Summer Visit June 15-July 3

 Sunday, June 15

The Kids' flight was originally scheduled for 3:25 but ended up being delayed by a little over 2 hours. So Judi and I waited for them to get to the baggage claim, trying to guess what escalator they would come down. On the ride home, Lizi, Shelby, and Judi started talking about the movie "How to Train Your Dragon" which was really fun to hear about. They all liked it but liked the animated version better. Trey then told me all about his experience at young men's camp. He told a hilarious story about the last night which a bunch of Deacons with brooms like pitchforks trying to apprehend "evil Josh." When we got home, I made Pasta Roni for the older kids and Cheesy noodles for Judi. It was so fun to hear Judi and Trey playing out in the living room as I was making dinner. They seem to really love wresting around and having fun together. We opened pins that we got from Disney World while we ate dinner and Judi had a mishap when she dropped her Ratatouille pin into her cheesy noodles! Everyone laughed so hard. I then showed them the Disney room and we went to bed.

Monday, June 16

As I was drifting in and out of sleep in the morning time, I thought I heard someone up and when I ended up getting out of bed, I found out that Judi got up at 6:55AM! She was just so excited to play with everyone that she wanted to make sure she didn't miss out on anything. The next person up was Lizi around 9:15. Judi and I played a little Mario Cart before Lizi woke up and once Lizi got up, we all ate breakfast together. We then went outside and looked at the trees and just the yard in general while petting the pets too. Lizi and Judi then organized and traded pins while I started loading the car. Trey then woke up and ate breakfast and then organized his pins. He then went outside to look at the yard too. Lizi and Judi went outside to fill up water balloons and jump on the trampoline with them. It took them like 30 minutes to fill them up and they had all popped after about 5 minutes. So I suggested that they could move the trampoline to the grass and jump on it with the sprinklers on. They did that and got the hose out too. Before I knew it, Trey was jumping with them! Lizi and Trey would hold the hose horizontally, using Judi as the measuring stick and then the other one who wasn't holding the hose would jump over the water that was coming out of the hose. It was so much fun! We also brought the football out and first Trey and I played catch and then Trey played with Lizi and Judi. We came in and I made some hot dogs and sandwiches and then went to Costco to buy some things for the trip. When I got home, Judi was playing minecraft, Lizi was reading a book, and Trey came out of his room (Shelby was still sleeping). I then went to walmart to get the rest of the things we needed and grabbed a Pizza for dinner. Shelby was up when I got home. We watched Coco and ate Pizza and then I started cooking meals for us at Disneyland. Trey and Judi filled up the dogs food and water for me and Lizi emptied the garbage. Shelby worked on figuring out her fall semester schedule for next year for the rest of the night. The girls all also looked through Grandma Judi's jewelry and each selected a few things. We also had a pin draft before we went to bed too.

Quote of the day: Trey, after coming in from jumping on the trampoline in the water and throwing the football around: "That's what summer is all about."

Tuesday, June 17

We left our house around 9:15 and headed for Peter the framer's house to pick up a Jungle Cruise piranha prop, a snake from Indiana Jones, and a couple of Tiana boat pieces. After Peter's we went to company D and I got something for everyone. Lizi got a Cinderella cup, Shelby got a Winnie the Pooh sweatshirt, Trey got a Star Wars Medallion, and Judi got Simba and Nala stuffed animals. After Company D, we went to check in at the Del Sol. We got room 222 which is kind of like a suite - it had 2 rooms instead of just one. It is also the farthest walk, but it was a good room. We had some ramen and chicken for dinner and then headed to downtown Disney to trade pins before coming back and going to bed. 

Wednesday, June 18

California Adventure 8:00AM-10:00PM with naps in the middle of the day.

We had to do California Adventure today because there was a special event at Disneyland which closed the park at 8:00pm. We got their at 7:30 for rope drop. We split up in the morning so Trey, Shelby, and Lizi could go on Guardians and other big rides. Judi and I went to Toy Story Midway Mania so we could go on it a couple of times in a row before it got busy but we broke down on it for about 15 minutes so by the time we got off, the line was really long so we went on other rides. Judi went on Silly Symphony swings for the first time and loved it. She and I did tandem first and then she proceeded to go on it about 10 more times mostly with Lizi. We also got drenched by the geysers on Grizzly River Run. It was so funny to see Lizi's face after the geyser shot water all over her! She definitely got the most wet but we all were soaked for quite a while. We also went on Monsters Inc for the last time since it's closing for Avatar later this year. We ate dinner at Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta since it is one of the cheaper options and, at the end of the night, we watched the World of Color show which everyone thought was one of the worst ones but I still thought it was good.  

Thursday, June 19

Disneyland 8:00AM-Midnight with naps in the middle of the day. 

We got to the park at 7:30 for rope drop. It was our first day at Disneyland but there was early entry so we weren't able to do our normal plan. So we headed to Thunder Mountain First and did some of the rides over there like Pirates and Mansion. We met up with Eric and Jack around 10:00. Some of the highlights were riding in the front of the Monorail, watching the Paint the Night Parade, and watching the Mapping show at Galaxy's edge at night. Shelby, Judi, and I got on Peter Pan right before the park closed and Lizi and Trey did Space Mountain.

Friday, Jun 20 

Disneyland 8:00AM-Midnight with naps in the middle of the day. 

We got to the park at 7:30AM for rope drop. There was no early entry at Disneyland today so we went to Peter Pan first which was fun since Shelby was dressed as Wendy and Lizi was dressed as Peter Pan. Some highlights were: Lizi and I went on Tiana's Bayou Adventure for the first time (at Disneyland), Judi lost a tooth in line at Pirates of the Caribbean, watching the Paint the Night Parade, and eating at the Blue Bayou. Trey, Lizi, Judi, and I each got the Prime Rib and Shelby got the chicken gumbo with shrimp. It was so fun taking them there since my mom used to take me there every year. At the end of the night we split and Shelby and Trey tried to go on Space Mountain but it was closed so they ended up going on Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters while Lizi, Judi, and I rushed from Mr. Toad to Alice in Wonderland right before the park closed. 

Quote of the day: Shelby at the Blue Bayou: "I wish cocktails didn't have alcohol in them because they sound really cool."

Saturday, June 21

I woke up around 4:20AM to take Lizi to the Long Beach Airport. I was so sad to see her go since she and Judi always have so much fun at Rock Creek together but I was grateful for the fun memories we were able to make at Disneyland. I got a gate pass to get her through security and to her gate. I sat down with her for a couple of minutes and then she said that I should go back to get some sleep which was wise since we had a long drive ahead of us to get to Rock Creek. As I was driving back to the Del Sol, she kept me updated on her flight and everything went smoothly. I got back around 7:00 and crawled back into bed and got another hour and a half of sleep before Trey, Shelby, Judi, and I woke up to start loading the car. Everyone was such a big help - Trey getting ice to fill up the cooler and Shelby and Judi both getting everything packed and loaded into the car. Trey did a great organizing job in the car with the luggage. We checked out and then went to Downtown Disney to trade pins and pick out our pins for the year. We got on the road around 11:20 and headed for Van Eaton Galleries which was in the middle of the first day of a huge 2 day auction they were doing. Eric was there and we sat next to him and watched the auction for about 40 minutes before heading out. The drive was a lot of fun - Trey put a playlist on and we each rotated picking songs on the drive up too. We got to Rock Creek at 5:45 and got situated. Shelby always puts all the food away and while she was doing that, I cooked chili for dinner and Trey and Judi made their Lorcana decks. After dinner, Trey, Judi, and I played Lorcana while Shelby played the Ukulele and then we headed to bed. 

Sun, June 22

Judi and I woke up early and walked down to the lake to fish. We originally tried to drive but the parking area was closed because there was construction going on on the dock. It was very windy and cold and we had to alternate what hands we carried the gear with so we could keep the other one in our pocket to stay warm. We went to our rock and Judi caught 2 fish and one was big enough to keep. I got some bites but didn't catch anything. We walked back to the cabin about 9:00 and as we walked up the road, we could see that the curtains were open so we knew the kids were up. Trey was working on his Lorcana deck and Shelby was playing the Ukulele. We ate some breakfast and then headed on our way to Yosemite National Park which was about an hour and 20 minutes away. As we got closer, there was a long line of cars waiting to get in and an electronic sign indicated that you had to have a reservation to get in which was disappointing especially since Zion doesn't require one and it's busier. So we turned around and found a couple of overlook spots and some snow to get out to play in. We walked over to a lake too and took some pictures by the dam. The road to get there that goes over Tioga Pass is really cool! It is cut right into the side of the cliff. When we got back to the cabin at Rock Creek, we walked down to the store to look around and buy some milk. We then walked to Rock Creek Lake to go fishing at our rock. Shelby and Judi both caught a fish that were both too small to keep and Trey and I got a few bites but couldn't bring anything in. After an hour and a half, we headed back and I made some chicken alfredo for dinner. While we were eating, we noticed a deer right by our back deck. It was fun to see wildlife that close. Trey, Judi, and I played Lorcana while Shelby played the Ukulele before heading to bed.

Mon, June 23

Judi and I woke up around 6:30 and walked down to the lake to fish. It was a cold morning with cloud cover but not as much wind as the day before. Judi caught one fish that we had to throw back but because it was so cold we didn't stay too long and ended coming back around 8:30. Shelby and Trey were still asleep but Trey woke up pretty soon after and he and I got ready for our hike. We had decided to hike Mono Pass and possibly fish in Golden Lake (if we could make it there). So we drove to Mosquito Flats and started on the trail about 10:00. Fortunately, because it was a little cloudy and cold, there were still a few parking spots left in the parking lot. We started on our way and had some really cool views of the little lakes valley below. I hadn't hiked the Mono Pass trail since I was about 12 years old when I hiked it with Grandma Bobbi and my friend, Nate. It was definitely a more physically demanding hike than Morgan Pass because of the elevation gain. As we got closer to the ridge, we encountered a lot of snow, having to cross it a couple of times and walk through it other times. Some of the drifts were about 3 feet high. After passing through the Pass, we saw Summit Lake which still had ice on it. Both Trey and I made some videos to document the hike too and on one of my videos, as I was walking up to see what was over a ridge, Trey noticed that it had started snowing! We couldn't believe it! We took a break and used a large boulder as a wind break (it was really windy which I imagine made the temperature with the wind chill in the 20's) as we ate some snacks before heading back down. It was such a cool experience and Trey and I talked about how amazing the scenery was and the fact that we actually got it starting to snow on video too on the hike back. We got back to the cabin around 4:00 and Shelby and Judi were playing the Jungle Cruise game. They had also walked down to the lake to fish and got a couple of bites but didn't catch anything. They also picked and pressed flowers and drew some Lorcana cards and Shelby also did some other really cool drawings of her own. I made some macaroni and cheese and cooked the fish that Judi caught yesterday to go with it. We then played settlers and Trey, Judi, and I played Lorcana while Shelby took a shower and got ready for bed.  

Tues, June 24

Everyone was feeling pretty tired and because it had been so cold the past 2 mornings, the kids all wanted to sleep in so I went fishing by myself. It was actually a perfect morning with no wind and not a cloud in the sky. I caught 3 small fish and had 2 more fall off my line as I lifted them to the shore. When I got back to the cabin around 9:00, Trey and Judi were at the kitchen table organizing their Lorcana decks. We ate some breakfast and then played Lorcana until Shelby woke up. We decided to go on a hike to some of the lakes at Mosquito Flats. We brought our regular and telescope fishing poles to possibly fish at Mosquito Flats and in some of the back country lakes too. We decided to go the Morgan Pass way since that's where most of the lakes are. We stopped at Box lake and climbed down the steep cliff to get to the lake. Everyone tried fishing for a little bit but Judi and Trey ended up doing most of the fishing and Trey ended up catching his first trout - a 9.5 inch rainbow. I was so excited for him! I was getting ready to put a worm on Judi's hook when I hear Judi excitedly exclaim, "Trey's got one!" so I looked over and sure enough, Trey was bringing the fish to shore. He hooked the fish good through the lip. He said that he started to real in the salmon eggs when he felt a bite so he left it there for about another 30 seconds and the fish bit again and got hooked. After a little more fishing, the clouds rolled in and it started getting a little cold so we decided to head back. We cooked the trout for a late lunch and then Trey, Judi, and I played some Lorcana while Shelby played the Ukulele. I made spaghetti for dinner and then we played Settlers and Golf Mania (our Rock Creek tradition). Then it was bed time so we finished packing up all of our things and went to bed.

Wed June 25

I woke up round 7:30 and started getting things all packed up. Everyone was up shortly after and Shelby cleaned all the counters and stove, Judi swept all the floors and emptied the garbage's, and Trey and I packed the car and took the garbage's to the bin. We went to the store to check out and bought a few last minute souvenirs - post cards for Shelby and stickers for Judi and Trey. As we were driving down the steep windy road that goes back to the main highway 395, I was overcome with emotion because of the fact that this will probably be the last time that I have so many of the kids together at Rock Creek since Trey will be leaving on his mission and Shelby will have so many responsibilities going on in her life as she gets older. I feel so blessed that I have had these special times with my kids and have been able to create memories with them that my mom and grandparents created with me. We took in the amazing scenery on the drive home, endured the windy, up-and-down, and sometimes one lane roads that lead from Rock Creek to Hurricane. Judi got a little car sick. We had fun taking turns picking a song to play on the speakers and we also made our traditional stop in Beatty for Subway and gas. We got home around 6:00, unloaded the car, got unpacked, and played with the dogs. Judi's mom came to get her and then Shelby, Trey, and I had dinner and watched quite a few episodes of Lost before going to bed.

Quotes of the day: Shelby (on the road from Rock Creek to home) "If I were a cow, I'd want to be here."

Judi (after driving on the windy, up and down roads: "If I go flying, my guts are going to go with me."

Thurs, June 26

Because we stayed up so late, everyone slept in. I went to the store and did some yard work and then Judi came back over. She gave Nana a bath and then we came in and Trey was up eating breakfast so I ate with him. He then came outside and helped me try to fix a weed sprayer and helped me trim the "Shelby bush" in the front yard. We came in and Judi, Trey, and I played Lorcana and then Trey and I watched an episode of Modern Family while Judi played Minecraft. Shelby woke up and booked her flight back to school while Trey, Judi, and I went outside and played football. First, Trey and I threw the ball back and forth, then we tried to kick field goals, and then one of us would stand in the pit and throw a deep ball for the other person to get. It was so much fun and something I'll miss so much when Trey is on his mission. We then rode our bikes to check the mail and I came home and made dinner. We watched an episode of Lego Masters and then Judi went to her mom's house and Trey, Shelby, and I watched episodes of Lost and then went to bed.

Friday, June 27

I woke up at 9:00 to go to the post office. Trey woke up about 11:00 and we ate breakfast. Judi came over around noon and we went outside and Judi watered the plants and I sprayed the apples and grapes for bugs. Trey and I then watched Modern Family while Judi played minecraft. Judi, Trey, and I then played some Mario kart and then Judi and Trey played a little Minecraft together. Shelby woke up about 2:45 and we all went outside and threw the football around and played with the pets. Judi and Shelby also strolled through the grape arbor and sampled the grapes. We went in and Shelby rested on the couch while Trey and Judi played on the Switch and I made dinner. I also brought in my mission bins and went through one of them with Trey and Shelby. We watched Lego Masters while we ate and then went back outside. We all threw the football around for a little bit and then Trey and Judi "trained" Nana and Shelby and I weeded the garden. I am so grateful for Shelby's help - it's such a big job for one person to weed the whole yard. Judi then went to her mom's house and Trey, Shelby, and I finished season 1 of Lost and saw the first episode of season 2. We then went to bed.

Saturday, June 28

Judi came back over just after 9:00AM and she played Minecraft for a little bit. Trey woke up around 11:30. We ate breakfast and then watched the Rocket League tournament. It was fun watching it with him because I know he really enjoys Rocket League. We also organized our Disney pins while we watched. We then went outside for a little bit and looked at the fruit trees and played with the pets. When we came back in, Shelby was awake. I started getting the Easter Egg hunt ready and then the kids went out to find the eggs. It is a fun tradition. We then did the candy draft. Shelby then went into her room and finished her Disneyland ride chart while Judi and Trey played Mario Odyssey. I made dinner and we watched another Lego Masters while we ate. Trey, Judi, and I then went back outside and threw the firsbee around, playing monkey in the middle. Judi went home with her mom andn Shelby, Trey, and I came in and watched a bunch of episodes of Lost and went to bed.

Sunday, June 29

We woke up around 10:00 and got ready for church. Shelby, Trey, and I walked to church which I love doing with them. Because it was a 5th Sunday, we all met together after sacrament meeting which was really cool too. When we got home, we watched the finals of the Rocket League Major Tournament which was fun and we ate some lunch while we watched it. Trey and Shelby then took naps for a little bit and Judi and I played Mario Kart. Trey got up and we went outside for a little bit to play with the pets. Judi and Trey then came in and played Mario Odyssey while I got dinner ready. we watched Lego Masters while we ate and then we all went outside. Shelby weeded the garden, Trey and I threw the football around, and Judi played with and trained Nana. Judi then went home with her mom and Shelby, Trey, and I watched Lost before going to bed.

Monday, June 30

Everyone slept in for quite a while today. Trey woke up first just after noon and we ate breakfast. While we were eating, Judi came back over and the three of us rode our bikes to the mail to get the Lorcana Cards that were in the mail box. We looked through our cards and did a few trades too. Shelby woke up and looked through our cards with us and then went outside to pet Nana. We then all went to play pickleball which was so much for to me. I love spending time playing pickleball with the kids. Judi then went to swim and Shelby, Trey, and I came home and ate dinner and watched Lost until it was time for bed.

Tuesday, July 1

We got up a little earlier than normal this morning so we could go on our hike down to the river. Trey and Judi tried the rope swing first and then we all had fun floating and cooling off in the water. It was slightly lower than normal and very clear due to the lack of rain that we've been missing. Trey also skipped some rocks and everyone tried the rope swing again before we left. When we got home, Shelby and I had an otter pop and we all ate lunch. Then Judi, Trey, and I had a Lorcana card draft with the leftover cards. Loki came in and tried to get each one of us to pet him. Judi left with her mom at 3:00 and Shelby and I went outside to play catch with the football while Trey organized his Lorcana cards and made more playing decks. While Shelby and I played catch, it rained on us a little which was a lot of fun - the sun was still out too. We came back in and just hung out on the couch until Judi came back at 5:30 and we ate dinner and watched Lego Masters. After dinner, we went outside and tried to throw the football through the frisbee which was so much fun! Trey got it through a few times, Shelby got it through, and Judi barely missed it on her last throw. Shelby and Judi also picked some grapes from our grape vine to eat. Judi went back to her mom's at 7:00 and Trey, Shelby, and I came back in and watched Lost until we went to bed. We got to the middle of season 3. Tonight I had such a strong feeling that I didn't want the kids to go. I have had so much fun with them and I realize now that they are getting older, their visits might start becoming fewer and for a shorter time. I am so proud of each of them and always look forward to all the time I can spend with them.

Wednesday, July 2

Judi came back from her mom's house early and we played Mario Kart and did our stats until Trey woke up. Trey and I ate breakfast and then Trey and Judi played a little Mario Odyssey. We then finished the Lorcana card draft and played a game. Shelby got up and had breakfast and then we all went to play pickleball which was so much fun again. Trey won every game! We came home and had otter pops and lunch. Trey and then Shelby called their mom to talk about their upcoming cruise and Shelby's play, Cinderella. While Shelby was on the phone, Trey, Judi, and I played Mario Kart and then Trey and Judi played Minecraft. I also booked some Vikings tickets for the Bears game in November for me and Trey. I'm so excited to take him to a game. We then went outside and tried to throw the football through the frisbee. Our arms were still a little tired from the past few days so we didn't have as much luck today. We came in and had dinner and watched Lego Masters while we ate. Trey, Judi and I then went back outside and Judi played in the sandbox making a volcano for Splash and Loki to hide in. Trey and I threw football routes. I would stand down in the pit and Trey would run "go" routes" and then punt or kick the ball back to me. He kicked some really good punts and kicks! Then he ran a few post routes. Throwing the football to Trey is one of my favorite things to do while he's here. Shelby packed while we were outside. We came in and decided to do a movie pick out tonight before sparklers so Shelby decided what movies we would watch while Trey, Judi, and I went back outside and played monkey in the middle with the frisbee. We came in and watched Monsters University and then went outside and lit sparklers as is our tradition for the fourth of July - since the kids won't be here for the fourth this year, we celebrated early. We then came in, read scriptures and went to bed. 

Thursday, July 3

Judi woke up around 10:30 and we played Mario Kart until Trey got up around 11:30. We then all ate breakfast and Trey started packing so I went in his room and just hung out with him. While he was packing we heard Shelby's closet door close (which always sounds super loud in Trey's room) so we knew she was up too. The kids got all packed and said goodbye to the pets and then we headed out to the airport around 1:55pm. We dropped Judi off at her mom's and got gas on the way too. We chatted about our visit - Shelby said the highlights for her were playing the Ukulele at Rock Creek, throwing the football through the frisbee, and throwing the football in the rain. Trey said his highlight was on our hike at Mono Pass when we walked up to the ridge and saw over it and then realized that it had started snowing. It was such a fun visit even though it was shorter than normal due to a cruise with their mom. Saying goodbye was so tough because I probably won't see them together again for a few years with Trey going on his mission and Shelby in college and starting her life. I sure miss them already!

Walt Disney World May 28-June 3 2025

 Wednesday, May 28

Judi and I left for the Las Vegas airport at about 3:15AM to catch an early flight. We had a connection in Tennessee and just as we were about to take off from Tennessee, I got a text from Trey saying that they had landed in Orlando. Our flight was 10 minutes early too and Judi and I met Shelby, Trey, and Lizi at the baggage claim. We got our bags, got our rental car from Alamo, and headed on our way to Walmart. On our way, I figured everyone was probably hungry and also that it might save time if we just stopped real quick to grab a bite to eat at a fast food place. We happened to be driving by a Burger King so we stopped real quick and got a bit to eat. We then went to Walmart to get stocked up on groceries. We spent $217 which isn't bad considering it's for 5 people for every breakfast, lunch, and 3 dinners. From Walmart, we went to check in at the Caribbean Beach Resort, which was so awesome! We checked in at the main building - Old Port Royal, and then drove to our room in the Aruba section (room 5543). We got settled and then went to Disney Springs to look around and trade pins. There weren't too many good pins this time but it was still fun. We got back to the room around 10:30PM and went to bed.

Thursday, May 29

Animal Kingdom - The park opened at 8:00 (7:30 for us since we had early entry) so we planned on being there around 7:00. We decided to drive because from what I read it was a little faster than taking the bus. We parked and headed to the entry where I got our physical tickets while the kids waited in line to get in. I got them just in time and once we got in, we headed for Kilimanjaro Safaris. We saw most of the animals - and it's just a lot of fun to see any of them roaming around on the "savannah." We also did the Avatar Flight of Passage which was Judi's first time doing it and she loved it so we did it again later too. Lizi was excited to do Expedition Everest so she, Trey and Shelby did that one and also Dinosaur which is being changed into Indiana Jones later this year. They said it was a little scary and it was a good thing that Judi didn't go on it. Judi and I did the Maharajah Trail and then we all met up and took the train to Conservation Station and Rafiki's Planet Watch where we learned how to draw Minnie Mouse. The girls also did the Kali River Rapids - Trey and I decided to stay dry. We also watched a Lion King show in a theater in the round. Everyone seemed to like it ok. At the end of the day, we rode the Kilimanjaro Safari's a few times in a row and got stopped twice by a giraffe that decided to stand in the middle of the road. The park closed at 7:00 so we headed back to our room and had some Ramen and chicken for dinner. After dinner, Judi and I walked over to Port Royal to trade pins. 

Friday, May 30

Hollywood Studios - The park opened at 9:00 (8:30 for us) so we got there around 8:15. We took the Skyliner to get there which was so fun!! When we got there, we discovered the same thing as the previous day - that they were letting everyone in early. Shelby, Trey, and Lizi thought it would be a good idea to get on some of the bigger rides early so they went on Tower of Terror and the Rockin' Roller Coaster while Judi and I waited in line at the Slinky Dog Dash. It was a bad idea! We ended up waiting for 2 hours and 15 minutes (so long that Shelby, Trey, and Lizi finished both of their rides and Lizi came and hopped in line with us and we still waited another 30 minutes or so. While we were in line, it was raining. fortunately, we had just made it to the covered part of the line. We heard that we were the very last group they let on before they shut it down because of the rain. We went to several shows - Indiana Jones stunt show, Beauty and the Beast, a villains show, the Little Mermaid show, and Muppet Vision 3D. We had our picture taken with Darth Vader, went on Star Tours and Rise of the Resistance (I went twice while Judi and Trey went on Smugglers Run). Lizi, Judi, and I also went on Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway. At the end of the day we went to a really cool outdoor theater and watched Fantasmic! We then came home and had Ramen and chicken for dinner.

Saturday, May 31

Rest Day - Lizi and I got up around 9:00AM and went to Character Warehouse to see if we could find any good deals. We found a really cool sweatshirt and t-shirt for Lizi. We came back to our room and everyone was just starting to wake up. We went to the main pool by Old Port Royal which is themed to an old spanish pirates fort. There are two water slides which were fun. We first found a beach ball and hit it around in the pool for a while. After spending some time at the main pool, we decided to head to the Aruba pool since it would probably be a bit quieter. Shelby, Lizi, and Judi swam there for a bit while Trey and I lounged about on a pool chair. We headed back to the room and had some Ramen and chicken for lunch and then the kids all decided they wanted to have a nap so while they napped, I took the Skyliner to the Art of Animation and Pop Century resorts to trade pins. It was a lot of fun to see the different resorts. When I got back, everyone got up and started getting ready to go to Disney Springs. I made a reservation to eat at the T-Rex Cafe. We traded pins on the way there and were seated in the Reef Dining area (by the fish). Lizi, Shelby, and I got the chicken alfredo; Judi got the fire roasted rotisserie chicken, and Trey got the cajun shrimp and ravioli. Everyone liked the food. We stopped at the Art of Disney store where I bought a couple of things and then headed back. When We got back to the hotel, I mentioned to everyone that there was a pin trading event at the Pop Century Resort that night at 9:30 so Lizi, Judi, and I hopped on the Skyliner and went over there. There was a trash can that had 2 sides filled with pins and we also went to the 3 pin boards inside the main hall. It was a lot of fun - we also walked over to the Art of Animation Resort to check out the pin boards there before heading back and going to sleep.

Sunday, June 1

Epcot - It opened at 9:00 (8:30 for us) so we got moving around 7:45. We took the Skyliner which is always so cool! It dropped us off by the France Pavillion and Ratatouille was closed so we walked around and went to Frozen first. We then made it over to Ratatouille which had just opened. We also went on the Gran Fiesta Tour in Mexico while we were over there. We then went to the Land Pavillion and did Living with the Land and Soarin'. We also headed over to the Finding Nemo ride, did Journey into Imagination with Figment, a show called Awesome Planet, and Mission Space. Trey, Judi and I did the Green version and Shelby and Lizi did the Orange. Shelby, Trey, and Lizi wanted to try out the new Guardians of the Galaxy ride and they liked it pretty well. Judi and I walked around the whole World Showcase while they did Guardians. We also did Spaceship Earth and had our picture taken with Pluto and Minnie. There is so much walking at Epcot and our feet were so tired so it was nice to sit down while we watched Turtle Talk with Crush (even though the voice of Crush wasn't very good). Shelby, Trey, and Lizi also did Journey of Water for the first time too which was a lot of fun. We got our picture taken there too. There was a butterfly enclosure that Shelby loved! She, Lizi, and Judi tried to get the butterflies to land on them (while Trey and I were looking for something to swat them with!). We also watched the show Luminous at the World Showcase waters at the end of the day. But before we left, we walked over to Spaceship Earth and took pictures. Because we waited to leave, the like to get back on the Skyliner was crazy long but it moved fast and we only ended up waiting 25 minutes. 

Monday, June 2

Magic Kingdom -  The park opened at 9:00 (8:30 for us) so we left our room at 7:40AM. We took the Riviera Bus to get there since it is faster than driving and then having to take the Monorail or boats. Shelby, Trey, and Lizi wanted to get to Tron before the lines got too long so they went there first and Judi and I went to the Tomorrowland Speedway. We also all had fun on the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (Judi especially loved it). Shelby and Lizi were dressed as Wendy and Tinker Belle so they had a great time interacting and taking pictures with first, Captain Hook and Smee, and later, Peter Pan and Wendy. Shelby sprayed Captain Hook and Smee with "pixie dust." We also had fun going on Peter Pan, Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, Tiki Room (while getting ice cream at the Sunshine Terrace), and Country Bear Jamboree. Shelby, Lizi, and I also went on Tiana's Bayou Adventure which was better than I expected but still not close to Splash Mountain. In Tomorrowland we went on the Carousel of Progress and People Mover. We also did Mosters Inc Laugh Floor where Trey was singled out on the screen and chosen to be Randall and asked to "disappear" to which Trey slid down in his seat and made everyone in the theater laugh! It was so fun! One of the most fun things we did was the Treasures of the Seven Seas Scavenger Hunt. We did boys vs girls. It was so fun doing it with Trey! He is awesome at reading a map! Lizi didn't seem too enthusiastic about doing it at first but by the end I think she liked it. We also went on Haunted Mansion which broke down right as we got out of the elevator. We got fast passes to come back but we happened to be in the area when it reopened so we just walked right on it and never ended up using the fast passes. Shelby, Ttey, and Lizi also wanted to go on Space Mountain so they did that at closing while Judi and I went on Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Winnie the Pooh. We met them at the exit and headed back to the bus stop for the Riviera Resort to get back to our hotel. 

Tuesday, June 3

Our flight left at 6:05AM so we had to wake up around 2:30 after going to bed around 12:30AM. We got to the airport about 1 hour and 50 minutes before our flight and got our boarding passes. We then saw the bag drop line which was INSANE! I have never seen a line that long before at an airport. We made it to our gate as they were boarding the plane and we all got seats together to Dallas. When we got to Dallas, Shelby, Trey, and Lizi went to baggage claim to wait for their mom to pick them up and Judi and I waited for our connection to Las Vegas. It was such a fun trip!

Spring Break 2025 Mar 7-17

Friday March 7

Judi and I headed to the Las Vegas airport at 8:00pm so we could get there about 30 minutes before the plane landed. The plane was 30 minutes late which just means that we get back to the home later - at about 1:30AM. We had a fun car ride home and talked the whole way about Lizi's Cinderella and Disney Cabaret plays, football, pickleball, Trey's Drivers License test, and much more. When we got to the house I made a couple of bowls of late night ramen noodles for everyone and then we went to bed at about 2:15AM

Saturday, March 8

Trey woke up first around 10:30 and was on the couch when I came out to the living room. Judi heard us talking and came out as well. They are some cereal and I at with them - didn't eat because of some stomach problems. Trey and Judi played some Rocket League and then Lizi woke up and ate breakfast. We then got our pins boards out and reorganized our pins and did some pin trading for quite a while. The kids ate some lunch when they got hungry too. Judi and I went to feed the neighbors dogs while they are on vacation and Lizi set up Lego Disneyland. Trey played on his phone. We then all went to the back yard and walked around for a little while. Lizi and Judi jumped on the trampoline and also did some cartwheels and back bends on the grass. Trey and I went in to make dinner. He was such an awesome help since I wasn't feeling great. We made spaghetti and watched Elemental while we ate. After dinner and the movie Lizi and Judi played Minecraft and Trey played on his phone while I did the dishes. We then did our bedtime routine and had a fun time just talking for about 2 hours before we decided that we better get to bed.  

Sunday, March 9

We went to choir practice before church at 11:30 and everyone woke up just in time to leave - especially Lizi who had set her alarm on PM and was woken up by Trey knocking on her door at 11:15. Judi and I went to feed the neighbors dogs before we left too. After church we came home and Lizi and Judi played Lego Disneyland for a little bit. Trey and I went outside and threw the football a little. Judi came out and played in the sand box and on the trapeze on the swing set. Lizi then came outside and we played ladder ball which was a lot of fun. The most fun though was when Lizi would throw the frisbee in the air and Trey would stand on one side and me on the other and we would try to throw the ball through the middle of the frisbee. Just was recording it on my phone. We did that until the football broke Trey's watch band when we went to catch the ball. Fortunately we were able to fix it when we came inside. I made some chicken alfredo for dinner and we watched Wreck it Ralph while we ate. Lizi started planning out our Disney shirts for this years' Disneyland Trip and we watched Once Upon a Studio to get character ideas. Then Judi, Trey, and I then shot the nerf guns at high chew candy Judi placed on top of the target. We then got ready for bed.

Monday, March 10

I had to get up early for an MRI on my stomach and when I got home at about 11:15 Trey was up and we watched an episode of Modern Family. Judi then came back over after spending the night at her mom's and she played Minecraft on the Switch while Trey and I watched a couple more episodes. Lizi woke up around 12:30 and ate breakfast and then we all went outside to do some yard work. Trey and Lizi dug out an old peach tree stump and I cut down our old "kick ball" apricot tree that died. (It had special memories because when we would play kick ball in the back yard when the kids were younger, anytime someone kicked the ball into the tree and knocked apricots off, there would be that many more "outs' added to the inning). As I would chop off the branches, Judi would drag them down into the pit so we can burn them later this week. After the yard work, we came back in and had lunch and Lizi started working on our Disneyland shirts for this summer. Judi played more on the switch and Trey and I watched a couple more episodes of Modern Family. We then all went back outside and Judi played in the sand box while Trey, Lizi, and I threw the football through the frisbee again. Lizi tried it today and she made it through! It has been so much fun doing that! Lizi and Judi also practiced cartwheels and flips on the trampoline and grass. I ran to get some blood work done and then came back home and got dinner ready - we had wok chicken. In the past it hasn't been the kids' favorite but Trey had seconds tonight and said that he liked it. We watched some old Disney Short cartoons while we ate because we didn't have time for a movie before Judi and I had to go clean the rock shop. While we were at the rock shop, Lizi and Trey had showers and picked out a movie - Spiderman Homecoming - to watch when I got home. We then went to bed.

Tuesday, March 11

Trey got up first around 10:30 and we ate breakfast and watched an episode of Modern Family. Judi got dropped off and Lizi woke up around the same time. Judi and I fed the neighbor dogs and then we all went to play pickleball. We played a game of doubles, then Trey and Judi took me on, and then Trey and I played singles. Trey played so good and had me worried for a little bit! When we got home, Lizi worked on the Disneyland shirts, taking them outside and bleaching them. They all turned out really good. While she was working on the shirts, Trey and I burned the branches we cut down yesterday and Judi started a little bonfire and roasted marshmallows. Lizi joined her and they roasted grapes, chocolate, and graham crackers too. After the fire burned out, we just kind of relaxed outside for a while and hung around the swing set and couch swing - it was such a nice day, around 65 degrees and sunny. Lizi, Judi, and Trey then played some soccer which was fun to watch. When we came inside, we played the Disney color match game and then I finished dinner - chicken rice casserole, and we watched Mulan while we ate. After dinner, Lizi and Judi played with Lego while Trey and I watched Modern Family. The kids then all dished up some ice cream and we watched Ralph Breaks the Internet. The kids all did some exercises and then we looked at the 2024 family pictures on the wall before heading to bed.

Wednesday, March 12

Trey and Judi woke up first and we all ate breakfast together. Because we went to bed so late the night before they got up around 11:00 and Lizi woke up shortly after and ate some breakfast. We all went outside and played Bocce Ball. Trey and I played a game by ourselves afterward while Judi and Lizi jumped on the tramp. Trey and I then went to play some pickleball. We first worked on speed ups which I thought Trey did really good at and then we played a few games. I love playing pickleball with Trey! When we got home, Judi was on the switch and Lizi was drawing ideas for her Disney bounding outfit so Trey and I watched a couple of episodes of Modern Family. We then went out to the front yard and pulled weeds in the asparagus for about 20 minutes. I so appreciate their help and they do such a great job. When we came back in, Lizi painted Smokey's grave stone and Judi, Trey, and I played Rocket League. I then started warming up some leftovers for dinner and Judi went home with her mom. Trey, Lizi, and I watched Infinity War and Endgame while we ate dinner and had ice cream. Lizi also showed me some head shots from her play (to help her choose which one to use) and Trey and I talked about possible jobs for him. Then we went to bed.

Thursday, March 13

Judi was dropped off around 10:00 and Lizi woke up shortly after that around 10:30. Trey was up right after that and we all ate breakfast together. It was a cold, rainy day today so we spent pretty much all of the day inside. For a short time, Judi and I went outside while Trey played on his phone on the couch and Lizi worked on the Lego Haunted Mansion. When I came back inside I helped Lizi find some white lego figure faces so she could use them as the Haunted Mansion busts. I also helped her organize and go through the Lego under her bed. Trey and I watched a little Modern Family as Lizi and Judi worked on Lego (Lizi Haunted Mansion and Judi with a dragon she was making), and then played Minecraft. We also spent a little time talking about our trip to Walt Disney World. We had a fun time playing the Disney Color Brain game. Trey decided that he wanted to try it on his own tonight (typically he and I are on the same team since he's slightly color blind) but tonight he won the first two games! Lizi won the games we played a couple nights ago. We then all played Sabacc. I really enjoy playing games with the kids. After Sabacc, just went to her mom's house and Trey, Lizi, and I watched Hunger Games and had ice cream before going to bed.

Friday, March 14

Everyone woke up a little earlier than normal so we could possibly go sledding. I texted a friend in Cedar City who lives close to where we go sledding and he said that there was one inch of snow at his house. I was hopeful that there would be enough snow to sled and as we got closer to our spot it looked promising. Normally it's pretty busy but today there weren't very many people sledding and it was cold, but that was good so the snow didn't melt. We all had so much fun going down the hill. After a little while, Lizi started making a jump and quickly Trey jumped in to help. I helped load up the sleds with snow to bring to them to dump on the ramp to make it bigger. They made the perfect ramp and everyone (except me) caught a lot of air as they jumped off of it. After about 2 hours we decided to come back home and have some lunch. After lunch, Trey and Judi played on their computer and switch on the couch - it is fun to see them sit next to each other and do that. Lizi and I organized legos. Well, I started helping her but she ended up doing most of it by herself - she spent a long time on it and did such a great job! I then got dinner ready and we had chicken, potatoes, and macaroni and cheese with home made cookies for desert. Our neighbor Jenny Christiansen came over and paid Judi for watching her dogs and Judi was so happy to see $100 in the envelope! While we ate dinner we watched Kronks new Groove. After we ate, we Lizi called her mom, Trey and I watched Modern Family, and Judi played Minecraft. We then played Disney Color Brain and Sabacc and Trey, Lizi, and I watched Hunger Games 2 while Judi played Minecraft and drew. Then we went to bed.

Saturday, March 15

Lizi's mom called around 10:30 and asked me to wake Lizi up so she could talk to her. Judi came out of her room about the same time and Trey followed a few minutes later. Trey, Judi, and I all ate breakfast and then Trey and I watched Modern Family while Judi played Minecraft. Lizi woke up and ate breakfast and then she and Judi drew some pictures of Cup Head characters while Trey played Cup Head on his computer. Lizi and Judi went outside and played on the trampoline while Trey and I went to play pickleball. When we came home, we all went back outside and Trey and I threw the football threw the frisbee that Lizi tossed in the air for us. Lizi also practiced her front flips too and Trey and I threw passes and ran routes. Judi played on the swing set. We came in and just relaxed and talked on the couch. Lizi and I looked over the Disney Springs Map and looked at the Walt Disney World Resort layout also. Trey and I then went to get some pizza from Little Caesars and we watched Alexander and the Terrible Day while we ate. After the movie Trey, Lizi, and I watched Hunger Games while Judi played on the Switch. We then went to bed.

Sunday, March 16

Trey woke up first and Lizi got up about 15 minutes before we had to leave for church. It was a nice day outside so we walked which I love doing with the kids. The Mangelsons are the kids' Sunday School teachers and Lizi really likes them. We walked home and had lunch and then I had to go to a ward re-alignment meeting and while I was there Lizi cleaned out her closet, Trey played video games on his computer and Judi drew more Cup Head drawings. When I got home, we went outside and Judi and Lizi practiced the Disney Fantasy Parade dance with their ribbons. It is so fun to watch them do it together and they are pretty well synchronized too! Trey and I threw the football around and then watched an episode of Modern Family. I asked the kids what they wanted for dinner and Lizi and Trey wanted Ramen and Judi wanted cheesy noodles so that's what I made. We watched Big Hero 6 while we ate. Then Lizi put away Lego Disneyland and she and Trey packed while Judi played Minecraft. It was so fun talking with the kids while they were packing. That's really one of my favorite things to do - just talk to them. Then we went to bed.

Monday, March 17

The worst day is here - time to take the kids back to the airport. We had to leave our house at 2:30AM to make the 5:30 Vegas flight. Lizi and Judi wanted to try to sleep in the back seat so Trey and I didn't talk at all. Every now and then I heard some giggling in the back seat because Lizi was using Judi as a pillow. We got to the airport and Judi and I got gate passes to walk with the kids to their gate. The kids got to sit in the 2nd row! I already miss them!

December 19 - Jan 5th 2024-2025

 Thursday, 19th

I happened to wake up at 4:10AM and realized that Shelby should be on her way to the Idaho Falls Airport so I sent her a text to see if she was on her way. She didn't respond for a while so my mind started worrying that maybe she had slept in. But she eventually texted me back to met me know that she made it to the airport and was in line at security. She texted me about 5:30am to let me know she was boarding and again when she landed in Salt Lake. She had about a 2 hour layover there and at about 9:45am she let me know she was boarding the plane for the flight to St George. As I headed to the airport, I saw her plane in the air. She beat me to the airport by about 7 minutes but I got to baggage claim just about 30 seconds before she did. We drove home and she loved all the Christmas decorations. I showed her some of the new Disney stuff and then we had lunch. Shelby finished working on her essay for school and read it to me. It was really good! Then we went outside to play with Nana right before picking up Judi at school. Judi was so excited to see Shelby. We came home and walked the dogs to the mail. and then just sort of took it easy for a little while before going to the Ward Christmas Party. Shelby was nervous to go but ended up enjoying it. The food was good - especially some really good pasts from "Italy" (there were many different booths representing different parts of the world with food from each of those countries). Judi went over to her mom's house and Shelby and I came home and talked until about midnight. It was so good to just spend time with her. Then we went to bed.

Friday, 20th

I woke up and ran a few errands. I got home and Shelby woke up around 11:30. We had some breakfast and then went to pick Judi up from school. We went outside and played catch with the football. We then rode our bikes to the mail and in the pit. We also got out Judi's bow and arrows and shot them for quite a while which was a lot of fun. We came in and Shelby and I worked on FAFSA while Judi played Minecraft. We then wrapped some presents and put them under the tree. We had dinner and watched the Christmas Movie Noel and then Shelby and Judi played Mine Craft. Shelby went in to take a nap because she said that minecraft had given her a little motion sickness. Judi and I played in a Rocket League Tournament and made it to the finals. We then all left for the airport and stopped by Vern and Linda's on the way to drop off a couple of things and get a couple of things from them. Shelby enjoyed meeting Vern and said she thought he was really nice. We hit a lot of traffic at the airport and got there just after 11:00PM. We headed to the baggage claim to wait for Trey and Lizi. There flight was pretty much on time and it was so fun to see how excited they all were to see each other. Shelby ran up to Lizi and gave her a hug and Judi ran up to Trey. Seeing the reunion was such a special moment. We got the bag and headed back home. Lizi and Shelby talked a lot in the back seat and Trey and I in the front. We got home at 3:15AM and the kids all said they were hungry so I made them each two things of ramen noodles and we went to bed just after 4:00AM.

Saturday 21st

I was thinking we'd sleep in for quite a while today but I should have known how excited Judi would be to get up and play with the kids. I heard her up and about at 9:30AM - just a little over 5 hours after she went to bed. Trey was the next one up around 11:00AM and we all ate breakfast together and then played Rocket League. Lizi got up next around 12:00 or so and ate some breakfast and then she and I went in to wrap some presents. While we were wrapping presents Shelby woke up and ate some breakfast and then she, Judi, and Lizi organized all the presents under the tree. Trey and Judi played Rocket League. Lizi then started setting up lego Disneyland and Trey and I went outside to throw the football around. Judi and Shelby played minecraft. When Trey and I came in, I put the football game on tv and Trey and I watched a little bit of it and I also helped Lizi with Lego Disneyland a little. Shelby and Judi put on the Disney version of minecraft and all the kids thought it was pretty cool. Judi, Trey, and I then walked the dogs to the mail and Lizi and Shelby continued to do lego Disneyland. When We got back, I started dinner. We ate wok chicken while watching Home Alone. It was still early but Lizi and Shelby decided that they better head to bed. Judi and I played in a Rocket League tournament but in the middle of it I got a hair cut so Trey took over for me. Then Judi left with her mom so Trey took over for her, Trey and I made it to the finals but then the game crashed and kicked us out so we finished second, It was a lot of fun. We then decided to head to bed too.

Sunday 22nd

We got up and went to church in the morning. I love walking to church with the kids - I remarked as we were walking that it's crazy to me that they are all so tall and grown up now because as we were walking to church I just remember how little they used to be. I'm not sure if that makes any sense but it's just crazy how fast time has flown by. Lizi, Judi, and I sang in the choir which was so much fun to do with them. I sat between Trey and Lizi in Sacrament meeting. We walked home and took some pictures in the front yard then came in and got changed. We ate lunch and then Lizi, Judi, and Shelby all worked on constructing the frames of their houses out of card board boxes and Trey and I watched football. The Vikings game didn't start until the afternoon but when it started we watched all the live highlights (it wasn't on tv). Lizi also tried wood burning and made a flower which was amazing! I can't believe how talented she is. Judi and Lizi played Disney minecraft also which was fun to watch. Shelby, Trey, and I also enjoyed a cup of egg nog while we watched football and worked on ginger bread house construction. Judi and I played in a Rocket League Tournament and did really good until the game crashed and kicked us out. We had dinner and watched Home Alone 2 and then drove around to look at Christmas lights. When we got home, Trey, Judi, and I played Rocket League and Lizi and Shelby sat on the couch with us. The girls and I then went to Liz's house to pick out some shoes for them. We came home, planned out our day for tomorrow and went to bed.

Monday 23rd

Judi and I woke up early to go clean the rock shop. We got home around 8:30 and played rocket league. Trey and Lizi woke up pretty soon after that and we all ate breakfast together. Shelby then got up too and started making chocolate chip cookies for us to pass out to the neighbors. Lizi and I ran to the store to buy some candy for the gingerbread houses. When we got home, we realized that we had forgotten a few things so I ran back to the store to get them. By the time I got back home, Shelby had finished the first batch of cookies so we started on the second batch and had some lunch too. Lizi started displaying the cookies on a paper plate to hand out to the neighbors. She does a great job with it. Once the second batch was done, Shelby started making the frosting for the ginger bread houses. Trey was on his phone on the couch and Lizi and Judi played minecraft once Lizi was done wrapping the cookies for the neighbors. I helped Shelby a little with the frosting because it is such a big job. We finally got all the frosting made and we started working on the houses. Trey and I worked on pre-made gingerbread houses and the girls had there's that they constructed yesterday out of cardboard. Trey's ended up looking great! Mine...not so much...Judi's was a cool re-creation of the vintage Matterhorn with a Skyway bucket going through the center. We couldn't believe she got the bucket to hold for as long as it did. Lizi did an amazing job with Sleeping Beauty Castle! I especially loved the drawbridge. And Shelby's lighthouse was amazing! I loved the rock work and fencing around the base. When we finished with the houses, Trey and Judi passed out 9 of the plates of cookies that we made and I ordered Pizza. Lizi and Shelby were still working on their houses when I left to pick up the pizza but Lizi had finished by the time I got back. So she took a break and we all watched Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas while we ate the pizza. When the movie was over, Shelby went back to working on her house, I put the Monday Night Football game on TV and Trey watched it. Judi and Lizi played minecraft and I started cleaning up whatever Shelby was done using on the table. Lizi also did a great job helping clean up. When Shelby was done and everything was cleaned up, she started on the biggest project yet - cleaning the outside of the fish tank. I had actually started to clean it a couple of times but then stopped once I realized how much time it was going to take. But Shelby worked on it for about 2 hours and made it look so amazing! I can't believe she did all that work - especially after working all day baking cookies and making frosting! She basically took no time at all to relax. But the fish tank looks practically new again, thanks to Shelby's hard work. Around 9:15pm, I did a short family home evening about the importance of family and showed the kids a few minutes of home videos when I was 11 years old. I wasn't sure if it was boring them or not but afterwards, Lizi said she loved watching them which made me feel good. We then read scriptures and went to bed. 

Tuesday 24th

Trey, Judi, and I woke up first and ate some breakfast and then played some Rocket League. Lizi got up and ate breakfast while we were playing. After she was done eating, she and Judi played Minecraft. Shelby then woke up and we all hiked to the extinct volcano north of town. It was a perfect day for it - about 62 degrees. We got home and had lunch and Trey and I walked the dogs to the mail. We then took our family Christmas picture with all the pets and then Lizi and Judi played more Minecraft and Shelby relaxed on the recliner. Lizi and Judi made smoothies with frozen fruit, lemonade, and strawberries. They tasted really good! We then had dinner and watched 2 episodes of the holiday Lego Masters. Trey and I then played some Rocket League and Lizi painted the ornament for Splash which looks so good! We then watched Mickey's Christmas Carol and Small one and read Luke 2 before heading to bed. And actually, Lizi, Judi, and I were up when the clock struck midnight and the girls got so excited that it was Christmas!

Wednesday 25th

We decided that we would all wake up at 9:00am to start opening presents. In the past all the kids have slept in the living room but this year only Lizi and Judi stayed there - Lizi on the big couch and Judi on the floor in front of her. I wanted to do Green Beard before I went to bed but I could hear Lizi and Judi were still awake so I ended up waking up about 1:55am and did it then. I went out to the living room at 8:55am and when I sat on the couch, Judi heard me and woke up. Trey came out of his room at about the same time and Lizi slowly woke up on the couch too. Shelby came out and we did the Green Beard scavenger hunt. The clues were harder this year but the kids figured them out fast as usual. Then we all opened presents. Shelby made the most amazing "Adventure Book" for me. Tears streamed down my face as I looked through it and read the different things she had in it. Judi loved her nerf gun and also got a baby in a blanket and lego sets. Lizi got a lego trout, phone case, and film. Trey got a camelback, hats, and a poker set. Shelby got a cooking set, Rock Creek sweat shirt, and a book trilogy. We were done opeing everything by a little after 10:00. Trey started putting together a small Boba Fett lego set first, Judi started opening up her nerf gun. Shelby started reading her book. I took Judi to her mom's at 11:00 and when I got back, Trey and I played rocket league while the kids rotated a webchat. Lizi also used her new paint set and painted a really cool Christmas greenery with ornaments. Judi came back around 1:00 or so and she, Lizi, and I worked on putting together the mini lego trout set that Lizi got and the bigger set that Judi got. I started dinner around 2:30, picking rosemary from the garden and getting the cornish game hens ready. Trey made the mashed potatoes and they turned out so good! Lizi got the table all set - we used Grandma Judi and Grandma Bobbi's dinnerware which was really fun to use. I also made some Ratatouille and we used the same mugs that I used when I was a kid with all of my family's names on them. I got my cup and Judi got Grandma Judi's. Lizi got Suzi's, Trey got Grandpa Rowlands, and Shelby got Grandma Bobbi's. Throughout dinner, at times we pretended to be the people who's mugs we had. it was funny. The cornish game hens weren't quite ready when we first took them out so we had to put them back in and start eating the mashed potatoes and Ratatouille first. The neat thing about dinner was that Lizi kept asking a lot of questions about my family which really meant a lot to me and was fun to talk about. It was a little sad realizing that this might be the last Christmas dinner we all have together. After dinner, Lizi and Judi played minecraft, Trey played on his phone and Shelby's mom had her look up some clothes online to see what she wanted. They all helped clean up dinner too which was really cool. Trey and I watched a couple episodes of Modern Family while Shelby and Lizi looked at the clothes online and Judi played on the Switch. We then watched the Rocket League World Cup and then the girls came out to the living room and we all talked until after midnight. It was such a fun day! 

Thursday 26th

I got up at 6:00am and went to the store for the after Christmas sales and then came back home and slept a little longer. Because we went to bed so late the night before - and I found out that Lizi and Shelby watched a movie in their room even after the rest of us went to bed - we slept in a little longer than normal. Judi was up first at 10:30 and started playing the switch. Trey got up pretty soon after that and we ate breakfast and then played Rocket League. Judi wanted to play a different game on the switch after a while so Trey and I watched a Modern Family episode. Lizi then got up and Judi, Trey, and I went outside to throw the frisbee and football and Lizi cooked eggs for her breakfast. It's been pretty nice in the sun - today was about 52 degrees. Trey also helped me take a T post out of the ground while we were out there. Then Judi, Trey, and I went to check the mail while Lizi put stickers on her water bottle. When we got back, Lizi and Judi played Minecraft and Trey and I watched Modern Family. Shelby finally woke up around 3:30 and we watched family home videos for a couple of hours before I started making spaghetti for dinner. We watched Chronicles of Narnia while we ate and Judi's mom came to pick her up during the movie. Shelby, Trey, Lizi, and I then watched the second Narnia movie and then spent some time talking before heading to bed.

Friday 27th

Judi was up first around 9:45. I ran to the store and when I got back around 10:45, Trey had just gotten up as well. The three of us ate breakfast and then played Rocket League. Lizi then got up too, ate breakfast, and then the four of us rode our bikes to check the mail and then went to the back yard to rake leaves. Just as we were finishing, Shelby came outside and was making a home video. We finished just before the garbage truck came and rushed the garbage can back out to the street. As Trey and Shelby were wheeling the garbage cans back in, Judi and Lizi were hiding in them and Trey asked, Daddy, where do you want me to put these?" So I came over and right as I did, Lizi and Judi popped out of them and scared me half to death! It was so funny! After raking the leaves, we came in and frosted some sugar cookies. Then Shelby, Trey, and I played pickleball and Lizi and Judi worked on Lego Disneyland with the new lights that came in the mail today. I loved playing pickleball with them - it's one of my favorite things to do with them. When we got back, Lizi, Judi, Trey, and I played Sabaac while Shelby worked on poetry. I then made some chicken alfredo for dinner and we watched Aristocats while we ate. Judi then went to her Mom's house and Trey and I watched a little Modern Family while Shelby painted some magnets and Lizi worked on Lego Disneyland, specifically the Christmas Fantasy Parade. We then all decided to play Sabacc and then went to bed. 

Saturday, 28th

Judi came back over just before 10:00 and she and I played Rocket League until about 11:15 when Trey woke up. We then ate breakfast and then Trey and I watched Modern Family while Judi played Minecraft. Lizi woke up around 12:15 and ate some eggs for breakfast. We then all went outside and played catch with the football. I had so much fun throwing the football from down in the pit to Trey and Lizi who would run routes and then try to catch my passes. They both caught just about all of my good passes! And Judi tried a few too! So much fun! Trey hurt his toe by sliding on some dog poop and hitting the cinderblock wall wit his toe. We iced it quite a bit today and he said it felt quite a bit better tonight. After we came in when Trey hurt his toe, while we iced it, Shelby tried to do his hair and Lizi and Judi played Lego Disneyland. Shelby then started reading her book and Trey and I watched a couple more episodes of Modern Family. Lizi and I sorted some of our pins too for a little bit and then Judi, Lizi, Trey, and I played some Sabacc and I quit early and put all my chips into the middle so I could start dinner. The kids loved playing for all the chips in the pot when I left - it was fun to see how excited they were with all those chips in the middle. They love Ramen so I made it for me, Trey, Shelby, and Lizi, and Judi ate leftover Chicken Alfredo. We watched Peter Pan while we ate. After Peter Pan, Liz came over and we all played Sabacc and then Clue. Judi then went home with her and Shelby and I watched Clue while Lizi and Trey went to bed. After the movie, Shelby and I went to bed too.

Sunday, 29th

We got up a bit earlier than normal to get ready for church. Lizi and Shelby even gave themselves enough time to eat breakfast. (Trey doesn't eat because sometimes his stomach gives him problems if he does) I had originally planned on walking to church because I love doing that with the kids but with Trey's toe still not feeling great, I decided it would probably be a better idea to drive. Because it was a 5th Sunday today, the adults and youth were combined. So I got to sit with Shelby for the first time in an adult class which was so awesome! Trey and Lizi said that Buggy (Kathleen Wheeler) said hello to them at church which was so nice of her. After church we came home and had lunch. Lizi worked on a  wood burning project of some carp which turned out really good. The Vikings game came on at 2:15pm and Trey, Lizi, Judi, and I all got dressed in Vikings gear and watched the game. Lizi asked a lot of questions and seemed to understand a lot more of it this time which was really fun. The Vikings had a big early lead, squandered it, but held on to win. It was so fun to watch it with the kids. After the game I got dinner ready and we watched The Hunchback of Notre Dame while we ate. Lizi has been feeling sick so she decided to get to bed early and Shelby did too so Trey and Judi played some Rocket League while I did dishes and then I played a couple of games with them too before we got ready for bed.

Monday, 30th

I heard the bathroom door close while I was still in bed this morning so I figured Judi was up but when I got out of bed I realized that it was Lizi up first today. She was still feeling a bit sick and after I came back out to the living room after taking a shower she was asleep on the couch. Trey and Judi both woke up soon after and we all ate breakfast together. We then all went outside for a little bit to be in the sun. It's a little bit cold in the shade still but it feels nice in the sun. We played with the dogs for a little bit and and then Judi wanted to ride bikes in the pit so I rode with her and Trey and Lizi went back inside. We came in and Shelby was up. Shelby and I worked on finding plane tickets for her to get back to Texas after the semester is over and Trey and Judi played minecraft. Lizi relaxed on the couch. Trey and I then went to the UPS Store to drop off a return he had and then ran to the post office to drop off a letter for Shelby and to Walmart. Shelby went down to the clubhouse and did a chalk drawing on one of the walls of the Tangled scene. It looks amazing! When we got home, Judi played Minecraft and Shelby, Trey, Lizi, and I played Sabacc. I then made some Spanish Rice for dinner. We watched Cool Runnings while we ate which I had forgotten how much I liked. After dinner I put the football game on and we all sort of just talked in the living room with the game in the background. Shelby asked what feature I wish I had in a house. Judi went home with her mom and then Trey and I played a few games of Rocket League and then we all went to bed.

Tuesday, 31st

Trey woke up first and we watched a few episodes of Modern Family. Judi woke up next and we all ate breakfast together. Lizi then got up and we all went outside for a little bit because it feels so nice to be in the sun on a brisk morning. We played with the pets for a little bit too. Shelby got up and cleaned out all the spider webs in the clubhouse and worked more on the Tangled chalk drawing on the wall. When she came in we all went to play pickleball and had fun! I love playing with the kids! When we got home, we sat in the living room and chatted and then watched the Olaf Presents shorts and a few other Frozen themed shorts while Shelby and Lizi sewed a couple of my pants for me. Lizi and I went outside in the front to change out some of the new Christmas lights I got at the after Christmas sale. It was fun setting them up with her! Shelby painted the grave stone for Daisy, Trey filled up the dog's water, and Judi took out the trashes. I'm so thankful that my kids are willing to help around the house. I then finished making Chicken Rice Casserole for dinner and we had our traditional Star Wars Marathon to ring in the new year. This year we watched episodes 4, 5, and 6. Splash curled up on Trey's lap and Smokey curled up on Lizi's for a while. It has been a great 2024 with lots of fun memories!

Wednesday, 1st

Because we stayed up so late, everyone slept in a bit. Judi woke up first followed shortly by Trey and we decided to play a couple of games of Rocket League before eating breakfast. After breakfast, Judi played minecraft so Trey and I watched a few episodes of Modern Family. Jake Reimers texted me in the morning too to see if we wanted to play pickleball at 2:00. I knew that a couple of the kids might not be too excited to play since we just played yesterday, but I thought we'd have a fun time so I agreed to it. Lizi and Shelby were still sleeping at 1:15 so I went in to wake them up. I talked Shelby into going and she got ready. When she came out of her room I noticed that Lizi was up to so I asked her if she wanted to go but she opted to stay. I was so impressed with how well everyone played! It was so much fun! We played for 2 hours and then we went to Walmart to pick up a few things. When we got home, Shelby, Trey, Judi, and I walked the dogs to the mail. Lizi had emptied the dishwasher by herself while we were gone (it's been a daily chore for all the kids to empty the dishwasher). Lizi also did a painting while we were gone. I warmed up some leftovers for dinner and we watched Frozen 2 while we ate. After Frozen 2, Shelby was on her phone in the recliner, Lizi took a shower, and Trey, Judi, and I played Rocket League. When Lizi was done with her shower she came out and asked if we wanted to play Sabacc so Lizi, Trey, Judi, and I played Sabacc while Shelby got ready for bed. After Sabacc, the rest of us went to bed too.

Thursday, 2nd

We woke up somewhat early and got ready to go to Bryce Canyon National Park on a quick up and back trip. I made some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for everyone and brought some extra snacks too. We left about 9:20am and listened to Disney Pandora on the drive up. It was fun listening to the girls in the back seats sing with the songs. We got to Bryce about 11:30 and went to the Visitors' Center first to get our passports stamped. We then looked around the gift shop and then back to the car where we drove to Sunset Point. We had to drive around the parking area 3 times before we finally found a spot. We hiked the Navajo Loop Trail and down the famous Wall Street section which was fun to see. Of course we took lots of pictures. It was really a lot of fun and the weather was nice - about low 50's or so. When we got back to our car, we grabbed our sandwiches and headed to a picnic table to have lunch. After lunch we drove to Sunrise Point and took in the view there. We also hiked the short distance to the point where the Fairyland Loop Trail connects with the Rim Trail. Trey and I wanted to see it since we had hiked it last year. It was special to me that Trey wanted to see it again because it was such a fun time hiking it with him last year for me. We got back to the car and went back to the Visitors' Center and I bought everyone a t-shirt souvenir and Judi bought a bobcat stuffed animal. We then headed back home through Zion National Park (we didn't go to Bryce Canyon that way because of the traffic that goes through Zion). We all really enjoyed the scenery and on the drive home, Lizi and Shelby practiced audition parts for the play Cinderella that they will be doing next. I also ordered some Little Caesars Pizzas that we picked up on the way home. When we got home we ate and watched Return to Neverland. After the movie we watched another dvd of my home videos when I was 13, mostly of Rock Creek. After the home videos we played a color trivia game which Judi won. It was the first time we have ever played it and a lot of fun. After the game, we watched a couple episodes of the Golden Bachelor which was filmed while we were at Disneyland this past summer. We saw it being filmed so it was fun to see it on TV. The person who was on the date while we were there, ended up winning the season later on. After the Golden Bachelor we got ready for bed and Lizi and I talked Gumball Rally strategy for a little bit before heading to bed.

Friday, 3rd

Judi got up first and just as we were starting to get Rocket League ready Trey woke up and so the three of us played until Lizi got up and then we all ate breakfast together. After we ate, Judi and I went outside to play with the dogs and when we came back in, Judi and Lizi played Lego Disneyland and Trey and I watched Modern Family. I also helped Lizi find some pieces for her Lego construction project. Shelby then woke up and worked on Lego Disneyland with the other girls and Trey and I went outside and threw the football around and talked Gumball Rally strategy. We came in and then walked the dogs to the mail while Lizi and Shelby were on their phones and Judi was working on a dog document. When I came back, Judi, Trey, and I played some Rocket League and Lizi and Shelby worked on Lego Disneyland - specifically the Haunted Mansion. Shelby made some really cool Doom Buggies and Lizi worked on the elevator. It turned out really cool! I then made dinner - cheesy noodles for Lizi and Judi and Ramen for the rest of us. We watched Planes while we ate. After the movie we played the Disney color trivia game and then Lizi, Judi, Trey, and I played Sabacc while Shelby looked at school stuff for her next semester. Lizi and Judi then played Minecraft and Shelby, Trey, and I watched Solo and then we went to bed. 

Saturday, 4th

Trey got up first and just as he woke up I had to run something to the post office and put gas in the car. When I got back, Lizi was up too so the three of us ate breakfast. Judi was up soon after that. Shelby got up around 11:15 and she, Trey, Judi, and I went to play pickleball with the Reimers for about an hour. When we got back we had lunch and Trey wanted to watch Ernest Goes to Camp while we ate. We then played Scene It a couple of times which was really fun. After that I got dinner going - Chicken Alfredo for the girls and Ramen for Trey. We watched Cars while we ate. After the movie the kids finished packing and we got ready for bed.

Sunday, 5th

Lizi, Trey, and I woke up around 2:30 to leave for the airport at 3:15am. We talked for most of the drive down despite the early hours. I walked them to their gate and waited with them until it was time to board. I then drove back home and slept for about an hour and a half before getting ready for church. Shelby, Judi, and I went to Sacrament meeting and then Shelby and I drove to the St George airport. Since Shelby's now 18, I can't walk her to her gate but I walked her to security and then called her to make sure she made it to her gate which she did easily since there are only 2 gates. It is always so hard coming home to an empty house which always seems so much more quiet now with everyone gone. What a fun Christmas Break!