New Favorite Place

Last weekend was the last one before school started for our kids so we took them on our only trip this summer. We kept meaning to do fun things all summer long and they just never happened. So this was our last chance.

We had heard about Sand Hollow State Park from people in town. They said it had sandy beaches and was so nice. I was not sold on it. When I think of sandy beaches I picture Malibu, and I knew thew was no Malibu in Southern Utah!

Still it was close by, only 30 min away, and it had campsites with showers. Sold!

We left on friday and got camp all set up, it was actually a super nice site. covered picnic tables, bbq and nice clean bathrooms (real ones) and of course the aforementioned showers! It was duskish by the time all the tents were set up and so we thought we would just drive down to the beach to check it out.

Sand, actual sandy beaches! soft with no rocks or bushes in the water. Clear water with ripples in the sand! It was soooo nice! And the best part was it was so shallow. You could literally go out 50 feet and the water was only about a foot deep, at a hundred feet it was still only waist deep. This meant the little kids had plenty of area to play with out the risk of deep waters!

Sean, Zariah, Emily and Ian out about 100 feet

Andrew and Lincoln about 50 feet out.

Still out there, having to drag the raft far!

Did I mention the Sand was red! but still soft beach like sand!

Chillin in the shade at lunchtime! The kids had so much fun! they played all Saturday dawn to dusk and then we went night swimming in a different part of the lake where there was cliff diving, no shallow parts there so all the little kids were put into rafts and pushed around the deep water while the older kids jumped off the rocks!
They slept so good that night and everyone was sad when Sunday morning came and we had to pack up camp and head beack to reality.
But now we know. Sandy beaches perfect for the family. And luckily the normal 100 degree weather was mild for us and it was only in the 90's and cooled off at night to a chilly 75!

Best Day Ever!

Today is one of my favorite days of the year!
Today is the first day of school!

The days of summer are officially over and the daily routine has come back again.

Early mornings and quiet days are here again!

Each year on the first day of school we take pictures. The kids hold up their fingers to show what grade they are going into. It has been a fun tradition to have.

Here is what they looked like this morning:

I can't beleive How fast they have grown. Only 1 in elementary school, that is practically insane to me! It won't be long and they will all be grown and gone!

For now, though, I can just enjoy each day as it comes.

So being the first day of school, I get to get up early and take them to school and then go out to breakfast with my friend. Maybe today will be filled with lounging around or busy with chores that have been put off for 3 months. Either way it is good to get back into the routine of the school year!

Green? I thought it was pink!

My brother-in-law moved his family clear across the country to

Washington DC a couple of years ago.

We were all very sad about the move because we knew it would mean we would not be able to visit eachother very often. His wonderful wife decided a fun way to help her 2 year girls (twins)remember all the family was to do a 20 questions game.

It was a simple thing that helped them remember everyone. Each Sunday we would get a new question e-mail.

Now I know you are wondering how this is going to link in with my favorite things theme, here it is.

The question was simple. Whats your favorite color?

Here is what I wrote her:

Easy, Pink! I love pink, my laptop is pink, my zune is pink, my external hardrive is pink, my bedroom would have a pink cherry blossom theme if Sean (my husband) would let me!

As I think back to when I was growing up I always wanted pink things... I however never got them! My sister got the pink blanket, the pink dress, even the 4 foot tall pink panther was hers!!! It wasn't fair. I was always in green!!!

In fact when I was just 3 I remember having a green birthday party! I shared a birthday with my grandfather and we were celebrating it at their house, I remember being asked what kind of cake and ice cream I wanted.

Mint chip, and green cake too!! The grown ups argued that it would be too hard and since it was a double party to see what grandpa wanted. He picked me up and said it had to be green! Everthing, balloons, streamers, plates, everything green.

So thinking back on it, maybe that was the point in which my mom starting giving me green things, putting me in green dresses, having a green comforter on my bed...

maybe it's all my fault I never got pink.

Who knew that at the age of 3 you really can get what ya wish for!

I wish I had known how binding that wish was going to be!!