Old Friends

My girlfriend Connie and I have been friends since we were in YW together. She moved to Arizona from Colorado when we were 14. We didn't go to the same high school, but we went to church together, dances, youth conference, EFY, and whatever else we could cook up :) We had other friends, but no two of us seemed to be as close as Connie and me. We went through graduating from high school (early for both of us) and heading to college, we went through boyfriends and jobs and family issues. Connie actually came to visit me when I was a freshman at BYU and when I was living in NY and working to get in to law school.  We went through good times and bad times together, comforting each other in heartbreak and cheering each other on in achievements.

We have lost touch with each other a few times over the years but when we reconnect, it is always as if we never missed a beat. Well, we've been in touch via email and Facebook for several years now, but haven't actually seen each other for 17 years!!! The last time we were together was when I was getting my law firm going. My family and I took a trip to Arizona and I got to visit Connie. Well, a lot has happened in 17 years. I met and married Steve, Connie married and had two beautiful daughters. 

A few weeks ago, Connie e-mailed and said that she and her husband would be coming to Utah for a getaway. I was thrilled!!!! Even though they were only here for a few days, we were able to get together at my house for lunch. They were able to meet Steve, Reagan and Cole (and Rachel's family as they were staying with us that week) and I was able to meet her husband Rick. What a great time. We walked around the yard and just got caught up - it was wonderful!  Then, a couple of days later, we met them in Park City and had lunch and talked for hours. I'm sure it was a boring time for Steve, Reagan, Cole and Rick, but Connie and I were super excited to see each other and to be together. There wasn't a ton of reminiscing - more catching up with what is going on in our children's and families' lives. 

Connie is the same amazing girl (woman) I've always known. She is super smart, kind, calm like I could never be and really creative. She used to be in to photography and she could see the colors in a picture or set up a shot like nobody's business. She also has written a book and is working to get it published. She sent me each chapter of her book and I so admire her skills at writing and describing a scene. I felt like I was there.

Our visit came to an end and we both committed to not let 17 years go by again without a visit. Steve said that he felt like he already knew Connie - and even Rick - from Facebook and my stories :)  I'm glad Steve was able to meet Connie and I'm glad that she is happy, healthy and loving life!

Happy 4th of July

Happy Independence Day!!!! We - as usual - hit the Sandy City festivities. We've sort of grown out of bouncy bounce, but we are into the booths and the snow cones and the concerts ... and the FIREWORKS!!!

We met our friends the Pescis there and had a great, if hot, time.

Then, we joined Pescis at their house and had dinner, played in the sprinklers and hung out.

Reagan and Claire wanted to change out of their swimsuits and get warm, so, they put on robes and boots. Then, they came outside and sat in lawn chairs and put their feet in the water. We joked that they were models going to the spa. Well, they caught on and kept coming in and out of the house, ignoring us as they walked by with bags, with luggage and with sunglasses on. I took pics - claiming we were the paparazzi - and asked for their autographs. They were happy to oblige - silly girls.

We left after dinner and - luckily - we were able to convince Reagan and Cole to come home and watch fireworks from our deck - all across the valley - rather than going back to the park.

We are so blessed to live in this country and to have the freedoms that we do. We are concerned about the direction our country is being led in and desire to return to the ideals of our founding fathers. However, we still appreciate the sacrifice of those who made this country great. We are so grateful for the opportunities we have been afforded in this country and we love to celebrate Independence Day. Happy 4th Everyone!!!!!

Back to Park City

I mentioned in my last post that Rachel and her family came to stay with us the week of the 4th. Well, her husband Andrew has never been to Park City, so, we figured we'd initiate him properly - on the Alpine Slide!!!

We took the chair life to half-mountain, hauled our sleds to the start of the slide and the jawing didn't stop the whole way up :) Everyone thought they would be faster than their rival. Since I wanted to take pics, I went down first. Next came Stockton and Cole - each looking like he was having a ball. Reagan came down next and I expected to see Anistyn with her, but there was no Anistyn. Rachel and Andrew were going to race down, but Rachel ran into Anistyn ... literally. I guess Anistyn was scared to go fast, so, Rachel quickly caught up with her and Andrew (luckily) flew by to a victory. Oh well - there's always something unexpected. Steve rounded out our motley crew.

Next, we hit the Mountain Coaster. LOVE this! Steve and Cole went up first this time, I followed, Rachel was behind me with Reagan and Anistyn right on her tail. Stockton and Andrew finished out our group.

We were good and hungry after our adventures on the mountain, so, we headed for Baja Cantina. It was good food and great fun ... as usual.

We hope Andrew will come to love Park City as much as we do because we spend a fair amount of time up there. This family loves Park City. It feels like you are out of town but it is only a 45 minute drive. We haven't taken Reagan and Cole skiing up there, but I'm thinking this winter will be the time. We love Park City in the summer, but it is REALLY cool in the winter ..... can't wait :)

New Aquarium

Well, the new aquarium opened in March, but we've heard from so many friends that when they have gone, exhibits have been empty. So, we decided to wait a while. Well, Rachel and her family came to stay with us the first week in July and we figured it was a great time to check out the aquarium.

It is impressive - it is much bigger than the old aquarium which basically was in a converted grocery store. Some of the exhibits had "nobody is home" signs on them, but it was still very fun. They had many of the same main exhibits but shown in bigger, better ways. We could still touch the manta rays and we could still see the river otters, the penguins and the jellyfish.

They also had a whole bird area where you could see different kinds of bird and it is like aviary with birds flying around. They have a second story rope bridge you can walk across and lots of little habitats for the birds. We even found a nest with baby birds in one of the trees there.

My favorite part was the shark tank - well, there were lots of different kinds of fish and turtles in there, but we noticed the sharks first. It spans two different rooms and you can walk under a domed area where it looks like you are inside the tank. It reminded me of the Rainforest Cafe where you had the big tanks and the tube that goes over your head where you can watch the fish swim. We saw several sharks, turtles, manta rays, and lots of other fish. There was this one big fish just that seemed to be suctioned onto the top of the dome - he just sat there forever. It was really cool. Then, you can move to a different room and see it from a completely different angel.

We had a great time with Annie and Stockton and loved checking out the new aquarim. We were considering getting an annual pass, but we had one of those for the old aquarium and used it a lot. We were sort of "aquarium-ed out." This one is cool, but much of the same as the old. I think we'll skip the annual pass and just see how many times we want to come this year. Regardless, we had a great time with Annie and Stockton and loved checking out the new aquarium.

Our Favorite Restaurant

La Caille is our favorite restaurant. It is a cottage type building on beautiful grounds with vineyards and lots of wild animals roaming around. Our favorite are the peacocks. They just walk around and call to each other. They enhance the scenery and the beauty of this great place. It is a french restaurant and the food is good, but mostly we go for the ambiance. They always have some wonderful new twist but stay true to the spirit of that place. One time on Valentine's Day, they had all of these ice blocks around the grounds with red roses frozen in them. They were beautiful. They made me think of the Beauty and Beast.

The first time I went there was on one of our first dates. It was my birthday and Steve asked if I wanted to go to a french restaurant, a german one, or an italian one. I chose french. He asked "Shall we go to La Caille?" I had never heard of it before and expressed trust in his selection. Well, I was not disappointed. It was beautiful. I remember getting ready at Jenn's house and trying to figure out just the right thing to wear. We ate dinner and then he suggested we walk around the grounds before dessert. We did and he showed me all these great little spots to take pics or to just sit and look at the beautiful view. When we returned to our table, there was a little birthday cake at my seat with chocolate and this sugared lattice over it. LOVED IT!!! He scored extra points for planning ahead :)

Anyway, it has been a little tradition of ours to go there on birthdays or anniversaries, on Valentine's Day or to celebrate something special. We usually have a babysitter for those special occasions, so, Reagan and Cole have not been there. Well, actually, when Reagan was 2, we attended a wedding reception there, so, she has actually been, but doesn't remember. In fact, when we drive by La Caille, which is pretty frequently, Cole will say "That's Mama and Dad's favorite restaurant. Reagan has been there, but I haven't." We started to feel badly that we need to share this beautiful place with them. So, we decided to take them.

They loved it. The food was good (they actually had a kids' menu), but they REALLY loved the grounds. They loved watching the peacocks walk around and to see the water features and the view from the restaurant. They would ask if they could walk around and explore between courses and they enjoyed discovering this great place.

Now, when we drive by, they have a memory too and we have a memory of them being there with us - it doesn't get better than that!!!

New Belts ... Again!!!!!

It's time for another belt test. Reagan and Cole continue to advance in karate and to improve their skills and learn new techniques. Their kicks are crazy high and powerful.

Their forms are looking precise and strong.

Their power karate is improving and they are becoming better at fighting and defending. 

Their grappling is getting better and better. 

They are sparring more efficiently and more aggressively.

Their self-defense techniques are more complicated, but they are demonstrating them well.

In their Black Belt Training, they have started using nunchucks. I must admit I was very concerned when I saw them swinging the chucks around, but they have really learned to control them.

They have even started nunchuck sparring. That has been interesting (and we have had a few bruises).

They are always doing some kind of new skill, move, game or contest.

 So, it was time to test for their next belt. Their best test required them to show their punches and kicks.

They had to show their power karate.

They had to show their forms.

They had to demonstrate their kicks and jumps.

We are so proud of Reagan and Cole for continuing to work so hard in karate. They are doing great and we love to watch them. Way to go guys - Green Belts Now!!!!!!

First Day of Summer School

After a week off, we are back at school .... Summer School!!!! I know - I know - I've heard it all from my friends. I'm a mean mom for putting them in summer school. Well, when I read the studies about how much they lose over the summer of what they learned during the year, it is pretty persuasive. Add to that the fact that it is only 3 hours a day for 6 weeks and that the kiddos don't have to wear uniforms and it is sort of a no - brainer.

Cole's teacher for the summer is Mrs. Hiner. She was one of Reagan's kindergarten teachers and has been the preschool director for the last year. We love her!

Reagan's teacher for the summer is Mrs. Baccer. She taught Reagan during summer school between kindergarten and first grade. We are loving our teachers for the summer!!!!

Many of the students in their classes are friends from school but there is also a big percentage of students who don't attend Challenger during the school year. They are having to learn a lot! After the first day of summer school, Reagan said "Mama - some of the kids in my class don't even know how to diagram a sentence - whoa!" I just laughed. Let's hope she doesn't realize that I may be in that group as well :)

Kohl's American Cup Tournament

Cole played in his first soccer tournament this weekend - the Kohl's American Cup Tournament. It was optional for players, so, the club just made teams from whomever signed up. That meant Cole was not paired up with his usual team for practices; however, some of his friends and teammates were also on this team, so, it all worked out.

We played on Friday and won our game. We then were scheduled to play Saturday morning. We won that game. Then, Cole's stomach started acting up and he had to take a break to hit the bathroom and let his stomach cramps go away. We almost left the tournament, thinking that he wouldn't be able to recover. Luckily, he did recover, but by that time, they had lost the game. They played the next game and won again. That put them in the Semi-finals which they lost. Holy cow - four soccer games in a row from a kiddo with stomach cramps and low energy. He did great! We were so proud of him for trying hard and working through his stomach issues.

Cole was one of the tallest players on our team and scored many of the goals. In one of the games, we won 7-1 and Cole scored 4 of our 7 goals. He was clearly having fun and got to meet some new friends.

We aren't keen on playing in a bunch of tournaments or traveling far away to participate in tournaments. For now, a local tournament once in a while is just right. Way to go Cole - you played great!!!!

Summer Decor

Well, it was time to take down the Easter and Spring decor. My sis was working hard while I was out and she came up with this all on her own. Way to go Amber!!!!!

Usually, in summer, we do some really bright pinks and other bright colors. We were concerned that this year, we didn't have enough decor to do that throughout the house. So, we opted to change it up. This is pretty tame, so it would be able to be used at different times during the year.

Thanks Amber - you are so great! xoxoxoxo

Father's Day Weekend

We had a great Father's Day weekend. Saturday, Shannon joined us and we headed back up to Park City for lunch at the Baja Cantina and then some fun on the mountainside. Well, despite it being the middle of June, it was only 57 degrees in Park City!!! Whoa!!!! So, we were all cold and not wanting to wait in line for the Mountain Coaster or the Alpine Slide. After walking around a bit and sitting in the lodge by the fire, we headed back home to warmer temps (a whopping 70 degrees). It was fun to be with Shanny and to just relax and have fun with her. She's always up for whatever we are doing. She just falls in with the rest of us and is so fun to be around.

On Sunday, Steve's Dad decreed no visits for Father's Day since we have had several family functions lately (including his 80th birthday). It just so happened that my parents were speaking in their ward. So, Mom suggested we surprise Dad by coming to their ward. My sis, Brandi, and I - with our families - attended our parents' ward and then had dinner at mom and dad's and hung out for a while. None of our other sibs are local, so it was up to us to represent :)

We played with the cousins and with Grandma and Grandpa and had a great day celebrating Steve. I had a photo book made up of reasons why Reagan and Cole love him and I included some 900 pics. It was very time consuming to make but so wonderful to look at. There are so many great pics of Steve with Reagan and Cole - playing in the backyard, skiing, taking a trip, doing things at school, hanging with family, hiking, going to church functions, holidays, etc. It was so great to put so many of these pics together into this book. I know we will treasure it always.

So, Happy Father's Day to Steve and to our fathers and all those who help "father" us and our children. We appreciate you all and love that there is a day set aside to honor you!!!!