DINNER

OK - I've said this before, but felt like saying it again. I HATE DINNER!!! I'm having major struggles trying to figure out what to feed my family for the next couple of days. I have just spent 2 hours looking on recipe blogs & have come up empty. UGH!! Anyone out there have any good recipe sites? If so, please send them my way!!

Also, I just washed our Summer Movie Fun passes. Yeehaw! That means I yet again win the Mother of the Year Award as my kids are EXTREMELY upset at me right now for that. Anyone have any extras, by chance?

Check out the new company car Bell got us...


Isn't it beautiful? Who would have ever thought that the Bell's would get us a car that costs almost as much as a house?! They're just too good to us!!

HA! If you know the Bell's than you're laughing. Actually, this has been parked in our neighbors spot for the past two days. Like idiots - we had to take some pictures. It's just too pretty to ignore! We piled the whole family into my car yesterday & told the girls to both go out Kylie's door on the opposite side of the Bentley. Kylie started to protest & ask why? WHY?! We explained that this was a VERY expensive car & would cost more than her college tuition to fix if we dinged it. Her reply...

"Well that's just a rip off of a car!"

Apparently, she's not a fan of paying ridiculous amounts for a car. Even if it's lovely!

As for Jadyn -

In the morning she was reading a Junie B. Jones book. She's quite the little reader lately. Upon finishing it she told Erik & I, "I'm done with my book! Can I get a what, what?!" I'm still not sure where she comes up with these things.

MJ

Sad, sad, day today. Just a crazy week all together.

First, Ed McMahon dies. The master of "Star Search". Forget Johnny Carson. Ha! Who could forget? But, "Star Search" was the best show ever! I watched it all the time & dreamed everyday of being on it. Unfortunately, my dreams were shot due to a technicality of I remember correctly.....right Em? That's my story anyway - it sounds cooler.

Next, this morning, Farrah Fawcett passes. Surprisingly enough - because everyone thinks I'm so old - she was before my time. Still, lots of respect to her & all she's done. Not to mention all she's put up with with her family & crazy life. Ren - I think of your donut story everytime I hear about her. I can just picture powder donut all over her face!!

Then, there is Michael Jackson. WOW!! He may possibly have been the weirdest man on the planet! But, when he was on stage, no one could mistake his presence & not show respect. He was a master. He was popping & locking before it was even thought of. Granted, some moves we could do without watching, but you have to admit - he was a genius!

Think of all the great videos: Thriller, Beat It, Remember the Time, Black or White, Rock With You, Billie Jean, etc, etc... Not to mention the Jackson 5 days - Stop The Love You Save, Ben, Rockin Robin, I'll Be Their, etc, etc... Even if you don't like him - you probably have heard of all of those videos/songs & because of that - it should mean something. He was iconic.

Here's my all time favorite video of his.... (Because I'm not too bright you have to click on the link. I don't know how to add the video - sorry.)

SMOOTH CRIMINAL

If you have the time - be sure to check out the "Ghost" video. That one is awesome as well. No one I know has even heard of it. Just don't let your kids watch it - it's a little scary. Still genius though!

June 14th

OK - actually the next two pictures are from another time. I just posted them here. This is our excitement for finally completing the dang Rubix Cube!! It took Erik a couple of days of really studying the patterns to complete his. Now, he's pretty fast. It took me about an hour in the car while driving to Vegas. (I mean while Erik was driving.) At least now we can say we've done it. Even if it took us 25 years longer than the rest of the world!





Now, back to the itinerary. Sunday morning we woke up to the Dave & Wendy making us a wonderful breakfast. We then had to say good bye. In hopes that our plans for Disneyland will work out!! After we left their house we drove a whole 5 minutes to visit some other friends. Jessica & Ana. We met Jess & Ana when we first moved to Vegas. Kylie & Ana were just babies. They've been close ever since. Even since we've moved they still consider themselves close friends while other kids have forgotten about Kylie. Jess didn't tell Ana we were coming, so she did a double take when she answered the door. It was funny! Here's the rugrats....

Of course, a funny face picture had to come with this bunch!!

Jess made us a YUMMY lunch & was nice enough to let us hang out for a few hours! This is another family we really miss. Around 5pm we decided to make the trek home. We made it home safely & were glad to be in our own beds! Now, my trip is over. REJOICE!! The posts are now at an end! We had a lot of fun & packed a lot in in two weeks. Now, it's time for reality - UGH!!

June 13th

Saturday marked the end of our Utah journey with mixed emotions. We were sad for it to be done, but beyond ready to be in our own home again! Although, the fun doesn't end just yet! We drove down to Vegas to visit some old friends. There are times when we really miss Vegas & our friends. We definitely took life their for granted! As always, we stopped to eat lunch at our favorite place...FAUSTO'S!! We were a little early to meet our friends, so we ate it in the back of the truck in a parking lot! HA!! How ghetto is that?!

We then met up with the Paez family! Seriously - they are the BEST family ever! We're so lucky to call them frineds. We went to see the movie "UP" at Sunset Station. We loved it! We even shed a tear. And when I say "we" I mean Erik, too. Yep, I saw him shed a tear as well in a Disney movie - just so you all know!! It was so cute. Some lady a couple of seats from me was balling & her daughter just kept laughing at her. It was quite hilarious actually!

After the movie we went to our usual with the Paez family - Macayo's.

Then, it was back to their abode to play a little ROCK BAND. You haven't seen anything until you've seen Dave Paez sing his heart out! It was great!!

Everyone got a kick out of our girls singing their hearts out as well. Maybe it was because their favorite song to sing is "The Kill" by 30 Seconds to Mars. Call me crazy, but it's silly!

The night ended for the girls with Amanda reading a bedtime story with them. Amanda is truly one of the coolest girls I know. She rocks!!

After the kiddos were in bed the adults watched "The Holiday". That was the first time I've seen it - very cute. Then, sadly, it was time for bed.

June 11th & 12th

The 11th was another lay around kind of day. My mom took us to eat lunch at "The Red Dog"! A little restaurant right in Dammeron Valley. It's been a couple of things - even since they've lived their. But, this time it might stick! Erik hasn't stopped talking about it since. Really good BBQ type food!! My Aunt Amy & cousin Melia drove up this day & arrived just in time for dinner.

The next day was Friday & we were lucky enough to go to this place for the second time...


This is me & my Aunt Amy....

My cousin Melia was nice enough to watch the girls for us while we went & did some sealings. Afterwards, Melia drove the girls into town & met us at Iceberg!

Who could pass up that fry sauce & the "mini" shake?! YUM!!! Later that night I (I mean Erik) took this picture....

Left to right is: my mom, me, Melia, Amy. Doesn't my mom & her sister look alike? I think they do. More so than my girls look alike. And my cousin Melia is just the cutest girl ever!!

June 9th & 10th

We spent Tuesday the 9th doing NOTHING!! We were so tired from the previous days events that we just layed around the house. Oh - and did some of this....

Hanging out in the hot tub is something we do a lot of at my mom's house. Even though I HATE it. Not sure why, but I do. Erik & the girls love it & try to go in at least once a day.

Wednesday was a lot of the same. Just laying around until we had to go somewhere at night. We bought tickets to go see "Annie" at Tuacahn & didn't tell the girls. We were driving out their & passed the ballpark & clubhouse where High School Musical 2 was filmed. Always a highlight for our girls. Then, we came closer & Kylie recognized the Tuacahn area. She was telling us "Remember when we came here to see Beauty and The Beast and Joseph? We need to go see a show here again someday." Erik & I were dying when she said that! Little did she know that we were doing that exact thing. Then, we parked. Kylie said,"what are we doing?" Finally, she & Jadyn figured it out & started screaming with excitement! Silly girls!!

Here's a few pics from the evening...

The opening set before the show started...

The girls with "Annie" after the show..

OLD PHOTOS

I'm taking another break from our trip posts to place some old pictures on here. (I know, you're wondering when my trip will end. Don't worry - it's almlost done I promise!) While at my Granddad Carroll's he showed me some pictures he had of my Grandma Organ. (She was his first wife & my Mom's Mom.) Anyway, I've been getting into geneology lately & have always LOVED older pictures. So, for kicks here's some fun ones...

First, let me explain that in 1950 a movie was made called "Rio Grande". It starred John Wayne & Maureen O'Hara. My grandparents were in that movie as extras. It was filmed in Moab where they lived at the time. My mom was a baby when it was filmed. My Grandma Organ was picked to take some pictures with John Wayne for some extra publicity shots & this is what they looked like...

My Granddad was one of the soldiers. Here's a group shot of them. He's the one in the back row in the middle. Which looks a lot like my brother Michael to me.

I just thought this was hilarious. I don't remember ever hearing about these pictures. I knew they were in the movie, but this was a fun find to me. I owe a huge thank you to my Granddad for scanning all of these photos (I have a bunch more) & giving me copies. I love them! By the way, if you ever see the movie for some reason..... My Grandma is at the beginning of the movie & quite noticeable. That's as far as I've made it into the movie. I guess when they're doing a roll call of the soldiers later on you here them call "Carroll" - which is my Granddad & he says "here". I'll have to find this gem & watch it again!

June 8th Part 2

While at church on Sunday I heard about the open house for the Oquirrh Temple. I went online to see if we could get a reservation & we were able to. I was so excited! I just thought this would be a neat thing for my girls. After our hike we headed back to my Granddad's to get ready, pack up & say good-bye. Then, we were off to the temple.

This is a close up of the windows. They were so cool. They had stars in them...



Before the tour we watched a short film. It was interesting to hear that this was the only city on the world that has 2 temples. You can look down the mountain & see the Jordan River temple just a few miles away. That was crazy! I just loved being able to take my girls here & let them feel of the spirit inside these walls. Hopefully it's something they will remember for a long time.

June 8th Part 1

We woke up early this Monday morning to head up to Timpanogas Caves. It was raining, but we trekked on. The hike was great. We had wonderful weather even with the rain. We made it up to the top in about an hour. Not too shabby with kids I think.

A family pic at the top...

A few photos of the caves. Which, of course, do not do it any justice. We loved this adventure. Well worth it!! The caves were so neat.

Inside the "Big Room" of the caves...

June 7th

Ah, Sunday! We went to Provo to go to church with my Uncle James & his family. Afterwards we came back to my Granddad's & just hung out all day. It was great to listen to his stories & play with little Samuel. This is my darling little cousin Samuel with my girls....


Here's a picture of my girls with my Aunt Heidi & Samuel...


We laugh that this is my Aunt & Uncle. In fact, James was trying to tell my girls I was his cousin for a second. He's a whopping 4 months older than me, but he's my Uncle! Here's a pic with James, Me & my Granddad...

Along with telling stories, reviewing pictures & geneology stuff we spent a lot of time trying to figure out the Rubix Cube. This was something my brother Michael could whip out in no time. I never figured it out. It bugged Erik to no end & he wanted to know how to do it. (The answer to that one will come in a few days.) In the mean time, here's some other fun pics...

After the girls were in bed we spent over 2 hours with my Granddad explaining how to complete it to us. It was a lot of information in a short period of time. Most of that information was lost by morning. Neither of us are good at retaining info.

This picture was actually taken on Monday, but I'm placing it here. This is a picture of my Granddad, me & my Uncle Doug. He's my Granddad's brother that I haven't seen since I was 5. He comes for cancer treatments & stays with my Granddad. I was glad I got to see him - even if it was only for a minute!

This was our last day with my Granddad & I was sad to leave him. This was our first visit without my Grandma Gwen being their. Her presence was greatly missed! I worry about my dear Granddad without her around. I am so thankful I've been able to see him more the past couple of years, though. He's such an amazing man. I love to hear about his adventures. We were able to hear about a lot of his traveling adventures this trip. I wish I could stay for a month & just hear everything! He's had quite the life. I hope to see him again really soon!

ONE YEAR

I'm taking a break today from our trip posts to remember my brother Michael. Today marks the one year anniversary of his passing. It's still a shock. I'm not sure it will never not be. He is missed. Again - I'm just grateful for the knowledge I have that I'll see him again someday. This is a picture of his headstone....

I think it turned out great. We arrived home last night from our trip. We woke up & drove out to the cemetary this morning. We had a nice group family hug with me crying. Then, it took a minute to calm Kylie down. That was hard watching her be so upset. Jadyn doesn't really remember him like Kylie does. How do you explain to these sweet girls what happened in this situation? It's hard. Probably always will be. I just remember my parents & think of how much harder it is for them. I can't imagine watching my child go through all he's been through & then to lose him. My parents are strong, though & I admire them. I hope all of my family is able to take a moment today to remember Michael & how we can grow a little closer, reach out a little more to one another. I love my family & can only keep trying!

June 6th

The morning of the 6th we woke up & drove to Sandy to visit Erik's Aunt Barbara. We were able to visit with most of their family. We have so much fun talking with them & laughing at things. His cousin Aubrey was their with her little guy Calvin. He's so cute & my girls loved him. They followed him around his play area in the backyard & we even caught Jadyn carrying him a couple of times. Here's a picture of them........


I didn't get a picture of the rest of the family. :( After that visit we trekked back to the Highland area & made a stop at Cabella's. My Granddad Carroll took the girls & I their last summer during our trip & my girls loved it. They talk about it & begged to go their again. While driving their I called my Granddad to let him know we were their & to see if he wanted to meet us. He said he was working on his computer, but would see if he could get away. He was their shortly. I knew he couldn't pass up a trip to Cabella's. It's his favorite store. We love looking around at all the animals & checking things out.


My Granddad got a cart to push around. He says it makes it easier to walk around since his back surgery. Well, with my girls an open cart means jump in & push me. He was nice enough to take turns pushing them around....

The highlight, however, was the shooting range. They give you tokens as you walk in & you can buy more if needed. Which we ended up needing. Kylie was focusing really hard on her aim, after Erik showed her how to do it. You can notice her squint in this picture. I was quite proud of myself. Once I got the hang of it I could hit something everytime. Erik now thinks we need a gun to go shooting. Hmmm.....

June 5th Part 2

After our visit to Temple Square we took the girls over to Hogle Zoo. It was perfect weather. it drizzled a little while we walked up, but that was it. We had a lot of fun here!



This elephant made noises & would pretend to sneeze & blow water out of it's trunk. We talked Jay into sitting on it's trunk for a picture, but she kept her ears plugged the whole time. She said it was too loud & it made her nervous. You can actually see the water shooting out in this pic!

My Granddad Carroll told us we needed to check out the bird show. He knew the guy that runs it & said he was the best! We're really glad he did. We probably wouldn't have went to it otherwise & it was the highlight of our visit. It was so fun to watch these birds fly around & at times fly extremely close to peoples heads! Upon the start of the show they tell you not to raise your hands or to stand up because you could get hit. A couple of times the birds were so close you could see the wind blow through peoples hair! At the end of the show they brought out a Bald Eagle. I thought this was pretty cool since I've never seen one before!

June 5th Part 1

On June 4th we drove up North to Ogden. I wanted to see the Bell Photo "headquarters" & we were able to visit with Nate & Michelle Bell. It was fun to see their new home. (Well, new to me!) Then, we drove back down to Highland to stay with my Granddad Carroll.

On the 5th we woke up & drove to Salt Lake. First stop was Temple Square. This is a picture of us on the top of the Convention Center next to the field of wildflowers. I love that this is on top of a building. It makes it even cooler. Plus, the fact that my eyes are closed - that's awesome! It started to rain just as we were leaving the roof. What great timing for us because then they closed the roof off!


After the Convention Center we went to the Church Office Building so that we could go onto that roof. It's 26 stories high. This picture was taken there...


Next we walked to the temple........

It actually rained pretty good once we got over to the temple. We walked to the Visitors Center in the rain. I felt bad for all of the brides & their wedding parties trying to take pictures in the pouring rain. Definitely not a day they'll forget!