Eleven

Keely celebrated her 11th birthday with a bang. She had many celebrations, and was sung to many times leading up to, including and after her birthday. 

News and noteworthy from this birthday:

-I made 48 cupcakes - for both her class and her soccer team. Since her birthday was on a Thursday, it was also soccer practice day and it was fun to share the celebration with those friends as well as her school class. This is the last time I will be making birthday treats to bring to school because she will be in middle school next year!

-She chose chinese food for dinner for her birthday, and we decided to eat in at one of our favorite new spots for takeout, Rice Pot. It was even better in the restaurant, and Keely's favorite continues to be lo mein :)

-She had her very first friend birthday party (aside from smaller gatherings in past years). We invited 6 of her friends to join us for a spa party. We started at our house on a Friday evening with drinks and appetizers, then headed to a spa for manicures. Afterwards, we came back to our house for cupcakes, presents and games. It was really a fun evening. We even made cute little favors to hand out to each girl...themed with spa and manicure stuff of course. For someone who is not at all crafty, I was very pleased with how they turned out. Each favor cost under $5!

-She got a karaoke type machine that can play music through speakers from any device (phone, tablet, computer). Many songs have been sung, and she loves performing (mostly for herself in her room). 






I think that's about all from this edition of the birthday news. Reaching higher ages doesn't feel as dramatic for Keely as it did for Quinn, but I still can't believe my baby is 11. She is still a sweet fun loving girl and I love the time we spend together. She is the girl I never I was or will be so I am grateful for the help she provides me almost daily, and she loves to be by my side whether that be doing nails, hair, shopping, or just hanging out. I wish I could freeze time, but since I can't I will try to enjoy every moment!
  

Costa Rica Trip Days 4-5: Monteverde

The trip from Arenal to Monteverde can take up to 3 hours by car or van, or you can choose another option to break up the trip – a boat ride across Lake Arenal, followed by a van ride straight up a mountain. We chose the second choice but it still took us about 3 hours (maybe a little less) to get to Monteverde. The boats were quite hilarious, and we wondered if we’d even make it across the lake. We were one of the last to arrive to the boat and because of that, our party was split up between two boats – one larger and one smaller – because of both limited seating at that point and distribution of weight (between luggage and people). Anyways, James, Keely and I ended up on the larger of the two boats and Nana, Papa, Annie and Quinn were on the other smaller boat. I joked that they let the smaller boat go ahead so that we could pick them up if it sank. Joking, I think but these boats were pretty dinky! In any event, we made it across to the other side of the lake where there were 6-8 vans lined up ready to take parties to Monteverde based on various hotels. This part was again quite hilarious as they tried to fit all of the luggage into the back of these vans that were packed to the gills with people and two staff members. Let me tell you, these guys are talented to get that many bags into these vans…and also that most Americans (most of the tourists there were from Texas, it seemed) overpack. Our group’s luggage was tame compared to what others had with them. In any event, we were told that it would be 1.5 hours until we could stop for a siesta…err, bathroom break…so James decided to use the facilities of nature J Luckily, no one seemed to care! The road up from the lake is so curvy, and so narrow. I can’t stress that enough. I was quite shocked that the vans didn’t fall off the side of some these steep hills, or break down as they seemed to labor up each hill. It was crazy! At one point, we reached a larger road that had actual concrete shoulders for drainage – but even that would have been a minor road in the United States. 

When we reached Monteverde, we were dropped off at the Hotel Fonda Vela. It was true to its photos, think Swiss Family Robinson. And the weather was quite different! We went up about a mile in elevation…and instead of summer, it felt like Fall. What a change. For many reasons, Monteverde was my least favorite part of this trip and I think the weather was one. But you can’t go to Costa Rica without experiencing the cloud forest (at least on your first trip) so we had to do it, and I don’t regret it. It actually provided the most fun experience of the trip with zip lining. After our morning, we took a bit of time to settle in and explore the very lush grounds. There was a pool and hot tub – honestly the only thing you could do was the hot tub because it was so cold. And it was always misting in the cloud forest…you are literally up in the clouds! So cold, and damp. Not a great combination, but a very unique environment that is a can’t miss experience.

Later that afternoon, we set out for the Don Juan Coffee Tour which was a most enjoyable experience. We learned all about the process of growing, roasting and selling CR coffee and also had some of the most delicious bananas and chocolate I will ever eat. The bananas were fresh off the tree, and you will never eat another banana so sweet. Quinn loves bananas and must have had 4 at least. After the tour, we enjoyed the free coffee and picked up some gifts to bring back home. A word about CR coffee…it is all Arabica now, they do not allow any other coffee to be grown and exported because they chose quality over quantity. They are a small country and they have to be judicious about what they export so that it is successful. They also serve coffee to small children (starting at age 2) and Costa Ricans drink their coffee black or with warmed milk and sugar. The milk is warmed so that it doesn’t cool the coffee before you drink it. Quinn had some coffee each morning, and really enjoyed it (he’s not had it since we have been back in the States, though…when in Rome, I suppose).

The next morning we set out for our experience on the hanging bridges and zip lines. First, we did the hanging bridges with a guide. The guide was very helpful…even if we didn’t see wildlife or exotic birds (I never did see the infamous quetzal) he was informative about the plants, trees and cloud forest environs. There were eight bridges in all, some more than 300 feet high. In between, there was walking on trails that connect the bridges. A good bit of walking, and in some very damp conditions. On the last bridge, Nana had a spill and sprained her ankle. We were worried but she persisted and managed to push through to do the zip lines. Papa was a maybe for the zip lines, but I think male ego chipped in when he saw that Nana was going to do it, he couldn’t chicken out! That may or may not have been the smartest decision, but he made it through the whole zip line course. The kids loved the zip lines! I was a little nervous about the heights, but really it was pretty exhilarating. To be on top of the tree cover, flying through the air at relatively high speeds is a pretty good adrenaline rush. We also did the Tarzan swing, which was probably the most outside of my comfort zone. Imagine stepping off a platform in free fall…not knowing when the rope will catch you. All of us did the swing besides Papa who gratefully watched from ground level. Again, the kids loved it! If you ask them what their favorite part of the whole trip was, they will most certainly say the zip lines! Our guides were also great here, and they really made everyone feel safe. They took special care of Nana with her busted ankle, and they always made sure the kids and Papa had a guide with them on the longer zip lines. After that exhilarating experience, we had our driver drop us in the town and we ate lunch at the Tree House Café which literally had a tree growing through its two levels.

That night, we set out on a night tour of the forest with a guide. It was actually a bust…we only saw a couple of creatures roaming the night including a coati (raccoon like animal), agouti (large rat type animal), tarantula, and the leaf carrying ants. No sloths and no monkeys. It was quite windy and when that happens, animals head out of the trees and down for cover making it hard to find them. Another point of interest here is that the internet lines went down for a good portion of this day, making it impossible to pay with credit cards for anything. We had to borrow cash from Quinn to pay for the night tour! It’s something that you can never imagine happening in the United States, and something we take for granted but in a small country you need to be prepared for all kinds of things.

The next morning, we were set to leave for our last destination and final four nights on the Pacific Ocean in Tamarindo. Insert ominous sound here…dum, dum, dum. The exit from Monteverde to Tamarindo might also have contributed to my dislike of Monteverde although most likely it had nothing to do it. On the van ride (about 3-4 hours) I suffered from what I call Monteverde’s revenge. I don’t know if I drank some bad water, ate something bad, had car sickness (the roads were once again quite curvy and we were traveling at high speeds), had reverse elevation sickness (we were now descending from a mile high to sea level) or was overheated (the weather now was changing from the 60s to the 90s with beach humidity) – or a combination of the above – but it was a bad, bad combination. I started to feel bad right before we made what was supposed to be our one and only stop – I thought I was just hungry so I ate plantain chips and drank a Coke to try to calm my stomach. It did not help, and we had to stop for me to use bathrooms every 20 minutes or so. Our driver was wonderful, always finding a bathroom just in the nick of time. I would feel slightly better after each stop, but get progressively worse. In the last 20 minutes or so to the hotel, I threw up in the van. Not good! When we arrived at the hotel, I could barely walk because I was so weak and I was still needing to use the bathroom every few minutes. The hotel staff was so nice…bringing me homemade tea and a fruit tray (for when I could stomach the idea of food). I don’t remember exactly what was in that tea, but it did wonders for my tummy. They said they see this type of thing a lot so they knew exactly what to do for me. And they were right…I was able to keep the tea down, and even venture to the pool later that afternoon. When I walked through the lobby, I was like a celebrity because they were so glad to see me up and walking! I was worried it was a 24 hour thing, but whatever it was – it ended as quickly as it started and for that, I am so grateful. It only managed to ruin part of my travel day, and I even managed to eat a light dinner that night. Next up, our last 3 days in Tamarindo on the Pacific Coast. 

Confirmation

About a year ago, Karen asked me to be Tyler's Confirmation sponsor. I was honored and accepted, but the date seemed so far off. Of course, it came and went before I knew it. I drove to New Jersey and back in 24 hours, but it was worth the trip to be there for Tyler. The boys were confirmed in James' family church, where Keely was baptized and I have been more times than I can count. As I was standing with Tyler for the anointing, it was a bittersweet moment. I am his Godmother, I held him at his Baptism when he was blessed with the Holy Water. I thought it was pretty special to be with him that day almost 15 years ago when he was welcomed into the Catholic church, and on this day when he was there of his own choosing - beginning his adult life in the Catholic church. As the Monsignor said in his homily, this was not a Catholic graduation - although most of the kids are for sure looking forward to no more CCD - but a beginning of their lives as adults in the Catholic church.

I'm happy that Tyler asked me and glad that I was able to be there for this special day in both Tyler and Jordan's life!

Holiday Surprise

We had two family events planned long ago that we knew would have us traveling to New Jersey two weeks apart...Uncle Joe and J.R.'s commitment celebration and Danielle's Sweet 16.  Thanksgiving weekend was sandwiched between those two events, and for a long time I insisted we wouldn't be traveling.  But something pulled at me, and it was hard to turn down a quieter, intimate family get-together just to stay home for the holiday.  Decisions, decisions...even a few days before, we were not sure what to do. I've said lately that being close is a simultaneous blessing and curse because now we can procrastinate the decision until the very last minute if we want.  Being close also has its advantages though, and we can have the best of both worlds...a Thanksgiving with family, and a normal weekend at home.  So that's what we did, but not without some fun surprises!

I set the stage by telling only Aunt Gail we were coming to their house for the day, and we didn't tell Nana, Papa or Annie.  I'm not usually a good liar, but it was actually pretty easy.  Being in New Jersey the weekend before and after was reason enough for us to want to stay home, and that's the story I used.  We arrived at Aunt Gail's before my parents and Annie, and parked the car down the street a few houses to keep the ruse up until they walked in the house.  Annie arrived first, and Keely ran up to her.  Boy, was she shocked to see the kids and then James and I.  We even got a few happy tears :)  Nana and Papa were last to arrive, and when they got there we were out back talking and enjoying the lovely sunshine.  Quinn got so flustered and started running the opposite way, so I turned him around and told him to run towards them.  They were shocked to see the kids, and then us...just like Annie.  It was great, so much fun and then we were all together to celebrate the holiday.  Amazing food, lots of laughter, fun games, singing and dancing, and so much more. 

So many holidays we weren't there.  So many times I've seen pictures after the fact.  Always wishing I could have been there to experience it firsthand.  Wishing we were close enough to be part of the fun times.  Wishing no more, we are now close enough to be there for most holidays and celebrations.  We're there three weekends in a row, and if we were living across the country we would have had to make a choice.  How hard, knowing we would miss one or more of the family gatherings.  But it was not like that, because we're here and we're there for each and every event.  It may be a bit tiring, as we build up miles on I-95 but I honestly wouldn't trade it for anything.  We're young, and we're blessed to have the ability to do it...and for that, I am thankful.  I am thankful for my family, for my kids to have fun with their cousins, aunts, uncles...for them to know the big family that I know I couldn't live without...to spend time with not only one set, but both sets of grandparents.  It's precious time, and worth every minute.

Grandma

Last Thursday, Grandma passed away.  Her health had declined very quickly.  We were fortunate to spend two weekends with her.  It was painful to see her, yet I wanted to be with her.  To have her know that I loved her and that I was grateful for her presence, even though it was not the grandmother I knew.  She was a shell of what she once was, her body wracked with the effects of cancer.  I'm glad that I was able to spend a few hours with her.  I cannot even think of how hard this would have been from 2,000 miles away.  I am only guilty that we were so far away for so long, and didn't spend the time with her that the rest of the family did over these last years.  Relationships are what you make of them though, and I knew and loved her and my children knew and loved their Great Grandma.  She was my last remaining grandparent, and my children's only great grandparent.  I am grateful that they knew a great grandparent at all...I did not have that luxury.  I was a lot like my grandmother, and through her wake and funeral I learned that she talked a lot about me, and spoke very proudly of the woman I have become and the children I am raising.  As my mom stated so eloquently in her eulogy, it was a side of her we did not know but a side of her we were fortunate to hear about from her friends and caretakers that she encountered in her last weeks and days. 

Quinn and Keely had never experienced the death of an immediate family member.  They were very brave.  Quinn was very stoic, but supportive.  He understood that Great Gram was very ill, and that the end was near.  We took them to see her the first weekend we visited, and she was still mostly as they had remembered her.  We did not take them back again, they did not need to see her in that hospital bed.  Keely was very emotional.  She feeds off others emotions and seeing her loved ones upset makes her more upset.  I found I tried to keep my emotions in check because I did not want to set her off.  But at the same time, I needed to grieve and feel the loss and it's good to have your children understand that it is alright to cry, and be sad.  James had the best advice for Keely at the wake.  Great Gram would not want you to be sad and crying, she would want you to be happy.  I truly believe that.  That's why she wanted her wake and funeral simple, with a closed casket.  She was right on with her wishes, and true to her stubborn and independence she got her way even when she was not physically with us anymore.  As we were shopping at Kohl's (one of her favorites), I thought to myself now she is happy, she got us all shopping - one of her most favorite pastimes.  After Poppy died, she couldn't get out as much so QVC became one of her vices.

I'm not sure what else to say, other than we are sad that she is gone but she lived a long full life.  She lives on though in her legacy, her family. I sure hope she is happy, at peace, and with Poppy.  It is strange not to have a grandparent generation in our family anymore, it makes getting older seem that much closer.  We will miss her a lot!

January Recap

 Well, nearly a month of 2012 is in the books and I've had zero posts about what's been happening in our lives this month.  I think that is mostly because there hasn't been much to report.  I also feel like I have changed my blog writing sometime in the past few months, or maybe even few years...I feel like I used to wax poetic about life, instead of just writing about life's events.  I seem to only blog now when something has happened, separating different events into different posts.  I'd rather get into a flow of writing more consistently...but then again, I don't want to write just to write.  I think I am searching for a balance and I haven't found it.

Anyways, January has come and gone pretty quickly.  Here are some of the high (and low) lights...

Annie and Greg came to visit on MLK weekend.  It was a blast!  We went downtown on Saturday and visited the Museum of the Native American, walked around the Capitol, and made a quick trip into the National Arboretum (mostly to stay warm).  We took Metro down and back, and it was a fun day in the Nation's Capital.

We also had some fun at home - we played The Game of Life, charades, Sing It Karaoke, and Hide-n-Seek in the basement.  We went to the Tysons Corner Mall and browsed a bit, some shopping as well.  It really was a fun weekend and I hope they come back again soon!





Quinn's hermit crab, Shelldon, died about a week ago.  Quinn was pretty devastated but has bounced back quickly.  He made a Lego memorial to his beloved crab...a Lego hermit crab atop a plaque of sorts displaying his name.  He had this crab since his trip to Maine in the summer.  He took such good care of it, chopping up fresh fruit and vegetables for it often and buying special water to bathe it.  He really believed it could live for 20 to 30 years, as the books said some were known to have done.  He says he wants to get more crabs, and it's pretty simple now that we have all the supplies.  A lot of people complain about the smell, but it really never bothered us because Quinn kept his cage so clean.  Overall, this was a great pet experience for Quinn and I'm sure he will get another one soon...but we hope that Shelldon is resting in peace!



We have continued on with Cub Scouts.  Quinn got his Bobcat badge, and we prepared for the Pinewood Derby.  It really turned into a family effort.  Keely made one too, as siblings get to race.  Hers is an iPhone and Quinn's is a drag car of sorts.  We'll see how they do in the race tonight!

Quinn participated in his first Spelling Bee with his class.  He barely studied, first saying that he didn't want to participate (he had no choice) but making a last ditch effort to prepare the night before.  He advanced to the school wide event in February!  He must have it in his blood - he does come from a lineage of spelling bee champions (ahem, his mother - yours truly - the 2nd Grade Spelling Bee champion!).  At the school wide event, there will be 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders and he will have to deal with harder words - but I think he's got the bug now so we'll see if it continues enough for him to prepare better this time.

Today is the end of the second quarter at school, meaning they are halfway done.  They have Monday and Tuesday off for Teacher Work Days.  They have barely had any full weeks in January, and that trend continues into February.  I'm sure the end of the school year will be here before we know it!

That's about all I can think of.  See, when I type it out it doesn't seem like enough to separate into multiple writings.  Hopefully February will be more eventful :)

35 and Other Ramblings...

On Monday, I celebrated the 35th anniversary of my birth.  35 seems significant, but as usual I feel no different.  Since it was a work day, that is how I spent most of my day.  After work, we went out to dinner.  Keeping in spirit with last year's birthday we found a Japanese Hibachi restaurant not too far from our house and really enjoyed it.  The chef was very funny and we all laughed a lot during the meal, plus the food was very good.  The bad part of a great dinner is that I was too stuffed for dessert...but the kids still sang to me, and I managed to fit in a few bites like a good birthday girl should.  My gift from James and the kids was a Kindle Fire, totally unexpected (well, until last Friday when I got a mysterious e-mail from Amazon welcoming me to the Kindle Club...oops!) and is turning out to be a lot of fun - not only can I read books, but it's a full blown tablet so I can watch Netflix, check e-mail, play games, search the web and lots of other things.  All in all, a great day and I am thankful to be starting another year of my life.

The rest of December has been fairly uneventful as we have been busy preparing for Christmas.  The tree has been decorated.  The stockings are hung by the chimney.  The house is decked out with Christmas decorations, and things are in all new places this year which somehow makes them feel new.  Gifts are purchased (not quite done yet, but there's still a few days).  Cookies have been baked (with more to come).  Cards have been mailed out.  Despite all of these preparations, I have been having a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit this year.  I am not sure why, but I think it has to do with the weather.  It's not been cold at all here, even balmy some days.  Any precipitation is wet, and not white as it feels like it should be in December.  Yes, I miss the snow.  I said I wouldn't but I do.  I miss it now because it makes it feel more like Christmas.  In Utah, even if there wasn't much snow on the ground at our house we could always look up at the gorgeous snow covered mountains.  Not so much here in the flat lands of Virginia.  Luckily, my bah-humbug attitude hasn't rubbed off on the kids or James.  We've gotten pretty prepared despite the lack of good winter weather.  The kids are really excited, especially Keely.  Quinn even summoned a steadfast belief in Santa this year, making his list and leaving it by the tree for Santa's elves.  Keely chose not to make a list, saying she wants to be surprised.

I feel like today kicks off the Christmas week as we await a visit from the North Carolina Donovan family who are stopping in Virginia on their way to New Jersey.  Then we anxiously await the Florida Donovan family who will join us on Christmas Eve until after the New Year.  We are all very excited to have a little one underfoot for this special holiday season. On Monday, we will head up to New Jersey to spend a few days celebrating with the grandparents on both sides, and other extended family.  It's going to be a wonderful Christmas for sure, with the most important reason being that we get to spend it with family - both immediate and extended - and we are truly blessed!

Thankful

I wanted to write a quick note about our Thanksgiving.  It was monumental in a way, definitely different than most of the past eight years that we've lived out West.  With the exception of last year when Lois, Ryan and Adelia visited, we have spent the holiday either as just our family of four, or with friends and neighbors.  I didn't mind it, but I knew with the move back to the East Coast that would be changing.  So for the first time since 2002, we celebrated the holiday with both sets of parents, along with Annie and Joe.  The day was simple, the food delicious, the company delightful and we are very thankful for the opportunity to get back to these types of celebrations.  We continued the festivities on Friday, Italian style with Uncle Joe and J.R.  Again, a delightful evening with family.

The holidays may be a little more hectic, but days and years pass too quickly, and in the blink of an eye life can take unexpected turns - I never thought we'd move out West, and then I really didn't think we'd be back East, but here we are and we are taking advantage of all the perks that come with it - as evidenced by the first big holiday spent with those we love.

Ch-Ch-Changes

We have lived in Utah for 5 1/2 years. That's half of our married life, most of the kids' lives, more than we have ever lived any place for one time in our adult lives. For the last year or so though, we have been feeling a bit restless, feeling like it's time for a change. It has gotten progressively harder to live so far from our families. Sometimes it feels like we are on an island 2000 miles away. We were initially hopeful that someone would move closer to us, but that never happened. We are alone out here and that would likely never change. The visits from family are fewer and farther between.

So we decided to do something about it. We are going to move back. Well, not necessarily all the way back to where we grew up but significantly closer. A few hours drive instead of a few hours flight. An opportunity for a transfer with my job is going to make this happen. For the first time, we will move somewhere for my job not James'. He has tendered his resignation to the U and what will be next for him is unknown. We will leave in May after the kids finish the school year. We will be moving to Virginia, right outside of D.C. This will not be the first time we have lived in Virginia and it's a bit like going back home. We know the area, I went to college in DC and James visited me often. We grew up there in a certain sense.

The kids are mixed about leaving Utah. We all are. We have everything here...great friends, a great school, a great house. It will be sad to leave. Keely is most excited. She has only known Utah as home (since we left AZ when she was less than 2, she doesn't remember it). She is excited for a change, ready for a new adventure. That's my girl. I would expect no less. Quinn on the other hand has been slow to come around. He does remember living other places, but truly he only knows Utah as home. He has his friends, loves his school and classmates, and plays on a great soccer team with all of his friends. He is a little more reserved than Keely, and tends to get a little more nervous about change. He's gone from not wanting to leave, to resigning himself to leaving, to moments of excitement about the move. I think we are getting there with him. He just needs time to process and the fact that we have given him several months notice is helping.

I am excited, and nervous too. A lot of things still have to be done and while May seems far away I know it will be here before we know it. We have a house to sell. We have a family to pack and move. We have to find a place to live. Sometimes I am wistful for 2003, when we moved to Tucson with one week notice and two weeks later were living in our new home. There was no time to think, no time to plan. Perfect for an over-thinker and over-planner like me!

The start of 2011 marks the beginning of the end for our time in Utah. We are excited about the possibilities and the changes on the horizon.

2010 Wrapup

Phew. I think we are finally back to "normal" at the Donovan household. More than two weeks have passed since I last wrote. The family has come and gone. The kids are back at school. The house is quiet once again. I've been meaning to chronicle the holiday time but once again, it became an overwhelming task as the events and time started to pile up. So here I go, attempting to remember everything. My pictures are non existent too, so I've scrounged up some of Nana's pictures from Christmas morning.

The few days before Christmas were pretty uneventful, at least for me since I was still working. The kids made a gingerbread house and train with Nana & Papa. They also went swimming at Nana & Papa's hotel. James and the kids went with Grandma & Grandpa to the Utah Museum of Fine Arts at the U. We have never been and they all enjoyed it...even Quinn, who swore he wouldn't like an art museum :)

I planned the menu for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Christmas Eve we had Penna a la Vodka, crab cakes and asparagus with hollandaise sauce. Christmas Day we had a spiral ham, stuffing, homemade rolls, carrots, sweet potato casserole, and lasagna -- in other words, too much food. We ate it on Christmas and then again on Monday night. It was so much better the second time around, at least for me since I didn't have to spend another day preparing it all. Christmas was great for everyone I think. We had 9 people in the house plus Callie and Rudy. It was crazy but fun. The kids were most definitely spoiled. Quinn got a ton of Lego Star Wars and Atlantis sets, a Knex roller coaster (with 1100+ pieces!), a few books, and more I know I cannot think of right now. Keely got her own dry erase calendar with markers (so she can stop writing on my calendar), red Converse sneakers, Barbie shop and scan, books, a cupcake making & decorating set, and again more that I cannot think of right now. The adults received some gifts too (and I was way too spoiled by Santa!) and I think everyone reveled in the joy of a Christmas morning seen through children's eyes. Quinn still isn't sure about Santa, but he still kept it quiet enough that Keely was thoroughly enchanted with everything.
For the rest of the family visit, here are the highlights:
--The kids went to see Tangled with Annie & Nana.
--We visited Park City, seeing the Mining Museum and going out for lunch.
--We visited Hill Air Force Base Museum with Annie, Grandma & Grandpa then went out to Wingers for a late lunch. I can't believe we have lived here for 5+ years and had never been to this museum, it's free and really worth the trip!
--We went bowling with Grandma & Grandpa. Actually, just Grandpa because Grandma just watched and read her book.
--We went ice skating with Grandma & Grandpa. Actually, Quinn and Grandma did not ice skate. Keely loved it once again and I am going to sign her up for another round of lessons this winter.

Goodbye 2010, Hello 2011. More on the upcoming year soon...

Thanksgiving Wrapup

Since we've moved out West, we have always been either alone for Thanksgiving or celebrated with friends. I actually didn't mind having a holiday for just the 4 of us, as it suits our family very well. But I still made the huge meal and we always ended up with lots and lots of leftovers.
This year was different. We had the pleasure of having a part of the family visit us for Thanksgiving. Aunt Lois, Uncle Ryan and Adelia decided to leave warm sunny Florida for cold snowy Utah. (note to self: next time reverse the traveling so we all end up in warm weather!) It was Adelia's first time in Utah, her first time seeing and experiencing snow, and our first time seeing her as a full fledged toddler.
The Thanksgiving menu was very traditional: 12 lb turkey, stuffing (some cooked separately sans onions for Uncle Ryan), mashed potatoes (mostly for Quinn), sweet potato casserole (recipe from Ruth's Chris Steak House - absolutely divine!), carrots, butternut squash and homemade rolls. Desserts were pumpkin pie and dutch apple pie (Grammy's recipe made by Aunt Lois...and so so yummy!). With an extra 3 people in the house, we were able to polish off most of the leftovers at Thanksgiving Dinner Round 2 on Saturday night. Hopefully I have now completely dispelled the rumor that no leftovers are saved in our house :)
There was about a foot of snow on the ground before the weekend and another foot or so fell on Sunday into Monday. It was bitter cold too. Everyone went sledding on Thanksgiving (well not me, I gladly stayed home and cooked) and had fun. Adelia just observed mostly from what I heard and wasn't too crazy about the snow. She did try it again on Sunday and was slightly more entertained but not much. My kids though love it. Me, not so much.
We didn't do much of anything notable over the 4 day weekend -- or at least much out of the house. We played games...Texas Hold'Em with newly acquired poker chips, laughed ourselves silly with Beyond Balderdash, watched our newly put on DVD wedding video since Uncle Ryan wasn't there. It was interesting to go back to a 13 month old's schedule -- in between 2 1-hour naps and a 7:30 PM bedtime, there's not much time for large activities. But the fun of it was just being together with family. The kids adored spending time with their baby cousin. Keely wants a sister now (she's not getting one).
Thanks to a not so good reason they ended up spending another day with us. So Aunt Lois and I took that opportunity to take the kids to Discovery Gateway. We haven't been there for years and I figured it was just the place for a 1 year old. Well it seems the 9 and 7 years olds probably had more fun. We could have spent another hour but it was closing and we had to get dinner before picking Uncle Ryan up from the airport.
We were definitely sad to see them leave. It was a fun visit and we can't wait to see them again! Hopefully in warmer conditions...we are already looking at airfares to Florida to escape the winter doldrums.

Nana and Papa Come to Town

I'm catching up on the blog, it's past the midway point in October and I have no posts this month :( It's been a busy one, dear readers but I do intend to catch you up and I do have some very exciting things in store over the next couple of weeks. Well, maybe not very exciting but there should be at least some things to write about.

Earlier this month, Nana and Papa came to visit for the kids' birthdays (right after Quinn and before Keely). They were only here for 3 days but we had a lot of fun. We went to the zoo on Friday and rode the carousel and train while we were there. We haven't been to the zoo in quite some time so it was a nice treat for the kids. It was also quite warm that weekend, our Indian summer continued well into October.

Quinn got a new Lego set from Nana & Papa for his birthday and he spent the better part of Saturday holed up in his room putting it together. His patience is incredible, and he prides his work when he is done.
On Sunday, we went up to Oktoberfest at Snowbird. We enjoyed a couple of beers, walked around, met up with some friends for a bit (planned and unplanned both...it just seems we run into people we know everywhere we go!) and had brunch at the Alta Lodge. It was a nice day, a little too hot even but gorgeous up there as the leaves were just beginning to turn. Quinn also did the new ropes course, it was a challenge for him but he made it through.
So that was our weekend with Nana & Papa. It was quick but fun, and we were sad to see them go. They won't be back until Christmas...seems far away but I am sure it will be here before we know it!

Just Another Day?

I'm sure everyone has said this on their birthday...it's just another day. I know I have. And when you get caught up in life, it can seem like just another day.

Today is James' birthday. He is 35 years old. I have celebrated each birthday with him since he turned 18 years old. That's a lot of birthdays! He thinks it's just another day but I disagree. Without this day, he would not be here. Without this day, there would be no us. I would not be who I am today. There would be no Quinn, no Keely. Not even Callie or Rudy. We as a family would not exist. I refuse to think of this as just another day. I refuse to think of a world that does not contain the things I love most about it.

This is most definitely NOT just another day. Happy Birthday my love!

Scenes from Christmas

This was a first for us...Christmas as a family of four. We have never been "alone" on Christmas, yet we never felt alone this Christmas. The kids woke up about 7:30 AM and explored the bounty under the tree. While we snuck in a few extra minutes in bed, I overheard their excited talk. One of my favorites from Keely: "Quinn, I am so glad we were good this year!" :)

We took turns opening gifts from under the tree. The kids each received new shoes from Mom and Dad, and quite a few toys and fun things from Santa, Grandma & Grandpa, and aunts and uncles. After presents we enjoyed a lovely breakfast of eggs, bacon and English muffins. Quinn got to work right away on what was his favorite present, a Bionicle dinosaur and figure that sits on top. James got a couple of books, cologne, gift cards to Macy's and iTunes, and a Keurig coffee maker. I received a book, The Office Season 5 on Blu-Ray, a Hokie shirt, perfume, and a robe (much needed since my old one was not only ugly but 13 years old!).

We also discovered the wonder of Skype. We talked with Lois and Ryan for 1.5 hours, finally getting to "meet" baby Adelia. She is so cute and precious and now I am even more excited to travel to see her in person next month! Then we talked with Nana & Papa and all the extended family who were enjoying Christmas at their house. It was nice to see everyone and be a part of their celebration even though we were 2000+ miles away! It is hard to be away from family but the inventions of modern technology are making that a bit easier.

So without further adieu, I prepared this slideshow of pictures from Christmas morning (well, Picasa prepared it since I was too lazy to upload these photos again and they're already on Picasa). Enjoy :)

Antelope Island

On Friday, the kids had a random day off of school so I took PTO to spend the day with them. James' alarm (me getting out of the shower) didn't go off so he slept in and ended up staying home too. We took the opportunity to drive out to Antelope Island, the largest island in the middle of the Great Salt Lake. We've never been before since it's such a long drive (lol, not really but James hates to drive anywhere). This island contains the largest herd of bison and once a year, they round up the herd to vaccinate them and make sure all are healthy. Well, they were doing the round up this weekend. We saw at least 15 of them free roaming and then the rest of the herd in the corrals. We also saw lots of birds but didn't see any of the populous mule deer.


First we stopped at the potties outside the main entrance. Here we posed near a bison statue. Only after we took the pictures did we see the sign on the back, "Do Not Touch". Oh well...















Then we drove over the causeway and to the Visitor's Center. Before we even got there, we saw a few bison grazing outside.






They are huge creatures, it really is amazing to see them so close. They seem so docile but they weigh 2 tons and can run pretty fast so it makes you wonder if they've ever gotten mad and charged people or their cars.

We explored the Visitor's Center and the kids posed with another bison statue :)














Lastly we went up to Buffalo Point, a nice lookout over the lake. We took a self family portrait by placing the camera on a rock and using the timer. Ah, modern technology. It's actually a pretty good picture :) When we got home, James was outside with the kids while they jumped in the leaf pile and he snapped this gorgeous sunset. Such a beautiful fall day! We'll enjoy it while it lasts....