Flashback Friday - Falling x 3

Flashback: July 2007

Provo River Falls

It is one of our family's favorite places. We love hiking through the water and playing in the waterfalls. Unfortunately we only get there about every 2 years. And always in the month of July for some reason. In 2007 we went there with Steve's sister Heather and her family when they were here visiting us. Above: Sierra, Steve, Emily, Austin, Zac

Tyler, Steve, Allyson, Zac.

Oh look. I'm skinny and I'm blonde. What a difference 4 years makes.
(Blogger, I'm about to take you and your editing issues and your incessant desire to put spaces everywhere and I'm gonna do something real bad to you! Because I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!)

Sierra, Aubrey, Steve

Baby Addy and Steve H.

Flashback: July 2009
Aubrey, Emily, Addy, Allyson, Zac and Steve

In 2009 Steve's brother Mike and his family were here visiting us and we took a little trip to the falls. Below: Mike, Asher, Spencer, Sheila and Reagan

Steve and Mike basking in their brotherly love

Goofy Aubrey

(I just had to backspace 300 times to get rid of all the spaces! For reals! At least it let me get rid of the spaces that time.)

Flashforward: July 2011

Addy, Steve, Zac, Aubrey, Emily and Allyson

We were going to go when my whole family was in town visiting but we just ran out of time. Monday (July 25th) was a sort of Holiday around these here parts. July 24th is Pioneer Day. The day when the first Mormon Pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley. Since we live in Utah and since the holiday fell on the Sabbath, we celebrated the holiday starting on Saturday and continuing straight through to Monday. Steve was able to have the day off from work and the falls were just callin' our names.

Emily decided to submerge herself in the FREEZING water.

This is Aubrey saying, "It's Freezing and I was in it all the way up to here!"

Zac after going down a natural waterslide. Oh Z! I miss you.

He is at Youth Conference right now!

Aubrey

Emily, Steve, Aubrey, Addy and Zac

That evening we found a place to cook dinner over the fire before we headed home.

Side note: The mosquitoes were horrible! HORRIBLE I say! I thought they were bad around our house. HA! We had repellent with deet and we still got eaten alive. You should see Addy's back! On the way down the canyon as we passed the nudist ranch we laughed at the sign that said, "Closed Due To Mosquitoes".

It's A Party In The USA - Day 5

Wednesday, July 6, 2011
On Wednesday, we went loaded up the ATV's, the coolers, and the kids and headed for the mountains. We found a camp site to use for the day. We took turns riding the wheelers and just hangin' around camp. It was such a fun and relaxing day.

Zac and Bart playing horse shoes

Aubrey and Owen playing Horse Shoes

Matt and Addy digging in the dirt
While part of the group was riding, Farrah, Kristy and I took the kids for a nature walk





Farrah and Bart

Farrah was a nice aunt and took all the kids for a ride
Teresa and Sam

Bart, Sam and Teresa
The aftermath of that mud puddle

Sisters ride. I have been threatening Lauren for years that I was going to take her for a ride on my ATV. I finally followed through with my threat. Farrah and Kristy and Lauren and I went for a fun ride together. Lauren was only scared a little.

Lauren and I after our ride. When I saw that mud puddle Sam and Teresa went through I was going to be nice and go around it. But then I thought about how long it had been since I had gone through a nice mud puddle so I told Lauren to hold on and I floored it and went right through the middle of the puddle.

That night we built a fire and roasted hot dogs and marshmallows and made s'mores.

When we were sitting around the camp fire, we were singing songs. Mostly camp songs. I started singing and doing the actions to the Indian Princess song (if you went to girls camp in the Dallas East Stake, you know what I'm talkin' bout). Kristy asked how I still know all the motions to the song. And I was like, "HELLO! I taught every Indian Princess those way awesome moves for 5 years in a row!" After that display was over they wanted me to do another dance. I asked what kind they wanted and they said something about shaking it up a little. So what do you think of when someone says that? Me? I think of Ferris Bueller on a parade float. So I started singing that song. Then I was like, "OH! I haven't seen that movie in so long!" And everyone else was the same way. And then Teresa was like, I have never seen that movie, and then we were like - WHAT THE HAY?!

So we decided that when we got home that night we would watch it. It was dark when we left and on the way home there was construction or something on the highway so we were stuck in horrific traffic at 11:00 at night. Sam and Teresa and Zac and Lauren were in my van with me and we were able to exit and go the back roads home. On the way to take Lauren to her house we did a Chinese fire drill seeing that I was being all nostalgic with the Indian Princess dance and Ferris Bueller. It was so late when we got home but we were determined to watch the movie. We stayed up until 2:00am. I should say SAM and TERESA and ALLYSON stayed up that late. Everyone else pooped out and went to bed.


These are some things I realized from watching that movie. It had some many firsts in it. First time someone in a movie spoke to the camera. First flash mob. First movie to continue after the credits. First time Charlie Sheen talked on camera about drugs. Also I realized that I quote that movie all the time. So many good lines:

What country do you think this is?

So that's how it is in their family.

Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?

My best friends sisters boyfriend...

Anyone...anyone...anyone...

Ferris Bueller, you're my hero!

SPEAKA ANY ENGLISH?!?

Niiiine times.

Voodoo economics.

I could keep going, but I won't. Need to catch up? Click below:

It's A Party In The USA - Day 1

It's A Party In The USA - Day 1 Do Over

It's A Party In The USA - Day 2

It's A Party In The USA - Day 3

It's A Party In The USA - Day 4

Monday Morning Musings - Conversations

Kristy: Do you know there are people in your yard taking family pictures?
Allyson: What? (looking out kitchen window) (running through the house) OH MY GOSH! I GOTTA GET MY CAMERA SO I CAN DO A BLOG POST!!!
Steve and the kids: What?
Allyson: (while running for camera) PEOPLE! YARD! PICTURES! CAMERA! BLOG POST!
Steve and the kids: What?
Allyson: GO LOOK OUT THE KITCHEN WINDOW!!! I GOTTA DO A BLOG POST!!!

Addy: You know that one time when we were supposed to wear our clothes inside out to preschool and I didn't? And the time we were supposed to bring a stuffed animal and I didn't?
Allyson: Yes. I remember. I'm sorry we forgot.
Addy: You ruined those days for me!


Zac: What's for dinner?
Allyson: (singing) You wanna know what's for dinner? Oh boy, I'll tell you what's for dinner.
Zac: Life is NOT a musical!


Allyson: (yelling out the back door) GIRLS! IT'S TIME TO COME INSIDE AND TAKE A BATH!
Emily: Mom. I don't take baths. I take showers. Don't ever yell "Bath" outside when there are people around.
Allyson: OK. (getting my book that I write stuff down in)
Emily: And DON'T put this on your blog or I will tell _______'s mom about the ________thing on your blog.


Emily: Aubrey, we haven't watched your patriotic school performance yet. Maybe mom's just not watching it because she forgot. Or probably because she just doesn't want to.


Addy: (in her best Dora imitation) Spooky Forest, Haunted House, Ry-an Sea-crest


Zac: (while playing Xbox live) (singing the Willow Smith song into his headphone/mouthpiece thing) I whip my hair back and forth, I whip my hair back and forth.
Allyson: What. the. heck?
Zac: I'm trying to distract the enemy.
Allyson: Well, your scarin' the poop outta me.


Radio and Allyson: (singing) Shake, shake, shake. Shake, shake, shake. Shake your booty. Shake your boo-tay!
Emily: (cracking up laughing) That's a real song! I thought you were just making it up when you sing it!


Addy: (with sharpie marker in hand) MOM! I'm signing this Kleenex box and now it looks ridiculous!


Allyson: (watching a show with the kids about a mom who is trying to get her family to perform a song and dance with her) (all excited) Hey kids, at least your mom's not as bad as her!
Zac: She's playing a character on TV. So that makes you even worse!


Addy: Mom, can I have this dollar?
Allyson: No.
Addy: Well, I'm gonna go get something I can sell you for a dollar! Then you HAVE to give it to me!


Zac: You are such a nerd.
Allyson: And proud of it!
Zac: I have no room to call anyone a nerd...
Allyson: Ain't that the truth?
Zac: You're my mom! You're supposed to be supportive of me!
Allyson: Oh, right...


Allyson: I better not hear anyone ever use that word in our house ever again!
Addy: But mom, when we see Satan, are we supposed to call HIM a butthead?


Addy: Mom, all our chickens are modest now! You know how before Fluffy was the only modest one because of all her feathers on her face? Well, now they are all modest!
Allyson: ?


Allyson: (checking on sleeping kids before going to bed)
Zac: (talking in sleep) I'm just pulling this weed.
Allyson: What?
Zac: There is just one more weed I need to pull.
Allyson: What are you talking about?
Zac: I'm gonna pull this last weed and then I will come in.


Zac: (looking at the block of knives on the kitchen counter) If there was a Zombie infestation, do you know which knife I would use?
Allyson: (looking at him like he is insane)
Zac: (ignoring my insane stare) I would use this one because........(I can't remember what he said and he won't tell me now)
Allyson: You are the strangest child I have.

It's A Party In The USA - Day 4

July 5, 2011

On Tuesday we decided to hop a train and go downtown to see the sights. In the above picture we are waiting for the train. Below is a picture of the kids on Temple Square in front of the Assembly Hall.

It was a hot day and we came prepared with zero water. Not Zero Water as in filtered water, but zero water as in no water. At all. Every time we saw a water fountain, all 9 kids lined up to gulp the stuff down. Our visits to the water fountains were pretty lengthy.

The kids at the Christus
Lunch time! Thanks to the food court the kids could happily eat Mickey D's and the adults and older kids could eat grown up food.

Overlooking the Temple in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building

Aubrey

Aubrey, Emily and Tia

The kids in front of the Salt Lake Temple

The observation deck on top of the Church Office Building

Waiting to watch the movie in the Legacy Theater

Tia and Aubrey. These girls are only a few weeks apart in age and they are the bestest of friends. They have become like sisters this summer with Tia living at our house.

Touring the Conference Center with our fantastic tour guide. Even though it was late in the day and the kids were all toured out and hot and tired and hungry she still t.a.l.k.e.d. r.e.a.l.l.y. s.l.o.w. a.n.d. g.a.v.e u.s. a.n. e.x.c.e.s.s.i.v.e. a.m.o.u.n.t. o.f. d.e.t.a.i.l.

On top of the Conference Center

Granny with her fan club: AKA: Matt and Addy

The elevator ride down from the roof. All day long it was tour guides saying, "Oh, we'll all fit!" And all day long it was me thinking, "Yeah, we'll all fit if you all want me to claw your eyeballs out!" Not to mention the fact that earlier in the day I was on an elevator with Farrah and a few of the kids and it was a hot sweaty old elevator and Farrah started doing a fake out panic attack and I really did almost claw her eyeballs out.

Granny and nine of her Great Grandchildren

More water fountain breaks. This particular water fountain on Temple Square was the kids favorite because it shot water about 3 feet from the fountain.

On our way back to the train. Granny was escorted all day by her sweet little ones.

Waiting for the train Baron decided to moon us all

Later that night Farrah took me on a ride around the neighborhood.