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Sunday, August 22, 2010

Utah visit!

We headed to Utah Sunday, August 8 after my parents mission farewell talk. We had left Crossfield early Sunday morning to be able to be there in time for their talks. I am incredibly thankful we were able to be there. My parents mean so much to me and not being there wasn't even an option.

Their talks were amazing and it was nice to hear w
hat they had to say as I learned things about them I didn't know. They are going to be awesome missionaries! The people they are going to be working with/serving with are going to love them and that makes not having them around for 2 years a little easier. Cause I know they will be happy and taken care of.

It was also SO good to see Cole for the first time in 2 weeks. He had been down there helping my parents with some renovations and work around their place. He had a great time with his other cousins down there too.

We left Cardston Sunday late afternoon and took my nephew Zack (9 years old) with us. Brynely stayed in Cardston with my parents so we could spend some good quality time with boys and have fun with them. I forgot to mention we also had our dog Buddy with us as well. So we had a full truck as we were also pulling our fifth wheel down with us.

Kent wanted Buddy to come down to and I had arranged for him to go to a kennel while we were going to be down in Utah...I figured it would be easier. Kent said he should come cause why not and plus it will save us money instead of paying to have him in a kennel. All was fine until we left Cardston and we began the drive to the States...Buddy had gas!! It was awful and we were having to open the windows every 5 minutes I kid you not. He had gotten into some people food while we had been camping up at the lake and it was finally hitting him I guess. It was NOT a fun trip down there to say the least.

We stayed in Butte Montana over night at the Walmart parking lot since it was free and all. We arrived there around 11p.m. so we were tired. Monday morning we got up and let the kids go walk around Walmart and then we headed out.

We arrived in Utah around 6 p.m. as we had a few stops along the way down (mishaps with the fifth wheel...UGH!) It was good to FINALLY get there. We got the fifth wheel all set up. And then got the kids and their tent all set up as well.
Buddy and Fresca and the kids tent in Em's yard.

Fresca is only a few months old and she wasn't quite sure about Buddy as he was so dang huge compared to her. Buddy and Fresca got along well and had fun together.


HAPPY 36th BIRTHDAY EMILY!!

Tuesday, August 10 2010


This is the first time in over 15 or more years that I have been with Emily on her birthday. It was SO fun to be there and making sure she had a good day. I had the pleasure of showing Emily her best birthday surprise of the day that morning (long story). I couldn't wait to show her so I brought her outside to see and it put the biggest smile on her face...ahhhh, a GREAT start to her birthday!

Emily, her daughter Elizabeth (11 yrs old) and her friend and I all went shopping for about 2-3 hours. The guys took all the other kids and went to the Nicklecade and had a good time there. We all met up for a late lunch/early supper at the Golden Corral.

Once we were all done eating Kent asked our waiter if they did anything for Birthdays and he said,

" yes we sing to them."

Kent told them it was Em's birthday and to send them over. We were laughing and as you can see on Em's face I think she wanted to hurt Kent ha ha!

Emily and Barb

I wanted a picture of Emily and I together so I gave Kent the camera. He was taking too long so we started being silly.


Emily and I are only 15 months apart. I think my Mom was crazy having us so close together (ha)...mind you, I think I was a whoops! But, probably the best whoops she has ever had.
*wink, wink*

Emily is a great sister! And I really look up to her. She and I have gotten a lot closer over the years. It is important to us that our kids are close and know each other.

After dinner Emily and I took most the kids and headed home while Kent and Mark and took a couple kids and went to get her birthday cake. We got on the freeway and all of a sudden heard this weird noise and it got louder and louder...the tire had blown! We pulled over and realized we had NO CELL PHONE to even call anyone....CRAP!!! We also knew Mark and Kent probably wouldn't even think anything was wrong for about an hour or so as they would be driving home a different way.

It was getting dark out and traffic was busy on the freeway. We were so scared we were going to get hit. Em put on her hazards and we opened up the back of the minivan to try to figure out how to do the tire ourselves. We couldn't even figure out where the jack was and what not....NICE!

Em turned on some music to distract the 6 kids we had in the minivan and we stood outside at the back of the van HOPING someone would pull over...NOPE!! After standing there for about 40 minutes Emily decided to run up the freeway to the next off ramp and go to a gas station...it was a LONG ways away. Thank goodness Em is a runner...but I didn't like her leaving as it was dark. I was praying like you wouldn't believe...for Emily's safety and ours, for someone to pull over and help us and for the guys to CLUE IN that something was wrong. Anyways, to make a long story short a wonderful couple and their son FINALLY pulled over and helped us. They were SO kind and helpful...they changed the tire for us as we couldn't get a hold of Mark and Kent (this couple had a cell phone we used to try to call the guys and they weren't answering).

Emily got picked up just as she had gotten down the off ramp and they brought her back to us and she to used there cell phone and couldn't get a hold of the guys. Not once did a policeman drive by on the freeway the whole 1 1/2 hours we were out there. They did finally show up once the tire was on and done. So I gave them a hard time and he said actually they had great timing cause it was all done by the time they showed up...real nice! Kent and Mark FINALLY called us back and came. They said they didn't know the number that kept calling so they didn't answer it LOL!

I am grateful all my prayers were answered and we were able to get back to Em's and finish celebrating her birthday...even though it was around 11 p.m. at this point.
I love this picture of Em...she has the greatest smile!


Kent and Mark picked out her cake and they did a good job...it was an ice cream cake. The candles on it were a question mark and a 6...too funny!


We sang to her and then she blew out her candles.
Em said she had a good day. It was definitely and eventful one to say the least.

Love you Em!




Wednesday, August 11
Kent and I did some shopping that day. Then around 4 p.m. we all went to Cherry Hill. It is a fun place that we went to last year. It is a water park that has a fun tube ride, a b
ig pirates wading pool area for the little ones and then a swimming pool, miniature golf course and another type of slide that you have to sit on a mat to go down it. I am ashamed to say not many pictures were taken that day as I was enjoying myself so much I forgot LOL!


Cousins

Korhman, Tyson and Zack are all 9 years old and man are they all alike...it is quite painful actually ha ha!


Korhman doing a back flop into the water...let's just say he did a really good one and he was in a little bit of pain LOL!

Korhman doing a belly flop...once a gain another good one and he was a hurtin' boy!


Zack and Kent doing cannon balls into the pool


Tyson doing his belly flop. Kent and Mark were judging them as they did all these things into the water to let them know who did the best.


Zack doing his belly flop. He came up with a beat read face and chest. He said it felt like a sunburn LOL!!


Having fun in the pool together


Korhman, Zack and Tyson doing "the nutcracker" into the water. I don't think I need to explain this...it is self explanitory...silly, silly boys! Korhman won at this ha ha...



Playing in the ditch

Anytime Buddy was off his leash and there was water in the ditch he went for it. SO the kids decided they would get in and play as well. Once they got in Buddy wasn't interested to go in. So they kept calling and calling him to come play in the water with them.


He finally got in and they all had fun


He went running down the ditch past each of them splashing them and you could hear them all screaming and laughing!


Buddy was cooled off and I swear he had a grin on his face LOL!
He is such a good dog. In the end I am glad we brought him.



Dancing Vehicle
On our way home from Cherry Hill we had Max (13 yrs old), Cole (12 yrs old), Calvin (5 yrs old) in the truck with Kent and I. We had the music playing loud and we were dancing and singing away to it. The kids wanted slurpees so we told them the only way we would stop and get them one is if they danced the whole way there. HA HA HA...it was the funniest thing ever to see them all just given'r in the truck. It was fun...I tried to take pics of everyone dancing and I got some pretty funny ones =)

Thanks Emily and Family for having us. We had a great time as usual. Hopefully we will see you in about 7-8 months =)



We left Utah Friday, August 13 to head to Great Falls to camp for the weekend so we could do some school shopping. We stayed at the KOA in Great Falls. Really nice place, bu
t much to our surprise VERY expensive. Once again, not one picture...DARN!! The kids had a good time.

I was anxious to get back to Cardston as I was missing my Brynley somethin' fierce. The ride back home was WAY better as Buddy didn't have gas this time...thank goodness!


Jada, Paige (my neices) and Brynley.

Brynley looked so cute all done up as they had just gotten home from church. I was all teary eyed seeing her and her seeing me and her reaction was even better. She was giggling and just kept saying

"Mum, Mummmm, Mum!"

I got the biggest most tightest hugs and kisses...it was awesome!


Thanks again to my parents for having Brynley for that week so we could have fun with the boys. You are awesome! Saying bye to them knowing we won't see them for a long time was hard. We love you both so much!

3 comments:

Barb Stanford said...

Ok I am SERIOULSY annoyed with my font as in some places it goes HUGE and I can't figure out why...anyone know?

Lynn said...

Sorry can't help you with the font issue. I get the same thing. So annoying for sure. But that's okay. We can still read it.

What an awesome post! So fun to get to know more of your family. I can see the resemblance between you and your sister. Beautiful you two are!

What a scary Freeway story. I bet your hubbies will both be answering every number they don't recognize from now on! LOL!

Gayla Woolf Holt said...

Loved having Brynley to love and play with. She was so fun and so cute....she wore us both out! She was SO SO happy to see you guys again!

Your Utah trip sounded and looked so fun. Great Pictures!
So happy you were there to help spoil Emily on her birthday except for the freeway story which was way to scary!

About you being an Oops baby...well the truth is, every dang one of you were! Not one of you were planned for. And am so GLAD all four of you came when you wanted to come! And that;s the truth.

But having four kids in five years was a bit much...and so that is the real reason your Dad and I got divorced...he just had to go...enough was enough....actually I like that story better than the true one! LOL
Love you tons! Mom