Our little vacation is just about over, time to head home.  While here in Pismo in our lovely hotel room I got 13 pages scrapbooked!  This is the last one I finished.  So glad we got to come this weekend.

Thanksgiving Utah Trip, loads of pics

We had so much fun in Utah, it went by way too quickly.  I got to bond with nieces and Nephews.  Here I am below with Bryan and Helga's oldest, Makyla.  She is a funny girl, she reminds me SO much of Peyton.

 We started a new tradition this year, kids got served and ate first, then they went to the basement to watch a movie.  The adults got to eat in peace and quiet without any disturbances, it was really nice.

 We took a little side trip to the cemetery in Salt Lake where Tyler's Grandparents are buried.  I had to try not to get all weepy, I miss Tyler's Grandma Williams, she past away when Micah was just a baby.

 We had a huge family reunion with Tyler's Dad's side of the family and the kids got to swim in the pool at my Father-in-laws brother's Apt.

 After swimming and dinner we went to see the lights at Temple Square, the kids got to touch the temple.

 It was freezing and our group got separated a few times but we didn't lose any of the kids in the crowd, not even Ben!

 It snowed just beore we came and of course melted for the most part before we got there.  We made the most of it and found a few piles for the kids to have a snowball (chunk) fight in.

 S'mores for dessert after FHE (out of order, this was our first night there).

 For our "snow" trip we ended up with the boy car.

 Hanging out at Bryan and Helga's beautiful home in Lehi (I think).  The cousins were so cute and really bonded with each other.

 Peyton latched on to Sophie again and Sophie seemed just fine with it.

 Aunt Becca did matching hairdo's for the cousins...

 Peyton had to really try hard not to smile, but she succeeded like always.

 Boys beat girls at Catch Phrase, BARELY.  They were ecstatic.

 Girls bonded, maybe a bit too much!  We were up the night before Thanksgiving until 6am.  Not the smartest thing to do, but it was well worth it, I mean, how often to I get to spend time with my sisters?

 We really do all love each other very much.

 One of my best friends was in Utah for her sons wedding and she came and found me at the visitors center, it made my night!  I love you Allyson!

 Can anyone guess who my new friend is???  After the lights at Temple Square we happened upon a Deseret Book store and I got to meet one of my most favorite authors!

 LeGrand and Becca's house was amazing and perfect for hosting a bazillion people for a week.  Thanks guys, we loved it and miss you all!

Tagging Along

At the end of September Tyler had to go to the exotic location of Bakersfield for work and we went along with him.  Friday evening we had dinner at John's Incredible Pizza and then hung out and relaxed in the hotel room.  The boys played on their i pod touches...

 Peyton slept and Tyler and I watched House Hunters.

 Saturday morning we checked out of the hotel after Tyler left for work and I took the kids to Moo Creamery, they make their own ice cream and a friend of mine that used to live there said we should try it.

 So, the kids ate ice cream for lunch, and then I took them through Jack in the Box drive thru for dessert (burgers and fries).  On our way home we stopped at Bravo Farms, very cool place, they make their own cheese, which I tasted.  They also have lots of animals and a really tall tree house.

 We climbed up all the way to the top, it's filled with all kinds of funny sayings inside and the kids and I had fun reading them all.

 I know this is kind of gross, but it's too funny not to mention.  In the women's restroom they have mother daughter toilets...

More of Family Fun Week, days 4 and 5.

Since I did days 2 and 3 first, now we're on to days 4 and 5. Thursday August 12th we spent at the water park. I didn't even bring my camera. The kids and I all have passes, but Tyler was going to have to buy one. Well, he got into the wrong line, I told him to ask if it was the right line to buy a ticket, someone up ahead heard him and gave him an extra ticket they had! Yay! We rented a tube and took Micah and Jacob on all the "big kid" rides. The Black Hole, Vertigo and Vortex were among the favorites. Morgan was able to drive out with Dustin since she had just gotten her Drivers License! The Dockstaders had brought Essien and we were able to steal him when they left. It was a long day in the sun, longer than we spent at the water park any other day this summer. I haven't been wearing sunscreen the last month or so and I almost got a burn, I looked pretty pink for a few days. It was a fun day though.

Day 5, Friday the 13th! Oh what fun, one of my favorite days. It was miserably hot and somehow I still had a smile on my face at the end of the day. We went to StoryLand and PlayLand. Let me just say, they have done wonders with that place! I hadn't been since they put the Splash Junction in at PlayLand, so it was a pleasant surprise to see how good everything looked.
We got a great deal with a Groupon and we all had all day ride passes. Let's just say that we got more than our moneys worth with those! I also learned that my 2 youngest kids are my most daring. Ben will for sure be my ride partner for the most thrilling rides. We were in line to get on the train (from PlayLand to StoryLand) and go home. I really wanted to take Ben on the Ferris Wheel with me. I had just gone with Jacob and he wouldn't let me flip us over (it was a cage-like one that you could use a bar to make the cage flip). Ben said that he would let me flip him once and if he didn't like it I wouldn't do it anymore. So, we determined we had time for us to go. Ben let me flip him 10 times! He was a little scared but never cried or whined. He told me a few times that we had flipped enough. I said "Can we do it one more time for mommy?" He was such a great sport and he let me, more than a few times. It was so much fun.
Peyton went on the same Ferris Wheel with me but I didn't flip us. At first she was scared, then she said, "It's scary...I like it.!" I rocked us back and forth a bit and then I used the lever to hold the cage still but let go before we flipped. She will be a good ride partner in a few years too.

We all took took turns in Pirates Cove on the paddle boats.

After the first ride, the ferris wheel, we took Peyton on a kiddie roller coaster that was incredibly rough. After that she was done with rides for the next few hours and it took about 3 rides on the Merry Go Round bench in mom or dads arms until she would even sit on the small non-moving pony. After a few rides on that she finally wanted on a big up and down pony, yay! Then she didn't want off.

Splash Junction was a nice cool off break for the kids, minus Jake who hung out with Mom and Dad in the shade. I kind of wanted to chill out in the water too!

If Peyton is happy, in the least bit, she's jumping. Here she is, mid jump.

The biggest hit was the Tilt-A-Whirl. I rode it with each of my boys, many times. Many, many times. I don't get sick on rides and even I started to get a bit nauseated. If you ever go, buckets 4, 5, and 7 are the whirliest.

No idea why this picture loaded this way, but I had to get a picture in action. we laughed so much on this one.

Peyton kept wanting to go on the bug ride until we took her on the roller coaster. Somehow we finally got her on it and she DID NOT want to get off. She rode it at least six times (each ride is about 3 minutes)!

The race cars were a hit too.

The kids can't wait to go back and neither can I! I hope I can get them all to let me flip them on the ferris wheel! Tyler said he wouldn't let me flip him, but you know what? There isn't really any way he could stop me if I got him in it with me....

Millerton, Family Fun Week day 1

Monday, August 9th began what became known as "Family Fun Week" We stuck close to home. We went to breakfast in Old Town Clovis at Sandy's Country Junction. The food was good and the atmosphere was fun. After breakfast we got started on the cars, well, the van and the truck. Truck outside and van inside. I learned that I love to work together as a family, it makes it so much more fun and it gets done more quickly!

We had to put a halt on the car cleaning to take Micah to the orthodontist to get new, thicker wires and an elastic chain. I will post his progress soon. His teeth are looking so good! Micah had a doctors appt. too that I was able to take him to. The Linford family invited us to go to the lake with them for FHE, so that is how we ended our first day of vacation. Peyton spent most of the time asleep in the car but when she woke up she was as happy as can be.

After a good swim some dessert was had.

Here are the big boys, Melissa and I were there too.

The kids had a lot of fun using the Linford's boogie boards.

I know none of these pictures are great, but you get the idea! Ben didn't have the time to stop for a photo.

The sun went down and we went home.