The one where we went on TWO vacations!

I know, I've got to be better about posting on this thing. Maybe that's what I'll do Monday mornings... Anyway, I think I'm going to start limiting the pics I put on facebook and post more extensive photos on here. I think I like that idea. Anyway... a lot has happened since April.

April brought us to the Tulip Festival for a clogging performance. Da is still clogging and is loving it. I hope other kids don't convince him it is uncool or something later on. Frankly, he can do whatever it is that he wants to do.

 

 

For the April birthdays, Nate and I took our 4-wheelers out west and let the fam ride them around.

EASTER!!! I grew up on a farm in Lehi, so when we have an easter egg hunt, it truly is one heck of a hunt! (And Nate secretly really likes coloring easter eggs.)

Then  we had Nationals at Lagoon. We made it a family affair (who wouldn't with the discount tix?) and it was Mara's first time.

Da graduated from the first grade in May and daycare put on a little show with the kids. Mara LOVES to dance! I really want to get her started in a dance class, but she can't start clogging until she's 4 and all the other dance classes seem so expensive. I'm thinking of starting my own little neighborhood class just to get her started. We'll see. We went to Moab again in June - but did a lot more this time.

Delicate Arch

Dead Horse Point

Mesa Arch

 The "Giant Sandbox" (which is just Moab) and Hole N the Rock and the Ostrich that was pretty dang possessive of "his" food!

Landscape Arch and G

At some point we went to the zoo. We do this every year around Father's Day.

 Just a totally adorable picture I found!

4th of  July with the Jackson's!

My friend Cindi gave us tix to an Owlz game. Mara was pretty much in love with Holly and followed her around all night!

Da took swimming lessons over the summer and totally rocked them, and July was the month of birthday fun!!! Mara was so excited to have 2 full weeks of birthday fun since we started with Katelyn's birthday and ended with Mara's 2 weeks later in August. My little girl is 3!!! She got to go to Build-A-Bear for her birthday!

Then in August we braved a family trip to Yellowstone. I say we braved it because it was 6 adults and 7 children. Yikes! BUT, it all turned out pretty good. It was good weather this time around and we saw lots of animals. Good times.

Day 1 - Old Faithful Area and West Thumb

Day 2 - Mammoth Hot Springs Area, Tower Falls, and some other falls

Jr. Ranger!

Day 3 - Artist Point and the hike to the brink of the Upper Falls

Right after we got back, Da started 2nd grade. Are you kidding me? When did I get a 2nd grader!?

 Then, we did our first annual Timp Challenge at my work. Basically, we hike to the top of Timpanogos Mountain. We started at midnight and hiked, and hiked, and hiked, and hiked. Nate and I made it to the meadow near Emerald Lake, but then his joints were giving him grief. And man, was I tired! (I don't function well without sleep anymore.) We called it quits and headed back down. On the way down we saw the sun rise, I took Nate up to see Scout Falls, then we saw a moose (Yay for Nate!). The thing about hiking at night, is you really don't have any idea how far you've gone. Which is good and bad. Good because we had no idea we had climbed up 3 mountains. Bad because there was nothing to occupy me except the monotony of hiking - one foot after the after - over and over and over again. Next year, Nate is going to stay home with the kids and I will see you at the top gosh dang it! (Pics coming when I can find my camera...)

Shortly before Labor Day, Mara decided it would be awesome to cut her own hair. Luckily I caught her before it was too bad!

Labor Day weekend was filled with good, family fun and the sheepdog trials. YES! I love the splash dogs. But even watching those dogs herd those sheep with just a whistle from the caller is A-MA-ZING. Mara also got hair feathers, which she totally adores. We also went "fishing" at Vivian Park.

This past Friday I got my dental implant - finally. It was wicked awesome and I wish I could have watched it. I mean, I was awake, but I could only see what he was putting in. It would have been way cooler to see what was going on inside my mouth. So, in about 3 months, I'll get a crown and actually be able to use that side for chewing! I know. Pathetic that I'm so excited about that, right? But really, how many people have a metal rod in their lower jaw? I feel pretty good about it.

Then Saturday we went to the Jackson family reunion and it was uber fun for the kids, except Mara got stung by a bee for the first time. And apparently she has bad reactions to them. Not like epi-pen bad, but massive swelling/heat/pain type bad. She's fine now, but the hour after it happened was a little rough. And now, all I'm up to is working and rearranging my house. It's most definitely a work in progress, but hopefully it will mean less clutter in my home!!! Oh, and I got pics of the kids last week, so hopefully I'll have them soon. Peace out.