Sunday, August 31, 2008

Cabin Out

This past week we decided that we needed one last little get away before Brandon started school. After doing a little research, we found a small cabin up in Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park. The rate was amazing for a fully loaded cabin. We decided that it would be much easier to do our first camping trip with the twins in a cabin instead of a tent and a fire.

We invited some of our friends from our ward, the Finleys. It was wild having four adults and five kids three and under, but it was lots of fun. Brandon and I enjoyed staying up late to play games. Hyrum loved playing with their little girl Sam.

Hyrum and Sam cooking dinner

The kids had a blast together. They loved going from one place to the next exploring the forest. They also liked to see if they could see any animals in the lake. There were many places for the kids to discover. They loved being outside and couldn't get enough.

Most of the pictures I took of Ben were all blurry. He was running so fast and too busy to slow down for a picture. However, you can tell that he is smiling and having the time of his life.
There were many frogs! The kids loved to go looking for the frogs. Hyrum tried to poke them with a stick, Ben tried to touch them and Emmy would scoot back farther each time the frog jumped.
The kids also loved going on walks and taking in all the beautiful majestic scenery.
It was so cute! Hyrum and I were walking in the forest and he told me to close my eyes. Hyrum then went on to tell me that he was taking me to his special spot and I wasn't supposed to peek. He was so excited to show me his special spot. Below are pictures of where he took me to.
Hyrum also loved to play hide and seek in the trees. That has to be one of his favorite games.

It was a great trip to help us relax for the up-coming school year.

Saturday, August 30, 2008

Get Better Soon!

My mom had another intense surgery on her foot yesterday. We thought it would make her feel better and brighten her day with a video from her favorite people in the world.

Friday, August 29, 2008

Chuck E Cheese!

One of Hyrum's best friends Hailey moved away. You may remember her as the cute red head from the soccer pictures posted a few months ago. They have been the best of friends from the first time they played together. Before Hailey left, she came to give Hyrum a going away present which he has loved (a Cars paint set) and Chuck E Cheese tokens. We were sad to see Hailey and her family go and will miss them very much.Later that night we decided that we would spend some time as a family at Chuck E Cheese. It was wild.

Hyrum would run from one thing to the next, so excited to try everything out. He had his wallet with him that had a a little bit of money and tokens in it. He would whip that wallet out so fast and pull out some money to play the game. He really wanted to play a soccer game they had there, but the game was designed for older kids and he couldn't kick the ball hard enough to truly be successful at the game. However, he tried his best.

Hyrum also liked a basketball game they had and the skee ball game. Hyrum liked climbing on their play equipment (like McDonalds), especially since it had a car he could crawl into and pretend to drive.Ben and Emmy really like the toddler section. In the toddler section they had different vehicles that moved that can be ridden in. Emmy really liked the red car with Stuart Little. Ben really enjoyed the firetruck.
The twins also enjoyed the small playground that was in the toddler section. They loved going down the slide.

All the kids really liked a duck game. The ducks would go by on a conveyor belt and you need to push a button to have a punching glove knock the ducks down to get points. Emmy went nuts! Ducks are her favorite animal. She kept coming back to the duck game. Ben also enjoyed the ducks.
We had a great time and we think we might plan a trip for Hyrum's birthday!

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Lake Powell Here We Come!

Some people might say that I was crazy (even I thought I was) for taking three small kids to Lake Powell without Brandon. However, due to the help of my family and the other guests on the houseboat we had a fabulous time. The weather was perfect; not to hot or to cold. There was a slight breeze and not any wind storms. Also, the water was around 80 degrees. The only thing that would have made this trip better would have been for Brandon to be there.

Since I was about ten or so my family and I visited Lake Powell a couple of times a year. Some of my memories growing up are going to Lake Powell as a family.

The kids did a great job at Lake Powell. Even though they had to wear a life jacket all of the time except when they were sleeping and there was not a spot for them to run around they were for the most part very happy and content.

We went down to Lake Powell on a Monday and came home on Wednesday. The kids had a great time. They loved swimming in the water with everyone. The babies especially loved playing motor boat. Motor boat is a game where you start out spinning in circles very slow and then start getting faster and faster. The faster you would get spinning the harder the two birds were laughing.

Little Emmy would mumble her way through the song while you were singing it.

Hyrum loved sneaking up on people and squirting them with water through the water noodles. Hyrum also liked looking for sea shells on the beach to take back to his friends.

The kids loved when my dad would swim in the lake and find rocks to bring to them. My dad would bring the rocks to the kids while they were standing in the boat and they would chuck them back into the water. The kids would get so excited and cheer for my dad when he would find them rocks. They were having the time of their lives. I think my dad was too. Who would guess that finding rocks would make kids so happy.

Hyrum and Emmy were able to ride on the jet ski with Camille.Hyrum and Emily were a little nervous, but seemed to enjoy themselves. Hyrum and Camille on the jet ski

Camille and Emmy

The kids also loved riding on Papa's big green boat. As Hyrum will tell you Papa's boat can go FAST. Both of the boys thought it was pretty cool that Papa would let them help drive the boat.
The kids all got turns on the tube behind the boat. Emmy wasn't quite so sure about the tube, but seemed to enjoy her ride.
Mommy and Emmy

Hyrum liked the tube ride as long as the boat didn't go too fast. He really liked it went Papa rode the tube with him. However, he didn't like the tube so much when it started to sink while he and I were on the tube while the boat was starting to pull. I was very proud of him for being willing to get on the tube again right after going under the water. Hyrum and mommy
Hyrum and Papa

Ben would have stayed out on the tube for hours. He loved being out on the tube. Both Hyrum and Emmy had their fill of the tube and Ben still wasn't finished with his turn. If someone was out wake boarding, tubing, skiing, Ben was trying to climb out of the boat to get to them. Lake Powell was made for Ben.
Camille and Ben
Both babies on the tube with Camille and Mommy
Hyrum and Mommy
Camille and Ben

Even I joined in on the fun. My sister and I rode the tube a few times and had the time of our lives. My sister has a great sense of humor and was making me laugh the whole time during our tube runs. Most of the time I was laughing so hard I could not keep holding on (at least that is my excuse).
Camille and I
I was also able to water ski which made me very pleased since I haven't been water skiing very often in the past couple of years.

After we came back to my parents house, Hyrum helped my dad clean the boat. Hyrum was so happy to help Papa in any way he could.Even though in the pictures the kids' skin is a little read, no one except myself got sunburned.

Overall, it was a great trip and everyone had a wonderful time.