*bear lake 2010*

I am totally rejuvenated. We spent last weekend with Justin's family in the beautiful and relaxing atmosphere of Laketown, Utah. I went to Bear Lake when I was very little but haven't been in years. I guess I didn't realize that such paradise was just a quick 2 hour jaunt away. Totally doable for a repeat day trip.

The first day we were there we spent a good portion of it on the beach. There were tons of water fights, building castles, chasing seagulls, and playing hard. I love the fact that there was no complaining that there was no TV or XBox to play and that the boys brought their DS contraptions and they never were played with. They just played in the beautiful outdoors to their hearts content and soaked up the beauty around them. Well, at least I tried to help them realize the beauty that was around them. Maybe I was the only one soaking it in. But, I don't know why I don't hang out in the great outdoors more often. I mean, I live in one of the most beautiful states in the United States with so much to offer and all I need to do is expend a little more energy to get out there. Because it is so worth it.







Justin's parents rented a Sea Doo for a couple hours and everyone had such a fun time on it. I am a very cautious person so I went out with Justin and Liam and didn't let Justin go very fast. But Justin was able to get his thrill rides when he took out the other boys. He also took his mom out and threw her off and on another ride he, Nick, and Andrew all fell off with Andrew kicking Justin in the face. When we recapped the favorite moments of the trip, Andrew said that this was his best memory.







Liam kept quite occupied with digging in the sand. Not the sitting down digging with a little plastic shovel. That is for wimps. He was working so hard that I thought he would have Popeye muscles by the time he was done. He dug for at least an hour and a half straight, if not more. He worked so hard he worked his pants off!






After all our hard work we decided to treat ourselves to a shake at LeBeau's. There was also a little shop there behind LeBeau's that sold salt water taffy. I hit the jackpot...ice cream AND taffy...two of my most favorite treats.





The next day we trekked to Idaho to do some cave exploring. We first headed to Minnetonka Cave. It was a guided tour with 888 steps that lasted about an hour and a half. It was also pretty chilly in there--it stays about 40 degrees all year round! We had an interesting tour guide from Preston, Idaho with no sense of humor. He also treated us to a little concert in one of the rooms in the cave. That in itself was worth the 28 bucks.








Then we went to the Paris Ice Caves. I only made it to the first room because again I am cautious and extremely clausterphobic and you had to go through a crawl space to get to the next room so I let Justin and the boys explore their little hearts out. The boys said they were pretty cool and since it was not a guided tour they were able to climb and play and do what they wanted. They said they liked this cave the best.







I loved the drive up to the cave. There was a wall of pine trees on either side of us and it was amazing. It was green and lush and beautiful. I also loved all of the wildflowers that were around the area. What an awesome world we have to enjoy.

After our cave adventures we decided to treat ourselves to another shake. This time I got the apple cobbler shake and it seriously was the most delicious thing I have eaten. You know the last part of apple cobbler when the ice cream is all melty and you have little bits of the cobbler mixed in and you spoon it into your mouth? That is exactly what it tasted like all the way to the bottom of the cup. Yes, take a minute to wipe the drool from your chin before you proceed.

At nights we would sit around Lee and Sylvia's firepit and make s'mores, talk, and play telephone. There was a lot of laughing and good memories made.








The next day we spent all day at the beach. Luke and Halle were in the water so long we thought they had officially turned into fish. More water fights, burying people in the sand, shell collecting, and the kids spent a good portion of the day building Old Ephraim's Pond. They built it for the little kids so they could play in shallow water. They were super proud when people would come by and comment on how big it was. I think they almost made it to China.












There was a wedding in the area next to our cabins that night which provided some great entertainment for the kids. There was country music blaring and the wedding guests were swing dancing. Luke, Halle, and Ashton tried to teach themselves how to do it and it was quite adorable. I have to say that I wish I were a bit more like Luke. He just absolutely loves life. He lives it to its fullest. He is happy and boistrous and sometimes I wonder how his little body is holding in all of that personality. It was fun to live vicarously through him that night.





I forget sometimes how important it is to play with all of the responsibilities of home but this weekend was exactly what we needed. We definately need to do it more often.

thank goodness for junior mints

One of our favorite things to do after I work a night shift is to go swimming. Not only do the boys wear themselves out but I get to actually see the sun and relax for the most part.

Liam and I were relaxing on our towels and I was eating my post night shift lunch of Super Rope, nachos, chilled Junior Mints, and Diet Coke. Hey, don't judge, there is some dairy in there. I was listening to the music playing enjoying myself quite immensely and then I heard a little voice ask their mommy how babies got into mommy's tummies. I smiled to myself thinking how awkward that mom must feel and that she had to have "the talk" at the POOL with tons of people around. Then I heard it again and the little voice was tapping me on the arm. It seemed like slow motion when I turned to look at the voice and found it was coming from the mouth of my four year old son.

"What?"
"How do babies get into mommy's tummies?"

I thought of the answer that usually suffices him.
"Heavenly Father puts them there."

"How?"

Crap. It didn't work.

"Well, the mommy has eggs and the egg goes to the uterus and the baby grows inside of it."
"How?"
"Um, the dad plants a seed and then the baby grows in the egg."
"Oh." His little face was screnched up the way it does when he is analyzing something in his little mind. "Does the egg crack and then the baby comes out?" I could just envision what he was thinking about. A little baby with a poky thing on its nose cracking the eggshell from the inside.
"No, the doctor helps break it sometimes."
"How?"

Abort! Abort! I was not about to tell him that the doctor sticks a long crochet needle up inside the uterus and breaks the water.

"Well, the baby just grows so big that it breaks it."
"Oh. How does the baby get out of the tummy?"
"The doctor can do a surgery and cut it out of the tummy or the mommy pushes it out."

"Where does it come out?"

Darn him and his curiosity. In our home we don't make up names for our private parts. Being in the medical field I would much rather them know the correct term than some slang one. We really only talk about boy parts since they are so prevalent in our home and my parts tend to get overlooked. I did not want to start a conversation about this right then and there. I thought about what I could tell him that would not be too specific and answer his question at the same time. I just didn't want his primary class to get an anatomy lesson on Sunday if you know what I mean. I then realized what I could say to end this conversation once and for all.

"Here. Have another Junior Mint."

summertime, summertime, sum-sum summertime

Summertime rocks.

I love not having a schedule, having my kids home all day, and having an excuse to go and play more often. We have been taking advantage of the lazy days of summer and keeping super busy.

We have been going to the zoo:





going to the Utah Arts Festival:










swimming a few times...Luke went off the high dive for the first time this year and taught himself how to do a front flip off of the low dive...









Justin took the older three boys fishing and Liam and I attended Herriman Days. We saw the tail end of the parade but while we were walking to the park, Liam was able to score some extra taffy that no one had picked up. After we rode the rides, I asked him if he wanted a treat but he said "No, mom. I already have some in your purse." What kind of kid turns down treats because they already have one? He was so fun...we went on this umbrella ride that went up and down in the air super fast. It made me a little sick but Liam giggled the entire time. Twice.





Playing with Maisy...



hitting a Bees game...







baseball game after baseball game after baseball game...





going to the Aviary with some friends and the rides at Liberty Park...I love these pictures of Luke, I wish I could zoom in on his cute little face so full of life and so happy to be on these swings. Liam was content leading the music that was being played on the merry go round...











Liam set up an office...he is pointing to his sign that says: "Hello people and welcome to my office."




Fun family get togethers on both sides of the family...unfortunately I did not take my camera to the Schnibbe family reunion but it was a total blast.



and last but definately not least, Andrew joined the ranks of the Brace Face Gang...




Anyone have some fun places they like to visit or things they like to do in the summer?