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We had a busy and fun time with Derek’s parents and sister, Adrienne, in Utah.  We also got to spend some time with our niece and nephews, which was a treat.  EVERY day was a new adventure.

Sunday: Church and a relaxing day to visit.

Monday: This is the Place Heritage Park (a pioneer village), just me and the boys

The highlights…attending school, learning how to make rope, and watching a goat try to get into the snacks in the stroller.

Tuesday:  Discovery Children’s Museum and the fountains at Gateway Mall

Me, Sherry and 6 kids (ages 8 and under)…crazy, yes, but we had fun!

Wednesday: The five of us went up to the mountains, Snowbird Ski Resort.  They have lots of summer activities…a tram, a zip line and our favorite, an alpine slide.

Thursday: We went to a Dinosaur Museum at Thanksgiving Point.  Me, Derek, Sherry and the 6 kids again.  Much easier this time with 3 adults.

Other highlights:  Derek’s dad getting to meet Samuel for the first time, and Adrienne has a cat that had just had kittens and my boys were in heaven.

A full trip, as you can see.  We had a wonderful visit!

I’m off to bed. 🙂

right now i’m holding a baby while i type.  babysitting 2 other little boys for a friend who’s husband is in the hospital.  learning that a 2-year old and a 7-month old should not be left in the same room alone together for ANY length of time.  realizing that color wonder fingerpaints DO rub off on clothes.  helping a neighbor by consulting on paint color/placement.  answering my phone that is ringing off the hook.  needing to prepare a lesson for sunday, plan a meal for another family on saturday, and buy groceries for a party on friday.  yelling at two 7-year olds to get down off the 8-foot fence that they are climbing.  looking at a kitchen that appears to have been hit by a tornado.  and i’m already on my 5th load of laundry just today.

whoo.

why am i blogging you ask?

because it helps keep it all in perspective.

🙂

OK…I’ll get back to posting about our trip tomorrow.  I know you’ll be holding your breath.

But in the meantime here are some cute shots of Samuel.  This baby has all of us wrapped around his little finger.  Jacob has lovingly nicknamed him "blueberry eyes" for reasons you’ll see in this first picture.

"What made her think that peas and prunes is a good meal combination?"

"Why does she continue to insist that tummy-time is necessary?" (he’s wailing at me)

"It takes effort to look this good."

Well, as you probably noticed my "travel blog" idea didn’t get very far.  I was just having too much fun to blog.  For the next few days I’ll take you thru our trip with pictures.  Let’s start with Colorado, where we saw my Grandpap and Grandma Joan Haymond.  I’ve always had a special relationship with my Grandfather and it was so good to see him with my children.  He and Joan are always so hospitable and we had a wonderful time.  We also spent an evening with my Aunt Carol and her beau, Dave, and had fun laughing and gabbing.  And the five of us Smiths took a cog train up Pikes Peak one morning, which was beautiful. 

My boys couldn’t get enough of the diving board at their community pool…Jacob was the front flip king.

14,000 feet!

And here’s one of my favorites…

And one more from Pikes Peak…

2800 miles traveled

390 pictures taken

4 states seen

3 different Holiday Inn Express motels

Lots of fun, memories and family

Downloading pictures as we speak

More later.

Just a quick post from Raton, NM.  I now have a new hatred for NM…I’m sure it’s a lovely place (in some other part of the state)…but they have serious speed limit issues.  We logged over 500 miles today…left this morning at 9:30 Central time and got here around 8:00 Mountain time.  And surprisingly we are feeling pretty good.  Samuel was his normal easy-going self.  Jacob and Caleb did great, with the exception of the last 2 hours (cabin fever).  Derek took them for a quick swim in the pool.  And there is a putting green for kids that they’ll hit tomorrow morning.

Funny quote for the night from Caleb, talking about the motel room:

"It’s too bad it doesn’t have a game room and medium (i.e. media) room!"

Two more days until we leave for Colorado and Utah.  Am I packed?  NO!  Derek leaves for California this morning…gets back late tomorrow afternoon.  And then we leave Wed morning.  I hope to post from the road and give everyone updates, and maybe some pics, we’ll see.  We’ll be gone 12 days.

On Wednesday, this little guy will be 7 months.  And I feel like his life is speeding by.  Wasn’t he just born?  And now he’s closer to being one!  Sitting up and getting busier by the day.  There’s no cuddling unless he’s tired.  And gone are the days where he’ll just sit idly on your lap and watch people.  He’s trying to grab the remote, the phone, my earrings or hair, etc.  Right now he’s in his high chair sucking on this little gadget:

It’s a mesh bag with a handle.  You can put "real" food in it and babies can suck on it without the risk of choking.  This morning I put chunks of a white peach in it and he LOVED it.  It’s amazing what cool inventions they have for babies now.

Ok…off to pack and head to the library for books for the road.

What do you get when you take a Walmart card table, a couple of pitchers of frozen Minute Maid lemonade (with added sugar! which is our little secret), a small cooler of ice, a dry erase sign, and two determined little boys selling lemonade (ok, let’s say one determined boy and another hot, and only slightly interested little boy)? 

$20.50!!

Thanks to very sweet and generous neighbors!

Jacob and Caleb (ok, just Jacob) ran a very profitable lemonade stand yesterday.  Big J stood outside for 3 hours and had more customers than I expected, and more tips too.  Plus, it gave me a chance to visit with neighbors, some that I’ve met and others that I hadn’t.  It was great fun.

And let me introduce you to the cutest "my-hats-too-small-for-my-ginormous-head" baby!

http://vitaminwater.com/

I am seriously enjoying these…especially the Power C: dragonfruit ones.

Try them…they’re tasty.  And for a girl that doesn’t like taking vitamins, they’re healthy too.

Plus the colors, packaging, and ads are enjoyable as well.

can get away with buying kids stuff like this…

Nicknamed "Pointy"

Steve, a.k.a. Pops, LOVES to buy the boys treasures.  And my boys LOVE that Pops buys them treasures.  When we were in Hilton Head, he was continually leaving and coming back with bags of shells, crystals, books, t-shirts and even an alligator head.

And the latest treasures are hard to beat.  He bought the boys two fossils…one, the tooth of a great white shark.  The second, the tooth of a megalodon.  How many people do you know who own a megalodon tooth?!?  That will top everyone else’s show-n-tell, hands down.

Thanks Pops!