Salt Lake

In July, Derrick had to head to Salt Lake for work. While his company was paying for gas, we decided to tag along. It was kind of an interesting trip in that my whole family was only together maybe twice the entire trip because either this person or that person or that family was out of town. We were able to catch up with friends and the kids and I were able to relax. We were there 2 1/2 weeks. Derrick had a few days at the beginning of the trip and a few days at the end that he didn't have to work. It was very nice to be able to enjoy time together as our little family as well. Here are some of the highlights:


Pedicures

My mom, sister Cassity, sister in-law Heather, Hallie and I got to go and get pedicures. Very relaxing and needed!

Cassity
Heather

Grammy and Hallie

Draper Days Parade

My Grandma and I

We got to spend a lot of time together this trip, which was really fun. Our last few trips out there were while my grandpa was sick and Hallie was in the hospital, so she and I haven't gotten to see a lot of each other. My grandpa passed away in March, so this trip I got to spend a lot of time with Grandma and loved every minute of it.

4-wheeling with Pop

My dad (Pop or Poppy depending on which child of mine you are talking to) got 4-wheelers right after we moved. My kids have gone on little rides up and down the street on our previous visits, but this trip he decided he wanted to go on a big 4-wheeling trip, so we headed up American Fork Canyon to Silver Lake. I was a little unprepared in that when we have been 4-wheeling before, we made a base camp and let people take off from there. This time, because of the location, we had to load everything and everyone on the 4-wheelers a few miles before we could set up base camp. We had inherited a new puppy (more about her later) and we brought her with since we were going to be gone most of the day and I thought we could just keep her at the base camp, but she ended up going for a ride too. We borrowed my grandma's 4 wheelers as well as my brother's, so we had a total of 5 4 wheelers. The day was so much fun with my dad and mom, sister Cassity, brother Cody and his wife Heather and baby Tatum.

The dirty Hallie look on the way home (these pictures are in reverse, but I didn't really want to upload them again to get them in the right order!)

The dirty Tucker look

Hallie fell asleep on the way back

Pop (Mom had to leave early)

Heather and Tatum-- he cried a lot of the way back before he finally zonked.

Cody and Hallie

Carson and Derrick

(Carson was very hesitant to ride with his Daddy. Derrick tends to like to push Carson to new limits and Carson doesn't necessarily appreciate it. Everyone else had the smaller kids, so Carson ended up with his daddy and had a great time)

Getting ready to caravan back

Bridget in the backpack

Heather and Tatum while Tatum was still happy

Hallie and I in the lake

Heather decide she wanted to go swimming and of course, none of us had thought to bring our swiming suits. Heather decided to go in fully clothed, and some of us followed suit.

Me, Cassity and Heather-- the only brave ones

Tucker doing what he enjoys most-- playing in the dirt

Grammy and Pop enjoying the shade with baby Tatum

Derrick, Hallie and Tucker watching us crazy ones in the water

We couldn't have asked for more beautiful scenery

Base Camp

Carson and Hallie venturing out to Heather-- they didn't get very far

Carson wanted to get in, but he was in jeans, so we told him to strip down so that he would dry out faster

Hallie thought it was cool, so she followed suit. Modesty is NOT one of her strongest virtues

Heather getting in for the first time-- it was COLD!

Tucker loving the attention from Uncle Cody

Cass and Heather with Tucker and Tatum

Tatum loving Bridget

Boating with Jeff and Trisha

My brother Jeff has a boat and since we haven't been back to Utah in the summer, this was our first opportunity to go boating in a few years. Carson was thrilled, Derrick stoked-- we had to bring his wakeboard along, Hallie was uncertain, and Tucker was just happy to be going along for the ride!

Tucker driving the boat

Derrick decided that Tucker needed to experience the water-- it was a little too cold for his liking

This is as close to the water as Hallie got-- she gets cold way to easily, since she has no body fat

Tucker and Colbie playing on the back of the boat

They are only 1 day apart in age

Carson talked of nothing else for weeks before we left on the trip, other than going wakeboarding.

Almost up....

Carson is terrified of trying new things. Learning to ride a bike almost put Derrick and I in the funny farm, yet it is one of his favorite things to do now. Tying his shoes was the same way. He is sure he can't do something new and that we are the worst parents in the world for making him try. It's a good thing Derrick had a life jacket on or Carson would have drowned him!

I think the thought of being out in the middle of the lake and having a boat drag you, was a little scary to him!

We had to throw Carson in, just to make him try. With him talking so big for weeks before, we knew that he needed to get in. He wouldn't do it on his own, so he got a little help. Why is it that everytime we are on Jeff's boat, Carson gets thrown in? The funny thing is that all he talked about for weeks after was wakeboarding and how next time he is going to get up. He's been begging for a Facebook account and wants to put the picture of him almost up as his profile picture.

Colbie and Tucker hanging out

Carson and Brody being in charge of the flag and rope

Derrick wakeboarding

Me and two of my munchkins-- yes, I chopped my hair off while we were there

Wild West Jordan Park w/ Kade and Kambree

Kambree and Hallie in "jail"

The girls working on their balance

Carson working the tractor

Ride 'em Tucker!

Yee Haw Hallie!

3 of the 4 2008 models

Our family had 4 babies born in 2008. Stacia was first in March, then Colbie in August, with Tucker the day after. Tatum (he was inside sleeping) squeezed in ahead of his due date just before Christmas to round out the 4 2008 models.

Bridget Princess Anne

My grandma got this dog shortly after my grandpa died to keep her company. She is an Imperial Shih Tzu and weighs about 3 lbs now. Hallie and I actually went with Grandma to help her pick which puppy she wanted before we flew back to Reno in April. Hallie fell in love with Bridget the minute she saw her, but we flew home the next day. Grandma had my aunt and uncle living with her at the time, so they helped out with Bridget a lot, then she was sent to training. Bruce and Tara moved out while she was being trained, so I took Grandma up to Ogden to pick Bridget up. Grandma was very nervous about it, but Hallie fell in love right away. We even dog-sat Bridget and my cousin's dog Betsy the first night back from training. My kids fought over her constantly. Grandma loves Bridget, but was having a hard time remembering to take care of herself, let alone an animal, so made the decision to give her away. My kids were so excited when we showed up at her house to visit and Bridget and all of her belongings left the house with us.

Bridget has been been amazing for Hallie. She was petrified of dogs before. I mean, she would literally start to shake and tremble if a dog even looked at her. My friends have dogs and she would refuse to enter the house unless the dog was outside. She wouldn't go outside if the dog was out there. We have been astonished at the changes in Hallie since Bridget joined our family. Dogs no longer scare her. She willingly walks up to dogs and pats them on their noses and talks to them in silly voices. It's been really good for her to have something that she can love and loves her back. There are days that she loves her a little too much and I have to tell her that Bridget is off limits, but I couldn't have given her a better present. Carson and Tucker love her as well. Carson is very good about waking up in the morning and taking her out to the bathroom and feeding her. When he is around, Bridget is his responsibility. Tucker adores her. They share everything-- toys, beds, binkies, food. It's a little disturbing at times. The other day, Tucker was in his room giggling so I went to check on him and see what he was up to. Bridget was in there with him and the two of them were rolling around on the ground together, having a great time. When we first brought Bridget home, Tucker would shove her out of her bed and climb in it himself. Now he just climbs in it with her. They are best buds.



Tucker is tuckered out

Boys Night

My dad planned all sorts of fun things, so while us girls had a sewing night, Derrick, Carson, Tucker, Pop, Cody, and Dustin all headed to the Bees game. They had a great time and Carson especially enjoyed the game.

Swimming

My cousin Gentrie was out of school for the summer and since all of her family was working, or at football practice, Gen had a lot of free time. She invited us swimming and came with us a lot. It was great-- like having a personal assistant or a nanny! She even came and spent the morning at the hospital to help with Tucker. We loved having her around, especially since my sister was gone almost the whole time.

Carson decided that he might actually could swim by himself. Once, I convinced him to take off his life jacket, he swam the width of the pool 3 times. Way to go Carson! This is a HUGE feat for him!

We had such a great time and did so many other fun things that we didn't get pictures of. My dad took us to Cowabunga Bay, a new water park, where Carson honed his newly acquired swimming skills. He even decided that he could put his face in the water and survive. My mom was at Girl's Camp, so we had the entire week with just Dad. He went out to dinner with us a few times and just enjoyed being with my kids. He even took them for rides on the lawn mower-- a very fond memory I have a doing with my grandpa.

I have 2 cousins that play on the BYU football team. They weren't officially practicing yet, but they were having player practices, so they invited Derrick and Carson to come down for one. They got to watch the practice, then meet the team. They took a tour of the weight room, dressing room, player's room, and many other cool areas. Derrick didn't take the camera in (he got in trouble when he got back) but they had a great time and Carson even got a football autographed by the whole team.

One of my cousins on the Cutrer side was in town visiting from Conneticut. It does not happen frequently that we are in town at the same time, so after a lot of planning and making our schedules work together, we finally were able to get together for lunch. My aunt Janet came, as well as Sarah and her 4 kids, and Deborah, with her 2 kids. It turned out to be a lot of fun and my dad enjoyed taking the kids for rides on his 4 wheeler. I loved visiting with them, as did Cody and Heather. Jeff and Trisha came towards the end, so it was fun for us to get to spend time catching up on the last several years.

We made an appearance at the Munro family reunion. What are the chances that we just happened to be in town during this event? We caught up with many of Derrick's aunts and uncles and I even met two aunts that I haven't met before-- after almost 10 years of marriage!

Hallie started having problems with her intestines again, so we spent a few days in doctor's appointments and at the hospital having tests done. What's a visit to Salt Lake without seeing all of her doctors? They didn't turn up anything in the tests, but she has continued having problems since. I will do another post on that.

Hallie and Carson got to have sleepovers at Cody and Heather's. Hallie slept over at Gentrie's one night and Carson slept over at Jeff and Trisha's another night. They loved getting to spend time with cousins. Hallie loved having the cupcake fairy come and bring her a nine west purse for going to sleep (I need to get the cupcake fairy to come and visit me!)

Most of all, we enjoyed being with family and friends. We have missed being able to do things all of the time with them, so we fit in as much as possible, taking advantage of it while we could!