Feeling Tropical in Utah

There is a backstory to this extented family vacation.

I went to college in sunny St. George.  Why did I go to a 2 year college when there was one in my home town? Because of the palm trees of course!  I was only 4 hours away but it felt like I was across the country.  Perfect for my "spread my wings, but run home every other weekend" mentality. 

Baby steps people, baby steps.

So while there I went to Vegas (on the weekends when I didn't go home) where I saw "Starlight Express".  It was so fun with the rollerskating and all, and I thought my 8 year old little brother Mark would like it.

Mark was the cutest, most fun little boy in the world.  He could recite funny commercials, sing all the words to any Beatles song you name,  started writing a book, and he fell in love with the Starlight Express soundtrack.  I promised I would take him to see it in Vegas.

And then it left!! It had been there for like years...and when I called for tickets it was gone!

Mark was heartbroken...so I took him to Vegas anyway and we played lazertag, went on the roller coasters and spent lots of money in the arcade....but sadly no Starlight Express.

Fast forward many many years.  Little 8 year old Mark is grown up and in Korea teaching and I noticed that Starlight Express is coming to Tuacahn and showing the very month Mark would be returning!!! Fate.

So I got the ball rolling, called my Mom and Dad who called and bought the WHOLE FAMILY tickets to see the show.  We didn't tell Mark about it.  

With that last sentence you can guess what happened.  Mark extended and is staying for another year in Korea.  This isn't bad news, he is getting terrific experience, and having so much fun so we all want him to stay.  But....BADDA BOOM BADDA BING family reunion in September in St. George!

Lots of swimming.

Flaming food!

Cute cousins.

My kids love the Starlight soundtrack as much as Mark did. They were so excited, and loved the whole show.  It's a musical for people who have a low tolerance for musicals....lots of action and fun songs.

I love Tuacahn. The setting is amazing.  

Big Popper, the evil caboose, and Nintendo

"Greaseball Greaseball Greaseball the Diesel!"

Rusty and Pearl.

We had a wonderful time.

Thank you Mom and Dad and thank you Mark!!

36 + 1

So, my birthday happened, which is kind of amazing because 

#1 we have been so consumed with moving/home improvements/starting school/meeting new neighbors/new ward/having friends move into our basement, I didn't really want one more thing to think about.

#2 I don't want to spend any money....spending big chunks of money is not easy on my psyche, so a home purchase is particularly unnerving. I also kind of feel like everything we buy for the house is a gift for me.

But, the kids, Miriam in particular, were determined we would acknowledge the day properly. 

Stacie (friend in the basement) made dinner, Byron, Soren and I picked up a cake, Darin made sure all the money spent went to things that were need/want and not just splurges to settle my mind.

So here are my super excited party guests!

These guys are always ready and eager for a party.

Friends and family also made the day great...lunch in the park, lots of treats, phone calls and FB messages, Ris brought a surprise by.  It was fun, and I felt special.

When the weekend came Darin and I went out together.  We have season tickets to the local theater (fantastic performance of How to Succeed in Business) and we tried out a local hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant people have been raving about. Solid birthday, but next year I want to ride a gondola and do a zip line.  

Who's with me??

First Day 2013!

So far so good!

Miriam loves her class, is a bit scared of her teacher but gets to sit on an exercise ball instead of a chair, and is in full swing school play rehersals.

Byron doesn't hate school, his teacher seems calm and sweet, he gets to practice dribbling skills at recess and he loved art class.

Soren cries almost everytime we drop Byron off (truth be told so do I) but we are having fun together.

He loves preparing after school snacks for the kids and then waiting at the window for them.

Both first day of school shirts were generously donated by Grandma Rasmussen, who is evidently much cooler than I am.

Neighborhood Talent Show

 Miriam and T'Anna were at it again last week.

Those do-gooders decided to do something about our worn out playground equipment.

They organized a neighborhood talent show (made up flyers, took them door-to-door, came up with dance routines and made treats to sell as concessions)

There were so many cute talents from the neighborhood kids.

Our family contributed a ninja routine, 2 dance/song numbers, and a scientific mentos/diet soda display.

This was all carried out in blistering 100 degree (at least) heat.

They made $30 which is nothing to sneeze at, but more importantly they took some initiative to do something about a problem.   If I can raise builders rather than sit around and complainers it will be worth the headache of having a constant party planning daughter.

I am proud of Miriam, and proud of the boys for participating.  

Even though I told them no more fund raising for the rest of the summer.

Activity Day Girls- Daddy Daughter Date

I have been a Mormon (LDS) all my life.  In my religion everyone is encouraged (with righteous peer pressure) to serve in "callings", and you usually go straight from one calling to the next....a break period is rare.  So after 36 years, I have had a fair amount of different jobs in the church.

My favorite...

hands down....

so far....

is....

Activity Day Leader

I think I would love the Cub Scout program as well, and will probably serve there before my boys are grown, but my feminist issues make this calling more personal to me.  The Cub program...it's all mapped out with day camps, badges, uniforms they don't need any attention from me.

The 8-11 year old girls....they kind of get the chaff, but not on my watch!

These cute girls deserve some adventure durn it!!

and quick before self-conscious, insecure adolescence sets in!! 

Some of my adventurous, athletic, smart, funny girls.

A bit more Miriam.

End of the year piano recital.  

Although it was a nail-biter with some tears shed, Miriam did earn her piano achievement metal. She was very prepared for this recital and performed well...especially the emotion she brought into her playing.   My sister Sarah does that so beautifully it's something I really admire in music performance.  Lots of people can play the piano, Sarah can make you feel the music.  I don't know if that is something you can learn or something born it, but hopefully it's something Miriam can achieve. 

Since it was a double performance day we splurged with a trip to the Orange Leaf.  Testing all the flavors is just as fun as loading up with the mochi and stuff.

(Soren has been anti-photo of late...have you noticed?)

That evening we went to M's ballet recital.

Traditional ballet, and also an Irish dance number.

The recital had some music glitches but they persevered and the girls did their best.

It's always fun to watch Miriam dance because you can tell she enjoys it.  Thats how it was with my other sister Julia.  Not matter how hard the dance moves were, Julia made it look effortless and like she was having the time of her life.  Hopefully that genetic gem also made it's way down to Miriam.

It was not easy being Miss Congeniality in a home full of beauty queens. Luckily my sisters are so great I have nothing but admiration for thier talents and how hard they worked to develop them.

The Last Day!!

Roller blading to school.

After school slip and slide party!!

The year comes to an end...

Miriam was in a presentation of "On the Radio", a history lesson/song and dance presentation for elementary kids.  The kids learned popular songs from through history.  The above picture (which is awful but the best one I took) is Miriam and some other girls singing "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy".  These kids learned about 5 song and dance numbers each, with the opportunity to try out for smaller numbers like Boogie Woogie.  I volunteered to help with this project (inadvertently) so I choreographed a dance to "Hey Soul Sister" performed by all the girls grades 3-6 in the Spectrum program.  That took me waaaay out of my comfort zone but in the end was very fun! Mrs. Parrish, M's teacher helped to make the number special with a video presentation and a live ukulele player.  Made me think very differently about that instrument.

Miriam and some 3rd grade friends from the show.

(Maura, M, Ashlie, Madison, Mary and Cecy)

Miriam got her doctorate degree!

Bird Festival

It rained this year.

Made it hard on the Great Salt Lake Bird Festival organizers but they were in happy spirits because the rain is good for the birds!

We didn't go to any classes or field trips, just did the kid activities. These pictures show the headache inducing part of the day.  Usually this is done outside...but just imagine 20 to 30 kids (mostly boy scouts) pounding their guts out with hammers.

Holy Dr. Pepper day!

We got through it and have 3 birdhouses to show for it.

Ninja Graduation

I was so happy we found this pre-school.  It was exactly what I was looking for: a character building based curriculum with beginning karate.  So Byron got the crafts, songs, learning stuff all pre-schools do but they ate super healthy snacks, were very active, and learned about things like friendship, courage, kindness, and manners.  The bonus was that we knew the teacher Kaylene Cotton from our CEU days (it's always reassuring to know the teacher personally).  The one downside is that it was in Woods Cross 10 min. away! I know that isn't such a big deal, but there are like 15 pre-schools surrounding my house.  Feels kind of silly to drive at all....and yet something told me it would be worth it.

Of course I teared up during the graduation.  I have come to accept the fact that I will be crying in public a lot as my kids grow up.  Byron said his part clearly and loudly which is such a triumph ("In November we learned about Teamwork!").  He really hates being the center of attention, it just shows how much he has grown this past year.

They did a karate routine to Kung Fu Fighting, said their parts,  and then sang 4 of the songs they had been learning throughout the year.  Our favorite is "Catch a Falling Star".  Byron, who isn't much of an out loud singer (probably due to the non-attention seeking thing) walked around the house singing that song for weeks!  And then he and Soren changed the lyrics to "roast a falling star",  I have no idea why it's even funny but we all laugh every time they sing it.

Miss Kaylene said kind words about each student as they walked to receive their diplomas.

She said that Byron was fun to have around, and that he was her science kid.  He loved the weeks they studied scientific topics and that he "really got it". 

Soren can't wait for his turn to be a Little Ninja!

Byron's Celebration

Get Air Trampoline Park 

Nothing but sweat, smiles and squeals of delight for an hour.

Cute friends.

This was a thrown together party...no invitations, no cake, just a bag of fruit snacks, water, and lots of jumping.  Three friends cuz thats how many fit in the car.

(his Yankee shirt has a number 6 on the back-didn't want anyone to think we had ended the birthday shirt tradition)

Miriam and her friend Mary made the Chima Lego cake.

I am not a huge fan of cake myself, but this one was not only super duper cute but tasted pretty darn delicious! I think it was the nutella/whip cream frosting idea they used for the sand.

The big wish that only comes around once a year!

I wonder what his little head wished for?

a pet snake? to never have to go to school? lots of bugs in the back yard? to have lizard powers?

You never know with this guy, he may look calm but his little brain is working overtime!

Darin finally catches up to me...

The boys and I took Darin out for birthday sushi, then we ran home to make him peanut butter pie.

We ran out the door to surprise him on his ride home from work.  He and a friend have been biking the 18 miles to or from work about 3 times a week for the last month or so.  

Darin has this habit of not only purchasing his own birthday gift before his birthday, but also opening and using it.  I say every year...go ahead and order it but I am keeping it hidden until your birthday, and it has never worked. 

 I usually feel like his birthday is a let down because there is nothing to open.

Not this year!

The kids and I surprised him with a t-shirt blanket.

I love the way it turned out and it was so fun to have something heartfelt to give.

(made by Project Repat)

Darin never seems to care about getting older, but I think we both agree that we feel better and healthier at 36 than we did at 30.  If this keeps up we will be in our prime at 40!

When I was One, I had just begun.

When I was Two, I was nearly new.

When I was Three, I was hardly me.

When I was Four, I was not much more.

When I was Five, I was just alive.

But now I am Six, I am clever as clever.

So I think I'll be Six now for ever and ever.

-A. A. Milne, Now we are six

Happy Birthday Bub!!

Mother's Day message and other things....

I had a wonderful Mother's Day so far, and it's just going to get better because the Survivor Finale is on tonight!

The kids surprised both Darin and I by bringing me breakfast in bed, complete with many cute notes and cards (even a book Byron and his friend Fielding had made).

I got to wear the cute picture corsage the kids had made in Primary.

Got a wonderful parenting tip in church (a woman who was dealing with a whinny child got a spray bottle and squirted him in the face).

The older 2 sang like little angels and pointed to me at the "I LOVE YOU" part.

Darin made a delicious dinner (fish tacos!!)

and we have brownies for dessert. 

A serene and peaceful Mother's Day and I felt loved.

I thought of the perfect message to share with my fellow women in the trenches of mother and grandmotherhood.  A message that had helped me to enjoy this day more than in the past. Ready for it?

It's not your fault. 

I think, as mother's we tend to take all of our children's problems or mistakes and turn the problem inward.  If only we had done more, done better, spent more_______ (whatever.... time, money, attention) our children wouldn't have this problem with their __________(whatever.... behavior, attitude, friendship issues, mental or physical problems ).  

All of the mothers I know are doing the best they possibly can with current knowledge, and resources available to us.  

That has to be enough. 

I LOVE Abe Linclon, love the man, I wrote a poem about him in 5th grade...one of my heros, but I don't like this quote: "All that I am, or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel mother."  Don't get me wrong, it's the sweetest thing ever to say, and maybe in his case it's true.  For me, I am not going to claim everything good in my kids, just as I am not going to claim their mistakes and trials. 

and

It is not our job to create perfect children.  We just need (and this is me reminding myself) to create children who know they are loved. I think the best we can hope for is that we raise resilient children, because life is going to be hard. My Mom is my confidant, my cheerleader, my source for no-strings attached never ending love.  Sure she was a good example to me, and taught me wonderful things but she at times was a bad example and sometimes I wanted more than she could give.

But she is more than enough.

Also.....

Miriam had her dance recital on Saturday.

She did great, she is a cute little dancer.