Over heard in the basement

Mimi: What's your super power?

Parker: The power to make everyone so happy they don't care about anything anymore and don't do anything.

Mimi: That's boring.

Parker: Ok. I have lightening shooting out of my eyes.

Halloween 2016

Happy Halloween.  I'll post more later since it's today and everything...

 Mimi was a dragon

 Yoda was The Flash

 

 Parker the Leaf Blower!

Fair

Now that all the kiddos are in school, I went to the Country Living Magazine Fair for the first time.  It was very interesting.  I doubt I will go again, but it was good to finally get it out of my system.  There were people who talked about going year after year and/or driving 3+hours to be there.  I decided last minute and drove about 15 minutes. 

Here's an old window frame with an old quilt behind it at one of the booths.  It was selling for $70 or something.  I did this a few years ago with a window from the side of the road and a quilt fragment I found at thrift shop.  I felt validated seeing someone else make the same thing. 

There were lots of food trucks, but this one spoke to me.  Sliders and french fries.  I had to wait 30 minutes, and it was good. 

These two things made me laugh!  Above is a stack of reproduced old targets, now ready for framing. 

Toy Army Men doing yoga! 

What we did over summer vacation Part 4

After leaving Utah we headed to Colorado.  Here's like, a million photos of our family hanging out at my sister's house.  It happened to be Baby A's birthday!  

Here's my cute sister and Baby A with the rest of us staring adoringly at them. 

"Pin the mustache on 70's Bert Reynolds"

My sisters and Baby A. 

Backyard bowling. 

Tasty lasagna. 

"1" pinata...

How cute is that birthday boy!??

We Skyped in cousin H.  Hulk Hogan was a bonus. 

Grandad gave the kiddos fishing poles and a tackle box full of goodies. 

Baby A was so much fun to play with! 

Then we headed for the long drive home...

What we did over summer vacation Part 3

We dropped of Greg at the airport, picked up Aunt Sonya and headed to Moab to visit Grandma and Granddad!

As reported before, there was grilled cheese at the Branding Iron.  I had the Navajo Taco, it was yummy! 

Playing at Old City Park. 

When we picked up Aunt Sonya at the airport, Yoda asked, "Have you heard of Pokemon Go?"

Sonya, "Yes, should we get it on my phone and play it while I'm here?"

Yoda, "Sure!"

Yoda to Parker, whispering, "I convinced Sonya to get Pokemon Go!"

I think we swam everyday while we were there.  Here's Mimi off of the high dive.  

I sit at watch, since they don't need me in the pool anymore.  

As soon as we got there Parker lost his goggles in the deep end.  He spent almost an hour trying to get them from the bottom of the pool.  Earlier in the summer at Boy Scout camp he had practiced retrieving a 12 lb. weight from the deep end of the pool to earn his lifesaving merit badge.  He thought he could do it, but it was very hard for him to do.  Finally I gave him some advice that Grandma gave me when I was little and she talked him through it as well.  First breath so that there is lots of oxygen in your system.  Then empty your lungs so they don't make you float.  Then dive like there's $20 at the bottom of the pool and you need to reach it (his goggles were $20 and I wasn't going to get him new ones).  He did it after just 2! tries with that advice!  

The next day we got up early with Aunt Sonya to visit Arches before the heat, too much sun and lots of other visitors. 

In fourth grade, students get a free pass to most of the National Parks.  Mimi was very proud of her pass.  

First we did a pretty low challenge hike, it was perfect for the kiddos. 

Then the sun and heat came and we were all done, it wasn't even lunch time! 

So we drove to Delicate Arch and looked at it from afar, promising to come back someday.  

Then I think we went to the pool again....

The next day was packed with all sorts of fun stuff. 

Target shooting...

 Yoda, "this is like our own little cafe!"

Picnic in the mountains...

Lots of fishing...

As we left the mountain to find the swimming lake, storm clouds were rolling in and it was getting cooler and cooler. 

We swam a little anyway but I was nervous the whole time. 

Eventually they were cold enough to call it a day. 

It was a very fun day!  And a wonderful time in Moab...