Road Trip...Part 3

Grandma's house

We spent Wednesday morning chillin' at the Flakes house. And by house I mean ranch. They have tons of land with horses and baby kitties and baby colts and baby deer... any baby everything. I love it there! We went down by the creek and let the boys be boys getting wet and throwing rocks. Emily really does have wonderful in-laws. After the baby's nap we drove up to Murray to see my cousin's, Angie, new home. She has put so much work into it and it is amazing. Scarlett got both of her top front teeth that afternoon. She was grouchy for a couple days before but WOW was she grouchy that afternoon. Anyway, Angie has the chubbiest little 5 month year old you ever saw. His chubby cheeks hold his pacifier in. We got up to my grandma's house just in time for a "girl cousin" party. We told my grandma that we wanted one a couple days before we came. We were thinking just desert and games. Of course she went way overboard and put together a whole lasagna dinner and root beer floats. It was so, so much fun to see all the girls. I spent so many summer days playing with my cousins when we were little. We made dolls, went roller blading, and listened to 7 minute Celine Dion songs. They all make me laugh and I can not believe we are growing up. We are getting married, going on missions, and producing kids like crazy. I love it!

On Thursday it poured rain like I have not seen in years. By this point both Emily and I were exhausted so we did not feel like battling rain. We sat by the back sliding door with the kids and watched it come down. My grandma made her famous waffles with homemade raspberry jam. That is the taste of my childhood. Then while the babies slept my grandma talked us into watching Weathering Heights, a perfect stormy movie. Surprisingly, it cleared up by the afternoon so we hurried out the door to the temple. It was the most perfect temperature and I could have pushed Scarlett's stroller around the grounds forever. My grandparents worked in the temple for 13 years, they retired just last month. I still can not believe they got up at 3am twice a week for 13 years. They are amazing examples to all of their family.

We left on Friday morning. Being at my grandma's house was really emotional for me this time. As I walked those halls I realized that my grandparents have lived in this house for over 30 years and raised their children there. They have grown old in that home. The decor is now so old it is back in style! I love her bathroom upstairs with the silver and teal wallpaper. Why have I never noticed how beautiful it is. Why did I never notice how retro and cute her high chair is. I am sure she fed her babies in it just like I fed Scarlett. Before we left I walked around their backyard and I felt 8 years old again. Playing in the cherry tree, picking raspberries, and sleeping on the lawn under the stars. Then all of a sudden I felt old. Where did all the time go since then. It felt just like yesterday. I am sure my grandparents feel that same way. They have seen so much life. I want so badly to have known them when they were my age. What was my grandma like with just one baby and new wife? She was beautiful and I will be able to see her like that one day. Till then I just have to enjoy every minute because life really does go by fast. As we drove away my grandparents put their arms around each other and waved good bye, just like they have always done.

Road Trip...Part 2

PROVO

From the cabin Emily and I drove up to her in-law's home up Hobble Creek Canyon, a beautiful and perfect location only 20 minutes from Provo. Our idea to undertake this grand journey came from CJane. A blogger who romantically writes about Provo and all it's happenings. She is so good about making Provo seem magical that we decided to haul all our stuff and kids to conquer some of her "100 Best Provo Sights". Anyway, we got up to the Flakes late Monday and decided that Tuesday would be our "Provo Day". We planned our day late Monday night deciding that we would 1. visit BYU 2. Eat at Slab Pizza 3. Buy cupcakes at Sweet Tooth Fairy 4. Walk the Provo River Trail and eat the cupcakes at a park along the way. That is a very reasonable day right? We thought so. Oh I forgot to mention that somewhere in the mix we wanted to kind of "stalk" CJane and her sister NieNie, who live in Provo. I know creepy but oh well.

We started off our day with the "stalking". We drove around the "tree streets" in eastern Provo above BYU. Let me just say that those streets hold the most beautiful homes. Not big or glamourous but perfectly quaint. The yards are covered in willows, flowers, and tall oak trees. It took my breath away and made me believe in the "all-american" neighborhood, complete with kids using squirt guns and sliding on old yellow slip-in slides. In the words of Liz Lemmon from 30Rock, "I want to go to there!" Anyway, did we find these women's' homes? Maybe or maybe not. But I will say it was way worth the 30 minute drive and I would do it again. If anyone asks "no we were not the gray minivan driving around in circles stopping randomly and looking sketching."

Next was BYU campus. With it being education week it was really packed, but I kind of like it that way. We stopped at the bookstore and bought BYU football shirts and hats. We changed our baby's diapers on the grass and thought nothing of it, it's BYU. We took the boys to the library and showed them the mural that Emily watched a man paint while she studied their 6ish years ago. I miss BYU. I really do. It is the most beautiful and well kept campus I have ever seen. Scarlett, you are going there so lets learns those ABC's.

Then onto Slab pizza (the day was going perfect and we were right on schedule). We went to find the directions to the restaurant when we realized we left the directions to both the pizza and cupcakes stores up the canyon. No problem we will just call the Flakes and ask them to tell us the directions. But wait, my phone just died and Emily's was mysteriously missing. Oops. So we decided to drive around south of campus where we knew it was somewhere located. Then we started to remines about the good 'ol days. We drove past Brookview where Emily lived and Enclave where I lived (and started to date Nick). We talked about how Emily fell in love with Jordan and how lived in my car for 2 days in between fall and winter semesters. Once again it was worth the 30 minute drive. But we were getting hungry and the animals in the back seat were restless. We stopped at gas station to find direction. Like always I had to do it. Not in the phone, darn. What do you do at this point? Why you drive around until you randomly find the Provo Vistor Center. I had do it. I walked in the wrong door (health department and day jail) only to find some man being handcuffed and swearing right next to a collage of all the prophets drawn in pencil. Random and creepy at the same time. Back in the car. I saw the right entrance and bailed in the middle of the street. The ladies that worked in the visitor center saw me running around and laughed. Anyway they helped greatly and told us where the pizza place was. Oops, I forgot to ask about the cupcakes. Needless to say we found the pizza, ate a whole entire 20" pizza, and will go back for sure. The buffalo wing and thai chicken were the best... ever!

(please take a peek at Jensen's face)

Well, we were not done with our list so onto cupcakes. We had no idea where this was. So we decided to drive to where we thought it might be. Stupid I know. We were wrong like 4 times. Stopped at a gas station but it was also not in the phone book, again. Then I realized that the paper the visitor center gave us had their number. Payphone anyone? I did not even know how those bad boys worked. It took 4 tries only to get their answering machine. Long sigh. Emily and I both decided we needed to find some really trendy women and ask them where it was, we prayed. The church is true because across the street from the gas station, in an old weedy field, was a Shade clothing close out sale (how random can this day get). It just happens that you could not ask for a group of more trendy women in all of Utah. So we went, parked in the field and hauled our kids to check it out. All the good stuff was gone but after getting the group of women's attention we did get directions. We were WAY off but it was worth it to get the best cupcakes in the world. I could eat the vaNIElla cupcake everyday.

Not done yet. We still had to walk the Provo River Trail. I used to run this trail every day while at BYU. I trained for my first marathon on this trail. I have run it in the blazing sun, rain, and 5 inches of snow. I was even stupid enough to run it at night a bunch of times (dumb dumb). We pushed our strollers down the trail for a bit till we hit a park. The boys ran around and we ate our cupcakes. I was stuffed. A whole pizza and cupcakes.

We finished this perfect day off by having a barbeque at the Flakes house and riding horses. I could sum up this day as "two crazy ladies driving around Provo in a minivan asking complete strangers for directions. Oh and they had 4 kids with them". It was so much fun we already have next year's Provo day planned. First on the list: bring cell phones!

Road Trip...Part 1

Always wanted to go on one. You know pack up the car and just drive while viewing this beautiful country. That was when I was 18. Quite different with 4 kids, 2 tired moms, 1 minivan, like 10 suitcases, 2 pack-n-plays, 2 car seats, and 1 crazy idea. All the men in my family went up to Alaska for the week. While the cats away the mice will play! Our first stop was our family cabin. Nick and I with Emily and Jordan and kids went up Friday (August 14th) night. We ate some great food including: grilled corn, pasta salad, great chicken sandwiches, and a "weeny roast". Brady came into Vegas on Saturday from Dallas and my parents drove up that day with him. We had a family reunion (minus Cherise and kids, and Nate) on Sunday with Kim and Abe. This is Brady's first time to the cabin in 6 years, we sure loved having him there! The boys went home that night for work on Monday and to get ready for Alaska on Tuesday. Emily and I stayed till Monday afternoon when we left to go up to Provo. And that is where all the fun starts!

Scarlett 8 months

(at Salt Lake Temple)

This month I will sum it up as "independence". She wants to it all herself. Feed herself, put herself to sleep, get out of her high chair and bed. On top of that she discovered she has opinions, especially in what she eats. Holy cow it is driving me crazy! To make it even better she is a master crawler, pulls herself up, and goes everywhere she is not supposed to. But on the flip side, I love her more than EVER. She has a spunky personality and I would not have it any other way.

New things...

-says mama and dada

- has two new top front teeth (drama mama when those came in!)

- loves baths

- eating finger foods and wants no help from me (oh so messy)

- grabs and chews on all the bows I put in her hair

- loves yogurt

- puts her bum in the air ... down-ward dog style

- claps when you smile and say "yaaaa"

- smiles when I bring out the camera

Classic Scarlett, pulling her nose up at something. This is in an old tub in my grandparents back yard.

What she does when I leave her too long to play in the port-a-crib

Fall asleep

-or-

Try to escape

Can you see her new front teeth... they're right under her runny nose.

Dear future Scarlett

Sadly, it has happened. You have been feeling unloved and that possibly I have forgotten about you. Well you are not alone. In fact I felt so unloved that when I was 11 I took down all the pictures of my siblings in the house and replaced them with pictures of me ( even the ones in the bathrooms). I was always dramatic. But I realize something now that I did not know then. I was crazy for ever, ever thinking that. My mom loved me more than the world and she could not forget me even if she tried. How do I know this? Because I have you.

You are almost 8 months old and crawling is your new thing. Wow you are a mover for sure, Kicken' Chicken should be your nick name. You have the brightest blue eyes and the biggest smile anyone has ever seen. You're beautiful and perfect and so happy. I watch you and get so excited to see you grow, more excited than anything...ever. Tonight we were snuggled up in our rocking chair putting you to sleep. I had you all wrapped up the way you like. You looked at me with sleepy eyes and then stuck your chubby fingers in my mouth. They tasted like your dinner, granola bar and fruit. You started to laugh when I nibbled on them. You laughed harder and harder and so did I. You pulled my hair and clapped your hands together. I kissed you under your chin, my favorite spot. It was perfect. You are perfect. I love you more than the world and could never forget you if I tried. How did I ever live without you?

-Mom

Birthday Bash

Emily was 12 when Clarah was born and their birthday's are just 1 day apart. To say that Emily raised Clarah would be the whole truth and nothing but the truth! Clarah turned SWEET 16 on the 5th and Emily turned... well plus 12 (but she will always be 25 to me:) on the 6th. To celebrate we did what our family does best, went to I-Hop and the lake. We went to the lake 2 days in a row and sadly both times were windy but we still got in some nice ski runs. Thanks mom and dad for all the work you put into the lake trips it was perfect!

"Kiss me I am SWEET 16" Emily made this for Clarah. Is she really SWEET?

My dad loves us

Scarlett's first ski. I say "hit it" and she stands up on my stomach. You can not see but she is smiling real big.

Water babies, notice how my life jacket is eating me whole.

Clarah during her inaugural run on my ski without the "magic rope". Let's explain. There is a process to slaloming in our family. First you ski with the "mama ski" ( a really fat slalom) and the "magic rope" ( a rope that helps you get up with slalom). Then you get rid of the "mama ski" and go to "Kim's ski"(my oldest sister's ski) but you still use the "magic rope". Next, you drop the "magic rope" and use "Kim's ski". Finally, if you are brave, you try my ski ( it is doubled booted and too intense for most people :) without the "magic rope". Just thinking of all those steps makes me tired. Or if you are Nick you skip all the steps and put us to shame.

p.s. my ski is not so cool anymore since everybody uses it... next is dropping the ski and the rope. Water on walking anyone?

I am so intense when I ski I need head protection. If I wore this helmet while skiing the lake would boil because of my hotness!

I hate him. He never ski's but this morning he decided to try and boom he pops right up. He makes it look so easy, like all of us are just wimps.

Okay I really love him, especially in his biker bandana

We have been...

1. Watching little Scarlett learn to crawl and eat "puffs"

2. Cheering for my Dad, Kimberly, and Abe. They competed in a cycling relay with 7 other people. Their team rode from Salt Lake to Las Vegas, each taking 3 legs. My dad rode about 75 miles in 24 hours!! I was so proud of them, especially Kimberly. Holy cow she is my hero. I already told myself to get over my fear of clip in pedals 'cause I am riding this next year. I hate missing out on fun, tiring, adventurous/torturous sporting events. I am going to make those spandex pants look H-O-T-T!

3. Eating really good food (as usual)

4. Having family get togethers. This is at my uncle Scott's house.

5. Oh and wanting to implode the DMV (don't tell the government that...shhh). So I lost my license and gave up looking. Like I would ever find it. I went to the DMV to get a new one. I was there for about 2 hours, with Scarlett (stupid). Well we both left crying, hungry, and having a tantrum. This is real, they would not let me put my name on my license. You know the one that is on everything (social, bank accounts, credit cards, insurance, nursing license...). When I got married I dropped my middle name so I would not have four names. Anyway to make a long story short their new policy is that maiden names can not be used as middle names. So in the name of policy they are putting the wrong name on my license, creating a person who does not exist. I cried for a day because it is going to take so many steps to fix this mess and my source of identification will not match me. For heavens sake some community college drop out who has smoked one too many cigarettes just deleted my name and typed in a new one. So now I have like a gazillion names and no identity. Last names, middle names none of them are the same. Sheesh I am going by just Jill from now on. It's short and sweet and to the point!

I am nameless. Identity crisis.