Cinderella has heard a lot of "Boy, you look just like your mom!" in the last couple of weeks. It happens every time we visit extended family and attend reunions. Yesterday, we attended a reunion for King's mother's family. It was a lovely park, and the weather was beautiful. Cinderella heard about how much she looks like me more than once.
Today, after church, we were discussing this phenomenon. Cinderella was desperately trying to find things about herself that did not look like me, while the other two girls were trying to prove they belonged to me.
"I think when I smile, I look more like Dad," said Cinderella.
"I have your eyes, Mom, don't I?" asked Sleeping Beauty.
"I look a lot like you," said Snow White, "My bags under my eyes are exactly like yours."
Why, yes they are, Sweetie. Thanks for pointing those out.
June 28, 2009
Zions and Grafton
Monday, we headed to Zion National Park with the family. Dad borrowed a 12 passenger van for us to ride over in. The girls thought that was pretty fun. They especially liked the bouncy back seat.
R.Jay came down from Provo to go with us. Emily and Shaun came, too. (Again, most of the pictures are from his camera.) We started with the "Overlook" hike. And when I say "we" I mean everyone but me. I was nursing a pretty good headache by 9:00 a.m., so I took a nap in the van while they hiked up to get a great look at the canyon. They loved it.
The Park has a pretty great shuttle system, so we rode the tram and learned about the canyon. We got off and hiked a couple of times. Our first stop was at "Weeping Rock". It was a short little hike, and pretty, too. Water leaks out of the rocks overhead and kind of drips on you a bit. Many discussions were had on the inconvenience of water, rain, and wearing glasses. More discussions were had on the worth of hiking a small trail just to get "weeped" on. The consensus was we should leave the drippy place and go on a "cooler" hike. Whatever. I thought it was pretty, and I actually could make the hike which means it was pretty cool in my book.
We also stopped at the end of the shuttle line in the room they call "The Kitchen". It's beautiful. The different colors of the rocks are amazing, and the sky was so blue. We took a little walk to the river, and after Uncle R.Jay braved the cold water, the girls thought they would give it a go. They had a great time wading in the ice cold refreshing water. Eventually King joined in, too.
On the way home from Zions, we stopped at the Ghost Town of Grafton. It's a miracle we didn't blow out a tire on the van bumping along the dirt road to the town. I remember going there with my cousins, the Johnsens, when I was young. It felt a bit creepier then. It still does feel a bit creepy, though, thinking about the lives of the people that used to live there and when and why they left. There are still plenty of lizards living there. Lots of flies, too. 
R.Jay came down from Provo to go with us. Emily and Shaun came, too. (Again, most of the pictures are from his camera.) We started with the "Overlook" hike. And when I say "we" I mean everyone but me. I was nursing a pretty good headache by 9:00 a.m., so I took a nap in the van while they hiked up to get a great look at the canyon. They loved it.
The Park has a pretty great shuttle system, so we rode the tram and learned about the canyon. We got off and hiked a couple of times. Our first stop was at "Weeping Rock". It was a short little hike, and pretty, too. Water leaks out of the rocks overhead and kind of drips on you a bit. Many discussions were had on the inconvenience of water, rain, and wearing glasses. More discussions were had on the worth of hiking a small trail just to get "weeped" on. The consensus was we should leave the drippy place and go on a "cooler" hike. Whatever. I thought it was pretty, and I actually could make the hike which means it was pretty cool in my book.
We also stopped at the end of the shuttle line in the room they call "The Kitchen". It's beautiful. The different colors of the rocks are amazing, and the sky was so blue. We took a little walk to the river, and after Uncle R.Jay braved the cold water, the girls thought they would give it a go. They had a great time wading in the ice cold refreshing water. Eventually King joined in, too.
On the way home from Zions, we stopped at the Ghost Town of Grafton. It's a miracle we didn't blow out a tire on the van bumping along the dirt road to the town. I remember going there with my cousins, the Johnsens, when I was young. It felt a bit creepier then. It still does feel a bit creepy, though, thinking about the lives of the people that used to live there and when and why they left. There are still plenty of lizards living there. Lots of flies, too. 
June 25, 2009
Our Grand Adventure
Last Saturday, we headed to the Grand Canyon with Grandma and Grandpa, Auntie Em, Uncle Shaun, and cousins Ethan and Spencer. Thanks to my superior organization and planning ahead skills, I had my camera, but left my battery to the camera plugged into the wall. Luckily, Shaun is a great photographer and remembered all of his camera equipment, too.
On the way to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, we stopped at the historic Pipe Spring National Monument. It was interesting, and much smaller than I remember. When I went as a girl, there were people dressed in period dress working in the Cheese Room of the Winsor Castle. They don't do that anymore. Sadly, this made the tour lose some of the magic and charm to me. It was still interesting, and the girls liked it, but I think I'll still choose to remember it as it is in my mind from my childhood.
We eventually made our way to Grand Canyon National Park. For our picnic just inside the park, the weather was beautiful.
By the time we made it to the rim of the canyon thirty minutes later, a storm was rolling in. It was pretty cool, but made for less than perfect viewing of the giant crevice. After being rained on for a bit, we took shelter in the Grand Canyon Lodge. It was cozy.
After a few minutes, the rain slowed to a spritz, so we headed out to the viewing platforms. They made half of our party a little nervous about the heights, and the other half of us--okay, really only Shaun--so excited about the views that he forgot about his safety and climbed atop a little cliff to get a good picture. We were all screaming at him to get down, a picture wasn't worth a dead family member. In the end, he got some pictures and escaped with his life. Turns out we were overreacting a bit. Maybe. It really was scary.
I don't know what Snow White is doing in this picture. She was the queen of silly faces on this trip, for sure.
The death defying picture:
You see this white rock in the middle of this picture? That is what Shaun climbed up on to take the picture. He said it didn't make him nervous until he got a look at it from afar.
The canyon was beautiful. We had a grand time. It is definitely a memory none of us will forget soon.
On the way to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, we stopped at the historic Pipe Spring National Monument. It was interesting, and much smaller than I remember. When I went as a girl, there were people dressed in period dress working in the Cheese Room of the Winsor Castle. They don't do that anymore. Sadly, this made the tour lose some of the magic and charm to me. It was still interesting, and the girls liked it, but I think I'll still choose to remember it as it is in my mind from my childhood.
We eventually made our way to Grand Canyon National Park. For our picnic just inside the park, the weather was beautiful.
By the time we made it to the rim of the canyon thirty minutes later, a storm was rolling in. It was pretty cool, but made for less than perfect viewing of the giant crevice. After being rained on for a bit, we took shelter in the Grand Canyon Lodge. It was cozy.
After a few minutes, the rain slowed to a spritz, so we headed out to the viewing platforms. They made half of our party a little nervous about the heights, and the other half of us--okay, really only Shaun--so excited about the views that he forgot about his safety and climbed atop a little cliff to get a good picture. We were all screaming at him to get down, a picture wasn't worth a dead family member. In the end, he got some pictures and escaped with his life. Turns out we were overreacting a bit. Maybe. It really was scary.
I don't know what Snow White is doing in this picture. She was the queen of silly faces on this trip, for sure.
The death defying picture:
You see this white rock in the middle of this picture? That is what Shaun climbed up on to take the picture. He said it didn't make him nervous until he got a look at it from afar.
The canyon was beautiful. We had a grand time. It is definitely a memory none of us will forget soon.
June 21, 2009
Events of This Week
On Thursday night, King had a business dinner here in St. George that I was invited to. So, the girls went on a date with Grandma and Grandpa to dinner and a show at the outdoor theater while we went out with King's colleagues. King and I decided to rent a movie after dinner.
About one minute into our movie, Snow White and Grandpa walked into the house. Snow White had gotten sick just before their show started. We were hoping it was just because she got car sick or something, but she was white as a sheet and felt a little clammy. That night she threw up a time or two and she ran a fever for a while, too. Poor girl. I don't know why there is always someone who gets sick when we are on vacation. She recovered quickly and is feeling fine enough to fight over Grandpa's big leather chair with her sister, so I think she's back to normal. Hopefully that's the end of sickness this trip.
Friday, the girls, Daddy, and Grandpa went to the splash pad and the old time candy store. Mom, Grandma and Aunty Em went to a movie. Saturday, we all headed to the Grand Canyon. As soon as I get pictures from Em and my mom, I'll tell a little more about our trip. I remembered my camera, but left the battery plugged into the wall. Nice, huh?
About one minute into our movie, Snow White and Grandpa walked into the house. Snow White had gotten sick just before their show started. We were hoping it was just because she got car sick or something, but she was white as a sheet and felt a little clammy. That night she threw up a time or two and she ran a fever for a while, too. Poor girl. I don't know why there is always someone who gets sick when we are on vacation. She recovered quickly and is feeling fine enough to fight over Grandpa's big leather chair with her sister, so I think she's back to normal. Hopefully that's the end of sickness this trip.
Friday, the girls, Daddy, and Grandpa went to the splash pad and the old time candy store. Mom, Grandma and Aunty Em went to a movie. Saturday, we all headed to the Grand Canyon. As soon as I get pictures from Em and my mom, I'll tell a little more about our trip. I remembered my camera, but left the battery plugged into the wall. Nice, huh?
June 18, 2009
Lessons Learned
So, we've been on vacation for three days, and already I've learned a lot things. I'm sure I've learned some of them before, but I guess I don't really catch on that quickly sometimes.
- Arriving at the airport in a downpour makes it a little tricky to do the whole Long Term Parking thing.
- In the desert, it feels like you can get a sunburn in two minutes. It's good to think of sunscreen before you actually get to the park.
- Taking one half of an anti-nausea migraine medicine that usually puts you to sleep, puts you slightly more than halfway asleep. You really shouldn't get up to use the bathroom in turbulance when you are drugged like this. Some old ladies don't really like a fellow passenger nearly landing in their lap.
- If you have a headache, trying out the spinny thing at the park isn't such a good idea, even if it seems fun.
- Girls don't like chores at Grandma's house any more than they like them at home. Imagine that.
- Eating ice cream after dinner, chocolate chips before bed, and donuts for breakfast really doesn't make you feel that great. Or that happy to do chores.
- Driving your parents' nicer car can be hazardous to your happiness with the vehicles you own.
- Those old classic cartoons that are never on TV anymore (Popeye, Tom and Jerry, etc)have a lot of drinking, smoking, and violence. It's a wonder I'm not an abusive smoking alchoholic. We'll see how my kids turn out after their exposure.
- Going on dates with Grandma and Grandpa without Mom and Dad is totally awesome. I'm not saying if it's better for Mom and Dad or the kids. ;)
- The phrases, "No!", "That's mine!", and "I don't want to!" are somehow so cute when your nephew says them. Adorable, really.
June 15, 2009
Four Eyes
In an attempt to beat the 'Back to School' rush we normally hit getting eye exams in the late summer, we went today. Cinderella has been having a hard time seeing some things from a distance, and as much as she hated to do it, she wanted to get her eyes checked out. Sure enough, she needs glasses. She'll have to wear them always for school, but can choose whether to wear them or not when she's "running around outside with these two crazies" said the doctor, pointing to the twins. She loved that. The twins pretended to be offended, but secretly loved that the eye doctor knew them well enough that he could tease them.
Cinderella's so disappointed to have to wear glasses, but will likely move to contacts sometime in the near future. She picked out some cute, grown up frames for now. Snow White got some new frames as well. Our eyeglass place will ship them to us while we are on vacation. Isn't that nice? Well, after giving them nearly all of my money budgeted for vacation, they ought to do something nice for us, I think.
And now, I'm off to the bank and to get allergy shots before throwing the last few things in our suitcases. At this point, if it's not washed and in a suitcase, it's not going. Cinderella will fare the worst, as I just found a pile of dirty clothes in her closet. So, to all of you who we will see on vacation, I apologize in advance for the fact that Cinderella will probably be wearing the same three outfits for a month. Boring. But, she was warned, and now you have been, too. See you soon!!!
Cinderella's so disappointed to have to wear glasses, but will likely move to contacts sometime in the near future. She picked out some cute, grown up frames for now. Snow White got some new frames as well. Our eyeglass place will ship them to us while we are on vacation. Isn't that nice? Well, after giving them nearly all of my money budgeted for vacation, they ought to do something nice for us, I think.
And now, I'm off to the bank and to get allergy shots before throwing the last few things in our suitcases. At this point, if it's not washed and in a suitcase, it's not going. Cinderella will fare the worst, as I just found a pile of dirty clothes in her closet. So, to all of you who we will see on vacation, I apologize in advance for the fact that Cinderella will probably be wearing the same three outfits for a month. Boring. But, she was warned, and now you have been, too. See you soon!!!
June 13, 2009
Recital
Each year, I grumble about how much the dance costumes cost, but then, every year, I love watching the girls dance on stage. They both did a great job, and looked fabulous. It's amazing how much they have learned this year. We're proud of both of them! 
(To see more pictures and Snow White's dance, go to our private blog.)
(To see more pictures and Snow White's dance, go to our private blog.)
June 12, 2009
Busy As Can Be
Yesterday, Grandma B surprised us and came for a quick weekend visit. The girls were so excited to drive up to the airport and see her standing at the curb. She mainly came to see the dance recital tonight, but we've been able to sneak in a lunch out, a few fun games and just hanging out.
In other news, I had an MRI yesterday. A really long one. The results were that I am completely normal. (It seems I've pulled the wool over the doctor's eyes also--mwaaahaaahaaa!) ;) While I am glad nothing is seriously wrong with my brain, it would have been nice if some secret message had shown up. Maybe something like: "Her head hurts every day because she occasionally eats watermelon. Stop the watermelon consumption and give her three shots of carrot juice mixed with codeine on leap year--she'll feel fabulous." Alas, no secret messages and no miracle cures. I did take a sleeping pill last night and had eight uninterrupted hours of sleep. I wish I could say I feel like a new woman, but I learned that lying really gets me nowhere. It was nice to sleep, though.
I am starting to freak out just a little that in a mere four days I leave to visit family and friends for nearly a month. Yikes. The laundry is piled up and the list of things is so long it may qualify for it's own zip code. (Yet, it is not even written. That's how far behind I am.) So, I will now sign off. Chances are you won't hear from me more than a couple of times a week in the next month or so. I am going to try to be good about recording the fun things we do. But, I try to be good about flossing my teeth, too. And that hardly ever happens. So don't get your hopes up too high.
In other news, I had an MRI yesterday. A really long one. The results were that I am completely normal. (It seems I've pulled the wool over the doctor's eyes also--mwaaahaaahaaa!) ;) While I am glad nothing is seriously wrong with my brain, it would have been nice if some secret message had shown up. Maybe something like: "Her head hurts every day because she occasionally eats watermelon. Stop the watermelon consumption and give her three shots of carrot juice mixed with codeine on leap year--she'll feel fabulous." Alas, no secret messages and no miracle cures. I did take a sleeping pill last night and had eight uninterrupted hours of sleep. I wish I could say I feel like a new woman, but I learned that lying really gets me nowhere. It was nice to sleep, though.
I am starting to freak out just a little that in a mere four days I leave to visit family and friends for nearly a month. Yikes. The laundry is piled up and the list of things is so long it may qualify for it's own zip code. (Yet, it is not even written. That's how far behind I am.) So, I will now sign off. Chances are you won't hear from me more than a couple of times a week in the next month or so. I am going to try to be good about recording the fun things we do. But, I try to be good about flossing my teeth, too. And that hardly ever happens. So don't get your hopes up too high.
June 10, 2009
I'm Feeling Fine
I had no relief from headaches (well, that's a tiny lie--I had some relief of the severity, but still had every day headaches that affected my functioning, so not any relief that counted for much) with the two medications I have been on the last couple of months. So, considering I was losing half my hair and gained half the weight of a three-year-old, my doctor decided to bag the drugs I was on and put me back on one that helped the head a little better. A little. And, lucky me, it's the one that makes me not sleep well at night. In the past five nights, I've slept a combined total of 26 hours, which I'm pretty sure is not quite enough.
But, I'm feeling fine. And, really, baking soda in muffins and dishwasher soap in a load of dishes could be considered a little overrated, right?
But, I'm feeling fine. And, really, baking soda in muffins and dishwasher soap in a load of dishes could be considered a little overrated, right?
June 8, 2009
Bring Your Own Nebulizer--A Tip for Visiting Us
Well, what a weird weekend. We liked having K and her kids here. I really shouldn't say 'here', though. I really mean 'in the hospital in our town'. Hospital stays are generally an unfortunate event, and having one the entire time you are on vacation is really not the best idea. Well, unless you happen to like an overabundance of Hannah Montana and Scooby Doo videos, bland macaroni and chicken soup, and lots of nurses and interns waking you up all night--all things which are generally not on a thirty-something mom's list of vacation ideals. Poor K endured these and the trauma of dealing with it while her husband was in a different country and her Baby was at an unfamiliar house. What a bummer of a vacation for them. I wonder when the next time they'll visit us will be...
Baby K did great at our house while her mom was at the hospital with S, though. My girls had a blast watching Baby K run around our house spewing such fabulously toddler phrases like 'mine!' and 'no!'. She was so cute at being a toddler that when I told Baby K she shouldn't throw her food on the floor, my three looked at me incredulously and accused me of child abuse. How could I offend the perfect baby girl by suggesting such things as manners and nutrition? I wonder how they think they learned it wasn't the best idea to throw your food on the floor if you wanted to eat it. They were just as cute as Baby K, yet somehow I managed to teach them what manners to use at the table. Not that they always choose to use them now. But, that's a whole different phase than toddlerhood.
S was released from the hospital two hours before we needed to leave for the airport to catch their flight home. At least her lungs cooperated when they really had to. :)
A word to the wise: pack your inhaler, allergy meds, and nebulizer when you come visit us. We've had enough of the hospital to last us for the next several visitors. But, if you're as cute as these two, we'll endure it if we have to.
Baby K did great at our house while her mom was at the hospital with S, though. My girls had a blast watching Baby K run around our house spewing such fabulously toddler phrases like 'mine!' and 'no!'. She was so cute at being a toddler that when I told Baby K she shouldn't throw her food on the floor, my three looked at me incredulously and accused me of child abuse. How could I offend the perfect baby girl by suggesting such things as manners and nutrition? I wonder how they think they learned it wasn't the best idea to throw your food on the floor if you wanted to eat it. They were just as cute as Baby K, yet somehow I managed to teach them what manners to use at the table. Not that they always choose to use them now. But, that's a whole different phase than toddlerhood.S was released from the hospital two hours before we needed to leave for the airport to catch their flight home. At least her lungs cooperated when they really had to. :)
A word to the wise: pack your inhaler, allergy meds, and nebulizer when you come visit us. We've had enough of the hospital to last us for the next several visitors. But, if you're as cute as these two, we'll endure it if we have to.
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