Catch Up September

Oh my time has really flown by! There are things that I can just let slide and then there are things that when I let them slide just keep bugging me until I get it right. This is one of those things that just keeps bugging me. So, here I go, I'm catching up.... Holly, Danielle, Mom, Dad, Mya

The Timpanogos Storytelling Festival is an event that Mya and I have gone to once before a few years back. This year my mom thought that it would be a fun event for the older grand-daughters and their moms to go to the culminating event of the Festival, "Laugh In" night with 12 of the best storytellers. I think my favorite was Bil Lepp. He told an amazing tall-tale of a camp leader that was sick of eating tuna fish and the events that transpired after throwing out all the cans!

Labor Day we decided as a family to see what all the fuss was about the Sheepdog Championship and Country Festival. Our favorite event ended up being the Splash Dogs!

I took 6 pictures of these cute kids one morning in September and none of the 6 had both of the twins eyes open. I think Alexa or Preston is going to be like me in that they close their eyes when a picture is taken.
Eating grandma Massey's yummy chocolate chip oatmeal cake!

Preston's Surgery

On August 26th Preston had surgery at Primary Children's hospital. It turned out that the procedure wasn't as invasive as was first thought it was going to be and while I thought I would have a sleepy boy for the rest of the day I did not. He woke right up in recovery, drank a bottle of apple juice and then took a short nap. That was the extent of his sleepiness for the day.

Playing with toys in the waiting room, he has no idea what's going to happen to him. Poor boy.

Nice gown Preston!

Still waiting for surgery and hungry!

Groggy after surgery. All went well.

First Day of School

Mya started her first day of 4th grade on August 20th. Her teacher is Sra. Tavares--I don't know if I'll ever be able to remember that name. 4th grade is all Spanish, no English spoken in class. I can't believe that Mya can do that. I'm so proud of my Spanish speaking daughter!

Friday Night Pizza Night

Everybody loves Friday night Pizza night!

Motorcycle Trip

Last year when the gas prices where so high I gave in to Doug's wishes to buy a motorcycle. Truthfully it hasn't saved us any money. As with any "toy" accessories are always required as well as tune-ups etc.

Anyway...

Our good friends Chris and Rachelle Parker were going on a motorcycle trip for their Anniversary (it has become a tradition with them for their Anniversary and one that we participated in a couple of years ago) and they asked Doug if we would like to come along. Doug told me he was going with or without me. With his broken leg I was hesitant to get on the bike with him but he said it would be fine and he was really excited to do something that he would normally do. This year the plan was to go to Colorado via Vernal, UT, go to Steamboat, CO, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado National Monument and back home on I-70.

If you've never done a motorcycle trip I actually recommend it. It's like being on the lake in your boat. You feel the wind, you smell everything better and other bikers wave! You do get saddle sore though, but that's OK 'cause you just look for places to stop (something you wouldn't normally do in a car). We stopped at one point of interest stop and learned that a huge fire had burned up all that you could see at one point--something I would never have found out if I had traveled in the car.

It threatened to rain on us a few times but we seemed to be in the right place at the right time for all the storms where we either just missed it or just pulled into a town when it hit so we could get to shelter. I love the smell of rain on hot asphalt and the smell of fields just after a rain. Not something you would experience in a car!

Things I don't like about the motorcycle, getting saddle sore, going faster than 70 miles an hour, having the communication system, along with your music die because of the battery, long drive with nothing to see-- for example from Vernal to Steamboat and I-70--Utah part with no communication system!

I loved eating out, hanging out in the hot tub every night, reconnecting with Doug, spending time with just adults for longer than 2 hours (something I haven't had since the twins were born).

Had to make a stop here, not for the restroom but because Doug wanted to buy some moccasins to put on his broken foot--his toes were getting too cold...

Colorado National Monument

View from Colorado National Monument

Bear Lake in Rocky Mtn. Nat. Park

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Payson Lake

The second weekend in August we decided to try camping out with my family. Holly had arranged for all of us to camp up at Payson Lake. My parents and Holly's family stayed up on Thursday night and Trevor and his family and our family joined them on Friday night.

Again we had to pack so much stuff that we didn't have room for everyone in our Expedition. Doug was just fine with that because he had an itch to ride his motorcycle while up the canyon anyway.

I would say that the hardest thing about camping with babies that crawl is that they want down and down would be in the dirt. I just couldn't stand that! They did have lots of people to hold them and take them on walks though. But, by Saturday afternoon I was ready to go home. It had been quite cold the night before and the day hadn't really warmed up either. We all spent most of the day around the campfire.

We enjoyed the fire, good food and bike rides around the lake. It was the first that I had been on a REAL bike for almost two years! It's too bad that we didn't get out on the lake in the canoe while we were there, I think Mya may have, but for the babies it was just too cold. Maybe we can try something like this again next year and hope for warmer weather.

Oquirrh mountain Temple Open House

I know it's been awhile since the Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House but now is the first time that I'm able to blog about August, so a few more blogs are forthcoming.

Doug's sister Jeanene arranged for her family, Doug's parents and us to attend the Open House on Saturday August 1st.

To me it was a beautiful temple, much like the Draper Temple. Mya felt like the Draper temple was a bit more beautiful and I might have to agree, but they are both gorgeous temples.

Preston and Alexa came with us to this temple open house. They did just fine. Preston was awed by the wonderful chandeliers and Alexa had wonderful things to say (that I didn't understand) when I pointed out the various pictures of Jesus throughout the temple.