Hogle Zoo

We thought it would be nice to get away from our everyday zoo and go to the real zoo. It was so nice to go in the cooler weather. The animals were all up and playful and the kids enjoyed the cooler weather. Jayden and Skyler’s favorite place was the reptile building. Skyler couldn’t understand why he couldn’t hold the snakes. I told him he could hold his lizard back at home. That would be as close to a snake as he would get. Aysia loved any animal that was moving. The monkeys seemed to be her favorite

Happy 10th Anniversary

Taylor definitely spoiled me this year. He surprised me with a trip to the spa for a great massage – my first. Then for a makeover at Maceys department store. Ladies, I had no idea there was such a specific technique to applying makeup. I have not mastered it and will probably never do so since I do not have a half of an hour to apply make-up every day. Anyway, then it was off to Park City for lunch and to the Deer Valley Lodge for a night stay. We watched “Claim” a local documentary about extreme skiers. It was a great film. At dinner, Taylor had a waitress surprise me with a jewelry box with my original wedding ring in it. The diamond had loosened so I was wearing a temporary ring for the last couple of years. I was so happy to have it back again and in amazing condition. It was very relaxing and much needed. Thank you Taylor. Love you.

Lacee Time

Noelle has been training in Lake Placid so we were so lucky to have Lacee for the last couple of weeks. She is so sweet and the kids absolutely adore her. She must think our house is a little crazy because of the constant noise and action, but she seemed to enjoy herself. We look forward to having her again in a few weeks.

Classic Skating

Jayden’s school had a “skate” night where all of the family could skate for free. We had a really great time. Grandma and Grandpa Pikus came along to watch. I thought I would be daring and try my hand at skating again. I was just grateful they allowed strollers on the rink and definitely used this to my advantage as Aysia and I steadily rolled around the rink. Jayden’ s friend Chandler came along and they all used their scooters.

Soccer Time!!

Jayden and Skyler both participated in the city soccer league. Jayden has played for 3 years now and he is really fun to watch. It is his favorite sport and enjoys playing it everyday at recess. Skyler needed a little coaxing on the field. He is not much of a runner and enjoyed playing in the net or skipping around more than trying to kick some ball. I am proud to announce that he was finally able to kick the ball at the last game – even if it was due to him kicking off to start the second half. We cheered as if he had scored a goal.

DOUBLE the room!!

Completing our basement has been long awaited. We thought it would be nice to have completed for Christmas (LAST YEAR), but at least it is now finished. There is a large family room/ theater room, bedroom, office, workout room, storage room, playroom, and bathroom. We are excited to have future family parties and holidays here for a change!!!

Breakfast Time

Taylor let me sleep in after a long night of call and this is what I found. Daddy's way of dressing his little girl.

Bibidy-Bobidy-Boo!!

I was asked by a friend to dress as Cinderella for her little girl’s 3rd birthday party. (The real Cinderella had prior obligations so she asked me to fill in). It was a lot of fun and the girl’s were adorable. I have also filled in for Princess Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) for another friend at work. After leaving the house I found myself skipping down a busy street with a basket full of berries while the girls continued to wave goodbye. With no where else to go, I found a large dumpster to hide behind until they returned to the party. A little embarrassing, but definitely worth it.

Play-Time

Raegan, Noelle’s niece came to play for a while after her little sister was born. We enjoyed relaxing in the sun and blowing bubbles. We will definitely miss our warm summer days.

Hardware Ranch

We were able to enjoy one last get-away before the cold weather arrived. We went with the Pikus Family to Hardware Ranch (about 20 miles south of Logan). We rented a trailer and met up with the rest of the gang who also had trailers – Thank goodness. We were able to take the ATV’s out the first day and enjoy the sun. On Sunday, we hung out and had plenty of water games and mud fights. Taylor and the boys even attempted rafting down the river, but were unsuccessful due to the small tube sizes. So Jayden decided to go down a portion by himself, only to find himself stuck in a clump of trees. He wasn’t all that thrilled, but he survived. Then the RAIN came. We all huddled in the trailers and played games. We were able to cook our Dutch-oven dinner in one of the ATV hauling trailers and it turned out amazing. We were a little nervous about getting the trailers up the muddy hill the next morning, but luckily we were all successful and made it home safely.