Friday June 5th
Liz, Alley, Jenna, Judi, and I flew from Las Vegas to DFW to baptize Trey and bring the kids back to Utah. Our plane left at 11:10 and arrived at about 4:00. We got our rental car and tried to hurry as best we could through rush hour traffic to get to a baseball game Trey was playing in. It was a semi-final game against the Lions. Trey's team got behind early 13-6 but the next inning Trey hit a hard line drive over the second baseman's head to bring in a run. He also made a good stop in Center Field. They made a good comeback, but lost the game 13-12. After the game, we ate some dinner, went to Walmart to pick up some things for breakfast the next morning, and went to bed back at the hotel.
Quote of the Day - Shelby, as she was giving me a hug: "I smell the goodness of Utah."
Saturday June 6th
Trey's baptism was scheduled at 3:00pm and because they lost their game, they didn't have a game today. Because it was so hot in Texas, we decided against going to the park and decided to go shopping at the strip mall because it was cooler. So we swam in the morning, checked out of our room at 12:00 and went shopping until we went to lunch before going to Trey's baptism. The baptism went really good as did the confirmation. After the service, there were refreshments and as the kids mom and Steve cleaned up the kids and I played basketball and had races in the gymn. We then took pictures. After we were finished, I took the girls back to the mall so they could look in another store, and then we went to Carraba's to eat with Steve and Keri and the kids. While we were waiting, got 3 emails - the first said that our plane was delayed for an hour and 52 minutes. The second said the plane was once again on time, and the third said it was 30 minutes delayed. After reading the emails, I got a call from one of the Spirit agents who told me, in short, that we had been bumped from our plane ad would need to be put up in a hotel and they would try to find a way to get us back to Vegas the next day. We decided to get to the airport and see what we could do. Alley and I took the rental car back while everyone else travelled with Steve and Keri. They were able to talk a couple of the Spirit employees to get us tickets for the flight, with the problem being that we had some of our kids seated in the exit row. Once I got to the gate, I told the agent of the problem and she tried to find people to switch seats with us but only had 2 takers out of the 4 of us. At one point one of the gate agents started saying to me, "So it looks like what we can do is get you on a plane tonight to Phoenix and put you in a hotel there...." I cut her off and just said, "No! We want to get on this flight." We finally got on the plane and found that 3 of our seats already had people booked in them. After a long while, we got everything sorted out and arrived in Las Vegas a little after midnight to find we had to wait on the tarmac for another 15 minutes for the plane that was in our gate to pull out. We got our bags and made it back home around 4:30am the next morning.
Quote of the Day - Shelby: "Christine baby sits us. I wish it was called kid sitting."
Sunday June 7
Since we didn't get to bed until 4:50 am, I was looking forward to sleeping in as long as I could, but I should have known better! :-) Trey came in and woke me up around 8:00 to tell me that he ha already been out to see the clubhouse. I asked him if he was still tired ad he said he was, so he climbed up into bed with me. Before I could fall back asleep, Trey whispered that Shelby was standing in the door. She asked if she could go see the clubhouse and I wanted to see her expression, so just like that, I was awake for the rest of the day. Lizi was still sleeping, but both Shelby and Trey loved the clubhouse. After checking out the clubhouse, we played some basketball and then came in for breakfast. We then went outside to look at the garden and Trey found some ants in the sanbox. Lizi then woke up and I showed her the clubhouse, while Trey and Shelby played kickball. We came inside and Lizi had cereal while Trey and Shelby got ready for church.
We walked home from church and when we got home, the kids had a webchat with their mom. After the webchat, we had lunch and then did our Easter egg hunt. After finding all the eggs and divvying out all the candy, we went out to play slip and slide kickball. After kickball, the kids cleaned the kitchen play set while I pulled a few weeds out side. I then came over and they pretended to serve me food and gave me foot washings and massages. After playing outside, we came in and had dinner and watched Frozen then went to bed.
Quote of the Day - Trey: "I'm the UNO King. Daddy's the prince."
Lizi: "What about me?"
Trey: "You don't play UNO very much so I don't know your skills."
Monday June 8
Shelby had a bad dream so she came in to sleep with me in the middle of the night. I had to get up for work and when I got out of the shower, I found Trey and Lizi in their room playing with cars. Trey and Lizi then went outside to look for Trey's flip flops and to water plants. Trey got his basketball to shoot some hoops while Lizi and I ate cereal. Trey then rode bikes while Shelby got dressed and lizi finished eating. Trey and Shelby then ate breakfast and Lizi played with the green dinosaur that makes noise. They then all watched Tinkerbell and the Lost Treasure, and then Shelby and Trey went out to ride bikes while Lizi colored. Trey and Shelby came back inside and Trey got on the computer and Shelby played with her polly pockets. All the kids went outside to play for a little bit, Trey playing some more basketball, Lizi in the kitchen center, and then Shelby came back inside to play blocks with Judi. They then all loaded up and went to St George to pick Alley up from the Pickleball Shop and they came to see me at work as well. Once home from St George, the girls went out side to play store and Trey played with his water gun. When I got home from work, they had the inflatable pools out and filled them with water and played with the sea animals in them. We then came in and had dinner and did our family home evening. We then played sequence and looked at pictures of when they lived in Utah and went to bed.
Quote of the Day - Trey: "Just so you know, white underwear is for full grown men...or at least kids over 8."
Tuesday June 9
I woke up and went to check on the kids to see if they were awake. Trey was just waking up and he decided that we should go outside and shoot some hoops, as he calls it. We played for a while and then came in to eat cereal. By this time Jenna, Shelby, and Lizi were all awake as well and ate with us. After breakfast, Trey, Jenna, Lizi, and I went outside to play kickball while Shelby stayed in and played with polly pockets. I was planning on taking just Trey and Shelby on the hike to Mollies Nipple but Jenna wanted to go and so did Lizi. I was a little nervous about Lizi going because I wasn't sure she could make it, but I decided to let her come with us. She did great! She didn't complain once and kept up with everyone! It was a very fun hike! When we were done, we went to Snokaps for a snow cone. We got home and played some kickball and then played Mario Tag. We came in and got changed to swim at the Arscotts, and while I got some cookies ready to bring over to their house, the kids played with their polly pockets. We went swimming and had a great time! Lizi did a great job diving down to get a diving stick. When we got back home, we got changed out of our swimsuits and Trey and I played golf while Judi watched him hit the ball, Shelby played with her ponies, and Lizi played in the clubhouse. We then all worked on putting the final 2 pieces of roof on the clubhouse. Shelby helped by holding the roof in place while I screwed it in. Trey and Lizi helped by handing me screws. Liz then made us dinner - grilled cheese sandwiches and chicken noodle soup and we ate in the clubhouse while it was raining out side. It was so cool! Our clubhouse kept us dry! We then came in and watched Disney Cartoons. Trey and Shelby then climbed into Shelby's bed and looked at the 101 bugs book together while Lizi played with polly pockets in her room on the foor map. We then went to bed - Shelby sleeping in Trey's bed with him since Jenna and Alley are gone, and I'm heading into Lizi's bed because Liz is feeling sick.
Quote of the Day - Lizi, after falling down for like the 3rd time on the hike while laying on her back: "Look, I'm making a rock angel."
Wednesday June 10
I slept in Lizi's bed for most of the night except for a couple hours when I felt cramped so I went back into my bed. I went back into her bed before morning and saw Trey coming down the ladder from his bed. He went outside to pet Smokey. When I went outside, Smokey was sitting in his lap, and Daisy, who was feeling left out, came over to try to get some pettings of her own. Shelby was the next one up and she and went outside to pet Smokey and look at the clubhouse, then came in and looked at a photo book that Liz made for me. We then all ate cereal and then went outside to shoot some hoops and the kids rode their trikes. It is fun to see the interest all 3 kids have in basketball. Lizi made her first basket on a 9 foot rim today - and ended up making 3 total! Lizi then came in and played polly pockets while Shelby played with the doll house. We all went to walk Shelby to Activity days. I pulled Lizi and Judi in the wagon and Trey and Shelby rode their bikes. Shely made Father's day presents and when I drove by to pick her up, She, Lea, and Chloe were walking home and she froze and hid the present behind her back. The expression on her face was priceless. When I got home with Shelby's bike, Trey came outside and went to meet Shelby and Chloe down the street and walk home with them. During activity days, Trey wanted to play kickball so he went out and got it set up and Trey, Lizi, and I played. We then came inside and Lizi colored and Trey watched her. Once Shelby got home, we had lunch and watched Fox and the Hound. We then played 3 phases of phase 10 and then pulled weeds for about an hour. Lizi was a super hard worker, filling more buckets than the other kids. She worked the whole time in the sun and didn't take one break. After pulling weeds, we went swimming at the Arscotts. When we got back from swimming, Trey and I played catch with the baseball while Shelby and Lizi colored. Then Shelby came outside and we played catch. We all went out front to shoot some hoops and then had dinner and watched some Disney cartoons before starting our bedtime routine.
Quote of the Day - Shelby, to Liz as she was giving her a hug and we were just about to go out to play kickball: "Don't worry. We will crush you."
Thursday June 11
Trey woke up early and went outside where Daisy was very excited to see him. I mentioned to him that he might want to get a little more rest since we went to bed late the night before. He went back to sleep on the couch but came to eat cereal with me when I was done with my shower. I went in to tell Shelby and Lizi bye before I went to work. Shelby got up shortly after I left and went outside to play with Daisy. When Trey was done eating breakfast, he went outside too and both Shelby and Trey started pulling weeds. Shelby came in and ate cereal and then the kids all left with Liz and Judo to go to Liz's sister's house to visit with Liz's family. When they got to Susie's house, they ran out into the back yard to check things out. They played on a clothesline swing contraption that had a plane in the center and played with Hopie most of the day. They had a great time and stayed until about 3:00. On the way back, they saw Liz's mom and then got a Pizza to eat and went into St George for a quick errand and came home to have baths. Before they got home, Liz also got the kids each a snow cone. After baths, Liz, Judi, Shelby, Trey, Lizi and I went to the baseball fields where Trey practiced his hitting and fielding. He did really good! Shelby also wanted to hit a few balls and started slow, but eventually started hitting the ball pretty well. Lizi played with her polly pockets that she brought with her and Judi chased a soccer ball around while we played. We had a lot of fun running the bases and practicing pitching as well. I showed Trey how to do a wind up when he pitches because he thinks he might want to pitch next year. We left the ball fields and went to Walmart to grab some groceries and then we went home and watched Disney Cartoons and started our bedtime routine.
Quote of the Day - When passing a camp trailer in the car, Trey said, "I sure wish we had a camp trailer! I don't really like camping in a tent because it makes me feel like I peed my pants."
Liz: "Why's that?"
Trey: "Well, it's cold and uncomfortable and I can't sleep."
Liz: "Well, maybe we can bring a blow up mattress."
Trey (raising his finger in the air) "Well that's a solution."
Friday June 12
I had to go to work again today and I had let the kids stay up late the past couple of nights to read so they were all tired and still asleep when I got up. Just as I was getting into the car to go to work, Trey came out to wave bye and tell me that he loved me. It is the sweetest thing to have him do that. The kids got ready and went to the pickleball store with Liz where they watched Planes and The Little Mermaid and had a 15 minute webchat with their mom. They also had fun playing air hockey. After work, they came to see me at my work for about 30 minutes. They had fun putting on the putting green ad looking at the head covers. They went to the store to look for clothes for Lizi after stopping by my work since she only had 2 outfits packed. While Lizi was trying on clothes, Shelby and Trey had a fun time trying to find a toy that Judi would like, bring her the toys and watching for her reaction. I got home shortly before they did and Shelby, Lizi, and I pulled weeds while Trey played in the sandbox. We then came in and had chicken alfredo for dinner and then Shelby, Trey, and I went to the baseball fields and practiced hitting while Lizi played in the sandbox at home. Trey hit the ball farther than I've ever seen him hit it. When I asked him about it he also said that he has never hit it that far. I also pitched to Shelby who hit it pretty good. I then hit ground balls to Trey and Shelby and as it was getting a little dark, we threw the Frisbee around. We came home, watched the 2 Star Wars Episode 7 trailers, watched Disney cartoons, did our bedtime routine, and went to bed.
Quote of the Day - Tonight Shelby told me she wanted me to write this down when talking about baseball. I think it originated with Trey "When you get hit by a pitch, Ouch! And then you go to first base."
Saturday June 13
I woke up early to go to work and as I was leaving, Trey was just getting out of bed. He went outside to play in the sand box while Shelby and Lizi slept. Shelby and Trey did their jobs on their job boards and then all three kids went outside to play in the sand box. After playing in the sand box, they came in and watched Princess and the Frog. After the movie, Shelby and Trey went outside to play with Daisy while Lizi stayed in and wrote notes. Trey came in and worked on his baptism papers and Lizi and Shelby played with their polly pockets. After Trey was done with his papers, he went outside to play on the slip and slide and shot his water guns. They then all ate lunch and played with legos. Trey then played the piano for a while, while Shelby and Lizi went out to play in the sand box. About the time I was supposed to be home, the kids came outside and waited to see me drive in the driveway. When I got home, we had dinner and then went swimming at the Arscotts. While swimming, we played colors and dove for diving sticks. After swimming, we came home and picked apricots and watched Star Wars episode 1 and then did our bed time routine.
Quote of the Day - Trey: "Lizi, why don't you believe me? Don't you know I'm an 8 year old?!?"
Sunday June 14
I heard some one up pretty early - about 7ish - playing quietly in their room. About 8:00, I found out who the culprit was as Trey came into my room and said he wanted to go play outside so he wouldn't wake anyone else up. I decided to get up with him. He played out in the sand box for a while and then came in and he ate some cereal while I printed out some Disneyland info. Lizi got up next and ate breakfast with me. Shelby was the last one up and came to eat with us as well. I went to choir practice early with Jenna and the kids played with the legos while they waited for it to be time for them to leave. Once we got home from church, Shelby, Jenna, and I picked apricots while Trey and Lizi played with legos. Shelby and I then went to the neighbors to pick peaches. When we got home, it was time for the kids webchat with their mom. They talked for 15 minutes while playing with legos, and then we all had lunch. After lunch we made fruit roll-ups with the apricots we just picked and then went out and played 2 games of kickball. After kickball we came in and watched Star Wars episode 2. After the movie the kids picked out 5 Disney pins and re-organized their pin boards and traded pins with each other. We then started our bedtime routine and went to bed, Trey sleeping on the couch and Lizi in Jenna's bed with her.
Monday June 15
I had to work and all the kids were still asleep when I left. They all woke up around 9:30 and Shelby and Trey played with Legos while Lizi sat on the couch with her blanket. They then watched Melody Time and ate scrambled eggs and toast. Trey and Shelby then went out to run through the sprinklers and Lizi played in the sand box. Trey and Shelby then played in the sand box and made a cool river/pond area, like the one I made when I was a kid. They came in and got changed and then used Liz's phone to do Dubsmash videos and Alley made snow cones for them. They then went to Lins to get groceries for our campout and when I got home at 5:30, we finished loading up and left to Navajo Lake to go camping. I sat in the back with the kids and worked with Trey on his Wolf cub scout requirements. When we got there, we set up the tent and then we all went fishing. We got a couple of bites but didn't catch anything. We got back to camp and started the fire to roast marshmallows and make smores and hot chocolate. Trey wanted to tell his funny stories around the camp fire as he always does on our campouts. Shelby and I were the last 2 around the camp fire and we finally went in to join the others. We played a few games of UNO and went to bed.
Quote of the Day - Trey, while sitting around the campfire having just eaten a Smore: "This is the best campout ever."
Tuesday June 16
Trey had to go to the bathroom around 6:00am so I got up and walked him down to the restrooms. We went back to bed for about and hour and a half and they he and I got up and went fishing. Shelby was soon to follow, followed by Jenna a few minutes later, and Alley after that. Again, a couple of bites but no catches. We went back to camp and had breakfast and then broke down our camp and cleaned up. On the drive home, I again sat in the back with the kids and we played UNO and I worked with Trey on more Wolf requirements. We came home and Jenna, Shelby, Trey, Lizi, and I worked on getting the carpet in the clubhouse and also mounted the whiteboard on the wall. We then came in and had lunch. I worked a bit more with Trey on his scouts, Lizi played with cars in the living room, and Shelby played with cars in Trey's room. We then all played kickball, but came in after one game because it was so hot and watched Alice in Wonderland. Lizi and Trey went out to play in the clubhouse and Shelby played with Polly Pockets. Shelby then went out to the clubhouse and Trey made a "candy store" where he actually sold us candy for real money until I helped him understand that I actually paid money in the first place to buy it for him. Lizi and I played catch with the baseball and then Trey came out to play with me. Trey and I worked more on cub scouts, lizi played with the candy store and Shelby stayed in the clubhouse. We then all went to Wal-mart to buy snacks for the car ride to Disneyland and came home and Lizi and I pulled weeds while Trey and Shelby played in the sand box. We then all came in to eat dinner and then played a couple of games of kickball. After kickball, we came in and watched Disney Cartoons and started our bedtime routine. Shelby and Trey wanted to sleep out in the clubhouse and Lizi, not wanting to be alone in her room decided to sleep out there with them. Trey was the first to come back in the house, and Shelby just came back in a few minutes ago, being 11:30, leaving Lizi alone asleep out in the clubhouse. So now I'm on my way out to go get her and bring her back to her bed.
Quote of the Day - Trey, after going in to ask Liz if we had paint for the clubhouse, came back out to the clubhouse where the rest of us were still working on the white board and said the following: "Well, I've got some good news and some medium news...The good news is we have paint. The medium news is that we don't have very much."
Wednesday June 17
Trey was the first one up, as usual, and went out side for his morning walk around, petting Daisy, checking out the clubhouse, and playing in the sand pit. Shelby was up next. I decided to get ready for the day and when I went out into the living room, Lizi was awake and all three kids were watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. I watched one with them and then we had cereal for breakfast. We then all worked on some balancing activities for Trey's Club Scouts and then played kickball. We came inside and called Sister Arscott to wish her a happy birthday and then went to the Pickleball courts to play pickleball. After pickleball, which helped Trey pass off another cub scout requirement, we stopped to get a snow cone. We then came home and Trey and I cooked Macaroni and Cheese for lunch while the girls worked on some birthday cards for Sister Arscott. When everyone was finished with the letters, we went back outside and played kickball. It was about 104 degrees today so we came inside and watched Newsies. After Newsies was over we got ready to go swimming at the Arscotts and deliver her birthday cards. Liz and the girls just got home from St George as we were getting ready to leave so we waited for them and all went together. While swimming, we passed off more requirements for Trey's Wolf rank in cub scouts, played Marco Polo, and played the kids favorite game, colors. When we got home from swimming, we played another game of kickball with Jenna and then ate dinner. After dinner, Trey and Lizi played in their room with polly pockets and Shelby and I did dishes. We then watched Disney cartoons and started our night time routine and went to bed.
Quote of the day - Shelby while playing kickball sat cross-legged on the grass with her hands up by her face in a meditative fashion and said, "I'm hesitating." I replied, "Do you mean meditating?" Shelby: "Yeah, meditating."
Thursday June 18
The kids all were still asleep when I left for work. When they woke up, they all played cars and then watched Sophia the First. After Sophia, they ate cereal and then set up their tents in the living room. They then all went outside and played kickball with Alley and came back in to play in their tents. They then had lunch and watched Star Wars Episode 4. After Star Wars, they went back out side and played kickball with Jenna. Kickball is Trey's favorite thing to do. They then came in and had baths. Shortly after their baths, I got home from work and we went swimming at the Arscotts. One cute thing I'll add here is that as I was approaching the end of our cul-de-sac, I saw Trey standing on the side walk in front of our house with a big grin on his face, just waiting for me to get home from work! That just made my day! It was so cute to see how excited he was to see me and, I think, excited that he knew that I saw him waiting for me! After swimming, we came home and had dinner. After dinner, Shelby, Jenna, and Lizi worked on friendship bracelets. It was really cute to see Jenna teaching Shelby how to make them. Lizi was watching them. Trey and Judi had the cutest lightsaber duel! I would help her hold the lightsaber and then say to her, "Go get Trey!" Then she'd look over at him and gently tap his lightsaber with hers! Trey loves playing with Judi and is so good with her. Of all the kids, I think he has shown the most interest in her. We then all read scriptures and did our bedtime routine. The kids are sleeping in their tents in the living room - Shelby and Jenna in one and Trey and Lizi in the other.
Friday June 19
I had to go to work again today. Trey heard me in the kitchen eating breakfast, but stayed asleep on the couch. He woke up first in usual fashion and took down his tent, just as I had asked him to the night before. They then watched TV - Sophia and Jake. Jenna made pancakes for them and then Shelby went out to the clubhouse and was sad because she was missing Donnatello, her dog in Texas that they had to get rid of. Trey was playing the piano and Lizi played with her polly pockets. They then all went outside to play in the sandbox with water, which turned into a water fight with water guns and the hose. They then came in and cleaned up the house. About this time I came home from work and we went swimming at the Arscotts. We then had Spanish rice for dinner as we watched Disney Cartoons. We then did our bedtime routine and recorded ourselves singing Child's Prayer and went to bed.
Quote of the Day - Trey as he walked down the steps in the Arscott's pool: "The first thing I do in the pool is get in."
Saturday June 20
I had to get up for work early again today. As I was eating breakfast, Trey came into the kitchen and gave me a hug. When I left, all the kids went out side and cleaned up all their toys. Then they came in to eat cereal. Shelby and Lizi played in Lizi's room and then all the kids watched Lion King 2. After the movie, they all went outside to play. The girls played with their Barbies in the sand box. Jenna and Lizi then came in and made Father's Day gifts and all the kids had lunch. They all then watched Star Wars Episode 5. The girls then played with some dollhouse toys in the living room and Trey played outside with Daisy. They then had bathes and cleaned up the toys in the house. Jenna painted Shelby and Lizi's nails while Trey waited outside for me to get home from work. When I got home, he came right up to the car to give me a hug. I love how excited he is to see me, even at 8 years old. Once I got home, Shelby and Jenna made flip flops, Trey and I watched the US Open Golf Tournament, and Shelby came over to watch it after she was done. It was fun having the kids so excited to root for Jordan Speith, my favorite golfer at the moment. Lizi was making a game out of white stuffing - a target like game that you tried to throw a piece of stuffing into the middle of the target she made. We then went outside to play kickball and after a game and a half, the kids had a webchat with their mom. After the webchat, we watched a little more of the US Open and then went back outside to finish our kickball game. After kickball, we came in to watch Disney cartoons and start our bedtime routine. As the kids got into bed, they were so excited to talk about what new rides they were going to try at Disneyland.
Sunday June 28
Trey was the first one up after me and we went out to check the garden to see what had grown in the past week. After picking a couple of cucumbers, we came in and got ready for church. We found out that a water pipe had broken at our church so we went to the Stake Center and attended Sacrament Meeting there. We came home and memorized Mosiah 2:17 and repeated 2 Nephi 2:25 that we memorized last Sunday on our drive to Disneyland. After memorizing the scripture, we came out to the living room and the girls started playing with Lizi's Little Mermaid Legos that she got at Disneyland until it was time for the kids webchat. They had a 40 minute webchat an then we had lunch and cleaned up while Liz had a nap. The girls played with the legos again and Trey and I went outside to play catch. We took a break from catch when Trey hurt his thumb practicing catching pop fly's and came in to play with his new Disneyland 60th Anniversary truck and some cars. After he thought his thumb felt good enough to play again, we went back outside and played catch again. Trey then recruited enough people together to play a kickball game. It was very hot again today so after one game, I turned on the sprinklers to water the lawn which was looking dry in spots and that lead to running through the sprinklers for me Shelby, and Trey and then a squirt gun fight with me and Trey with Liz making a surprise appearance with a turkey baster and taking us out with it! Lizi was in taking a bath with her mermaid legos. Trey and I then worked a little on his Cub Scouts by watering his pumpkin that he planted a week ago and planting a bean plant today. We also went over some Duty to God and fitness requirements. Meanwhile Shelby, Lizi, and Judi all played with princesses in the living room. Judi has lovingly been given the nick name of Ralph, for the character in the movie Wreck it Ralph since she likes to unwittingly destroy what the kids are playing with. After cub scouts and while the girls were still playing with their princesses, Trey and I started re-doing some of his Star Wars legos that Judi had previously torn apart. It was then time for dinner so we ate and then we all worked on our Disney pin boards. It was cute how Lizi wanted her pins to be organized just like Alley's. After pin boards, we watched a Disney cartoon and did our bedtime routine.
Monday June 29
Trey woke up first and played with his bubble gun blower with Judi who loves bubbles - it's on of the words she can say. Then Shelby and Lizi woke up and all three kids played with legos. Because Judi likes to "play" with them - which includes destroying all they have built - they had Liz make a fort out of couches where they could play with out Judi getting to their legos. They then ate breakfast and watched Rescuers Down Under. After Rescuers, they played legos for 2 more hours. Shelby and Lizi then started playing with their dolls while Trey kept playing with legos. Shelby and Lizi then colored a little and Trey played with his Star Wars toys in the fort and created a pretty cool battle, just like I used to when I was his age. After coloring, Shelby and Lizi played with the jump rope and Judi came over to them and started trying to jump as well. Everyone then had lunch. After lunch, they watched America's Funniest Home Videos and watched a Jake and the Neverland Pirates with Jenna. They then went out to the clubhouse to play and that's where they were when I got home from work. We had a quick dinner and went over to the Arscotts to swim. After swimming, Shelby, Trey, and I played foosball and then we all watched Disney cartoons and had ice cream and looked at a few pictures from our 2009 trip to Disneyland before starting our bedtime routine.
Tuesday June 30
Trey woke up first and started playing with his Star Wars figures. I was getting ready for work when I checked my phone and realized that the night before my boss texted me and told me to take the day off to spend with my kids. So I took Trey golfing at Coral Canyon. It was the first time he ever played golf on a golf course. He did really good, even making a 4 on the 6th hole, a par 3. We played 9 holes and he shot a 90 and I shot a 38. 5 of Trey's hole scores were truly legitimate, including his 4. The other 4 holes we took his ball out of a sand trap, etc. He had a lot of fun and wants to play again tomorrow. While we were golfing, Shelby and Lizi took Daisy for a walk, petted Smokey, played polly pockets, and made a store. Once Trey and I got home, we had lunch and then we all played with Trey's Star Wars men and legos. We played for almost 2 hours and had a blast - it was exactly what I would have loved to do when I was his age. We then went to the baseball fields to practice hitting and fielding with Trey. Trey struggled a little today, maybe tired from golfing in the morning. Shelby also asked if she could practice hitting to and she hit a couple. Lizi came and played with her polly pockets in the dugout. When we got home, we went swimming at the Arscott's house. We have a new game where we try to jump as far as we can over a swim noodle from a step in the deep end. It's fun to see the kids be competitive. When we came home, we had dinner and then had ice cream while we watched Star Wars Episode III. After the movie, we did our bedtime routine and went to bed.
Wednesday July 1
All the kids slept in for a long time this morning. I guess I've been wearing them out! Once they finally got up a little after 9:00am we had breakfast and got ready for our hike down to the river. Our plans were to do our normal hike to the river but as we got started, I remembered a cool granary and a fort-like outcropping made of lava rock. I showed them where it was through the binoculars and asked if they wanted to go check it out. They all wanted to so we changed our course and followed a couple of extra trails to get there. Trey had a map of the area and led the way pointing out different trail intersections as required by one of his Cub Scout requirements. The kids loved climbing through the narrow slot formed in the lava rock. After exploring the fort, we hiked the river for quite a ways, culminating with a nice soak in our normal spot for about an hour. We got back from the hike and a snow cone trip about 2:00pm and then had lunch. After lunch, Trey really wanted to go golfing again so we went again out to Coral Canyon. He didn't play as good today, but he didn't get too down on himself. We had fun! While we were gone, Shelby and Lizi did melty beads, and then Lizi played with her polly pockets and Shelby played with her ponies. Alley, Liz, Lizi, and Judi then played polly pockets and read books and then Lizi went outside to play in the sandbox. Shelby read books and played with her polly pockets. Shelby and Lizi then went out to the clubhouse and right as Trey and I came home from golfing and the store to pick up the 3 packs of baseball cards that Trey won, Dinner was ready. We ate dinner then went outside to pull weeds and play a quick game of kickball. We then came in and watched Tarzan and started our bedtime routine.
Quote of the Day - Trey, on our way to go golfing: "I just can't say more than I love you."
Thursday July 2
I had to get up to go to work. As I was getting dressed, I looked out the window and saw Trey walking outside in his pajamas just sort of checking things out, out there. It was cute. By the time I was finished getting ready, found Trey in his room looking at his baseball and football cards. We went to the kitchen to eat some cereal before I headed out to work. As I was pulling out of the driveway, something caught my eye - it was Trey running out of the house to come wave goodbye to me as I left. While I was at work, Trey took his golf clubs to the back yard and hit some balls and the girls played with Judi. Then they all watched Fantasia 2000. After the movie, they did melty beads and then Trey played with his Star Wars toys while the girls had a bath. After baths, all the kids had lunch and then went to St George to pick up Alley from the Pickleball shop and to go to the kids Museum. When they got home, Trey and Jenna played foosball and the girls played outside. Trey then played with his Star Wars toys again and the girls played with Judi more. When got home from work, Trey was standing outside waiting for me and when I came in, Shelby and Jenna came to find me right away. When I got home we had dinner and then went swimming at the Arscott's. When we got home, we watched Disney Cartoons, did exercises, and started our bedtime routine.
Quote of the Day - Shelby right after I told the kids that I had to work tomorrow: "I wish your work was to play with us. And that you got paid $10,000 to play with us...or a million."
Friday July 3
I had to work and once again, as I was pulling out of the driveway, Trey came running out to say goodbye. Liz had to work at the pickleball shop today and Shelby originally wanted to go with her but decided this morning that she wanted to stay home. So Alley put on Pinocchio and Sleeping Beauty on for them in the morning. Then they played "Star Wars disco" according to Shelby, which comprised a lightsaber fight with one of the lightsabers that lights up in the end to look like a disco ball. After doing that for a while, they went outside to play in the clubhouse. They then came in and watched a show with alley and did melty beads. After melty beads, they went back outside to fill up the sand box with water and play in it. That's when I got home. When I got home, Lizi and I ate dinner on our new Disneyland plates and then we all left with Jenna to the ball fields to work on baseball. After baseball, the kids wanted to stop by Stout Park which we saw on the way home so we played there until it was about dark and then came home and all ate dinner. We then watched newsies and went to bed.
Saturday July 4
We all woke up a little bit earlier than we would have liked to go to the 4th of July Parade. The kids love getting the candy that the different people on the "floats" throw out to them. After the parade, we went to the city park where they hold races and games where you can win tickets for prizes. Last year Shelby won her race, and this year Lizi won it! Shelby finished 3rd and Trey 5th. We stayed there until about 11:30 and then came home and had lunch. After lunch, we went out to paint the clubhouse. It was fun having all the kids help. We painted in blue and each of us put our hand prints on the bottom. After we were done painting it, Trey and I came in and worked on some cub scouts while Lizi and Shelby swept the walk way down to the clubhouse. We then played kickball. After kickball Jenna, Shelby, Lizi, and I went to the store to buy their birthday presents and pick up a few things for the barbeque we were going to later. When we got home from the store, we found Trey watching The Spirit of Mickey cartoon so the girls joined him for a few minutes until it was time to go to the barbeque. We went over to the Whitakers and had hamburgers and chicken and then played games with big white round tubes that he had on his lawn. It was a lot of fun. After spending a few hours there, Shelby, Trey, and Lizi decided that instead of going to see fireworks, they wanted to watch a movie so we came home and watched Star Wars Episode 4. During the movie, Jenna decided that she wanted to do sparklers so we paused the movie and went out front to do them. At first both Trey and Lizi were a little reluctant to do them. Trey did one after he saw everyone else do one and Lizi waited a little longer, but finally decided to do one also. They both ended up doing quite a few and loved it. After sparklers, we came back in to finish our movie and go to bed. Shelby wanted to to cuddle with her so we slept in Lindsay's room.
Sunday July 5
Trey was up first and when I got up, he reported to me that he had saved Judi from climbing up the ladder to his bunk bed. Shortly after, all the kids were up and playing with their legos in the Judi safe zone - an area created with the couches so Judi can't get in. Lizi and Shelby then had baths while Trey played with Judi outside. We then all got ready for church. After church, the kids had a webchat with their mom and we had a quick lunch. We then headed out to the Mormon Meadows historical site to pass off a requirement for Trey's Cub Scouts as well as to learn some history myself. When we got home we played two games of kickball and then came in and played two games of sequence. After sequence, we finished watching The Spirit of Mickey which the kids had started yesterday. We then did our exercises. This was perhaps the cutest thing I've seen for a while - while Trey and Lizi were doing their pushups, Judi comes next to them and assumes what Liz calls the "stink bug" position where she has her hands and feet on the ground and her bottom way up in the air with her head upside down and looking back at us between her arms and legs. Then when Trey and Lizi did their jumping jacks, Judi started trying to do them to by trying to jump and clapping her hands. After exercises, we did our bed time routine and went to bed. Liz recorded us singing Child's Prayer tonight.
Monday July 6
Trey must have heard me in the kitchen and got up to say hello to me before I left for work. He even ran outside to wave goodbye to me again as I pulled out of the driveway. It was a heart-melter to see him in my rear-view mirror as I drove off. The girls got up and all the kids watched the Spirit of Mickey. They then put in the Newsies, which Trey says is one of his favorite shows. The girls then played with their legos and Trey played on the computer. Buggy then came over and they all played with legos. Trey then rode his bike and the girls all colored. All the kids then went outside and played hide-and-go-seek and tag. They then had pizza for lunch and decided to eat it in the clubhouse. After eating, the kids played Hide-and-go-seek again and then played with Sea World animals in his bathroom. After playing with the animals and getting water everywhere, they watched Tarzan before Tamara came over to pick up Buggy. All three kids then decided to ride bikes and that's when I came home. When I got home, I took Trey to the golf course to practice chipping and putting. Shelby and Lizi said they wanted to stay home to ride bikes and then they helped Liz clean up the back porch. We then went swimming and came home to pull weeds. Trey, Lizi, and I pulled weeds while Shelby swept the porch. After pulling weeds, we had dinner and watched Disney Cartoons. I then worked with Trey a little on his Cub Scouts and we did our exercises and started our bedtime routine.
Tuesday July 7
I had to go to work today and as I was eating breakfast, Trey woke up and came in to give me a hug. He then went outside and started riding his bike, waiting for me to go to work so he could ride a little ways down the street with me. He then went inside and took a bath. When he was finished, the girls were up and they watched Make Mine Music. After the movie, they played with Sea World animals and then had some pancakes for breakfast which they ate in the clubhouse. They then played lions and built a fort out of blankets in the living room. After building a fort, they played with cars and watched The Great Mouse Detective. When the movie was over, Liz had the kids help her clean the fish tank. After it was cleaned, with a underwater scene added to the back of the tank, the kids rode their bikes to check the mail. Shelby and Jenna then played the piano while Trey and Judi played golf and Lizi played with polly pockets. Liz then went outside and Trey taught her how to play golf and the girls all played polly pockets inside. All the kids then went outside to ride their bikes and that's when I got home from work. Lizi was so proud to show me how well she could still ride her bike. We went to the back yard and Lizi and I pulled weeds while Trey and Shelby just played outside. We then came in for dinner. After dinner, we played two games of kickball and then came in to watch Finding Nemo. After Nemo, we practiced our song, "Child's Prayer" since we are singing it in church on Sunday. We then did our bedtime routine and went to bed, Shelby sleeping in Jenna's bed with her. They were wrestling around tonight and it was fun to watch them act like sisters.
Wednesday July 8
I woke up Trey and had him get ready to go golfing with Grandpa Hubert and I once Grandpa Hubert got to the house. Jenna and Shelby got up shortly after and started to get ready to see him. Shelby and Trey went out to ride bikes to wait for him. Once he arrived I went in and got Lizi up too. I called the golf course and they were very busy so we had to wait a little longer than planned to play. So we sat on the couch and worked on Trey's Cub Scouts and talked for a while until it was time to go. We had a lot of fun golfing and Trey did pretty well, even making a 6 on the Par 4 5th hole at Coral Canyon. Grandpa Hubert gave Trey some good advice, such as shortening his backswing. We came home and the girls were all in the clubhouse. Trey wanted to show Grandpa Hubert the clubhouse so he took him back there and I asked him if he wanted to put his hand print on the clubhouse just like everyone else and he said he wanted to, so we put some paint on his hand and he put his hand on the clubhouse. It was fun to have him do that. Trey wanted to play kickball so we went out side and played. Grandpa Hubert played for the first inning. After a game, lunch was ready so we came in and ate. After lunch, we talked some more on the couches. We told Grandpa Hubert about pickleball. He wasn't feeling well so he decided to go back to the hotel. We then went swimming at the Arscotts but the pool was cold and there was a lot of lightning in the area so we didn't swim long. We came home and played a game of settlers and then watched Star Wars Episode 5 and went to bed.
Quote of the Day - Lizi loves to cuddle with Liz and I in bed and as grandpa Hubert was leaving to go to his hotel, Lizi said to Grandpa Hubert, "But I want to sleep with you."
Thursday July 9
Trey woke up first again this morning. I put on a Mouse Clubhouse for Trey while I got ready for the day. I went in to wake up Shelby so we could go to the golf course to practice chipping and putting. First, Shelby, Trey, and I ate cereal for breakfast and then I took Shelby to Sky Mountain Golf Course to practice. While we practiced golf, Trey and Liz played badminton at home and Lizi was outside singing songs and watching. Shelby did really good for not having practiced in a long time. When Shelby and I got home, we played badminton with Trey and Jenna while Lizi continued to sing and watch with Liz. It was so cute to hear Lizi singing different songs as we were playing. The wind was blowing hard which made playing more fun and challenging. Jenna, Shelby, Trey, and I then played volleyball with a beachball over the badminton net. Again, the wind made it very interesting! Lizi went inside and made objects out of little Styrofoam pieces. Trey and I then played catch with the baseball and Shelby came inside to play with the Styrofoam. Grandpa Hubert then came and the kids went outside to ride bikes. Lizi was especially excited to show him how she could ride her bike. He even rode a little with us. After riding bikes, we came in and ate lunch and then went over to swim at the Arscotts. The pool was cold so after swimming for a little while, we came home and rode bikes again. After riding bikes, we came in and played the card game scum and then we played settlers and ate Pizza for dinner. After Settlers, Grandpa Hubert had to leave. We all went outside to wave bye. Even Judi waved, which was very cute! After he left, Lizi, Shelby, Trey, and I played kickball outside. After kickball, we worked on Trey's cub scouts. One of his requirements required him to draw a map of the area (which he had already done once before for another requirement). So while he and Shelby worked on his map, I went outside and made a scavenger hunt for Trey, using a compass, for another requirement for him. All three of the kids had a fun time working together on the scavenger hunt and found the candy canes which I hid inside of one of the toy sharks. They ate the candy canes while we came in and watched A Bugs Life. After the movie, we read scriptures and cleaned up Settlers. Right now as I type this, the kids are putting right by me in the living room.
Friday July 10
Trey woke up first as I was going outside to go to work to wave goodbye to me. The kids watched the Disney channel for a while and then had breakfast. Shelby, Jenna, and Trey played badminton and Lizi played polly pockets. Trey then rode bikes and the girls played polly pockets before going outside to ride bikes with Trey. They then had a webchat with their cousins. They showed them all their toys, the clubhouse, and everything else they could think of. They all rode bikes again and then went to play in the clubhouse. They then came in and had lunch and then went to the splash pad. After getting home from the splash pad, I came home from work and we all had a water fight. At first it was Jenna and me against Shelby, Trey, and Lizi. We build forts and hid behind them as we used squirt guns and buckets to get each other wet. We then came in and had dinner, started a game of Settlers, paused the game to play kickball, and then finished our game of settlers.
Saturday July 11
Trey got up just before I left again today to wave goodbye with Judi. It was cute this morning, before I left, Trey had come out to the living room to get a few more minutes of sleep while I ate breakfast, but as soon as Judi saw him, she started calling out, "Day! Day!" (which is how she says Trey). It was adorable. After I left for work, the kids started watching Disney Jr and then ate breakfast. After breakfast, they all played outside with the hammock. After playing with the hammock, they played with water guns. Shelby and Lizi then came in to play with polly pockets while Trey stayed outside. They then all went to St George to go to the Sand Hollow Aquatic Center. I left work about the same time they left the Aquatic Center and they passed me on the way home. Once home, Shelby, Trey, Lizi, and I rode our bikes and Jenna rode her scooter to the mail. Shelby and I then laid in the hammock while Trey and Lizi played with water guns. We then all went to the baseball fields where Trey and Shelby practiced batting and then fielding, while Lizi played with some toys in the dugout. On the way home we stopped for a snow come and then came home where I made some mac and cheese and then we watched Disney Cartoons and did our bedtime routine.
Quote of the Day - Trey, after just getting into the Pathfinder to head to the ball fields, said: "My bones are kind of relaxing right now."
Sunday July 12
Trey woke up earlier than I had hoped. I was trying to sleep when I heard the side gate close about 5 times. So I went out to see what Trey was up to. We sat outside for a few minutes, then I came in and put on the Disney channel for him while I got ready. When I got finished, all the kids were out watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. I had them get their church clothes on and eat breakfast. When they were done, we practiced singing "Child's Prayer" which is the song that we were to sing in Sacrament meeting. We went to church early to practice at the church. I think all of us were a bit nervous, but everyone did great! Lizi sang the echo by herself at the end. When we came home, Holli and her boyfriend Rob were at the house, visiting from New York. The kids had a webchat with their mom and then we ate lunch. After lunch, we went outside and played sprinkler kickball. After kickball, we came in and practiced memorizing D&C 25:12, which was the second scripture I even memorized as a child. We then watched Tarzan and had ice cream. After the movie, we went to the ball fields to work on batting and fielding. When we got home, we continued working on memorizing the scripture and watched Disney Cartoons before starting our bedtime routine.
Monday July 13
I had to go to work again today. After I have gotten ready for the day and go to the kitchen to eat breakfast, I will go into the kids' rooms to check on them and turn off the lights that they like to leave on when they sleep. When I go into Trey's room, it's usually the click of the lamp when I turn it off that wakes Trey up. That's what it was this morning and he followed me out into the living room and laid down on the couch with his blanket while I ate cereal. When it was time for me to go, he came outside and waved bye to me. He came back in and asked Liz if he could watch a Jake and the Neverland Pirates. She turned it on, which is what normally wakes up Shelby and Lizi, and it woke them up this morning too. After Jake, they ate breakfast, then Shelby played with her polly pockets, Lizi played in the hammock, and Trey washed his bike. The girls then came in and started painting and Trey and Liz played a little. They all then loaded up and went to St George to take Lindsay to the airport, go to Wal-mart, to visit me at work. When they got to work, they went to the putting green and hit some putts. It got rather busy, so I had to go help customers, and they had milk in the car so they had to leave. When they got home, the kids went outside and played with the water guns and washed all their toys. Shelby came in and started playing with her polly pockets, lizi came in and played with the stuffed animals on her bed, and Trey stayed outside. The girls then went back outside and they all squeezed into the hammock and talked. That's when I came home from work. The kids started riding bikes so I hopped on mine and we did follow the leader. We then came in and watched Star Wars Episode 6 and the new behind the scenes filming of Episode 7. Then we went to bed.
Quote of the Day - Trey, after watching Star Wars and being tired since it was about 11:00pm started walking slowly to his room: "I'm a walker (meaning an Imperial Walker from the Star Wars movies) that's almost out of batteries."
Tuesday July 14
I woke up to go to work, and all of the kids were still asleep when I left. They got up and watched a Jake and the Neverland Pirates and then had baths. After baths, they all decided to go to the Sand Hollow Aquatic Center and got snow cones on the way home. When they got home, they started watching Snow White, and then they turned it off when I got home. The kids were hiding in my closet when I got home to surprise me. We started setting up for the barbeque that we had planned for the night. After chairs were set up, Trey and I played catch while Shelby and Lizi played in the hammock and gave each other rides in the wagon. I then did a catching drill with Trey to work on his ability to run and catch at the same time. After we had finished for a while, Shelby asked if she could play catch with me, which I thought was awesome. She catches the ball really good and Trey throws the ball really well so I told them that when they go back to Texas, they should help each other improve. After we finished playing catch, I worked a little with Trey on his Cub Scouts. About that time, Holli and Rob came to the house for the barbeque. For the most part, we roasted marshmallows, made smores, and roasted starburst. We had a lot of fun! Trey was the fire man, making sure the fie stayed lit by adding wood to the fire and running down to the pit to get small sticks. Shelby gave Judi a ride in her stroller, and Lizi roasted starburst after starburst. When we were finished, the kids set up their tents outside because they said they wanted to sleep out there. Then they came in and we started our bedtime routine. The kids also filmed some slow motion videos of them with Holli's phone. I just now went outside to help Trey put his tent away. He was the lone remaining survivor outside as the girls came in about 30 minutes ago and now he decided to come in as well.
Wednesday July 15
All the kids slept in for a long time today. After not getting in their actual beds after the failed camping attempt, they didn't go to bed until about 11:30 or so, so they needed their sleep. Trey got up first, and I let him watch the Disney Channel for a little while while I got ready. We ended up waking everybody up around 9:30 so we could get going to the Fiesta Fun Center. Everyone had a blast! We did the bumper boats first and I rode with Trey, Shelby with Jenna, and Lizi with Holli. Shelby and Jenna got soaked, ending up under the fountain many times! After the boats, we did miniature golfing which was fun too. After golfing, we went inside and played the games for a while. The kids won a bunch of tickets and ended up with quite a few prizes. After the Fiesta Fun Center, we stopped by Wendy's for lunch and then got home around 3:30. After eating, we watched Cool Runnings and then went to the ball parks to practice Trey's hitting, fielding, and pitching. He did ok, and I hope that every bit we practice helps him be that much better when his season starts. Trey wanted to play for a few minutes at Stout Park, right next to the ball fields, when we finished practicing so we spent a little time over there. Once there, Lizi and Trey rushed to the rock wall. They challenged me to races to get up and over it. When we got home, Trey, Lizi, and I rode bikes and Lizi wiped out hard on her bike but just got up and acted like it was no big deal. Shelby stayed inside and played with her polly pockets with the toy house. We then had some dinner and watched Disney Cartoons. After the Disney Cartoons, we all played with stuffed animals and pretended that they all went to the Fiesta Fun Center and played Laser Tag. We then did our bedtime routine and went to bed, Shelby sleeping with Trey in his bed since Jenna went to Holli's hotel.
Quote of the Day - Lizi, right after she had a major crash on her bike: "That wasn't fun."
Thursday July 16
As I was sleeping this morning, I heard what I thought in my groggy mind was the microwave door being shut. As I woke up more, I realized that it was the back door. Knowing that it was most likely Trey that went outside, and also realizing that today was my last day off with the kids, I got right up and went outside with him so I could take advantage of every last second I have with them. As I got outside, I saw that my suspicion was correct - that it was Trey outside. He had set up two bases in the sand box - a good guy one and a bad guy one. He was using his ocean animals as the good guys and bad guys. He asked if I wanted to play with him, so we created even more booby-traps and weapons for the war and then had fun playing. He continued the war as I came in to get ready for the day. We had planned on going on a hike - just our short "canyon hike" as Trey calls it, by Mollie's Nipple. We woke the girls up and all had breakfast, then the whole family headed on the hike. I took Judi in the backpack and Trey led the way on the hike. Trey and Shelby had lots of fun climbing up and around all the rocks. We headed back and went swimming at the Arscotts. The kids practiced for the first time with my snorkels. Since it was our last swim before the kids go back to Texas, CaroLee was especially emotional when it came time to say goodbye. After swimming, Shelby wanted to throw the football with me, and even Lizi came out to play for a little while. We then decided to go to Wendy's for lunch and then on to Ballard Nursery for one of Trey's Scout assignments. We came home and watched Snow White and then all four of us went outside and played catch with the football. Lizi is really good at sports and did great throwing and catching the ball. Shelby and Trey also did pretty well. After we had played for a while, I started throwing the ball to Shelby and Trey as they were running and they would try to catch it over their shoulder. Shelby was the first to catch the football that way, and I could tell that as she caught her second one, Trey was starting to realize that she was doing better than he was and he started to get a little mad/pouty. He ended up catching one before we finished and Shelby caught 4 or 5. At one point she slipped and fell hard on her tail bone and has been complaining about how it's sore now. While we were playing catch, Lizi was swinging on the swings. We then all gathered up all the apples on the ground and put them in a bucket and pulled a few weeds as well and then I paid them a dollar each from Bonka's wallet. Shelby then said that she wanted to play catch with the baseball so Trey decided to also. I'm trying to get Trey to not be afraid of the ball and consequently to keep his mitt and the ball out in front of him. With Shelby, she's great at catching, but needs work with her throwing. I then turned on the sprinklers and we ran through them briefly before playing in the sandbox. Lizi was inside working on a lady bug for a clip board and Shelby and Trey re-created the battle in the sandbox that Trey and I had in the morning. After the sandbox, we played two games of kickball, with the sprinklers on (it was a little over 100 degrees today). Lizi and I played Trey and Shelby and we each won a game. After kickball, we came in and set up Settlers. Just as we were finished setting it up, Liz and the girls got home and we all played a game. After Settlers, the kids went back out in the sand box and built a road. They are excited to finish it in the morning. We then did our bedtime routine and went to bed.
Quote of the Day - Trey. While we were swimming, we were talking about games we liked and he said that he didn't like the game Sequence that I taught him. When I asked him why, his response was, "For obvious reasons."
Friday July 17
I had to work today. When I woke up, went to check on the kids. I found Lizi on the couch and saw that Trey wasn't in his bed. Shelby was still asleep in her bed. I went looking for Trey and, just as he said he would be the night before, he was out working on the road in the sand box. He explained to me how the road was being made and where it was going to go before I had to go in to get ready for work. He then came in and had a webchat with his Mom. After the webchat, At one point I saw him go in and try to wake up Lizi to help him on the road. Although Lizi didn't give in to Trey's request, Shelby got up on her own and went outside to help Trey. I left for work and Trey came inside and started watching the British Open while Shelby and Lizi played in the sandbox. Judi sat by Trey and watched golf, clapping her hands as she sat down. Trey then went back outside and played in the sandbox. The kids then came in and had breakfast and then Trey had a haircut. The kids went back outside to play in the sandbox as a repairman came over to fix our dryer. They then all left to go to Colorado City to fish and catch frogs and pollywogs at Grandfathers Pond. Trey caught 2 fish and Lizi caught one. Shelby was content to just take a net and catch pollywogs. After fishing, they went to the Washington Rec Center. They swam and climbed the rock wall. Lizi and Shelby made it all the way to the top of the rock wall. After the Rec Center, they came home and Trey hid in the closet to surprise me when I got home and Shelby helped Alley and Jenna rearrange their rooms. I got home and Trey popped out and surprised me. Shelby was making a sign for me that said that she wanted to stay in Utah. I asked the kids what they wanted to do when I got home and Shelby wanted to play catch with the baseball so Trey, Shelby, and I played catch for a little while. I then asked Trey what he wanted to do and he wanted to play catch with the football so Shelby, Trey, and I played catch with the football. Lizi laid in the hammock. After we played catch, Lizi said she wanted to play Scene it, o we played 2 games of boys against girls. After Scene It, we went outside and played kickball. We then picked some corn and cucumbers from the garden. We came in and sat on the couch for a little while. I wanted to play catch one last time with Trey so Shelby, Trey, and I went back outside and played catch. After catch, we came in and watched Sword in the Stone. When that was over, I read The Troll Who Lived In The Lake and The Giving Tree to them. We then read scriptures and went to bed, Trey and Lizi on the couches in the livingroom.
Saturday, July 18
These days are always the hardest days of the year. I woke up and got ready to go to work after I dropped off the kids at the airport. When I was dressed, I woke the kids up so they could start getting ready. Even Lizi did pretty well at getting up this morning. The kids got dressed and ate cereal. Trey finished first and I had the British Open on TV so he went to the couch to watch it while the rest of us finished eating. At about 8:20am, we left for the airport, Jenna, Shelby, Trey, Lizi, and I in my car and Liz, Alley, and Judi in the mini van. We listened to Disney tunes and the kids favorite mix that I made for our Disneyland trip. Shelby, Trey, and Jenna played a few games of go fish, and the kids also recited their scriptures that they memorized. We talked about the fun time we had in Utah, hikes we wanted to go on next summer, and about rides at Disneyland, among other things. It's also fun for me to point out "our river" (the Virgin River) that we pass several times on our way to Las Vegas, and see the kids' excitement as they look for it. We got to the airport and found their mom. The kids were excited to see her - more so than they have been on past trips. We all chatted for about 40 minutes and then the kids went through security. Shelby looked back and waved all the way down the hall until she was out of sight. It was a little harder for me to watch them leave this time than the past couple of times they have left. That's not to say that it is ever easy, but this time was especially hard for some reason - maybe the realization that the kids are really growing up! They made it back to Texas despite having to sit on the tarmac in Texas for almost an hour, and Keri had the kids call me tonight before they went to bed, which was very nice of her. Lizi had the book open that I gave her that has me singing the words to Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star in it. It was great to hear their voices again. I miss them so much already! When I got home, I put away a few of their toys and it was both fun and saddening to do so. Fun to relive the memories that we had just made and sad to realize that they aren't here anymore.
