Utah Trip {part 3}

{Friday} August 19, 2011

This afternoon we met up with my dad and step-mom, Linda, in Salt Lake City. They drove from Idaho to meet up with us, got us a really nice hotel room and planned on hanging out with us today, tomorrow and maybe Sunday morning depending on what time we head home. After going to the cemeteries today we met up with them at the hotel, the girls got on their swim suits and we went over to the Gateway Mall across the street so they could play in the Olympic Legacy Plaza splash pad. They set the water jets to music so it makes it a little more exciting. They had a fun time . . . although, Charly, who was the most excited got her sunscreen on and took off to play, slipping three steps in and bonking her back really hard on the ground. She was SO sad, and completely done. She hasn't had a nap since we got to Utah a week ago and it's definitely catching up with her! Poor girl.

Hannah, Grandpa Ron, and Reha

Charly would NOT cheer up. She sat in the stroller the entire time. 

Porter was a happy little guy though . . . that is until he rubbed sunscreen off his cheek and into his eye. Sigh.

Grandpa Ron playing with Porter.

After the splash pad we decided just to head over to the pool so that Charly could play. She loves going to the pool and I thought it would perk her up a bit. It worked, thankfully! We swam for 30 minutes or so then went back to the mall to go to Applebees for dinner. 

Charly eating her dessert after dinner. I love that her shirt says, "Chocolate makes the world go 'round" and she's trying her hardest to get that chocolate out of the bottom of her sundae glass. She makes me laugh . . . cute girl.

Me and my dad . . . just for the record, I wouldn't have picked to put this dorky picture in, but out of the three pictures we took, I was blinking in both of the other one's. Sheesh!

After dinner we went back over to the hotel and watched a movie with Grandma and Grandpa before heading back to our room to go to sleep. Reha's trying to be included in the picture . . . stinker! Hannah and Grandma Linda back at the hotel.

Porter just started pulling himself up on things . . . I'm in for it! haha

It took Reha all of 3 minutes to fall asleep. It was such a comfortable hotel room with two beds and a pull out couch-bed, and they had a port-a-crib for Porter. So perfect. No one had to sleep on the floor like usual . . . bonus! 

I let Charly watch a movie on my iPad while she went to sleep . . . whatever works so that she conks out without driving everyone bonkers! Typical 3 year old. ;)

Visiting Cemeteries

{Friday} August 19, 2011

On our way to meet up with my dad and step-mom, Linda, we decided to stop by a couple of cemeteries. Wade's grandmother, Reha Gale Poulson, was buried at Valley View Memorial Park so we stopped by so that he could visit her grave. It was the first time he had been back since her funeral in 1991, so it's been 20 years . . . almost exactly. He was extremely close to her - hence the reason we named one of our daughters Reha.

Wade and Reha finding her grave.

Reha at her Great Grandma Reha's grave. 

Tracing her name. 

After visiting her grave and cleaning off her head stone a bit we headed over to the Salt Lake Cemetery to find Wade's Great-Great Grandpa Poulson's grave. Since he happened to be buried at the same cemetery as 11 different prophets and other historical figures we thought we'd look around for a few. We had a map so it was somewhat easy to find who we wanted to see. Of course we had to find Porter Rockwell's grave so that Porter could get a picture by it. It was really neat to be there. We could easily spend all day there.

Porter Rockwell

Wilford Woodruff

I loved this plaque on the back of the monument for President Hinckley. It's really cool that they used excess stone from the Salt Lake Temple and the Conference Center {the center he had built before he died}. For me it made the monument that much cooler.

The front of President Hinckley's monument. It almost made me tear up to see all of the gifts people had left him. There were matchbox cars, lolly pops, and other little trinkets. But mostly there were pennies . . . because President Hinckley had people from all over collecting pennies to help build temples. 

Gordon B. Hinckley . . . my favorite prophet. 

David O. McKay

I love this picture. It was fun to see Charly having so much fun at the cemetery {of all places}. I really want my kids to think of cemetery's as happy places instead of scary or sad. 

Wade at his Great-Great Grandpa Poulson's grave.  It took us a long time to find it! We thought we knew where to look but somehow just missed it. He had literally parked within just a few feet where it was, but we missed it and walked all over that area of the cemetery. Leave it to us to make things more difficult than they need to be! haha

Friend Fun

{Friday} August 19, 2011

We had to leave the Swopes today to meet up with my dad and step-mom, Linda in Salt Lake {we're spending the next couple of days with them . . . really excited, but really sad to have to leave these guys}. These girls had SO much fun playing together the past few days. They can leave each other for sometimes a year or more and pick up right where they left off. I love that about them . . . truly best friends. And when we're together with them I never have to worry about them arguing. It's just always a great time. So sad we won't see them again for who knows how long. I'm just so grateful we had a chance to meet them way back when when we both lived in Rancho Penasquitos. 

 The girls {minus Josie} playing in the basement. They spent all day making up a "show" for us, so before we left Laurie, Wade and I sat down there and watched them . . . trying to follow what they were dreaming up. ;) They're cute kids. 

Thank you, AJ and Laurie, for letting us stay with you. We had such a fun time catching up with you and letting the girls be silly together. We miss you guys way too much, but I'm grateful we had the chance to spend some time with you! Love you guys!!

"Camping" for Dinner

 {Thursday} August 18, 2011 {pm}

AJ and Laurie love to spend time up in the American Fork Canyon near their house and thought it would be fun to take us to have some tinfoil dinners and roast marshmallows for s'mores {and that's where a Wade quote always comes in; "How can we have s'more when we haven't had any yet? One word . . . NERD!}. It was so much fun . . . felt like camping, only not. 

Our yummy tinfoil dinners of kielbasa, potatoes, onions, bell pepper, mushrooms, and carrots with a spoon full of cream of mushroom soup and lots of seasoning, olive oil, etc. DeLISH!

Having fun!

 Kendall and Erika were SO nice and saved their money to buy a "best friends" necklace for Hannah and Reha. So cute!

 And who can go "camping" without bringing along nail polish? These girls definitely roughed it! haha

 Charly showing Wade her fancy nails.

 Not sure if we were being bad parents, but I couldn't pass up getting a picture of Charly and Parker playing in the "rattle snake habitat". We did remove them . . . just so ya know! ;)

Me with my little man. He wasn't exactly the happiest camper but he was somewhat happier after he had a short nap. Such a fun little trip! 

Utah Trip {part 2} Temple Square

{Thursday} August 18, 2011

This morning we woke up and got all 8 kids ready for the day and headed over to Salt Lake City to visit Temple Square. We let the kids enjoy it together . . . visited the temple and the Tabernacle and then walked across the street and found a place to eat lunch together. It's was fun to just let the kids run around and enjoy being with their best friends. We really miss living close to these guys. We've known them a long time and the girls all get along SO well. We love them!!

 The Salt Lake Temple . . . so beautiful!

 My men . . . and my family. We got a picture here a couple years ago {minus Porter of course}.

 Every time we come to Temple Square we get a picture of our kids in these spots by the doors of the temple. Since we're here with the Swopes we thought we'd get them ALL in there. Shocking that we got one with no one falling off. ;)

 Wade playing with the kids. I love the ladies walking by . . . he caused a scene, but the kids were having a blast! haha

These girls L.O.V.E each other so much! They've known each other since {I'm thinking} 2005. Hannah & Kendall weren't even in kindergarten yet. Reha & Erika were just little things. They've been best friends ever since. It's been so much fun staying with them and watching the girls enjoying one another for the short time we're here. Hannah has had a weird fever since last night, so I'm glad she has been well enough to have a fun time and to make some memories with her best bud.

Eleven Years!!

{Wednesday} August 17, 2011

Wow . . . it's really hard to believe that we're celebrating ELEVEN years today!! We have, without a doubt, one amazing marriage. We couldn't be any luckier to have found each other . . . we are SUCH a perfect match!!

Just to go back to when we were babies . . . er . . . 11 years ago; I met this cute boy, we went on one hot date after another and talked on the phone when we were apart. . . sometimes until we literally fell asleep with our phones stuck to our ears. Three weeks to the day later he got on one knee and proposed! All in all, we met and got married in 4 months! Crazy? Everyone else thought so, but we. just. knew. When something is SO right, why question it? I had "friends" telling me it wouldn't last 2 years . . . that I was CRAZY. Maybe I was . . . but there's no doubt that we were sent to this earth to be together. FOREVER. So awesome!! 

Since we're in Utah on our summer vacation we decided that it would be really fun to meet up with some of our dearest friends who have moved here, and spend our anniversary with them. We went to a REALLY yummy bbq, southern-y place {the name is escaping me . . . ??} with Brent & Jen Allen, and AJ & Laurie Swope. {We're staying with the Swopes so we plan on extending the party a few days!} It was SO good to catch up and have fun with these great people. It's like we never separated and we just picked up where we left off. 

{Please excuse the blurry cell phone pictures}

 Porter tagged along. Wade's sister, Jen, watched the girls for us and she has 7 kids of her own. I didn't want to add one more baby to the mix. When we got there there were no high chairs left and it took until after we got our food to get him one. By then he was a tired mess. Still cute . . . go figure! ;)

 After dinner we drove over to this little ice cream stand. It was SO good. I am really. really. sad that we don't have one in San Diego. They make the ice cream, literally, as you stand there and watch . . . from the liquid stage to the frozen stage in seconds. Amazing and SO delicious! I got chocolate with heath in it . . . I am already craving more!! 

On a side note: There's this little cafe place next to SubZero called Porters Place. It was an old shop of Porter Rockwells . . . I loved the sign so Wade ran and took a picture for me. Whataguy! haha

We had SUCH a fun night!! It was so great to get a night away without kids {well, most of them} and to enjoy some good times with great friends. Can't wait to do it again some day!

Happy Eleven Years my love!! I'm such a lucky girl!! xoxoxoxoxo

Summer Trip to Utah {part 1}

{Friday} August 12, 2011

Earlier this year we decided that it would be fun to visit friends in Utah for the 4th of July {I really pushed for a summer trip since it's nice and warm . . . hot really . . . I'm NOT a fan of snow. It's gorgeous, but I'm one. fat. wuss. when it comes to cold weather}. The beginning of June came around and we got a call from our rental company telling us that we had to move out no later than July 5th, which officially changed our plans for a fun vacation. We got moved and almost reached the end of summer. I was talking to our friend, Laurie, who we were going to visit and we thought it would be really fun to get together still. I talked to Wade and we decided to make a trip out to visit them for our anniversary. We first planned on heading out on the 17th, but Wade's boss gave him the entire week off, so we left today when Wade got home from work. A couple days ago I ran it by him to stop in St. George, UT on the way to break up the trip instead of driving all night. I knew Porter would need to stop a few times and eat. So that was the plan. We left just after lunch time. 

Hannah & Porter. The kids all had their own dvd player to keep them entertained in the car for the long drive.

Reha . . . still excited to be on a road trip. This energy quickly drained when we hit this . . . 

In the middle of nowhere {somewhere in between Baker & Barstow} we hit dead. traffic. We slowed down for a while and finally . . . stopped. We were stopped on the freeway for a good hour. People were out of their cars talking and walking around. It was boiling out or I would have gotten the kids out to walk around and stretch their legs.

I didn't take any pictures between the freeway parking lot and the time we made it to Grandma & Grandpa Poulson's the next day in Cedar Hills, UT. We made it to St. George in 9 hours . . . a trip that should have only taken us between 6 & 7. Just another adventure to make a memory! ha

{Saturday} August 13, 2011

We left St. George bright & early, had a Jack in the Box breakfast in the car and headed to Cedar Hills. We made good time and played and visited with Grandma & Grandpa for the rest of the day. Wade has been really interested in his ancestry so he and his dad talked for hours about old memories and family stories that Wade had never heard. It was a good visit . . . he just wished that he had brought his tape recorder. 

Wade's cousin just moved in with his Aunt & Uncle {who live right next door to Bill & Carol} and they have kids my girls' ages, so they had a lot of fun playing with them outside . . . jumping on the trampoline and making up "shows". They had a blast. SO glad they had friends to play with!

{Sunday} August 14, 2011

We went to church this morning and I noticed Porter was feeling somewhat feverish. Everyone else said he felt fine, but I could just tell that something was up. After church he really got hot, so we gave him some baby tylenol and put a cool rag on his head to bring it down. It worked, but once the medicine wore off he was boiling again. So sad! He was obviously not feeling well and I hated not knowing what was causing the fever. I figured it was teeth . . . only there were no signs of teeth coming in. Poor little guy. He was up a lot during the night but by morning he started perking up again. 

{Monday} August 15, 2011

This morning we woke up, got ready and drove to Cedar Fort to spend the day with Wade's sister, Jen's family. Our kids get along really well with their kids so it's always really fun to get them together. We got some pizza and went over to a splash park near their house to let them run around and play in the water for a while. 

Charly lounging . . . she was such a good girl!

Brynlee, the twin cousins, Sadie and Reha, Kenzington, Hannah & Logan

Aunt Jen with Porter

These kids were so funny. They had a conga line . . . goofy kids!!

After the splash park we went back over to their house and played for the rest of the day. They jumped on the trampoline {total Utah thing . . . everyone has a trampoline}, played dolls and ran around like crazy monkey's. So fun! Carrie & her new husband, Ed, came over and we all had dinner. It was such a great day to just enjoy family. I wish that we lived close enough to these guys!! Love them so much!

{Tuesday} August 16, 2011

One of our biggest reasons for making the trip out to Utah was to visit Wade's Grandpa Gale. We haven't seen him in a while and his health isn't the best so we wanted to go and spend some time with him. He hadn't met Porter yet, so it was fun to see them interact with each other. Porter LOVED him! They had some good conversations. ;)

Wade getting some council.

Great-Grandpa Gale with Porter, Reha, Hannah & Charlise

He took us out back and showed us their beautiful garden. A lot of love and care has gone into it and it really shows. I would love to have a garden like this someday. Here is Wade with his grandpa out in the garden. Sadly I didn't take any pictures of how pretty it is. Next time I'll remember to do that!