Last Minute Getaway

Jer and I decided to take the kids to Vegas for a quick getaway the weekend before school started.  We found some great deals on a room and knew we wouldn't be able to get away for a while with school and soccer starting.  

We started the evening by eating out Mexican food.  It expensive to take 4 kids to a restaurant!

Next we took them to the strip to see some of the shows.  First we went tot he Belagio to see the fountain show.  It was so neat and probably most of our favorite.  Apparently it was a little loud for Tacy because she plugged her ears for most of it!

We also went to the show at Caesar's Palace.  The kids liked it but Jer and I thought it was a bit of a disappointment and remembered it being a lot better when we were younger!

We were going to make it to Treasure Island for their show but found out they don't do it anymore.  So for the last activity of the night we went to the volcano show at the Mirage.  It was really neat as well but by this point we had walked a lot and were tired and ready for bed.

Jer had found a hotel off the strip that we had stayed in before that his really family friendly.  When we got there at almost midnight, they were doing a hip hop competition and it was so LOUD!  We were worried about it bothering us, but we were on the eighth floor and we didn't hear a thing.  I guess that might be why we got rooms so cheap.  We were all so tired we slept great.  The next morning we took them to the pool for a few hours.  They loved the slide.  We headed home later in the afternoon, refreshed and ready to be home.

Yearly Checkups

I made an appointment for Truman to get his shots before school started, only to find out when we got there he hadn't had a wellness check for  almost 3 years.  So I had to make an appointment for a wellness check before they would do the shots.  It was frustrating at the time that no one mentioned that when I called to see what he needed done before he started school, but I guess I should have been more on top of his appointments.  Luckily I was able to get an appointment a few weeks later for him and Prentice for their wellness checks and Truman's 6th grade shots.  As I sat there waiting for the doctor with all four of my kids I couldn't help but think about how not that long ago I was bringing Truman to this same doctor as a baby for all his shots and milestones.  He and Prentice sure are growing up.  One funny story is when the doctor told Truman he had to check his private parts.  I felt bad because we were all in the room and if I wished I would have warned him so he knew what to expect.  But in typical Truman fashion he just went with it.  He is so easygoing.  He even had to do the whole "cough" test.  He got his shots at the end and didn't seem bothered at all.  Tacy on the other hand could hardly watch.  Luckily she didn't need any shots this time.  The doctor did say both he and Prentice are in the beginning stages of puberty.  I haven't seen any signs, but we have talked about it and been pretty open so they know what to expect.  Don't know if I'm ready for that stage of life!

Dr. Marsden is so great with the kids and we love going to him.  He talked to them about how healthy their bodies are and how they are right where they need to be.  I told him Tacy sometimes worried about her body shape and type, but he assured her that she was great and that he would let her know if she needed to do anything different.  It is important to me that the kids understand what it means to be healthy in their food and activities, but I also want them to be really proud of themselves and what their bodies are.  I have told Prentice before that her muscled and toned body is beautiful and strong. And it's just like mine so she can't be disappointed in it!

Splash Park

A few days in July and August were so hot we didn't even want to go outside.  The problem with that is we all get pretty stir crazy.  One evening we decided to get out when it wasn't quite so hot and take the kids to the splash park downtown.  The kids seemed to mostly want to sit with Jer and I.  And Jer and I wanted to relax and watch the kids play.  The boys seemed to have a lot of fun.  Maybe the older kids are getting too old for the splash park.

Jer practicing being affectionate with "soft touches."

24th of July Fireworks

I didn't get tons of pictures while Anton, Liz, Lilly, and Claire were here, but we did have a fun weekend even though it was SO hot! The kids were so excited to do fireworks and although sometimes I wonder if it's worth the money, the kids and Jer have so much fun getting into it.  The adults were tired and maybe slightly grumpy but it was a fun time.

Fathers Day...Late!

I just uploaded the pictures from my Nikon and realized I obviously haven't done that for a while!  I found the cutest Father's Day pictures and even though that was 2 months ago I figured I might as well document it.   If I remember right, Cardon refused to be in the Father's Day picture before we left for church.  Of course the kids came home with the cutest cards for dad and I basically tried not to nag him for a whole day.  I am not good at getting Jer gifts, but I do think he will really like his Utah tie.  I have no idea what we did for dinner, but hopefully I stepped up and cooked it, and hopefully it was good!

Ernest Visits!

My brother Ernest moved to Casper, Wyoming about a year ago and I haven't spent time with him much for quite a few years.  He came down for a couple weeks with his 3 kids and we had such a great time re connecting and catching up.  My kids loved hanging out with his kids as well.  They swam almost every day.  Cardon and Dorian really hit it off and Aiden loved hanging out with Prentice  I'm glad we got to spend so much time with them and hopefully it won't be so long before visits again.  We mostly played at the pool, but we did get brave and took the kids to Knarra Falls hike one day.  It's one of my favorites and I wanted Ernest to see it.  It was a little crazy with 6 kids but it was a great experience and everyone did great.  We made it all the way to the first water fall.  It was fun and with so much water we were really cool.  I would love to find time to do the Narrows hike with Ernest but not sure if I will have the time now that school has started.