Family Reunion Day 3!

Friday, breakfast was being served between 7:30 and 8:30...we missed that! We didn't wake up until 8:45 and we were supposed to meet everyone for hiking at 9:00. Luckily everyone was a little behind, too, and planning on meeting around 9:30! We quickly got ready, ate some cereal in the hotel room, and Ben ran down to the General Store of the hotel to buy one of those kid hiking backpacks. We forgot the Baby Bjorn, so Ben planned on carrying Sophia during the hike. I noticed that backpack there the night before, and though it had a hefty price tag, talked Ben into getting it! Since we have hiking trails all around our neighborhood, he knew we would get good use out of it! At the end of the hike he said it was the best investment of the trip! LOL Anyway, we met everyone at 9:30 at one of the hiking points, sprayed ourselves down with sunscreen, got our camel packs and headed down the trail. Aubrie had Ben's camel pack, and thought she was so grown up. She loved her easy access to water. The hike down was so cool. It looked like this! I couldn't get enough pictures, and was sad that I didn't bring my nicer camera for some better close ups! When we got to the bottom of the trail we had an option to finish the hike on a .6 mile trail, or a 1.8 mile trail. We opted for the longer one, since the kids seem to be doing well, and Sophia fell asleep in her backpack!! Yes, amazing, huh?! I think we are going to be using that thing in Church! J/K Anyway, about 5 minutes into that hike, Aubrie complained that she thought she might have a blister, so I stopped to look for some Mole Skin in my backpack (it should have been there from Havasupia ) but couldn't' find any. That put us behind everyone else, and we never caught up! I was very proud of Aubrie. It was a tough hike and she did it all on her own with shoes that were a little too small for her. The boys weren't as tough. Ben carried Ethan for half of it (with Sophia still on his back) and Boston got some piggy back rides from his Aunts! I'm still glad we did that hike. It was very beautiful.

When the hike was done, Sophia was up and in a happy mood. She loved being carried around in the backpack! We then went to the visitor center to check out a movie they have on Bryce Canyon. The first 5 minutes or so told you about how the canyon was formed. That was cool. The rest was pretty boring. We went back to the hotel, and swam some more, ate lunch, and then the kids went over to hang out with the cousins by the RV park! They set up some slip and slides, and had fun doing that. I stayed behind at the hotel while Sophia slept, and finished my book!

Dinner was BBQ Pulled Pork and was so YUMMY! It started raining a little before dinner, so all the picnic benches were strategically placed under trees! We were planning on going to the Rodeo that night but, because of the weather, we changed things a little. We ended up doing our Awards Night/ Testimony meeting instead. Every kid got a fun kind of award for their talent. Then Nicole presented a slide show that she had put together, with tonz of family pictures. Seeing the old pictures of Grandma and Grandpa Jenkins was my favorite. Sophia really started fussing during the slide show, so it was a challenge to keep her entertained and watch at the same time. After the slide show, I put her down and came back for testimony meeting. It was great as always, and don't pass out people, but I bore my testimony, too! I used to bear it all the time as a kid, youth, and young adult. Once I married Ben, he kind of stole the show in that area! LOL Afterwards, Aubrie and I stayed for some Catch Phrase (left that there dang it!) and some Nertz! (sp?) I was getting tired fast and knew we had a big day planned, so we went back to the room at 11:00. Aubrie was Chatty Cathy and kept me up for another hour. By then I was wide awake, and Sophia was coughing like crazy. The last time I looked at the clock was 1:30 AM (after I took some NyQuil Ben had in his bag!). It still was another great day! Hiking, finishing my book, and ending with a spiritual high!

The Jenkins (Lorraine, Gail, Lisa, Amy, Bonnie, Julie, David, Grandma and Grandpa, and Jim)

They always had snacks in the Conference Room. Ethan took a bite of this Oatmeal Raisin and kept trying to give it to everyone. How nice of him! LOL

Day 1 & 2 of Jenkins Reunion!

Every two years, Ben's Mom's side of the family (The Jenkins) have a family reunion. So far, Ben and I have been to 3! The first was at Zions and Aubrie was 3 and Boston 7 months. That was hard! I felt as though I spent most of my time chasing after kids! The second one was at Disneyland and Aubrie was 5, Boston almost 3 and Ethan was a newborn. That wasn't as hard! The two oldest were self sufficient, and Ethan would sleep anywhere! This year it was at Bryce Canyon and you'll soon find out how hard or easy it was!Wednesday we decided to head out earlier than our planned 4:00 pm departure. We originally were going to stay in Page for the night and then drive through to Panguitch. Instead, we skipped piano lessons, and left at 1:30 and drove straight through. The drive was like any normal drive, these days, which included the kids watching movies and playing video games, while Sophia fights going to sleep! She is getting better at her crying spells and I am looking forward to the day that she watches TV and sleeps just like the other kids!

Ethan Fell asleep within the first few hours! Aubrie Fake Sleeping:) Sophia fighting sleep! Ugh! Finally asleep! The temperature in Flagstaff! What would that be like?Overall, the trip up was pretty good. We did take a detour around Page, due to some construction. We had never gone that way before, and it was a really pretty drive. Unfortunately, the cops must like that area as well because Ben got pulled over. Luckily he was let off with a warning. I think he softened the cop up a little as he was walking with Sophia as the cop was pulling up his information. I'm so glad he got off with a warning!

If only all cops were like this!:) This cop car was set up in Kanab. Guess they don't have enough money for Highway Patrol!:)We finally rolled into Bryce about 10:00 PM Utah time; we forgot about the time change! Luckily we decided to drive straight through, because I don't think we could have made the Parade the next morning if we hadn't! The Hotel, Ruby's Inn, was much bigger than we expected. We figured it was a small place so it would be a little cozy hotel. We were so wrong. I guess people come from all over the world to check out Bryce Canyon.

Thursday morning we were able to sleep in a little, which means 8:30! Ok, I know it really was 7:30 our time, but its all psychological, OK! We got ready in our Red, White and Blue to go celebrate Pioneer Day in Panguitch Utah! The 20 minute drive to Panguitch, took us through the Red Canyon, which I couldn't see in the dark the night before. It was so beautiful! I couldn't get the pictures I wanted from the car, and we never had the chance to stop and take pictures or hike there!:( Maybe on our next Utah trip!Panguitch is a small little town, that we always drive through on our way to Provo. To give you perspective of how small the town is, we were able to arrive at the Parade when it started and get great seats! It's probably since half of the town needed to be in the Parade. LOL Anyway, the parade consisted of people driving by in cars and throwing candy and even Otter Pops at the kids. Darth Vader and Boba Fett also made an appearance, and the Fire Truck also shot their hose off, which felt great after sitting in the sun for an hour. In order for the parade to last that long, the parade had to come back the way it came. So there was no fear of missing anything. Ha! The kids had fun, except for Aubrie, who was not feeling well. She had a bad headache. I think she had altitude sickness.After the parade, we all gathered at a nearby park while the kids played and the adults socialized and played cards. At the park, the Firemen put on a BBQ fundraiser, so Ben waited in the FOREVER long line (I think the whole town was there) for the food, while I stayed at the playground with the kids. After lunch, Sophia was on the verge of a breakdown, so we rushed back to the hotel to put her down for a nap. While she napped and I read my book, Ben took the kids to swim. They didn't stay long, since the chlorine levels were off the charts. The kids came back with burning red eyes! I should have brought their goggles! We had dinner at 6:00 in a grassy area in the RV park (two families brought RV's and the park was right by them!) The kids had a blast playing in the grassy area, and the kids actually ate some of the meal (Taco Salad). I was actually impressed how they never complained about the meals people made. They just just went with the flow. I guess Boston did say once, "Mom, when can I have some chicken. You know like nuggets." I think he was confused why he wasn't getting his normal vacation menu! LOL After dinner we met in the hotel's conference room (which was just down the hall from our room...sooo NICE) for the talent show! Aubrie and Boston put on a comedy routine, Boston sang, "I Stand All Amazed",and caused several to cry including me (it's my favorite hymn...OK!), and Aubrie played a few of her piano pieces. Ethan ran up and gave them hugs each time they finished! Matt and Nicole put on a skit and introduced the coming of their new baby. It was cute, and everyone was surprised! After the talent show we all went to bed. Well.... I read a little first!:) It was a great day!

Parties and Movies

This past week hasn't seemed too busy, but I also felt as though I've accomplished nothing! The trade offs! We spent a lot of time around the pool, including Sophia. Since she started walking, she seems to be doing much better in the pool. She likes to play on the big step. Luckily, in the day, she doesn't "take off" on me, because the pavers are too hot for her feet. She tried escaping only a few times before she learned her boundaries! It's like an invisible fence! ha!

Wednesday I ran some errands with the kids which included getting fabric for my Mom's shower curtain (her surprise birthday present) and then I took the kids to Chick-fillet! They had a good time, especially Sophia, now that she could walk around the play center. Wednesday night, the Young Women came over for a swim party. The girls seemed to have a fun time, and it was fun getting to know some of the new girls, and leaders, better.

Thursday and Friday are a complete blank for me. I do remember spending one of the days around the pool for most of the day, our red skin attested to the fact. Even the neighbor kids came and joined us for awhile. They haven't been able to come over much this summer, so the kids were so excited to have them over. Friday Aubrie had her first Activity Day, which was a swim party. She took advantage of the fact that I wasn't around, and started back diving, again. She said she didn't remember Ben telling her not to do that! LOL That girl is an adrenaline junkie! After Activity Days I took her straight to Layken's birthday party. It was a late nighter, like Aubrie's . They swam, had pizza, watched a movie and did their nails. She was looking forward to that party all week. She had a great night! While she was at her Activity Day's Ben took the boys to see Batman- The Dark Knight! They really liked it! When they got back we went to Carumba's for dinner, and then stopped by Home Depot for some more bead board. Yes, we can't stop!!! So far we have done the girls rooms and their bathroom, the laundry room and now the boys bathroom. What can I say? I lived back east for way too long! I would have wood paneling throughout my whole house if I had a money tree! Anyway, we went with a natural wood panel this time, because their bathroom is a beach theme. It looks really cute! Ben has been a great sport the past couple of rooms! I think he might actually enjoy it now!:)

Saturday we got a lot of chores done around the house, and then my Mom, Aubrie and I went and grabbed lunch at In & Out, and then saw the Batman movie!! It was really good, much better than the first! Heath Ledger did an AWESOME job as the Joker! It was really long, and there were a few times I thought it was over, and then it just kept going! I felt like I was really getting my money's worth! Ha! Saturday night Ben and I went to Tom Allen's 40th birthday party. It was a surprise party held at Speed Street indoor race track! Ben and I have always talked about going there on a date night, but never got around to it! We showed up about an hour too early, so we spent our time in the arcade, (me whipping Ben at air hockey and me not even attempting to beat him at Ms. PacMan) and then I went over to help set up the party room. Susan had Olive Garden catered in for dinner, and then we had fun socializing and racing! The boys were too funny, analyzing every little reason they weren't faster than the other guy! Male egos! LOL It was a fun night! Ben and I will have to go there for a date night, and race each other! I'm sure he wants another shot at air hockey, too!

Sunday Boston came down with a fever so Ben and I played tag team, him coming home after his lesson second hour, so I could give my YW lesson. Turned out they had to set apart the Laurel presidency, so I was only left with 14 minutes to teach. Of course, I had a huge lesson planned, and panicked as I tried to cram as much as possible into that time. Not my best lesson! Oh, well! I hope they got the point! After church Ben and I took turns taking naps. While Ben was napping the kids all played "house", including Sophia. Sophia was like their real live doll, and they had fun dressing her up, etc. I think she liked being included! So while they did that, I got to catch up on my book (Work and Glory 5). Then it was time for my nap, and it was Heaven!!! When I woke up I scrambled to make a salad for dinner. Ben's Aunt Gail is in town, so we all went to Ben's parents for dinner. The kids did well, including Sophia. They kept themselves entertained to the point where I didn't have to watch them! It was a nice time catching up with Gail and a great time for the cousins to play. I wished we lived closer to Matt and Nicole It because the kids get along so well!

Today was a worthless day!! Boston woke me up early because he had a bad cough. He crawled in bed with me, which means restless sleep. Sophia went down for her morning nap earlier than normal, probably due to her late night, and so I climbed back in bed for 45 minutes while the kids quietly played video games (yeah, I know...Mother of the Year Award!LOL). Anyway, I got up to start another load of laundry, and then the phone rings. I look at the caller ID to see that it's the paediatric dentist! Instantly I remembered the appointment all three had, that they were already 30 minutes late for! Ugh! I made my apologies and told them I would reschedule when school starts! It's so hard to get a good day, and I blew it! Oh well! Life is way to good to get worked up over missed dentist appts, right? I just feel bad when I inconvenience someone else! Sophia took a huge afternoon nap (3 1/2 hours) and I went swimming while the kids watched Hercules. I kept begging them to come swim, and they weren't interested! What is wrong with these kids! Sick of swimming? How is that possible.? When Sophia finally did wake up, I took her out with me and we had a great time! The kids and Ben joined us right before dinner. Dinner was Hawaiian Haystacks, FHE was on Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy, and dessert was Jumba Juice (buy one get one free coupons on line right now!) Now it's time to start packing for the family reunion! I'm really excited for this one, because I think our kids will have a really good time! It's all about the kids!!!

Aubrie's Favorite Things!

Aubrie June 2001Aubrie April 2008

Aubrie and I had a Mother/Daughter day today! We went to Justice (of course) and hit many other stores in the out door mall. We had lunch at Chili's (her choice) and she got the ribs! She was very polite when she needed something from the server, and she acted so grown up. I realized how mature she is without the chaos of the other kids! I'm thankful for our time today! It really helped me appreciate her more, and the great girl she is! She really has been trying hard to be more respectful, dependable and helpful. I'm grateful for her!
Here are her favorite things!



KITTENS! -we just went to Petsmart today and she didn't want to leave. She knew she couldn't get another one, so she told me to call Krista so she could get one!

Food- Ribs, Steak, Life Cereal, and Pop Tarts

Zachary Montez

Webkinz- she can't enough. Especially since I don't' let her buy anymore! She has made her wishlist online, and has memorized them all! LOL

Dolls

Sophia (Sophia LOVEs her too!)

Spending time with Grandma Beverly

Reading to Grandma Beverly

Playing Lego Indiana Jones Video Game

Hannah Montana

High School Musical

Swimming

Diving

Her new SMALL hoop earrings

Staying up late and watching movies

Sleeping In!:)

Being needed!

Fun piano songs

Hanging out with friends

Text messaging Amber and Ben

Taking pictures

MY favorite things!

I figured since this is a journal I should record some of my favorite things! So here it goes...
-raindrops on roses
-whiskers on kittens
-door bells and sleighbells....ok...just kidding! I do love that song though and it drives Ben CRAZY when I sing it! Here it goes for real!

-Journaling:)
-Taking pictures of my kids, and of landscapes!
-my small camera
-Chapstick (original only)
-Reading (Anything Stephenie Meyers is my favorite these days; and also loving The HOLY Secret and any good parenting book)
-Traveling-wish it were Hawaii this year, but Sophia is too young!
-Newborn babies-could hold them for hours if I had the time (that's when being a Grandma will be so GREAT!)
-Serving in Young Women's (they make me feel young)
-Text messaging!
-80's music and the Wicked CD
-Watching Everybody Loves Raymond episodes with Ben before we go to bed (good, cheap therapy sessions!)
-Driving really fast with the right song, when I'm all alone in the car! Hee Hee
-Big Post It's for "to do" lists!
-Outdoor stuff (swimming, camping, hiking)
-Organizing (when I have the time! I love plastic containers!!)
-my hair straightener!
-hearing my kids laugh!!!!!
-a clean house!
-new decorations for my house
-air fresheners! ( creamy nutmeg wallflower is my absolute fav!)
-a good pedicure
-mint chip (has to be the green kind) or butter pecan ice cream
-summer salad and 1/2 chicken walnut sandwich from Paradise Bakery
-spoiling people that I LOVE!
My top 3 dream jobs would be, besides being a MOM (the best job, but most thankless)
1. Broadway Star (preferably for Wicked)
2. Motivational or Inspirational Youth Speaker
3. Pediatrician
Things I feel most thankful for these days, (Besides the Gospel...because that's a given)
1. MY Family
2. The last 3 Wards that have connected me with AMAZING friends!!!
3. Living in this Great Country
Things I hate the most these days
1. Getting up (still not a morning person)
2 Filling my Gas Tank
3. Getting my kids to read (summer has made them Lazy!)
4. Working out (why can't my body be firm without working out? It worked before I had babies!)

11:30!

11:30 is what time Ethan woke up Friday morning! That boy needs a good 12 hours of sleep, sometimes more. With our crazy summer nights schedule, of watching movies, swimming, etc., he sleeps in like a teenager! Friday we spent most of the day swimming and hanging around the house. I also got rearranged some things around the house. I was getting a little sick of my decorations, so I mixed them up a bit! It's amazing how changing a few things around can make a difference! Ben went golfing in the afternoon, which put him home close to 7:00, so our date night started late. Our date night consisted of Panda Express, a trip to the mall, and The H0me Depot! I wanted to paint our mudroom before we put cabinets in, and I wanted a "fun" color. I let Ben pick. You'll never believe the color he picked out! We got home around 9:30 and we put the boys to bed, and Aubrie and I fell asleep on my bed while Ben finished Twilight. I love that he is reading those books, and that he likes them. Now we have another thing in common!

Saturday, Boston had an early birthday party. The kids brought their bikes and went on a bike ride, had races, and "cleaned" their bikes. In Arizona you have to start something like that pretty early, in the summer anyway! While he was at the party, I got some shopping done and Ben started painting the Mudroom and sealing the tile! When Boston got home, my Mom was about to leave with Aubrie and Ethan for their Saturday "outing"! My Mom was glad that Boston made it back in time to go, but Aubrie wasn't! She started complaining and my Mom told her if she was going to complain she couldn't go. She cried and threw a fit, and said she didn't want to go because it wasn't fair that Boston got to do two things. We told her that now she got to do zero things and she was only punishing herself. When she realized that, she ran out the door trying to catch my Mom before she left. A few minutes later, Aubrie walks through the door huffing and puffing and crying, saying she couldn't' catch my Mom. I tried hard not to laugh! I could just picture her running down the street yelling, "Stop! Stop!" Aubrie then called her and I could overhear her talking to my Mom pleading her to come back. She convinced my Mom to come back for her and before she left she wanted me to hug her. I asked her what she learned from this and she said, "not to think of myself". Hope she remembers! They had a good time, going to the dollar store and having a nice lunch at Sonic, dessert and all!

While they were out, we took Sophia and ran some errands that included a car wash (which Sophia LOVED to watch), Sams (It was a great sample's day. We didn't have to get lunch afterwards!), and a stop at Walmart. We came home and Ben finished painting the room. Here's what it looks like! Again, he picked the color! I actually like it, and so does he. Cabinets will cover most of these walls, (floor to ceiling) so only a few spots will show! It's fun to have a small space no one really sees and you can have fun with it!

Last minute, we decided to have the Headrick's over for a BBQ and swimming. Kari made a yummy fruit salad and dessert, and we cooked up steaks and hamburgers! I was a little worried that swimming would be out, because a storm started to roll in right before they got here. Luckily the clouds passed quickly, and we had great swimming weather! It was a fun night for all of us!

Today was a perfect Sunday!! We only had to take Sophia out of Sacrament once, when she got her head stuck between the pew and the wall, trying to squeeze through to the next row! She started one of those "silent" screams, that comes out extra loud a few seconds after the fact. Ben got her in the halls before the scream actually came out! Besides that, she did pretty good. I look forward, however, when I don't have to constantly entertain her for an hour and 10 minutes! Ugh! My Mom stayed home today, so Ben came and put her down for a nap, while we finished the last two hours of Church.Ethan had the scripture today and was so shy and quiet, that no one could hear anything that came out of his mouth. It was still cute! Aubrie had the talk. She was very nervous about doing it. There is a boy in our ward that she has a HUGE crush on, and she didn't wan't to get up in front of him. I thought she would be alright, but as soon as she got up there, she froze and then melted behind the podium and started to cry! Ben gave her talk, while I took her out in the hall to calm her down. I hope she gets over this crush soon! It's making her CRAZY in church!

When we got home, Sophia was still napping and my Mom had cleaned up! AHH! One less thing I had to do! We had some lunch and watched The Best Two Years. Sophia woke up 1/2 way through, and she just hung out in the family room for the rest of it. After the movie, we enjoyed a nice family swim. Ethan is getting more brave, and started doing back dives off the diving board. The older two couldn't' let their younger brother show them up, so they started doing them, too! Today we put Sophia down the slide, and Ben jumped off the waterfall with her in his arms! She didn't seem to love it, but she didn't cry either! After about an hour, a storm rolled in and we finally went in when things were getting blown around. By then, Sophia was ready for another nap, and while she napped we all read. My Mom read a book to the kids and Ethan fell asleep. Guess 8:30 church is too early for him! LOL I got a few chapters of my Work and Glory book in. I am rereading the fourth book, because I don't' remember the details, and then I'm going to finish the series. Of course, I'm taking a break when Breaking Dawn comes out! Dinner was left overs, nice and easy! What a nice laid back Sunday!

LIving up to my Expectations?

When Aubrie was a baby, I told Ben she would start walking at 9 months, and she did. I said the boys would walk at 11 months and they did. When Sophia was 8 month old I predicted that she would walk at 15 months. Well, she turns 15 months in 3 days and here she is! I'm beginning to wonder if they were only living up to my expectations! LOL Sophia started walking "short stints" over the past two weeks, but today she started getting up from the ground every time she fell! Now she doesn't want to be held! Ugh!

4th of July pics!

Ben promised me he would blog our 4th of July weekend. I kept giving him a hard time that if he didn't do it quick, he would forget things. I guess his last entry was an attempt to prove me wrong (i.e. length and detail). Of course, by the time he was done writing his novel, he was too tired to post the pictures. So here they are.

One of the kids in the parade was making balloon animals. The boys hounded him to make these! I guess they felt like they needed better costumes for the parade! The March! The Prize! The Cousins!

The Inflatables! A few of them were turned into "water" rides.

The Rock Wall!

Not sure the name of this?!

Basket Swings?!

Bumper Boats!

Sophia mesmerized by fireworks!

The staging area for fireworks!

Want one?

The 2 Hour Parade!

Sophia trying to entertain herself during a 2 hour parade! Ugh!

One of the girls favorite pastimes, besides hanging out in a secret fort in the woods! The kids also enjoyed playing, Apples to Apples, Operation, and Trouble.

The result of one of the 3 rainstorms of the trip!

Some like it HOT HOT HOT!!!

Thursday was another scorcher in Phoenix. Only 115 degrees! I had had it with the extreme temperatures and was ready for a break. Luckily a few weeks earlier my aunt Nancy invited us to join their family in Prescott for the 4th of July weekend. I was excited to see Nancy and her family and especially to get out of the heat! I got up early on Thursday morning and got a lot of work done. I was able to get home sooner than expected and help get the car loaded up and ready for the trip. Rachel had already done the majority of the work which was nice. It seems that she usually gets the majority of the work load when we go on vacations. I am lucky to have her. We got everything ready to go and then had to wait around while Sophia finished her nap. Once she woke up we got all the kids into the car and then headed north. We headed up Lake Pleasant Parkway and got to sit in a long line of traffic. Finally a police officer raced ahead of us on the shoulder and started to direct traffic. We would have been there for another 15 mintues if he had not gone ahead of us. The trip up to Prescott went well and we hit a little bit of traffic on our way up. The kids didn't really have any idea of where we were going on what we had planned. They were excited to see Quinten and Margaret and get some good quality playing time in. We got to Nancy's and unloaded. We piled into the house and got everything situated. Nancy started cranking out tacos and we had a great dinner. It was really nice to see the kids play together and get some great time with Nancy and Dan and catch up. I was nervous when I picked up the tv remote and realized that they did not have ESPN! I almost walked out the door and headed back to Phoenix. They did have a computer with internet access so I made due with checking on the scores intermitently.
That night the kids had a great time playing with their cousins. Nancy and Dan have a nice play house off of the main house and the kids spent a lot of their time playing video games in the play house. The kids finally headed off to sleep and we stayed up catching up with Nancy and Dan and talking about the good times. We wrapped it up around midnight and headed off to bed. We had Sophia with us in our room so we had to sneak into the room and then drift off to sleep. I actually slept well and woke up to Sophia squaking. She thought it was funny to see us sleeping and apparently wasn't too comfortable with our peaceful slumber and decided to wake us up. Nancy was busy making eggs and bacon. I felt like we had stumbled into a bed and breakfast. Nancy and Dan did a lot to make us feel at home and spoiled us with lots of attention. It was great! We got everyone ready to go for the parade that morning. On the morning of the 4th they do a parade for the kids. The kids can dress up in whatever they want or not at all. We did not really bring any costumes with us so we put ribbons in hair and tied balloons to things. The kids thought it would be fun to march in the parade. Unfortunately, we had to wait in the middle of the street for nearly 45 minutes before the parade started. Sophia thought that was fun for about 10 of those 45 mintues and began to make us pay for entering her into the parade without her consent. My parents also decided to come up to Prescott for the weekend and were able to come and see us before the parade started. The kids were happy to see them and pictures were taken and hugs exchanged before the parade started. The parade was finally under way and we walked a couple of blocks and then into the main town square. At the end of the parade every child was given a ribbon and everyone was given an ice cream sandwhich. Nothing gets the day started like an ice cream sandwhich at 10:00 in the morning. The kids gobbled them up and then waited to see if there were any left overs. We found a nice place on the grass and hung out for a little while. There were little shops set up all over the town square and we walked around and looked at all the crafts and toys. Dan's dad took the kids on a walk and they found a little shop where the kids put different colored sand into a glass figurine. The kids each got one and added their own sand creation. The kids loved it. I was not very happy about the glass and knew that they would probably not survive the weekend.
We stayed in the town square for another hour and then decided to head over to the fair. The kids were very excited to learn about the fair. They think the only fair that they get to be a part of is in October in Phoenix. The town of Prescott puts on a fair every 4th and it is a pretty big deal. There are inflatible rides for the kids along with bungee rides and climbing walls. We got to the fair at 10:45 a.m. Unfortunately, the fair did not officially open until 12:00 p.m. That included the food as well. We were all pretty hungry and hot. The sun was beating down on us and there was no where to hide. Luckily some other people had come early and set up small tents to hold their spot for the fireworks show later that night. We borrowed a couple of tents for an hour until everything opened up. I was worried that the owners of the tent would come back and kick us out. Nancy and Rachel took off to the grocery store to get food for us and were gone nearly 45 minutes. Dan and I did the best that we could to keep control of the kids. Dan ended up wrestling the kids the whole time while I watched the babies. Nancy and Rachel showed up with chicked and grapes and strawberries. We all chowed down and then headed over to play on the rides. We were there for an hour when Rachel and Nancy decided to take the babies home for a nap. The babies were blitzed and needed some rest. Dan and I stayed and tried our best to watch after the kids. Aubrie and Margaret took off to do the big kids rides. I shadowed Boston and Ethan and made sure that Cletus and Jethro didn't take off with my kids.
The fair was quite the experience. I have never seen more bad tatoos, more flabby butts and more grandma cleavage in all my life. I was in HEAVEN! I spent most of the day walking around throwing up in my mouth! I love to people watch and I had a great time. I took some pictures of some of the more interesting people that I encounted and I am sure that they will make this blog. The names will be changed to protect the innocent :) Around 3:00 p.m. Dan and I rounded up the kids and headed back to their house. I was glad to get home. The kids rambled off to play with each other and have fun. I went into the house and collapsed on the couch. I should have tried to sleep but stayed on the couch and faded in and out. We decided to eat dinner at the house and I ordered Papa John's Pizza. The pizza got there and we all ate it up as quickly as we could shovel it in. We spent the rest of the evening talking and hanging out. Around 8:30 p.m. we headed over to Dan's shop to watch the fireworks. His shop is located above Pioneer Park where we attended the fair. We pulled chairs out of Dan's office and got the fire pit going so that the kids could make smores. My parents got there around 8:45 p.m. and we had a great time visiting. The fireworks finally got under way and they were great! I was really surprised at the quality of fireworks. They went on for quite sometime and the kids were transfixed on all the different colors and shapes. They each made sure that the other knew which explosion was their favorite and why. Sophia really liked them and squealed her pleasure at each new firework display. At the end of the show we packed up and headed back home. When we got home we were all pretty tired and headed off to bed. Aubrie was sleeping in the front room with Margaret on the couch. I was about to fall asleep when I heard her whimpering. I went in and saw that she was not sleeping well. I grabbed her off the couch and put her in bed with Rachel. I hit the floor next to the pack and play and started to drift off to sleep. I was almost asleep when I felt something moving in my armpit. I jumped up and reached into my shirt and felt a crunch. I was done sleeping on the floor and headed off to the front room to sleep. I spent the rest of the night trying to sleep on the love seat. I didn't work out too well and I felt like crap in the morning. We got up and got ready for another day. Nancy was up and handing out monster muffins. The boys were very excited and plowed into the muffins! I got a call from my Dad telling us that we needed to get down the town square quickly because he was holding spots for us and there were people that were giving him a hard time for holding the spots. We got all the kids into the car and headed down. We got there and I dropped off Rachel and the kids. I went to park as close as I could, but could only find a spot 3 blocks away. I grabbed Sophia and put her in her stoller and headed off to meet up with the rest of the family. When we got there I could tell my dad was relieved. I hate having to save seats. You always get the couple of jerks who feel they should be able to sit where they want and not have to come down early and save a spot like everyone else. Once we got settled in I headed off for some Indian Fry Bread and Gatorade to help keep the kids in check. Nancy had created little bags for each of the kids. They had candy and treats and those little snap poppers that you throw at the ground. The little snappers were a great idea except that the kids decided to do what I would do and that it throw them at people and animals of the parade. I thought it was hilarious but several people around me began to complain. One guy in front of me started to make a big fuss and I told him to shut his mouth. It was fun to scuffle with the locals. I later apologized for snapping at him and all was well. The kids really liked the parade and especially liked the various groups in charge of cleaning up the horse poop. There was a Mario Brothers group in charge of poop and Ratapooie. It was fun to watch them interact with the kids. After a couple of hours we were done with the parade but the parade was not done with us. We left early and headed back to Nancy's house. The kids again disappeared into the playhouse and we were left to help Nancy get ready for the BBQ. The BBQ was great and we had hot dogs and hamburgers with all the trimmings. My parents came to the BBQ and we had a great time stuffing our faces and visiting. We had another thunderstorm come through and drizzle on us for an hour. We had 3 thunderstorms while we were visiting. It was great! I remember as a kid that I did not care too much for the rain. Of course I did not live in Phoenix as a kid. The kids really liked the rain and almost did not know what to do. It really cooled everything off and made things much better. Around 3:30 p.m. we decided to head home. We had previously packed the vehicle and were ready to go as soon as Sophia had woken up. We thanked Nancy and Dan and headed out. The drive home went relatively fast and we did not hit too much traffic. It was nice to get back home, but I was not happy with the temperature. It was HOT again and we piled out of the car and headed straight for the pool. The kids spent the rest of the day swimming and enjoying the pool. The had not been able to swim for a couple of days and they missed it. Rachel's mom ran to El Pollo Loco to grab dinner for us. That was nice of her since we were kind of wiped out and did not feel like making anything.
That night we got the kids to bed early since we had early morning church. I headed over to Jarman's for my monthly ritual of bloodlust! That's right baby! FIGHT NIGHT! I really enjoy getting together with my friends once a month to hang out and watch some good fights. It is really fun and not as bad as people think. The fights and sanctioned and gloves are worn. Ultimate fighting is growing very quickly and has already passed boxing. It turned out that it was only Bret and I this night. We usually have 4 or 5 guys. It was good to catch up and watch some good fights. I got home around 11:30 p.m. and got ready for bed. I finished working on my lesson and then headed off to bed.
Sundays are a little tough since we have church so early. I don't mind it and like having church early. The kids aren't so fond of it and don't like being woken up (especially ETHAN)! Church went well and the kids did great. I rememeber how much I did not enjoy Sacrament Meeting as a kid. It was hard to sit still for over an hour. I was able to bare my testimony and share my feelings about our country and, of course, my beautiful wife! The lesson went well and I had more people in my class then I had ever had. I got Sophia for the last hour and she was done. She does not like to sleep in public for some reason and I spent the last hour making laps around the church. We headed home from church and I made sandwhiches for everyone. Rachel had to head back over to church for something with the young women for the Pleasant Valley ward. While she was gone we hung out and tried to rest. When she returned we headed out to the pool. It is so nice to have a pool. It is almost a necesity here in Arizona. Later that afternoon we headed over to the Spooners. I had promised Tony a projector. While we were at church one of the missionaries came up to me and said that they had someone steal a projector out of their car. I had four at home from my days at IBM. I gave them my projector to keep and they were very appreciative. Later I was talking to Tony and told him about the missionaries. He said that he really needed a projector also. I told him that I had an extra and he told me that he would buy it from me. I told him not a chance and told him that I would stop by later that day to give him one. He was blown away. I love being able to help others and give things. It really makes you feel good. We stopped in to visit and ended up staying for over and hour. I brought Tony some of my world famous caramel corn and he and his family ate it up quickly. The kids went and played Wii with Tony's daughter and Rachel and I got to visit with Tony and Wendy. I really like Tony a lot. He is such a great guy. He is like the big brother I never had. Sophia started to melt down so we headed home. It was also getting late and we needed to start the movie of the night. Tonight was to be Star Wars I. I always forget the name of the first movies. I know the ones that I grew up with. Last week we had watched all of the originals and the kids wanted to see the new trilogy. We started with I on Sunday and are currently watching Star Wars II as I type this entry. Wednesday night we will finish the trilogy. I am glad that my kids like star wars and other things that I like. I am sure they like it because I like it and expose them to it. Either way I am glad.
Tonight we had family home evening and the message was on repentance. Rachel did a great job with the lesson. She always does a great job with the kids and in getting a lesson ready. I have always said that if it wasn't for Rachel the Lord would have done away with me a long time ago. She is wonderful and a great mother. The kids love the lessons and love to help in any way that they can. Sophia actually made it through this time and had a fun time keeping us entertained. After family home evening we had an ice cream treat and then got the movie going. The kids are laying all over the family room watching the movie. This is the best! I sure love my family and am grateful for all that they do for me and for the joy they bring to my life.

shopping and WALL-E

This past week we spent our time either getting ready for our trip or just vegging by the pool! Monday I took the kids to a cool little surf clothing shop, not far from here. The boys were so funny about it! When we first got there, Aubrie and I went straight to the swimsuits. After a few minutes, I realized the boys weren't around. I found them in the dressing room trying on clothes they had picked out for themselves. Ethan, especially, kept going back and forth trying things on, not even looking at the sizes. At one point he came out wearing a 2 T shirt wondering why he was wearing a half top. Then he came out wearing pants that wouldn't stay on him. They kept pulling things off the racks saying they wanted this or that. I thought I had a few more girls on my hand! Things were a little pricey in there, so I bought Boston this one shirt he really wanted (knowing Ethan will easily fit in it next summer:), and decided I would take them to Old Navy instead. Aubrie really wanted this bathing suit, and I definitely wasn't going to buy it for her because it was 50 bucks! She kept saying how much she wanted it and I kept telling her how she didn't need it! She is quite persistent (future lawyer) and honestly it was pretty cute, so I told her she would have to help pay for it. She happily obliged, and was in shock when I asked her for her half when we got to the car. She was all, "but Mom, that's all my money". I told her we could take it back, but she was not wanting to do that. I think it was a good leaning experience for her about the value of money. Definitely worth my 25 dollars! Ha! She now wears that bathing suit every day! Our trip to Old Navy was a success. I got the style of shorts (for the boys) I was wanting to get at the surf shop, but for a quarter of the price. Aubrie and Boston walked out with two new soccer balls that they paid for themselves (well, Aubrie had to get a loan from Boston). She was sure to ask Dad for her allowance that night. FHE was on the go! I wasn't feeling good , so we headed to Streets for dinner. In the car, we had our lesson on Independence Day, and how this is the promised land, etc. The kids swam and watched Star Wars when they got home.
Tuesday Ben went to Tuscon, and after a fun day of swimming with the kids, I thought it would be great to continue the good time we were having. I called y Mom and asked her if she could watch Sophia while I took the kids out, and of course she said yes. I was going to take them out for dinner, shopping, and a movie (Wall-E). As I was pulling out to leave, Ben comes screaming down our street. I had just got off the phone with him, telling him my plans, and he was on his way home ( he decided not to stay the night in Tuscon) to surprise us. So he came along. Ethan, Aubrie and I ate at Paradise Bakery (their request) and Boston and Ben at Chipotle. We then did some shopping at Marshalls. We scored big time on school clothes for the boys, and Aubrie found herself a new backpack, "that she has been wanting", supposedly, for a great deal. I figured I wouldn't make her start 3rd grade with a Princess backpack! (How embarrassing! LOL) Boston found himself a Star Wars book he has been carrying around since, and EThan walked out of there with a CARS lunch box. They thought the night was over after that, as they should have!:) But we stopped by the Walters and visited them for a half an hour before we surprised them with the movie. I was kind of sceptical about the movie because, "how good could a movie be, about a robot that doesn't talk?" It actually turned out to be a GREAT movie with some good messages. Here are the reviews! Definitely will be a part of our collection. Who am I kidding, with Ben's DVD purchasing "problem" (does anyone know of a DVD anonymous association? Ha) of course we will! We should start renting them all out! Pribyl Video! Only 3 dollar rental fee..NO LATE FEE's! Ha!
Wednesday and Thursday we hung out and prepped for our Prescott trip. More details to come!:)