Wheeler Farm

Since this is probably my top 3 places to take my kids we went a few times. 

I love when all my kids are running in front of me - and I am just following behind them.  It makes me feel like they are having a happy childhood full of freedom.

 

We brought bread to feed the ducks - but sadly they were never interested.

 

I took my nephew, Sam, one day.  He was so cute and fun.  Sam can be really... shall we say... full of energy.  But his mom had talked to him about being obedient and calm, and he took it very seriously.   This boy did not pick up a stick or a rock or step on something with out asking me first if he could do it.  It was so funny.

Madison, Sam, Brock, Megan, Noah

 

We haven't found a place quite like this in Denver yet.  Some that have similar qualities - but Wheeler Farm just seems to have a little bit of everything. 

Great's house



I went to Utah with a list of things I wanted to do.  Most of them did not get done - but that is for another post.  But one thing on my list was to hang out at my grandma's house with the kids.  Well, that ended up happening like 5 times!  It was so wonderful.  My grandparents live on this large, secluded piece on land in Holladay Utah.  They built the house when they got married (my grandpa was actually born on the land), they have a hundred year old pear orchard.  It is wonderful.  My grandma has the most beautiful flower gardens all over her property (actually I suppose we should call them my grandpa's now since I am sure he does all the work - my grandma had double knee replacements this last winter/spring.

 

On our first Sunday in Utah we went to their house to hang out in the evening and have dessert.  Megan really wanted to make several flower bouquets.  My grandma pulled out the clipping sheers and all the cousins got in on it.

  

 

 

 

Another Sunday in Utah we went to my Grandma's house to have my nephew blessed.  It was Father's Day and several family members could not come to a blessing during church because of other commitments - so my sister Katie, decided to have him blessed  that evening.  It was a perfect blessing, and a perfect evening.  She has a darling family.

On another trip to "Great's" house we had an "out of school party" with all my cousins (I am one of the oldest of about 25 grandkids - so there are still several little kids.

 

At that party we also celebrated all of the kids' birthdays - since they don't get to celebrate with family in Denver.

and of course - icecream cones.

 

On another trip there we had Brooke's baby shower.  I am SO EXCTED for my little brother and his sweet wife to have their little baby girl.  I am so sad to be away for it.  They are going to be great parents and I am so proud of them for starting their family.

 

 

Going to Utah

I guess it is about time for it to be summer on my blog.  The day school got out me and the kids got in the car and headed to Utah.  Jason had to go to North Carolina for work for two weeks so I thought I should just head to Utah rather than stick around Denver. 

It was the BEST DRIVE EVER!!  We had just gone to Lake Powell about 4 weeks before and it was pretty bad.  Madison and Megan were very whiney and demanding.  When we got in the car I told them that I had to drive and couldn't help them and they would just have to make themselves happy.  It totally worked.  We were in commute for about 10 hours and not one child whined or screamed or teased or fought.  It was wonderful - and we only watched one movie.  They spent the majority of the time reading books or looking out the window.  I really encouraged the "looking out the window" thing this time around.  In our past trips I always had them watching movies during the most beautiful parts of the drive - so this time, since I knew the drive by now, I timed the movie better - from Grand Junction to Price there is NOTHING to look at - so that is when we watched our movie.  The kids loved watching the Colorado River and finding all the waterfalls and different kinds of rock faces and trees.  It was a lot of fun.

 

We stopped at our favorite rest stop on I-70.  It is called "No Name rest stop".  It is very beautiful and has a trail down to the Colorado River.  We ate lunch and went on a little hike.

 

I wasn't going to Utah for any particular reason - just to hang out.  My sister, who also moved to Las Vegas two weeks before we moved to Denver, was also coming to Utah for the same two weeks - so that worked out pretty well.  We started at my parents house in Sandy for about 5 days, then went to Mapleton to stay with Jason's parents for about 5 days, then back to Sandy for another 5 days, then is was supposed to be back to Mapleton for a few days but because of sicknesses we left early.  The next 10 or so post will be filling in the blanks to the above schedule.