Fun times!

This weekend we went on the Ward campout with my parents Ward. The good old Riverton 7th. Times have certainly changed, some of the people have changed, but it's still the same, fun loving, crazy Ward that I grew up in.

Little G doing her famous "drooly face". Don't you just want to eat her up? This is the position she assumes when she wants to be picked up. How can you resist?

Madison, Emma, and Maggie singing songs with the primary at the camp out. We love having Madison along, she is such a nice girl. She and Emma are the cutest girls, and they play so nicely together. We just don't have to worry when she's around, because we know that together, they are probably more responsible than most of the adults. We had a small "gasoline on the fire" moment, but nothing too bad.

And here they are singing "We are Children Holding Hands Around the World". Despite the picture, that paper on the right is not on fire. It was dusk, and I had no tripod, so lay off. The folding chair was the best I could do on such short notice. It held fairly still, but apparently not enough.

It was a fun time away, short and sweet. It was cool up there in Spanish Fork Canyon, we had to use our jackets at night. Unless you're Meg, then you have to use a jacket all the time. We had sloppy joes and potluck salads and desserts, with dutch oven cheesy potatoes thanks to Brent Hales. He knows his way around a potato. The evening was topped off by the primary singing, a few of the young women singing "Princess Pat", and then s'mores. Breakfast was early the next morning, and after being up all night with a stuffy baby, I slept right through it. I heard it was yummy. All in all, it was a great weekend.

Check out this funny eBay ad, thanks to Betsy.

I laughed my butt off.

Truckin' Mama

Today I get to do one of my most favorite things. I get to pull the trailer all the way to Spanish Fork (or as you'd properly say if you were a true Utahn, Spaneesh Fark). I love pulling the trailer. I really do. It's cool to see people when you pass them going up a hill, or pulling into the Wal-Mart and taking up 14 parking spaces. I also like knowing that I can do it. If I ever had to do the trailer thing all alone, I could. Not that I would want to, I definitely like having Sean around to lift the heavy stuff, and reach the high shelves. But I can do it all, and that makes me feel empowered.

What she's doing now

Today is Gretta's 7 month "birthday".
Here's what she's up to now.


Looking cute.
Getting a tan line from her helmet.
Holding her own bottle.
Eating carrots, beans, applesauce, pears, and bananas.
Rolling all over the place.
Eating anything she can get her hands on.
Sleeping all night.
Yelling at the top of her lungs.
Saying "mama baba" when she's hungry.
Swimming and splashing.
Loving the outdoors.
Getting up on her hands and feet, pushing off, and landing on her head. Crawling won't be far off now. I'm sooo not ready for this.

Update on the Maze.

Meg and I had so much fun in Logan on Saturday that we've decided to go back, this time for an extended weekend. The Maze is pretty darn cool, and we were both surprised that more people don't know about it. We also decided it would be a wayyy cool date, ahem, Spencer.

The drive to Logan was about as frustrating as you can imagine. A normal 1 1/2 hour drive turned into 4 hours, plus an hour stop for dinner and pee. After arriving in Logan at 10:00 PM, and Sean getting things situated despite the rain, we settled in to watch Zodiac. A good, long, interesting movie, probably better suited to be watched in the earlier evening hours. At 2:00 AM, we nestled in to sleep. Just as we start to doze off, the loudest crash of thunder I have ever heard breaks the silence. Instantly I'm upright in bed, and Sean just lays there laughing. Gretta promptly awakens, and Meg has to comfort her until I get my wits about me enough to get up and rock her myself. It was so loud, it set off car alarms. The rains came down, but only for a few minutes. We had a restless night of sleep after that, as you can imagine.

We launched at 8:00 AM in chilly, breezy, weather, with a small threat of a storm hovering above us. After Meg stopped to pee, we started upstream, and followed the buoys marking the main channel. It wasn't long, however, that Meg said she had to pee. We didn't plan on going too many miles up, so I told her she could go when we turned around and paddled by the ramp. A few minutes later, Meg informs me that she indeed has to pee. There was a sense of urgency in her voice. I told her I would hold her kayak while she dangled her butt off the side to pee. I was hoping she would accept my offer of "help", because I kinda wanted to see her fall in. But she said she could wait. A few minutes more, and Meg informs me she has to pee...NOW! She was indeed desperate. Meg immediately beaches the kayak, and heads off into a cattle field. Have you ever heard a mad cow? We have, and it's not a pretty sound. She did her thing, and off we went, no near drownings to speak of.

We continued on, and a short time later, I hear Meg from behind shouting "Alligator!" Um, what? I look back and Meg is stranded on a sandbar, and water is splashing on her from each side of the kayak. What the ? Turns out the Catfish beach themselves on the sandbar, and she must have landed right in the middle of their little pow wow. Although I think she's still convinced there was an Alligator. Understandably, we turned around at that point and headed back downstream.

As we paddled past the ramp, I asked Meg if she had to pee.

Nope.

We paddled a few more strokes, and I asked Meg if she had to pee.

Nope.

So we head North, and just as we are about to go under the road, Meg informs me that she does indeed have to pee. Back to the ramp we go.

Is anyone keeping score? Meg=3 pees, Keli=0 pees.

Anywhoo, you can see why we need an extended weekend next time. And maybe a catheter. But we did get to see some pretty cool sights.

A bunch of beached Catfish.
Mad cows.
Several Great Blue Herons.
Several Ibis'.
A redneck catching the biggest freakin' Carp I've ever seen.
Sean nearly capsizing a kayak because he can't be outpaddled by a woman.

Needless to say, we had a good time. We always do with Meg. She's quite a woman. Any guy would be lucky to have her. I'm just glad I have her no matter what.

*Next on the docket, tennis this week, camping this weekend, and then perhaps a paddle around Causey reservoir.

To the North

Meg and I are heading North to Logan this weekend. Should be fun. We'll be using our newly found kayaking expertise to navigate the Wetlands Maze of Cutler Marsh. Hopefully we don't get lost. Hopefully there are no bugs, eww. Or other wildlife, eek. Or too much grass and goop in the water, gross. Do we sound like hard-core or what? Wish me luck!

Remember when...

Tonight I attended a wedding.

A beautiful wedding.

My rockin' cousin Chuck* married Shelly*, and at this wedding they had a video. It showed the usual pictures of them as babies and children, and of course pictures of them together as their love grew. Awww. But as I watched this video, I was reminded of just how fast time goes by. It's dumb, really, to get so wrapped up in everyday life that you forget the meaningful moments.

But it happens.

And now Chuck, the cute, spiky haired, tan, little monster, that no one could understand but his mom, is now a husband. And here I am, wondering how he grew up, and I haven't aged a bit. Can it be possible that in the figurative blink of an eye, it will be Emma getting married? And where has the time gone? What have I left behind for her to learn from and grow from?

I'm left to wonder of the impact that I'm making on her life. I hope she takes all the good intentions I have, and knows that's the real person I am. I hope she doesn't see "The Avoider" I can be, or the social anxiety that plagues me, or the way I use humor to mask my low self esteem. I hope she only takes the good, and leaves the bad.

I hope, I hope, I hope....

What I really hope is that she could stay little forever, and never grow up to know of adult pressures. To eat with her hands and get food on her face. To swim like a fish, and not care how she looks in a swimsuit. To make friends with a person just because they like to slide down the curly slide too. To never have heartache, or peer pressure, or disappointment.

But all these things are sure to come. And I can only look back and remember when she was my baby, my baby bear, my wiener dog.

*Names have been changed to protect the innocent. Not that I'm implying that "Chuck" has ever been innocent in his life.

It's still not a fungus, but...

It doesn't look like skin cancer either. Thank goodness. The doctor I saw today said it looks like it could just be an infection of some kind, and a week on antibiotics will either clear it up, or if not, then we'll know for sure what it is. So I guess there will be an update in a week.

There you go Meg. :)

It's not a fungus!

For about 2 years now I've had a little spot on my arm. It looks like a scar, but it constantly scabs and peels. Kinda gross. I never really thought much about it until about a month ago. I got a red, peeling, weeping, open sore next to it. It wouldn't heal. I tried neosporin, lotions, and of course more sunshine, but I couldn't get it to go away. So I decided to head to the Doc for some topical ointment. Don't you hate the word ointment?

Turns out, it's not a fungus! Yay!

Not so fast. Seems as though I may have picked myself up a little skin cancer. (Insert feigned shocked look here). I know, I know, hours in the sun year after year is probably not a good idea, but with a pool, and kids, what can you do? I do put on sunscreen. SPF 4, but still, it's sunscreen. I'll know tomorrow what we have to do, but it's probably just a little Basal Cell Carcinoma, a very common and easily treated form of skin cancer. Really, it was just a matter of time.


To the pool!!!

Happy Birthday to me!

Yep, it's my birthday folks.

31.

I scored a sweet new white BlackBerry Pearl from Sean, and some cool pink shoes courtesy of Laura.
I have the best friends and family!

We did dinner at Harry's in South Jordan. I love their connect roll and coconut shrimp. Yummy!
I had a great day. Thanks everyone!

10 things I can't live without

10 products I can't live without:

10. Febreze spray. I live with Sean, what can I say.

9. Nivea Moisturizing Toner.

8. Internet.

7. US Weekly.

6. Cosmedicine Mattifier.

5. Satellite TV. And Noggin, mostly.

4. BlackBerry.

3. Banana Boat Tan Extending Lotion.

2. Tropicana tanning oil. I do my best worshiping in the sun.

1. Scrubbing Bubbles.

Birthday and Baptism

My baby is 8. 8! I know I said that about Gretta being 6 months, but this is my baby baby. Emma is very special. She made me a mom. She completed the family we began when we got married. I never thought I'd have another baby after her. Guess I was wrong about that. Here is Emma with her birthday cake. She frosted it, and sprinkled it, and put the candles on it. Yellow cake with chocolate frosting, her favorite just like dad.
Sean baptized Emma today. He got a little emotional, and Emma felt the spirit very strongly. She was ready to get baptized, and knows how important it is. We are very proud of her.
Emma with her Troy and Gabriella dolls from High School Musical, her favorite movie. They sing. A LOT! But she loves them. She also got a necklace and dress for her baptism, Heely's, and a $20 gift card to Wal-Mart. She's all about the gift cards.

Reasons we love Emma:
10. She is very bright and fun.
9. She has a good sense of humor.
8. She makes friends very easily, and loves them all.
7. She loves her sisters so much.
6. She shares even when it's hard.
5. We hardly ever have to ask her twice.
4. She does the right things because she wants to.
3. She's very responsible.
2. She takes care of her things.
1. She is the love of our lives because she's just the way she is. Perfect!

One to talk

Yesterday we were walking through the mall and saw a boy in front of us with his pants on backwards. He had to be about 3 or 4. Sean made a funny remark about how his mom could let him leave that house that way.


We looked down and realized Maggie had on her bright pink shirt, a peach skort with yellow flowers on it, a ballet skirt under the skort, and ballet slippers.

What kind of mother would.....

I don't dare finish that sentence.

6 Months, a little late

Little "G" turned 6 months old on the 22nd.

6 months.

6 MONTHS!



I'm frightened to think that in less time than that it will be Christmas. But I can't let my fear of the Holidays detract from my joy of having a baby around.





Vital Stats:

13 pounds

26" long

Funny lookin' helmet.

Still freakin' cute.

Wait for the splash!

Meg and I headed up to Little Dell Reservoir on Saturday to do a little kayaking. Thanks to REI for the beat-to-hell rentals. They were sweet. We had no qualms about dragging them down the gravel hill to the water. As you can see, we got off to a rough start.


But we took a few pictures of ourselves in the parking lot, and headed down to the water. Thankfully we were the only ones there, or so we thought. Just as Meg tried to take off from shore, a fisherman walked by and asked if we needed help. I guess we just had that look about us. We told him no, and to just wait for the splash.

Actually we did quite well, considering it was the first time for both of us. I was surprised by the lack of stability at first, but got used to it soon enough. Meg even kicked back and tanned a little with her feet out.

Note for next time: Don't try to keep anything dry. I don't want to have to make a return trip to REI in just a swimsuit top again. I probably looked so lesbian driving my truck with my hat on and no shirt. Sexy.

Rock-a-Bye

Last night Gretta slept from 10:30 until 8:30 this morning! Yay.


And Meg and I played tennis last night for the first time in about 10 years. You'll all understand why I'm not doing any jumping or running today. Or sitting. Or bending.


On the schedule for tomorrow: KAYAKING!

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for Jill, who has created "Thankful Thursday".

Jill is my big sis. The best big sis I have. When we were kids we fought like mad. We chased each other, we yelled, we even hit and bit occasionally. But now that we are grow ups (Chronologically, not mentally!), we get along much better. At least the biting has stopped. So here are things about Jill for which I am thankful:

• She let me stay at college with her. So cool.
  
• She was the first to date, so I didn't have to make up all the tricks.
• She had cool friends.
• She knew how to make our jeans into skirts.
  
• She gives us a reason to head to Vegas.
• And to go to Cheesecake Factory.
• She's very spiritual.
• She's the family "cruise director".
  

She is indeed a good friend and sister, and I love her!

August 4, 2007

• Who: EmmaLee Clayton

• What: Baptism

• Why: Because she knows to choose the right!

• Where: 8950 South 400 East. This is not the church by the Credit Union. It has been changed to the chapel NORTH of 9000 So.

• When: August 4, 2007. 10:30 AM Please arrive early.

• There will be a superfun party at our house afterward. Details to follow.

Things I saw a Wal-Mart today

• This goes out to all the WT out there.

The top 10 things I saw at Wal-Mart today that frightened, annoyed, or shocked me.

• 10. A very large man asking for a fresh double quarter pounder.

• 9. A bag of Wal-Mart brand "chicken parts". Complete with quotations.

• 8. The day-old cart. Empty. Gross.

• 7. An insulated mug in the shape of a beer keg. Sweet.

• 6. A rather large woman holding a rather small dog. Did I mention this was in the grocery store?

• 5. Several colorful buffet shirts. Although I'm pretty sure when you buy them in 5XL, they're called "smörgåsbord" shirts.

• 4. A man with one arm pushing a cart. Not really WT, but not something you see every day.

• 3. 2 empty pallets in the middle of the aisle. Probably from HP books.

• 2. An "it". Man? Woman? Both? Who knows!

And the #1 thing that frightened, shocked and annoyed me at Wal-Mart today was:

• 1. A 2, count them, 2 Jazzy Chair family! They really do need to invent the tandem.

Yellowstone, day 8

Saturday we left Canyon, and toured Old Faithful on our way out of the park. My niece, Madison, nephew Gabe, and Emma decided to do the "Young Scientist" project that would take them on a trek all around the Old Faithful geyser basin. They had to find out if geysers and hot springs were alive or not alive, follow a map to a mystery location, and then talk to a Ranger about what they learned. It's all very serious work. The Rangers do not take this lightly. They go through the booklet page by page, and make sure the kids fully understand what they have learned about. It's a nice way to teach them about the geology of such a unique place.

Here are Madison, Gabe, Maggie, and Emma in front of the sign for Old Faithful. This was the last day in the park, but certainly one of the funnest!

Madison and Emma showing off their "Young Scientist" booklets. They worked very hard for the key chain they received for completing it. Maggie and my littler nephew Eli also did a worksheet about animals they spotted while in the park, and received a "police badge", as Maggie likes to call it. So cute.

Yellowstone, day 7

Friday we headed north to Mammoth Hot Springs. Not my favorite part of Yellowstone due to the lack of trees and water. As I kid I remember Mammoth overflowing with water, but now it's pretty much bone dry, save a few small hot springs. However, despite my telling Emma repeatedly how it was not worth the hiking of countless steps, she insisted on finding out for herself. A quality I choose not to squash. But Maggie has little 3 year-old legs, not designed for hiking countless steps, and with a storm approaching, she and I decided to stay behind and enjoy some Raspberry Sherbet ice cream.

We had to hurry back to Canyon for our BBQ with Troy and Kelli and their kids that evening, so Mammoth was a quick trip. However, on the way back we were treated to a viewing of a Mamma Grizzly bear with 2 cubs. They were visible, just "bearly", through the binoculars, so a picture would have been futile. Besides, with my fear of bears, she was plenty close. The BBQ was great fun, the kids got filthy in the dirt, and no one was set on fire. A bonus, for sure.

Yellowstone, day 6

Thursday was pretty uneventful, as Yellowstone goes. We saw some wildlife, had a little rain storm, and hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone to see the Lower Falls. This year the road to the parking lot of the Lower Falls was closed for repairs, so really the only good way to see the falls was to hike down. It was a beautiful hike, especially after the rain.


After the hike down, we hung out for a bit in the mist of the falls and from the sky. The hike up was much, much harder, as you can imagine. After we got to the top, the skies opened up and we were treated to a real downpour. I'm glad we didn't get stuck in it on the trail!

Now on to the elaboration of Sean's fire starting skills. Raise of hands: Who knows that fire will ignite gasoline fumes? Everyone? That's what I thought. After starting a small fire in our pit, Sean was dissatisfied with the size. So brilliantly, he decided to go get the gas can. 6 gallons, my friends. Just as he's about to pour the gas on the fire, I pipe up telling him that it will ignite the can. Ha! I was no boyscout, but I do know what's up with fire. Well, on goes the gasoline, and up go the flames. Up to the can. Fire spewing out the nozzle. He tips the gas can over, and now there's fire all over the ground. He grabs a bottle of water off the picnic table, and it only had but a teaspoon of water in it! Finally, after what seemed like hours, He was able to stomp the fire out. But only after a futile yet hilarious attempt of blowing out the flames. Remember the fires of '88? Me too. Now we know not to use a gas can to "motivate" a fire. We should be satisfied with the size of our fire.

Yellowstone, day 5

Water Wednesday!

Wednesday we rented a boat on Yellowstone Lake. Of all the years we've been there, we've never seen Yellowstone from the water. It's a beautiful, if cold, lake, with lots of birds and wildlife and fish. Maggie was the first one in the boat, she loved every minute of it. Emma, not so much. She though for sure the boat would tip over if she so much as moved the wrong way. Gretta fell sound asleep as soon as the life jacket was zipped up. It was a little chilly, but not bad, just right for zooming around.

We have no idea who these girls are. We do know that after hours of driving around on the lake on their day off, suddenly the boat wouldn't start. I'm sure it had nothing to do with the fact that they had several "mugs" full of who knows what, and it wasn't the waves making them walk all crazy. As you see, the driver could barely keep her cookies as we towed them to the marina. They all work at Old Faithful as servers and bus girls and the like. I guess they just needed to blow off some steam. Ha ha ha. I guess it gave us the opportunity to do service to others. Lucky us.

Yellowstone, day 4

Tuesday we had to change campgrounds, from Bridge Bay, to Fishing Bridge, just 4 miles up the road. After hooking all the trailer necessities up, Sean decided to ride his bike from Bridge Bay Marina to West Thumb Junction, about 19 miles away. This left us in a sort-of situation. I don't mind driving around with the trailer hooked up, but I'm not great at backing it in to tight camp spots. I can do it, I just don't love it. So, the girls and I decided we'd give Sean a few minutes head start, and catch up with him just before West Thumb. This way, I didn't have to park the trailer, and we could get some good Mom/Daughter time. Well, we ended up catching Sean about 10 miles in to his ride, so we had some time to kill. At this point, I saw a nice pull-out right on the beach, with a little sandbar to keep the water calm. A perfect way to kill some time. Or so I thought.
Welcome to Leach Beach. Emma found a "cute little inchworm" crawling across her hand. When we tried to pull it off, it was firmly stuck. We found one a while later on Maggie's hand that was significantly larger, and full of her blood! When it came off, it left a big glob of blood on her hand! Gross! Surprisingly, my kids didn't freak out too bad. And after a good outdoor shower to make sure all the little suckers were gone, we went on our merry way.

We went on to explore West Thumb that day, and then proceeded on to Fishing Bridge, where we took part in the Ranger Campfire Program about the fires of 1988. After nearly 20 years, and visiting the Park every year since, I can say that this year the growth is the most noticeable. The trees are beautiful, and are just high enough to hide the rest of the barren landscape, making it seem like "normal". I remember the fire of 1988 so clearly. We were water skiing on Jackson Lake that summer, and could see so much smoke even from 100 miles away. I can't believe it's been 19 years. My how time flies.

Yellowstone, day 3

What's this? A what? A buffalo? A bison? What's the difference?

Monday morning we awoke to this. A buffalo, (or buttalow, as Maggie says), in our campground. In our camp site. Well, nearly. It was right next door!

We spent most of Monday sleeping in, and later, driving to Old Faithful.

This is the only photo of actual "Old Faithful", and I'm not really sure who that hoochie mamma is in the background. But Sean was in charge of the camera at this point, so I'm sure we can all speculate what he was really taking pictures of.

We walked all through the Old Faithful Basin to see the various hot pots and geysers. We got a lot of strange looks due to Gretta's helmet situation, and we all got a little bit sunburned. It was over 90 degrees, a heat wave for that neck of the Caldera.

Yellowstone, day 2

Sunday we drove to the park from Jacob and Amy's house. It's only about an hour and a half, so not too far. But the part that takes forever is actually driving through the park. 12 miles can take an hour or more, thanks to Buffalo and Elk jams.


We found our campsite, and to my chagrin, (does that word make sense here?) our next-site-neighbors had 2 German Shepherds, and get this, a Pit Bull! At a CAMPGROUND! Duh. So we had to find a new site, not an easy task when it's full. But luckily the reservations lady understood my plight.

After we hooked up the generators and set out chairs, we took to making S'Mores. Yummy! We also saw a shooting star, and a satellite go by. The girls were having a great time by the fire, and that includes Gretta, who thinks fire is a good friend to chat with.

Sean is a great fire starter. More on that later.

Self Portrait Tuesday

Embrace your Geekness!

Oh, boy, was this easy for me! I'm a geek, through and through. As I wondered what exactly to take a picture of, I was flooded with ideas. Finally, Sean brought Google Earth to my attention. This is my latest geekness. I get sucked in. Bad. So, I thought it fitting to do a picture of me in front of the computer with Google Earth by my side. So geeky.



Other ways in which I am geeky:

1. I wear the same clothes day after day. Really.
2. I was surfing the net in bed on my BlackBerry last night.
3. I enjoy many late night shows on Geology, Space, Volcanoes, Earthquakes, etc.
   
4. For some reason, I remember useless factoids about things. Like the Hoover Dam was built in Black Canyon. And Yellowstone Lake is 600 feet deep, and hides an old steamer ship that is now used for scuba diving adventures. Random crap.
5. I use words like "factoids".
   

So there you have it. Don't judge me.

Missed me?

Sorry to leave you all hanging. A week is a long time to be gone. Yellowstone was a blast, as always, and never disappoints. After seeing that I had taken 143 pictures, I've decided to do an 8 days of Yellowstone tribute, with an overlap for tomorrows SPT, of course. So count today's post for day 1.

A special thanks to Jake and Amy for letting us crash at their pad for a night. They have quite the "little" farm going on up there in Idaho Falls. My kids pretty much walked in the front door, and ran downstairs to play. We didn't see them for the next 6 hours. Excellent. Amy and I had an adventure to Wal-Mart to buy baby Tylenol and trash mags. She's not such a good back seat driver. Left, no right. No, left! Good times. We'll definitely be heading their way again. Amy cooked dinner and breakfast for us, and as you can see on her blog, Sean and I got to scope out their property on the 4-wheeler. Unfortunately, there are no pictures of our nights stay. I just couldn't bear to put the one we took up on the blog. 3 chins isn't flattering for anyone, especially me, and it's my blog!

Stay tuned for tomorrow's day 2, and for SPT, embrace your geekness.

Self Portrait Tuesday

This weeks Self Portrait Tuesday/Thursday:

Yankee Doodle Dandy!

We spent the 4th of July in Sun Valley, Idaho with our friends Rob and Laura. I had never been there, but now, it ranks on top of my list of places to return. It is so beautiful up there. The mountains, the little "downtown" of Sun Valley, even Ketchum was a fun little place.





We rode the ski lift up to see the valley below, and it was worth the 25 minute trip. Despite this picture from the summit, I am not pregnant. I'm not really sure what happened there.


On our way back into the Salt Lake Valley last night, we were able to see fireworks from Brigham City, North Ogden, Weber, Roy, Bountiful, and one that we couldn't really agree on. I thought they were coming from Willard/Farr West area, but Sean was sure it wasn't. Either way, it was cool seeing all the shows. It was like our own little welcome home party.

Party time!

My lovely husband, embracing his "WT". Later that night he observed that he got some sun on his chest and back. He wondered how that happened. I told him it was because he hadn't had a shirt on since noon!

















Here you see him throwing more lighter fluid on an already lighted fire. Hmmm, pyro anyone?















This is my super cool bro. Sorry ladies, he's taken. He's the favorite child. We all know this, and we all understand why. He's our favorite too.












And this is the lady that took him. Kelli with my nephews Eli and Gabe. They had so much fun in the pool, we had to practically throw them out. I think we only had 2 close calls this time, and Eli didn't even seem to mind nearly slipping under water. He's mellow like that.

Zoo Pals!

I have no idea whose butt that is in this shot, and I didn't even notice her at the time. Oops.



Hogle Zoo has come a long way since I was a kid. The train is the same, as is the Giraffe "display", but the Rhinos and Elephants have a whole new habitat thanks to millions of taxpayer dollars.
Emma and Mags on the train. I couldn't believe Maggie went without me. I just didn't feel like unloading a sleeping kid, a diaper bag and a camera all for a 5 minute ride.

Thank you, delay wash.

Flylady, eat your heart out. With a tiny baby taking up most of my mornings, a load a day has turned into a load at 4:00 in the morning that was loaded the night before. Now I can keep up, and not have to worry about stinky, mildewy clothes that have been sitting in water all night long. Genius!

Self Portrait Tuesday

This weeks Self Portrait Tuesday:

Hello!



I am: Keli Clayton
I live: in Utah
I love: my family, friends, laughing, swimming, golf, summer, food, traveling, saying the first thing that pops in my head, anything fun!
I hate: having my picture taken, boring people, politics, watching what I say.
I need: a housekeeper, a cook, better self-esteem, to watch what I say.
I want: a new car, my kids to be happy, summer to last all year, to be more social, to be less judgmental, to always have fun!

That's pretty much me in a nutshell. Enjoy the heavily retouched photo.

Here it is!

Here is the famed helmet. This is going to be G's precious skull candy for the next 3-6 months.

An eye for an eye?

Last week we were excited to see my dad with a new truck. His turn has been passed over a couple of times by other, more pressing vehicle needs. It was about time he upgraded. After all, his old Dodge was over 4 years old and had nearly 30,000 miles on it! The travesty! Sean and I decided to take the new member of the family for a speedy test drive while Poppa stayed and watched the kiddies. We drove out of the neighborhood and started looking around at all the nifty gadgets and gizmos. An MP3 dock, a laptop capable center console, extra cupholders, rogue teeth. Teeth you ask? Yes, I reply. Here, in the cupholder, sits a perfectly good incisor. Well, maybe "perfectly" is a little bit of a stretch, but it's a tooth, nonetheless. What is this, gas costs an arm and a leg, crime is punished with an eye for an eye, and new trucks cost teeth? Remind me to enjoy my old car for a while longer. I'm not ready to give up my teeth. Besides, our tooth fairy pays $5 for teeth, and that's nearly a gallon of gas these days!

So there you have it. The story of the rogue tooth. Hopefully this is the last of the new trucks, I'm not sure the dealership can get much of a return on a rotted out molar.

I've been inspi(red)

After seeing so many cute new crafty ideas out there, and also seeing Grannybabs' new sewing room, I'm thinking of getting myself a sewing machine. I have all sorts of aspirations of quilts, clothes, aprons, and other crafts, and I'm pretty sure Mom-in-law won't appreciate me invading her home every day all summer long. Besides, I think I need to show my girls that an old dog can learn new tricks.

So I'm taking suggestions. Any help will be much appreciated, since I have basically no knowledge of sewing or machines.

Red Butte

Yesterday was spent doing two wonderful things. First, we were able to walk through Red Butte Gardens at the University of Utah, and enjoy all the beauty that is nature. For the record, this was Maggie's personal Hell. She hates nature. Bugs, flowers, plants, wildlife, bees, it all scares the crap out of her. Which is why she is nowhere to be seen in this cute picture of Nunn and her Grandkids in "Granny's Garden". She was hiding next to me to get away from the bees.





The other wonderful thing was very unexpected. As we approached the turn into Red Butte, there were several signs telling us the Indigo Girls concert was sold out. Wow, one of my all time fave bands, and they were here in Salt Lake! Too bad it was sold out. Oh well. Well, as we were walking through the gardens, turns out the Gals themselves were doing their warm-up and sound checks. We got to hear several great IG songs. It was a nice treat to be walking through the lavender fields, listening to great acoustic music, and enjoying it all with my family. Makes me very grateful for the blessings I have.

Okay, okay, no more mushy stuff. We then returned to Nunn and Poppa's house for Rock Creek Pizza and slip and slide action. Good times.

Self Portrait Tuesday

This weeks self portrait Tuesday included having a loved one take a picture of you (or me, in this case), and tell you (me) what they love about it. I've decided to pass on this SPT. Not a surprise for those of you that know me. I hate, hate, hate having my picture taken. I know the camera adds ten pounds, but why does it seem like I must have dozens of cameras on me? Maybe I can scrounge up something I'll actually not be disgusted by and put it up, but it's doubtful. So stay tuned for next weeks SPT. Sorry to disappoint.

Personal DNA

Take your own personal DNA test. Interesting.

Space oddysey

Last night we were privy to a special flyover. The International Space Station made a pass across our night sky at precisely 10:56 PM. The kids thought it was pretty cool to see the bright light zoom across the sky, knowing that there were people aboard. Tonight it will appear again, and if we had a decent telescope, we would be able to see the Space Shuttle Atlantis undock from the Space Station. Neat stuff.

Happy Father's Day, Dad!

We love you, and we're so glad you're our dad!


You rock!

Anyone who can help?

Okay, I've never copped to being a computer person, but I've learned a lot through blogging. Although I admit, I still have PLENTY to learn. Plenty. Like this:

How do I change the font on my posts and titles? I downloaded a cute "Will and Grace" font, and it's installed, but when I click on the font button on the posting page, it's not there. Just the same old ones. FYI, for any helpers out there, I use Firefox, and an iMac.

Self Portrait Tuesday

Sorry, I'm a day late. Crazy day yesterday.

Self Portrait Tuesday:
As American as apple pie.

Oh beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain. For purple mountain majesty, above the fruited plain.

These are beautiful mountains that sum up to me what America means. Strength, freedom, majesty, recreation, and life-giving.

Ye Helmut of Olde

We had our doctor visit today. Gretta officially has the weirdest shaped head I've ever seen. And it appears the Surgeon concurs. So in a week to ten days from today, she will no longer be known as Gretta, but as Helmut. Yes people, she will be wearing a helmet. Hopefully a cute, pink camo helmet. And hopefully it will only take 3 months to correct that weird shaped head. Then she can resume being the worlds cutest baby.

Happy Father's Day, and Park City Fun!

Well, the weekend shaped up nicely for us. After a crazy week of school getting out for Emma, and late work nights for Sean, we decided to head up to Park City for a quick weekend trip. Some serious relaxation was in order. Park City is so beautiful this time of year. Not too hot, and close enough that we can get there in a half hour, and still feel like we're on vacation. We did lots of fun touristy stuff that we always mean to do, but never make time for. Emma, Maggie and I rode the chair lift up the mountain to see the valley below. Sean and Gretta shopped for sweatshirts while we were on our little jaunt. We rode the main street trolley, and had lunch at the Park City Pizza and Noodle Factory. Yummy! We all took a nap on Saturday afternoon after our long day of shopping, sightseeing, and of course swimming. You'd think having a pool at home would deter the need to swim on vacation, but I think it just makes it more appealing.




And now on to the "Happy Father's Day" portion of our entertainment. Sean hit a road hazard last week and blew out a tire. "A" tire. As in ONE. But what does needing one new $200 tire mean in man talk? New 20" wheels and tires, of course! I guess they never grow up. Oh well, now I'm off the hook for a gift, and he's happy as a clam. For now. I'm sure it won't be long until he wants a chip to make the truck that much faster. Men. Ha! What can ya do?

Happy Birthday Jill!

Thirty four, forever more?

Happy Birthday Livvy!

She's 7, and so cute!

Love you Livvy!

Self Portrait Tuesday

This weeks Self Portrait Tuesday:

The colors of your world. I think it was more of a task to find a favorite color, but I just love color. Most colors. And I'm not afraid to show it. I'm pretty sure this is the most colorful stairwell I've ever seen.

Summer has begun!

Saturday consisted of several things. First, waking up at the butt crack of dawn to feed a hungry babe. Second, making 2 pans of chicken enchiladas, 1 pan of beef enchiladas, 1 pan of au gratin potatoes, and a run to Target for cheese.
Third, spending the remainder of the afternoon laying out by the pool, worshiping the skin cancer Gods. And fourth, participating in a Ward progressive dinner. It was interesting. I think every Ward has it's weirdo's, and somehow we got paired with all of them! Lucky us! I guess no ward will ever compare to the Ward you grew up in, right?
Which leads me to a dilemma.

If you could move back to your home ward, would you? Would it be weird to go back "home" as a grown up when you grew up there?

And what if it meant living in an older home? Would you?

Yesterday

What was yesterday, you ask?

Well, first of all, it was my parents' 39th anniversary.

And apparently it was the anniversary of several others as well.

Second, it was a blue moon.

And third, my dad had his appendix rupture!

So I guess this means their appendversary only comes once in a blue moon!

HA!

2 things

• Happy 39th (?) Anniversary to my awesome parents. (insert picture that has somehow vanished from my computer here)
  

• And I'd like to give a hearty shout out to the checker at Wal-Mart for, despite a screaming baby and a toddler peeing her pants, needing to do a price check on a greeting card. 'Preciate ya.
  

A little indulgence

Thanks to my cute friend Brittany for giving me this idea.

I think it's important for us to focus on our good qualities and talents. Sometimes this can feel selfish or indulgent, but it helps us realize that we all have worth. Whether we have a full time job, a part time job, no job, stay at home, home school, are social butterflies, or shy wall flowers, we need to remember our selves. So here goes.

5 things I've accomplished this week:

1. Stayed current on my laundry.
2. Gave my mom a haircut.
3. Made a grocery list a mile long!
4. Checked the pool twice a day.
5. Cleaned my bathroom, the girls bathroom, and the nursery.

5 things I'm good at:

1. Taking care of my home. I like a clean, fairly organized place to live.
2. Getting up in the middle of the night. This just doesn't bother me.
3. Finding humor in just about everything.
4. Taking care of my kids. They might look like orphans occasionally, but I let them dress themselves and brush their own hair. I think it's good to have them assert their independence.
5. Relaxing. I love to lay by the pool and just chill.

5 things that make me feel good:

1. Seeing my kids learn new skills. Potty training, swimming, smiling, you name it.
2. When I hear Sean's truck pull in the driveway after work.
3. Accomplishing 1 task a day. Maybe it's laundry, dejunking a drawer, or dusting.
4. The smell of Gretta in the morning. I don't know what it is, maybe the diaper full of pee, or the spit up down her neck. But seriously, that is the best smell in the world after a night of good sleep. And seeing that sweet smile just makes it better.
5. 500 thread count sheets. Like butter.

5 things I love:

1. My home
2. My family
3. Pictures of other people
4. Vacations
5. My life

5 things I like to do:

1. Laugh at everything (and everyone!)
2. Catch up with friends and family
3. Blog
4. Nap
5. Eat good food

Fry those babies up!

We had a fun Memorial day, busy for sure.

7 AM Breakfast at my mom's house.
11AM Cook up bacon for the summer salad (see recipe exchange for recipe!)
12PM Arrive at cemetery for Veteran's Program
1 PM Arrive at Aunt Julie's for BBQ with ENTIRE family.

3 PM Enjoy Nap
6 PM Arrive at Troy and Kelli's house for Tempura Party.
9 PM Finally home for the night!

Wait, tempura party, you ask? What could that be? I said the same thing. Pretty much it's where you tempura fry anything you can think of. The above pic is of the yummy veggies we did. Sweet potatoes, carrots, zucchini, onions, potatoes, green peppers, and peas. But then we had to mix it up a little. Pickles. Not so good. Beef jerky, pretty tasty. Sushi, yeah, yummy. Snickers and Twix, heavenly.

We had a great time. In fact I think we had so much fun we made the earth move! (there was a small earthquake that night, like a 2.5).

Self Portrait Tuesday

What's in your wallet?

Well, I don't really carry a wallet, per se, but more of a large duffel bag. Shall we play a little game of "I Spy"?

1. Wipes.
2. Diapers.
3. Purple first aid kit.
4. Glasses.
5. Burp cloth.
6. Bib.
7. Wallet.
8. Hand sanitizer.
9. Pen. (which by the way, I can never find!)
10. Knife. (that has been overlooked by many an airport security camera, and not on purpose!)

And the white thing next to my wallet is a sock. 1 sock. With a sticky purple star shaped earring stuck to it. Not really sure how that ended up in there, both the sock and the earring. And I'm certainly unsure of where the other sock is!
So there is my life in a bag. I feel so.....free.

I think that about does it.

Bumbo Gal

We made a trip to Target today, (say it Tar-Zhay), and picked up this cute little thing.






I thought getting Gretta up off her head and giving her a reason to strengthen her neck muscles would help with the Physical Therapy. I had never heard of Bumbo until I watched some show and they had them on.





Now if only I could get those hands out of her mouth for longer than 1 second to get a picture of her!

Rice Rice, Baby.

After our visit with the pediatrician, she gave us the all clear to start solids!

At this point, it's more for practice than actual nutrition, but considering Gretta got most of it in her mouth, she got a good amount of nutrition anyway! As you can see, she wasn't too sure of it at first, but then we got smile after smile after each and every spoonful. Dang, she's a cutie!