BYU Brainwashing and Other Utah Fun

It's always a whirlwind of events, going to Utah.

We chose this particular week so that Cody could go to a sports camp at BYU.

It was a lot of driving back and forth to Provo but totally worth it.

The first night we stayed at a friend's house near Provo to avoid the hour drive past and then back. It was so good to catch up with her and see her cute kids!

One mom I talked to at BYU, surprisingly not related to the sports camps, told me she had heard the best way to get your kids to go to BYU is to send them to sports camps.

So, the subtle brainwashing has begun:)

This was an All Sports Camp, so he played soccer, baseball, basketball and football.

Meanwhile the girls and I got a chance to check out campus.

We watched a doe and her two babies right outside the Richards Building.

Inside is where I worked at YBeFit. I got my body fat tested just for old times sake:)

I also worked in the Ancient Scripture department in the religion building, another favorite job.

 There are so many new buildings I had never seen. The Joseph F. Smith building is beautiful and gives a history of the school and of the church. 

 I'm not going to lie, I love this school. Where else would a science teacher bear their testimony and end with a prayer in class?

And where else would you see quirky signs advertising for apartment rentals like this:

Provo is weird I tell you. I love it.

  Other Provo highlights included grandma and grandpa meeting us down there for a little while.

We caravanned over to Waffle Love to try out their waffles.

 They are so good, but I would say they are more dessert, not so much lunch.

But hey, I would eat one right now just for a snack. Yum.

I would also highly recommend Swig.

Their sugar cookies are addicting. This was my first time trying a dirty coke. I could become addicted to those too!

After that we went to the Bean Museum.

 It has just recently been remodeled and was pretty impressive!

 It is a huge taxidermy collection and also has many of Elder Boyd K. Packer's carvings.

Coming "home" to my parent's house was exciting because I got to see their new sun room. I love the view of the mountains they have and love the new room! 

 Tuesday night I went with my parents to a Bill Cosby show at the Layton outdoor theater.

 Wednesday we went to the Museum of Natural Curiosity at Thanksgiving Point. 

We were also lucky enough to go to the Ogden temple rededication. It has been completely remodeled. 

 Read more about temples here.

Root Beer Floats after for Papa Jeff's birthday!

 Saturday we went to Cherry Hill

The girls Macey, Blake and Lucy went down Cardiac Canyon by themselves. So cute to see those three tiny girls standing in line all by themselves:) 

 Cute Clara and Callie. (Mackayla generally refuses to be in pictures.)

 One of Macey's favorite parts was the human maze

 Finally, on our way back to California we stopped to see my brother Eric and went to the land of all you can eat to obesity, Golden Corral. The kids really do love it.

My parents made the drive back with us so we could spend more quality time with them!

They now know what we mean by "Vegas Traffic" coming home. It's terrible!

 I finally got a picture of one of these funky trees I love seeing on the drive. They look like Dr. Seuss trees.

Not a Baby Anymore

This cutie turned three!

She just loves the idea of getting bigger:)

We got to celebrate in Utah with our cousins.

All the kids got their own little ice cream cone on the cake:)

My mom really gets credit for the party. She is awesome! 

We had a treasure hunt to a prize, each round having an activity and a clue...

One round they had to do hula hoop, one round was kicking a ball across the yard, one was ring toss:

 Sometimes making it in is just a matter of the right positioning

 Callie just makes me happy. Everything she does. Including her impromptu songs.

 Treasure Found!

  Opening Presents

One day at the pool we put some unusually large goggles on Mackayla for her first time wearing them. Even though she could barely see, she was pretty excited and walked proudly around the pool to the steps.

On our way we passed some even larger snorkeling goggles to which Mackayla stopped, pointed, and loudly squawked like a parrot, "What?!?!" and then kept walking.

The image is seared in my brain. So dang funny. I find myself squawking "What?!" to my kids pretty often even though they don't get my little inside joke and think I'm a little nuts.

She is loving swimming and has decided lately she can swim and doesn't need her floaty anymore. Then starts to sink to the bottom;) but she is learning fast!

For each kids' birthday we try to think of something special we can do with just them.

For Mackayla I knew her love of clothes would make getting a new outfit the perfect outing.

These are her new Elsa jammies:

 We went to the mall to choose and she was just beaming the whole time!!
Here's her new outfit:)

Mackayla really is such a sweetheart. Luckily though, she can hold her own if crossed (probably an essential characteristic to have nowadays). She's been known to tackle her brother and sister or tell them how it is. She's my little shadow and so fun and easy to have around. 

She pretty much constantly wants to "play puppy". If I play it consists of me telling her to do tricks and then giving her a pretend treat and petting her.

Other loves include playing the ipad, fruit snacks, blueberries, the Sword in the Stone.

I love you Kayla. We're so glad you're in our family!!

PrePack

The day I was going to pack to go to 

UTAH!,

I saw a couple of these guys in our garage...

They are maggots. DISGUSTING!!!!!

 Then I realized that there were actually one bazillion so I had to move out everything in our entire garage - ugh. I guess we did move out (and right back in) this year:)!

Pretty much the grossest thing I have ever done.

 Also instead of packing, we went swimming.

 That night we rented out a theater for a date to the movies.

But really, if you go to a 3D movie that has been out for a long time, you get the entire theater to yourself!!

 Ben didn't get to come to Utah with us because he is responsible and he has a job

He does NOT do well when we are gone. It's nice to be loved:)

What do you do in the summertime

It's been Hot. We've done a lot of swimming!

 Macey and I, almost in the same week, discovered that we actually love swimming.

Miracles do occur.

Visited Riley Wilderness Park 

 Poison Oak

 Montage Beach at the exclusive Montage Resort. THE prettiest beach.

We wanted to see the tidepools (in background).

We found out ALL starfish on the Pacific Coast are dying from a wasting syndrome, possibly by some bacteria or something. From Alaska to the Baja Peninsula. They will hopefully make a come back in a few years. 

 Sometimes it's worth getting up early.
I love watching sunrises.
I'm training for the St. George Marathon.

Cody has been getting in some great workouts and trying his skill out in Martial Arts class

 Macey took a cooking class. I was promised pictures...so hopefully some pictures of her in her cute apron are coming:) How cute are these cupcakes?!