St. George and CA Vacays!

I loved the HOT sun of St. George and the sunny beach in California! I think being in Logan for awhile has made me despise cold! It was over 110 while we were in southern Utah and I LOVED it. I wanted to soak up every UV ray the sun was dishing out! In California the weather was of course perfect and if hadn't been for the 7 people crammed in one hotel room (3 kids under 3 included) I think I would have stayed forever. We always miss Bobby when we take these long trips away (aka 2 weeks-I don't know how those army wives do it...seriously I couldn't do it. I'm too needy. Ask my husband-or anyone in my family for that matter). I have so much fun hanging out with my sisters and mom, trying for the life of me to understand my dad's sense of humor, visiting with my grandparents, and letting the kids swim their little hearts out-okay just Tyler, Kylee stays stuck to me like super glue in the water-but anyway you get it. We have fun and I look forward to every trip down there! I will say though, after 2 weeks it's good to be home and sleeping in a room that is absent of children.

While we were in St. George:

• I celebrated my 27th Bday! Woot woot! my mom and sister took me out for a special birthday lunch and we spent the rest of the afternoon swimming! This was a sweet collage my mom made for me and posted on her blog for my bday. I love it because each picture means something special to me. It must've taken her hours to go through all the pictures and pick out the perfect ones!
  

• Celebrated our 6th anniversary; first one apart :(. Can you even call it "celebrate" if one of you is not actually there? Sad, but he did get me the best gift ever! He's publishing my blog into a book! He started working on it, but didn't finish it because he wanted my input on the design. smart man. We're just going to do the first 2 years (07 & 08) now and then next year we'll do the next 2. I'm so excited to have all of my "work" bound into something tangible. And knowing that we're going to print this years' as well, it gives me a little more encouragement to get everything down and put in lots of pictures so I'll have it for my kids in the future. So excited to get it printed!

• Went to the Splash Park (a MUST do in St. George)- mom chasin' the boys
  

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• Saw SO many cousins and aunts and uncles(from my dad's side) that I haven't seen in...years. Like years years. They were in St. George at a timeshare the same weekend we were able to be there having their own family reunion of sorts. It was awesome to be able to catch up and meet all of their adorable kids!

My cousin Jesse and I are just 6 days apart!


My dad and Jesse's mom (my Aunt Jan)


Alisa, my cousin Jayme and I at Jumpin' Jacks' in St. George (another must while we're there)


Jayme and her adorable daughter Raelynn




Happiest baby ever


Nate on a slide


Tyler on the slide (the 2 of them just did this one over and over and over)


Kylee doesn't like any of the jumpy things so she was just real concerned about eating her fruit snacks


Tyler was clapping his hands and saying, "I'm SO excited!"


Our last visit with the cousins my grandma was there as well so I took this picture for my dad of him, his mom and sister (just one brother who lives in VA missing :( missed you Aunt Christa and Uncle Rod!

• Celebrated Pioneer day (coincidentally also our anniversary) in Ivans at a city park festival.

We didn't know they were going to have a slip n slide so we just took off his shirt and had him go in his shorts. The first time he went he jumped onto it and landed straight on his cute little buttox bone.


He was NOT a happy camper


He was FURIOUS that Alena was trying to take his picture when he was mad-hence the arm in front of his face


Once he figured out it was better to go down on your belly, we had better results.


He did not however, get over his fear of ferris wheels.


Poor kid. I am dying laughing right now just remembering this experience.


Don't worry we made it up to him by giving him a train ride. Yes, still shirtless.


Kylee did about the only thing she could do...fish for stuff and win a prize!


Papa took good care of her the whole time


Even though she was a tad skeptical of the sun hat he so proudly wears. You just have to know my dad. Really if you don't, you're missing out.


She was so hot and tired Papa got her a bear to try and cheer her up


But what really did it were the snow cones at the end!



The following week we went to CA (my mom, Alisa, nate, Alena, me, Tyler and Kylee-count it...7. S.E.V.E.N. people in a car + all of our stuff. In one car.) We like to challenge ourselves. That's just how we roll. Soooooo here's what we did...

• We spent a LOT of time in traffic. I think my mom calculated that it was a total of 18 hours of riding in the car throughout those 5 days. Unfortunately this is why I would never, ever, ever live there. Ever. At least anywhere near LA. It was insane. Granted having 3 little kids in the car, and no where to put our feet, may have made us a little more on edge than normal, but we did okay. Nobody killed anybody; although I won't lie and say threats weren't made, so it was a success. Right? And then my poor kids (and let me just throw myself into that pity party if it's going on anyway) had to turn around and drive another 6 hours home to Logan on Sun. after driving 6 hours home from CA on Sat.) Such troopers!
  
  Tyler and Nate in the back watching what appears to be a very intense movie
  
  
  Kylee tried to stay entertained with oreos
  
  
  We were all glad to go to sleep that night!
  

• But when we weren't driving we were swimming in the Hotel pool, Alena did lots of clothes shopping for school, we visited with my sweet Aunt and uncle, saw the house my mom grew up in, where she went to high school, and played on the Beach she lived at every summer (her house was just a couple blocks from the beach-how awesome would that be!)

Random pic of the kids walking through the mall holding hands (this happened almost everywhere we went)


The collage my mom put together...LOVE these pics; like Tyler and nate watching a movie on the bed in their floaties, Kylee posing on the beach (we'd say, "okay Kylee make a pose" and she'd lay back and look out toward the ocean every time!), Kylee yawning as Alisa reads bedtime stories. Not that you can't see for yourself, i just wanted to mention my faves...


And some more from my camera...










I stayed with the kids one afternoon during naps while the girls went shopping, but Tyler doesn't really nap anymore so while this one...


and this one were napping...


Tyler and I entertained ourselves by taking silly pictures of each other!










Love him! :)

• And finished up our visit spending a couple days with my Grandpa who is TOTALLY rocking 90 (almost 91)! He is SO hilarious and, I might be bias, but very good looking! :)

The kids loved eating out on his back patio. It is beautiful with potted plants and flowers everywhere (that he still takes care of himself!)


Somehow it ended up that they were all wearing orange that day, I swear we didn't plan it I'm not that cheesy...all the time.






All the kids were obsessed with his duck coasters. Kylee sat and played with it for 30 min. I offered Grandpa 5 bucks to let us take it back in the car ride with us but I guess he thought I was being too cheap and wouldn't give em up :)




My mom and her daddy, don't they look awesome!


Whew! So much fun! So crazy! Good times and great memories! I heart family!