Monday, November 30, 2009
Carter Giggling
I had to post this because I think it's so cute! When we were watching Carter on Saturday, Ethan grabbed his bakugan and showed Carter how it works. For those of you who don't know what a bakugan is, it's a ball that opens when you touch a certain spot with a magnet. Ethan put the spot up to Carter's high chair and it opened. Carter went nuts giggling and I had to video tape it! As Ethan says, "Carter is the cutest baby in the whole world!"
.
.
Sunday
Sunday morning we woke up at 6:15, dressed, packed up, loaded the car and drove home. Both Bryan and I had to teach in Church so we had to be home. Ethan was nervous that we would look "like idiots" when we walked in after Sacrament Meeting, but we assured him that no one would notice...until Courtney walked right into Sacrament Meeting 1 hour late. We got home at 10:50 and decided to get ready and go up in time for Primary/Sunday School. It didn't take us as long to get ready as we thought so we went up at 11:55 and Courtney ran ahead...and right into the Chapel. She just stood in the aisle waiting for us until Bryan snuck in and grabbed her. We then sat on the back row for the last 10 minutes of the meeting. ;)
We are glad to be home but we had a great time in Provo!!
We are glad to be home but we had a great time in Provo!!
Saturday
It was the day of the BYU vs. Utah game. David and Mike had tickets but Grandpa really wanted to go and Lisa did too. I kept checking on Craigslist to see if I could get a good price, but Grandpa wanted to wait and see what would happen. When he went running, Lisa and I decided to take charge. We found one that was a good deal and they wanted to get rid of them soon, so she grabbed her cell phone and called the number...only to find out it was one of her friends from their last ward! The girl was going to give us the tickets for free, but Lisa got her to take some money for them. It worked out great and we got them for face value (plus a little because she was a friend).
We then decided to go bowling Saturday morning. We went to the Wilkinson Center and had a great time...minus some glitches with our lane and our scoring computer for a minute. Grandma won. Courtney using the aimer-thing so she did pretty well. Ethan got a strike. Bryan threw the last frame so we would have the same score (I think he did it so I wouldn't feel bad about playing so badly!). Lisa, Mike and Carter just watched and looked cute.
We went back to the apartment and everyone got ready to go to the game. We weren't going so we offered to babysit Carter while Grandma went to scan genealogy sheets. We watched the game on TV and it was a great game!! The kids loved playing with Carter. He was easy to entertain until the end when he was really tired and we were making dinner and couldn't hold him. Luckily, that's when Grandma showed up and took charge of him.
The game ended with BYU WINNING!! It was a bit scary at the end, but it turned out well. The Utah fans were on the corner of Bulldog and University Avenue at Provo High when we were driving around and they were yelling at everyone who drove by. It was a big obnoxious. I was glad we were in a car and not on a scooter because they got the bulk of the harassment.
Dinner worked out well. Bryan and I made Zuppa Toscana (from Olive Garden) and bread from Macaroni Grill. It was good. Then we all went to bed.
We then decided to go bowling Saturday morning. We went to the Wilkinson Center and had a great time...minus some glitches with our lane and our scoring computer for a minute. Grandma won. Courtney using the aimer-thing so she did pretty well. Ethan got a strike. Bryan threw the last frame so we would have the same score (I think he did it so I wouldn't feel bad about playing so badly!). Lisa, Mike and Carter just watched and looked cute.
We went back to the apartment and everyone got ready to go to the game. We weren't going so we offered to babysit Carter while Grandma went to scan genealogy sheets. We watched the game on TV and it was a great game!! The kids loved playing with Carter. He was easy to entertain until the end when he was really tired and we were making dinner and couldn't hold him. Luckily, that's when Grandma showed up and took charge of him.
The game ended with BYU WINNING!! It was a bit scary at the end, but it turned out well. The Utah fans were on the corner of Bulldog and University Avenue at Provo High when we were driving around and they were yelling at everyone who drove by. It was a big obnoxious. I was glad we were in a car and not on a scooter because they got the bulk of the harassment.
Dinner worked out well. Bryan and I made Zuppa Toscana (from Olive Garden) and bread from Macaroni Grill. It was good. Then we all went to bed.
Friday Activities
Later in the morning we all went to the club house in the apartment complex. They had a dance floor, which Courtney made quick use of with Grandpa and Bryan as her princes with me on the piano, and a pool table which Ethan loved! We played with Carter and then the kids played tag with Grandpa!
In order to give the kids, and us, something to do Friday afternoon, we all went to BYU and had a pizza picnic on the grass above the library. All the statues had shrink wrap on them in preparation for Saturday's game against Utah and Ethan thought this was fascinating. Then we walked around the library, bought books at the bookstore (which had a Black Friday sale!) and then we took the kids to the Bean Museum on campus. They loved it.
There are all kinds of stuffed animals and exhibits there, but the best part (according to Ethan and Courtney) was when a worker brought out live snakes and lizards. Courtney was fascinated and got closer than I would have believed from her, but Ethan would actually touch them. It was great.
We then went back to Lisa and Mike's apartment where Bryan took over the kids and I took a nap!
That even was a BYU basketball game. We really wanted to go so we took the kids and Grandpa treated us to the game. We had to stand in line a long time to get tickets and they were way high up, but the kids had a great time at the game. Ethan was instantly sucked into it and was cheering along with Grandpa and Bryan, but Courtney got bored after a while. The cheerleaders helped to keep her entertained.
It definitely was a fun day!
In order to give the kids, and us, something to do Friday afternoon, we all went to BYU and had a pizza picnic on the grass above the library. All the statues had shrink wrap on them in preparation for Saturday's game against Utah and Ethan thought this was fascinating. Then we walked around the library, bought books at the bookstore (which had a Black Friday sale!) and then we took the kids to the Bean Museum on campus. They loved it.
There are all kinds of stuffed animals and exhibits there, but the best part (according to Ethan and Courtney) was when a worker brought out live snakes and lizards. Courtney was fascinated and got closer than I would have believed from her, but Ethan would actually touch them. It was great.
We then went back to Lisa and Mike's apartment where Bryan took over the kids and I took a nap!
That even was a BYU basketball game. We really wanted to go so we took the kids and Grandpa treated us to the game. We had to stand in line a long time to get tickets and they were way high up, but the kids had a great time at the game. Ethan was instantly sucked into it and was cheering along with Grandpa and Bryan, but Courtney got bored after a while. The cheerleaders helped to keep her entertained.
It definitely was a fun day!
Black Friday!
We CLEANED UP on Black Friday!!
Thursday afternoon Courtney and I walked to the gas station by Lisa and Mike's apartment and bought a newspaper. We all spent the day/evening going though and making lists of things we wanted to buy. After we put the kids to bed, Lisa and I decided that we wanted to run to Modbe because they had a deal for $5 shirts. The sale began at 11 p.m. and then Toys-R-Us started their sale at midnight. Since those stores are close to each other, we decided to his Modbe and then get in the Toys-R-Us line.
We QUICKLY changed our minds. We decided to show up at the store around 10:30 p.m. When we got close to the stores all we saw was a mass of people! We parked across the street and while we were getting out of the van, a car came screaming through the parking lot loaded with women who all jumped out and ran for the line. Lisa and I were floored. We walked over to investigate the line and realized that the line was probably 2 blocks long (estimate) and that the line for Toys-R-Us was at least that long. We walked it, took a photo as proof and then loaded back in the van. We decided that if those women needed a $5 shirt bad enough to stand in a line in the freezing cold that they deserved it!
So we drove back to the apartment, did some rethinking of lists and made a plan with Bryan's mom to wake up the next morning and leave at 4:30. Bryan's words when I told him that: "You're crazy!"
I didn't sleep very well because I kept waking up nervous that I would miss it! ;) Finally, I got up at 4:15, dressed and met Lisa and Mom. We took our van (it had the most room) and were off. We first went to Walmart. There were cars everywhere and lines all over. Lisa wanted a couple of things that were 5 a.m. doorbusters so Mom took one and Lisa took the other while I walked around trying to find what I needed. Now, just to give you a little insider tip, at Walmart many times they have the toys on shrink wrapped pallots back by the Toys section. But...they also have the same type pallots, with the same shrink wrapped toys, at the front of the store hidden by the cosmetics. So while everyone in the back is fighting over toys, you can go to the front and get the same toys anytime you want after 5 a.m. So that's what I did. Lisa was a lifesaver/very smart woman because after she got her items, she ran to the front to get in a check-out line, then sent us a text to let us know where she was. I got everything (well, except for one thing that wasn't a doorbuster) I had on my list and we were in and out in about 20-25 minutes!
We then decided to move on to store #2, Best Buy. I dropped Lisa and Mom off while I went across the street to stand in the JoAnn's line (it didn't open until 6 a.m.). They went right in, got the printer Lisa wanted, and then had to wait a while in line to check-out. No problems even though we were there about 30 minutes after they opened their doors!
I, meanwhile, was freezing in the line at JoAnns. But this is the best time to glean information from other shoppers who have more experience doing this than I (i.e., old ladies who quilt all day long). At JoAnns you can buy flannel by the bolt and not have to stand in the 3 hour long cutting line! There are 8 yards per bolt and at $1.49 instead of $5.00 per yard, it is more worth your time to just buy the whole bolt. What I do is making Christmas pjs for all of us and the girls have the same fabric and the boys have the same fabric. I need about 5-6 yards per set of pjs so I have a couple yards left over from each to make rice bags or something else from the fabric.
When Lisa and Mom caught up with me I only had about 10-15 minutes before the store opened. We made a plan that I would run and get the 2 bolts I wanted and Mom would run and get something else that Bryan is giving Courtney. I had a 50% off coupon for the other item and the flannel was cheap. We were in and out in about 15 minutes with a savings of about $90!
Lisa, meanwhile, had gone next door to the infamous Modbe store to see how picked over it was. We joined her when we finished and were amazed to see how much was left. We had no problem finding shirts we wanted in the mostly-empty store! So much for standing in line for hours!!
Then we went to Shopko for more sales. I ended up pretty much finishing my Christmas shopping there. They had great sales and, by the time we got there (about 7:00 a.m. or so) there weren't lines and the items I wanted were still there...and then some ;)
One last stop at a music store that opened at 8:00 a.m. (I think, I was a bit tired by this point and things get fuzzier). We stood in line and then crowded in to overwhelm the one cashier they had on duty that day.
With everything but one item from my list loaded in the trunk and Lisa and Mom's purchases all over the back seat, we were headed home feeling a sense of satisfaction. I didn't have to push anyone and I wasn't pushed by anyone. People were very friendly. I think it helped that none of us were really getting any "high demand" items so they were still there after the door buster crowd went in.
It was a bit of a challenge getting it all loaded in the van and home before anyone could peek. But we all had a great experience!!!
Thursday afternoon Courtney and I walked to the gas station by Lisa and Mike's apartment and bought a newspaper. We all spent the day/evening going though and making lists of things we wanted to buy. After we put the kids to bed, Lisa and I decided that we wanted to run to Modbe because they had a deal for $5 shirts. The sale began at 11 p.m. and then Toys-R-Us started their sale at midnight. Since those stores are close to each other, we decided to his Modbe and then get in the Toys-R-Us line.
We QUICKLY changed our minds. We decided to show up at the store around 10:30 p.m. When we got close to the stores all we saw was a mass of people! We parked across the street and while we were getting out of the van, a car came screaming through the parking lot loaded with women who all jumped out and ran for the line. Lisa and I were floored. We walked over to investigate the line and realized that the line was probably 2 blocks long (estimate) and that the line for Toys-R-Us was at least that long. We walked it, took a photo as proof and then loaded back in the van. We decided that if those women needed a $5 shirt bad enough to stand in a line in the freezing cold that they deserved it!
So we drove back to the apartment, did some rethinking of lists and made a plan with Bryan's mom to wake up the next morning and leave at 4:30. Bryan's words when I told him that: "You're crazy!"
I didn't sleep very well because I kept waking up nervous that I would miss it! ;) Finally, I got up at 4:15, dressed and met Lisa and Mom. We took our van (it had the most room) and were off. We first went to Walmart. There were cars everywhere and lines all over. Lisa wanted a couple of things that were 5 a.m. doorbusters so Mom took one and Lisa took the other while I walked around trying to find what I needed. Now, just to give you a little insider tip, at Walmart many times they have the toys on shrink wrapped pallots back by the Toys section. But...they also have the same type pallots, with the same shrink wrapped toys, at the front of the store hidden by the cosmetics. So while everyone in the back is fighting over toys, you can go to the front and get the same toys anytime you want after 5 a.m. So that's what I did. Lisa was a lifesaver/very smart woman because after she got her items, she ran to the front to get in a check-out line, then sent us a text to let us know where she was. I got everything (well, except for one thing that wasn't a doorbuster) I had on my list and we were in and out in about 20-25 minutes!
We then decided to move on to store #2, Best Buy. I dropped Lisa and Mom off while I went across the street to stand in the JoAnn's line (it didn't open until 6 a.m.). They went right in, got the printer Lisa wanted, and then had to wait a while in line to check-out. No problems even though we were there about 30 minutes after they opened their doors!
I, meanwhile, was freezing in the line at JoAnns. But this is the best time to glean information from other shoppers who have more experience doing this than I (i.e., old ladies who quilt all day long). At JoAnns you can buy flannel by the bolt and not have to stand in the 3 hour long cutting line! There are 8 yards per bolt and at $1.49 instead of $5.00 per yard, it is more worth your time to just buy the whole bolt. What I do is making Christmas pjs for all of us and the girls have the same fabric and the boys have the same fabric. I need about 5-6 yards per set of pjs so I have a couple yards left over from each to make rice bags or something else from the fabric.
When Lisa and Mom caught up with me I only had about 10-15 minutes before the store opened. We made a plan that I would run and get the 2 bolts I wanted and Mom would run and get something else that Bryan is giving Courtney. I had a 50% off coupon for the other item and the flannel was cheap. We were in and out in about 15 minutes with a savings of about $90!
Lisa, meanwhile, had gone next door to the infamous Modbe store to see how picked over it was. We joined her when we finished and were amazed to see how much was left. We had no problem finding shirts we wanted in the mostly-empty store! So much for standing in line for hours!!
Then we went to Shopko for more sales. I ended up pretty much finishing my Christmas shopping there. They had great sales and, by the time we got there (about 7:00 a.m. or so) there weren't lines and the items I wanted were still there...and then some ;)
One last stop at a music store that opened at 8:00 a.m. (I think, I was a bit tired by this point and things get fuzzier). We stood in line and then crowded in to overwhelm the one cashier they had on duty that day.
With everything but one item from my list loaded in the trunk and Lisa and Mom's purchases all over the back seat, we were headed home feeling a sense of satisfaction. I didn't have to push anyone and I wasn't pushed by anyone. People were very friendly. I think it helped that none of us were really getting any "high demand" items so they were still there after the door buster crowd went in.
It was a bit of a challenge getting it all loaded in the van and home before anyone could peek. But we all had a great experience!!!
Thanksgiving Day
After school on Wednesday we loaded up, picked Bryan up at work and drove to Provo. It was a pretty uneventful drive. The kids watched movies and Bryan and I talked.
We all stayed at Lisa and Mike's apartment. The kids loved this because Carter was there and they were able to play with him. We got there in the evening, so we just sat around talking and then put the kids to bed.
Thursday morning we had cereal (so as to not fill up our tummies too much) and then drove to Salt Lake to Bryan's Uncle Dan and Aunt Karen's house. Now, for those of you who may not know, Courtney is TERRIFIED of dogs. Dan and Karen have this small white dog named Toby and the minute Courtney saw him she freaked out and began screaming and hanging on to me. She is one that when you try to convince her of something she just digs in her heels and won't change her mind. Everyone tried to talk her into petting Toby and playing with him but it was only making the situation worse. So poor Toby was isolated from where she was.
Dinner was wonderful. The adults table was upstairs (adults= siblings and spouses of Bryan's mom) and then the kids tables (everyone else) were set up downstairs. We had a great time downstairs talking and stuffing ourselves. When dinner was over, we helped clean up the tables downstairs so the ping pong table could be set up and then we all played games. I had a blast playing Cranium with Bryan's cousins and aunts. I have a freaky music/entertainment knowledge that really serves me well on those kinds of games. ;)
When we were downstairs setting up the ping pong table Courtney yelled down at us to come up quick. When I went up, there was Uncle Dan holding Toby and Courtney was petting him!! I was floored. She was still pretty cautious and didn't like Toby to be on the floor, but she was petting him. Uncle Dan had been playing with Courtney and threw Carter's blanket on the floor over by Toby. He threw the blanket closer and closer to Toby until Courtney finally realized that Toby didn't care that she was there and wasn't interested in licking and/or biting her. That's when Dan picked Toby up and held him tight so Courtney could pet him. It was great!!
When it was dark we decided it was time to go back to Provo and put the kids to bed. At Lisa and Mike's house Bryan sat on the couch to cuddle with Courtney and soon she was fast asleep in his arms....something that NEVER happens...EVER!
It was a fun Thanksgiving.
We all stayed at Lisa and Mike's apartment. The kids loved this because Carter was there and they were able to play with him. We got there in the evening, so we just sat around talking and then put the kids to bed.
Thursday morning we had cereal (so as to not fill up our tummies too much) and then drove to Salt Lake to Bryan's Uncle Dan and Aunt Karen's house. Now, for those of you who may not know, Courtney is TERRIFIED of dogs. Dan and Karen have this small white dog named Toby and the minute Courtney saw him she freaked out and began screaming and hanging on to me. She is one that when you try to convince her of something she just digs in her heels and won't change her mind. Everyone tried to talk her into petting Toby and playing with him but it was only making the situation worse. So poor Toby was isolated from where she was.
Dinner was wonderful. The adults table was upstairs (adults= siblings and spouses of Bryan's mom) and then the kids tables (everyone else) were set up downstairs. We had a great time downstairs talking and stuffing ourselves. When dinner was over, we helped clean up the tables downstairs so the ping pong table could be set up and then we all played games. I had a blast playing Cranium with Bryan's cousins and aunts. I have a freaky music/entertainment knowledge that really serves me well on those kinds of games. ;)
When we were downstairs setting up the ping pong table Courtney yelled down at us to come up quick. When I went up, there was Uncle Dan holding Toby and Courtney was petting him!! I was floored. She was still pretty cautious and didn't like Toby to be on the floor, but she was petting him. Uncle Dan had been playing with Courtney and threw Carter's blanket on the floor over by Toby. He threw the blanket closer and closer to Toby until Courtney finally realized that Toby didn't care that she was there and wasn't interested in licking and/or biting her. That's when Dan picked Toby up and held him tight so Courtney could pet him. It was great!!
When it was dark we decided it was time to go back to Provo and put the kids to bed. At Lisa and Mike's house Bryan sat on the couch to cuddle with Courtney and soon she was fast asleep in his arms....something that NEVER happens...EVER!
It was a fun Thanksgiving.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Thanksgiving!
I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving holiday. We are headed to Lisa and Mike's house in Provo. I pray that everyone will drive safely, if they are driving, and that you all have a great time with family. I'm so grateful for many things this year.
Bryan's Birthday!!
Today is Bryan's birthday!! We started off the day with Ethan, Courtney and I making him a breakfast of french toast, orange juice and bacon. We served it with a candle on top. Courtney made sure he stayed in bed until we could take him breakfast. Then he joined us at the table for a family breakfast.
He drove in to work, because it was going to be a crazy day. At 11 a.m. he went to Ethan's school for the Thanksgiving program and then back to work. He came home from work a bit early and then we had a family party for him. Courtney kept asking why his friends weren't coming over to play. I thought that was cute.
We had dinner of grilled chicken marinated in lemon herb sauce, green beans, corn and fresh wheat bread. It was really good! Then we had his birthday pie (peach) and ice cream. The kids had left over cake from my dad's birthday yesterday. It was a good meal and Bryan got to blow out his candles on his birthday pie!
He drove in to work, because it was going to be a crazy day. At 11 a.m. he went to Ethan's school for the Thanksgiving program and then back to work. He came home from work a bit early and then we had a family party for him. Courtney kept asking why his friends weren't coming over to play. I thought that was cute.
We had dinner of grilled chicken marinated in lemon herb sauce, green beans, corn and fresh wheat bread. It was really good! Then we had his birthday pie (peach) and ice cream. The kids had left over cake from my dad's birthday yesterday. It was a good meal and Bryan got to blow out his candles on his birthday pie!
Soccer Girl Courtney
We finally got Courtney's soccer team photo. Apparently we were supposed to pick up our pictures last month but no one told us. Since we were the ONLY team who didn't pick them up, the company decided to spend the money and mail them to us. The girls are so cute with their arms around each other. Bryan said it's just "so girlie." We had a cute team and Courtney wants to play again next year!
Ethan's Turkey
This afternoon I went back to Ethan's class to help out with a Thanksgiving craft. His teacher sent home the example and then I had moms help me get all the supplies. Last night I put the string on the turkeys and got everything ready to go. Today we helped the kids (we did the glue gun while they picked out the supplies) put their turkeys together. When you get the sponge wet, grab the string with the sponge and then jerk downward on the string...it makes a gobble sound (although it's more like a duck sound than a turkey, but whatever). The kids loved it and Ethan was so proud of his turkey. Here is Ethan's turkey and Ethan with his friend Brennon.
Ethan's Program
Ethan's class had a Thanksgiving program for the parents today. It was a lot of fun. You could tell they had spent a lot of time learning songs, sign language and poems to share with the parents. Here are some highlights:
Pilgrim Girl
Courtney had her Thanksgiving Day feast at Preschool Monday. Each child had to take 12 things to share with their friends. She had a great time being a pilgrim!
Cove Fort and BYU Game
On Saturday our ward had 60 tickets for the young men/young women to attend the BYU vs. Air Force game. It, unfortunately, happened to be the same day as the Sadie Hawkins dance so the Laurels and Priests weren't able to attend. We ended up having 27 youth and 20 parents/family members go. The kids and I were able to go up too because of the extra tickets available.
In order to make it a youth activity, we stopped at Cove Fort on the way up to take a tour and see the movie. The kids loved it because there was snow to play in and they had a great time. Courtney loves hanging out with the Young Women and Ethan had a friend who went up, so they both had someone to hang out with.
We then drove up to the game, parked in the law school parking lot and hiked to the stadium. Bryan got the tickets and then handed them all out. The tickets weren't all in one block so leaders split up to take the youth all around the stadium. We ended up on the very top row in the south endzone. It worked out great for us because the kids had extra room to play around in and Ethan's friend ended up sitting by us so they had a great time playing around.
After halftime, Lisa, Mike and Carter showed up and the kids went nuts playing with Carter. Then David showed up and we all had a great time. Courtney fed Carter some blueberry puffs from a spoon, which kept them both busy for quite a while. The game was cold so we were pretty bundled up and Bryan had a bunch of stuff stashed in his jacket so he looked like Santa!
When the game was over we all met back at the vans, loaded up and drove to Nephi for dinner. We really overwhelmed the people at the Wendy's there but finally got all our food eaten and were on our way home. We got home a few minutes after 10 p.m. It was a fun trip!
In order to make it a youth activity, we stopped at Cove Fort on the way up to take a tour and see the movie. The kids loved it because there was snow to play in and they had a great time. Courtney loves hanging out with the Young Women and Ethan had a friend who went up, so they both had someone to hang out with.
We then drove up to the game, parked in the law school parking lot and hiked to the stadium. Bryan got the tickets and then handed them all out. The tickets weren't all in one block so leaders split up to take the youth all around the stadium. We ended up on the very top row in the south endzone. It worked out great for us because the kids had extra room to play around in and Ethan's friend ended up sitting by us so they had a great time playing around.
After halftime, Lisa, Mike and Carter showed up and the kids went nuts playing with Carter. Then David showed up and we all had a great time. Courtney fed Carter some blueberry puffs from a spoon, which kept them both busy for quite a while. The game was cold so we were pretty bundled up and Bryan had a bunch of stuff stashed in his jacket so he looked like Santa!
When the game was over we all met back at the vans, loaded up and drove to Nephi for dinner. We really overwhelmed the people at the Wendy's there but finally got all our food eaten and were on our way home. We got home a few minutes after 10 p.m. It was a fun trip!
Jubilee of Trees
On Friday, Courtney danced at the Jubilee of Trees festival. Bryan got off work and met us there. She was so excited to be in front of an audience and did a great job! I took some photos of her and McKaye (her friend in our neighborhood) by the huge Christmas tree. Afterward I took them to see Santa. McKaye climbed right up on his lap but Courtney wasn't so sure and wouldn't get near him. That was fine with me.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Another dance video
This video wouldn't download on the last post so it gets one of its own.
I debated whether to put this first video on or not because Courtney fell down at the first of the song. Usually she would just run off completely embarrassed, and I think that's what she wanted to do, but she got up and kept on going. (Now, if we could get her to do that during soccer, it would be fabulous!)
I was so proud of her because she didn't even mention it later and it wasn't a big deal after the initial shock wore off. She even did the second spin perfectly. So I decided to post it. The dance is really cute too. I think those bags are toast though. Watch the way those girls throw them. ;)
I debated whether to put this first video on or not because Courtney fell down at the first of the song. Usually she would just run off completely embarrassed, and I think that's what she wanted to do, but she got up and kept on going. (Now, if we could get her to do that during soccer, it would be fabulous!)
I was so proud of her because she didn't even mention it later and it wasn't a big deal after the initial shock wore off. She even did the second spin perfectly. So I decided to post it. The dance is really cute too. I think those bags are toast though. Watch the way those girls throw them. ;)
Dancing Courtney
It is dance performance time! They had Parents Day this afternoon so we could see a bit of their dances and so they could have a dress rehearsal for tomorrow morning when they have their first performance. I LOVE her new costume. They are modest (for a dance costume) and aren't itchy (a HUGE plus for Courtney). They look like little puffs. ;)
We had to curl her hair and get it all done nicely. They wanted me to put makeup on her but I have a thing against putting makeup on my 4 year-old, so we just ignored that instruction. Then we went off to class. They were all cute little girls.
They did their usual tap warm up and one tap dance number. Then they did a bunch of warm ups for their ballet. These are really cute because they yell during them and do all kinds of cute things. I'll post some video of Courtney's dances so you can see the tap routines and then I'll put a slide show on too. She did a great job.
We had to curl her hair and get it all done nicely. They wanted me to put makeup on her but I have a thing against putting makeup on my 4 year-old, so we just ignored that instruction. Then we went off to class. They were all cute little girls.
They did their usual tap warm up and one tap dance number. Then they did a bunch of warm ups for their ballet. These are really cute because they yell during them and do all kinds of cute things. I'll post some video of Courtney's dances so you can see the tap routines and then I'll put a slide show on too. She did a great job.
Cute kids
This morning Courtney wanted a story read to her and I was busy doing my morning routine and getting breakfast ready, so Ethan asked if she would let him read to her. She was thrilled!! They sat on the couch all bundled in blankets and read books for about 15 minutes while I made breakfast. They were both in heaven. Ethan loves helping out and Courtney loves her big brother. It was so cute. It's moments like those that you just want to bottle up and release when they start fighting. ;)
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Kid fun
Here are some photos that Grandma Pack emailed us from her stay with the kids. We have a blow up castle bounce house that my parents found at a garage sale and gave to the kids. It need more air so they don't play with it too much. Then Grandma helped them invent a new game where they jump from the slide to the bounce house and do a flip. They loved it and now all the neighborhood kids are doing it.
Monday, November 16, 2009
It works!!
Last August my vacuum wasn't working well and so I decided to take it apart. I soon realized that the belt was broken and that it had melted to the brush roller so they were both ruined. So I threw them away and realized that I can't get replacement parts in St. George. I got online and found where I could get them, called them up, ordered them and then was told that I could expect my parts around October 30th!! I about died!!
So I borrowed my parent's vacuum every couple of weeks and tried to make it through until the packages came. After a month I got the belt and then the other day I finally got the brush roller. So I put them all together today and the vacuum works great. I didn't realize what bad shape it was in before, but now I realize that it was probably broken for a while.
I spent the last half hour vacuuming everything in the house just because I could. Oh, the simple things in life. ;)
So I borrowed my parent's vacuum every couple of weeks and tried to make it through until the packages came. After a month I got the belt and then the other day I finally got the brush roller. So I put them all together today and the vacuum works great. I didn't realize what bad shape it was in before, but now I realize that it was probably broken for a while.
I spent the last half hour vacuuming everything in the house just because I could. Oh, the simple things in life. ;)
Aviation Nation
On Saturday, the Priests and Laurels were going to Aviation Nation, the Air Show at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas. Ethan had his final soccer game, and he wanted to go, so Bryan waited until after the game and then drove down to Las Vegas with Ethan and 2 of the young men. Ethan was so excited to go.
We have been to the air show before but it was when Ethan was only about 1 1/2 years old, so he doesn't remember anything about it. They got there, parked and rode the bus in to the base. Then they walked around, looked at all the airplanes, ate lunch, watched the air show, bought Ethan a plane and then waited for the Thunderbirds to fly.
They had a great time!! Ethan couldn't stop talking about it when he got home. He is an airplane kid. ;)
We have been to the air show before but it was when Ethan was only about 1 1/2 years old, so he doesn't remember anything about it. They got there, parked and rode the bus in to the base. Then they walked around, looked at all the airplanes, ate lunch, watched the air show, bought Ethan a plane and then waited for the Thunderbirds to fly.
They had a great time!! Ethan couldn't stop talking about it when he got home. He is an airplane kid. ;)
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Ethan's World
Ethan and I had a funny discussion this morning. It started by him saying that he couldn't seem to find a white that would be as white as Jesus would wear. We talked about how we probably can't imagine something that pure and that someday we will get to see what that white looks like.
Then Ethan asked about the veil and why people say that it's sometimes thin. He said that he wants to have a veil that is so thick that it goes up to the sky so he can show Heavenly Father how much faith he has because he doesn't have any knowledge.
Then he asked what the name of the place where Heavenly Father lived. So we talked about Kolob and I found the hymn for him to read. We then talked about how someday, if we are faithful, we will be able to make our own worlds. Ethan's eyes got big and he said, "I want to make my world just like the Earth but with less gravity so you can jump really high." He then talked about how he would have to change the rules for all the sports to compensate for the higher they would be able to jump. It was hilarious!
Then Ethan asked about the veil and why people say that it's sometimes thin. He said that he wants to have a veil that is so thick that it goes up to the sky so he can show Heavenly Father how much faith he has because he doesn't have any knowledge.
Then he asked what the name of the place where Heavenly Father lived. So we talked about Kolob and I found the hymn for him to read. We then talked about how someday, if we are faithful, we will be able to make our own worlds. Ethan's eyes got big and he said, "I want to make my world just like the Earth but with less gravity so you can jump really high." He then talked about how he would have to change the rules for all the sports to compensate for the higher they would be able to jump. It was hilarious!
Me and My Teddy Bear
Courtney came home last night from dance class with her new costume. It is beautiful and modest (as modest as a tutu can be). She instantly wanted to try it on. At dinner she was telling us about her new dances that we will see next week when she performs. She got up and began singing and dancing to a new song.
Now, to let you really enjoy this I have to tell you that for a past couple of months Courtney has had fluid in her ears so she hasn't been hearing as well as she should. We have been doing medicine to try and clear this up but so far it hasn't helped. The doctor wants us to try the medicine for another 3 weeks and then have her hearing tested. So, sometimes she hears a word completely wrong and her brain picks the closest sounding word that she knows. Sometimes the result can be quite funny.
So, last night she sang this song while holding her stuffed dog which was supposed to be a teddy bear:
"Me and My Teddy Bear
Got no worries got no hair..."
Bryan and I just lost it at that point. I'm sure the line really goes "Got no worries got not CARES" but to her little ears it was "hair."
Funny!
Now, to let you really enjoy this I have to tell you that for a past couple of months Courtney has had fluid in her ears so she hasn't been hearing as well as she should. We have been doing medicine to try and clear this up but so far it hasn't helped. The doctor wants us to try the medicine for another 3 weeks and then have her hearing tested. So, sometimes she hears a word completely wrong and her brain picks the closest sounding word that she knows. Sometimes the result can be quite funny.
So, last night she sang this song while holding her stuffed dog which was supposed to be a teddy bear:
"Me and My Teddy Bear
Got no worries got no hair..."
Bryan and I just lost it at that point. I'm sure the line really goes "Got no worries got not CARES" but to her little ears it was "hair."
Funny!
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Couponing
I have really been trying to save money using all the coupons I can. I have a friend in the ward that is so great at using coupons and gets all kinds of free stuff every week. After I was put into the Relief Society presidency, she approached me and asked if she could teach a coupon class each month because so many women were asking her how to do it. So last month we had a class and I learned A TON!! I have really been impressed by how much I can save if I just know where to look and how to use my coupons.
Last night we had another class and one woman brought a receipt from a few months ago and then one from last week. She bought, basically, the same things except the receipt from a few months ago was significantly higher than the one last week. I have been working on it but so far I have only been able to save 50% of my grocery bill (for example, if I pay $120 for groceries I usually have about a $60 savings, so the total would have normally been $180 before coupons).
Today I was cleaning the kitchen when I received a phone call from another friend in the ward who is also trying to do the couponing thing too. She said that at Albertson's they had a great pie/ice cream deal and that I had to get down there. I grabbed Courtney and went down. They had a deal where you buy 1 pie (that's rather large, by the way) for $6.39 and you get another pie and 2- 1.5 quarts of Breyer's ice cream FREE!! So I went a bit nuts (hey, it's cheap and almost Thanksgiving/Christmas time). I bought 3 pies for $19.17 and got 3 more pies and 6 of the 1.5 quarts of ice cream for FREE. So that's like getting each thing for only $1.60!
I ended up using the in-store ad to get some Skippy peanut butter for .99, Ragu spaghetti sauce for .88 and Land-O-Lakes butter for $1.25. All in all, my final total savings (after coupons and that awesome pie/ice cream deal) was $82.95!! And I only paid $40. I felt pretty excited!
Anyone want pie and ice cream?! ;)
Last night we had another class and one woman brought a receipt from a few months ago and then one from last week. She bought, basically, the same things except the receipt from a few months ago was significantly higher than the one last week. I have been working on it but so far I have only been able to save 50% of my grocery bill (for example, if I pay $120 for groceries I usually have about a $60 savings, so the total would have normally been $180 before coupons).
Today I was cleaning the kitchen when I received a phone call from another friend in the ward who is also trying to do the couponing thing too. She said that at Albertson's they had a great pie/ice cream deal and that I had to get down there. I grabbed Courtney and went down. They had a deal where you buy 1 pie (that's rather large, by the way) for $6.39 and you get another pie and 2- 1.5 quarts of Breyer's ice cream FREE!! So I went a bit nuts (hey, it's cheap and almost Thanksgiving/Christmas time). I bought 3 pies for $19.17 and got 3 more pies and 6 of the 1.5 quarts of ice cream for FREE. So that's like getting each thing for only $1.60!
I ended up using the in-store ad to get some Skippy peanut butter for .99, Ragu spaghetti sauce for .88 and Land-O-Lakes butter for $1.25. All in all, my final total savings (after coupons and that awesome pie/ice cream deal) was $82.95!! And I only paid $40. I felt pretty excited!
Anyone want pie and ice cream?! ;)
What the kids were up to...
Well, from what we can understand, the kids had a GREAT time with Grandma Pack. She drove them all over the place and bought them fun stuff and played with them. They did have a few hiccups though.
On Thursday night they ate dinner (spaghetti) and then went to the store to buy groceries (I think). Grandma let them pick out something to buy and Ethan picked out beef jerky. He LOVES beef jerky. He then ate the entire package of beef jerky and threw up all night long. Poor Grandma and poor Ethan! Courtney, as she happily tells us, slept through the whole thing.
Friday morning was "Dad's and Donuts" where the kids can take their dads (or anyone else) to show them around their school. Grandma wasn't sure how Ethan was feeling and wasn't sure if she should send him to school, but he finally decided to go. Grandma drove him to school and he got to show her all around and they bought something at the Book Fair.
Courtney and Grandma played, went on jogs and did all kinds of adventures. They had soccer practice, soccer games and all kinds of things. They played with friends and Grandma helped them invent a new game using the bounce house and the slide. They were in kid heaven. Then Saturday night Ethan had some ice cream after a Grandma/Ethan date and threw up. Again, poor Grandma and poor Ethan. But they both survived.
Sunday was Stake Conference and I think they did well. We were home last Sunday night.
Monday morning when Ethan was at school and Courtney was at preschool, we went Christmas shopping. We picked up Courtney then I had one thing after another and Grandma was great to stay at home and entertain whichever child was there. Then on Tuesday we ran errands in the morning, picked up Ethan from school in the afternoon then took Grandma to the shuttle station. Courtney cried and cried when Grandma left. But we kept telling her that we will see Grandma again at Thanksgiving in a few weeks.
Again, my kids are lucky to have such great grandparents who they love so much!!! Thanks!!!!
On Thursday night they ate dinner (spaghetti) and then went to the store to buy groceries (I think). Grandma let them pick out something to buy and Ethan picked out beef jerky. He LOVES beef jerky. He then ate the entire package of beef jerky and threw up all night long. Poor Grandma and poor Ethan! Courtney, as she happily tells us, slept through the whole thing.
Friday morning was "Dad's and Donuts" where the kids can take their dads (or anyone else) to show them around their school. Grandma wasn't sure how Ethan was feeling and wasn't sure if she should send him to school, but he finally decided to go. Grandma drove him to school and he got to show her all around and they bought something at the Book Fair.
Courtney and Grandma played, went on jogs and did all kinds of adventures. They had soccer practice, soccer games and all kinds of things. They played with friends and Grandma helped them invent a new game using the bounce house and the slide. They were in kid heaven. Then Saturday night Ethan had some ice cream after a Grandma/Ethan date and threw up. Again, poor Grandma and poor Ethan. But they both survived.
Sunday was Stake Conference and I think they did well. We were home last Sunday night.
Monday morning when Ethan was at school and Courtney was at preschool, we went Christmas shopping. We picked up Courtney then I had one thing after another and Grandma was great to stay at home and entertain whichever child was there. Then on Tuesday we ran errands in the morning, picked up Ethan from school in the afternoon then took Grandma to the shuttle station. Courtney cried and cried when Grandma left. But we kept telling her that we will see Grandma again at Thanksgiving in a few weeks.
Again, my kids are lucky to have such great grandparents who they love so much!!! Thanks!!!!
Day #4 - Going home
It was our last day in Monterey and we finally figured out how to sleep longer. We walked back to the breakfast place we had found for something to eat. By the time we got there it was around 9 a.m. and there was a crowd. We didn't have to wait long though and were seated outside. It was a bit chilly but nice. Since we would be in airports all day we decided to eat a big breakfast so we wouldn't be hungry at lunch time and save money not eating airport food.
After breakfast we scheduled a car to take us back to the airport but there was a VIP that needed the car at the same time we did, so we had to go about 45 minute earlier than we had wanted. Oh well. We checked our luggage at the airport and then went through security. One thing at small airports is that they need something to do, so they had to swipe Bryan's shoes for explosives and made it a bit hard to get through security. We had to laugh because there were 4 security agents and only about 5 people per hour going through.
We again got to walk on the tarmac to get to the airplane and then took off from the tiny airport. At LAX we had to wait about 15 minutes to load on a shuttle and this crabby woman (I think she was a drill sergeant in another life) told everyone where to stand and when they could move. Then we went to the main hanger of LAX to wait for our next flight.
We learned a few things on this trip and one of them is that we aren't very good vacationers anymore. When we go on a trip with the kids it's an ADVENTURE not a VACATION. We had way too much time in the airport and not much to do, so it made the day long, but we finally got to Las Vegas.
We then took the shuttle back to St. George and slept most of the way, which made it really nice. When we got home we woke Ethan up to say hello and tried to wake Courtney up. She just rolled over and yelled "Dad, that's enough, I'm done!" at Bryan before going back to sleep. (She didn't remember it in the morning.)
Anyway, we had a great time and are so grateful to Grandma Pack for coming to take the kids for us. They all had a great time!
After breakfast we scheduled a car to take us back to the airport but there was a VIP that needed the car at the same time we did, so we had to go about 45 minute earlier than we had wanted. Oh well. We checked our luggage at the airport and then went through security. One thing at small airports is that they need something to do, so they had to swipe Bryan's shoes for explosives and made it a bit hard to get through security. We had to laugh because there were 4 security agents and only about 5 people per hour going through.
We again got to walk on the tarmac to get to the airplane and then took off from the tiny airport. At LAX we had to wait about 15 minutes to load on a shuttle and this crabby woman (I think she was a drill sergeant in another life) told everyone where to stand and when they could move. Then we went to the main hanger of LAX to wait for our next flight.
We learned a few things on this trip and one of them is that we aren't very good vacationers anymore. When we go on a trip with the kids it's an ADVENTURE not a VACATION. We had way too much time in the airport and not much to do, so it made the day long, but we finally got to Las Vegas.
We then took the shuttle back to St. George and slept most of the way, which made it really nice. When we got home we woke Ethan up to say hello and tried to wake Courtney up. She just rolled over and yelled "Dad, that's enough, I'm done!" at Bryan before going back to sleep. (She didn't remember it in the morning.)
Anyway, we had a great time and are so grateful to Grandma Pack for coming to take the kids for us. They all had a great time!
Day #3 - Whale Watching
When we talked about going to Monterey for our anniversary we wanted to go whale watching. I checked out some companies and did some research and got us tickets on a nice whale watching ship. Right now is the time for blue whales and killer whales so I knew we would have a great time.
We woke up early (as usual), took our time getting ready, walked to a breakfast restaurant we had discovered the day before (that had GREAT hot chocolate, by the way), and split a meal. This ended up being a really good thing because it was a ton of food even split by two people. Then we walked to the Old Fisherman's Wharf to check in for our whale watching expedition.
When we went into the shack to check in they told us that there were high swells. We didn't know what that meant so we asked if that had an indication on whether or not we would see whales. They told us that they can never guarantee that we will see whales or not and that the swell didn't change any part of their non-guarantee to see whales. They offered to re-schedule us for another time or refund our money. We talked about it and decided that we wanted to go on the trip. So we waited around until it was time to get on the ship.
We loaded on and took off. The "naturalist" on board told us about some of the animals we saw as we were pulling out to sea. Then the swells and waves began. It was fun at first because we went up and down and up and down. Then people started throwing up and the fun boat ride turned into 2 1/2 hours of misery! We ended up not seeing anything except a bunch of people at the back of the boat throwing up. And then both of us were pretty queasy. We never threw up but we certainly didn't feel very good. And it was really cold!! We had taken coats, gloves, scarfs and hats, but it was still really cold and miserable out there. (As a side note, I got an email after we got home saying they would let us go on another whale watching adventure for free to make up for the horrible trip, so we didn't imagine how bad it was.)
When we docked, everyone was happy to get off the boat. Bryan and I walked back to the hotel, took LONG naps and decided that we don't need to ever get on a boat again. We didn't even want sea food for dinner! ;) So we ate Italian and then watched a movie in our room at the hotel while trying to recover. The sad part was that we had planned on renting bikes that afternoon, after the boat, but we hadn't felt good enough. We had both really looked forward to the bikes. But we'll do it next time. ;)
Here are a few photos from our boat adventure.
We woke up early (as usual), took our time getting ready, walked to a breakfast restaurant we had discovered the day before (that had GREAT hot chocolate, by the way), and split a meal. This ended up being a really good thing because it was a ton of food even split by two people. Then we walked to the Old Fisherman's Wharf to check in for our whale watching expedition.
When we went into the shack to check in they told us that there were high swells. We didn't know what that meant so we asked if that had an indication on whether or not we would see whales. They told us that they can never guarantee that we will see whales or not and that the swell didn't change any part of their non-guarantee to see whales. They offered to re-schedule us for another time or refund our money. We talked about it and decided that we wanted to go on the trip. So we waited around until it was time to get on the ship.
We loaded on and took off. The "naturalist" on board told us about some of the animals we saw as we were pulling out to sea. Then the swells and waves began. It was fun at first because we went up and down and up and down. Then people started throwing up and the fun boat ride turned into 2 1/2 hours of misery! We ended up not seeing anything except a bunch of people at the back of the boat throwing up. And then both of us were pretty queasy. We never threw up but we certainly didn't feel very good. And it was really cold!! We had taken coats, gloves, scarfs and hats, but it was still really cold and miserable out there. (As a side note, I got an email after we got home saying they would let us go on another whale watching adventure for free to make up for the horrible trip, so we didn't imagine how bad it was.)
When we docked, everyone was happy to get off the boat. Bryan and I walked back to the hotel, took LONG naps and decided that we don't need to ever get on a boat again. We didn't even want sea food for dinner! ;) So we ate Italian and then watched a movie in our room at the hotel while trying to recover. The sad part was that we had planned on renting bikes that afternoon, after the boat, but we hadn't felt good enough. We had both really looked forward to the bikes. But we'll do it next time. ;)
Here are a few photos from our boat adventure.
Day #2 - The Aquarium
Bryan and I have a problem. We wake up at 5 a.m. every morning so when we go on vacation we still wake up at 5 a.m. in the morning. NOTHING IS OPEN that early. On Friday, we had tickets to the Monterey Aquarium. It didn't open until 10 a.m. So took our time getting ready, walked around the hotel and took photos, went to the cafe downstairs of the hotel for some breakfast (again, a coffee place makes TERRIBLE hot chocolate) and then went walking.
Bryan took his tennis shoes which were about 10 years old. They had holes and he was hating life as we were walking around. So we sat on a bench and watched the seals and the waves until a shoe store opened at 10 a.m. Then I got some new shoes (hey, they were on sale!) and Bryan got some new tennis shoes. We ran back to the hotel (we didn't have a car because everything was close) to drop off the shoes and then went to the Aquarium.
It was really neat. They had a lot of huge tanks full of animals. We saw sharks and all kinds of fish, sea stars, I got to pet a sting ray, we saw sea horses and all kinds of things. It was great. We went to lectures on sharks and the ocean. I kept thinking how cool Ethan would think this was.
We spent a few hours at the Aquarium before buying some gifts for the kids and leaving to get lunch. We ate a little cafe near the Aquarium and I had the best clam chowder in a huge bread bowl! That's the life.
We went back to the hotel and took a nap (Bryan watched football and napped) and then we went to a movie (Harry Potter with the first 15 minutes in 3D). We were pretty hungry after the movie and didn't want anything near the hotel, so we hiked for a while until we found a pizza place. We got a small pizza and a drink and then walked back to the hotel to eat.
It was a fun day!
Bryan took his tennis shoes which were about 10 years old. They had holes and he was hating life as we were walking around. So we sat on a bench and watched the seals and the waves until a shoe store opened at 10 a.m. Then I got some new shoes (hey, they were on sale!) and Bryan got some new tennis shoes. We ran back to the hotel (we didn't have a car because everything was close) to drop off the shoes and then went to the Aquarium.
It was really neat. They had a lot of huge tanks full of animals. We saw sharks and all kinds of fish, sea stars, I got to pet a sting ray, we saw sea horses and all kinds of things. It was great. We went to lectures on sharks and the ocean. I kept thinking how cool Ethan would think this was.
We spent a few hours at the Aquarium before buying some gifts for the kids and leaving to get lunch. We ate a little cafe near the Aquarium and I had the best clam chowder in a huge bread bowl! That's the life.
We went back to the hotel and took a nap (Bryan watched football and napped) and then we went to a movie (Harry Potter with the first 15 minutes in 3D). We were pretty hungry after the movie and didn't want anything near the hotel, so we hiked for a while until we found a pizza place. We got a small pizza and a drink and then walked back to the hotel to eat.
It was a fun day!
Friday, November 6, 2009
Anniversary Trip...Day 1
We are on a trip for our 11th anniversary!! I thought I would take a quick minute each morning to post what we are doing so the kids can see what we're up to. ;)
Last Wednesday, we flew Grandma Pack in to Las Vegas and then she took a shuttle to St. George where a very excited family picked her up at the shuttle station. The kids wouldn't go to bed until she got there so we all went to pick her up. So they stayed out really late.
Thursday morning we got up early, got things ready and then Bryan and I took the shuttle from St. George to Las Vegas to catch a flight to Monterey, California (via LAX). We had a while after the shuttle let us off until our flight so we booted up the computer and used their free wi-fi to play around on the internet. We also got some hot chocolate from Starbucks and didn't like it at all!! We had to add a bunch of sugar to it and it was still really bitter. But it was warm.
The flight from Vegas to LAX was short (about 45 minutes) but then we had a 2 hour layover. We ate lunch, looked around and then tried to find our gate so we would be ready when the plane came. But we only found a sign with our gate number on it next to a bunch of stairs. After walking around for a while, we decided to ask someone for help. The woman asked us to wait a minute and then we went outside and loaded onto a little shuttle bus that took us to a satellite station where our little 48 passenger plane would be loading. Bryan loved the shuttle ride because we were out on the runway at LAX with all these planes going by us that were huge. He wanted to ask the driver to stop so he could get out, but didn't.
It took a while but we finally got loaded onto the small plane. Originally in Las Vegas they didn't give us seat assignments for the small plane. When Bryan asked about it at LAX they said they would call our names. We were kind of antsy when they loaded up and we still were sitting there waiting for our names to be called. Finally they called us and let us on the plane but our seats weren't near each other. After they shut the doors, Bryan switched to the empty seat by me. There was another couple who had been waiting to get on the plane also but they had a carry on bag. It turns out that the little plane didn't have any carry on room left so we were allowed on the plane and they weren't (we didn't have a carry on). I would not have been happy had I been them.
It was fun to ride on a smaller plane. It was a bit creaky but we got drinks on that plane, which we didn't on the larger one. After another 45 minute plane trip, we landed at the Monterey airport. It was pretty small but we got to climb off the plane and walk on the tarmac, which made Bryan's day!
The hotel had sent a car to pick us up and the driver was a young kid who spent two years playing for the St. George Roadrunners baseball team. So we had a lot to talk about on the way to the hotel, which wasn't far from the Monterey airport.
We then explored the hotel and walked all around Cannery Row. We ate dinner at Bubba Gump's (the restaurant that Forest and Bubba start in the movie Forest Gump). We shared shrimp and it was really good! Then we walked back to the hotel.
It was a long trip out but we're happy to be here. Here are some plane photos Bryan took at LAX and then a photo of us at the hotel.
Last Wednesday, we flew Grandma Pack in to Las Vegas and then she took a shuttle to St. George where a very excited family picked her up at the shuttle station. The kids wouldn't go to bed until she got there so we all went to pick her up. So they stayed out really late.
Thursday morning we got up early, got things ready and then Bryan and I took the shuttle from St. George to Las Vegas to catch a flight to Monterey, California (via LAX). We had a while after the shuttle let us off until our flight so we booted up the computer and used their free wi-fi to play around on the internet. We also got some hot chocolate from Starbucks and didn't like it at all!! We had to add a bunch of sugar to it and it was still really bitter. But it was warm.
The flight from Vegas to LAX was short (about 45 minutes) but then we had a 2 hour layover. We ate lunch, looked around and then tried to find our gate so we would be ready when the plane came. But we only found a sign with our gate number on it next to a bunch of stairs. After walking around for a while, we decided to ask someone for help. The woman asked us to wait a minute and then we went outside and loaded onto a little shuttle bus that took us to a satellite station where our little 48 passenger plane would be loading. Bryan loved the shuttle ride because we were out on the runway at LAX with all these planes going by us that were huge. He wanted to ask the driver to stop so he could get out, but didn't.
It took a while but we finally got loaded onto the small plane. Originally in Las Vegas they didn't give us seat assignments for the small plane. When Bryan asked about it at LAX they said they would call our names. We were kind of antsy when they loaded up and we still were sitting there waiting for our names to be called. Finally they called us and let us on the plane but our seats weren't near each other. After they shut the doors, Bryan switched to the empty seat by me. There was another couple who had been waiting to get on the plane also but they had a carry on bag. It turns out that the little plane didn't have any carry on room left so we were allowed on the plane and they weren't (we didn't have a carry on). I would not have been happy had I been them.
It was fun to ride on a smaller plane. It was a bit creaky but we got drinks on that plane, which we didn't on the larger one. After another 45 minute plane trip, we landed at the Monterey airport. It was pretty small but we got to climb off the plane and walk on the tarmac, which made Bryan's day!
The hotel had sent a car to pick us up and the driver was a young kid who spent two years playing for the St. George Roadrunners baseball team. So we had a lot to talk about on the way to the hotel, which wasn't far from the Monterey airport.
We then explored the hotel and walked all around Cannery Row. We ate dinner at Bubba Gump's (the restaurant that Forest and Bubba start in the movie Forest Gump). We shared shrimp and it was really good! Then we walked back to the hotel.
It was a long trip out but we're happy to be here. Here are some plane photos Bryan took at LAX and then a photo of us at the hotel.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Halloween Night
We had our awesome neighborhood Halloween Party last night! I love our neighborhood. They shut down a street and we all bring over food assignments and have soups, hot dogs, chips, cupcakes, drinks and the adults sit around talking while the kids play in 2 bounce houses set up in a neighbors driveway. It's so much fun and everyone looks forward to it all year long. Our street usually brings the apple juice and cups but this year I switched with a friend who wanted a break. So I made a soup (clam chowder) to share with everyone. There were about 8 crockpots full of soup and they were all empty at the end! We have fun families who all dress up as a theme and some families who don't dress up. It's a great time to see everyone and meet new neighbors and just have fun.
It was a crazy Saturday. We carved, or painted in Courtney's case, pumpkins in the morning and then we had soccer games in the late morning and early afternoon. Courtney's game was first and it went well. While she napped in the afternoon, Bryan and Ethan went to his game. Then Bryan took our soup over to the party set up while I got the kids in their costumes. Grandma and Grandpa Oman brought them over candy and took photos and then we were off to our party!
The kids don't go for the food until the bounce houses have filled up with people, so they were bouncing for quite a while. When they were tired of that, they ate a hotdog and then wrestled on a lawn with their friends. At this point we lost Courtney's socks and hair bow, but she didn't seem to care.
When things were winding down at about 6:30 or so, groups got together to take kids around the neighborhood trick-or-treating. Courtney's best friend, Hayley, sought her out and so they went together with Hayley's older sister and her best friend. Their moms were great to take them around! Ethan hooked up with a bunch of friends and they went around with another parent. Bryan stayed behind to help clean up and I went home to greet the trick-or-treaters.
I had bought 6 bags of candy (yeah, I know, last year we gave out pencils but I had a coupon and the candy was WAY cheaper than the pencils, so I decided to cave in) and it was almost gone by the time Ethan and Courtney returned home. They then took over the handing out candy duties and when we ran out Ethan had me give him candy from his bag to hand out!
We then turned off the outside light and began sorting through the kid's candy. They got to eat one piece and keep 5 pieces for later, then the rest was put back in their sacks to wait for the Halloween Fairy to take it away at night. (The Halloween Fairy takes the candy and leaves a toy in its place.)
Bedtime was late and they slept great! They loved their Halloween Fairy toys too! Great Halloween Night!!
It was a crazy Saturday. We carved, or painted in Courtney's case, pumpkins in the morning and then we had soccer games in the late morning and early afternoon. Courtney's game was first and it went well. While she napped in the afternoon, Bryan and Ethan went to his game. Then Bryan took our soup over to the party set up while I got the kids in their costumes. Grandma and Grandpa Oman brought them over candy and took photos and then we were off to our party!
The kids don't go for the food until the bounce houses have filled up with people, so they were bouncing for quite a while. When they were tired of that, they ate a hotdog and then wrestled on a lawn with their friends. At this point we lost Courtney's socks and hair bow, but she didn't seem to care.
When things were winding down at about 6:30 or so, groups got together to take kids around the neighborhood trick-or-treating. Courtney's best friend, Hayley, sought her out and so they went together with Hayley's older sister and her best friend. Their moms were great to take them around! Ethan hooked up with a bunch of friends and they went around with another parent. Bryan stayed behind to help clean up and I went home to greet the trick-or-treaters.
I had bought 6 bags of candy (yeah, I know, last year we gave out pencils but I had a coupon and the candy was WAY cheaper than the pencils, so I decided to cave in) and it was almost gone by the time Ethan and Courtney returned home. They then took over the handing out candy duties and when we ran out Ethan had me give him candy from his bag to hand out!
We then turned off the outside light and began sorting through the kid's candy. They got to eat one piece and keep 5 pieces for later, then the rest was put back in their sacks to wait for the Halloween Fairy to take it away at night. (The Halloween Fairy takes the candy and leaves a toy in its place.)
Bedtime was late and they slept great! They loved their Halloween Fairy toys too! Great Halloween Night!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)