Thanksgiving Point

Earlier this month I noticed that Thanksgiving Point was doing Two Dollar Tuesdays this month.  So guess where we have been spending our Tuesdays lately??  Today we ventured over the Thanksgiving Point Gardens.  Absolutely amazing!  I took several classes here years ago and it was so good to come back and see it all. 

 

Crue and Claire loved the endless paths that they could run down.

My mom and Claire looking for some fish.  Now this is what I want my backyard to look like.

 Their favorite spot ended up being the ponds where you could feed the fish. 

 Walking through the tunnel leading to the Secret Garden.  This was probably their next favorite spot and the cute little fountain inside now contains all the change I had and then lots more from my mom.  They sure got their wishes in.

 Looking into the one of the fountains.

 

In case you are wondering, my children do not believe in wearing shoes. 

DRIVES. ME. CRAZY.

Wahoo!!

It may just look like a big hole in the ground but it is our hole in the ground.  Wahoo!!  They have officially started on our new home. 

Going out with a bang

Didn't summer just barely begin?  Maybe I am just used to having little kids and it didn't really matter when school started because it didn't effect us much.  Even when preschool started it was sometime in September.  I am just glad that kindergarten starts a week later than the other grades. So with school about to begin we decided to squeeze out every last drop of summer fun.

 

Monday

The kids have been wanting to go on a train ride so Monday we caught a ride on the TRAX train and headed downtown SLC for some lunch.  The kids loved it.  I am pretty sure that Crue's favorite part was just that he didn't have to be buckled up. 

 

Tuesday

We got together with some friends and headed to the dinosaur museum. 

Me:  What did you guys learn at the museum today.

Claire:  Some dinosaurs are big and some are small and some eat plants and others didn't.

Crue:  They are just icky.

He might have thought it was icky but he has been begging to go back.

 

Wednesday

We decided to experience a little bit of nature and took the kids on a hike to Silver Lake.  

 

Thursday

It rained and rained but we did have fun watching Claire at her gymnastics class and getting Thai takeout after.

Friday

After watching my kids at Airborne I realize that they are truly fearless.  Especially Claire. 

We had tons of fun and next time we go it will have to be on Luke's day off so he can join us.

Saturday

Luke decided that we should head to the drive in before the summer is over so we loaded up on goodies and watched Monsters University. Cute show.

Moving

Today is our last day here at our home.  A part of me is excited, excited that we are getting a new home, excited that we are finished packing, excited to move on.  But at the moment most of me is a little on the sad side. We have spent just over five years in this home.  Five great years.  We moved in when Claire was five weeks old.  We brought Crue home from the hospital here.  Both our children learned to crawl, walk, and have decorated many walls with their hand prints.  We have spent many hours working together to update different things in the house.  We have had family parties, movie nights, water fights, and bbq's in the backyard.  I taught Claire how to ride her bike out front and then spent many evenings sitting on the porch watching Crue play baseball and Claire riding her bike around.  Many evenings of watching thunderstorms and watching the sun set.  It's the same porch and same chairs that I sat in with my grandpa several days before he passed away and listened to him tell stories of when he was a kid.  I can still tell the exact spot that Claire tripped and hit her head on the wall and ended up with a giant goose egg.  In kind of makes me sad that I have so many great memories here in this home and Claire will remember very little when she gets older and Crue will remember nothing.  And its not just great memories with Luke and our kids.  This was my grandparents home.  Growing up I helped my grandpa in his garden each year, played cops and robbers with all my cousins in the backyard, baseball with my cousins when my brother hit the ball hard enough to break my grandpa's window (I still randomly remember that Home plate was the door, 1st was the gooseberry bush, 2nd is the elm, and 3rd is the 2nd lilac bush)  Many hours were spent in the front room with my grandma and some of my aunts and cousins as we made baby blankets for any babies that might be born in the next couple of years.  Each year we helped my grandma bottle grape juice, apple pie filling, and make apricot jam.  I remember when my grandma had my grandpa plant a couple blue spruces that were not taller than a foot and last year we had to cut one of them down because it was getting way too tall.  I remember taking care of my Grandpa in this house.  Sitting in my grandma's chair which was always right next to my grandpa's chair and watching the Lawrence Welk show with him.  I remember the last hug he gave me, how he looked into my eyes, and sitting next to him as he passed away several hours later.  So many memories are here.  So many great and amazing memories are here.  I didn't think I would be so emotional to leave this home and I know I wouldn't be able to leave at all if we didn't know that it is what's right for our family.  Luke and I spent many weeks and probably months talking about what we should do, what is best for our family,  and praying to know that it was the right thing.  We will miss this home and we will miss our great neighbors.   

Nurse Claire

Claire sure loves her dad and is so good at taking care of him when he needs it.  We went to Lagoon and Luke hurt his back somehow, either on a ride or carrying Claire around on his shoulders.  The next day he was laying on the floor just relaxing his back and pretty soon she had him covered with a blanket, grabbed a pillow for him, her fav stuffed animal, was trying to feed him strawberries, and while he slept she colored pictures of flowers and put them next to him. 

 Now that's the life!! Lucky guy.

 

Hot Air Balloon Festival

I have been wanting to go see some hot air balloons for years but never quite did it.  Getting up really early plus getting the kids up early and then driving for an hour....um, not going to happen.  It worked out great this year when there was a hot air balloon festival just a few miles from my moms house.  And we loved it so much that now I wouldn't hesitate doing it again even if we did have a long drive.  It was a perfect way to start the day.

 

 Me and the best kids in the whole world.  I am one lucky mama.

 I love the expression on Claire's face.  She was not happy that I insisted on a picture.  She was just sure she was going to miss them take off.

 

Camping

Last month we went on our family camping trip.  Good times with the fam!!  Four days of camping, fishing, playing games, riding bikes, and just enjoying being together.

 

We didn't end up catching anything but we still had a great time. 

Me and my man.  Sure do love him.

Me and my mama.

When the fishing didn't turn out as the kids had planned they decided to go swimming instead. 

It is had to see it in the picture but we made giant bubbles.

 



Luke and Crue playing games

 

Lots of cousin time.

The kids rode their bikes for hours each day.

 

Claire and Crue's favorite part was going on the Rhino ride.  They still keep talking about it.

 

The Fam


My favorite part of camping was being cuddled up with Crue at night.  I just loved listening to him and knowing exactly what it going on his mind.  For almost an hour each night he would just talk and talk.  He talked about monsters, the best way to fight monsters, what to do if he sees a bear, how he wants three Christmas trees this year, what he wants to do for his daddy's birthday...which is about 8 months away, how he wants to play tennis, how much he wants to go swimming, lots about baseball, how the baseballs that were hit over the fence in 'Sandlot' really need to be washed with soap and water, how much he loves riding his bike really fast, how much he loves Mickey Mouse and that his Mickey Mouse bike and scooter are so cool...and on and on.  He is one awesome little boy.

?

Not sure if I should title this post "How Crue stays busy on moving day." or "Keepin' mom on her toes."  or maybe "What should I do next?? (followed by a 2 yr. old's mischievous laugh)" 

 

Dump the bottle of chocolate milk (yep, the one that you begged mom for at the store) all over kitchen floor just because you wanted to.

Tell mom you need a drink of water, take a sip, and then throw cup filled with water at your sister and watch her scream....repeat three more times throughout day until mom takes away all cups and makes you go outside and get a drink out of the hose every time you  say you are thirsty.

Make DVD player not work so you can no longer stay occupied watching a movie while mom finishes packing.

Make internet stop working so that option of packing entertainment is gone as well.

Find Sharpie and decorate any remaining cups that have not yet been packed.

Find the only bottle of fingernail polish not packed and paint your own nails and the chair you are sitting on.

Get crab apples from tree, go into bathroom, take drain cover out of sink and put apple (which is exact diameter of drain) down drain. 

Unfold all the blankets again that mom just finished folding for the third time and when she gets mad at you hide under the blanket and happily sing "I don't care, I love it. I don't care, I love it, I love it."

 

He has had a busy day.

No wonder my sweet little boy passed out within minutes of being put to bed.