Judi and I picked the kids up at the Las Vegas Airport around 3:30pm Las Vegas Time. We made it home around 7:15pm, picking up a couple of pizza's along the way. When we got home, we ate pizza and then looked at the changes in the Disney Room. Trey and Judi played Mario Cart while Lizi and I opened pins from the Gumball Rally and Shelby unpacked. Shelby came and looked at pins with us and then Lizi and I joined Trey and Judi playing Mario Cart while Shelby played the Ukulele. We then watched Mary Poppins and Trey opened his Gumball Rally pins and then we went to bed.
Tuesday, March 14
Trey woke up first and we ate breakfast. Judi got up next and we played Mario Cart as we waited for Shelby and Lizi to get up. Lizi got up next and ate and then Judi and I woke up Shelby so we could go on a hike. We had planned to hike Mollie's Nipple but Lizi didn't have really good hiking shoes so we decided to just hike the canyon below it. we got to the end and as we were walking back, Shelby asked if we could hike the next canyon up. So we started up to the next canyon and Shelby immediately regretted her request! (She doesn't care for uphill). We got to the 3rd canyon up and then back-tracked to the second canyon. It was overcast and perfect for pictures! It just started to sprinkle as we were heading back to the car. We came home and had lunch. Lizi and Judi ate in the clubhouse as it was raining outside and then danced with their streamers to music playing on Lizi's phone. While they were outside, Trey, Shelby, and I watched The Office and finished season 4. When Lizi and Judi came in, I started getting dinner ready and made cookies while the kids watched Disney shorts on Disney+. It was so fun listening to Shelby and Trey laugh at the funny parts just like they did when we watched them when they were younger. We then had Pot Roast for dinner and Judi did some Lexia and played Age of Empires while Lizi, Trey, Shelby, and I watched the first Hunger Games movie. (Lizi is reading the second book right now). After the movie, Lizi went to go read more of her book and Trey, Shelby, Judi, and I played Play 9 and Sabaacc. Shelby and Lizi then went to get ready to sleep and Trey, Judi, and I played some Mario Cart before going to bed.
Wednesday, March 15
Judi woke up and she and I played Mario Cart. Lizi and Shelby got up and the four of us ate breakfast together. Trey then woke up and ate breakfast and Lizi, Judi, and I played Mario Cart. Shelby then looked for Harry Potter Lego character parts from the Hogwarts Castle set and I looked for pieces to the set while Trey played on his phone and Lizi and Judi built their Lego houses. We then had lunch. It was a rainy day all day so we went outside quickly to see the water that was filling up the pit outside. Lizi and Shelby then worked on their dance moves for Matilda and Trey, Judi, and I played Villainous. After Villainous, the kids all played Mario Cart while I did dishes. Shelby was ready to do something else so I took her spot and she was on her phone on the couch. I then got dinner ready for everyone and we watched The Emperor's New Groove while we ate. After dinner, Lizi and Judi worked on their Lego houses some more and Trey, Shelby, and I watched a few parts of American Idol that I had recorded and one episode of the Office. Judi then went to spend time with her mom so Shelby, Trey, Lizi, and I watched a movie called Free Guy. After the movie, Lizi went to take a shower and go to bed so Shelby, Trey, and I watched a few more episodes of The Office and then went to bed.
Thursday, March 16
Lizi woke up first and we ate breakfast together. We then talked about her Broadway vs Disney performance and Matilda play coming up and decided to go outside so she could show me the choreography of her numbers. Judi woke up and came outside with us. After 2 days of rain, the sun was finally out but the wind was blowing pretty hard which made it pretty cold. Lizi showed me King of New York, Jolly Holiday, Arabian Nights, Cruisin' for a Brusin', Love is an Open Door, and maybe one or two more. Lizi has really gotten better at singing! She sounded so good and it's amazing that she was able to choreograph King of New York so well! We came back inside and played Mario Cart and then Trey woke up and had breakfast and played with us. After Mario Cart, Shelby woke up and ate breakfast. Shelby and I then tried to find more pieces to the Hogwarts Castle while Lizi and Judi played with their house legos that they made. Trey worked on math for school. I made some hot dogs for lunch and then we braved the wind and hiked down to the river because we figured it would be pretty high after raining all day yesterday. And it was! It was flowing very fast and we could see that it had been even higher yesterday. The girls had fun making drawings in the sand with sticks - Lizi spent a lot of time on making a face in the sand and Shelby drew a lot of smaller things from mushrooms to a sun and more. Judi drew a palm tree. Trey was pretty cold and he and I walked around to watch the girls drawings and to stay warm. When we got back home, Lizi and Judi painted and Shelby, Trey and I watched a couple of episodes of The Office. The kids then played Mario Cart while I did dishes and cooked some Chicken Alfredo and Ratatouille for dinner. We did the movie pick-out and watched Luca while we ate. Lizi and Judi then went back outside and played with their ribbons and played stranded family. Shelby, Trey, and I watched a couple of episodes of The Office while they were outside. We then packed and played Mario Cart for a while. We decided to watch another movie so Shelby picked the 5 movies this time and we did the movie pick-out again and ended up watching Atlantis. We then went to bed.
Friday, March 17
After waking up and getting myself ready, I went to the kitchen and found Lizi getting ready to eat breakfast so I ate with her. Trey then came out and ate with us and Judi sat at the table with us but didn't eat because she didn't want to get car sick. Shelby came out and ate too and just before we hopped in the car, we took a family picture outside in the back yard in front of the blossoming apricot tree. I was so happy to get that picture because the apricot tree only blossoms for about 1 week a year and it is just so pretty. We got on the rode at 9:15 and had a fun drive to the airport. We talked about the two hikes we went on - the canyon hike was the favorite. Lizi mentioned how she really loves the car rides to Disneyland in the summertime which made me feel good because I like them too! We got to the airport about 2 hours early which was good because the security line was longer than I have ever seen it, extending downstairs below the escalator (or epidermis, as Shelby used to call it). We made it to the gate about 30 minutes before scheduled boarding and found out that it had been delayed by 30 minutes. But we also talked to the gate agent who said the kids could be a part of the pre-boarding process so they could all sit together. Judi and I watched as the kids scanned their tickets and Shelby and Lizi waved bye as they walked down the hall to the plane. Judi commented as we were walking back to our car that she couldn't believe the kids were gone and that she missed them. I do to!
Judi and I were both so excited to see the kids all day that we couldn't stand it! The day seemed to go by so slowly. We watched the Vikings historic comeback win against the Colts and then 3:40 finally came, the time we had determined we would leave for the airport in Las Vegas to pick them up. We got to the airport almost an hour early, got our gate passes, went through security, and then checked the arrivals board to see if the kid's plane was on time. To our surprise, it was 20 minutes early - arriving in just about 15 minutes! It was a good thing we got there so early. Judi was so excited when she saw the kids coming up the ramp! We gave hugs and then headed for the baggage claim by way of the tram where an older man rushed to get on just before the doors closed, leaving his wife on the platform behind him. "I lost my wife," he said with a smile. "That was easier than I thought it would be." We got the kids' 4 bags and headed to the car. On the way home, Lizi "interviewed" everyone in the car in a funny southern and then English accent as if we were on our way aboard the Hogwarts Express.
Once we got home about 9:20pm, the kids got all their stuff put in their rooms, Trey came out to see Nana and we then went to the Disney room where he saw all the new things and looked through my last auction results. Everyone then went out front to look at the Christmas lights on our house. We came back in and Shelby and Lizi came to look at the Disney Room too. We then had Pizza and salad for dinner, Trey headed to bed, and Lizi and Shelby took showers and looked through the presents with Judi. Lizi and Judi then started setting up their plastic animals and started setting up Lego Disneyland. We then decided that we better head to bed.
Sunday, 18th
I woke up and started getting ready when I heard a knock at my bathroom door. It was Judi who was up much earlier than she normally is without prodding. She was so excited to spend time with the kids that she just didn't want to miss a second. She started playing with Lego and soon Trey was up too. Trey, Judi, and I ate breakfast and then Trey hopped in the shower. Lizi and Shelby then got up and ate and then we went to church. We decided to drive since the weather said it was 38 degrees outside. I love walking to church with the kids but that sounded a bit too cold to me. It was fun seeing Trey and Judi play little hand games during sacrament. They sure seem to have a fun time together. Lizi went to her class after sacrament meeting but said only one girl talked to her. I know it's a difficult age and at any age it's difficult to talk with people you don't know, but I wish the kids would make her feel more welcome. Trey and Shelby went to their class together and had a similar experience. Halfway through, there was an FSY meeting and I went to it and sat with them which was fun. After church we came home and Lizi and Judi started reconstructing Lego Disneyland while Shelby, Trey ad I went outside briefly to play with the dogs and catch cockroaches to feed the fish. Shelby then read a book and Trey and I watched some football. When dinner was ready (roast) we put on two episodes of Lego Masters while we ate. After dinner and Lego Masters, Lizi and Judi started working on the World of Color show and the Christmas Fantasy Parade. It was fun to hear them laughing together as they put on the show, trying to remember how it went. Shelby read a book again and Trey and I watched more football. After the game, I showed Trey some of the highlights from the Vikings historic comeback yesterday and then we all talked for a while on the couches and got ready for bed.
Monday, 19th
I got Judi off to school and then Trey got up and fed the dogs for me. We then ate breakfast and he showed me how to add cards on my Youtube channel end screen. Lizi then got up and ate breakfast and Shelby got up and went outside to play with the dogs. She had fun playing fetch with Nana. Lizi and Shelby then organized the Christmas presents while Trey worked on his Youtube channel. All of us went outside and played fetch with Nana. Shelby and Lizi went down to the swing in the pit and Trey and I played catch with the football. Shelby and Lizi then came over to play catch with us. It was so much fun throwing the football around. We came in and had lunch and watched the newest Spiderman movie. We then watched Clue and had dinner. After the movie we talked about the Gumball Rally, looking at past questions. Judi then came back over and we played Mario Cart before going to bed.
Tuesday, 20th
I had to get up early to clean the rock shop so Trey had to wake Judi up at 8:00 and make sure she got ready for school. He also made her lunch for her. It is so nice to have such responsible kids, especially as I hear other people I clean with not able to rely on their kids to get to school by themselves. When I got home, Trey went back to bed and all the kids slept in for quite a while. Trey was up first and ate breakfast and then he and I went to play Pickleball. Trey is really quick at getting some of the shots that require him to cover a lot of ground, fast to get. We came home and Lizi and Shelby were both eating breakfast at the table. After they finished, we went to the Post Office so Lizi could get a few boxes for her Gingerbread house. We then headed to Walmart for groceries and to get candy to decorate with. When we got home, Lizi worked on forming her boxes into the Tower of Terror (now Guardians of the Galaxy). We then all piled in the car to pick Judi up from school. I could tell that Judi was so excited to see them waiting for her. We got home and played Mario Cart and I made dinner. Judi had activity days from 5:30-7:00 and while she was gone, the rest of us ate dinner and watched an episode of Alone. When Judi came home, She and Lizi played Lego and with a Santa and stuffed animal reindeer, making presents to put in a Halloween bag for Santa to carry in his sleigh. Shelby, Trey, and I watched a bunch of episodes of the Office which Shelby seemed to like (this was Trey's second time seeing these episodes since we watched through season 5 in the summer). After the Office, Judi went to her Mom's and Shelby, Trey, Lizi, and I talked for about 2 hours on the couch. It was AWESOME. I sure love my kids. They are so unique and good, each in their own individual way. I shared the experience I had on the phone with my mom before she passed away and as I finished I saw a tear drop from Lizi's eye onto her cheek and Shelby had tears in her eyes as well. It was a special night for me to spend just chatting with the kids. We then went to bed.
Wednesday. 21st
Lizi woke up first today and and came out to eat breakfast. Just when she was finishing, Trey woke up and ate also. And not long after that, Shelby came and ate breakfast. Since everyone slept in, they got ready and we went to pick Judi up from school since she just had a half day. We then all drove to Zion National Park and had such a fun side in the snow on the East side of the park. The line to get in was really long due to construction so I even contemplated just turning around and going home, but I'm glad I didn't. The park was having so many visitors that they weren't letting anyone up the canyon at the time we got there so, again, we thought about going back home but we decided to drive through the East side of the canyon a little ways and found a good spot to turn out and park so we could get out and explore. At first we just played in the snow at the side of the road but soon, Shelby, Lizi, and Judi were going down the hill into the small river canyon so Trey and I decided to follow. We had fun making snow angels, taking pictures, and trying to break up the ice of the frozen river by throwing rocks at the ice. It was so thick in spots that it wouldn't break. In trying to cross the river, Shelby's foot slipped and went in the water so I was worried that it would get really cold. We stopped by the Visitors' Center on the way back to have our passports stamped. When we got home, Shelby played the ukulele, Trey played on his phone and Judi and Lizi played with stuffed animals. They then all played Mario Cart while I got dinner ready. We had wok chicken for dinner and watched a few episodes of Lego Masters. Judi then went to her Mom's house and while Lizi took a shower, Shelby, Trey, and I watched a few episodes of the Office. We then talked for an hour or so and went to bed.
Thursday, 22nd
Lizi was the first one up again so she and I ate breakfast. As we were eating, Trey came and joined us. I then went in to get ready for the day and Shelby got up and played with the dogs outside. We sat on the couch and talked about the Gumball Rally (Shelby read her book while Trey, Lizi, and I strategized). We then all played Mario Cart. Judi then came over and She and Shelby baked cookies while Trey, Lizi, and I raked leaves in the grape arbor. For a while when Lizi, Trey, and I were done with the leaves and when Judi had done all she could do to help Shelby, it was cute to see Trey and Judi "rough-housing" with each other. They seemed to be having a lot of fun. Judi and Lizi also played with stuffed animals by the Christmas Presents. When the cookies were done, Shelby, Lizi, and I wrapped them while Trey and Judi delivered them to the different families. We made some for the Browns, Christiansen's, Eatough's, Desatoff's, Arscott's, Scott's, Gustoffsen's, Klunker's and both Elkins' families. I was really proud of Trey and Judi for delivering them because I could tell that Trey really didn't want to at first. And Shelby and Lizi did a great job making everything look great. I went out and delivered the last three plates with Trey and Judi. When we got back, Shelby and Lizi were reading their books so Trey, Judi, and I played Mario Cart. I then started getting dinner ready while Trey and Judi continued to play. We watched Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas while we ate and then Lizi and I went to choir practice. I love choir and it was so fun singing with Lizi. When we got home, we watched Home Alone and had some dessert. After home alone, Lizi and Judi played with Lego Disneyland while Shelby, Trey, and I watched the Office. We then went to bed.
Friday, 23rd
I went to the store right after I woke up to get some food coloring for the frosting for gingerbread houses and to get some other groceries. When I got home, Lizi was in the pantry picking out what cereal she wanted to eat. Before we started eating, Judi and Trey also got up and ate with us. Lizi and Judi then played Lego and Shelby watched them while I did dishes. Shelby, Trey, and I played Villainous while Lizi and Judi went outside to play stranded family. When the dishes in the dishwasher were done (we had to wait for the mixer to be cleaned), Shelby started making the frosting for the gingerbread houses. What a big job that was! I am so proud and thankful of her that she took the time to do that. We then all worked on gingerbread houses - Judi did Sleeping Beauty Castle, Lizi did Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout, Trey decorated a preconstructed gingerbread house, Shelby did a greenhouse, and I did Storybook Land Canal Boats. When we were finished, there was quite a bit of clean up that everyone helped with. I'm really so proud of my kids for their willingness to help clean up without being asked. While Shelby was finishing her gingerbread house, Lizi did laundry and Trey, Judi, and I played Mario Cart. Lizi then took my place so I could start making spanish rice for dinner. We watched Home Alone 2 while we ate and then watched Mickey's Twice Upon A Christmas after that. I then got Judi to bed and Shelby, Trey, and I watched a few episodes of the Office while Lizi went to bed. We then all went to bed.
Saturday, 24th
I woke up and turned the Vikings game on. Judi got up first and stated watching it with me and then Trey got up and watched it with us as well. Lizi and Shelby talked in their room for a while and then came out to eat breakfast. Lizi and Judi then went outside to play stranded family and Shelby read her book. when the game was over, we played Mario Cart and then I made some lunch. After lunch, Shelby, Trey, and I played knock out while Lizi and Judi kept playing stranded family. Judi then wanted to ride bikes but the tires were flat and our bike pump decided to quit working so I went to the store to buy a new one. While I was at the store, Shelby read, Lizi and Judi played Lego, and Trey was on his phone. I made dinner and we watched Mickey's Christmas Carol while we ate. We then went out to look at Christmas lights and took Judi to her mom's for pictures. When we got home, Shelby, Trey, and I played Clue while Lizi worked on floats for the Lego Main Street Electrical Parade. We then all took pictures by the tree (our Christmas Eve pictures). Judi then helped Lizi with the Lego parade floats. We then watched Small One and talked a little about the time around Christ's birth. We then watched another movie - Mickey Saves Christmas, I think - and got ready for bed. Everyone decided to sleep in the living room tonight - Judi and Shelby on the floor, Trey on the big couch, and Lizi on the small couch.
Sunday, 25th
In the early morning, just past midnight, I did Green Beard. Shelby said she saw me taking down the stockings. Just as I was putting a note by Grendma Bobbi's picture which happened to be right in the middle of where everyone was sleeping, Judi started talking in her sleep. Fortunately it didn't wake anybody up. Everyone got up around the same time and decided to try to solve the Green Beard clues right then so they would have time to get ready for church. They found the note pretty fast in the display case and on Bobbi's picture, but struggled with the one on the tree. The candy was hid in the dishwasher this year. After Green Beard, Trey made scrambled eggs for everyone and we ate before walking to church. We had a short choir practice before church and did well in our choir performance. We walked home and opened presents. Trey liked his GoPro and was surprised by his Sea of Thieves shirt. Shelby liked her books and Ravenclaw dishes. Lizi really loved her Maze Runner books. Judi loved her Harry Potter wand and Lego. After presents, Judi went with her mom and I started making dinner. Trey took a nap on the couch and Shelby and Lizi worked on re-doing the Lego floats for their Main Street Electrical Parade. We had Cornish Game Hens for dinner and then the kids had a webchat wit their mom. Lizi and Shelby kept working on their Lego while Trey chatted and Lizi, Trey and I played Mario Cart while Shelby chatted. Then we went to bed.
Quote of the Day - Lizi, when I took the Cornish Game hens out of the oven and placed one on everyone's plate: "We get our own chicken?!?!"
Monday, 26th
I got up early to clean the rock shop and then go to walmart to get the cheap candy and cheap Christmas lights on their after Christmas sale. When I got home, everyone was still asleep. Lizi was up first and we ate breakfast together and then played Mario Cart where she got 1st place in 3 of the 4 races! Trey then got up and took my place playing Mario Cart while I took my car in to get serviced. While I was gone, Trey and Lizi played Mario Cart, then Judi and Lizi went outside and played in the sand box and played with their Harry Potter wands that they got for Christmas. Shelby was working on ideas for her book and getting school all finalized for next semester. Trey started editing his next Youtube video. When I got home, Shelby, Trey, and I watched a few episodes of the Office while Lizi and Judi continued playing outside and then came in to paint. I then got dinner ready for everyone - we had Pasta Roni. We watched a Charlie Brown Christmas and then finished the season of Lego Masters and then went to bed.
Tuesday, 27th
Lizi was up first again and we ate breakfast and played Mario Cart until Judi and Trey woke up about the same time and came out and played too. We then went to the Disney Room and recorded 2 videos about Walt Disney World. It is fun for me to hear the kids' opinions about the different Parks and attractions. Judi was then picked up by her mom and Lizi and I went outside to throw the football around. Trey and Shelby came out too and played catch with us for a while. We then rode bikes in the pit, which was so much fun! We also rode them to check the mail. We came home and played knock out. Shelby won 3 games and Lizi won 2! We came in and I got dinner ready - chicken and rice casserole - and we watched some Finding Bigfoot/Survivorman Bigfoot episodes. We had trouble trying to decide what to do next so Lizi decided to go to bed early while Shelby, Trey, and I watched a few episodes of the Office. The we went to bed too.
Wednesday, 28th
Once again, Lizi got up first, we ate breakfast, and then played Mario Cart until Trey got up. Trey played some Mario Cart too and then, once Shelby was up, we all went ice skating by the St George Mall. It was so much fun and for most of it we had the whole rink to ourselves. The kids did really good at skating but also took a couple of hard falls. To get used to it, there were dolphins we could push around to help us maintain our balance. After ice skating, we went to Barnes & Noble for Shelby since she LOVES books. She had a fun time looking through the young adult and fantasy genre's in particular. When we got home from skating, I made hot dogs for lunch and then the girls read their books on the couch for a few minutes while Trey played on his phone. We then went out side and played knock out. While we were playing, Judi came over and played with us. Shelby then went inside to read some more and Trey, Lizi, Judi, and I rode our bikes to the mail. When we came back, Lizi and Shelby read their books, Trey played on his phone, and Judi put together her Harry Potter Lego set she got for Christmas. Trey, Lizi, Judi, and I then played Mario Cart while Shelby kept reading and then I made dinner - hamburgers and left over chicken/rice casserole. We watched Lego Masters while we ate and then Judi went back to her Mom's house and Shelby, Trey, Lizi, and I watched Ocean's 11. After the movie we sat and talked for an hour and a half. It was so cool to just sit and enjoy my kids' company. Lizi decided to take a shower so Shelby, Trey, and I watched a couple of episodes of Office. When she was done, she came back out and we talked for about another hour about the stresses of school and other things while Shelby and Trey went to bed. We decided that we better get to bed too.
Thursday, 29th
Lizi woke up first again and she and I ate breakfast together. Trey woke up shortly after that and we got Mario Cart ready. Judi heard us turn it on and came running out to play as well so the four of us played a few games. We then noticed that it was starting to snow small flakes outside so Shelby, Lizi, Judi, and I went outside to watch it and play with the animals. Lizi and Judi also checked out the pink ladybug that we have filled with water for the dogs to drink because they put some green fake plants in it in hopes that they would freeze in the water. Lizi and Judi stayed outside and played stranded family in the clubhouse. They took a nap and Lizi said that she almost fell asleep. While they were outside, Trey, Shelby, and I watched a couple of episodes of the Office. When they came back in, we sat on the couch and talked a little bit about Gumball Rally strategy while Shelby read her book and Judi worked on rubber band bracelets. I then got lunch ready for everyone and then I showed Shelby some family history stuff on my computer. Shelby, Trey, Lizi, and I then went out to play a few games of knockout while Judi kept working on her bracelets. Lizi came in to read while Shelby, Trey, and I played a few more games. We then came in and Shelby read a book and Trey played a game on his phone. I helped Judi with her bracelets - she tried a more difficult one and had made a mistake with it and was sad because she had to start all over. Trey, Lizi, Judi, and I played a few more games of Mario Cart while Shelby read and then I got dinner ready - spaghetti - and we ate and watched Lego Masters. After Lego Masters, Lizi and Judi did the Main Street Electrical Parade with Lego and Shelby, Trey, and I watched a few episodes of the Office. We then all went to bed.
Friday, 30th
Judi woke up first and we played Mario Cart. Trey and Lizi then woke up and we all ate breakfast and then all played Mario Cart. When Shelby got up, we recorded two more Disney videos for my Youtube channel. After we were done, we ate lunch and then went outside to set up the trampoline. The kids were such a great help. Trey read the instructions and figured out where all the parts went and Lizi and Shelby helped by tightening all the screws that Trey and I put in and putting the plastic disks in the bottom of the poles. Then they all worked together to connect the springs from the trampoline to the outside edge. And finally, Shelby and Lizi tied the netting down to the trampoline. Judi helped keep Nana occupied since she kept waning to jump up on the trampoline like she used to do with our old one. When we finished, the kids had a fun time jumping on the trampoline until it got too cold to jump anymore. We came inside and got dinner ready and watched Peter Pan. Shelby then read her book and Trey played on his phone while Lizi and I played Mario Cart together. After Mario Cart, Lizi read her book while Shelby, Trey, and I watched the Office. We then all went to bed.
Saturday, 31st
I woke up and went to the Post Office and Store and when I got back home, Judi and Lizi were playing with Lego. Trey woke up shortly after that and we ate breakfast together. Shelby then got up and read a Peter Pan book on her phone on the couch while the rest of us played Mario Cart. After Mario Cart, Lizi and Judi played more with Lego and Shelby, Trey, and I watched a few episodes of the Office. We then had lunch and rode our bikes in the pit. It has been a little rainy - kind of more of a slight drizzle which made the pit a little muddy but it was a lot of fun to ride and make a trail through the pit. We then rode our bikes to the mail to try to clean off our tires a little but they are still quite muddy... We played a little more Mario Cart and then I had the kids empty the dishwasher (which has been an at least once-a-day job for them) before I started making dinner. I also had Shelby make some cookies for us to eat for New Year's Eve. We started our traditional Star Wars marathon by watching Episodes 4 and 5 and then Lizi and Judi decided to practice their Lego Main Street Electrical Parade and World of Color shows. While they did that, Shelby, Trey, and I watched 2 episodes of the Office and then Lizi and Judi performed their Lego shows for me (which is what we were doing right when the New Year rang in. I am so amazed at how talented they are! We then all got ready for bed.
Sunday, 1st
Our church changed to 9:00am and choir changed to 8:10am so we got up early and went to church. Lizi was excited because one of the boys - a Scott that lives on our street - remembered who she was. After church we came home and had lunch. Lizi, Judi, and I played Mario Cart while Trey was on his webchat and Shelby had a nap. We then watched football for a little bit and when Lizi got off the webchat, Trey, Lizi, Judi, and I played the Magic Kingdom game. After the game we watched the Vikings game (lost to Green Bay) and then I made hamburgers and cheesy noodles for dinner. We watched Up while we ate and then Shelby cleaned her room while the rest of us played Mario Cart again and then Shelby came out and took my spot. After Mario Cart we decided to head to bed a little early since we didn't get much sleep on New Years' Eve.
(Picture taken 12/31 - Lego Main Street Electrical Parade)
Monday, 2nd
Cedar City finally got enough snow for us to go sledding. We were watching the forecast the night before and it looked like it was going to snow so we planned on waking up and leaving around 10:00. We made it to our normal spot right off the freeway at 11:00 and there were some people already there but we found our normal spot near the scoreboard. We had so much fun sledding. Trey really worked hard building a ramp and it was really sweet to hear him say that he wasn't just building it for us but also for people to use after we left. It was built SO high! Lizi and Shelby had a fun time building a snow man and Judi had fun trying to do "tricks" in her sled as she came down the hill. After a little over 2 hours, we decided to head home. We got a pizza on the way. After we ate pizza, we filmed another Disney World video for my Disney Youtube channel. Judi's mom then came to pick her up and then I had a fun time talking to Shelby and Lizi in their room about the people in their Sunday School class here in Utah. Trey and I then played Mario Cart while the girls packed. Then Lizi came to join us for some races in Mario Cart and I got dinner ready. We had chicken nuggets and french fries and watched a few episodes of Alone: Skills challenge. After the show, Lizi and Shelby kept packing and Trey and I played more Mario Cart and then we headed to bed.
Tuesday, 3rd
We had to leave between 7:00 and 7:15 so everyone was up early. I'm really proud of how they are able to wake themselves up when they need to and get ready by the time they need to. On our way to the airport, we talked about the Gumball Rally. We got to the airport about 2 hours before the flight and made it to the gate a little over an hour before take off. Time seemed to fly by for me as we talked while we waited and before I knew it, it was time for them to board their flight. They sat in the very front row which they thought was pretty cool at first, but then they realized that they had to put their bags in the overhead bin because there was no seat in front of them. Their plane sat on the runway for quite a while - maybe 45 minutes before taking off. They had a stop in Lubbock Texas which I totally forgot about but Trey heard the announcement so he made sure that the girls stayed on the plane. I already can't wait to see Trey and Lizi for the Gumball Rally in a month!
The kids arrived in Utah today! I picked them up in Las Vegas just a little after 2:00pm. Their plane was forced to circle the airport for about 10 minutes before they could land and it made Shelby sick...she actually threw up just before landing but she was glad that no one saw. She asked me right when she saw me off the plane, "Can you tell that I just threw up?" We got the checked bags and got on our way, arriving home at 6:40pm. Everyone unpacked for a little bit at first and Shelby was the first one out in the back yard to see Nana. Trey and Lizi came out too and had fun with them. Lizi went to check out the clubhouse and then to pet Figaro in the front yard. That's when Liz and Judi came by. Trey came inside and took out Small World and Jungle Cruise games and set them up and read the instructions. Lizi and Judi started looking at pins and Shelby unpacked a little more while I got dinner cooking. We had rattatouille and Spanish Rice. After dinner, Lizi and Judi went down to the swing in the pit and just hung out down there, then they came in and set up their Disney Lego. Shelby got the Ukulele out and we took turns plaing it with Lizi playing a song as well. Trey was on the couch nearby on his phone and then took a shower. We then read scriptues, said prayers, and caught a cockroach to feed Happy and went to bed.
Wednesday, June 29th
We woke up early and got ready to help a friend move. We helped from 10:20am until about 5:00pm. It was a long day and I was so proud of how hard the kids worked. My back was out so they had to do most of the heavy lifting and they were also very conscious of helping me not lift things that were too heavy. After the move, we came home and had a Disney pin draft of a bunch of pins that I acquired from a former collector. It was so fun to see the pins that the kids picked out. The kids then went outside for a little bit to play with the pets while I got dinner ready. We had left over spanish rice, salads, and hamburgers for dinner. After dinner Lizi and Judi went out to play Stranded Family and while they were out there, it POURED rain on them. They stayed dry (somewhat) in a fort that Judi and I made earlier in the year. Shelby played the ukulele a little bit. I was also so impressed with Trey who just came over to the dinner table while I was just finishing up eating and started clearing off the table without even being asked. He's such a good kid! After we got dinner cleaned up, we came in and watched Alone with a bowl of ice cream. We watched 2 episodes and then went to bed.
Thursday June 30
Trey woke up first and he and I ate breakfast. Judi then got up and wanted to show Trey Age of Empires so I ran to the post office while they played. When I got back, Trey and I worked on setting up my old Nintendo System while Judi kept playing Age of Empires. Lizi and Shelby got up and ate breakfast and then Shelby started working on what she wanted to say for the last collecting Disney episode. Lizi and Judi went down by the clubhouse until I told them that we were going to film the last episode soon, and then they both came in and started working on what they wanted to say. We filmed the episode in which Trey talked about Splash Mountain, Judi about popcorn buckets, Lizi about the Main Street Electrical Parade lights and scent beads from Soarin', and Shelby talked about Jungle Cruise items. After filming the episode, Shelby, Lizi, and I sang "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" with my doing the low "wimaways," Shelby doing the high "wimaways," and Lizi singing the words. It was so fun! Trey, Shelby, and I then played Exploding Cats while Lizi and Judi played with the Disney Lego town they built. After the game, Shelby then played the ukulele on the couch (she's writing a new song), Trey got on his phone, and Lizi and Judi played outside. Trey and I played frisbee for a couple of minutes and then I got dinner together - Chicken and rice caserole with salad. After dinner, Shelby, Trey, Judi, and I played Jungle Cruise game while Lizi read her book, Maze Runner. After the game we all played Knock Out, then came in and watched 2 episodes of Alone and went to bed.
Friday, July 1st
I went to play pickleball in the morning and when I got home, Judi and Trey were up. They ate breakfast and then Shelby and Lizi got up and we watched the Chicka-Boom Boom DVD for old-times sake. We then went to help Liz move her fish tank and to Walmart to buy some paint supplies and other groceries. When we got home, we did our Easter Egg hunt. Since the kids aren't here for Easter, I always plan a hunt for them when they come out. After they found all the plastic eggs and got all their candy, Trey went to have a nap, Shelby and I played the Ukulele, and Lizi and Judi played with their Disneyland Lego town. When Trey got up, Shelby, Trey, and I played Villainous and Judi watched us for a little bit and also played Lego with Lizi. Shelby won the game with Captain Hook. After our game, Shelby, Trey, and I rode our bikes to the mailbox but the mailman was at the mailbox putting letters in the boxes so we turned around and came home. Shelby then started reading the Chronicles of Narnia books in her room, Lizi started reading the Maze Runner, and Trey, Judi, and I went outside and played with the football. At first, Trey and I played catch but then he pretended to get Judi's nose and Judi was pretending to try to get it back from him. It was so fun to watch. I love how kind to Judi Trey is! We came in and I got dinner ready - corn on the cobb and leftovers. After dinner, Shelby continued reading her book and the rest of us worked on pins (Judi also did a little bit of her diamond painting). After pins we played knockout which is one of my favorite eveningtime traditions with the kids. We then came in and watched Alone and had ice cream. Then it was time for bed.
Saturday, July 2nd
Lizi was the first one up and she ate breakfast and then she and I worked on our pins. Trey, Judi, and Shelby all woke up shortly after and ate breakfast and Shelby started painting while Trey and Judi went into the Disney room and each got on thier computer and played games. It was so fun to watch and listen to them in there together. Lizi finished her pins and went to the kitchen table to paint with Shelby so I moved over to the table and did my pins over there with them. Judi brought her diamond painting over and started working on it. Trey and I went outside to shoot some hoops for a little bit and then we went to play some pickleball. It was a lot of fun. On our way home we stopped in the church parking lot and I let Trey practice driving. It was the first time he had ever driven a car. He did really good for his first time. When we got home, Lizi was working on her diamond painting with Judi at the table and Shelby was working on writing a song on the Ukulele. I went over to the table and started doing my pins with the girls and Trey got on his phone on the couch. We then watched a couple episodes of the Hogwarts Trivia Challenge and took the quizes to see what houses we were in - Lizi was in Ravenclaw, Judi was in Ravenclaw, and I was in Gryffindor. Shelby, Trey, Lizi, and I then went to play knock out while Judi played in the sand box. We had some really fun games of knockout. We then came back in and watched the last two episodes of the Star Wars show, Kenobi and talked about Lord of the Rings - a favorite of Trey's and Maze Runner - a favorite of Lizi's and went to bed.
Sunday, July 3rd
We all slept in and then got up and walked to church. The kids all went to the same class (the 16 year old class). After church, the kids had a webchat with their mom. While Lizi was on the webchat, Shelby and I sat on the swing in the back yard and chatted. Trey and Judi then came outside as well. When Trey was chatting, Lizi, Shelby, Judi and I sat at the kitchen table and I organized my pins while Shelby, Lizi, and Judi did their diamond paintings. When it was Shelby's turn for the webchat, Trey got his pin board down and started organizing it. After the webchat, we had a pot roast for dinner with ratatouille. After dinner, we watched a Scooby Do, did a pin draft for the old Disneyland "land" pins, played knock out, and went to bed.
Monday, July 4th.
We woke up a little early and headed to the Hurricane recreation center to do the races. Judi and Lizi did them this year and both did well and ran fast but they didn't win anything. We then came home and did water balloons. We had such a fun time! We each got 7 water balloons and spread them out in different areas of the yard. When the balloons were all popped, I turned the hose on and started spraying everyone. It didn't take long for Trey to get a hold of it and start spraying his sisters. To dry off, we played a couple games of knockout and had otter pops and popcycles. We then came in and had lunch and watched Star Wars Episode IV. We also measured ourselves and I couldn't believe how much Lizi, Trey, and Judi grew! Lizi then got the Ukulele and played a little and then she and I went down to the clubhouse and talked while we heard Trey and Judi playing keep-away with the football on the lawn. I came in and cooked dinner and we ate while we watched the Hogwarts Trivia Challenge on TV. Shelby, Lizi, and Judi all painted next and Trey and I played Mario Cart. Judi and Trey played Mario Cart next. We then all went outside and played knockout again which was so much fun! When it was too dark to see anymore, we went to the back yard and did sparklers. The girls pretended that their sparklers were wands from Harry Potter and they would shout "spells" at each other with them. After sparklers, we came in and watched 2 Maze Runner movies and went to bed.
Tuesday, July 5th
We slept in for quite a while since we got to bed so late. Trey and Judi were the first two up and we ate breakfast. Then we played Mario Cart on Trey's Nintendo Switch until the girls got up. Shelby and Lizi ate breakfast and then started painting. After Mario Cart I went over to organize pins at the kitchen table with Shelby and Lizi. Liz brought us lunch for helping her move last week so we ate and then Lizi and Judi played lizards, practiced Harry Potter spells and went on the Hogwarts Express to Hogwarts and were "sorted" into their houses - Lizi Slytherin and Judi was Hufflepuff. Shelby kept painting and Trey and I played a few games on my old Nintendo that I had when I was a kid. Our favorite, I think, was Techmo Bowl. It was fun to play that with him. Trey and I then went to check the mail on our bikes and came back and threw the frisbee around. He and Judi also went through our fishing stuff while Lizi and Shelby painted. Shelby, Lizi, and I chatted for a while about Disneyland - we are all so excited - and then we did a short Family Home Evening where I told them a little about Grandma Judi. After FHE we had a light dinner, looked though videos on Shelby's phone, and went to bed.
Wednesday, July 6th
The kids slept in a bit again today to make sure we are rested for our Disneyland trip. Judi was up first, followed by Trey, then Shelby, then Lizi. We ate breakfast and then got ready to go down to the Virgin River, which we've come to call "our hike to the river" over the years. It started way back in 2010 when we had a picic at the bank of the Virgin River and we used to go to that spot for the first few years, but here the last couple of years we have got to a place to the right (when the trail forks) where there is a rope swing and a couple of deep pools. There was a bridge put in there about a week ago. We had so much fun there today and the river was so clear - we could see dozens of little fish that would nip at Shelby's and Trey's fingers and hair if they held still enough. The water was the perfect temperature and it was so fun just playing in the water. When we got back, I got some lunch ready and we watched a Scooby Doo. After Scooby Doo, I went into St George to pick up some things for our trip on Friday. While I was gone, the kids played Mario Cart, taking turns racing Trey. When I got home, I played a little with them as well and then started packing a little for the trip. We then did the pin draft which was fun. After choosing our trader pins, I cooked some dinner and we ate while watching Ratatouille. We paused the movie about half way through it to play our traditional evening game of knock out and then came back in and continued watching the movie and went to bed.
Thursday, July 7th
We had a lazy, but hectic day today, getting our things packed for our Disney and Rock Creek trips. We had fun playing with the dogs outside and playing Mario Cart. We also played our traditional nightly game of knockout before bed.
Friday, July 8th
I woke up and started packing the car. I got the kids up around 7:30 to eat, and help pack. We ended up getting on the road at 8:45. Our first stop was in Lakewood to Peter the Framer's house where I had to pick up a couple of Autpoia framed props. It was fun for me to have the kids meet him since he has framed so many of our things. After Peter's, we went to the Disneyland Hotel. We checked in around 2:45, went to Downtown Disney to trade some pins, and then came back to our room (#2533 in the Fantasy Tower on the 7th Floor) to have some Spanish Rice for dinner. After dinner, we went swimming in the Hotel pools. It was fun to try out the Monorail slides and I got some really good pictures of the kids. We came back after about 2 hours and got changed and went back over to Downtown Disney to trade pins. Lizi, especially, loves trading pins so it is fun to see her excitement. After pin trading, we came in to try to get to bed early for the next day. Trey slept on the day bed, Shelby and Lizi slept in one of the Queens, and Judi and I in the other.
Saturday, July 9th
Disneyland
Sunday, July 10th
California Adventure
Monday, July 11th
Disneyland
Tuesday, July 12th
I woke up around 8:15 and started taking a few things down to the car. I got the kids up to help finish getting their things all packed and we ate muffins for breakfast. Trey helped get ice from the ice machine for the cooler which was a big help. We took all of our things to the car around 10:30 and packed it up and then headed to Downtown Disney one last time to trade pins. We found a couple of good ones and then returned to the car to begin our trip to the High Sierras. It was about a 5 1/2 hour drive - Shelby sat in the passenger seat so she wouldn't get car sick. After stopping in Lone Pine for Gas, we arrived at Rock Creek around 6:00pm. I made some Chilli for dinner which we had with chips (Fritos and regular tortilla chips) and we all decided that we were too tired to go fishing that night so we played a couple of games and went to bed.
Wednesday, July 13th
We woke up around 8:30, ate breakfast (oatmeal and cereal) and then headed down to the lake to go fishing. On about the 3rd cast of the day, Shelby caught a fish! It was a little too small to keep, so we threw the little rainbow trout back. After about 2 hours, we headed back to the cabin and I took a nap, since I wasn't feeling well. Trey also had a nap and Shelby read while Lizi and Judi played outside around the cabin. I woke up and Shelby, Trey, Judi, and I played some games - "Who's Got Crabs?", "Exploding Kittens", and "Sabaac." Lizi played the Ukulele. When we were done, I went to lay down again - the kids had sandwiches and left over chilli for lunch. After I woke up, we played some more games and then I got dinner ready. I made Chicken Alfredo which the kids seemed to enjoy. Lizi, Judi, and I then went fishing while Shelby and Trey stayed at the cabin. We didn't have any luck, although I had a couple of bites. When I got home, we played a couple of games and then went to bed.
Thursday, July 14th
I woke up early to go fishing and the kids wanted to sleep in so I went by myself. I caught one of the biggest fish I ever caught! I so wished the kids could have seen it. But it ws fun to bring it home for them to see. I cleaned and gutted it so we could have it for dinner. The kids all got up to watch the process of getting the fish ready to eat. I then went to take a nap and then we played games and Lizi played the Ukulele. Shelby read her Harry Potter book and Lizi also read her Maze Runner Book a little too. We then drove up to Mosquito Flats and looked around. Unfortunately some people were at our fishing spot so we couldn't fish so we had fun remembering our hikes in the snow a couple of years earlier and then drove back to the cabin. Shelby, Judi, Trey, and I then went onto the porch and played exploding kittens and Sabaac while Lizi read her book on the porch with us. It is so neat to hear the constant mountain breeze flowing through the tall pine trees. After our games, we had an early dinner of pancakes, eggs, and trout. Lizi made the eggs all by herself, Trey made the pancakes all by himself, and I made the trout. The trout took much longer to cook than normal because it was bigger than other trout I have caught and because of the high altitude. Everyone tried the trout but Shelby, Judi, and I ate most of it. It was really filling! I should also mention that the pancakes and eggs were also delicious and I'm so proud of the kids for making them. I also want to mention that after dinner I looked at all the dishes (the kids always washed off their own plates and silverware after every meal, so I'm refering to the skillets and other things used to cook the dinner) and was slightly discouraged especially since I was still feeling pretty under the weather. Before I had a chance to start doing any of them, Trey was already starting to do them and proceeded to finish cleaning every one. It brought tears to my eyes as I told him how much that meant to me. In fact, it choked me up so much that after trying to say thank you, I just ended up giving him a thumbs up. We then went fishing at Rock Creek Lake at our Rock and Trey caught a fish that was just barely too small to keep. After a little more than an hour we headed back to our cabin to start packing as much as we could and went to bed.
Friday, July 15th
We woke up and started cleaning out the cabin. Everyone helped so much! Lizi walked the garbage down to the containers, Trey helped load the car, and Shelby swept the whole cabin out. Judi helped with a little of everything. We started the drive home around 9:45 and the navigation took us on the especially windy hwy 186. I was nervous about Shelby and Judi getting car sick but Shleby made all the twists and turns and dips into a fun activity which helped get everyones mindes off of the motion and helped lessen my stress level too. We stopped near Beatty at an Eddie World to get gas and ended up getting home around 5:50pm. Liz met us at home and we had Pizza, spent some time with the dogs and then started unpacking the car. Everyone helped so much! We then watched the third Maze Runner and went to bed.
Saturday, July 16th
I ran some errands and picked Judi up while the kids were still sleeping. When I got home, Trey and Lizi were awake. Trey had already eaten breakfast so Lizi and I ate and then Lizi and Judi started buiding Splash Mountain with their Lego. Shelby woke up shortly after that and we all had a lazy morning - Shelby playing the Ukuele and Trey on the couch playing a game on his phone. We then all played Mario Cart on Trey's Nintendo Switch. Shelby then went outside and played with Nana and all the dogs. Lizi also went out and the kids had otter pops. We came back in and Liz came over and Trey, Shelby, Liz and I played Exploding Kittens and Sabaac while Judi and Lizi played Lego. We then had dinner and talked for a while before we started watching Alone. Lizi asked if we could play knock out so after the first episode of Alone, we went outside and played a few games. We then came back in and watched the second episode and went to bed.
Sunday, July 17
We slept in this morning. Trey was the first up and we ate some breakfast. Soon everyone else was up and we all got ready for church. At church, the choir performed "My Country Tis of Thee" and Lizi performed with me! I loved singing in the choir with her! After church, I ran to grab the permit to hike the Narrows with Trey tomorrow while the kids had a webchat with their mom. When I got home, we organized our pins, had some dinner and watched part of Fantastic Beasts and where to find them. We then went outside to play with the pets for a while and watch the thunderstorms roll in. We played a few games of knock out until the lightning and thunder was right over our heads and I felt we better go inside and get ready for bed.
Monday, July 18
Trey and I woke up at 4:30am and got ready for our adventure through the Zion National Park Narrows. We left at 5:00 and parked our car at the Visitor's Center and Liz took us the rest of the way to Chamberlains Ranch Trailhead. It was a little chilly to start at 7:01am and very overcast. I was nervous about flash flood potential that afternoon, particularly because there were already some dark clouds overhead. It even started sprikling on us around 10:30. Because of the threat of rain we quickened our pace. We didn't see a single person all day until we reaced campsite 7 where 2 people were camping. I had so much fun talking to and just spending time with Trey. We took very few breaks and ended up finishing at 3:27 after only 8 hours and 30 minutes - 2 whole hours faster than I had ever done it in the past. While we were hiking, Shelby slept in and then talked with her cousin Haley and Lizi and Judi played Lego. Trey and I got home just before 5:00 and surprised everyone (who thought we would be home around 9:00). We talked about our adventure for a while and then ate some dinner and watched the Greatest Showman. We then finished the Fantastic Beasts movie from last night and then watched the 2nd one - Crimes of Grindewald before going to bed.
Tuesday, July 19
Trey woke up around 10:00 and ate breakfast with me and then went back to bed. He ended up getting back up just before noon and he played a little Mike Tyson's Punch Out on the Nintendo. Shelby and Lizi got up shortly after and we watched the documentary on the Sherman Brothers on Disney+ and did pins at the same time. We then all played Mario Cart and I then started making some Chicken Alfredo which we ate while watching Newsies. After Newsies we went outside and played some Knock out. We the came in and tried recording 2 videos for my YouTube channel - one on what rides teenagers like at Disneyland and the other on California Adventure. Neither worked as the first video quit recording after about 20 minutes when my phone ran out of space and the second didn't record because the phone was set on photo instead of video. It was fun recording them though. After we recorded them, Lizi did the Main Street Electrical Parade and World of Color Lego performances. They were so cool! I recorded the World of Color one. After that we got ready for bed.
Wednesday, July 20
Lizi woke up first and we ate breakfast together. Then Trey and Judi woke up. After breakfast, Lizi started taking down Lego Disneyland and Judi and I watched Trey play Bionic Commando on the Nintendo. Shelby woke up and we recorded the Youtube videos about what rides teenagers like at Disneyland and California Adventure. After recording, we had lunch and watched the Lego Masters preview. We then played Mario Cart and then went outside and rode bikes to the mail and in the pit. The mail man was still distributing the mail so we couldn't get it then. After bikes we had Ramen for dinner and watched Return of the Jedi. During the movie, Lizi and I rode back to the mailbox to check it. After the movie, Lizi and Shelby started packing a little. Lizi went through her treasure chest and found her stuffed animals and played stuffed animals with Judi. Trey played on his phone on the couch. We then went outside to play knock out. After knock out, Lizi and Judi played stuffed animals again and Shelby, Trey, and I played Sabacc. We then all got ready for bed and I came in to chat with Lizi and Shelby on their last night in Utah for the summer.
Thursday, July 21
Today was a hard day because the girls left for Texas. Lizi and Shelby set their alarm for 9:00 and got up to eat breakfast. After making sure everything was packed, they said goodbye to the animals and then played one last game of Mario Cart with Judi and Trey. We left for the airport at 10:50am and arrived at about 12:10 Vegas time. The plane was scheduled to leave at 2:00 but after a gate change and a long wait because "the system went down," the plane finally took off around 4:00pm. It was so tough, as always, to watch them go. Lizi told me she wanted to stay longer next year. While I was gone, Judi and Trey played Mario Cart, watched Onward, and Trey played a pirate computer game while Judi watched. That's what they were doing when I got back home. I made some dinner and we watched the Adventures of Mr. Toad while we ate. After dinner we watched Alone and then went outside to play a game of knockout. After knockout, we came in and watched the first season of Office and then went to bed.
Friday, July 22
We woke up and got Judi's 101 Dalmations toy packaged and off to the post office. We then came home and had some cereal for breakfast and took all three dogs down to the river. It was so fun to see them frolic around in the river - especially Nana. Even Daisy went all the way across the river after being very tentative at first. Trey and Judi had fun floating in the river too. The way out was tough on the dogs because the ground was so hot on their paws. We stopped in the shade to give them a little relief. When we got home we got our shoes and ourselves cleaned up. We had a light lunch and Judi watched Trey play "Sea of Thieves" on his computer. We then played Villainous and Trey won. We then had dinner and Liz came over and we played Mario Cart. After Mario Cart, Trey and I watched a bunch of episodes from season 2 of the office. We also took a break to go outside and shoot some hoops. We then went to bed.
Saturday, July 23
We woke up early and went to the 24th of July Parade (Celebrated on the 23rd because the 24th is on Sunday) to watch Judi ride on our 15th Ward's float. After the parade we came home and played Sabacc and Mario Cart. We then went out to eat lunch at Texas Roadhouse. Trey had Prime Rib and Judi had steak and shrimp and both seemed to love them. We came home and took the dogs back down to the river because it was a bit more overcast today than yesterday so we thought it would be easier on their paws. We left Wendy at home since she struggled yesterday. Daisy still had a hard time, especially on the way out but Nana thoroughly enjoyed all of it! She is going to be quite a water dog! We got home and got all cleaned up. I worked on my Elder's Quorum lesson while Judi and Trey played "Sea of Thieves" on Trey's computer. We then had some dinner and watched the rest of season 2 of the office and then played knock out before going to bed.
Sunday, July 24
We woke up, ate breakfast, and got ready for church. It was hot today, but overcast so we decided to walk to church. I always enjoy walking to church with the kids. Trey really enjoyed his teacher and the lesson he prepared. After church we came home, had sandwiches, and had webchats - Trey with his mom and me with Lizi. After webchats, we played Mario Cart and then I made spaghetti for dinner. We watched the Office while we ate dinner and then took a break to go outside and throw the football and frisbee around. Trey thought of a fun game where he threw the frisbee up in the air and I tried to throw the football through the center of it. Then I threw the frisbee up for Trey to try to throw the football through. It was so much fun! We came back in and watched more office until the time was right for knockout. It is my favorite time of the day - spending time with everyone playing knockout. Trey is so sweet with Judi letting her win some games. After knockout, we came back in and watched more of season 3 of the Office and then went to bed.
Monday, July 25
Trey woke up first and so I went in to wake up Judi too so we could all eat cereal together. We all got ready and I dropped off Judi at Liz's while Trey and I went to Coral Canyon to play 9 holes of golf. I loved playing with Trey and I thought he hit some really good shots - especially a great 3-wood on hole 7! And he parred hole 1 by making about a 20 foot putt. I think he shot a 62 and I shot a 38. When we were done, we came home and played Contra on the Nintendo and then played Mario Cart. We then had dinner and watched Office. Judi wanted to come spend more time with us so we played 3 games of basketball (Trey and Judi against me) which were so much fun! Both Trey and Judi made some great shots! After basketball, we came in and played Mario Cart and then played exploding kittens. We then finished season 3 of the office and went to bed.
Tuesday, July 26
Everyone slept in for quite a long time. When Trey got up I woke up Judi and we all ate cereal together. After breakfast, we played Mario Cart and watched a couple episodes of the Office. We then played Exploding kittens with Liz and then watched a couple more episodes of the Office. We went outside and threw the football around - Trey threw it to me, I threw it to Judi, and Judi threw it to Trey. It was a lot of fun. Judi then asked if we could play some basketball games again so Trey and Judi played against me and beat me 3 games in a row! We had macaroni and cheese for dinner and came back in to watch more episodes of the Office. We played a couple of games of Mario Cart before we went to bed also.
Wednesday, July 27
We woke up, ate breakfast, got ready, and then went to play pickleball. At first Trey and Judi played against me and then Judi and I played against Trey. It was so much fun! On our way home we stopped at the church parking lot and Trey practiced his driving a little more. He did a great job! When we got home, we played a couple of games of Mario Cart and had lunch while we watched a couple of episodes of the Office. Judi then asked if we could play basketball so first we rode our bikes to the mail and then she and Trey played against me in basketball. We all had so much fun and I'm so glad that Judi is wanting to play more now. Liz came and played a couple of games with us too. We then went inside and played the Small World board game which was a lot of fun. We then played Mario Cart again which I'm really going to miss when Trey leaves tomorrow. After Mario Cart, Judi and Liz left and Trey and I finished watching season 5 of the Office before going to bed.
Thursday, July 28
Because we had such a late night last night watching the Office and talking, we slept in as late as we could this morning. We then got up, ate breakfast, and got on our way to the airport. Before we left, Trey said goodbye to the pets. Smokey is getting up there in years so I'm sure he specifically wanted to tell him goodbye just in case he's not around when the next visit comes. We had such a good talk on the way to the airport. I just love spending time with Trey. We got to the airport about 1.5 hours before the plane took off and waited about 40 minutes at the gate before boarding. When it was time to board, I walked him to his place in line, gave him a hug, and waited for him to get on the plane. He got a good seat - 9A next to some nice people, he texted me.
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