BACKSIDE OF GUNSTOCK

That's where I took my kids today.

We hiked up and down in about two hours.

It was a good workout.
We even took Mickey.
The other pugs were sad,

but no way they could have made it.

The view at the top is the sweet reward for all the hard work it takes to climb up.

(just praying we walked away TIC free)

EVERY NIGHT

Does this happen in anyone else's house?  I call my family down for family scriptures and prayers and have to endure about 20 minutes of THIS before we settle down for bed.  Okay, secretly I love it and it makes me laugh.  The family that PLAYS (and prays) together STAYS together, right?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KLO

Today I celebrate my daughter's that are here along with the ones that are not.

Happy Birthday Kadee Lynn!

KELLEY'S IN TOWN!

All the way from Virginia with her two CUTE kids in tow.  We've hit the beach, got a pedicure, had some fabulous dinner out and hit the ice cream shop a couple of times.  She's been a much needed distraction for me. :)  Thanks Kelley for a wonderful time! xoxo

GROUCHY BEAR AND GOLDILOCKS

This was an email that my dad sent out this morning.  It made me SMILE.  I love my Grouchy Bear and my Cute Goldilocks mother. :)

Goldilocks came in from the garden yesterday with two large bags of beans.  The grouchy bear that lives here was amazed as he watched her sit in the kitchen and began to snap the ends off of the beans and then put some into the plastic bowl, some into the metal bowl and some into the blue bowl.  She explained that into the plastic bowl went the beans that were too large, too lumpy and too fibrous.  Into the metal bowl went the beans that were too small and too limp.  Into the blue bowl went the beans that were absolutely perfect in size, in shape and texture. When the resident bear asked Goldilocks what she was sorting the beans for she said, "why the beans that are perfect I will save for our honored guests; the beans that are too small I will save for the chickens; and the beans that are large, lumpy, fibrous and have rust spots I will save for you Mr. Bear - - but only because I love you the best."

And the bear was happy.

THE LONG TRIP HOME

After saying goodbye to family and friends, we were dropped off at the airport around noontime. (thanks Tina)  Our flight was scheduled to leave around 2:15pm.  But then a HUGE lightening storm rolled in and caused delays all around.  All the workers were pulled inside until the storm passed which meant no planes could land or take off.  It lasted close to two hours.  We finally were able to board our plane around 5pm.  They promised our connections would be holding for when we arrived.  (we flew into Baltimore, MD before reaching home)  Traveling is one of my least favorite things to do.  It's dirty and germy and I always feel so yucky.  There were no seats in the over crowded airport so we sat on the ground.  (gross)  The long flight to Baltimore smelled like dirty socks with an occasional gas attack.  Someone had some MAJOR gas...to the point that I think I held my breath for minutes, occasionally sneaking in a sniff of oxygen only to realize that the smell was STILL there.  Stevie had me laughing SO hard with her convulsions.  We endured lots of turbulence...you know, the kind where you feel as if the plane is going to plummet to the ground.  It was freezing so we ordered hot chocolate at 10,000 feet.  Inevitably there was spillage.  Spillage onto my flip flops.  (thanks Stevie)  The flight arrived at 11pm...the time that we were supposed to arrive in NH.  We hurried off the plane, running to our next gate where they were holding the plane, all the while I was sticking to my flip flops as a result of the hot chocolate spillage at 10,000 feet.  There was no way I was losing my flops running through the airport...(that's a good thing, right?)  We made it to our gate, only to realize that there were delays all over the states and the plane hadn't quite arrived.  In the interim I had Stevie fetch me some wet paper towels so that I could "unstick" my feet from my flip flops.  (sick)  We didn't have to wait too much longer and was finally able to board our second (and last) plane.  We were exhausted along with every other passenger on that plane.  They made us sit for an hour while waiting for luggage to arrive from all the delayed planes.  Another short hour and we arrived to NH.  Another hour (2am) and we were home.  It was a fantastic and memorable trip, but it is oh so good to come home.

ONE LAST SWIM

Before leaving town, Stevie and I joined the Hutchins' Families for one last dip in their lovely Lindon pool.  I'll miss my brother's and their cute families.  Thank goodness we're stuck with each other for the eternities...I don't think I could live without them! :)

THE PROFESSOR'S IN THE (BYU) HOUSE

This morning, I got to join Zach and Alana as they ventured out to look for rental homes and to see his new office at BYU.  While we were on campus he treated me to some Jamba Juice for breakfast.  I could never pass one of those up.  As we were walking around on the campus I commented to Alana how she looked like a student with her backpack.  That's when she piped up and said, "um...you're carrying a back pack too AND wearing a BYU shirt...you scream student".  Okay, she got me there.  (I failed to mention that I have a few more smile lines than 99% of the students there, but it was fun feeling young for a few moments) Most of the time I just felt like the second wife or perhaps the nanny as I couldn't get enough of their baby.  

Love me some CHEEKS! :)