San Diego 2012!!!
Well, since we didn't have a home to move into and we really needed to get out and just change our view, we decided to just pack up and leave! We had to pack things to get out of Norma and Elaine's (they were going to be having house guests in July), so we packed up and cleaned up as best as possible (and thanks so much to my friend Cindy for clean their house for me!) and then just left. We really didn't have a plan, but we knew we wanted to end up in San Diego on Sunday. I had been talking to dad before and said that we may just stop along the way and he said, in jest, "You could stop and see graveyards, you know, things the kids really love." Ha ha. Well, it wasn't really a graveyard, but we did stop at Cove Fort. And we actually liked it a lot. President Hinckley's grandfather settled Cove Fort. It was a sweet little place, with great couple missionaries, and a fun place to stop and eat our picnic. We continued on to St. George and found a nice hotel right off the freeway. We quickly changed into swimsuits and had our first dip in the pool. Weston is getting better and better and doesn't mind just jumping around on his own. Aidan did well and wanted those arm floaties the whole time, but felt comfortable. I was worried Brennan would be scared, but once we put the arm floaties (and a blow up ring around him) he was good to go and loved it! Elise wanted to jump in on her own--she's fearless! Instead we wrapped her up in arm floaties, a blow up ring AND a life jacket--and she was off. Splashing and happy the whole time.
Saturday morning we had a lovely hotel breakfast and then took off to find something to do. We went into Snow Canyon and explored a few kid friendly hikes. It really is amazing land there. The kids loved finding the little caves and interesting rock formations. They had probably 50 rocks in their pockets when we got back to the car. Luckily, I had a bag to put their treasures in and at the end of the trip we have a container for all the goodies/memorbilia we collected along the way. We ate lunch and then had another swim. Once cooled off (it was something like 100 degrees), we set out again, this time to the St. George temple. The visitors center was nice and they had some gypsum for each of the kids. Aidan, in particular, was in heaven! As we were walking around the grounds, we found a big seed--it looked rather like a pecan. Sure enough, it was! We started really searching and found quite a few more. We thought it was odd to find pecans, and I even looked up at the trees. It tooks a a few minutes of looking at the trees and we saw bunches and bunches of pecans. The trees on the temple grounds are pecan trees! So cool. And yummy. We went to the tabernacle as well. Not as exciting, but the kids were good and happy. We went out to our worst restaurant experience of our lives. Took way to long to have our order taken, then the waiter never checked in on us or refilled our water (and remember, it was HOT and we needed refreshing!), and then never came to give us our check. We finally got up and went to the front desk and had to ask for it (wishing we could just leave and not pay), then waited til he finally brought it. Scott paid, but wrote "none" in the tip area. Sorry, dude--but a tip is because you do a good job. You did not!
We went swimming once more then to bed. We left early enough that we could stop at church Las Vegas. We kind of went out of the way to go to church, but I wanted a photo with the Las Vegas Temple. Then we continued on with our trip--made it to our hotel and dumped everything there, then met the family at the institute. It was so good to see mom and dad again! The kids miss seeing Omi and Opa, but it was good to see them as missionaries. The kids loved Legoland--my summary of it: great for kids 4-7, but only if you don't have to pay full price. I was disappointed that Elise and Brennan were too small for even the "hometown fair" type rides. Brennan was told that there was a dragon ride there, so that is what he kept asking to do. He loved it and I am glad we was able to go a few times. Weston liked it, but he is just over the age of loving Legoland... The kids mostly wanted to go to the gift shop! I am glad we had the experience of going, it was especially fun to be with cousins! Brennan loved riding with Taylor and Aidan with Spencer (sure wish we lived closer!). Elise, Meridith and Rowan had a good time together and Weston was off with the big kids! Thanks to aunts and uncles who helped show my kids a fun time.
The safari place was nice--San Diego is the perfect place for outdoor fun things. The weather is perfect all the time! The Filiponi clan was just wonderful! They were all so nice and it was fun to have the kids just sit and play on the beach. I am glad we took a break to catch up on Wednesday and it was so fun to be with the family just talking (and planning...). I like our planning sessions. I know they get long, but since we like it, why not do it? All that matters is that we are having a good time, even if it is just sitting around talking about what we will do, then changing our minds, etc... I like it! The talent show was fun (except for the bust of our try at whistling...) and the awards were such a great idea--Brennan still talkes about how he got an award for eating carrots. I loved the craft things Heidi and Devan did for the kids and they just had such a fun time playing with all the institute games. I think the shirts turned out DARLING and I have even worn mine again!
We got a chance to swing by the San Diego Temple on the way to Balboa Park. So, in our trip we saw three temples! The Fleet Museum was fun (and gross...), but I think it was WAY too pricey, although the IMAX show was fun. The dinner that night was the highlight of the day for sure. It was so nice to all be together being us. I loved it! It was hard to say goodbye--living far away from each other is hard.
Friday we had a perfect day in Disneyland --so great to go with the Garner's for so many reasons! I am glad the kids got to go. Elise met three princesses--she was so sweet with them. Brennan loved the big kid rides. I was surprised that he would go on certain rides, but he did well. The dark rides, or the rides he had to sit by himself, were not as fun for him. But all the kids loved Big Thunder Mountain (Scott's favorite as a child). I loved sitting outside of the rides and watching the younger kids (I am not a fan of rides...). Weston and Aidan had fun on the rides--they are finally at the age where they enjoy rides and can go on many of them. All in all--good times at DL. And really, we were there for just the right amount of time. Though I must say, without Noah's assistance, we wouldn't have been able to go on many rides, so thank you! Plus, Noah is my very special friend--we speak the same language. He is so fun!
We found a cheap (and gross) hotel and then packed up and headed straight home. I think we stopped three times, which is pretty good for a 10 1/2 hour drive. The most amazing thing about the car ride was that we had the car detailed before leaving (strange, I know, but it was just too disgusting to sit in that entire time without cleaning it) and then we made a deal with the kids--if we could make it the entire way there and back without eating in the car, we would take them to a water park. Cowabunga Bay, here we come! Can you believe it? It wasn't all that bad. We packed lunches and snacks and when we stopped to go potty, etc, we had a snack. It worked out and I didn't have the kids asking every few minutes for a treat!
I don't know if someone slipped me some prozac while on the trip because I was so unstressed. Wierd, especially considering the stress I have been going through with building the house. It was so nice to just go with the flow and the kids were so good. That really helped. Maybe someone slipped them something as well.
Thanks to you ALL who made it so much fun!
Sunday, July 15, 2012
June
Well, obviously the thing that has taken up most of this month is the building (and kind of finishing) of the house. It has been a long, long, long process that has taken a lot of thought, a lot of patience, and a lot of prayer. Things were moving quickly with the house, but then there were days when nothing would get done. We were told at the beginning of the month that they thought the home would be done by the 20th of June--wow, that would have been great and so fast! But, that came and went with another date, then another, then another.... We thought for sure that it would happen before the end of June, when we would leave on our vacation. We figured we would empty our pods, move the furniture in, and then take care of the rest once we got back. But, the lender came back with a "problem"--they wanted the builder to have owned the land for 6 months before selling it (otherwise they considered it a "flip"), and our builder bought the land from his dad, and actually bought it after we signed our contract with them... So, with that hang up, we had to start over with a different bank and we went on vacation in hopes that we would be in when we returned. It had its positives: we got a lower interest rate, it gives us more time to move in (less stress about getting it done quickly), and it gives the builder time to finish up the "punch list" of the little things that still need to be done (handles changed, paint touch up, etc...). Next month you will get to read if the builder took advantage of that week of us gone and all that time to finish up (hint: we are not happy...).
But, all in all, the house is gorgeous. It is so beautiful and it has all that we want and more. It will be a great Brown Family Hotel for you all. :) We are just ready to have a place to ourselves! (Here is a link to a video of the home on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SHxxR8Yg8g )
Weston turned nine at the beginning of the month. Nine! I can't believe it! He chose to have a big friend party with tons of kids (I think 16 were invited! Kind of a "send off" party to say goodbye to Herriman friends) and since we didn't have a home, we held it at the church (funny, huh?!). They just played basketball for awhile, then ate pizza and had gatorade. They opened presents and they were sent home with donuts. Nice easy party! We went to Italian Village for his birthday dinner. Scott's parents and some of his siblings were able to be there, but Elise and I had to sit out. :( She had a terrible fever so we just went to the house and waited for them to come home for cake (which I just ordered from the store... no being too creative this year!). He got some big boy presents: Madden NFL wii, swiss army knife, Ute shirt, and lego stuff.
I am so proud of Weston. He finished up third grade with high scores and with a great attitude. His teacher, Mr. Colver, was perfect for him and really adored him. I loved my male 3rd grade teacher (Mr. Bowen of course) and so I was so happy that Weston had a good experience with his! He finished reading the Percy Jackson series and has started Fablehaven. His soccer finished up and he still loves it though I think he'd like to try basketball and football. Hmmm.. Maybe later.
Aidan turned seven! His birthday party with friends was the same day as Weston's--at the church as well. His theme was Hero Factory/Bionicles. They are toys that kind of clip together with different armor and weapons. I saved all the cardboard I could and then cut them out in armor shapes, spray painted them different colors and attatched rubber bands. Then for an activity, the kids made themselves into Hero Factories! I thought it was a very clever idea. I put tons of time into it and then only 3 or 4 kids wanted to dress up. :( I talked another one or two into dressing up, but they were all more interested in playing with actual HF's. They played a few relay games and then I had a game where I had taped candy into a giant ball and they had to unwrap the candy to get it. Again I thought it was a cute idea (stole that off of pinterest), but the kids just thought it was wierd. But, they all played and had fun eating the candy. Aidan opened presents (he got 6 or 7 HF's, 4 of them the same!) and ate cupcakes. We went to Elaine and Norma's cabin the next weekend (on his actual birthday) and celebrated his birthday by having hot dogs and eating cake. Grandma and Grandpa came and it was a fun birthday for him. I think his favorite gift was a bunch of rocks and a box to keep them in. He has really turned into a budding geologist and asks weekly to go looking for crystals.
He, too, finished school on a great note. He is not a huge reader, yet he reads really well. It suprises me whenever he reads a big kid book! He whipped through "rocket math" and has caught onto all the new concepts taught. The best thing is that everyone in his class loves him--he is a favorite friend to everyone.
Brennan and Elise are doing well. This is probably hard on them and we don't realize how much. But they are being good. Brennan always keeps us laughing with his silly jokes and explanations of things--He told me that snow comes from the sky from Santa mixing up ice, water, and mix and then dumping it from his sleigh. He says he doesn't want his own bedroom, he wants me to sleep in his room, but I think once he is in, he will be happy.
Elise is talking like crazy now. It is hard to believe that when we first moved into mom and dad Daw's house she only had a few words she said. Now she has way too many to count and she talks in sentences (very demanding!). Sometimes it is very frustrating for her--and us. Almost every time we get in the car, she starts screaming and pointing toward the front of the car. We can't figure out what she is saying or what she wants--it sounds like "shoulder down". ??? What does that mean?
Father's Day was fine and my birthday was just great. We are so tired of everything that we have no energy to put into celebrations.
We are so grateful for all who have helped us. I am excited to be in a home and invite people over, watch their kids, have a home to cook food to share with others... It will be so nice. Glad June is over and excited for summer fun to begin!
But, all in all, the house is gorgeous. It is so beautiful and it has all that we want and more. It will be a great Brown Family Hotel for you all. :) We are just ready to have a place to ourselves! (Here is a link to a video of the home on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SHxxR8Yg8g )
Weston turned nine at the beginning of the month. Nine! I can't believe it! He chose to have a big friend party with tons of kids (I think 16 were invited! Kind of a "send off" party to say goodbye to Herriman friends) and since we didn't have a home, we held it at the church (funny, huh?!). They just played basketball for awhile, then ate pizza and had gatorade. They opened presents and they were sent home with donuts. Nice easy party! We went to Italian Village for his birthday dinner. Scott's parents and some of his siblings were able to be there, but Elise and I had to sit out. :( She had a terrible fever so we just went to the house and waited for them to come home for cake (which I just ordered from the store... no being too creative this year!). He got some big boy presents: Madden NFL wii, swiss army knife, Ute shirt, and lego stuff.
I am so proud of Weston. He finished up third grade with high scores and with a great attitude. His teacher, Mr. Colver, was perfect for him and really adored him. I loved my male 3rd grade teacher (Mr. Bowen of course) and so I was so happy that Weston had a good experience with his! He finished reading the Percy Jackson series and has started Fablehaven. His soccer finished up and he still loves it though I think he'd like to try basketball and football. Hmmm.. Maybe later.
Aidan turned seven! His birthday party with friends was the same day as Weston's--at the church as well. His theme was Hero Factory/Bionicles. They are toys that kind of clip together with different armor and weapons. I saved all the cardboard I could and then cut them out in armor shapes, spray painted them different colors and attatched rubber bands. Then for an activity, the kids made themselves into Hero Factories! I thought it was a very clever idea. I put tons of time into it and then only 3 or 4 kids wanted to dress up. :( I talked another one or two into dressing up, but they were all more interested in playing with actual HF's. They played a few relay games and then I had a game where I had taped candy into a giant ball and they had to unwrap the candy to get it. Again I thought it was a cute idea (stole that off of pinterest), but the kids just thought it was wierd. But, they all played and had fun eating the candy. Aidan opened presents (he got 6 or 7 HF's, 4 of them the same!) and ate cupcakes. We went to Elaine and Norma's cabin the next weekend (on his actual birthday) and celebrated his birthday by having hot dogs and eating cake. Grandma and Grandpa came and it was a fun birthday for him. I think his favorite gift was a bunch of rocks and a box to keep them in. He has really turned into a budding geologist and asks weekly to go looking for crystals.
He, too, finished school on a great note. He is not a huge reader, yet he reads really well. It suprises me whenever he reads a big kid book! He whipped through "rocket math" and has caught onto all the new concepts taught. The best thing is that everyone in his class loves him--he is a favorite friend to everyone.
Brennan and Elise are doing well. This is probably hard on them and we don't realize how much. But they are being good. Brennan always keeps us laughing with his silly jokes and explanations of things--He told me that snow comes from the sky from Santa mixing up ice, water, and mix and then dumping it from his sleigh. He says he doesn't want his own bedroom, he wants me to sleep in his room, but I think once he is in, he will be happy.
Elise is talking like crazy now. It is hard to believe that when we first moved into mom and dad Daw's house she only had a few words she said. Now she has way too many to count and she talks in sentences (very demanding!). Sometimes it is very frustrating for her--and us. Almost every time we get in the car, she starts screaming and pointing toward the front of the car. We can't figure out what she is saying or what she wants--it sounds like "shoulder down". ??? What does that mean?
Father's Day was fine and my birthday was just great. We are so tired of everything that we have no energy to put into celebrations.
We are so grateful for all who have helped us. I am excited to be in a home and invite people over, watch their kids, have a home to cook food to share with others... It will be so nice. Glad June is over and excited for summer fun to begin!
Friday, June 22, 2012
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Day 78 Railing and Shower Door
Spoke to our contractor this morning and he told me that concrete, electrical, plumbing would all be worked on today. When I went to the house this afternoon all that was done was the ballisters were installed and the shower door was installed (and installed incorectly) Really, really frustrating
Monday, June 18, 2012
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)