California 2010

On the way home from the airport

At the hotel

Petting the stingrays and sharks

Long Beach Harbor

In Cali!

At the beach

Hayley, Jaeqwon, Tege, Averett and Kimani on the teacups

End of the day in Toon Town (those were their natural looks, really!)

Broderick, Justin, Major, Zach and Tyler on the teacups

At the beginning of the day at Disneyland (notice the smiles there!)

Thanks to Kris' sister, we all decided to do a last minute trip to California and Disneyland. We were already planning a California trip this summer, but Disneyland was not in the immediate future since we just went 3 years ago, and had no desire to go for a couple more years. For the first time, we got to use my JetBlue benefits and travel by plane. On the way there, the flight was full with a whole long list of standby passengers. At the airport, the ticket counter told us our chances were slim, so we moped through security and headed to the gate, waiting patiently for the passengers to fill the plane. When I went to the counter to check availability, they asked if I would be willing to fly in the jumpseat which is where the flight attendants sit. I said sure (I would do anything to get my family there on this flight!) Having this be my first time flying JetBlue, flying jumpseat was a great way to jump in! The flight attendants were super nice, and while my family was enjoying an extra comfy seat with DirecTv, I was treated to a cranberry dreamsicle drink and warm cookies!

Our first day in Long Beach, we stopped at the Long Beach aquarium and purchased ourselves a family membership which is good for a year! Guess we will be going back soon! It ended up being only $3 more for the membership, than a day pass for our family, so it worked out being a great deal for us. The kids enjoyed seeing and petting the stingrays and also sharks! Aunt Patsy spent the day with us and then followed us to our hotel in Santa Ana.

The next day we met Kris' other sister, Lynnette and her family at Disneyland. We got there right when the park opened, which is the only way to do it. We got right on to lots of rides, and by about 2 in the afternoon, the lines became much longer. For our family, this was a monumental trip, because our whole family was able to ride every ride together. We did all the big rides (not really giving Justin and Tyler a choice, but after a couple of seasons at Lagoon, they were weathered for the challenge!), and the family favorite was Space Mountain, which made the hour wait worth it! At the end of the day, we stopped into Toon Town, which Justin informed me he hated, because it was too babyish! I think the real reason was waiting in line for 40 minutes to almost get on and have them close the ride for mechanical reasons! At this point, everyone was tired, awnry and ready to go. The park was going to close at 8 pm and it was close to 7 pm, so we called it a day.

The next day we went to Huntington Beach with the whole family and enjoyed a day of warm sun, a little wind, and some bodyboarding, followed up by a few sunburns! The kids said they had more fun at the beach than at Disneyland, sure wish we could have that $500 back!

We ended up coming back on the morning flight to Salt Lake City the next day, which was way early, but we had no problems getting on this flight, and I even got a seat this time! All in all, it was a great trip and we can't wait to do it again, minus the Dland!

First Eagle Project

After

Before

This past weekend, Zach did his Eagle project. As far as projects go, this one was easy and quick in the planning from start to finish, coming from my hubby, an Eagle Scout. This one was two weeks from beginning to end, although I have heard that they can take forever to get the paperwork done afterwards.

Farmington City leisure services gave Zach the go ahead to sand and repaint the diving board poles and planks at the local pool. The only bad thing was we had a week to accomplish this, since it needed to be done for Memorial Day weekend, not that the weather will allow the pool to open. (I'm a pessimist this spring!) Last weekends forecast didn't look all that great either, but we knew we needed to get it done on a weekend as opposed to a weeknight, with school, sports, etc, there would be no scouts to help out. So we picked Friday night, which according to the forecast, looked the most promising. We met at 3 pm and headed to the pool. The boys were all really hard workers, but it wasn't until the painting part that I realized what a nightmare this project could become. First off, the paint was oil based, second, I didn't realize until too late, that 12 and 13 year old boys do not know how to paint! They were all sticking their brushes in the paint up to the handle, then pulling them out dripping! There were drips all over the plastic (at least we had plastic!) Fortunately, they all took their shoes off and ruined their socks, which is better than shoes in my opinion. As they were finishing the last coat, the skies turned dark and started dumping rain, and continued to pour all night long. Both Kris and I hardly slept, both just worrying about the eagle project and the 3-4 hours that were put into it. The next morning, Kris and Zach had to meet with the city and remove the tape. The paint was still wet to the touch, but for the most part it held up and the city approved it! Zach wishes he could stick a gold plaque on the diving boards stating that it was his Eagle project, but he is just going to have to pay homage every time he goes swimming and jumps off the boards!

Justin's Baptism

Justin was baptized earlier this month and I have been too busy working to post it. It was a very special day and he was very excited. We even had a couple of practice sessions in the hot tub! Justin was baptized with another little ward friend, so we split the program with the other family. We asked Justin who he would like to speak and he picked his older brother, Zach. I thought for sure I would have to bribe Zach in some way, but he accepted and did a great job! We are so proud of Justin, and he has taken his baptismal covenant seriously. Every night he reads the Baptism book that Grandma Back gave him. Such a big thing for a little guy! Congrats little buddy!

Happy Birthday Hayley!

My children are growing up too fast! Hayley is eleven today, going on 20. She is such a good girl, and helps me out so much! Happy Birthday Hayley! I love you!

Lucky Eight

Today, this guy turned eight. And next Saturday, he gets baptized. Happy Birthday Justin!

2010 Winter Olympics

This is what happens when you watch the Opening Ceremony for the Olympics! Bless their little hearts, they actually sat and watched it for several hours. I guess the end with the singing and talking got a little boring for them. Oh, and those are Tyler's glasses from his valentines party. He's asleep if you can't tell! GO TEAM USA!!!

Holiday Makeover

Room with a ceiling

Finished project

Just before the holidays, I got a job at JetBlue in Reservations. This will be a job from home after 6-7 weeks of training. That meant I would need an office. We had a few options to choose from: use one of the finished rooms in our basement, the office up in Zach's large bonus room, or our front room/piano room. All three had their conflicts. The basement room would be quiet, but out of the way (too far out of the way) and needed carpet still. Zach's room was finished, but if I had a shift at night, it would interfere with his sleep etc. The front room was a good location, but let in too much noise. The ceiling was open to the family room and there is a large arched doorway with no door. We decided to transform the front room, getting rid of the piano (that no longer got used) and the green couches that never fit in this house. My sweet hubby took one week off during Christmas and New Years and this was his vacation...home remodeling! It was a very tedious and at times scary remodel, because we put a ceiling in and a wall on top of that to reach our vaulted ceilings. We just finished this weekend with the walls and still need to put in french doors with a arched window over the top, but it turned out great and we now have more function in a room that never got used.