run walk crawl

WASATCH BACK

June 17-18

How do they do it!?

I have some amazing friends...with incredible abilities!

Like running 8 miles straight up a mountain kind of abilities!

I finally did it...

after signing up three times...I actually did it!

Heather, Brittany, Rebecca, Heidi, Katie and Mandy could not have been anymore fun!!!

It was an adventure filled with great music...good friends...Mandy's costumes...beautiful vistas...energetic people as far as the eye can see!

I had a wonderful time...but I am pretty sure it will be my first and final relay race.

How did I get SO wimpy!?

my favorite memory

We were playing "Make Me Laugh."  We would divide the room into two groups.  Each group would do about anything to crack the stone faces of their opponents, while they sat together on the couch.  My group was my aunt, her boyfriend (now uncle), my little sister Annie, and me.  We were up against my mom, dad, sister Dede and my brother Mike (one of the funniest people I know).  We were definitely the underdogs in this group.   

We tried to put our funniest feet forward...but there was nothing.  They were a hard crew to crack.  My small team huddled in my bedroom (I was a senior in high school).  I don't know whose idea it was...but we switched outfits.  Annie traded with my aunt (how did she get my little sister's, who at the time would have been 11 at best, shorts and t-shirt on!?)  I wore my uncles clothes (khaki slacks and a blue polo) and he put my jersey floral dress with sweater on.  We walked in one by one....Annie first...and then we all walked in...they were fine until my uncle entered---wearing a teenagers dress...and
WE WON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

And he won us all over that day...we loved him, and we will miss him.

Enjoying Arizona

My sister Dede and I wanted to attend our Aunt Bonnie's funeral. We piled 3 kids each in her car and drove. Other than one of mine getting carsick, the ride down was uneventful and fun!

Our first day here was even better! Thanks to my sister in law, Annie, we had plenty of fun activities to do!!! The weather is a perfect 100 degrees (heavenly)! To top it off it was my nephew Reagan's birthday!!! To celebrate we:

Toured Krispy Kremes:

Visited Makutu Island (a 3+ story indoor playground):

Made chocolate pizzas at a chocolate factory:

Finished the night off by watching the recent Pirates of the Caribbean movie at the drive-in. It's funny, I don't remember going to the drive-in since I was a girl, living in AZ with the cousins we have come down to see. We need to go more often. We had SO much fun!!!

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a golden birthday

Some sweet friends called you on your birthday today and told us about "golden birthdays"  (thank you Brooklyn!)  Your golden birthday is the year you turn the age of the day your birthday lands.  (She explained it better than that.)  Anyway---Kate's birthday is on the 7th and she turned 7!!!

We spent a quiet day with just our little family.  Those really are my favorite birthdays.  I know Kate's preferences lean more toward a grand production with a lot of friends and family, but she was a great sport!  We took her out to lunch (she had a hard time deciding between Chipotle and Jamba Juice, lucky for me they are next door to each other!).  We made her birthday dinner (spaghetti with meatballs and salad).  We ate dinner outside on the deck.  We found the prettiest cake at the bakery.  We played in the back yard.  We finished the day with bike rides and frisbee at the park. 

Kate,

For this birthday you REALLY wanted a cello.  

You are taking such good care of it.  

You have begun lessons...and you beg to practice everyday.  

Your teacher asks you to sing a song as part of your practice-

I love my cello very much.  

I play it everyday.  

I love to watch the spinning strings as my hands fly away. 

We gave you a book today called the Strawberry Girl. 

It reminds us of you...because you are sweet---

and when you were a toddler, 

we couldn't get any strawberries to ripen in the garden because you loved to pick them 

(and eat them as soon, and as green, as you saw them.)

We love the young lady you are becoming.

We will love you forever.

Could you please grow up a little less quickly---

You look too grown up today!

Love you~

The Kennedy Center

Annie has recommended The Kennedy Center to me each time I have visited Washington DC.  This May it worked out!  Annie and I saw Iphigenie en Tauride starring Placido Domingo.  In our childhood home, our dad gave us plenty of opportunities to enjoy operatic tenors.  Pavarotti was most often playing, but we enjoyed The Three Tenors as well, of which, Placido Domingo was a part. 

The music and artistic display was beautiful.  Annie took time during the intermission to fill me in on the story.  I was intrigued.  I loved the ending.  The building is absolutely beautiful.  If that whole experience wasn't enough---they announced an opportunity to stay for a Q&A with the performers.  We hadn't eaten dinner yet---we were hungry.  But how could we pass that up!?  We stayed and it was absolutely delightful.  I was surprised to have been most entertained by the conductor William Lacey.

I hope to visit The Kennedy Center in every future visit I have to DC.
Thank you Annie xoxo