Denver Delightfulness

Kristy and Mike
Swimming in the hot tub at Gran and Linda's (Brinn, Jordan, and Ains)
(Jenny, Jordan, and Kristy)


The first 4 days of our trip were spent in Denver with Gran, Jenny, and Kristy. We had so much fun! We were able to meet Kristy's boyfriend Mike. It was actually kind of funny because when we got to Kristy's apartment, Porter went straight to Mike, completely bypassing Kristy. They had never met before, but it was like they were best buds. Porter was Mike's shadow the rest of the weekend. Mike, you were great with the kids and I think they kinda like you! Plus you grill a mean steak.

We spent one awesome afternoon at the swimming pool at the gym. There was a huge kids' area and a lazy river. The kids had so much fun! Brinnley was all over the place. Porter's favorite place was the kid slide. We had two people there with him because as soon as he went down the slide someone would catch him then pass him off to the other person to help him climb up the stairs. Porter cried when we left. Ainsley had fun doing a little bit of everything.

The girls had so much fun playing with their cousin Jordan. We were so glad she was there! She kept them well entertained. She is an amazing girl!

I was even able to spend some time with just the girls shopping and going out for ice cream and a chat. Thanks ladies, I love you and miss you!

And of course we had fun playing with Gran. Thanks for making the visit so wonderful for us! We can't wait to see you again soon!

(We were driving from Denver to Salt Lake on July 4th so we missed all the 4th festivities. No parade or fireworks for us! I was sad but the kids didn't know, so they were okay. Next year the fireworks better be awesome, that's all I have to say!)

Back in Town

We have been gone. A whole month away from our little home. We are back now.

It was a wonderful trip! An eventful trip. I am so grateful we were able to go for such a long time, even though we were homesick towards the end. Now that we are back, I am missing what I left behind.

I miss laughing with and talking to sisters-in-law, mothers, Dad, brothers, nieces, and nephews.

I miss the moderate temperatures. My children had the time of their lives being outside constantly. They enjoyed the simple things like playing in the backyard and riding their bikes. We loved playing at the park and going to the zoo. But it was still warm enough we were able to enjoy swimming, which we did often.

I miss my "reading couch." It's my own little haven in my parents' living room. I enjoyed many quiet afternoons reading from wonderful books while soaking up the sun and feeling the gentle breeze through the open window. I love you little couch!

I miss playing games with nieces and nephews. We just miss you! My kids love you all so much and they are already asking when we will see you again. You are the best cousins a kid could ask for!

I miss going to Zumba with Christi. She is so good that I felt silly. But I loved it so much I bought two of my favorite songs on I-Tunes. I will never forget watching Correene shake it!

I missed watching The Bachelorette finale with all of you. I am sure Dad had wonderful commentary and Mom and Christi had goofy smiles on their faces. Wish I could have been there!

And I am sad thinking that I will miss saying good-bye to Tyler before he leaves for his mission in Chile and hearing him talk in Church. Tyler I am so proud of you and the man that you are becoming! I know you will be a wonderful missionary. We love you and promise to write!

We have been home 5 days now but I put off writing this post because I knew what would happen when I did. I would start crying like a baby. I was right. I miss you all and love you more than you know!

Pictures of our wonderful visit to come soon.

Stories

A few things have happened since the kids and I have been on vacation. I wanted to write them down so I would remember.

We got to Grandma and Grandpa's house Monday, July 5. That night the girls slept in the playhouse with their cousin Maddie. They were set with a movie and popcorn, all cozy in their blankets. I half expected someone to creep into the house in the middle of the night, but no one did. At 7:00 a.m. I heard a siren. Around here it means they are calling for the volunteer firefighters to assemble. I knew what it was and so I drifted back to sleep. Within a few minutes my Dad came into the room holding Ainsley's hand. She was crying. I instantly knew why. My poor girls were soundly asleep in the playhouse when the siren wailed. They thought it meant a tornado and so they were frantically searching for their precious stuffed animals and then they came screaming into the house. Grandpa was awake. Brinnley ran in and said, "Where do we go!" Grandpa didn't know what she meant. It took a minute to understand and then to calm them down. My sweet girls were so upset. But at least they are well trained!

Porter has been quite the entertainer. He is obsessed with doors. My parents' home has a door that leads from their dining area to their beautiful backyard/patio. He can spend a good 15 minutes opening and shutting that door. It doesn't get old. Don't know why, but it is fascinating. And my Aunt that lives with my parents has a cat named Callie. Porter follows her at a distance and then when she is looking the other direction Porter swoops in, pets her, and scoots back again. He has also had lengthy discussions telling her what's what when she does something he doesn't like. He points his finger and words spew from him so fast not a word can be understood. But she gets the idea.

The kids have loved playing with their cousins. We have been busy going to the zoo, playing at the sandbar, walking to the park, and playing in the backyard. Good times!

Before we got to Idaho we spent a wonderful weekend with Chant's family. The best was meeting Kristy's boyfriend, Mike. He and Porter became BFF's in no time. A close second to meeting Mike was the afternoon swimming at at an awesome indoor pool. Everyone had a great time! Thanks fam, we love you!

Two weeks left and plenty more stories to come. Sorry no pictures, my parents still use dial-up. What can ya do?

Birthday Success!

Ainsley had a lot of little helpers blow out her candle with her.

And she got her first Zhu Zhu pet today. So fun! We got home at 1:45 and it is now 3:16. I haven't seen them. They have been in their room playing Zhu Zhu pet, flying pegesus, and they have many pieces of paper that are decorated with stamps (they have been coming out to show me their creations).

Thanks Aubrey!
Hugging Alex.
This is one happy little lady! Thanks everyone for making her birthday a special one!

Party Time!

My good friend Jena said we could have the party at her place. I was thankful because we would have been cramped at my place. It worked out great! Thanks Guy and Jena!

Guest List:
Lily and Lincoln Fish
Aubrey and Eva Lenahan
Ella and Will Quinney
Izzy and Alex Secor


First on the agenda: Lunch
Second: Pinata
Third: Cupcakes and ice cream
Last: Presents

Lunch was nice. We got the kids their PB&J's and then moms and dads took their pizza into the dining room and enjoyed some chat time.

Then the pinata. It was HOT outside, so we just had Chant stand on the stairs and hold the pinata over the banister. It was the string kind, so they each took a turn pulling one string and then the second time around they all grabbed one and pulled at the same time.

The kids waited so patiently for their turn. I was impressed. (Pic above: Eva, Aubrey, Ella, Lily Anisley, Brinn is cut off, and Izzy)
Everyone scrambled to get the candy when the pinata came down.
Enjoying the goods!

Birthday Celebration Preparation

My Ainsley Girl turns 4 next month. Chant and I decided that 4 was a good age to start having friends over for birthday parties. But this year we will be in Idaho for Ainsley's birthday. The poor thing was devastated. I told her that we could just have her party early. So today was the lucky day. I have spent the week planning and preparing. The food preparations got underway last night. I baked the cupcakes earlier in the day and after the kids were in bed Chant and I started the decorating assembly line. Ainsley wanted to have a puppy party. One of my good friends, Angela, has an amazing book with any kind of cupcake you could possibly want to make. Of course they don't look as good as the ones in the book, but I was pleased. In case you can't tell, the top ones are Chihuahuas and the ones below are black labs.

For lunch I made PB&J sandwiches in the shapes of puppies and bones and served them with chips and apples. I think they were a hit. Everyone ate anyway!

Quiet Time

Naptime is like my sanctuary. It is the one quiet moment in the day I have to regroup. But Brinnley will be starting Kindergarten in August and even though she actually does sleep, I need to get her out of the habit before school starts. And Ainsley, let's just say she wouldn't be too upset if she didn't have to take a nap. So Tuesday started Quiet Time in our home. For one hour they are to stay in their room and play quietly. And so far it has been a huge success! We only had one day where the stay in their room part didn't work so good. Yesterday afternoon Ainsley wanted to play the Leapster. She got it out, turned in on and within a minute she was out. But oh boy did she sleep well last night!

Sisters

The last time I was home was in August/early September last year. I have been homesick in these months, but the worst was in January and again in April when my Dad had health problems. I wanted nothing more than to be home. A good close second was last night. I missed my brothers and sisters-in-law so bad it hurt. I just wanted a hug from them. I have been blessed with the most amazing sisters-in-law in the world!

Tracy has been a part of our family the longest, 16 years. Tracy's birthday was yesterday. Happy Birthday, hope it was a good one! She is an amazing cook. She can make the most amazing things from her food storage. It's truly a skill. She is so frugal and can make their money stretch. She is gentle and sweet. She is an amazing mother and wife. She is always doing things for other people, even when she has her own problems and needs the service. She has a huge heart. I have so many wonderful memories with Tracy, including a trip to Hawaii, many Women's Wild Weekend adventures, and shopping the day after Thanksgiving just to name a few. I love you Tracy and I am so glad you are my sister. Thanks for being such a wonderful example to me. You are the one who taught me to keep a journal and I have faithful done so since the summer Lance was born. Thank you for all you do for my brother and for raising such beautiful children. I love you!
Dear sweet Christi has been a part of our family since 2006. Our family would not be complete without her and her 4 wonderful children. We love them so much and cannot imagine them not being a part of us. Christi is an amazing person. She is a hard worker. She is smart, caring, and loving. She is always doing things for people. She loves fall colors and has the best style, always wearing cute necklaces and bracelets. She was my inspiration to branch out into the accessory world. And her sense of style extends into the way she decorates her home. She always has the wheels in my head turning when I go to her beautiful home. She would do anything for her kids, and does. Christi, you are an amazing mother and I have learned so much from watching you. Thank you for willingly joining our sometimes dysfunctional family and for making it better! We love you so much Christi and we are praying for you.
Jen is amazing! I remember the day I met her I was so nervous I wanted to throw up. I mean come on, in order to be related to Chant you had to be pretty awesome. And she is! She is so talented. She has amazing showcase talents, like singing, but then she has other talents that I admire. She is true to herself. She does what she thinks is right. She is loyal. She is talented at helping people work through problems, I know, she has been my shrink a time or two. She is thoughtful and caring. She knows how to have fun. She loves garage sales, like me. Can't wait to hit a few with you! She loves to wear hats, which I love about her. We cannot wait to live closer to you and be able to do things with you. Thinking about it makes me excited!
Kristy is my comic relief and my spiritual giant. I lived with Kristy for a summer while Chant was on his mission. I am so thankful for that time because I learned so much about her. One of the memories I dig up when I am in need of a good laugh involves her and a bat, the kind that flies. Another good one: her, my mom, and a funny story about a hard roll. Always does the trick when I need to smile. And believe me, being with her in person is even better. She has the kind of laugh that is infectious. And it comes so readily. I love that! Kristy is so in tune with the spirit and she can find the purpose and lesson in anything. She is a very positive person. She doesn't like to be hot, like me. Finally someone that can relate! We love you Kris and are so excited to see you in 6 days.

I am so blessed with such beautiful, inspiring women in my life. I love you all and am so grateful for the examples you all are to me. I cannot wait to see you all again and get that big hug that I have been needing from each of you!