now he is reading in his bed (when he should be sleeping) with his new glasses on. He wouldn't even let Bryan read him a story. I'm glad he finally came around.

Here's our cute boy with his glasses on:

The Rotten Egg

Every night after we say family prayer Bryan will try his hardest to get both kids in the bathroom at the same time to brush their teeth. Unfortunately this is never easy. He will get Courtney in the bathroom and then yell "The last one in the bathroom is a rotten egg" and then Courtney will immediately run OUT of the bathroom into the hallway because she WANTS to be a rotten egg. So now Bryan has Ethan in the bathroom and Courtney in the hall. The only way she will go into the bathroom is if she knows she will be the rotten egg. We have tried to explain to her that it isn't a good thing to be a rotten egg, but she doesn't get it. ;)

Beware of Scooper-Hero Ice Cream!!!

We took the kids to Blue Bunny (uh, it's now called "Big Scoops")last night for FHE. Every time we have gone there they have been out of one flavor of ice cream or another so we have to substitute. Last night they didn't have birthday cake, which is the favorite of both Ethan and Courtney. Ethan substituted Scooper-Hero ice cream instead and Courtney, wanting to do everything her big brother does, followed suit. Now, Courtney normally doesn't eat the ice cream...she only eats the cone. So I tried to convince her just to let us order her a cone, but she wouldn't have it. We got our ice cream and went outside to eat and the adventure began.

Courtney went from a cute, clean little girl to this:


This is her "boogie-woogie" pose from dance class.

Ethan, who has had more years of eating experience, didn't do too bad. He only spilled a little on himself and didn't look like a Smurf when he finished.


It took quite a bit of scrubbing and A LOT of stain stick to get Courtney clean (even her hair was blue!) but we got her back! Bryan told her that from now on she is only allowed vanilla ice cream until she can learn to eat it without swimming in it! ;)

Cute Sayings

Kids say the funniest things sometimes. Yesterday Bryan and Ethan went bike riding and they found a trail off the regular path and began to explore. They soon found themselves in a fork in the trail and Bryan asked Ethan which way they should go. Ethan said, pointing at the paths, "This way looks like it goes back home. This way looks like it goes to adventure!" He was in the mood for some adventure. ;)

This morning Bryan and I were getting ready for Church and the kids were in the living room by themselves. Usually this means a lot of screaming and fighting, so Bryan told Courtney that if they couldn't play nicely then they should put themselves in time out. Then Courtney said, "And when it's time to get out we'll talk to ourselves about what we did wrong." We laughed and laughed.

You're cold?!?!

Okay, my children are, for the most part, hot weather children. Ethan was not quite 1 year old yet when we moved to Las Vegas and we haven't lived in a cold area since. Courtney was born in St. George so she has always known hot summers. Having said that, my kids do love the snow and it does snow in St. George every year and they get to make snowmen in the front yard and all those fun activities, but they still are hot weather kids.

Today was a BEAUTIFUL day in Dixie! It was overcast and only about 73 degrees at 10 a.m. this morning. I had all the windows open and a nice breeze was going through the house. I was in heaven....until Courtney came to me, shivering, and asking if I could please make her some hot chocolate because the was "freezing so much." Ethan seconded her request and I ended up making hot chocolate.

I then tried to get them to play outside so they could get some vitamins from the sunshine, but they wouldn't do it because they were "too cold" to go outside. So I loaded up a picnic, took them to the park and forced them to be outside. They loved it and we had a great time. They even admitted that it wasn't too cold. Poor kids! ;)

Tubeless

Ethan had his tubes taken out of his ears yesterday and it was a bit traumatic. When they put the tubes in 2 years ago, we went to the hospital and he was put under for the 5 minute procedure. Taking them out is a totally different procedure. We had to put drops in his ears for a week beforehand to soften the tubes and everything inside his ears. I took him to the doctor and the doctor examined everything then had to put an instrument in Ethan's ears that had a little grabber at the end to grab the tube and pull it out. Now, Ethan had to hold very still while he did this but Ethan was really nervous and I really don't blame him. (Everyone in the office knew exactly how Ethan felt about me and the doctor by the end of the visit. He would have done any woman in labor proud!) It ended up taking about 30 minutes to calm him down and get both tubes taken out but he did it!

He was so upset that he just wanted to go to Bryan's office for a hug (I was the bad guy at this point). So we did that and then Bryan took Ethan to Fiesta Fun to use his free coupons and ride on the bumper boats while I took Courtney to swimming lessons. That made him feel a lot better. Now we have to keep his ears dry for a month until our next appointment and the doctor can make sure the holes are healed up.

What a day!

Courtney's Swimming Lessons

Since it's summer we have begun the annual swimming lessons. Courtney started first and this is her first summer of lessons so she was pretty excited. She has them this week and then all of next week, so she thinks she is "super lucky!"

We have taken our kids to the pool every Friday (most every Friday) for the past 3 years so Courtney has been in the water a lot. When she got to lessons she was ready to dive right in. She hasn't had any problem going under or putting her face in the water. And she loves the kids in her class. I'll post more photos on her last day of class when they get to show off, but here are a few.

Sand Dunes

Okay, I've been a little slow at updating lately, but here it is.

Last week, for the Memorial Day holiday, my cousin Kevin and his wife Jeanette (and their two boys) came to visit Don and Kathy. Bryan went to Youth Conference on Tuesday and we all went to the Sand Dunes in Snow Canyon State Park. It's a big area that is just filled with sand that you can hike to and play in. It was a ton of fun. Ethan and Don ran races from the top of one dune to another and then played ball. The other kids buried things and tried to find them and we all had a great time out there. The weather was great because we went first thing in the morning so it wasn't too hot. We stayed for a little over an hour (I think) and then we drove back home.

I tried to take the kids the other day again and it just wasn't the same with Ethan's friend Don to play with. But it's still a fun place to go to and play for a while. It's like the beach without the water. ;)