Saturday June 20th: The kids got into Las Vegas at 8:45pm and Liz, Jenna, Judi, and I all met them at the airport. With our plans for Disneyland up in the air this summer with the over-hyped Covid-19 sham, we booked a last minute trip to the High Sierras for the 21st-24th. So we wouldn't have to drive all the way back home and then back through Vegas the next morning, I decided to spend the night in Vegas. When the kids were younger, every time we'd pass by the Excalibur Hotel they lit up and referred to it as "Diamond Sparkle Hotel." So I thought it would be fun to stay there. We got to our hotel, ate at Johnny Rockets and went to bed.
Sunday June 21st: We woke up about 8:00am, checked out of our hotel and Shelby, Trey, and I walked up the Strip to the Venetian, stopping along the way to take pictures at New York, New York and the Bellagio. Liz, Lizi, Jenna, and Judi rode in the van and met us there. We walked around the Venetian and looked at the gondola ride in the water. I could tell Shelby thought it was really neat. We then decided to head to Rock Creek Lakes Resort. We stopped in Bishop to have lunch at Subway and then made it to Rock Creek around 4:00pm. When we checked in, we were required to wear a mask. We got the keys to cabin 7 and got unpacked. We had grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup for dinner and then we went to the lake to fish for a little bit. We didn't catch anything the first night. We went back to the cabin and played the Golf card game and went to bed.
Monday June 22nd: We got up around 8:00am, had bacon, potatoes, and pancakes for breakfast and then headed to the lake to fish. Lizi and Judi had fun sending ants off into the lake on pine cones. It was rather comical (but probably not for the ants). We didn't have any luck in the morning. We went back to the cabin, ate hoagies for lunch, and relaxed a bit. Shelby played the Ukulele a little Trey napped, and Lizi and Judi played with their stuffed animals. We also played Sequence Trey and I against Shelby and Liz. We then headed to Mosquito Flats. There was a couple in the good fishing spot so Shelby and I decided to head up to the Eastern Brook Lakes to see if we could catch any fish there. Everyone else stayed and the couple let them have the good spot. Trey and Lizi were determined to catch a fish before Shelby and I got back. Shelby and I got to the Eastern Brook lakes pretty fast. We walked around the far side though a slight bog and threw in our lines but there didn't seem to be any fish in the pond. I'm not sure it was deep enough to keep any fish in it, although it was pretty big - roughly a third of the size of Rock Creek Lake. After a short time we headed back to join everyone else. We had fun talking and catching up on the way back. No one had caught any fish yet and Shelby and I joined them fishing there. The only thing that was caught was a tiny German Brown by me that we threw back. We decided to go back to the lake to try some more and there were people on our rock so we fished by the pine trees nearby. Liz caught a fish that we were able to keep. Once the people left our rock, Shelby and I went over to it and fished from there. We left the net and that cost us because I caught a fish but as I was trying to bring him to shore, he got off the hook. Trey was there as well and had just started running back to grab the net when the fish fell off. We came back to the cabin for a chicken rice casserole dinner and to try out Liz's fish. It was really good! After dinner we played Apples to Apples and then went to bed.
Tuesday, June 23rd: We decided to wake up extra early to see if we could have better luck catching fish. Shelby, Trey, and I walked down to the lake but didn't get a single bite. Shelby wasn't feeling good so she walked back after about an hour and Trey and I followed about an hour after her. There weren't many people out that early, but of the few people that were out, two were on our rock so we had to fish from the trees nearby. We also hiked up and around to the huge rocks above our fishing rock. There were awesome views of the lake and I went back down and got some fun pictures of Trey up on the rock. On our way back, Trey and I tried a new spot by some rocks but we didn't have any luck there either. When we got back, everyone was still asleep. Liz got up and cooked pancakes for breakfast. Then Trey went to lay down and I took a shower. We had a lazy morning until lunch (we had hoagies again) and then we went on a drive to see Elani Lodge (off of Gregory Road, off Lake Corwley Drive). I thought about parking and showing the kids where I used to fish with my Grandpa Rowlands just behind Elani Lodge, but there was someone there so we turned around and left. Lizi and Judi were excited to head back to the lake to set more ants off to sail and the rest of us were excited to fish so we went back to the lake. It was beginning to get overcast and thunder started to clap in the sky above us. There were people on our rock so we fished from the trees nearby, Once the people left, Shelby, Trey, and I went over to the rock and had a couple of nibbles, but no luck catching any. It started raining harder and was windy so we went back to the cabin. We had chicken alfredo for dinner. After dinner, Trey and I headed back out to try one last time to catch some fish. We went to the rock and again, had a couple of bites, but didn't catch anything. We came back to the cabin and played Apples to Apples and went to bed.
Wednesday, June 24th: We woke up around 7:30am and got all packed up to leave. Trey was so helpful in bringing the trash down to the garbage bins and Shelby helped bring everything out to the car. We got on the road just after 9:00am. As we passed through Lone Pine, we received a notification on our phones that there was a 5.8 earthquake nearby. We looked it up and found that we were right at the epicenter. Because we were driving, we didn't feel anything. We stopped in Beatty, NV to eat lunch at subway, and then kept on our way, arriving back home about 6:15. The kids were so excited to be home! They went straight for the pets (Daisy, Wendy, Smokey, and Figaro) who were equally as excited to see them. We checked out the garden a little bit, the kids checked out their rooms, and then Trey smiled and walked into the Disney Room to check it out. Shelby soon came in too. We had spaghetti for diner and then we watched 2 episodes of LegoMasters before we went to bed.
Thursday, June 25th: When I woke up this morning, Lizi was up already and was down in the pit swinging on one of the swings. The other kids were sleeping but all wanted to eat breakfast with me before I had to go to work except Shelby who needed a little extra sleep. After we ate I went to work and Lizi and Judi played lego, setting up Disneyland. Shelby and Trey went outside and sat in the new hammock swings. I came home on my way home from the bank for a few minutes to see the kids. They had pizza for lunch and then watched Robinhood. When I got home, all the kids were building and playing with lego Disneyland that they made. I went outside to play frisbee with Shelby and all the kids shortly followed. We played until dinner - we had tacos. After dinner, Trey and I played football and Lizi and Judi played in the sandbox. Shelby then came outside and she and I threw the football around. Trey, Liz, and I then played Bocce Ball while Shelby laid on the grass by us and Judi and Lizi kept playing in the sandbox, Lizi making the Excalibur hotel. We came in and watched 2 episodes of Legomasters and went to bed.
Friday, June 26th: All the kids woke up with me this morning to have breakfast before I went to work. Lizi and Judi went outside to play in the sandbox, Trey went back to bed, and Shelby played with legos. I came home and we went to pick out a kitten. Trey was really hoping for a orange kitten but the 3 girls decided they wanted the tabby kitten. Trey wanted to name it Yoda so that's what we went with over Baghira. I went back to work and the kids played with the kitten outside. Shelby brushed Daisy and got a lot of fur off of her. Lizi and Judi played in the sandbox and Lizi made the Matterhorn. When I got home, we all went into the back yard with the kitten. Trey, Lizi, and I swung on the swings down in the pit and then Trey and I played basketball. We then had leftovers for diner and watched LegoMasters. Alley and Stanton came over and Stanton met the kids for the first time. We then played lego for a while and went to bed.
Saturday, June 27th: We all slept in today. I got up first and went outside to check on Yoda, our kitten. I was followed out by Judi, then Trey, then, Lizi. We played with Yoda for a little bit and then went inside to have some breakfast. I went to check on Shelby and she was already up and ready to eat breakfast with us. After breakfast, we played lego. Trey worked on his hotel that he is thinking about turning into a castle (with help from Judi) and Lizi is working on a home. We also went back outside and played with the pets. We then went to play pickleball. First Trey and I played against Shelby and Lizi. Then I played against Shelby and Trey. I then played against Trey in singles and Trey has gotten a lot better! He hit some really good shots. Liz then came after painting and Trey and her played a game until it was time to go swimming at the Arscott's house. We had a fun time swimming. I mostly helped teach Judi how to swim but Trey, Shelby, and I also tried to swim as long as we could underwater. Trey swam the farthest of anyone. When we came home, we played lego some more. Shelby decorated cupcakes and Trey and I went outside to throw the frisbee around. We then had beets and cucumbers from our garden (which Shelby and I picked earlier in the day) with some Spanish Rice. After dinner the kids continued working on their lego creations and then we watched Legomasters. After LegoMasters, we brought Yoda inside and watched him chase his tail. It was so funny to watch him. We then went to bed.
Sunday, June 28th: What a fun day! I woke up and soon Judi and Trey came out to the living room with me. I went in to Shelby and Lizi's room and woke them up and we all ate breakfast together. The kids played with lego for a little bit while we waited for Liz and Jenna to get ready and then we all headed to the Belly of the Dragon and the Sand Caves hikes. We had a lot of fun on the hikes. When we got home Shelby and Trey threw the frisbee around and eventually got it stuck way up high in the pine tree so Trey and I got the ladder and tree trimming pole and got it down. We also all spent a lot of time playing with Yoda and watching him interact with Wendy. Daisy steers clear of him for the most part. We had quesadillas for lunch/dinner then we went back outside and rode bikes and Trey and I played basketball. We came in and played lego and watched Legomasters. We were all rooting for the team that won. Then after looking for some roller coaster lego part wheel online, we went to bed.
Monday, June 29th: I woke up to go to work and Trey and Judi ate cereal with me. Lizi and Shelby slept in. When I stopped by home on my way to the bank, Lizi and Judi were playing in the sand box. Lizi made a really cool Splash Mountain ride that a Tupperware container could fit through. Shelby had just got off a video chat with her cousin Kiley and showed her our new cat and gave her a tour of the house. Trey was watching a bad lip read video on Star Wars that he showed Shelby and I. I should also mention that the kids pulled weeds for 10 minutes each today too as part of their jobs. When I left, I tried to find Yoda but I couldn't find him so I had the kids try to find him when I left. They couldn't find him either (he was eventually found behind the storage bench outside of my bedroom). When I got home, we went swimming at the Arscott's again. Shelby almost swam 3 lengths of the pool underwater! I couldn't believe she could do that. After swimming we came home and Trey and I shot the basketball, played firsbee, and Bocce Ball. Lizi and Judi played in the sand box and Shelby worked on Trey's Lego hotel and then came outside and played with the animals. We then had dinner - roast, mashed potatoes, and ratatouille. After dinner, we all played Lego and then I got Judi off to bed. We all then went to the pit and Lizi and Trey played Pirates of the Caribbean on the swings, throwing pillows at each other as they swung by. It was so funny! Shelby would retrieve the pillows for them. We then came in and watched Alone which was really good and Trey was tired so he went right to bed and Shelby, Lizi, Liz, and I chatted in their room for a little while about Grandma Judi stories and our childhood stories before going to bed.
Tuesday, June 30th: I woke up and had breakfast with all the kids but Shelby who wanted to get a little extra sleep. As I was getting ready to go to work, Trey went outside to start pulling weeds. I'm so proud of him for just going out and doing it early in the morning. After I went to work, Jenna took Shelby to the Library and Shelby read her book for the rest of the day until I got home. Trey played on his tablet for a little while and Lizi and Judi built a bank and a few other neat things with lego. When I got home from work, Trey and I rode our bikes to the mail and a package of Lego roller coaster tracks came. Lizi and Judi built an even longer Space Mountain track that was really cool! Trey and I went through his Star Wars Card deck and got him a better dark side deck put together. I also gave him a few interrupts which he didn't have a lot of. Shelby was just finishing her book and Lizi and Judi were playing in the sand box. We then had leftovers for dinner. After dinner, Trey, Shelby, Liz, and I played Croquet. Lizi and Judi played in the sand box. All day the kids played with Yoda as well. We came in and Liz put Judi to bed while Shelby and I sorted lego, Lizi built more Lego creations, and Trey helped water the garden. Once Judi was in bed we watched another episode of Alone and went to bed.
Wednesday, July 1st: I got a call from work just after 6:00am so I went in early. I went in to tell Trey and Judi that I was eating because they usually get up to eat with me, but that it was early this morning so they should stay in bed. Right after I left their room, one of the RC race cars started repeating, "Are you ready to race?!?" I heard it and thought, "what in the world is that?" We hadn't played with it yet this visit so when I went in there to figure out what was going on, it took me by surprise. The noise woke both Trey and Judi up, and even Lizi said she heard it. Judi came out to sit at the breakfast table while I ate, though she said she wasn't hungry. I went to work and came home for lunch about 11:30 and the Trey, Lizi, and Judi were watching Mary Poppins. Shelby was getting ready to go shopping with Liz. She got a dress, makeup, and perfume. When I got home from work, I helped Trey with his Star Wars cards while Shelby cleaned her bathroom sink. Lizi and Judi played out in the sandbox. Liz, Trey, Shelby, and I then played Knock Out (basketball). Trey and I then went to the back yard to throw the frisbee around and Shelby came out to play with Yoda. We then came in and Shelby, Trey, and I played sequence while Liz cooked diner. Lizi and Judi were still playing in the sand box. Sister Arscott said we could come swimming so we hurried down to her house and swam for about an hour. We came back home, Trey and I rode our bikes to check the mail, and then we all ate wok chicken for dinner. After dinner Shelby, Trey, Liz, and I played bocce ball. It was a lot of fun. I then got Judi to bed and Shelby and I got our hair cut. We then watched another episode of Alone and went to bed.
Thursday, July 2nd: I went into work a few minutes later today than normal and as I went into wake up Lizi and Shelby to see if they wanted to eat breakfast with me, Lizi asked me, "Aren't you supposed to be at work?" I made me laugh because she was half asleep and she was asking because she knew I was normally at work by then but it came across as, "Can't you see that I'm sleeping? Shouldn't you be at work?" All the kids ate with me except Lizi who needed a little extra sleep. When I came home for lunch, Trey was shooting hoops, and then the kids started watching Star Wars episode 4. I then went back to work and when I got home we went swimming at the Arscotts. Lizi did really good learning to dive! Shelby helped me pick some cherry tomatoes to bring to Sister Arscott. We also brought her some cucumbers. Trey and I rode our bikes to check the mail and then we ate diner and Trey and I played the Star Wars card game. Lizi worked on learning a song on the piano and Shelby read a couple of books to Judi. We then watched an episode of alone and went to bed.
Friday, July 3rd: We had originally planned to to camping today when I got home from work. So I went into work early and when I got home, we ate lunch, packed the van, and headed for Navajo Lake -our traditional spot that we had gone camping in the past. On the drive up, Trey finished the first Boba Fett book which he liked quite a bit. But when we got there we found that unfortunately the campgrounds at Navajo Lake were full, as were every other campground from there to Panguich Lake. So we turned around and headed to Cedar Breaks National Monument to have a picnic and go on a short walk. The views were awesome! We ate some lunch and went to the visitors center where I bought each of the kids National Parks Passports. We came home and unloaded the van. Shelby, Trey and I threw the frisbee outside for a little bit and the we went inside. Then Shelby played on the piano, Lizi played with legos and Trey and I played the Star Wars Card game. Alley came over and we all roasted smores and starburst in the back yard. A loud explosion came from the neighbor's house and a firework flew over our house. It was a little scary. We then came in and went to bed.
Saturday, July 4th: Trey and I woke up early to hike Signal Peak. As we were making our way to Oak Grove campground, we found that it was closed as a gate blocked our way to get there. I was so disappointed. We decided to hike on a trail I had never heard of before but that we had passed on our way, called Silver Rim Trail. We hiked for about a mile in and then decided to turn around and head back. On our way back we stopped by Walmart and we picked out a Utah shirt for Trey and bought Star Wars Episode 9. We came home and I took Shelby driving and to Walmart to pick out a Utah shirt for her. She did so good driving and even used her turn signals for the first time. When we got home, Shelby, Trey, and I rode bikes in the pit while Lizi and Judi played in the sand box. We then decided to start our Star Wars movie marathon (we usually watch Star Wars Movies on the 4th of July and New Years Eve). After the star wars movies, we went to the back yard and did sparklers, shot off rockets, and roasted smores and starburst. We stayed up until about 11:45 and then went to bed. Also, Lizi lost a tooth today!!
Sunday, July 5th: After a late night, we slept in for quite a while. Once everyone was up, we ate breakfast and headed out on our Sunday Adventure day! We went to Aspiration Trail and put our rocks that we painted yesterday all together on the trail. It was a fun hike. We then went to Glitter Mountain where we all had fun trying to find the perfect pieces of "Utah Ice" which is a kind of gypsum. We came home and had lunch. Liz's Brother Carl's car broke down so he and his 3 kids Rykar, Brennen, and Skylar came over. Trey and I played our Star Wars Card game, Shelby read her Book of Mormon, and Lizi played in the sand box. We then watched Star Wars Episode III. Trey then played some Bocce Ball with Liz, Brennan and Sylar. Shelby, Lizi, and I watched on the back porch. We then came in and went to bed.
Monday, July 6th: Trey and Judi got up and ate breakfast with me and then Trey and I went to the golf course. I worked on a few things and Trey waited patiently and then we went down to the driving range and practiced. After we hit a few balls, we played 8 holes (skipping hole 5). Trey shot a 53 through 8 holes with bogies on 3, 6, and 7. I was so proud of him! I was 1-under par which I was happy with too! Shelby made hot pads while we were gone. Lizi and Jenna did some really cool designs in the driveway with sidewalk chalk. The kids watched Wreck It Ralph and then were watching The Emperor's New Groove when I got home. We rode our bikes to check the mail and found 2 packets of lego there so the kids were excited. I made Ramen for dinner and we watched Solo while we ate. We then went outside and Lizi and Judi played in the sand box while Shelby and I threw the football. Then Trey, Shelby, and I sat on the bench swing and just watched the animals interact with each other. It's fun seeing Yoda get used to everyone and vice-versa. We then came in and got ready for bed. I played some Ukulele songs before bed and then we went to sleep.
Tuesday, July 7th: I got up and ate breakfast with the kids and then got ready for work. I showed Trey how to use the lawnmower because he wanted to mow the lawn to earn some more money. I should also mention that every Monday-Wednesday, the kids weed in the garden for 10 minutes each as part of their jobs. When I stopped by the house on my way home from the bank, the kids were helping get the yard ready for the tree trimmers to stop by. Liz said that Trey, especially, was a really big help. Shelby went with Jenna to run some errands for a little bit. She loves going places with Jenna. When I got home from work, the kids were watching the animated "Grinch" movie. I watched the tree trimmers with the kids after the movie ended. Lizi, Shelby, and Judi jumped on the trampoline which was moved to the grass, with water balloons on it and the hose spraying onto it. It was fun to watch. Trey is almost finished with the 6th Boba Fett book, which is the last one in the series. His mom called and informed him that he has to do 2 reports on his beekeeping tomorrow. He wasn't too excited about that. We had dinner - I had to run to work again quickly to make sure the computers and phones are wired correctly in the new Pro Shop. When I got home, Shelby and Trey were wrestling around on the back lawn just like they were 6 years old, with Judi whispering ideas to Trey on how they could further pester poor Shelby. It was so fun to watch. Lizi had a little headache this afternoon so she had a little nap and it went away. Tonight we watched Rogue One and then got ready for bed.
Quote of the Day: Shelby was looking through old pictures on my computer and she came to me and said, "Daddy, you had abs!" Patting my stomach in a joking manner I said, "Abs?" To which Shelby responded while raising one finger, "Had."
Wednesday, July 8th: Trey and Judi got up to eat breakfast with me and Trey started pulling weeds before I left for work. I came home for lunch and helped burn the dead tree branches in the pit. Trey held the hose in case the fire got out of hand. Lizi and Judi played in the sand box and Shelby did dishes in the house. When I went back to work, Trey worked on his report, Shelby mopped the floor and Lizi helped Liz set up the water slide in the pit. Lizi and Judi then had fun sliding down the slide except for when they hit rocks. Lizi also built the Tea Cups ride at Disneyland too. I got home from work late because we are moving into our new clubhouse. When I got home, the kids were just finishing dinner. After dinner we rode bikes to the mail to get a package of lego that came. We watched Star Wars Episode IV tonight and then got ready for bed. Trey started reading his Darth Plageus book in bed and I put a couple of drops of vinegar/alcohol solution into Shelby's ear and then we went to bed.
Thursday, July 9th: Like most mornings, Trey and Judi ate breakfast with me. Shelby slept in until 11:30 and when I came home for lunch she was eating breakfast. While I was at work, Trey worked on his report for bee keeping and Lizi and Judi played in the pool at the bottom of the water slide. Shelby and Jenna went driving and to the library and talked with her friends on her phone. In the afternoon, they all went kayaking at Sand Hollow Reservoir. When I got home from work, the kids all were so excited to see me. I just love the expression on Trey's face when I get home. He is just so happy to see me. I helped Trey with his report, watched Lizi put together some legos and walked through the grape arbor and around to our fruit trees and tried one of our nectarines for the first time. Shelby tried one earlier in the day and told me they were so good so I tried one and they were! We came in and ate dinner and then I got Judi to bed. We watched Alone - Lizi always calls "being in the freak out zone" which is sitting next to me because I always get excited and freak out! It makes me feel good that she always wants to sit next to me for shows. We then got ready for bed and went to sleep.
Quote of the day: Shelby - "I don't know what I'm excited for, but I can't wait for it"
Friday, July 10th: I woke up and ate breakfast with Trey and Judi before I went to work. Lizi got up and waved bye to me as I left. While I was at work, Trey worked on his Bees report, Shelby went driving with Liz, Lizi and Judi played in the sand box and with lego and they also watched Pets 2. When I got home, we rode our bikes to the mail and then watched Star Wars Episode 5. We then ate chicken alfredo for dinner - one of Lizi's favorites, and then went outside to play Knock Out. I was so proud of Lizi for playing with us tonight. It really made my day! And I was proud of Shelby and Trey for giving her a chance and being thoughtful of her feelings as they played. We came in and I talked with Lizi and told her how proud of her I was for playing with us, sat with Shelby as she put drops in her ears for her ear infection, and checked on Trey who was reading his Star Wars book in his bed. We then went to bed.
Saturday, July 11th: We woke up, ate breakfast all together, and then headed for the Grand Canyon. We tried to stop in Pipe Springs National Monument but it is closed for the over-hyped Covid-19 virus. We continued on and went to the picnic area and had a little picnic with a great view. After our picnic, Liz, Lizi, and Judi made hair wreaths. We then went to the Visitor Center parking lot and did the short Bright Angel Point hike. There were some amazing views and it was the first time the kids had ever seen the Grand Canyon. On our way back we drove to the East Rim view point also. We got home about 5pm and rode our bikes to check the mail. The Lego motors came today so we were really excited to try them out. Trey's Dagobah packs also came in the mail. We ate dinner and watched Star Wars Episode 6. After the movie Shelby and I checked all of our fruit trees and then we all played Knock Out. Alley and Janette Cram played with us as well. We had some really good games. Lizi won the last game of the night which was the first time she's ever won. I was so proud of her. We came in and Lizi showed me a new elevator she made with Lego and then Trey and I went to the Disney Room to open his Dagobah packs. He was excited to get Hounds Tooth. We then came into the living room and watched tutorials on how to use the lego motors. Then we went to bed.
Sunday, July 12th: Trey set his alarm and woke up early to get ready for church and because he had a virtual meeting with his Texas church quorum. He woke Shelby up so she could get ready too. She was really excited to go to church because it was only sacrament meeting and because she got a new dress. We all ate breakfast together and went to church wearing masks which we all think is silly. After church the kids had a webchat with their mom. We had mashed potatoes and gravy for lunch (Lizi's favorite) along with Turkey. The kids commented on how it reminded them of Thanksgiving Dinner and how much more they liked having Thanksgiving in Utah because of the food and football. After lunch, Liz, Trey, Shelby, and I played Clue which was really fun! Lizi and Judi played lego - Lizi designed the Tower of Terror and Jumpin' Jellyfish. Trey and I played a Star Wars card game. We then watched some home videos from 2011 which was fun. Shelby and I went outside to play frisbee, Trey deep watered the fruit trees and pulled weeds as he went. He is such a great help! Lizi and Judi played in the sandbox. We then had Sloppy Joes for diner and watched Star Wars Episode 7. We then played Knock Out which was so fun again! Lizi played with us again and did good. I'm so proud of her, even when she gets upset and sits out a couple of games when she loses. When I was tucking her in, she asked if we could play a little longer tomorrow night. We got ready for bed and went to sleep.
Monday, July 13th: Trey, Judi, and Lizi all woke up and ate breakfast with me. Trey came out to the golf course and we played 9 holes. Trey shot a legitimate 64 with a par on hole 5. I was so proud of the way he hit the ball today! It was fun to watch him play so well. He won 4 packs of Star Wars cards from me for making 1 par, 1 bogey, and beating me on a hole. Shelby worked on a really cool sunset painting on a canvas box. Lizi worked a lot on her lego creations. When I got home, we rode our bikes and checked the mail. Trey's Star Wars Card, "Executor" came and so did Lizi and Shelby's Mickey clock I got them for their room. We had a really fun water balloon toss in the back yard that Lizi and Liz won in a close match with Shelby and Trey. It was a blast! We came in and ate spanish rice for dinner and then started Star Wars Episode 8. After Star Wars Shelby, Trey, Lizi, and I played knock out. Before we started Lizi got hit in the head with a basketball so she sat out for a while. After a couple of games, she started playing but then sat out again after I got her out in a game. After basketball, we came in and got ready for bed.
Tuesday, July 14th: Trey, Judi, and Shelby got up and ate breakfast with me before work. I took Shelby to work with me and showed her the club house and the back 9 holes. It was fun to spend time with her and see her reaction to how different everything looked. She thought the entrance looked like Las Vegas. She also came to the bank with me to drop off the deposit for work. While I was at work, Trey was on his ipad and Lizi and Judi played in the sand box. After I brought Shelby back home, she unloaded and loaded the dishwasher and then she went driving with Liz. While Liz and Shelby went driving the kids turned on Tom and Jerry. Shelby then started playing the piano, Trey started a Star Wars card game with himself, and Lizi and Judi played in the Sand Box. When I got home, we played a game of Clue and then I went to help Lizi build the Matterhorn. Judi came to help as well. We then had dinner and watched Star Wars Episode 9. After the movie, Shelby, Trey, Liz, and I played Knock Out and Lizi and Judi played in the sand box. We then came in and looked at our pin boards and Trey and I looked at a map for Arches National Park where we're going this weekend. Then we got ready for bed.
Wednesday, July 15th: Trey and Judi ate breakfast with me this morning and Lizi got up before I left for work as well. Trey and I went to the golf course and played the back 9. Trey did play his best and I could tell that he was frustrated. I'm glad that he wants to do good, instead of laughing off his bad shots. He went to the bank with me to make my work deposit and then I brought him back home. Shelby, Liz, and Jenna went to get a pedicure. Lizi had a stomach ache and laid down for a little while and Trey played on his ipad. When I got home, Shelby was doing the dishes. I am so proud of her and her desire to help! I asked Shelby what she wanted to do and she asked if I would walk through the grape arbor with her. So we went to check out all of our fruit and picked a couple of grapes, a few plums and some Peaches that were REALLY good! Trey and I then played a game of Star Wars cards and then Liz, Shelby, Trey, and I then played a game of Settlers. Lizi came out of her room from her nap and played stuffed animals with Judi. We then ate dinner and then Shelby, Trey, Liz, and I went outside to play knock out while Lizi and Judi stayed inside and played lego. It is so fun how Shelby wants to keep playing more and more games after we decide that "this will be the last game." We came in and got ready for bed.
Thursday, July 16th: I woke Trey up early so he could go pick weeds in the garden since he forgot to on Monday. I am so proud of him for being such a hard worker. I ate breakfast with Trey and Lizi and then went to work. For most of the day the kids played on their tablets and phones. Lizi and Judi played in the sand box for a little while. When I got home I took Lizi on a date. We went to the golf course and she loved the waterfall on the rocks in the round-a-bout. Then we saw the new temporary clubhouse and took a cart and drove up hole 12 and down 13 and then backwards on 11 and 10 to the pond between 9 and 18. We saved a fish in the pond that was stuck in the grass netting. We then went to Walmart to pick out a Utah shirt for Lizi and then got blizzards at Dairy Queen. Lizi got cookies and cream and I got cookie dough. We came home and Liz, Trey, Shelby, and I played sequence while Lizi and Judi were playing with stuffed animals. Judi and Lizi then went outside to play in the sand box and Liz, Shelby, Trey and I played Bocce Ball. Shelby, Trey, and I then rode our bikes to the mail and there was a lego package of roller coaster wheels in the mail box. While I put Judi to bed, the rest of the kids had a good time making roller coaster cars and Trey also read a little of his Darth Pleageus book. Lizi, Shelby, Trey, Liz, and I then played Knockout. It was a lot of fun. Lizi only played a couple of games and then came inside to play with lego. Trey won the last 3 games of the day! We came in and watched Alone and then went to bed.
Friday, July 17th: Trey and Judi woke up with me to eat breakfast. When I came home for lunch, the kids were all on their electronics. When I went back to work, Shelby went with Liz and Jenna to clean an RV and Trey watched Lizi and Judi at home. Lizi and Judi went down the home made slip and slide into our pit. When I got home from work we went swimming at the Arscott's house. We had fun playing colors and diving for the diving rockets. When we got home Shelby and I talked outside, Lizi and Judi played with stuffed animals and Trey had a nap on the couch. We then had spaghetti for dinner and watched Nacho Libre and went to bed.
Saturday, July 18th: Trey, Judi, and I woke up and ate breakfast. While we were eating, Lizi woke up and sat on the couch before coming over and eating with us. Shelby got up just after we finished and then we all rode bikes to the mail to get the Lego gears that were there from yesterday. We came back and Shelby, Trey, and I played pickleball while Liz, Lizi, and Judi went to Walmart. Trey and Shelby beat me in our first game and although I wasn't playing my hardest, the next game I did and they still scored 4 points against me. I was so proud of them! When we got home, Trey and I played a Star Wars Card game and Lizi built a little bit of the Matterhorn with Lego. Shelby worked on writing a book that she has been working on. Then Shelby, Lizi, and Judi walked through the grape arbor and ate some grapes and picked peaches too. I am so glad that they like the garden so much! Trey, Shelby, and I then rode bikes to the mail box again to get Trey's Star Wars cards that came today. Lizi and Judi stayed home and played on the lawn and in the sand box. Trey opened his packs of cards and one of them was the Death Star! I was so excited for him! Then Trey, Liz, and I set up our tent that connects to the van since we want to try it out on our camp out. We got it set up and all the kids seemed to like it. While we were setting it up, Lizi and Judi were playing with Lego inside. Shelby and I picked some cherry tomatoes from our garden and we brought them with us to give to the Arscott's when we went swimming at the Arscott's pool. Both Lizi and Trey broke their swimming records - Trey made it 3 laps underwater without a breath and Lizi made it 2! I told Lizi tonight how proud of her I was. There was this expression of determination in her before she started - the "killer instinct" that all successful people have. I was so excited to see that in her. We came home and ate some dinner. Lizi and Judi went outside to play in the sandbox. Trey started on a new backup Star Wars card deck. We then watched the movie Bolt and went to bed.
Sunday, July 19th: We woke up about 7:30 and ate breakfast and got ready to go on our camp out to Arches National Park. It is a 4.5 hour drive from our house. We ate lunch in Moab before making it to our campsite around 3:00. We also stopped in the Visitor's Center to have our Passports stamped before going to our campsite. We decided to do Delicate Arch so we quickly set up our tent and drove to the trail head. It was about 110 degrees - really hot but I was so proud of the kids. They do such a good job of not complaining, and they all have a great "Let's do it!" attitude. Jenna and Liz struggled a little but they made it and we all took pictures and headed back to the car. We then drove to Balanced Rock and had fun pretending to hold it up and went on the short walk around it. We came back to camp about 8:30 and finished setting up camp. We also had a really cool rock formation right by our camp that we explored a little bit. We brought the tent that connects to our van which was the first time we've used it. We were informed that there were no campfires and we planned on having "tinfoil dinners" over the camp fire but Liz improvised and we had a really good dinner. We planned on playing games but by the time we were finished with setting up camp and eating dinner, it was dark and we were tired so instead we sat round the fire pit and looked at the stars. We saw lots of shooting stars, satellites, and even a comet. We went to bed about 11:30.
Monday, July 20th: We woke up about 5:30 and Liz made us breakfast. We packed up our things and left our campsite about 8:30. We went to the Landscape Arch trailhead and hiked to it. Landscape Arch is one of the longest Arches in the World. On the way back, we hiked to Pine Tree arch and Tunnel Arch. We then headed to Canyonlands National Park where we got our passports stamped and hiked to a viewpoint by the visitor's center and then we drove to the Green River Overlook. The scenery was awesome! We then made the long trip home, stopping in Green River at Subway to eat lunch and to get some gas. We made it home at about 5:15, and took showers. Trey and Shelby played a game of Stratego while Lizi and Judi played in the sand box. We ate dinner and then talked a little in the pit before getting to bed early. It was such a fun camp out!
Tuesday, July 21st: I ate breakfast with Judi this morning. The kids were all worn out from our camp out. I stopped by home around 10:15 and Trey had just got out of bed and Lizi and Shelby were still sleeping. Lizi had a Zoom meeting with her orchestra teacher at 12:15. She decided that she wants to play the clarinet. After the meeting, I went back to work. The kids watched Wreck it Ralph and Liz and Shelby went to walmart to go shopping. When I got home the kids were on a webchat with their mom. I took Shelby driving and she did really good again. We worked on when to turn the steering wheel when backing out of a parking place. A girl on a hover board rode around in the church parking lot too and it made Shelby a little nervous. When we got home, we ate dinner and then went to the Arscott's to go swimming. Everyone had fun playing with the missiles in the pool. When we got home, Trey and I rode bikes to the mail and then we looked at his Star Wars Cards a little. The kids all started playing with their Star Wars droids. Shelby, Trey, Liz, and I then went outside to play Knock Out while Judi and Lizi played inside. After Knock Out, Lizi, Judi, and I looked at pins on our pin board and then we all went in and talked in Shelby and Lizi's room. Trey decided to go to his bed to read his Darth Plageus book and Shelby read Lizi and I the story she wrote about two girls named Natasha and Elise who meet boys from the kingdom of Magi who have magic powers. It really held my attention as she read it to me. We then went to bed.
Wednesday, July 22nd: I ate breakfast by myself this morning and went to work. I came home and Trey, Lizi, and Judi were on their electronics. Trey then rushed to do his Star Wars cards. Shelby worked on her story some more and Lizi and Judi played in the sand box. When I got home, Trey, Shelby, Liz and I played Settlers. Then Trey and I played Frisbee, Shelby worked on her story, and Lizi and Judi played in the Sandbox. Trey and I then played Bocce Ball and Trey beat me! We had Pizza for dinner and then we had our own races in the back yard. We ran from the garden to the front pole of the swing set. Lizi got the fastest at 3.17 seconds. Trey was close behind with 3.20. Shelby did good too. Trey, Lizi, and I all had side by side races and they were all just about dead even ties! The kids are getting faster than me! After races, I built the Matterhorn out of legos with Lizi, then Shelby, Trey, Liz, and I played Knock Out while Lizi kept playing lego. I came back in and put together a little more of the Matterhorn with Lizi. Trey went into his bed and read his Darth Plageus book and then came into Shelby and Lizi's room and Shelby read her story to us. It is really good! We then all went to bed.
Thursday, July 23rd: I woke up and went to work early for a golf tournament. While I was gone, Trey woke up and pulled weeds and mowed the lawns. I pay him $30 to mow the front and the back. Lizi and Shelby pulled weeds also. I came home on my way to the bank and Trey was on his tablet. Judi and Lizi played with Lego and also in the sand box. Trey also looked his Star Wars Cards. Shelby worked on her story and went to the store with Liz. When I got home, Trey was taking a nap and Lizi and Judi were playing in the sand box. Shelby and I threw the football around and stood out in the rain when it started pouring! Lizi and Judi came in and played with their little miss pet shops, that they usually play with in the sand box, inside on Lizi's tablet, making a light up dance floor, playing music. We then came in and talked in Shelby's room with Lizi too. While we were talking, Trey woke up and came in too. We all looked at some of my photo albums of me when I was a kid at Disneyland. Shelby and Lizi thought that Matthew (my friend) and I looked like Trey and Jaden. Shelby stayed in her room and worked on her story while Trey and I played a game of Star Wars cards. Then Shelby, Judi, Trey, and I played Bocce Ball while Lizi played in the sand box. I then got Judi to bed and we we all played knock out. After knock out, the kids made tic-tok's with Jenna and then we ate ice cream and watched Alone. We then got ready for bed and Shelby and Lizi read their stories to us for our "bed-time" stories.
Friday, July 24th: Judi and I ate breakfast this morning and then I went to work. Lizi went shopping and got a cute shirt. She also had a pedicure with Liz. Trey played on his tablet and worked on making a back up lightside deck with his Star Wars Cards. When I got home, the kids were watching Sleeping Beauty. I helped Lizi build the Matterhorn out of Lego while Trey worked on his Star Wars cards. We then went swimming at the Arscott's. Lizi and I had fun with the rockets - I would throw it and she would try to get it before it hit the ground. Trey would slide down the slide and throw it to me when he went in the water. Judi did really good diving for a rocket and Shelby spent a lot of time watching/helping her. It was a lot of fun! When we got home, Trey and I rode our bikes to the mail while Lizi and Judi played in the sand box. Then Lizi and I threw the football around. It was so much fun and Lizi threw the ball really well! Shelby and I walked through the Grape Arbor and picked grapes, plums, and nectarines. Lizi and Shelby loved the nectarines! We then had spaghetti for dinner. After dinner Shelby and I teamed up in a game of Settlers against Liz and Trey. Shelby did really good and got 12 of our 20 points! After Settlers, we went Shelby, Trey, and I went outside to shoot the basketball and get ready for knock out. We had a lot of fun as always playing knock out and then came in and watched Peter Pan before bed.
Saturday, July 25th: We woke up, ate breakfast together and then went to play pickleball. Trey was struggling because he was overtired. Shelby and I played a fin one on one game and then Lizi practiced a little with me. After pickleball, we went outside and Lizi and Shelby played Pirates of the Caribbean on the swings in the pit, throwing pillows at each other. It is so funny to watch as Lizi starts singing the music to the movie and then initiates the battle by swinging down off the rocks toward Shelby. After working on his Star Wars cards, Trey came outside too and helped gather the errant pillows and return them to the girls. He then took Shelby's place on the swing for a couple of rounds. We then went on our hike down to the river (Virgin River near our house). We had fun on the rafts and on the rope swing. We had some snacks at the picnic table and then Shelby suggested that we go check out the fort area in the Volcanic rock. There is also a granary there from some of the early settlers of the area. We hiked back up to the car - Lizi has been doing such a good job with hiking, always taking the lead and never complaining. Actually all the kids have done a great job with the hiking we've done this summer. On the way home we got snow cones, which has kind of become a tradition after hiking down to the river in the summer time. When we got home, we ate dinner and then went outside. Judi and Lizi played in the sand box while Shelby, Trey, and I sat and watched them. Trey and I then started throwing the frisbee and Shelby started playing in the sand box with the girls. Lizi then joined Trey and I playing frisbee. We had fun trying to catch it with our heads. After frisbee, Shelby, Trey, Lizi, Liz, and I played Knock out which was a lot of fun as always and then we came in and watched Oliver and Company before bed.
Sunday, July 26th: Trey and I woke up first and had breakfast. Judi, Lizi, and Shelby we up soon and ate breakfast too and then we all loaded up to do a hike in the Red Cliffs area. It was closed so we drove home, grabbed our state parks pass, and headed to Snow Canyon to do the Jenny's Canyon hike. The kids had fun climbing up one of the side walls and exploring in a little alcove. We came home and Trey and I started a game of Star Wars cards before lunch/dinner. We had some meat, mashed potatoes, and gravy (the kids favorite). The kids then had a webchat with their mom. Shelby talked with her about the new houses they are thinking about moving into. Trey had fun burying some characters face up in the sand box and he and I also tossed the football around a little bit. Lizi and Judi also played out there for a bit. Shelby had a little stomach ache so I sat in bed with her and we talked. I love just spending time talking with her. I wish I had more time to just spend talking with all the kids but with only 5 weeks, I feel like we always need to be doing something. Trey and I organized our fastpasses from Disneyland in our Disney folders and then Shelby, Trey, Liz, and I played a game of Settlers while Judi and Lizi painted some play horses. They turned out really good! Shelby, Trey, Liz, and I then played a game of knock out. Judi and Lizi played in the sand box. We put Judi to bed and Lizi came in and played with Lego while the rest of us watched the Count of Monte Cristo. While we were watching the movie, Lizi lost her second tooth of the summer visit!
We then went to bed.
Monday, July 27th: I ate breakfast with Judi and went to work for a couple of hours. I came home around 11:00 to pick up Trey to play some golf. When I got home, Shelby, Lizi, and Judi were playing with Lego. Golf was so much fun! What made it so fun was that I know Trey genuinely had a good time. He played really good today, shooting a legitimate 55 (no mulligans) and won 6 packs of Star Wars cards from me (bogey on hole 3, 4, and 8. Par on hole 9) He gets 1 pack for every bogey, 2 packs for pars, 1 pack for tying me on a hole and 2 for beating me on a hole. He asked me today if I thought he could be a professional golfer someday, only not in those words. It's all about how much he is willing to practice - he has the potential. I just couldn't be any prouder of him! I am so proud to have him at work with me and to introduce him to all my co-workers! He was also so polite to all of them. I love his personality. While we were golfing, Lizi and Judi made organizers out of duck tape. Lizi is excited to bring hers back with her to Texas. Trey, Shelby, and I rode our bikes to the mail while Lizi and Judi played in the sand box. The mail hadn't come yet, so we decided that we would check it later because Trey is waiting for a pack of Star Wars cards and I'm waiting for the next Disney Auction Catalog from Van Eaton Galleries. After checking the mail, Shelby, Liz, Trey, and I played Settlers. We've started playing it with a team variation which makes it less vindictive and more enjoyable. After Settlers, Trey had a zoom meeting about bee keeping and Shelby and I talked in her room. She showed me her year book. It was so fun to put faces with names and learn about her class and the people in it. Shelby, Trey, and I then rode our bikes to the mail again and Trey's Star Wars cards were there so we came home and opened them. All of us then played two games of kick ball in the back yard. It is so much different now that all the kids are big! I couldn't kick the ball over Trey's head anymore in right field! It was so much fun and brought back so many fun memories, such as when Shelby was younger she kicked the ball into the apricot tree and after a couple second delay, it started raining apricots! Haha. It was during our game of kickball that Liz discovered that Trey had lost his tooth! He didn't say anything to anyone, that silly boy! After kickball, Lizi, Shelby, Trey, and I played knock out. It was a lot of fun! After knock out we watched Tarzan, and then went to bed.
Tuesday, July 28th: I ate breakfast with Shelby and Lizi this morning. Shelby was up because she wasn't feeling good. Her ear and stomach were hurting her. I went to work and I came home after a couple of hours to spend my last full day with the kids. When I got home, Judi and Shelby were still sleeping. Lizi and Liz were at the store and Trey heard me come in and met me in the hallway. He was so excited to show me the weeds that he pulled by the peach tree. He did such a good job! Shelby then came out to pull weeds and Trey and I started putting away the slip and slide in the pit. Lizi and Liz got home and Lizi and Judi played in the sand box. Lizi build a really cool half circle full of rooms that was 2 stories! Trey and I then started getting the dart board down from the closet, but Liz brought in some lego she had bought and we all started going through them. There were a couple of Star Wars sets in the bunch which were fun to put together. We then had our first annual Green Family dart tournament. Liz, me, Shelby, Trey, Lizi, and Judi played. After the first round, Trey, Me, Judi, and Lizi were left. In the finals it was me against Trey and we each ended up with 250 points! We tied, after 15 throws! So we had a throw off and I ended up winning. We had a lot of fun. We came in and played with lego again and had dinner. After dinner we played with the legos some more and then went swimming at the Arscott's. We came home and Trey and I rode our bikes to the mail while Shelby and Lizi packed. I then took Shelby driving in the church parking lot. When we got home I spent some time with Lizi playing Lego. We then went outside for our traditional game of knock out. It was so much fun tonight and all the kids played so good. We came in and watched Inside Out and had ice cream. Shelby was so nice to let us watch it since she knows it's my favorite even though it's not her favorite (she picked the movie tonight). After the movie we went to bed. Oh, and Lizi lost another tooth (her 3rd of the summer)!
Wednesday, July 29th: I woke up and went into work early to get my reports sent. I came home and woke the kids up so we could get ready to go to the airport. This is always the toughest/hardest/worst day of the year. We all ate some cereal for breakfast, except Shelby who didn't want to eat because she gets car sick. We talked about our favorite things we did this summer, Disneyland, and other things on the way to the airport. We also played a few games of UNO. We go to the airport and to their gate with no problem (other than we had to wear our masks because of all the crazy panic around COVID-19. The kids lined up, scanned their tickets and disappeared down the tarmac. Lizi waved the whole way down. I miss them terribly already. Shelby left the cutest note on our bathroom counter with $20 for both Liz and I. Trey left us a note on his pillow. It was also so cute and heartfelt. We had such a good visit this summer despite the closures caused by coronavirus panic.
