- She is my best friend. Continue reading
16 Reasons Why I Love Lelu
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Category Archives: Uncategorized
Birthday Extravaganza
I am a month behind. Such is life. The last three weeks I’ve been in dodgeball match with lemons being pelted at my head. This is the truth about blogs and my blog is no different really: They just don’t tell the “whole truth”. How can they? I love my life overall, that is true! But I am not immune to the downs, I am working on being resilient – but that is another blog for another day, when I am actually caught up. If ever. But if I am going to leave a written legacy for my children about my perspective on our life – I want to remember the positive. The ego LOVES the negative and happily replays those stories over and over especially when a lemon comes hurtling at your face – that lemon carries the weight of all the past and it hurts more than it should. And as such (that’s for you, B) I am sick to death of lemonade and therefore I will be creating quite a compost heap.
Lelu turned SIXTEEN! And it was a big deal. I wasn’t writing my blog when Aub turned 16, but we went to Hawaii for her birthday and then Master D had the big limo party. I’ve set myself up for creating big events. But Lelu is different and this was a challenge. She didn’t want a big party, or a surprise party (heaven forbid), or a limo and school had just started so we couldn’t go on a big trip. She is my most frugal child (B’s prodigy) and so I had to get creative:
First stop – hair being done at 7 am – yes SEVEN AM for the drivers license photo.
8:00 am DMV then home to get SS card we forgot – back to DMV – late to school and breakfast through the drive thru because she had a test. (This is a photo of an instagram screen. I lost the original photo of this on my old phone and for technical reasons that I have no patience to figure out, cropping out the instagram part is not taking)
Friends decorated her locker and the hallways
40 of them distributed around the hallways – that the administration decided needed to be taken down. Alta didn’t have that stupid policy – what the heck is wrong with party poopers in the schools??
Since I got a new car (that B surprised me with for my bday – and will get brownie points for a lifetime) Lelu gets to drive the pilot – which I decorated and left in the parking lot at school.
B and Jeff bright and early went to the round-a-bout in Draper and put up a banner which I “accidentally” went the wrong way to the DMV with her in the car for her to see. She didn’t kill me.
Lelu’s dinner request…..Michelle S recipe for chicken lime tacos – mmmm
After football & soccer practice The family celebrated with at home dinner and strawberry shortcake including J, C, Landon & Wyatt
Final fun….one short night between tennis, soccer, volleyball games and practices – I took Britney, Madison, Madelyn, Aubrey and Lelu to stay in a hotel in Park City – they got their own room to hang out in with mom across the hall enjoying my own book and more sleep.
Was it as awesome as Aub and Master D? I think she thought so. Phew Good thing I have four years to plan for the twins!
Week Long Party…
- Lelu turned sixteen this week and we started the party early. I think I am more excited than she is. Another driver to send on errands is about the best gift I could ever receive at this time in my life!
School’s In and I just Want to Sleep In
08/19/13 New schools for everyone except me. Not just my kids either, Jeff and Christina took the leap of faith to join us in Zion. haha – that’s a joke. But they up and sold their house in CA in one day and moved up here just in time to start the new school year with my kids. They’ve been staying with us the last two weeks and tomorrow they are thrilled to move into their own house here in Draper. I still can’t believe it and Continue reading
Only One More Short Austria Post
I bought the twins a dirndl and leiderhosen and I LOVE THEM wearing them. My time to dress them up is probably coming to an end soon so I will make as much of it as I can. Think I can talk them into wearing these for halloween?
B found a great place to drown himself – what’s up with the Mr. Incredible angle?
The whole Austrian adventure loving bikers. from the Left Saxtons, Seacrests, Sullivans, Saxtons (they aren’t related), US Zimmermans, Grangers and Lakes. Our guides in the front row Dennis, Ron and Mirjam
When parents are away, the kids can finally play!
Guest Blogger: Lelu
When the parents are away, the kids can finally play 🙂
This is our Utah-Arizona adventure extravaganza with some of our favorite people.
- Michele: Our beautiful aunt. She is an amazing cook, crafter, and mom to four gorgeous little boys.
- Dave: Uncle Dave! He is very musically talented, he can put up with chick flick’s (if you ask me, that is impressive), and an amazing dad to his four boys! Oh, and his favorite food is watermelon turkey 😉
- Tay Tay: The cutest 6 year old out there! All I can say is girls will be chasing after him. He is such a little sweetheart.
- Christy: SO STINKIN’ CUTE! He loves TT with all his heart, tears were shed when TT left, such a sweet boy! And he can sing his little heart out!
- Grant: Feisty. That little boy! Oh my goodness, he can put up a fight! But his little face… I can’t argue with that. SO CUTE! He still has such a sweet side to him… He is exactly like Ari.
- Ryan: OH MY GOODNESS. Ryan is such a little chub. Apparently I was a baby hogger. But I couldn’t stay away! He is the cutest little thing ever!
Hiking/Paragliding – My favorite day!
Dinner out by the lake Zell am see. Great friends, great laughs, good food, great view…doesn’t get much better…..at least I didn’t think so until the next day! B is taking the photo.
07/17/13 Today we took a gondola up to the top of the ski resort on Mt. Schmittenhöhe. Ahhhh I am in my happy place, hiking up there! It was gorgeous beyond words, the hills were some killer climbing and it could have only been more perfect if Continue reading
Day 3 & 4- We Now Bike
I can’t help but compare everything to our Italy trip. I forgot so much about Italy after I got home, that I’ve never finished my photo book. This is why I must blog about this trip daily because my memory is not good enough to wait. I am being reminded constantly by the other couples on this trip about Italy though. Not every couple from last year is here this year. It’s only five out of the ten from last year and three new couples. I think the others expected the trip to be just as hard as last year. So far, It’s not even close! It is so totally different that I trained totally wrong. Last year, I trained on a hybrid bike (road/mountain bike) and only on Porter Rockwell trail a couple rides per week. And then we were on road bikes only on roads up hills in the heat for 6 hours a day. We earned our calories. So this year I trained on only a road bike for long distances up and down hills. Well….we are not on road bikes. Continue reading
Day 2 – Church and Bavaria
We invited our guide and his wife (Ron and Alfreida) to go to church. It was really really cool. I’ll be honest and say, I didn’t really want to spend the time going, I wanted to see as much of Europe as I could – but I can also be honest enough to say I am so glad we did, because this was a really great part of Europe to see. Singing hymns I know in English while listening to the german, hearing an exchange student from CA speak, the missionary from UT speak and the other one translating for us the whole time, was priceless. I am proud of Master D being out in the world, knowing he’s helping other people and having to step out of his comfort zone. What an amazing bunch of young men!
Day One – Munich – Our European Adventure 2013
July 13, 2013 Our hotel in Munich – I slept almost the entire flight. B got motion sick, did not sleep and slept the whole first day while I went out exploring with friends.