Bear Lake, Idaho

We just got back from our vacation to Bear Lake. I have to say that it was probably one of my favorite vacations ever! I grew up going to Bear Lake every summer as a child so I was very excited to take my kids there. My grandparents bought a cabin there in 1950 and we are so lucky to be able to go there. It's just a little small town with lots of wide open space. It was so nice to just go and be together. My parents, my brother Mark and his family and my brother Jim and his family also came. We were sad that my brother Greg and his family couldn't make it but hopefully next year! We went out on my parents boat almost every day and the kids loved that (the water was too cold for me!). One day some of us went to Minnetonka cave. I think Justin was a little scared because he wouldn't let us put him down the whole way. It was quite the work out having to hold him because there were 888 stairs to climb and we walked over a mile round trip. Luckily, Dave carried him on the really strenuous parts! On Fourth of July we went to a parade and the kids loved it! Each float threw out candy and the kids were loaded by the end of it. The best part is that we didn't even have to go anywhere to watch fireworks. The cabin two houses up from us put on a huge fireworks show two nights in a row and I don't mean the ones that just stay on the ground. They were just like if you were to go to the display here. Apparently it's some famous ex-football player named Merlin Olson and he does it every year. Lucky for us! One of my favorite parts was going to LeBeaus (the local food place) for raspberry shakes. They are the best and I am really going through withdrawals not being able to get one. The problem is that I now have to lose the weight that I put on while I was up there because I definitely had one too many shakes! I am counting down the days until we can go again next summer!

Justin at the beach

Random shot of the cabin


Justin, Robyn and their cousin Sydney playing at the beach





These two pictures are from inside the cave

The kids in their Fourth of July outfits
Isabelle at the parade

Dave's 33!

For Dave's birthday I planned a day trip to Kartchner Caverns. He has always wanted to go there so I thought that it would be a nice getaway. Tombstone happens to only be about a half hour away from there and Dave loves Tombstone so we ended up going to eat there afterwards. The cave was really cool. There were lots of neat formations to look at and the story behind the discovery was really neat too. Unfortunately, they don't allow pictures to be taken in the cave but you can check out the website for some really cool pictures. I would definately recommend going to the cave but make sure you go in the winter time when both parts of the cave are open. Tombstone seemed very "dirty" to me and I don't mean because there was dirt everywhere! I guess I will have to watch the movie sometime and then maybe I will appreciate it. I think Dave loved it though and that's all that really matters! Happy Birthday Dave! I love you so much and you are such an incredible dad and husband. This is us at Tombstone

This was the best part of Tombstone for me- deep dish apple cobbler! Yum!

Recent Happenings . . .

Justin started swim lessons two weeks ago and loves it! He takes them with his cousin David and I love watching them learn together. They have so much fun jumping off the diving board, doing "monkey walks" and singing songs in the pool. He didn't like putting his face under water at first but now he doesn't mind and he loves everything else. He looks forward to going every day and it has been nice to have an outdoor activity for him to do even though Isabelle and I melt! Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get very good pictures because I dropped our camera in the sand at Rocky Point and now it won't zoom but here are some anyways!

Doesn't he look excited! He really was but I guess just not to take a picture.

Justin and his cousin David

Robyn is excited that it's summer or more importantly, that school is over. It is hard to believe that she is going to be in fourth grade next year!

Robyn up in Payson

Isabelle had her 9 month check up this week and she apparently isn't as chubby as we all think she is! She was only 50% for both height and weight which is down from her last check up where she was 70% for both. She does still have quite a large head though at 77%! The doctor said everything else looks great and she is right on track developmentally. She is pulling herself up on everything and is getting very good at cruising. She even took two steps the other day when Dave stood her up and let go! She is growing up so fast. I won't post any pictures of her since I haven't taken any new ones since the last post.

As for me I am proud to announce that I have officially hit my goal weight! I have been on a 1450 calorie diet for the past two months, working out with a trainer and wearing the bodybugg. If you don't know what it is check out the website. I have lost 12 pounds and now that I'm at my goal I hope to keep going. I never thought that I would have to go on a diet since I was always skinny growing up but I am not one of those lucky people where the babyweight just melts away. Whoever said that nursing will make the weight disappear was a liar! It's been a lot of hard work but well worth it. I am not trying to brag but I decided I should post this so that when I am in the same situation after the next baby I can look back and remember that I lost the weight once and I can lose it again! Also, I woke up with two very swollen, red and itchy ears today! Definately not attractive! I think it is cellulitis (not to be confused with cellulite) which my college friends might remember that I had freshman year, but the doctor wasn't convinced and just sent me home with no help or medicine at all. I hope this goes away fast. . .

As for Dave, he was able to go on a three day campout with the YM a couple weeks ago and had a blast. Dave loves camping but unfortunately we have never been able to go as a family since camping with babies is not very fun! He was grateful for the opportunity. He has also been working out hard and is looking great! His birthday is this Saturday too! I have a fun day trip planned so more pictures will follow.

A big thanks to my parents for coming down this weekend to help with the kids and the house. We got a lot of the finishing touches done and hopefully the landscapers will finish soon so I can post pictures finally!

9 months!

I can't believe Isabelle is 9 months old already! We love her so much. She's got a great personality and some of the chubbiest thighs you have ever seen with multiple rolls on them! She is crawling all over now and sticks anything and everything into her mouth that she finds along the way. Just today she pulled herself up to the standing position for the first time. She is eating finger foods and isn't really caring for the jarred food much anymore. She seems to spit it all over me now everytime I feed her! She is starting to play "games" like if you shake your head back and forth she will copy you. She also makes the loudest clucking noise with her tongue and can even turn her tongue upside down. We are so grateful for her and the joy she brings us!


These first two pictures are from last Monday when we went to the Payson Fish Hatchery.

Now that Isabelle is crawling she doesn't really want to hold still for a picture. These are the best that I could get of her today!

Beautiful Rocky Point

We took a family trip to Rocky Point over the weekend. Unfortunately, Robyn couldn't come because she would have missed half of the last week of school, but we definately thought of her while we were having fun! I can't say it was too relaxing because there isn't really any relaxing when you have such little kids but it was nice to escape the normal daily life. Justin loved the pool the most and would have spent all day in it if we let him. He was quite good at making friends and adapted to being in water quickly. Isabelle also loved the water. The first time we put her in the ocean she started panting like a dog and wiggling all over This is what she does when she gets really excited. It was so cute! I was a little worried when we woke up to Snoop Dogg playing very loudly and someone yelling the F word on the first night, but luckily they checked out the next day. We really didn't do anything other than hang out at the beach and the pool and eat but it was a great time! Oh, and it was great to miss the 110 degree weather that Mesa had while we were gone too! If only we could have stayed longer. . .

Are you Prepared?

Check out this website I found that has a food storage calculator. I was shocked at how much I need for my family for one year. Here are just a few things that my family of five needs: wheat 600 lbs., rice 200 lbs., dry milk 240 lbs. I thought I was doing pretty good with food storage until I used this calculator! I guess the next step is to buy more and then find room for all of it! The Provident Living website also has a calculator but not as specific if you want to check that one out too.

Tagged!

What I was doing 10 years ago:
I was finishing my first year at BYU

5 things on today's to-do list:
1. go to the gym
2. return stuff to Target
3. pick up some paperwork for Justin's preschool
4. play with the kids
5. My daily ritual of going to QT for a drink

5 snacks I enjoy:
1. Fruit
2. Weight Watchers 100 calorie fudge bar
3.Angel food cake with strawberries and whip cream
4.Think Thin brownie crunch
5.yogurt

5 things I would do if I was a billionaire:
1. Travel
2. Pay off the house and credit cards
3. Set up college funds for all the kids
4. Give money to Dave to open a reptile business
5. Shop till I drop

5 bad habits:
1. being lazy
2. I'm messy
3. drinking caffeine
4. watching too much T.V.
5. procrastinating

5 places I have lived:
1. Redding, CA
2. Multiple apartments in Provo, UT
3. Gilbert, AZ
4. Higley, AZ
5. Mesa, AZ

5 jobs I've had:
1. Mucking horse stalls
2. Hostess at Carver's steak house
3. Hostess, busser, and server at Black Angus
4. Fourth grade teacher at Benjamin Franklin Charter School
5. Mom

A long time ago my friend Melissa tagged me and I was supossed to name 6 quirky things about myself but I couldn't come up with that many so I never did it. I did think of one though and that is that I count things in my head a lot, especially when I'm in the car. I count things like light poles, signs, etc. I know, it's kind of strange.

I tag Chandler and Tiffany