I looked out the window....

Garrett's Birthday Extravaganza

At our house we have two birthday parties...the "Friend" party and the "Grandma" party. Evidently if you are a mom, dad, brother, sister or grandpa you don't matter.

While the big kids were at school we went to the Scarecrow Festival at Thanksgiving Point with Cam, Parker and Kara.

I'm pretty sure Garrett could jump on inflatables all day and never get tired.

Garrett has such awesome friends. I love it when my children choose friends that I would choose for them!

Just like last year, his favorite activity at the festival is the "Bungee Trampoline" attraction. He is fearless.

And now for the "Grandma" party.....

There were ribbons and wrappings and trimmings and trappings....

and a SWORD  cake (if you can't tell---I'm not quitting my day job anytime soon) and there were

Grandmas

and even a Grandpa.

Happy Birthday G-Dawg!

Favorite Pics from Millard County

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Delta, part 2

You're probably wondering how we had time to do all of the exciting offerings in Delta. Utah.

Here's a glimpse:

We played a lot in the dirt, rocks, and sand.

On the road between Delta and Oak City, there are these enormous sand dunes right next to the road (it was way better than Little Sahara--we had these sand dunes all to ourselves!) We tried sledding down the slopes but that didn't exactly work, so we mostly just dug tunnels and the kids fought about who made their tunnel collapse and how that tunnel was a "special" one they had worked on for hours and now it was ruined and blah blah blah. We also wrote our names all over the dunes and found lots of burried treasure: beer bottles, cigarette lighters, and shot gun shells. Garrett has a growing collection of bullet casings from all over Utah. Don't touch them---they are special.

Samuel, by the way, thought the sand was delicious!

We also went rock hounding at Topaz Mountain and

Sunstone Knoll. The ground there literally sparkles with diamonds, only they're not diamonds they're called sunstones, which is a type of volcanic glass. The kids spent hours filling cups and bags with sparkling gems, each one more "special" than the last.

We also saw lots of critters, including antelope,

lizards, and snake skins. Ben really wanted to see a scorpion, but no luck.

I didn't really want to, but the kids insisted we stop and look at every old building we pass and take pictures. You know how kids are.

Secretly, Ben's ready to chuck it all and become a farmer.He looks good on farm equipment, don't you think?

Delta, part 1

Let me confirm any vicious rumors you might have heard:

We did indeed actually take our family on vacation to Delta. Utah. On purpose.

Keep reading for some of the highlights--er, lowlights--of our trip:

We stayed in a great cabin right on the banks of Gunnison Bend Reservoir. (It is not near Gunnison, it is in Delta). It was so beautiful to watch the sunset each evening over the lake and to see all the changing leaves and trees nearby. We ate most of our meals out doors on the wrap-around porch and roasted marshmallows at night in the fire pit. It was almost like camping---but there was a full kitchen, 2 bathrooms, and comfy beds inside.

There was a tree swing,

a hammock,

and plenty of rocks, sand, and

 dead frogs that we needed to keep.

There was also a canoe.....

and plenty of time to be silly.......

and crabby.

It was a whole lot cheaper than Disneyland. And I'm pretty sure they charge extra for dead amphibians in Anaheim.

Stay tuned for "Delta, Part 2: A Town with lots of Rocks"

Happy Birthday Chicken

Five years ago today I first met this handsome guy.....all 9lbs 8oz and 22 inches of him!

He was the best baby.

The kids looked a little different then.....

Evidently it was so long ago it was before red-eye reduction.

But then he had to grow up.......

I tried to talk him into staying little, but he's always pretty much been "large and in charge".

 

 

 

Happy Birthday to our handsome funny full-of-energy weapon-loving karate-chopping chicken, aka Garrett Preston King. You are the BEST brother and son anyone could every ask for! (BTW, he hates being called chicken, but it's our family's nickname for him, and it has nothing to do with the amount of courage he has. So if you call him that be prepared to see his "moves" as he calls them. Think Kung Fu Panda.)