Lava Hot Springs

Lava Hot Springs

Population 521

I think Lava's populations doubles or triples on the weekends! 

Alec & Lily have been begging us to go camping.

Tim & I were stupid and gave in.

Okay, okay.  In the end, I guess the good out-weighed the bad.

We did the whole camping experience. 

Tents, mosquitos, roasting hot dogs & smores. 

Oh, yeah!  The Smores!!!

That tipped the scale big time in the good direction!

Then, the main attraction in Lava...

SWIMMING!!!  

Alec calls himself the Cannon Ball King!

We had a lot of fun!  Friday, though we only went swimming for 10 minutes before the thunder & lightning started & they cleared the pool.  The Hot Pots were still open, though, so we went for a nice soak.  Later we went swimming again.  Not too bad.

Lily is turning out to be a great little swimmer, too!  

Woo hoo!

Megan loves the water.  She had lots of fun!

Doesn't this little face look angelic??  Then why won't she SLEEP!!!  Ahh, that baby crying in the campground... Oh, wait.  That was my baby.  It felt like the night was never going to end. Somehow we made it, though.  She even woke up all happy and smiles, like nothing had even happened.  *sigh.  Why do I feel tired  just writing about it?

We came home & had birthday cake on Sunday.  

Check out that cake decorating action!  

Way to go Tim & helpers!

All in all, it was a great weekend!  

I was with my favorite people in the world.  

Lava Hot Springs Slideshow

33 Ain't So Bad

Happy Birthday To Me!

I used to rub it in to y sister that our parents must love me the best because I got presents on my birthday AND my half birthday, too (which was Christmas Day). Boy, what a stinker I am. That hasn't changed much!

I loved having a summer birthday to have pool parties and sleep-overs on the back lawn. Those were great days!

33 Years later, I still think these are great days. I've come to the conclusion that I actually like being in my 30's much more than I ever thought I would. The 20's were full of finding that perfect someone to marry, trying to decide what to do in college, what job with crazy hours and weekends and holidays, when to have kids, where to live... I think the 30's are much more laid back (comparitively speaking). I'm learning that life is good, and I'm here to enjoy it more!

So, enjoy it I will. If anyone wants to come over for a blow-up waterslide party and a sleep-over on the back lawn, The Party Is On!!!

Here were my cute birthday pictures. Alec drew our family, with Megan saying "Ooh Ooh Ooh." He accidentally wrote "Happy Mother's Day" and had to fix it. Funny boy.

Here's Lily's picture. "Alec was out swimming," Lily says. That's why he's not in the picture.

"Sorry you look like an alien with your eyes kindof freaky."

Thanks Lily. Why does she just make me laugh?!

So Long Outdoor Plumbing, Thanks to Super Tim!

Isn't this a vision??

The toilet on the deck adds a certain thrill to a mundane task...

Tim & I didn't learn our lesson from our last bathroom remodel. We somehow decided to do it all over again for our main bathroom.

So long to the 1970 Harvest Gold speckled tile (that only went up about 1 foot. There is no shower...)

So long to the shallow tub that is only fit for small children.

So long linoleum & yellow paint.

(Yes, that was my fault anyway.)

Alec likes demolition a little too much.

Give the boy a hammer & turn him loose!

Tim's dad was kind enough to come help with the heavy duty part. THANK YOU!! That tub was a handful!

One week later,

Say Hello to 2009! I feel like my whole house has been lifted from the lingering 70's!

We found marble tile on closeout at Lowe's and saved a ton of money. I was so excited! We were only a little short, though..... so a little hour drive to another Lowe's saved the day. Thank heavens!

Tim made new doors for the old vanity, and I spray painted it with a metallic brown. It turned out great! We also got a granite countertop from a granite remnant place. Woo Woo!

Hello Shower & Soaker Tub. Love it!

(This picture shows the actual color better.)

Tim, you are an amazing remodeler.

Thank you for all you do!

(Of course, you have an amazing assistant, too....)

Mashed Potatoes Recipe

Lily's mind is constantly going. I know, because her mouth is constantly going, too!! 

She is so funny. 

I love it when she figures things out.

As we're eating turkey sandwiches Lily tells me,

"I know what animal they scrape this off of. A turkey."

So a few weeks later we're eating Mashed Potatoes.

Lily: What do you make mashed potatoes from?

Mom: What do you think?

Lily: Potato Bugs.

EWWW! I can't look at mashed potatoes the same way!

Free Photo Editing:Frame-ups and Special Effects

I just came across this FREE online Photo Editing class that will start July 6th, and I am so excited- I had to share. I saw it from www.momshots.com which is another very cool site! If you are into this, click on the image & check out the site.

Air Show 2009: Lesson Learned?

Our family has been anxiously awaiting the Air Show to come. Saturday, we braved the hordes of people to pack ourselves like sardines to sit & stare at Super Cool Planes!!! So Great! Megan says "Airplane" really well now. She loves them.

But first we had to get there. 10:45 a.m must have been the preferred time to arrive, because I think we got there at the same time as 100,000 other people. We waited in a line for security checks that made Disneyland lines look good.

We had been waiting in line for a half an hour already. Megan had already had a meltdown.

Tim held her for a bit, but she didn't want to be held. So he put her back in the double stroller, which is piled high with camp chairs, blankets, etc. A few minutes later Tim looks down at the stroller and says,

"Where's Megan?"

Where's Megan?? Are you kidding me!

We've just lost our 20 month old daughter

in a crowd of 100,000 people.

She wasn't buckled in the stroller, so she just slipped out and walked away. We frantically start back-tracking, and I'm scouring the ground for a loose little body walking around. Not 30 seconds later, I hear a woman say, "Are you looking for a baby?" and she is holding my Megan. Instant relief. I can't believe that has just happened to me. Did I learn my lesson and decide that today just wasn't meant to be? Nope.

Did I mention the crowds?

We met up with Tim's brother, Dustin, and his daughter Isabell & her friend. We actually found them. Yay!

The air show was GREAT! It was a lot of fun to watch them all.

This was my first time using my new telephoto lens. WOW!! It was so fun to zoom right in on the planes! I loved this shot. The clouds and the mountains couldn't have been any better. What a perfect backdrop!

My little photographer, Alec, took this shot. When Tim saw it, he said, "That's bloggable." I thought he looked almost as cute as Megan in her little hat.

What a sweet daddy.

The end of the air show. This sums up how we're all feeling.

Except for maybe Lily. Crazy girl!

(She fell asleep in the stroller about 5 minutes after this!)

We meander out and make it to our car. It's really not that far to get off the base. Ha.

40 minutes later, we haven't even made it past the first intersection (which was a one minute walk from our car). Tim decides to walk over to the gas station right close by and get hot dogs for dinner, because it's looking like we're going to be here for a while.

15 more minutes.

Still not through the intersection.

Megan starts saying, "Stinky. Stinky."

Great. Just what we need.

We make it through the intersection! Yay!

Alec looks down at Megan and says, Uh oh. I turn around and look, and it's my worst fear. She was wearing a dress, so she had easy access, and now had a lovely DISASTER all over her hands, clothes & car seat.

CAN I QUIT BEING THE MOM???

Just for tonight?

Luckily, Tim came back right then, and he didn't even make me play Paper, Rock, Scissors for who had to take her out. He took her back to the gas station & cleaned her up.

It only took us 1 hour 45 minutes to get home.

Did I learn my lesson?

Probably not. In three years or so, I'd probably go again.

With a leash to attach Megan to me.

Check out more Air Show photos at

SHOT BY CELESTE!

End of School Party!!

We bought a small blow-up waterslide last week, and decided a perfect way to break it in would be with a School's Out Party!!  So we invited a few friends, and had a blast!

It was a little crazy, but great!

I caught some fun action shots.  Flying Dawson!

Leaping Samuel!

Alec said he wanted a cake for the party.  I decided a chocolate chip cookie cake sounded even better! 

So here is my "Gummi Bear Pool Party" cake.  It was so easy & fun!

I know I have issues.  Here is my close-up so you can see the Gummi Bears lounging under their umbrellas, or floating in their gummi life saver floats.  Sweeeet!

*Check it out!

I've actually updated Alec's Page!  I went to his class a week before school was out to watch some little fairy tale plays they were doing.  I brought my camera (shocker), but Alec took my camera and started taking pictures of all his classmates and teacher.  They turned out so great!!  I thought it would be fun to put them on a disc for his teacher.  Then I figured as long as I was putting them on a disc, I should put some songs with it.  Then, as long as I had songs, I might as well make a menu, too...  *sigh.  Over-Achiever. 

End Of School Party Slideshow

Gone But Not Forgotten

Yesterday my mom and I took my children to the cemeteries to learn about their Great Grandparents. We also stopped and saw the moving wall replica. Even at only half the size of the original, it is impressive. So many names. Such a loss.

We talked about my grandpa and grandma. It is now ten years since they passed on, yet I still miss them. They have shaped my life, and I hope they shape my children's lives, too.

We went to my aunt's grave, too. She is buried close to President Gordon B. Hinckley and his wife. It is wonderful to remember such remarkable people.

Not too far from President Hinckley are the monuments for David O. Mckay, Hyrum Smith, Joseph F. Smith and Joseph Fielding Smith, to name a few. Such history. I have such respect for these men.

I love being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I can't imagine that death is the end. The gospel of the LDS faith has taught me that I will be with my loved ones again, and for this I am forever grateful.