Family, Friends and Fun, Part 2

When on vacation, I seriously need to get out my camera more. As I look at the pictures I have, I seriously reprimand myself for not taking more.

We had so much fun visiting the Holt's for a few days. I felt like we visited a bit of heaven. The kids slept out on the trampoline for the first time ever and had a blast, we played dress up, and visited and visited. It was wonderful. Friday evening we took Suzi out to Tucano's for her birthday dinner and then went to fat cat's in Provo to go bowling. All the kids had so much fun. On the way up to dinner, Paige fell asleep in the car. She has to have a sore neck when she wakes up. It seemed to me that every time we got in the car to go anywhere, she and Carter both fell asleep. We were so busy and nap deprived. 

I really look forward to visiting again in years to come. We always have so much fun. 

We left Saturday morning to head home to Laramie. When we got to Evanston, WY we stopped at Bear River  State Park to see the Buffalo. The Elk weren't there, but the buffalo were and they were right in plane view. We filled up our tummies with some yummies and headed to the boring part of our trip across southern Wyoming. 

 We stopped in Rawlins and got dinner , and then got the kids in their jammies for the last 100 miles. When we got home it was so good to see Shawn standing in the garage. He had some helpers move his new gun safe into place that afternoon before we got home and was putting everything away. We and he were so happy to see each other. It was about 9pm when we got back. I was ready to sink my body in my bed and get some really good sleep.

Family, Friends and Fun Trip, Part 1

3 days after getting home from our cruise vacation, the kids and I left Laramie and drove straight through to Idaho to visit family. It took us 12 hours, 4 stops and several movies. They did really good and I was grateful I didn't have to extend the trip by stopping overnight.

We stopped at the Perry Rest Stop just south of Brigham City and the kids ran around for the first time since we left Laramie. They needed it. 

 After getting a good nights rest, the next day we went out to visit my Grandparents. Grandpa got out the key board and because very popular with the kids. We didn't stay for more than 20 minutes because the kids are a little over whelming to Grandpa and Grandma. We did have a good short visit. Maybe next time, we'll do a bits and pieces visit with not all the kids at once.

We then headed over to my Brother's house and all the cousins played and had so much fun. We decided that we would have a cousins sleep over while we were in town and started planning. 

 Carter and Cassie are 2 months apart and really enjoyed playing together. I loved watching them play together and enjoy that they had a play buddy.

 Friday morning we meet up with our friends The Norton's who were also in town visiting. It was so good to see them. We went swimming and then to lunch. I love getting together and really miss seeing these guys now that we both live farther apart than ever. I hope we can maintain our family friendship we have.  

After we were done playing with friends, I dropped the kids off at Shawn's parents house where they stayed over with all the cousins on the Sanders' side minus 3. I then went to my parents house and started the process of packing them and getting them ready to move in a few weeks. I'm sure Grandma Sanders took pictures of their activities, but I don't have any to share. If I get some, I'll update here. 

Sunday afternoon we went back out to Michael and Jodi's house for our sleep over. All the kids were ecstatic with joy. We made funnel cakes and watched a movie till bed time. Carter made himself comfortable on Michael's lap and went to sleep. He'd never do that for me if I tried. All the rest of the kids were electric and it took quite a bit of work to get them calmed down and ready to sleep. I wish I would have taken pictures of all of them. With the hustle and bustle, I just didn't think of it at the time.

We left Idaho for Utah on Tuesday and stayed overnight at Shawn's sister, Monica's house in Logan. It was a good, short visit as we continued South to Aunt Thayla's on Wednesday. The kids stayed with her Wednesday night while I met up with my parents, and uncle at the Mount Timpanogos LDS Temple to do some family sealings. My mom's brother Clark and his wife Lucy were sealed together in the temple and we also had Lucy sealed to her parents. It was so special to be there and to have that experience.  

Cool!

Albany has this Cool! Pool. It is pretty cool, for little kids. We had passes we got from our bank for the kids savings accounts so we took the kids the last really warm day in August before the pool closed for the season.. We had a lot of fun, and enjoyed playing hard as a family.

 Paige got brave enough to go down the big slid with her Dad. She did awesome. Her Dad was awesome keeping her from going to far under water. 

 Mason went with Shawn several times also, but then he decided it was Mom's turn. 

 The Cool! Pool has a little splash pad where it is very shallow. Carter was able to crawl around and move about on the edge of the pad and with support move to slightly deeper water. He liked the little fountains that were on the edge of the pad and enjoyed playing it the water.

 ...and we dipped him under water...it wasn't his favorite thing of the evening.

 But he recovered and continued enjoying playing in the water.

2012 Swimming Lessons

This was Paige's first year of swimming lessons. She was excited that she got to do them, until the day they started and then it was a small fight everyday to get her to do it. Her teacher was amazing and patient. 

 See what I mean...this was the first day, she hasn't even gotten wet yet.

 Carter hung out everyday for 2 weeks for 1 1/2 hours. While the other kids played on the trampoline or the swings, or the dreaded sandbox when it wasn't their turn. Paige went first and really wanted to go after Emma.  That was part of her problem. Emma went last. 

 By the end of her first lesson, she was a bit more satisfied, and not so grumpy.

 Mason's class was a very large class. Most of them were good swimmers, but a few struggled like Mason. The little boy on Mason's right, he talks privet lessons weekly also and they struggled to get him to listen and follow directions. He just wanted to swim under water the whole time. He wasn't a good influence on Mason. He just wanted to play with him and do what he was doing. 

 Emily is learning to teach swim lessons, and was Mason's constant hands on assistant in the pool. She was really good with him. 

 Emma loved to swim under the water. She's getting better at the breast stoke, but struggles breathing without stopping. I know she'll get it with practice. 

 The 3rd day of lessons Paige decided that she didn't want to get into the pool, so I sat on the edge of the pool and tried my best to get her dress off.  It was not worth it and when Emily offered to come and take her from me, I took her up on the offer. She warmed up after getting in, and she doesn't throw a tantrum in the pool with her teachers, just with me. She thought it was pretty cool that she could swim in her dress. 

 Carter fell asleep in the stroller almost everyday at the end of the time we were there.  He was so cute sleeping with all the commotion around him. 

 He got to swing in his first swing, it lasted about a minute and then he wanted out. He doesn't like swinging.

Swimming lessons were successful this year. We look forward to doing more and getting better with time. We were so thankful the the Weist's opened up their home pool for lessons and that we were able to find a place that was conducive to having little kids play and have fun while siblings were in their lessons.

I should share one experience that scared the daylights out of me. Swimming lessons were held at the home of some members of our ward. They had up over for dinner the weekend after we moved in.  The property were the lessons are given are here in Tangent. It's pretty secluded from the roads or other homes. The property is set back off the road and the pool sits between the house and a grass seed field directly behind it. The trampoline sits to the south of the pool and behind it are some big pine trees.  To the north is a very large lawn and some flower garden with more large pine trees at the end of the property.  One of the first few days Mason disappeared after Emma got out of the pool. I went into the house and checked the bathroom, I walked through the house and didn't find him, or hear him. He didn't answer me calling him either. Emily lives there, and I asked her if she had seen him. She started looking. I started to walk the perimeter of the property, looking in the dried up ditch, on the porch swing and in the front yard.  After searching for 10 minutes we called on the help of the teenagers who were there at the house. I think we had like 6 or 7 people looking for him.  I finally called Shawn at work after 15 minutes and he got in the truck and headed over.  I drove over to the Elementary school just in case, but while going there kept thinking, "why would he go there?" The school can't be seen from the house, nor has he gone from the house to the school.  While I was there looking one of the kids on bikes came around looking for him also.  I kept beating myself up over loosing my special needs child. I know better to take my eyes off him, but I figured that with the swing set and trampoline he wouldn't wonder. Well I was wrong and I was sick.  As I was coming back from the school Shawn called. Emily had found Mason in her older brothers room, he's 23, reading some books he found in there.  We walked through the house several times, and all Emily could come up with was he would move rooms before we would get to them.  He went in to go to the bathroom, and got distracted while he was coming out of the bathroom and never returned outside.  Emma was amazing the whole time. She sat and played with Carter and kept an eye on Paige. Just thinking about it I get all those emotions again and I find myself wanting to just go and hold my babies. I prayed the longest prayer of thanks that afternoon. Thanks for those who were helping, thanks that my husband dropped everything to be there and thanks that we found him. I can't imagine what parents go through when their child is taken and not returned.  After that day, I escorted Mason to the bathroom, and he didn't get out of my eyes shot. I just couldn't take that chance again.