Park City

We'll be spending next week up in Park City for the annual Wride getaway.

I'm pretty sure the caterpillars will change into their chrysalis next week, so do we bring them with us or lend them to a friend to see the miracle? Hmm.

Here are a few posts of Park City in years past~

2001 - the first year we went, Joe loved the merry-go-round
Can't find pics from 2002 or 2003

2004 - Ready to go swimming
2005 - Corey and 3 year old Ethan going down the Alpine slide
2006 - We had moved to Virginia and so all the Hibberts came up to see us, have dinner, and to play - my kids were totally loving that picture of their cousin Sam as a cute chubby baby2007 - That year we rented jetskis and went to Jordanelle
2008 - Grandma got all the grandkids new PJs that year...
2009 - I thought Hyrum looked so cute and funny, all set to go snorkeling and with his little crossed eyes looking at the camera.How we all look after a week of partying...
And here's how we all look on the drive home after a week of partying
2010 - I think Corey looks so cute in this picture below ~
That year we went to Jordanelle again and got a boat with a tube to pull and rented a water trampoline, very fun!

2011 - Did lots of crafts are on the books again this year
and last year Wesley got stitches after a foosball table pole got him on the forehead, ouch!
So, we'll see you on August 6th, I might try and sneak in some pics sometime during the week. Hope you're enjoying your last month of summertime!

Caterpillars Are Back

Our neighbor Mary gave us some baby caterpillars last Saturday - 6 caterpillars, one of them just hatched and so tiny. They've all already grown so much, it is amazing. We all enjoyed them last summer, they are little wonders of the world and are so incredible, I don't know how anyone could know about Monarch butterflies and not be convinced that their is a Divine Designer behind it all - from the fact that the butterflies somehow know to lay their eggs on Milkweed, to the beauty of the chrysalis with their golden jewels, or when you watch their little wings expand and grow before your eyes, they testify of a Grand Creator, and these are just the simple and little things that testify of Him, don't even get me started on the big things like the gorgeous full moon (Sturgeon Moon coming up next Wednesday!) or the amazing machines behind this little faces.

All things testify of Him.

All things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator. (Alma 30:44)

Scout Camp Volunteers

Corey and I are off to Webelos camp with Ethan and his friends today.  Sophia's coming too, party party.  And keeping with our tradition this summer before the boys go to Scout day camp, I had a great night sleep with Sophia waking up to nurse, Lily coming in my room and throwing up on my floor, and Ethan coming in because of a nightmare.  So while I am not very rested, I am looking forward to a fun day sitting around staring at this little face and talking with her handsome father.

Do you like my t-shirt?

(hint: It's Brian Regan!)

Breakfast for Dinner

I came home from Costco with a dinner menu all planned out for the week.  But Lily had different plans in mind.  We had just had Breakfast for dinner the night before (Puffy Pancakes, bacon, and apricots) but I guess Lily liked it so much she wanted to try and force us to do it again, so, she took a loaf of bread and made 7 butter sandwiches (with a LOT-o-butter) and had placed the sandwiches on each stool for all the kids - such a sweet little mother in the making

Well, I try anyway I can to avoid wasting food... but I don't think Lily can eat all these on her own...

And I don't know how else I can trick the rest of the kids into helping eat this buttered bread other than disguising it in French toast and syrup, so here we go with breakfast for dinner again. 

Kids are very happy, they love breakfast for dinner.

CowKids

The kids have been playing "Cowboy & Cowgirl".  They went a campin' in the wilderness ~

They take their pillows and sleeping bags outside, make a little campfire with pinecones and pine needles,

 

rocks for a sittin' on while they roast their marshmallows, and have a grand time a herdin' cattle or something, (Being an adult, I'm outta the loop on the details of how the game is played...)

I do know Lily makes a way cute little cowgirl.  And as the boring adult I get to say when it's time to call it a quits and come floss and brush,

you guys can keep a playin' tomorrow. 

Carpet Cleaner

Last night at scripture reading we talked briefly about what the Savior did for employment during mortality ~

"Anyone know what Jesus did for work?"
"He was a teacher."
"That's true, but that started when he was 30.  What did he do before he was a teacher?"
They didn't know so I told them.  "He was a carpenter.  Anyone know what a carpenter is?"
Hyrum - "A person who cleans carpets?"

Not quite buddy, but you made me laugh, so you still get a point.

Speaking of Jesus, I didn't hear about this on the news but heard it from my friend Aubrey has a friend who's child went to preschool with Carson and attended his funeral.  At the funeral they shared that at the time of the accident, right after the tombstone fell on Carson and people were crying, one of the small children that was there being photographed asked why everyone was crying, cause they shouldn't be crying "Cause Jesus is here!" and this child saw Jesus help the little boy up off the ground where he fell and took him with Him.  I have been reading more Near Death Experience books, and it seems like there are just a ton of them out right now.  It seems to me that the Lord is doing everything He can to convince us in many different ways that He is real and that this life isn't all there is, and that He's trying to prepare us for His return.  I do believe in Him, that He lives and I know He is coming to this earth again and I look forward to that day and hope and pray to be found among the faithful here to meet Him. 

I like this painting by Akiane - a video about it here, and article about it here.

A Concert Adventure

5:00 - Corey: "You guys are so lucky! Tonight you get to go with mom to a Concert!" Hyrum: "I don't want to go!" Corey: "You have to go."
6:00 - "Ok, kids, go get dressed and get ready." Hyrum: "I don't want to go!" Corey: "You have to go."
7:00 - Tiff: "Ok, let's go get in the car kids! Hyrum: "But I feel sick!" Tiff : "You're okay, let's go."

7:30 - Hyrum "I feel sick." Tiff: Are you going to throw up?" "I don't know" "Well, come here and sit in the front so you can throw up out the window if you need to... Be sure you throw up out and down, not just out or it will fly back into your face. Don't throw up in the car. I can wash the outside of the car easily, so it's okay if you throw up all over the outside of the car."
7:40 - Tiff gives her 5 kids specific instructions to not lose Wesley and for Plans A, B, and C to follow for the potentially different circumstances they may encounter and then drops them off at the Conference Center to go into the concert with a huge throng of people while she drives 3 blocks away and hopes to find a parking spot and then hopes to find her children again, yikes ~ what am I doing?
8:00 - After a mad dash through the streets and across the City Creek Mall, Tiffanie is glad when she finds her kids and that Plan A worked out. Good job kids! Hyrum sitting by the isle still feels sick and the concert starts.

8:15 - Hyrum says too loudly in his mother's direction: "Mom! I feel sick!!" Tiff "Shh! Whisper! (sigh!) You need to go out? You want me to go with you?" We go out, go to the bathroom, get a drink, pat his head with water, wait for 5 minutes, grab some paper towels and some trash liners for barf bags from the nice custodial lady, and go back in to the show.
8:30 - Hyrum "I feel sick!" They are about to sing "The Prayer" so I ask if he's okay for one more song. I rub his back and enjoy the song. It ends "Can we go out now?" Yes. Wes joins us cause he's bored.
8:35 - We are out in the hall. "What do you need? Do you want a drink? Do you want to go to the bathroom? Do you want..." The nice missionaries talk with me and try to help, then...

Hyrum: "Ahh! It's coming out!!!!" Tiff "Run!! ...To the Bathroom!" Bro. Fifield: "Use the garbage can!" I shove Hyrums head into the trash bin and...

Hyrum reenacts his perfect puke for the camera

He up-chucks into the trash bin. I was so relieved! He didn't throw up in the Conference Hall! or on the chairs in there, not on carpet or area rugs, not in the van, not even on the tile which I would have been kind of okay with - Hyrum thew up into the garbage can! Yay!! All nicely contained with very little clean up for the nice Conference Center Staff, oh I was so grateful. Way to go buddy, you did awesome! He took a little drink of water to rise out his mouth and we waited for about 10 minutes.

When he and Wes started running around irreverently racing to the different prophet busts I knew he was better and we could go back in.

And Hyrum has a new BFF in Bro. Rod Fifield! Thank you so much, I just love wonderful people like him!

We missed Katherine Jenkin's dance number with her Dancing with the Stars partner, and missed seeing the song Habanera from Carmen, but we were able to hear it in the lobby so it was okay. It was fun.
9:30 - Concert over, that was fun.

The Salt Lake Temple behind, where Corey and I were married.

Standing on the circle stone where the rectangle stone used to be which we were kissing on when Corey asked me to marry him in Dec '98. This is where our family began.

We walk through the City Creek Shopping Mall and all talk about Chile and how much it reminds us of the Parque Arauco Mall in Santiago.

City Creek is beautiful, totally reminded us all of Chile. Both beautiful malls.

We find the parked car - success! Time for Tiff to pay up with her bribe to all cooperative children and treat everyone to Wendy's Frostys.

Uh oh, Looks like Hyrum ate too much too soon after being sick. He complains about feeling sick when we got home and...

...he throws it all up. Another perfect throw up, even better than a trash bin, he throws up in the garbage disposal side of the kitchen sick, sweet! No messy clean up! Of course, boys being boys, Eth and Joe want to see what it looks like. Gross.

And then we're all back home together and my baby girl, and thus husband also, have missed me. That was a fun evening and is now documented for many years of fond memories enjoyment.

Legos - Good Vs. Evil

Kids being creative again.  Joe did make one of these a few years ago, but Ethan was sure to let it be know that this Lego Chess Edition was HIS IDEA.

Let it be known to all within the sight of my font that He did it!  (Here he is saying "I" during "I did it!")

The Good Guys - White

The Bad Guys - Black

It's always just so obvious who are the good guys and who are the bad guys, don't you think?  Like in Movies, TV shows, Real life.  Especially in He-Man.  ...which we've watched this summer a few times at nighttime on qubo for some reason.  That is one weird show, can't believe we thought it was so cool as kids.  I tell my children "You see the terrible entertainment I endured!  Now aren't you grateful for your blessed childhoods?"  Anyway, here we can see that the good guys always have a look of determination and moral strength and discipline.

White King and Queen

They know right and wrong, they know the bad guys are bad and they are brave and ready to go fight.

Black King and Queen

The Bad Guys, I mean look at that queen - obviously bad, right?  The eyebrows and evil smile, always a sure give away.  Bad guys know they are bad, too, but they like being bad and they hate Good and want to go kill them.

Speaking of Good and Bad Legos, here's where it all began, in the Lego Garden of Eden made by Melodie.

There's that lousy serpent ...making all sorts of trouble here on Earth.  Fortunate for us, the Savior has saved us from death and hell through his sacrifice for us.  (Part of me found this one to be a little too sad of an event to re-create with legos...) still, I was impressed with their creativity.  After Mel's Garden Tomb the boys weren't about to be shown up, so they had to show they are sober children too, and they did the Crucifixion

...and Jesus' baptism.

Another Guy on the good Guy Team - Ammon defending the king's sheep.

 The kids have got more, plenty more, Legos legos everywhere!!  Go Good Guys!