SODA SPRINGS?

Taylor was in the US of A for about a week for corporate meetings. He spent most of his time at corporate headquarters and participating with his corporate team in the Ragnar Relay.  We did see him a little at the beginning and end of his trip since we live pretty close to the airport.  Here's proof that he was here.  Like father, like son don't you think?  They pose for a quick photo on the morning of Father's Day just before Steve took Taylor to the airport for this trip back to China.

Here's Steve talking with one of his kids on Father's Day!  He was so happy to visit with each one and it really added a lot to his day.  He's sitting on a sofa at the Soda Springs cabin/house we rented for our mini family gathering.  We were amazed that Soda Springs would be such a vacation destination.  But we found the area to be quite scenic and full of suprises like the geyser you'll see later. The house we rented had a rustic/cabin-like charm with many original features, like doors, knobs and tile work in the bathrooms.  We loved the interior log siding, the big open kitchen-family room and the frame quilt pictures throughout the house.

 Some of us are really excited to have Heather training to be our own resident, family zoner.  We love having her practice on us--especially me.  Here's a Father's Day zone for Steve.

 The cousins had fun together especially at the pool, on the slides and in the hot pools.  We really didn't have any conflicts.  I guess that is one of the benefits of a short reunion. 

 Here's picture proof that I went down the big slides.  I actually did all four of them.  Yahoo!

 This trip wasn't so much about the food as usual, but we did get homemade ice cream on Sunday evening after family home evening.  Tanner shared some of the experiences they had on their big trip and Hilary shared some interesting family history stories.  A lot of our food ended up being leftovers from the big Flag Day Breakfast.  The week before was so jam packed that I didn't have time for any extra cooking but we managed and I don't think anyone went hungry.

Here's the big geyser.  It really was pretty big and they have it on a timer to release the pressure every hour on the hour because it was messing up Old Faithful in Yellowstone until they regulated it. Amazing, right?

I love these handmade quilt pictures throughout the house.  The owner made all of them herself.  So talented and they really made the place homey. Who says you need valances or curtains for windows? Look at this cute idea she used in one of the bedrooms.  The pillows were made of shirts and jeans too.  Some folks are really clever.

Flag Day Week...

It's been a busy week for Hilary's family.  They have passed through our town on their way to and from Adam's Grandmother's funeral and then came back again yesterday to help with the Flag Day Breakfast this morning. They are probably tired of us but we love having them around. I've noticed this week that Korinne likes to decorate her plate.  She likes her food to look pretty.  She said she loved burritos--not so much.  I think that she was hoping for Doritos-something I don't purchase. She ate the strawberries but for a moment her plate looked nice.

 Our annual Flag Day Breakfast turned out to be the best ever.  First of all the weather cooperated 100%.  It was sunny, warm and beautiful.  We were organized and ready when the folks arrived.

 We were proud of our efforts and I think that the cooks, Steve P and Steve K, provided an excellent meal.  It took quite a few of us worker bees to get ready and then clean up afterward.  I will give credit for this years successful breakfast to Steve P., Steve K., Britton, Jenna, Adam and my sister, Cathy, who stopped by without fanfare and helped with Jameson, etc.

 We rented a huge bounce castle and a popcorn machine.  Of course, we had the usual fish pond with prizes too.  Britton and Jenna pretty much ran that this year.  And Steve set up his ipod to play patriotic music.  That was a nice addition.

 At the end of the day, I would say we were pretty tired except for Jameson who was raring to go after a quick nap.  Thanks everyone for making this such a nice event. 

June's Here and School's Out!

With school out and Tanner and Aaron on a big trip back east,  Heather brought Brinley, Jantzen, Anna, Elsie and Quinn down to Utah for a couple of days.  They arrived just in time to get gussied up to attend the wedding festivities for Emi and Chase.  It was quite the celebration!  It was held in Emi's parents' gorgeous yard.  The streets were so filled with parked cars, that we parked at a church down the road and around the corner and were shuttled to the party in golf carts.  The kids thought that was fun.

 There was a huge crowd and several tables filled with lots of food.  They had a live band and a portable dance floor.  In the neighbor's adjoining yard there were bounce houses to keep kids entertained.  Grandma GiGi hung out there and watched the kids play.  We brought our food back and ate while we visited with her.  We also brought back some of the scrumptious cake after their official cake cutting ceremony.  Every layer was a different flavor.  It was awesome!

 I thought I had taken a photo of the Rolls Royce and driver hired to drive the newly married couple after the reception but I guess I missed it.  Sorry.  It a beautiful the car.  The grandmother of the bride told me that she thought the festivities were a little over the top.  I didn't disagree.  However, we enjoyed the party. 

The next morning I took the kids swimming at the condo pool while Heather ran errands.  Then they left to attend a cousin's baptism and I hosted an open house for one of my listings.  It was a busy but fun weekend.

Memorial Day Photos

Here are a few more photos of our weekend fun with Jameson, Korinne, Jenna and Britton.

One of the advantages of coming to the "big" city is that Britton and Adam got haircuts. Jameson was the star no matter how many haircuts famly members get haircuts.

May Got Away...

May was a busy month and somehow it just got away from me.  Here are a few of the activities we participated in. 

As a family, we got to meet Emi, Chase's fiance at a lovely bridal shower in Mapleton.  It was a perfect spring day and we enjoyed the celebration on GiGi's patio.  Later that week we were lucky enough to be up north for Adam's birthday.  We met them at the park where we feasted on Old Grist Mill sandwiches and the kids played on the equipment.

Over Memorial Day weekend, Steve removed the fence on our nearby lot and the neighborhood had a ball using and riding in the big backhoe he borrowed from one of his dealers.  For photos, check out Hilary's blog.  Then Saturday, they came to our house and stayed a couple of nights.  On Sunday after church, Hilary, Steve and I visited Arnie Lieberman on a family search mission to see if we could find some family photos in Cousin Hazel's collection. Then on Monday, we were lucky to babysit Jameson while Hilary and Adam and the older kids went to the local water park.  It was a win/win for all.

Weekend in Idaho...

 The first weekend in May, Steve and I had the delightful experience of staying with our Idaho grandkids while Heather and Aaron attended a conference in Georgia.  The weather was chilly but we had lots of fun together.  The kids were terrific and so helpful.  We loved hearing them perform their talents and playing together at a new playground at Elsie's pre-school.  Our trip to the grocery store and the subsequent food favorites were fun too. 

Anna was the lucky girl who found a real 4-leaf clover.  We expect to see lots of good things in her future.  Everyone cleaned up nicely for church--isn't this a handsome group?

Most of the time we had lots of smiles and laughs with hardly any teasing or bickering.  Heather would love such a weekend.  It's awesome being a grandparent.  We had a great visit from my sister, Jackie, with her new fancy car.  She's deserves it.  We are happy for her.

We also had a lovely Sunday dinner hosted by Aaron's thoughtful parents and got to visit with Ruth and LaVerne, Aaron's grandparents who also happened to be very dear friends of my parents.  It was really nice to see them again. All in all, it was a terrific weekend.  We loved it!