Diary of a Travelling Family

I don't even know where to begin...I mean, how do I weed through all of the 937 photos and videos taken from our last leg of the trip alone! Yellowstone National Park was SO much fun and a dream come true for the boys!! We sure did "miss" Anna, but the trip would not have been the same with her there. She was well taken care of by G'ma and G'pa and for that we are extremely grateful!

Day 1
I know Rexburg, ID is not part of Yellowstone, but it was a top stop on my list! Seeing the new temple, eating lunch at Craigo's (no more twisty bread sticks...bummer), stopping by Dorm 5 and Birch #106,...a stroll down memory lane!! But what topped the visit was taking the kids to the Sand Dunes to play and running into my college roommate Suzy's husband and kids. They now live in Michigan, so it was quite a surprise to "run into them" in the middle of the sand dunes. I sure wish Suzy was there--how fun would that have been!!??

Jumping in the hot, hot sand was so much fun for the kids and Rob.

Running into my roommies husband and kids was fun for me!

A huge sandbox--endless possibilities!

Hi Heather, Valerie and Jeff, Daryllyn, Suzy and all other Dorm 5 gals who read this. The walls on this prison don't seem as large anymore...Our family at the new Rexburg LDS templeBirch #106 rocks the plaza!! Hi Suzy! Hi Ann!

We had a great view of the Grand Tetons on the way up to Yellowstone.

Almost immediately when we entered Yellowstone, we spied two bald eagles in a huge nest perched high in a tree...the boys were excited now! A quick stop at Gibbon Falls and Norris Geyser Basin...the boys were now really excited!! Steamboat geyser was a highlight and made the boys top 10 list of coolest things at Yellowstone. Even though this geyser only spat small amounts of water, the fact that it is the tallest geyser in the world made it AWESOME. We had to pull Tyler away--he was insistent that it was going to go off. I think he was a bit disappointed when a ranger told him that it always is spitting water. As far as geysers go, they hadn't seen nothing yet. We saved the best for last!!

After setting up camp and getting some dinner, we peeked around at the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and walked down to the brink of the Upper Falls. Wow! I couldn't believe how much water poured over the edge. My knees were a bit shaky looking over the edge and we kept a tight grip on Evan (since the Jacobson's labeled him as the kid "most likely to fall into a geyser"). The boy has so much energy and the terrain in Yellowstone was NOT people friendly!

Checking out Gibbon Falls--we had beautiful weather the entire trip!!

Steamboat Geyser--a favorite amongst the boys (Isaac, Jared, Tanner and Tyler)

The brink of Upper Falls at the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

This post has taken so much time. Day 2 will have to wait!!

We Survived!

Well, we made it back to SLC in one piece! All of the exciting details will come soon, so no need to worry!

I'm flying out in a few hours with the boys and Rob will fly out tomorrow with Anna. He came down with a fever and sore throat yesterday. I stepped on his pride and changed his flight this morning and we sent him off to an Urgent Care. Turns out he has Strep (who would want to be with him on an airplane today??).

I can't wait to share with you pics and experiences from the second half of our trip. I didn't think our Disney trip could be topped, but in my eyes, the Kunz family trip to Yellowstone is #1!

SLC Trip

Well, the first leg of our trip is winding down. We've had a great time in Salt Lake and we've done more then we ever imagined. Some highlights...

• Swimming. Tyler is getting braver and braver at the pool. We need to get the kids back in swim lessons, though. Jared and Evan just hung out with Mom--enjoying the lack of humidity!!!
• Eating at Training Table, Cafe Rio, Sonic, Taco Time, Hogi Yogi and Teryaki Stix.
  
• Jacob and Alli's wedding and reception. The boys enjoyed playing around the fountain and Anna just toddled around everywhere. The wedding ceremony was beautiful and we are so happy for Alli and Jacob.
• Hike to Donut Falls in Big Cottonwood Canyon. This was a fun hike. We all came home wet and tired! The boys just love this kind of stuff and Evan still ceases to amaze me with his determination.
• Seven Peaks Water Park in Provo. I was a chicken at the water park, but this half pipe seemed to be the favorite ride of the adults.
• Playing Rock Band all night with Audrey and Kevin
• Visiting our BYU stomping ground. Tyler took a picture of us at our apartment building where we both lived when we met--11 years ago! How sweet...
• Seeing Ardeen and Nida (owners of our first apartment). This was our first home and the home we lived in when Tyler was born. Ardeen and Nida are so sweet and great examples of how we hope to be when we're older. When Ardeen told us that Nida "was gone", Rob and I were both a little sad, but turns out she was only "gone" to the store!!
• Visiting the Kennecott Copper Mine. This humongous whole in the ground can be seen from space. The boys LOVED this place and wanted to stay and stare much longer then we allowed them to.
• Antelope Island with all it's stenches and bugs. Evan ended up putting all the kids to shame. The sand was rocky, infested with flies and the water was salty--didn't faze him a bit!

It's Sunday now and tomorrow we take off for four days at Yellowstone National Park. Anna will be staying back with Grandma. We're all pretty beat--we'll see if we make it (Grandma included)!! Wish us luck!

Crybaby

I'm not one who uses the word "hate" a lot, but I really do hate crying kids on an airplane! And I don't mean your crying kids, I mean mine! I'm not quite sure why others kids crying doesn't bother me, maybe it's because I feel for them and their parents and so totally understand. However, that compassion stops when it comes to my own kids whining and throwing a fit in tight, confined spaces. Evan and Anna finally fell asleep the last 1 1/2 hour of the plane ride. Woohoo!!And what is up with this cranky dude?? He's putting his hands up in the air during take off (because that's what we do) and giving me the grouchiest of all grouchy looks--Memo to Evan--hey, that's my signature face, don't try to steal it!!
And funny Evan story from today...We went to dinner with all of the Kunz family (minus Ali--the soon to be newest member and reason why we are out here) at the Training Table where you order your food from your table on a telephone. During dinner, I see Evan come strolling up next to Rob (nothing seemed out of the ordinary). Rob didn't see him and then all of a sudden Evan just went "Blahhh" puking on Rob, the chair, himself and the floor. Poor Evan (and Rob)...not sure if he's really "sick" or if he'd swallowed too much pool water or eaten too much food. Tomorrow will tell...(hope I'm not the only one who thought this was funny or maybe I'm just a girl with a sick sense of humor...").

Getting Away

Well, one trip down, one more to go (for now). It seems weird to just not be home for the majority of July, but memories galore are being created. A few memories and highlights from our trip to Pennsylvania...

Rain rain go away! I was so excited to see that the grass in PA was brown—we have been getting so much rain here at home, but it seemed to have followed us because it rained just about the entire time we were there. Our 4^th of July plans were washed away! However, the kids made the most of it, playing on "the park" all day. And a trip to Friendly's and some ice cream was just as a great as a BBQ in their eyes. We did manage to take Tyler and Jared and their cousins Spencer and Riley to see some fireworks in the rain. They had a good ole’ time…the adults did not.

Monkeying around. Rob took off and went golfing Saturday morning (a much deserved and needed break for him). My mom and I herded my kids and the cousins to Monkey Joes’s—an indoor moon bounce place (and much nicer then the holes by us). Good times were had and the boys definitely got a work out. Anna spent the whole time sitting in a race car. She would get upset if anyone else tried to take the stationary car for a spin. Evan whined a bunch (overtired) and when the giant purple Monkey Joe approached him from behind, patted his head, Evan turned around and gave one blood curdling scream. Then he quivered on Mimi’s lap until Monkey Joe disappeared. (Pictures to come--they're still on the video camera--the camera was ruined by the 4th rain).

Cousins. The boys love seeing their cousins! And fortunately for us, they have LOTS of them! Ethan and Kira made it to PA Saturday evening, which "wasn't enough time" for them to play. We had Cafe Rio night (yummy...) and just hung out. On Sunday, we headed up to see Alison who had spent the previous day at the hospital. The kids always like going there because they have a "fun" yard--a trampoline being the newest addition. Brooklyn was excited to share all of her girly toys with Anna. (Bummed I don't have any pics because it was so dang sweet).

Now we're home for a day, to pack up for our UT trip and Yellowstone. I'm looking forward to sleeping in a tent for 3 nights (heehee--not really) and really looking forward to seeing the boys excitement when they see Yellowstone!!

Randomness

Look what Tonya posted on her blog today...What is Hypochondroplasia?

So, I've been thinking about going to the LPA convention next year in NYC. 1. My hubby hearts NYC (he was a missionary for our church there years ago). 2. Kim's rules are very enticing. 3. Every ones reviews have sold me on it!

Check out my layout for the Speed Scrap at Scrap Matters. I won a random drawing for a gift certificate to their store. Can't wait to shop!!!!We're heading to PA for the 4th. I hope every one has a great holiday weekend!!! Ciao for now!

So back in April, Emily posted about her awesome bathroom cabinet make-over! Having done several DIY projects in my life, I thought this would be the perfect solution to our kitchen cabinets. I bought the stain and started going to town. Well, I obviously lack some of Emily's DIY skills because my cabinets looked NOTHING like hers! See for yourself...

The left side is my AWESOME stain job, the right is the original cabinets.

Rob wasn't too pleased that I just gave up on the whole project. Secretly, I was hoping he'd just surprise me with new custom cabinets, but no such luck. Instead he surprised me by taking down all the cabinet doors on Friday night so I'd be forced to get going on a new paint job. He knew there was no way I could look at my kitchen in this state for very long...

Here is the disaster zone, mid project. AAAAHHHHH!

All day Saturday was spent sanding, cleaning and priming all of the doors. We truly used Sunday as the Day of Rest--I was so tired and achy from the previous days work. Monday was priming and painting the inside framework and painting the cabinet doors and drawers. Today was second coat day. By the end of the day, I never wanted to see a paint roller or brush again. Or a cup or bowl on the floor again. Rob hung all the doors back up even though the fronts still have a coat or two to go and even though I was as moody and cranky as a wife can get. Now my kitchen looks and feels so bright and clean...

What color should I paint the walls?? And now I can't wait to get some new counter tops to make this room sparkle!

Now my only problem is that it's getting really HOT in here...what was my dear hubby thinking??!! He knew I'd put something like this on the blog! Thanks for all of your help and patience, babe!

Hey, Andrea, It's Your Birthday!

Well, yesterday was the BIG day! I'm officially in my mid-30's (according to my husband)--meaning, I'm 34! Yippee!!!

I was awoken at 7 am with Evan yelling "Happy Birthday Daddy!" It's all about his dad with that kid! Then the other boys came bouncing in the room with a handful of cards (my favorite part of the morning) and with what they thought was my birthday present...If Rob were ever to really get me a vacuum for my birthday (without me specifically asking for it) he'd better turn around and run! Our previous vacuum exploded a few days before so we picked up The Incredible Hulk the night before (yes, we did name our vacuum)! Best feature--the clean/dirty light to help guide my boys. Maybe if it's the vacuum questioning their idea of clean, they won't get so grumpy. Maybe...

Really, my b-day present was the beautiful laptop (Tyjar Evanna--yes, it too has a name) that I'm using right now and that has been constantly glued to my finger tips ever since I received it 2 weeks ago. Between photo editing, blogging, digi scrapping, downloading freebies, e-mailing and just plain old surfing, this gal is always in sight! Did you know that I even got cubital tunnel syndrome from resting my elbow on the desk for too long?? What a loser am I! Now I just relax on the couch without my elbow propped up. Still a loser!

P.S. My kids are being taken care of (by me) just in case there were any who wondered. I may have named my new laptop after them, but they still are what's most important to me...

So, we had lunch at On the Border (I was craving for some Guacamole Live) and then for dinner we had the yummy chocolate cherry cake that Rob and the boys made me. Yes, cake for dinner. In the evening I chopped my hair off (so much for growing it out--I'm the worst at that) and bought some new make-up--so it'll now be a "new me" at age 34!

Oh, darn...we ran out of candles!

Visitors Welcome...

Please meet Cheeto...his friends Frito and Dorito were not around for this picture (the boys named our friendly critters last year). Cheeto and his pals are on my last nerve! It wasn't like our deck furniture was awesome or anything, but at least you could sit on it. They've been ripping it apart and taking the stuffing somewhere...what do you think they're doing with it??And not only has our furniture gone to pot, check out our garden. With all this rain, it's grown into a jungle!! Not that I'm complaining. We'll have tomatoes and peas to feast on all summer!But somebody or should I say something has been eating a little earlier then I'd like. We haven't gotten a single strawberry yet because a thief is amongst us! Originally, I thought it was Evan sneaking a snack, but I have a hunch that it's the baby bunnies I've seen hopping around. Time to cage things up, I guess!
And we have a new front porch visitor, too. Maria the Moth took off after the tornadoes passed a few weeks ago, but this sweet bird built her nest over night and finally moved in today. Every time I'd try and move in close for a picture, she'd fly off and chirp away--probably hoping I wouldn't steal her precious eggs (which I assume are in the nest now, but I'm giving her some space right now).
Oh, but wait...these critters seem to now be invading the inside of our home! Someone sneaked into the present drawer and unraveled all of the ribbon, then turned it into a tangled mess and dragged it around the house with her.But this little critter is too cute to get annoyed at (well, at least for right now, anyways)!!

Am I lazy or a wimp?

Last summer, my neighbor invited us to go swimming with them several times. And each time I kindly declined. Thought process being that it would be just TOO stressful taking a new baby, a toddler who hated water and two pretty self sufficient in the water children to the pool. Didn't sound like a good time to me. So instead, we did not venture too far from home last summer. (And did I really want my new neighbor to see the crazy, stressed out me just yet??)

Now that she knows I'm not one to handle the stress of four children too well, I was surprised that she still invited us to go with them this past Friday.

"What are you doing today?"

"Um, we've got great plans--taking the kids for a walk to McD's for lunch."

"Do you want to go swimming with us? We can grab McDonalds on the way." (I could sense the hesitation in her voice). "Are you up for it yet?"

Being that the pool wasn't too far away (and we could get home quickly if it turned into a disaster), I reluctantly agreed and threw myself into the next 15 most stressful minutes ever. Typically the pool bag is ready to go, but this was our first water outing of the season. Evan didn't want to go. Anna wanted all the attention and NOW. The boys wanted every dusty hidden pool toy that we own which for some reason they seem to remember, even though they have rarely been used. I was ready to just decline the offer again. But somehow the preparations were completed and off we went...

...AND we survived. Thankfully, Anna enjoys the water!! Evan, not so much. But he was content playing poolside. Tyler and Jared had a great time with Nicholas and Taylor and thankfully, Diane remembered her camera...

This is how I expected the whole outing to go...lucky for me this was only a brief outburst on Evan's part.

Ev was pretty content shooting everyone with the water gun the whole entire time.

Wink, wink...no poolside laying out for this water babe! Anna loved playing in the pool.

Jared needs to freshen up his swimming skills, but he had a blast.

Tyler even took a few dives off the diving board.