California ~ The Beach

We spent a few of our days in California on the beach. That was what I was looking forward to the most. Sitting with my toes in the sand, watching my family play in the waves while I read a good book. I wish I could do that every day.

It was all I hoped it would be.

My kids LOVED the ocean. They never wanted to get out or leave. Crew was a sneaky one, he would scoot straight into the water if we weren't paying attention. I told you, he didn't want to get out! It was a blast!

Sky is teaching Reagan how to jump over the wave. She is a natural.

Crew is my fearless little man. We couldn't get him far enough into the water. He kept trying to get whoever had him to go deeper. It was making his mommy nervous!

So happy!

There was a short moment when Papa convinced Reagan to come out of the water to build a sandcastle. It was great! Papa really knows what he is doing... I was taking notes!

They boys bought a couple of wake boards when we got to the condo and they turned out to be a hit! They never left the water, the only thing that changed was who was riding them. Thanks for providing so much fun, guys!

Look at my baba weavin' in and out of the waves! What a stud!

So cute.

Even Grammy got out there and braved the waves. How could she say no to that face above? It kinda looks like she's having fun too!

Reagan was everywhere... I couldn't keep up with her. So most of my pictures that are of her are of this sort. All I could get was a quick snap as she darted past. She was having so much fun!

Crew is on the verge of walking. He wants to walk so very badly, but he is a little timid. If he doesn't think anyone is watching he will take a good 12 or so steps across a room. If people are watching he gets so excited and ends up plopping down a little early. Here is Steve trying to get him walk in the sand...

I love this picture. My mom and Reagan are both looking out into the ocean. I just love it.

Don't get too excited, ladies. This guy is taken. He is all mine and I don't share. Sorry. Isn't he a hottie? How did I get a man with such a cute butt? I know you can't see it in this picture, but take my word for it... it is cute! Love you baba!

When we finally did drag the kids out of the water they were pretty cold. Although it was like 90 degrees outside, the water was cold. So Crew was trying to hide his shivering behind is super cute smile. We wrapped him up in blankets and tried to get him hydrated.

Today I will leave you with my favorite picture from the trip. He looks so little compared to the whole big blue ocean. But he has his rake and he is ready to take it on! I just love this picture, I hope you enjoy it as well...

As you can see the beach was a total hit and I can't wait to go to one, any one, again! Next up, Disneyland!

California ~ Sea World

Ok, so this is the first of a few posts about our trip to Cali last week. It has taken awhile to get this up because I was editing a wedding, and trying to get back into the swing of things being home after a long vacation. But I have finally got my act together so you can all enjoy some pictures and stories from our vacation.

Todays post is about Sea World.

This was our first adventure upon arriving at the condo and I think we made a great choice. The kids had a great time and it was only 15 minutes from where we were staying.

As we arrived to the Park we found the little guy in the back totally passed out. I love that pose! I wish I felt that relaxed 24/7.

Here is Reagan getting ready to entery Sea World. She is prepared to stay sufficiently hydrated. We have taught her well.

Sky & Heather getting ready to see Shamu! The greatest whale in the sea! (You can see the excitement in their sunglassed eyes)

Steve was also really excited for the show... I think he was more excited that the sun was coming out. The day started out very cloudy and I think just as I was taking this picture the sun was beginning to shine. That is a wonderful moment.

Crew did finally wake up, and he was so glad he did. He is pointing at one of the whale's asking "was dat?" That is the only thing he says. We are really good parents, teaching our children the basics, walking, talking. All the good stuff.

Reagan is always a little apprehensive when we are trying or doing something new. She doesn't get too excited about anything unless she is sure it deserves her excitement. This picture is of her still checking this Shamu guy out. It didn't take long for her to give in and get excited. She loved all of the animals, fish and birds that we saw.

Sky was a champ and helped lug the kids around from show to show. This is just after the dolphin show. A real hit! They are smart animals, and fast too!

Even Heather was so great. Reagan just adored her and wanted Heather to hold her hand where ever we went. After lunch, Heather found the flamingo's, which Reagan has only seen in books, bought some food and helped Reagan feed them. Reagan thought that was great! She kept asking to see the "fabingos" the rest of the day.

This is the only picture I snagged of my dad. He is a sneaky one. This is the cow that we ate for lunch. It was really yummy. Thank you, cow, for feeding our hungry bellies.

A full day at a place like Sea World, or Disneyland, is a long day for a little guy like this one here. He is used to getting a good 2 to 3 hour nap every day and without it he gets wiped out. But he wasn't going to give in. He stuck it out the whole day.

They have added a fun section to Sea World since the last time I was there. It is all aimed towards kids. There is a play place and a few rides. We rode a few rides and the kids LOVED them. Here is Elmo's Flying Fish...

Reagan and I in our fish..

Steve and Crew in their fish...

This one is a lot like the tea cups at Disneyland...

Us in our fairy thing...

This one isn't like any ride I can think of...

Here we are riding the wacky ride...

Sea World was a blast! The kids loved all of the shows and all of the animals/fish/birds that we saw everywhere. It was a great way to start our vacation.

Get ready for a lot more posts about what we did while we were gone last week.

A lesson in Generosity

I didn't realize how stingy I had become. Since when was I the person who didn't want to do things for others? To give things to others? That doesn't sound like me. At least I didn't think that was who I was. But I realized last week, that was who I had become.

Steve is the opposite of stingy and selfish. He is always thinking of the other person and how he can do right by them. I realized I need to be following in his footsteps and get over myself. It took three different situations to hammer this into my head. I will explain:

Situation #1: Steve put his car up for sale on KSL a couple of weeks ago. Someone came to look at it and bargained with him and got Steve to lower his price by $500. He had already posted it at the price he was hoping to sell it for so when he told me I felt like he had been taken. He thought it wasn't a big deal and was happy that the buyer thought he was getting a good deal. But this wasn't just a good deal, I tried to explain! This was a steal! Why wasn't he thinking of our family? We needed the cash we were getting from this! I couldn't believe he had forgotten to see this!

Situation #2: A friend of ours has helped us a TON. Steve has needed his help with a number of things and he is always happy and willing to help us out. It has truly been a lifesaver. We knew we had to pay him for his knowledge and expertise. That was no question. Steve and I decided on a price and stuck with it. This wonderful friend didn't want to be paid and refused our payment a number of times. But we persisted, and ultimately won. Steve knew that was the right thing to do. We could never have done certain things without his help.

Situation #3: For the past few months Steve and I have been trying to find a climbing cube or something of that sort with a slide that we can put in the backyard for the kids to play on this summer. We have been watching KSL religiously trying to find a used one because a new one is too expensive. This has turned out to be quite a task because if a play thing like this does appear on KSL they are generally sold within 10 minutes. You really have to be the first person to see it listed and to call on it. Well, because of this we were without one for a few months. One night, by complete luck, I decided to check KSL before we went to bed. There was a climbing cube listed but it had been posted for an hour, so I was sure it was sold. I thought it was worth a call. The line was busy and continued to be busy for the 30 minutes I tried to call. I figured they must have taken their phone off the hook because so many people were calling and it was sold. We went to bed. The next morning Steve was looking on KSL on his way to work and noticed that the cube still wasn't listed as "sold" so he thought he would give it a try. He called, got the machine, and left a message. Again, by some crazy luck, I got a call from the lady selling the cube later that day wondering if I was interested. I about died! I told her I thought it was sold for sure, and she said she did have a list of over 20 people she had messages from and was planning on calling back. I asked if she would not call them and let us pick it up that night. She gladly said we could have it and would be happy to help us load it up. I couldn't believe we had gotten this cube! It really was crazy considering all the time we have been searching for it to fall into our laps like this. YEAH! Well Steve paid them in cash for the cube and gave them an extra $5. Not much, I know but they were insistent to give us change. Steve refused, and thanked them.

As I watched Steve interact with these three different people I finally realized that I wanted to be like him! I wanted to make people feel like they were getting an incredible deal. Or let my friends know that I appreciate all the many things they do for and help me with. I wanted to give a little bit extra to the one who totally made my day, and hopefully make their day in return.

When I had this realization, I felt so good! It felt great to give! Do we really need that extra money? Are our relationships with others less important than what is in our wallet? I really had to step back and ask myself that question. When I did, I realized that they weren't. The most important thing is to do for others. The rest will fall into place. It always does.

I am glad that Steve didn't fall into my negativity and greed. I'm glad he taught me that it is so much better, and feels so much better to do for others and give to them. We ultimately don't need anything and the feeling that comes with the giving is way better that getting that thing I thought I wanted.

So Thank you, Steve! You are the best husband, teacher, and example! I Love you!

Memorial Day Weekend

I know I am extremely slow at getting a new post up and most of you have stopped even checking my blog because you have seen the same post for like... forever. But for those of you who haven't given up on me this post will hopefully make up for all the time I have let pass getting it up! I have been so busy editing other people's photos that mine have gotten pushed aside. But not anymore! Be ready for more pictures than you can handle!

This year we spent Memorial Day weekend at Bear Lake... well, we usually spend every Memorial Day weekend at the Lake. Actually, now that I think about it, since I started dating Steve we haven't missed a Memorial Day up there. So it is safe to say that EVERY Memorial Day weekend is at the Lake. Every year a flood of memories overwhelm me... The first year we spent Memorial Day at the Lake was the first time I met Steve's family. Whoa, you say? A weekend with the family of your boyfriend you have never met? I know, I was crazy, and totally in love. You do crazy things when you are in love.

Ok, back to this year.

I realize that we have so many pictures of us at the Lake that I am hoping they are not beginning to all look the same. So all of these pictures are of Saturday night at the bon fire. The boys built a fire pit a while back complete with big logs around the center to sit on. So these are all pictures of us out on the property playing with matches, marshmellows, and chocolate.

Hyrum, the stud, securing his marshmellow...

This is Spencer teaching everyone how to make Banana Mush. That is what I call it. I don't know it's official name. "Smore-in-a-banana" maybe? I don't know. They tried to convince me that this was appitizing but I just don't see how cutting open s banana stuffing marshmellows and chocolate bars inside, wrapping it in tinfoil and throwing it in the fire makes a good treat. That just doesn't sound good at all. But everyone else seemed to think it was fabulous, so what do I know?

This is Hunter wrapping his Banana Mush. He is wearing a big sweatshirt, I know, but I want all the ladies out there who are getting ready to enter high school next year to know that under that sweatshirt is one smoking bod! You think I am kidding? Ask him... he will gladly show you. He is sculpted. And it didn't come easily. He has spent hours a day getting this look. So, if you want his number to "hang out" because he's not 16 yet, let me know.

Here we have Heber trying to defy all marshmellow roasting rules by roasting 5 mellows at once. What was he thinking? The proof is in the picture, my friends, it just doesn't work. (notice the fifth mellow falling into the fire.)

This is the beautiful Summer. She is eating her great creation and enjoying it too. Summer puts up with endless orders from her younger cousin Reagan. We are so glad that Summer still likes to be around Reagan when Reagan is so bosy. Love ya, Sums.

Just a boy with his dog. Eli is the man. Here he is enjoying the warmth of the fire with Jackson, his dog.

Crew, for those of you who don't know, is a mama's boy. Well, mama or dada, I guess. But anyone else... NO WAY! He has learned to throw monster fits whenever anyone else comes within arms length of him. We were happy when he finally went to Grammy and Papa so we could actually leave him with someone, but even that was restricting. Whenever we had family get togethers he would cling to Steve or I and glare at everyone else. Somehow Uncle Stan has broken this wall. He has become one who Crew will go to. I don't know how it happened, it had to be when I wasn't looking, but when I realized he would go to Stan I was psyched! Another set of arms to lug this kid around! Sweet! So Stan was great enough to do just that during most of our time at the fire pit so I could take these fabulous pictures. Stan, we love you... and so does Crew!

This gal has many titles. Mom, Sister, Sister-in-law, Aunt, Wife to the guy above, and my favorite... photographer. She always has her camera out and takes great pictures. I was able to snag one of her while she was on the move... You are beautiful Heidi.

These girls are so freakin' cute. They are the cousins that Reagan is always wanting to see! She loves them all. Probably because they are so good to her. Just look at their smiling faces... Aren't they gorgeous?

The Hebster again. Love this face.

Sara & Isaac getting their mellows nice and brown.

It was getting dark by the time I took this picture, but I love seeing a bunch of us just hanging out around the fire. Sitting and talking, enjoying the flames. These are good times. I wish it were always like this!

My two boys. Love them.

My sweet girl. Love her. Love her ragged hair and messy face. Love her baggy sweatshirt, love it all.

So as you can see we had a great time up at the Lake. If you get a chance to light a fire this summer, I highly recommend you do it. The best of ourselves usually comes out when we sit with those we care about and talk about life.