Celebrating Summer

My sister jokingly said to me that I haven't been her reliable go to blog this week only posting here once and twice over on ReadySetPlan.
The truth is we've been celebrating summer maybe a little too much.

This week I spent a full day with my sister-in-laws, and another morning with my own sister.
And because he can- we often find an excuse to make Jake leave work early, even if that includes just running an errand.

We continued to celebrate summer last night.
Summer/ the anniversary date we were finally able to secure babysitters for.

We did all the things we always do for our favorite summer dates.
Chinese Food (though this time sit down and not the typical "Chinese Picnic"
and a showing of a Sundance summer musical.

Last night was the very charming BIG RIVER


I have been attending the Sundance theater to my own personal delight every summer it has been available since I was 16.
It is one of my favorite things.
If you have never been and you live nearby go book your tickets here.
You will agree Sundance is one of the most beautiful place around.
And how lucky am I it is just a short 15 minute drive from me?

If you do go be sure you are there at least 45 minutes early,
and be aware that the show goes until almost 11 pm.
This just means more time up in the landscaped wilderness.
It really is my favorite atmosphere.

The evening also included the exchange of more gifts.
We anxiously opened nice gifts last week upon their arrival from Amazon.
I got Jake a running watch
and he got me a knife set I have been desperately needing since we didn't receive one as a wedding gift seven years ago.

But that seemed like a long time ago, so we had new gifts to exchange.
For me my favorite and the always traditional fudge covered Oreo and words written in a card.
For Jake a humorous time line of our lives together.
Noting things from when we were dating and I thought his last name was Reece for some reason
to nicknames we've had that have since died like "Christmas Bear", places we've lived like our "Bungalow of Love", jobs we've had, children that have grown the team and how I have almost always loved him more than he has loved me.

It was strange to be alone together for 7 hours straight without having to worry about or hear children.
Mostly not to hear them.
It is so quite.
And it is so nice to talk for seven hours straight without interruption.
Strangely just seven hours away from the chidlren made them feel so big as I carried them from their beds at the Pearson's to the car to their beds in our house.
It was like I had been worlds away.

7 Years!

Today marks seven years.
People often say it feels like yesterday.
And people often say it feels like forever when referring to their own marriage.

Talking with Jake it feels like 8 years to both of us.
We've been together for eight years so maybe that is why it feels like 8.
Or maybe because when people have asked lately how long we have been married we mistakenly say 8 because we don't take the time to do the math.


It doesn't feel like yesterday, we have too many stories and memories since then for it to have just been yesterday.
Two homes, two children, a couple degrees and several job changes, with several unexpected twists and turns along the way make it impossible for it to just be yesterday.

And it doesn't yet feel like forever.
For it couldn't have been that long ago since we can still remember all the details of the day, and the following year. Like how we snuck to the Carl's Jr. drive thru mid afternoon in our wedding get up because we both realized we hadn't managed to eat a thing yet for the day and were starving. Last night we remembered all the small details about our 1st house. Like how the caulk in the shower always peeled, the lawn that was so large it would take Jake almost two hours to mow and where Jake set his school bag down in the evenings.
Nope it feels just like 8 years.
But it has been seven.
Seven sweet years.

Sun Valley 2010

We just returned from our vacation in Sun Valley.
We have gone for the past few years and love it each time.
Jake is able to get most of his Continuing Education to keep his attorney license while we are there, but is done by noon.
By then Sam had had a good nap and we were ready to take the town for all it is worth.
Not only is it one of the most beautiful places we have been to,
it is relaxing, perfect for our kids, and we can write off our room, gas, food, all but about $50 that we spent.
Not bad for a four day vacation.

First matter of business upon arrival was to check in, unpack and check out "our place" as Kate was calling it.
We were a little worried because we were really late making reservations for this year and the only condos left were studios.
It was in the Atelier Condos and was the nicest condo we have ever had there. The bathroom was large enough to put Sam's pack-in-play in, and we laid out Kate's sleeping bag to make a bed for her in a large closet.
Staying in a condo is really the best way to vacation. Lots of room and most importantly a fully equipped kitchen make being away from home with small children a piece of cake.
Once we unpacked a bit we went outside to explore the rivers, ponds and streams all around us. Kate just kept asking where the other kids were.
"Oh they must still be unpacking" she would conclude.


The 1st evening there the Legal Convention always puts on a free dinner- Brazilian Grill style meal, and then free ice skating.
Though it was getting late, we all stayed to help and watch Kate try ice skating for the 1st time.

She was so excited- just sure she would be able to glide on the ice like the semi- pros who were practicing before it was our turn.

It took her about ten minutes to get around the rink once- with Jake holding her up the whole way. It didn't look like fun at all- but she was a trooper and smiled about the experience.


Our days were filled with lots of biking.
The kids did great in the bike trailer and enjoyed going for rides so much.
We enjoyed the trails of what is literally the most "bike friendly community" in the United States. We biked almost everywhere we went, to swim, to dinner, to shop, to see the animals. We only drove the car once in four days- to check out a neighboring town about 15 minutes away.
Sun Valley really is our kind of town.
I would say really our only active hobbies are skiing and biking- and Sun Valley has about as many ski/bike shops as it does grocery stores and gas stations put together.... Probably around 15.



On one of our bike trips to town to get some groceries we found a hula hoop graveyard and fountain in a little town square.

Of course there was lots of swimming in the "big swimming pools" We made it to the pools almost everyday, and the kids were fearless about swimming and jumping right in.
In years past it has been a very busy resort, but the economy seems to have had an effect on many vacationers. We sometimes felt we were sharing this huge resort with only a few other families.

Our annual Sun Valley vacation would not be complete with out an afternoon paddle around the lake in a two person boat. This was also the 1st year nobody was screaming, and everyone enjoyed the boat ride. It was also the 1st year we did not see any wild life drinking on the shores.

Eating out (and coloring out) at new places were part of everyday as well.
In the entire city there is not a single chain restaurant- not even a McDonald's, so discovering new places is always fun.


We also enjoyed coloring together in the evenings and just hanging out in our comfy place.
I had let Kate pick out a new coloring book and some toy cars for the trip at the store. She was most excited about using her new toys on vacation before she actually got on vacation and found out about the more exciting things.
We tried out the resort bowling alley this time, and Jake took Kate to the movies one evening after Sam had gone to sleep. This may have been one of her favorite parts of the trip because not only was there free popcorn- but also they threw out candy. There was a moment of mixed emotions when a package of Starburst hit her in the head. She was scared and hurt, but also really excited about the candy. Worn out from a busy day she feel asleep half way through the show so Jake biked her home and carried her to her closet.


While there we befriended a horse that lived up the hill from our place.
We named him Reggiepop and we went and got carrots at the store just to feed him.
These pictures of the kids feeding the horse really capture what Sun Valley feels like to me.
Fun, warm, breezy, country, evenings in the mountains with happy, curious kids and no responsibilities.
We also found, befriended and fed a family of ducks and large swans living near by as well.


Thanks Sun Valley.
We hope to be back again another year.

One Year Older

It was my birthday this past week.
28.
We celebrated a bit on Tuesday before we left for our Sun Valley vacation
The kids and Jake each got me a gift, this included random stuff the kids felt I wanted from the Dollar Store, some sheet music, and a crushed ice machine, which if you know me suits me well.
Jake also made me a chocolate cake, as he does every year.
This year he had help.
A 3 year old who is fascinated with birthdays and has been asking me what kind of birthday cake I wanted since it was her birthday in April.
When I told her she could pick, she decided if I wasn't going to have an Ariel cake like her, a dog cake was the 2nd best thing she could think of.


Though in the end it ended up looking more like a bear.
And so after sleeping in a bit, I heard her at my bedroom door shouting
"Happy Birthday Mom! We made you a Bear cake"
Her excitement about my birthday was what I was looking forward to on my birthday the most.
I also got breakfast in bed, and the kitchen decorated in my yellow streamers.

Deer Creek Saturday

A few years ago Jake and I went kayaking.
We loved it so much that when somebody offered us a free river raft we jumped at the chance thinking we could raft down the Provo River and it would be like kayaking.

Three years and not one river trip with it later
our raft finally did makes its way up from the basement.
Except it still has not filled its river potential.

It spent Saturday floating around Deer Creek holding a family of four.

We actually did not last that long in the boat.
But enjoyed ourselves "swimming" or putting our feet in, making sandcastles, eating a little lunch and climbing on rocks.


This guy grabbed the oar the minute we unpacked it and carried it around with him the entire two hours there. He tried to shovel dirt with it, splash water with it and bang it against cement and rocks. He would accidentally smack us a lot with it too. He may have thought it was the big shovel from the backyard which I am always hiding from him.
Sandcastles

The kids arrived at the lake ready for anything.
Covered in a thick layer of 60spf sunscreen, swim suits, rash guards, water shoes, sun hats and life vests- with water wings just in case in the bag.
It took them a little while to figure out how to move, walk, and see in all their lake gear.
Just trying to live up our summer.
If that includes laughing at your 16 month old as he drinks a diet pepsi so be it.