Watch Out

This one is getting good with the sword.

The Upside

The upside to having a bad day is when your husband acknowledges your
sorrows and fears with beautiful red roses! What a guy!

Somber

Just once I would love to leave the doctor's office with excellent news instead of the bad or only half-good news that seems to come out of every visit. Is that too much to ask?

Watch This!

This is my new favorite video. (If you come to my YW class next time I teach you'll get to see it.) I just think it is so empowering to see so many young adults choosing to remain chaste -- young people that aren't even members of our church.

Way to go!

University of Utah vs Brigham Young University

We invited the family over for the big game the other night. While we all mostly enjoyed the final score I think we had more fun with the sideline entertainment happening live in the living room.

Our very own concert pianist. This baby loves to play and sing at the piano. I can hardly wait to see his talents blossom in the coming years.


(Sorry, I can't figure out why this wants to go sideways.) Here the young brethren of the family discussed the game, stats, score, players, etc. The future elders quorum.


She dressed up and staged her very own dance party. The keyboard, playing its pre-programmed songs, was her stereo. She stood on a stool and danced her heart out while telling all the younger kids to follow her. It was hilarious!

Love the Utah State Fair

I LOVE the Utah State Fair! I really don't know why, except that I have fond memories of Aunt Sherri taking me a couple of times when I was younger. So for the past few years I have pretty much forced my family to come with me. I think they are finally falling in love with it too!

It wouldn't be the Fair without trying out the big yellow tractors.


All the kids love the Little Hands Farm - maybe its because they've learned how to use the cow as a water gun.


If you're lucky you might end up at the Fair on the All-You-Can-Eat Ice Cream day. $3 for Aggie Ice Cream, BYU Creamery, Farr's, Creamies, etc. As much as your tummy can hold.


This little girl's expression makes me laugh - look at those eyes.


Doesn't this just make every kid want to live on a farm.


Another great year at the Fair!

Aunt Linda's Carnival

We arrived just minutes before Aunt Linda's Carnival ended but we still had plenty of time to play on the big blow-up toys. So. Much. FUN!

How to Host a Labor Day Pool Party

1. Check a few days before that no one has the Clubhouse reserved.
2. On Labor Day morning arrive at 8:25 and stake your claim in the Clubhouse kitchen.
3. Wait for the family to arrive - they'll trickle in from 8:30-9:00am.
4. Enjoy a fabulous breakfast of bacon pancakes, quiche, fruit, and cereal.


5. Change into your swim suits and go swimming, despite the threatening clouds above.


6. Lots of Hinckleys together in the pool will intimidate all other people already swimming and before you know it you have the entire place to yourself. Awesome!


7. Swim your heart out for an hour or two. (It never does rain.)
8. Reluctantly get out, dry off, clean up, and head on to other activities for the day.

10-Day Road Trip

Our summer vacations are now officially over. In the last four months we've been to Disneyland, twice to Logan, twice to St. George, Cedar City, and our final journey was a 10-day long round trip to Boise, Great Falls, and finally Yellowstone. We visited with family and friends, saw the beautiful mountains of the West, relaxed, and enjoyed limited cell phone coverage. :)


This is the wonderful family who took us into their home in Idaho, Dave's best friends from dental school. We spent the weekend riding around in their Yukon, just like two extra kids in the family.

I didn't get any decent pictures but we went to two fabulous restaurants: Brick 29 and Pizzal Chick. It was definitely a Food Network experience dining at these places. Brick 29 is a delicious bistro in the basement of an old Masonic temple. (The upstairs has an event center - might be kind of fun to be an event coordinator in an old temple.) Pizzal Chick was actually featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives with Guy Fieri (I love that show). We got to meet the owner there who apologized for not wearing his tie-dye and said I looked really familiar - surely I had been in before. Nope but I hope to go back some day, it was that good!



After too short a stay with our friends we hopped on Hwy 21 and wound our way through the mountains to reach Great Falls. It took us nearly 12 hours to get there on all those back roads but the scenery totally made it worth the drive. We saw some really amazing views and passed through some quaint little mountain villages.


Our first stop in Great Falls was at the Air Force Museum. We received a personal tour of the inside exhibits from one of the servicemen. Dave had so many questions our 15-minute tour turned in to over 45 minutes. But it was fascinating to learn all about the work done in the silos of Malmstrom AFB.



Later that night we ate at MacKenzie River Pizza Co. There were so many enticing options on the menu my head was spinning. We settled on two pizzas that we shared but I would have loved to try one of everything. Then after dinner we played several rounds of Ladders with our lovely hosts. During practice Dave and I were scoring points with every throw but once the actual competition began we both froze. I lost every game. Sad.


We enjoyed a "junk food" picnic at Ryan Dam our last day there - cookies, pastries, and Capri Sun. It was as gross as it sounds.

(I know, I look like a politician holding all these babies.
They're my sweet niece and nephew and I'm trying to fill a void.)

The final stop on our 10-day road trip was Yellowstone National Park. We met up with my family and enjoyed a small portion of the wonders of the area. I forget how HUGE Yellowstone is. There was so much to do and so little time to do it in.

As we left the Park one day my little twin nephews begged to come with us in our car and it didn't take long before they were both sound asleep. Several miles before Madison Jct. the cars in front of us all stopped. We couldn't figure out what was going on. After being in the slow-moving pile up for over 45 minutes, we finally reached the cause of the problem - a small heard of buffalo walking along the road with the cars. They were so close I could reach out the window and touch them - but I didn't. We took a few pictures through the window (which are all on Dave's phone) and carefully passed by, relieved to finally be back at the speed limit. Before long the twins woke up and wanted their mommy. In an effort to console them, I showed them the pictures of the buffalo and told them how close they were to the car. Well, they took that story to heart and put their own three-year old spin on it. When we all arrived back at the condo, they ran to their parents telling them how the buffalo almost got in our car and how they had fought them off and saved us. It was hilarious. The next day, they both picked up big sticks to beat the buffalo if they came back. Oh, you gotta love three-year old imaginations.


We had such a great time on our road trip! We might have to do it again next year. Thanks to all our friends and family we met along the way who made it the best vacation of the summer!

L.O.V.E.

Yesterday I saw this great quote and today this video - all about love.


"Let us hope that we are all preceeded in this world by a love story."