Utah: Friends

In June we (the kids and I) went to Utah for about 2 weeks.  We went to Mapleton first (where Jason's parents live).  Three of my best friends from childhood all live in Utah County now so we all got together at Ali's cute farm house in Palmyra for lunch with our kids.  If you follow Ali on social media you have surely seen her transformation of her house and have seen how cute it looks.  Well, let me tell you it is even cuter in person!

Megan Wray McGary (due in about a week with #4), Katrina Hammond Taylor, Ali Hansen Stewart, and me

A word about these three.  How do you begin to talk about people who are literally your past.  These three make up probably 90% (or more) of my memories from about 10 years old to 17.  (it would have been past 17 - but then I met a boy (my husband) ).  Throw in Jenny, Karli, and Nikki and and your up to 99%.  There wasn't a day that went by that I didn't talk to them.  I couldn't even begin to draw the line from where I stopped and they started in my teenage years.  It is amazing to see the women we have become - honestly very different than who we probably all thought we were going to turn out to be. (Ali on a farm?  Trina staying in Utah - Utah county to boot?  Megan homeschooling 4 kids?)  We don't see each other often.  But the love, respect, and happiness is tangible.  I love them and I know they love me.

Between us we have 13 kids (14 now) - THAT is crazy.  Look what we made!

Top left: Noah, Brock, Evan (Ali's), Megan, Ronan (Megan's)

Sam (Megan's)

Madison, Hannah (Trina's), Sydney (Trina's), Livi (Ali's), Abby (Megan's), Mason (Ali's)

Hudsen (Ali's)

14 kids in 8 years by 30 years old.  I guess it might be understandable that we don't see each other all that often - we have been busy.  We had a lot to talk about and obviously a lot of similar life experiences - we could have chatted for days with out stopping.  One thing I will say though (since I am already going for the cheese) I walked away so impressed at what good mom's they all were.  Not that it was surprising or anything.  but truly honesty they are all wonderful mothers who are raising amazing kids.  Sometimes you get with a group of women and it can easily turn negative or you can't wait to leave because their child (or their mothering) is driving you crazy - it wasn't that way at all!  They are wonderful women with strong testimonies who strive everyday to be good wives and mothers.  

I wish I would have thought to take pictures earlier.  The kids (since they are all the same ages) played beautifully together - I don't think we had one fight or argument.  They played for hours inside and outside.  At the very end we put on a show for some kids while we finished up our conversations and I got a quick picture.

Other kids played for hours with dolls in Livi's closet.

I may make a point to do this every time I come to Utah.  I left with my spirits lifted.

Beach Days

We had a great schedule this summer - I will share that in detail in a later post.  But was had days specified for swimming - and many of those swimming days turned into beach days.  

We have 2 lakes within about 15 minutes from us.  It's fabulous.  Lake swimming is far superior to pool swimming.  1) sand - all are entertained the whole time. 2) not as crowded. 3) no life guards - this might be a negative to other people, but for me a plus.  Most pools now a days have rules that you have to keep your kids under 5 with in arms reach - EVEN if they have a floatie or life jacket.  Its absurd and I almost always get in trouble when we go to a pool.  So beach it is!

9 times out of 10 the kids play really well together.  The boys rarely tease the girls - especially not on purpose - and they all enjoy just having fun together - the worst that they do is that they often get to "silly" together - but if that's the worst I'll take it.  The older the get the less I have to do - on all of our outings now I have to remember to bring a book or something for me to do - because they don't need me to play with them anymore - and often when I try I kind of just ruin things.  My role has changed - and that's ok.

They like to play a sort of "king or the raft"  - pushing each other off the raft.

Lair o the Bear

Another one of our Saturday family hikes.  This one is called "Lair o the bear" - I don't know why.  The kids were disappointed to not see a bear or even a bear cave.  But it was beautiful, shaded, and interesting enough to keep us all happily hiking for a mile and a half.

The best part about this hike was the hiking sticks.  They were all able to find really good ones.  I love a kid with a hiking stick!

Noah wanted a picture with his stick on the rock looking like he "claimed" it.

Of course the girls then wanted one too.

We found a good "beach" to throw rocks into the river.

Madison and Megan like to pick flowers for me to put in my hair.

A family joke is, "if you ever want to know where Noah is... look 20 feet behind you."  This is true for hiking.  That is Noah in the black shirt.... about 20 feet behind the girls.

Sorry for the overload of pictures.  It was just a great hike and I was taking a lot of pictures, and I find them all adorable and bring to my mind an emotion of joy, happiness, and freedom.

These two are usually hiking in front - just talking away.

Hiking Castle Rock

I think I have a post previously that talked about how the kids and I went to hike Castle Rock down in.... Castle Rock.   We hiked the mountain up to the rock - but there is no trail up to the top of the rock - you just find a good place to climb and... climb.  I was not 100% confident I could get all four kids up and down with out someone dying - so despite their complaints - we left with out getting to the top.

So we went back the next week with Jason.  Although he was not quite as confident as  I was and was SHOCKED that I even considered/kind-of-tired to climb it by myself with the kids.  He wasn't even sure we cloud do it with him.  I, however, was sure we could to it.

And we did!

The kids felt like we were on top of the world!

Swimming with the Girls

Almost every Wednesday during last years school year the girls and I went swimming.  It was wonderful.  We would drop the boys off and get there by 9:00 am.  We were always the only ones  there... well... the only ones there under 60.  There is a lazy river and all the old people come and walk the river and do water aerobics.  The girls don't really need supervision in the pool anymore - so I would join them.  It was so great - I haven't gotten weekly supersize since I had Megan.  

I would also put the girls in the raft and walk them against the current.

Then we would shower, get dressed, and do our hair in the locker room and then go to Sprouts.  It was awesome!  The girls really bonded (their friendship is not quite what the boys is - and I am trying to change that), and played together perfectly.  I will miss this time with the girls now that Megan is in Kindergarten.

Cub Scouts

Along with turning 8 comes cub scouts!  The week Brock started cub scouts I got released from cub scouts (I had been in it for 4 years).  His grandma Hanna got him all of his cub scout things (book, uniform) for his birthday.  Doesn't he look so cute?!

Shortly after he started cub scouts he had his day camps.  I got to go with him on one of his days.  I twas a lot of fun - although it is not quite the same as day camps in Utah (its just at a neighborhood park) - I think I want to have him and Noah go to one in Utah one summer in a few years.

He was ELATED to be shooting guns and bow and arrow!

He even hit the target... a few time!

We have a great ward and an adorable troop.  I kind of miss it.  But only kind of - it was SO hard to leave every week at 5:45 for an hour.