;)

So, I'm on vacation right now in Park City UT. It has been really chill and I've been enjoying myself a lot. I came with my kids, Mom and Dad, Allen, Jacob, Chelsea, Darin, Darin's sister Carrie, and my bro-in-law Cameron. Sadly, Spencer couldn't come. But happily, it is because he started working at UOP. A real live job. Wahoo! But I really miss him. A lot.

Some of the highlights of the vacation have been seeing my cousin Corrie and her family, going to Music and the Spoken Word at the Conference Center in Salt Lake, going to the Salt Lake temple, visiting Grandma Priest, Lisa andDavid. We've also done some shopping which is always a delight, and just hanging at the resort has been totally fun. I've been swimming pretty much every night in the heated pool and spa. The kids have been extremely delightful considering the lack of sleep that they have been experiencing. And, of course, I have a lot of willing helpers who love the kids too! Thanks guys :) I'll post more when I get home, but I didn't want to disapoint Fawn with a lapse in posts ;)

Good Point, Braden

I was "discussing" something with Spencer tonight and when I finished I turned back to the kids. Braden said matter-of-factly, "Mommy, you shouldn't argue with Daddy." I just looked at him hoping he would continue and he didn't disappoint me. He continued by saying, "When he says it's good, and then you say that it's not good, that is called arguing. It makes you sad and lonely." You know, thats a really good point, Braden.

He Missed Basketball for This?

This post is simply to remind you to tip your pizza delivery man, because he may be a great guy and he may be having a rough time and he may be trying to provide for a family. Tonight, Spencer was at work at Domino's Pizza and they had him stay late to fill in for someone. He got a delivery that was way far away and when he got there, he couldn't find the address that had been given to him. He called the person and was on the phone for like 15 minutes driving around trying to find this address. The guy confirmed the address a couple times. Finally, Spencer asked to speak to someone else in the household who might be able to explain the directions a little better. So, the next person gets on the phone and Spencer asks them to confirm the address. What do you know? The first guy had given him the wrong address... over and over again. So within a minute of talking to the second person, Spencer was at their door with the pizza. Those punks were mad at him that the pizza was late (as if it was his fault in the least) and they gave him a 14 cent tip. Thats worse than no tip at all... it's like a big slap in the face. Jerks! Oh did I mention he missed basketball for this?

Totally Sweet Weekend!

I'm rusty at posting. How do I start one of these again? OK. Thanks.

This weekend was what I like to call super rad. Awhile back, we had made plans with my folks that Braden would go with them to Snowflake for the weekend and hang out with them a little. Also, Chelsea and Darin wanted to have Jade come over for a little sleep over, so we planned it for that same weekend. You know... some quality time without the kids is ever so helpful occasionally. A little while later, Michael and Cameron started planning a trip to California. Well, to make a long story short, things worked out (through the assistance of many people) that we were able to go with them, and we had a total blast!We traveled up there on Friday morning at about 3:30AM. We went to Six Flags first. SO MUCH FUN! I loved every roller coaster we went on and honestly cannot pick a favorite, although I can say Dejavu freaked me out the most. I also screamed like a banshee on every roller coaster and am surprised that I could still talk the next day. You know that feeling you get when you reach the top, right before you're about to fly down? That is the BEST part... such anticipation, suspense, nervousness, delight all wrapped together in your stomach. They take pictures while you're flying by, and let me tell you, they are not the most flattering. Most of the time I looked like I was grinning so hard my face was going to crack in half, and occasionally, you could see some of the drool that was flying out of my mouth as I screamed. We stayed until about dinner time and then headed to San Diego to stay at my Uncle and Aunts home. It is a beautiful home, and they are so very hospitable. I was so grateful that we could see them, and I wished I could have had more time there with them and my cousins.
The next morning, Brandon texted Michael at about 5:00 AM (ok, maybe it was closer to 7 or 8) and woke me up quite abruptly. The three guys were already awake and so I reluctantly got ready (keep in mind, I had done ALL the driving the day before... 9 hours worth so I was a bit sleepy). We went to La Jolla beach to start off our day. That is where we did snorkeling. I really liked snorkeling... after we were out of the water. It was cool, but I was really struggling with the scary sea plants that were making me feel trapped, and oh... did I mention that we were swimming with leopard sharks? Thank you Annie for telling us all about the man that was EATEN by a shark just recently in San Diego. Yeah... that was fun. But, it did have it's charms. I got to hold (very tightly) Spencer's hand a lot, and I got to see some cool stuff. I saw an orange fish... that is it's scientific name. And I also saw a flat fish with eyes on the top of it.. very awesome looking. The guys saw a ray, but apparently, I was fighting for survival from the deadly sea weed at that time and missed it. I'm such a wimp. Sigh.After La Jolla, we went to Mission Beach. We played in the ocean there and I collected shells also. I love playing in the ocean. I think I even like it better than the roller coasters... and it's much cheaper. It is amazing how the waves come in and out so consistently, yet they can also be unpredictable and catch me off guard. The feeling of the sand when it is washed out from under my feet as the wave goes back down is so unique and awesome. The beach is so beautiful and reminds me of the love that Heavenly Father has for us.
By the time we were done eating dinner at Taste of China, we were all pretty silly (having had such little sleep). We didn't get back to the house until about 7:30, and we decided that we had better go to bed early and make it safely home early on Sunday morning. We did have time before we went to sleep to hear some of Brian's jokes. We were a great audience... I mean we were already laughing about EVERYTHING. His jokes were hilarious! The next morning, we woke up at 3:00AM so we could make it home for church and to get the kids. I drove to Yuma and then Michael took us the rest of the way home, because he is just the best. The trip was so fun, and I was so grateful that I could be included.

Here are Some of the Awesome Quotes From the Trip:

"After all it IS California" (said in an Austrian accent, mostly after a comment had been made about the dysfunctional roads) -Everyone-

"El Cajon!" -Mike-

"Sucker!" -Brian-

"The world is smooth" -Cameron-

"Pizza doesn't scream when you put it in the oven" -Mike-

I really want to give special thanks to these people:

Mom and Dad for taking such wonderful care of Braden

Jill, Kara, Chelsea, and Darin for hanging out with Jade (she learned so many words while we were gone... what did you guys do?)

Brian and Terri for letting us stay at your home

Erin, Ray and Annie for helping us arrange stuff and for letting us use the surf boards.

Google Maps... for the... uh... Google map.

And Spencer, Cameron and Michael for a totally sweet weekend!

Irrigation is the Best!

Yesterday we had a TON of irrigation. I guess it sneaked up on everybody during the night and the Shaw's got two yards worth. So, between checking the corner of our basement room for seepage, I got to watch the kids having a great time (thanks to Spencer who encourages activities such as this and was willing to watch them the whole time). Something about water always makes the kids smile. Irrigation is the best!

Happy Birthday, Jadelynn!