Howard Highlights

Autumn Days

2008-11-15T18:37:00.000-08:00

Yikes! It's almost Thanksgiving! Am I officially the last Mom out there to be posting Halloween photos?
On the Monday before Halloween, we went to the Scarecrow Festival at Thanksgiving Point. Every year in the past we have gone to the Barnyard Boo at T. Point so this was our first time at this venue. There is more for the older kids to do at the Scarecrow Festival and still plenty of activities for the younger kids. Here are some cute photo spots that we stopped at for pictures:

Logan doing a ring toss....they had so many games for the little ones.

Mommy and Morgan spent a lot of time in "Toddler Town" while Dad, Dagan and Logan went on the many inflatables (slides, obstacle courses, jump houses, etc.) they had. Morgan on a plane at Toddler Town:

Dagan was happy to find a rock wall there to climb:

We all went on a train ride together and through an inflatable haunted house that was just scary enough for our boys. Here are Dagan and Logan as we were leaving:

Backing up, on Ocotber 9th, Logan's preschool went on a Field Trip to Pumpkinland in Orem. It was especially nice because going to Pumpkinland is also one of our family traditions...every October since we've had kids actually. Alan had the day off so it was he and I, Logan and Morgan. (Dagan was at school. We really missed him being with us.) Below is Logan and Morgan at the start of the field trip:

Here they are picking their own pumpkins out at the end:

And with Mom:

Alan also had Halloween off this year! We had so much fun! Tara is the room mom for Dagan's class so our whole family went to the classroom to help with their Halloween party. Alan and Tara served homemade root beer with dry ice for the kids. Here is Dagan hard at work on his craft...a hanging spider!

After school, we went trick-or-treating at Grammy's (Tara's mom's) first. There were lots of leaves in her area (a rarity in our young subdivision) which made for some really fun pictures:

The boys are ready to see what Grammy is going to spoil them with. She had her doorstep all festive:

Below are some individual pics of the kids. We got so many compliments on Morgan's lobster costume. I had to get a picture of him from the back since it was the cutest part. To truly appreciate his entire costume though, you would have to see him waddle in it. (My next aspiration is learning how to add a video to my blog.)

Dagan was a shark:

And Logan was a crab:

We have always done a "themed" Halloween ensemble for the kids. I am so grateful for each year they let me coordinate their costumes and know it may be my last before they're wanting to do their own thing. This year's theme obviously was "Under the Sea." After we trick-or-treated at a few places at my Mom's, we went to Papa's (Alan's dad's) house for some yummy homemade stew and more trick-or-treating. We met up with the cousins at Papa's for some fun afterwards. Then we had another intense night of playing cards (I think we left by 2 a.m.) at Alan's sister's house while our kids probably ate themselves into a sugar-induced coma and watched movies. Good times. Here are the cousins at Papa's:

Lastly, here are our pumpkins that we carved as a family this year. Since we don't stay home for Halloween, we light them up after to enjoy. Dagan and Logan were very proud of their finished products. All three of our boys make our holidays so exciting!

Logan's 5th Birthday!

2008-10-21T20:29:00.000-07:00

Logan's fifth birthday was Friday, September 19th--six days after Dagan and I returned from NY. His party came together though and I think it was a really special day for him. The theme he chose was Star Wars so we decorated accordingly. I loved his cake that we ordered:

Logan and I went alone to the party store together earlier that week to pick out the party decorations, games and favors.
Logan had seven friends from preschool and the neighborhood attend. They were such a fun combination. Here they are painting Star Wars pictures:
Logan picked out a "pin the electronic buttons on Darth Vader" game. We blindfolded the children and they all took a turn.
They were all excited for Star Wars cake, ice cream and kool-aid:
Then we played party BINGO:
and took turns hitting the Darth Vader pinata. They scurried around so quickly to get the candy. It was fun to watch.
We put up our inflatables in the backyard for Logan's party as well. The one in the picture below on the right we got for the kids for Christmas a couple of years ago and use it a lot inside during the winter to fight off cabin fever. The one on the left is actually a water park that we bought for the kids in June and was a hit all summer long for the kids and their friends. Of course, in September we didn't have the water running through it but they seemed to enjoy it anyways.

So at this age there are noticeable differences in play between the boys:

and the girls:
Logan received some really fun presents. His friends know him well. He got a lot of bug collecting paraphernalia. His favorite gift was a Darth Vader transformer from Mom and Dad.
Logan's stash:
Thankfully, though a normal mom would probably say "sadly", Morgan slept through the entire party. He has no idea what he even missed. Here is a photo we took after he woke up.
I had to include this picture. My Mom got Logan a Transformer umbrella, as while Dagan and I were in NY she used hers and Logan said he wanted one. He didn't forget about it either. Just one of those "Logan things" that he deems useful and just can't live without. He was so excited when it finally rained at one of his soccer games a couple weeks later and he got to use it. He has more fun taking it out of the case, opening and closing it than anything. He makes me laugh so much.

In celebration of Logan turning five, here are five special things we love about Logan:

1. Mom: I love it when Logan snuggles with me and watches a movie.

2. Dad: I love playing Transformers with.

3. Dagan: I love his toys.

4. Mom: I love Logan's vocabulary and some of the words that this five year old uses properly blow me away.
5. Dad: I think Logan is a great soccer player.

We are so glad Logan is part of our family. He adds so much color to everything we do as a family. He's a very lovable boy and I hope he always stays that way.

My Grandma Miner's Funeral

2008-10-11T17:18:00.001-07:00

Yikes! Now I'm officially a month behind on my posts...and the holidays and all of their craziness are approaching quickly. Anyways, I ended up back in New York again two months after we had been as a family. My Grandmother Miner (my Dad's mom) passed away on September 5th. We had spent a lot on our July trip so only Dagan and I went back for the funeral. Can I say I'm a little envious of moms of only one child now? (Kind of kidding. I adore my other two immensely but let's just say traveling with just Dagan was a blast in comparison to the nightmare five-hour plane ride in July with all three monkeys. (O'hare still isn't fun though, even with only one.)) Dagan and I went for a full week which meant he missed the fourth week of school, though he didn't complain about it.

I ended up singing at the cathedral during Communion at my Grandma's funeral mass. It was a solo arrangement of "Nearer My God To Thee" by Michael Hicks. I was fortunate enough to be able to have a piano accompanist last minute from the LDS ward in Glens Falls. I had kept my vocal talent hidden from my family for quite some time but I really felt impressed to sing this particular piece. Those in attendance expressed their appreciation for my musical number and I really felt that it was the perfect last tribute from me to my Grandma. The picture above is Dagan and I with my brother Andrew, his wife Betty-Jean, and my Grandpa Miner. Below is Dagan, me, Betty-Jean, Andrew, my Dad, and Gretchen (my stepmom).

Here is me with all of my cousins on my Dad's side of the family:

Not a very happy occasion but it was nice to get us together again for the first time in over a decade. On the left is my cousin TJ's wife Marci and on the right is Betty-Jean:
Dagan attended four hours of the viewing, the funeral and the graveside service and was as angel there. There are not too many times I use angelic as an adjective with my children but he was perfect when it counted the most. He got to say good-bye to Grandma and had such a peaceful understanding of where she is now. He told me he wasn't crying because he knew Grandma was happy where she is but that he knew I was crying because it would be hard for me not to see her for a very long time.

There are a few things that I wanted to document that I will remember my Grandma Miner for. Birthdays and holidays always brought the newest fashions in outfits (surprising for a grandma, huh?), complete with hairpieces and earrings. Holiday meals were amazing with many of Grandma's own, signature recipes. In fact, every Thanksgiving since I've been married, I've made her Strawberry Walnut Dessert Salad. My Grandma always had a keen interest in my academic endeavors as well as my extracurricular involvements. My grandparents attended my dance concerts and came to see me cheerleading. (The latter I have not owned up to since high school but am now because it was something she was proud of me for.) The ripple effect through the generations is so sweet. She absolutely adored my children and couldn't get enough of them whenever we were in town. She loved talking on the phone with Dagan and always got a good laugh out of some of the things Logan would come out with. Even at her rest home when we visited her in July, she had something she had won at the games they have there for each of my children.

The funeral events occupied the first couple of days in NY and then we had a few days to do some more upbeat activities. We spent a day with Grandma Polverelli (Tara's mom's mom) and time with Dagan's cousins. Tree Paad was such a hit in July that Dagan asked if we could go again. We brought Justin's son, Payton, and Maureen this time. Dagan and Payton had so much fun together.
Payton, Dagan and Aunt Maureen going down the slide together:
Payton planted a big one on Dagan...so cute!
We took Betty-Jean, Charles and Ben to this place called "Explore!", also in Glens Falls. Glens Falls is so much more exciting than when I grew up there. Well, maybe exciting isn't quite the word, but there's a lot more to do than I remember. They had a multi-story (like three or four) ball pit/slide/activity thing that they spent most of their time on.

Dagan and Charles running a vet clinic:
Taking after their Dads who are fabulous cooks (I know that should say Moms but speaking for myself, not Betty, I can only follow recipes and these two boys were very creative) in the kitchen:
Dagan at the helm as a pirate:
Betty and Ben:
All in all, a great trip in spite of the circumstances that brought us back there. Logan and Morgan were well taken care of by two of my sister-in-laws, my Mom and of course Alan, all of whom I am very grateful for. Dagan and I had some really memorable one-on-one time and a nice break from the hectic beginning of the school year. And to our family in NY, travelling with one child was so pleasant that you may not see all five of us together for a very long time. Logan says he's next!

Logan Starts Preschool!

2008-09-27T14:54:00.000-07:00

On September 2nd Logan started preschool. He turned 5 on September 19th but the cutoff for kindergarten entrance in Utah is September 1st. (We look at it as a bonus year to maybe catch up in size to the other children his age:) Conveniently, as with Dagan's former preschool, Logan's is also just a couple of streets over from us out of a neighbor's home. His teacher, Miss Jodi, taught in a public school until she had four children of her own. Grapevine Preschool had an Open House for the families to attend prior to school starting. Here are a few photos we took at the Open House. The third one has Morgan in it as well, having some refreshments with Logan.

Here is Logan on his first day of preschool:
Below are Dagan and Logan in front of our house. This is the first day ever that they are both going to school. Logan has anxiously awaited this moment for a very long time.
Dagan telling Logan what school will be like:
Logan so grown up on the front porch at his preschool:
I had to share something that Logan did the other day that made me laugh. He has been asking me since the beginning of last year when he would start kindergarten. My all-too-assuming response was "when you're five". I failed to explain to him "the academic year that starts after you turn five". He attends preschool on Tuesdays and Thursdays but Monday morning as I'm getting Dagan ready for school, Logan is scurrying around asking me to help him get a "show-and-tell" for kindergarten. (???) I asked him why he thought he was going to kindergarten and he said because he turned five on Friday. Poor boy was so disappointed when I explained he has to wait another 11 months. (My children measure distant future events by how many birthdays and holidays have to pass first.) However, once I pointed out that if he went to kindergarten Miss Jodi would not be his teacher, he was relieved to still be in preschool.

Family Night at Liberty Land

2008-09-20T12:44:00.000-07:00

One of my obsessions is doing tasks in chronological order. (This could explain why I'm stuck at Logan as a newborn in my scrapbooking endeavors.) So we've had an eventful couple of weeks but I want to go back to a month ago, August 2oth. It was two days after school started and we decided to have an end-of-summer/back-to-school celebration at Liberty Land in nearby Lehi, UT. We all had so much fun and a lot of laughs. I got some of the cutest pictures I have ever captured of my kids enjoying themselves. It was great that there was a variety of entertainment there with appeal to all ages. I loved this picture below of the three of them. If you click on the photo you can see up close their cute smiles. Morgan had such a good time on this ride.
The first thing we did there was go on the bumper boats. We laughed so hard! The guide put Alan in a boat with Morgan and then Dagan in one by himself. Then she put Logan and I in one with a water squirter on the front. (Alan and Dagan's boats didn't have them.) Logan and I had so much fun squirting at Alan. Poor Morgan was the innocent one who got soaked from being trapped with Alan, though we did try to avoid hitting him. What we didn't count on was Alan's skillful maneuvering capabilities. After about ten minutes of getting shot at, he gained composure and was unapologetic in bumping Logan and I under a waterfall. We ended up getting more wet than Alan by far and lacked the ability to steer ourselves out. Logan went nuts thinking I wasn't trying hard enough to get us out. But we seriously had the hardest laughs we possibly ever have had as a family. Here are Morgan and Alan unsuspectingly smiling before our strategic surprise attack.
We spent a lot of time on the race cars. With it being a school night, there weren't any lines in the almost four hours we spent there. We had our own personal guide and it was like we were movie stars that they closed the park special for (what an imagaination I have!). Our kids had immediate gratification as soon as they pointed to their next ride. The cars were a favorite we kept returning to. Dagan drove his own car (and did really well) and Alan and Logan were together in a car while I drove with Morgan.

The picture of Morgan below is one of the cutest I have of him ever! I love his "laughing smile"! He was smiling and happy the entire time we were at Liberty Land. (His standard for amusement/entertainment always has been fairly high.)
Morgan spotted the "choo-choo" right away. They all wanted to ride in the engine.
I love it when we find things they enjoy doing together as brothers. Look at all those adorable smiling faces!
Dagan always has been pretty fearless and I think Morgan will be the same way. Dagan climbed the rock wall below with ease (despite not having the appropriate footwear for the occasion) and rang the bell at the top. That's him in the green shirt at the top.
I had to zoom in and take a picture of him at the top then hurry up and view it to make sure he really was OK all the way up there. Sure seems to be! I can't believe how old he is sometimes. I think back to his tireless efforts to climb up on the furniture only six years ago!

It's OK Mom. I'm fine!
And then there was Logan's attempt. This actually was as high as Logan made it. He didn't even want to try so we told him we were so proud that he put the gear on and made it up two sets of grips (not sure what they are called). He likes his feet on firm ground like his Mom.
Logan asked us all night if we could play miniature golf. I thought for sure with all the rides he would lose interest after only a couple holes. He didn't !?! We played all 18 holes and both he and Dagan were enthusiastic the entire time. Alan and I had our own little competition with a prize. I won...a massage, which he's always been generous with anyways. Dagan and Logan talked about Liberty Land for a while after. It was definitely a favorite that we will return to next summer!

The Hogle Zoo

2008-08-21T19:49:00.000-07:00

On the Friday before school started, we went to the Hogle Zoo. It was a nice way to wrap up the summer before the school year begins for both our family and my Mom (who works at a university). My Mom kindly treated us to the zoo. I was impressed that we were able to see the entire zoo despite having to leave around 3 pm to get back in time for Dagan's Open House at school that evening. This photo was taken right before we took a break to have a picnic lunch:
The kids are with Grammy below. This is the third summer (in five years) that she has treated us to the Hogle Zoo and each time she has purchased a zoo souvenir t-shirt for Dagan. It worked out well that Morgan fit the one she bought Dagan as a baby and Logan fit the one she bought Dagan last time we were there. This time she bought Dagan the red one he is wearing here:
Dagan and Logan on an elephant statue that sprays water out of its' trunk:
Morgan was a bit out of sorts that day. He had just recovered from a 3-4 day illness. To make matters worse, he was stung by something on his little hand when I was carrying him. We felt so bad for him. It swelled a bit so Alan had to run to the First Aid station for some After-Bite while Grammy and I applied ice. He appeared to forget about it after that. His smiles were relatively few in number that day but we did manage to capture a couple of cute ones:
I love that at the Hogle Zoo you can see all of the animals and then at the end there is a big play area with things for the kids to climb on. Dagan and Logan in the play area there:
Morgan on a spider:
Logan peeking out from under a turtle shell in the play area:
Dagan coming out of a snake mouth:
And the big boys on a caterpillar:
We had so much fun and learned so much. Dagan and Logan's curiosity and excitement were fun to watch. Morgan's awe that all of the animals he's only seen in books were right in front of him was adorable. Thanks for the fun idea and treat Grammy!

Back to School and Soccer Games

2008-08-19T21:21:00.000-07:00

Dagan is now a big first grader. Dagan has been so ready for school to start this year. It was like the night before Christmas. He was in bed plenty early but had a hard time falling asleep. He kept coming into me and asking questions like what if he forgets his teacher's name. I reassured him and started to get worried he wouldn't wake up in time. He was up as soon as I was though. What an inspiring example to have for an older brother--he gets up, makes his bed before I even ask, gets dressed and is down to the breakfast table well before we have to leave. Here he is in front of our house before school on the first day:
Dagan picked out Batman for his backpack and lunch box. The thing he talked most about in anticipation of the new school year was that as a first-grader he would get to eat lunch at school now. I actually went in to have lunch with him on the first day as parents are welcome to come. It was fun to share in the excitement of this new freedom for the kids. Below is Dagan at the door of his classroom at Harvest Elementary, Room 115. He's really happy with his teacher Mrs. Jorgensen. He's come home both days and listed exactly what she has told them to do for the next day. At the dinner table, he has really enjoyed having the spotlight to talk about what they did in class that day.
This is his desk:
Dagan was so happy to know that Braxton, one of his closest friends from his kindergarten class, is in Mrs. Jorgensen's class and seated right next to him!
Our other new adventure is Logan's soccer team that Alan is coaching. This is the first time Logan has played a team sport. We weren't sure what to expect but he really surprised me that he ran along and kept up with the ball. Here are pictures from his first game, jersey, shinguards and big smile. He was so happy to have Grammy there to watch and cheer him and his team on!
Logan (the one in the middle) running to the soccer ball:
Logan (next to the umbrella below) maybe devising a goal strategy with his teammates. Well, more like having a one-way conversation and chatting away to them about any random thing. Logan loves to talk no matter who the audience. My Mom loved that he had the ball between his feet with his arms resting on them. Glad she suggested a picture of it.
Logan is to the left of Alan in the photo below and seriously upset with him that he wasn't the one chosen to throw the ball in this time--hence the arms folded in front of him and a pout. Kind of cute/funny at four years old.
Then Logan got a bit tired and asked Alan if the game was almost over. He also was so cute after the game, stressing out that he wasn't the fastest runner on the field. As my Mom noted, he kept up with the ball really well. Now we just need to teach him what to do when he gets to it. There's still a season ahead to learn. Way to go Logan! We're proud of you for trying your best!

Morgan's 2nd Birthday Parties!

2008-08-17T18:54:00.000-07:00

Morgan's second birthday, July 23rd, fell on a day while we were on our camping trip. Nevertheless, I try to give my children little room in future years to look back and think they were gypped. (This is especially true for Dagan's birthday, December 26th.) So we brought the party supplies to the campsite. Fortunately, there is an Associated Foods store in Loa, nearby, where I was able to order a cake. Morgan already has his own interests--dinosaurs, sports and planes. We had a dinosaur-themed party for him on the 23rd with Alan's side of the family.
Here is the dinosaur cake we ordered:
And Morgan enjoying a piece:
Opening a present from one of his aunts:
His stash of gifts that relatives were so kind to think of and bring camping:
The following day was July 24th and that was the day that we got back from camping. We went out to lunch at The Mayan with Grammy (my Mom) to celebrate Morgan's birthday.
Alan and I aren't too crazy about the food there but the kids love the high diving show, jungle atmosphere and the Indians that come to your table. This is also where Dagan picked to eat out on the last day of school in June after kindergarten graduation. Kids put a lot more value on the entertainment than the food...then again how can you mess up something off of the kids menu?
After The Mayan, we re-created the birthday celebration back at our house with Grammy.
The leftover cake was noticeably smaller. Dagan and Logan insisted we put two candles on again so that they could blow them out again. Morgan hasn't quite mastered this skill yet.

Dagan and Logan above think we should have two birthday celebrations for all of our birthdays! Morgan is opening round #2 of presents in this photo:
I can't believe my baby is 2! My favorite thing that Morgan does right now is initiate kisses and hugs all the time. He's always coming up to me, throwing his arms around me and giving me a kiss. He even seems to be in tune with when Mommy could really use a hug and kiss the most. He loves to give Daddy loves too and won't lay down at night until Dagan, Logan and myself (Daddy's usually at work) give him a round of kisses at his crib. He is the most lovable, kissable, adorable baby! We love you Morgan and are so glad you are a special part of our family!
(Being two years old also means you miss out on a lot of things after you go to bed.) Later that same night Alan gave my Mom, Dagan, Logan and I a pretty decent fireworks show at the end of our driveway in celebration of July 24th, Utah's state holiday.
Dagan and Logan enjoying 1. the fireworks display and 2. being up way past bedtime:

Our Annual Family Camping Trip

2008-08-16T20:17:00.000-07:00

Each year in July we go camping with the Howard side of the family in the Thousand Lakes area of south-central Utah. I never would have considered camping a vacation but once we get past the packing and preparation part we are able to enjoy a week without the busyness of everyday life. This summer I noticed how easily the hard work and craziness in getting ready to leave (for both NY and then camping) are quickly forgotten and replaced with our children's excitement over the anticipation of family vacations and lots of memories. We made it SEVEN nights camping this year...in a tent!
One thing that has made camping much more appealing to me is the small fleet of four-wheelers that Alan's family owns. Since our boys were little they have enjoyed Daddy giving them rides on the trails. Morgan couldn't articulate what he wanted but after his first ride this summer with Alan, he would point to a four-wheeler and say broom..broom..like the sound a car makes. He'd have been content to spend his entire vacation on an ATV. I think it's so neat that the kids' 10-yr.-old cousin Brittney has her smaller-sized version. She was such a cutie giving Logan rides around camp.
This is the only opportunity Alan has to go fishing each summer and by the end, that's just fine with him. Sometimes there are plenty of fish for each person to catch. Other times the kids tire quickly of fishing and start throwing rocks in the fishing area and exploring the banks. Alan tries to keep it fun while teaching Dagan and Logan some patience. Their little faces light right up when they get a bite and are able to reel in their very own fish. Here is Logan waiting: I brought along some pine cones, peanut butter and birdseed and showed the kids how to make a bird feeder which they hung from trees they selected. Dagan and Alan had some one-on-one time throwing the football and playing a little baseball.
This is the second year that Alan, the kids and I went hiking at nearby Capitol Reef. It's both beautiful and unique.
We kept our hikes VERY short this year as the weather did not look too promising throughout the day. Alan and the boys at the end of one of our hikes:
We were so proud of the kids. They did really well. (Not even Logan complained that his legs were tired.) We picked something just right to build their confidence and enjoyment in hiking. Here I am with my boys:
Alan and I also took the kids on a mountain biking trail at Fish Lake for the second year in a row. Last year we did an easy trail and this year we challenged ourselves with a moderate trail (BIG difference). Dagan did FABULOUS, especially considering his is not a mountain bike:
Funny, funny story that I want to post before I forget it. The first part of the trail was a relatively steep climb. Logan as of July had still refused to learn to ride a bike so he was in the trailer with Morgan, which Alan attached to his own bike. Alan had to get off his bike and walk up and it was still really strenuous with the kids' trailer. Dagan and I were ahead, of course, and all we could hear was Logan complaining. First it was, "Dad I'm hot". Then "Dad, I'm getting thirsty." It was when we heard, "Dad I'm really tired. I'm trying to sleep in here and you're hitting a lot of bumps," that Alan proceeded to take Logan out of the trailer, explaining that if he was walking up it, Logan could lessen the weight by walking himself. Thank goodness we were close to the top because Logan cried and carried on the whole rest of the way, devastated that he had to walk too. I'm sure Logan learned a few lessons from this experience. Happy to be back in the trailer, not a single complaint was heard from him on the way back down. We had some snacks at the summit of Pelican Point, which gives an incredible view of Fish Lake.
Also at Fish Lake, we attend church. The service is two hours and since virtually everyone there is camping you are welcome to wear casual clothes. Below are Alan and the kids at the lodge after our church meetings:

Batter's Up!

2008-08-15T21:53:00.001-07:00

Dagan's last t-ball game was July 15th, in the week between our New York vacation and camping trip. Alan has coached all of Dagan's sports teams since he was 3 yrs. old. This time he was the assistant coach seeing that we were gone for 3 of the 8 games. It was a really good experience for both of them. Here Dagan is warming up before the game. That's his throw in the picture below:
Here he is at shortstop ready to catch:
At bat:
What a hit!
And he slides into home! Way to go Dagan! We are so proud of you!

A Picnic Barbecue

2008-08-14T21:33:00.000-07:00

The best part of visiting NY is being able to spend time with grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, etc. It's unbelievable how fast the kids all grow in a year. My Dad (Grandpa Don) and stepmom (Gramma Gretchen) had a picnic barbecue at their house one afternoon. They have a fun yard for the kids to run around in. This is our family in front of one of their pretty flower beds.
They had a little pool for the kids to swim in. Below are Dagan, Logan, Morgan and their cousin Charles (who looks like he may have just submersed himself without intending too). It was predictable NY weather--hot and very humid, so the pool was very refreshing for them.
Morgan wasn't too sure of Grandpa Don's dog--he's a bit larger than our 13 lb. dog! Morgan made many attempts to befriend him cautiously.
My Dad is a "hobbyist" if there is such a word. This makes him both fun and memorable to the kids. He flies model planes, does train layouts and recently purchased this little helicopter shown below. Dagan and Logan thought it was one of the neatest things they had ever seen.
Here they are as junior train conductors in the basement, amused by Grandpa Don's Lionel trains. We've sent a couple of things in this layout for Christmases and it's fun to see how we've contributed from Utah.
We went out for pizza with Tara's other brother, Justin's, family. Peyton, who is 3 yrs. and the same size as Logan who is almost 5 yrs., is the leader in the picture below. They kids did some really cute poses on their own just playing with each other and having fun.
I was able to get together with one of my close friends from high school right before we left town. I remember Katie as having one of the most cute, kind and sweetest personalities of anyone I have ever met--which hasn't changed a bit! It was fun to reminisce and catch up.

Celebrating the Fourth

2008-08-13T23:20:00.000-07:00

Each year on the fourth of July my Dad's side of the family (the Miner side) has a picnic reunion. As far as I can remember it has been hosted by my Aunt Margaret and Uncle Dick Waite. Dick is my Grandma Miner's brother. It's great food and people come from all over. It's wonderful to be able to see everybody at one time. We haven't been able to coordinate our trip with the Fourth since Dagan was a baby so it was a special year for us. I matched all of my boys.

Morgan, not surprisingly, found a basketball on his own which kept him content for a while. Only problem was that the hoop there required a lift--which Tara's cousin Lance provided.

One of my favorite parts of the day was a break from Morgan (kind of kidding!). Morgan took readily to my Dad's cousin's daughter, Alexis. She was such a sweetheart to play with him for a while and he adored her. We kind of want to adopt her now but I know Alexis' mom loves her as a helper with her three younger siblings.

Meanwhile, Dagan had a blast going down the "slip-n-slide" that was on a hill.

After the picnic, we all went to a parade in nearby Salem. The kids got a LOT of candy!

Morgan taking a snooze before the parade:

After the parade Salem has a carnival. I always look forward to their fried bread dough! They have a bounce house for the kids to jump on and a bunch of games. My guilty pleasure is that this is the only time I ever gamble. We play BINGO as a family in a building on the carnival grounds. I think the proceeds benefit the fire department (so I'm really contributing to a charitable cause). This year I brought Dagan and Logan along. The three of us were the biggest winners there. We won four times (a total of $20) between the three of us in the hour or so that we played. We even had some profit after the games I paid for. My cousin Margo, to the right below, helped Logan.

Dagan didn't need any help at all and was so proud that he won!

It was hard to say good-bye. This was the first time that my aunt and cousins (the three ladies on the right) from North Carolina had met my family. Can't wait eight years next time! Standing next to me is my Dad's cousin Heidi, from Massachusetts, who we've fortunately been able to see every time we've been to NY.

Magic Forest

2008-08-12T22:23:00.000-07:00

We had a busy weekend. We're trying to squeeze a lot in before school starts. Friday night Alan and I had our THIRD date in TWO weeks! It's our attempt to escape the fact that vacation time is over for another year! We went to Salt Lake City and tried a new Thai (our favorite) restaurant called My Thai. We were pretty impressed. We then went to the Off Broadway Theatre to see a musical comedy called "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" which was ok. We took the kids out to lunch the next day as a consolation prize for not getting to spend Daddy's night off as a family. Sunday night we had dinner with Alan's Dad and went to his sister's house to play cards. I'm addicted to Hand and Foot, a card game we learned a few years back and re-learned while camping this summer. We played cards with two of Alan's sisters until 2 a.m.! Morgan fell asleep on the couch with his cousin but Dagan and Logan stayed up watching Scooby Doo and having treats. So I'm down to only 6 days to be a good parent and get them back on a school routine.
Tonight I wanted to post some pictures from an amusement park that we went to in Lake George, NY. It's called Magic Forest and it's supposed to be where Santa spends time during the summer. Here are the boys with Santa:

Here is Mom on a train ride with the kids:

and Dad on another train with them.

We went to a magic show and Dagan and Logan were so excited to both be chosen to help the magician on stage.

Dagan had to help find some disappearing chocolate chip cookies and walked away with his very own bag of a dozen of them. He was so proud to share his reward with his brothers.

Logan is the second child from the left in the photo below. He helped pull scarves out of a magic hat. They played a sentimental song about childhoood as the children waved the scarves. It seriosly made me tear up and I'm so glad that we videotaped it.

We spent most of our time on the rides. There were no lines so we were able to go on all of the rides there.

Morgan loved this army tank ride. Is he a fighter?

Or is he a lover?

There are also a variety of animals there to feed. Dagan and Logan knew just what to do and Alan successfully taught Morgan.

A Day at the Beach...

2008-08-07T23:08:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite things to do in Upstate New York is going to the beach in Lake George, a tourist town next to the city I grew up in. (I actually spent three summers of high school and two summers of college working in a gift shop in Lake George.) We arrived after breakfast, had a picnic lunch there and stayed until dinner. The kids were excited to find clam and snail shells but the best part for them was building sand castles with motes.
You can't see it too well in the background of the picture below, but there are steamboats that we've taken the kids on in prior years. Dagan practiced some skills that he learned in swim lessons which the kids all took in June right before we left for New York.

Morgan looked so cute chasing after seagulls. He definitely needs to learn how to be more subtle in his approach though!
Logan loved having no limitations on the water guns. Anything was fair game!
We bought each kid a boat which Dagan used the most.
This shovel standing on end was about as tall as Morgan!
We had barely pulled out of the parking lot when all three kids were peacefully sleeping after a day of sun and swimming!

The Tree Paad

2008-08-06T19:51:00.000-07:00

We went to a family entertainment center called the Tree Paad that's right in Glens Falls, NY ( which is where I grew up). Not only was there a lot to do but it was also brand new.
(I was relieved with the brand new part because it was really clean--these places can become dingy pretty quickly.) We loved that it provided something to do for all ages. The main attraction there is a two-story, mesh-enclosed area with slides, LOTS of balls, vacuum tubes for the balls, obstacle courses, tunnels, etc.
My kids (and big kid) spent most of their time with the airguns shown below. First, you gather the balls:
Then you load them into the airgun:
Then you aim and shoot at the people on the ground below:I was watching Morgan in another play area and I overheard a little boy tell his mom about a big man that was shooting at the kids. (Alan later told me that they started it first.) There was also an enclosed area with big foam blocks that Logan and Morgan had fun building with.

I turned my head for just a moment and when I looked back at Morgan I caught him force-feeding his little cousin. He loved having someone smaller than him around.
Alan, Dagan and Logan played Laser Tag for the first time as well. Dagan was on a team with his uncle.
Logan was on a team with Alan. The smallest vest was way too big for him so his aunt wore it while he held the gun. It was hysterical when we got the score printouts and saw that Logan shot himself. Alan, his teammate, found it a little less funny.
Alan had the best player score (though with his handicap his team lost) which was ruled unfair by the group since he has weapons training/target practice annually.

We love all Childrens' Museums!

2008-08-05T20:05:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun together on Alan's night off yesterday. We drove up American Fork Canyon to have our family night. We had a lesson on testimonies and made s'mores over a fire that Alan, Dagan and Logan made. Sometimes I take special note in my mind why it's great to have all boys. Last night was one of those nights. I'm not sure about little girls in the outdoors but as with our camping trip this summer, our boys will play with rocks, sticks, dirt, bugs, logs and whatever else they can find for as long as we will let them. They entertain themselves and seldom quarrel as they interact with nature. Morgan could have spent all night throwing rocks into the rushing stream (river?) if it weren't for his worrier mother picturing any one of her boys falling in. (I sometimes feel I worry too much and interfere with their natural inclination to be carefree. I've eased up but still seem to obsess over their safety.) This morning we had a babysitter while Alan and I went to the Jordan River Temple together...always a most rewarding date. Then Alan and I made freezer jam while Dagan and Logan played outside. Alan occasionally laments that he would like to just hang out at home sometimes on his days off. And then I end up packing in as much as I can considering most of the time the kids and I are at home.

To continue the NY narration, we went to the Children's Museum in Saratoga Springs , NY--just minutes from my hometown in NY. This is the third children's museum we've been too (Portland and SLC as well) and while they each have their own unique flavor, they do not disappoint. Where else can you take your children and not once have to tell them not to touch something? It wasn't hard for us to justify getting a family membership to the SLC one. The Saratoga Springs, NY museum was different in that it had some antique items like a cash register and grocery scale for the kids to use. There was quite a bit of history in the museum as can be expected from the town where the Battle of Saratoga occurred.

Alan helped the kids put on a little skit for Mommy in the theater. He was in costume as well.

Logan loved being the cashier and didn't want to turn the job over to anyone else.

Here they are taking after Daddy in the kitchen. I never knew how important it was for boys to learn how to cook until I was blessed with a husband that can!
Uncle Andrew (Tara's youngest brother) helped them with the construction project below.

The Big Apple...with kids

2008-08-04T12:37:00.000-07:00

I'm going to backtrack a bit and post about our two family summer vacations, not all at once, just daily increments. On June 25th, we went back East for two weeks to visit Tara's side of the family in New York. We decided to splurge and fly back after driving it last year. I'm on a crusade though to come up with a way that we can do this trip for under for 4k next year so that we can go on other vacations as well...like say a cruise without kids. We spent some time in NYC as just the five of us before heading Upstate. The flight was...hmmmm...well, as much crying as Morgan did last year in 36 hours of driving he was amazingly able to compress into a five-hour flight. Kudos to Alan for struggling with him while I tended to Dagan and Logan who were flying angels anyways. They were so excited when the pilot invited them into the cockpit post flight.

It was quite challenging transporting our family around NYC. When I went growing up, we always had a chartered bus. I thought that a cab would be more convenient with children and we wouldn't be on someone else's schedule. Our hotel was a Marriott Residence Inn in Long Island which shuttled us to the subway. We then took them on the NYC subway into Manhatten where we picked up a taxi that took us to a ferry to see the Statue of Liberty. I couldn't do the taxi scenario justice. You have to experience it for yourself...again, with kids. Evidently kids don't need to be in a carseat (or even a seatbelt) in taxis there. My anxiety was at an all time high between the bumper-to-bumper traffic, and being as germ conscious as I am, inconspiculously barking at them not to touch a thing (and I thought the plane was bad with the recycled air) while Alan pleasantly carried on a conversation with the cab driver. We were able to see Ground Zero on our way to the Statue. The Statue of Libery was not as big as Alan and I expected but magnificent nonetheless. The kids were pretty amazed. Dagan took a bunch of pictures of the Statue by himself from the ferry, such as the one at the opening of this post. Below are Dagan, Logan and I on the ferry to Staten Island and Alan and Morgan on Staten Island.

I was afraid that I hadn't planned enough for us to do for the day. I neglected though to take into account that 3 taxis would take up a huge chunk of time, which is not pleasant when you're watching the meter go up by the dollar as you creep through rush hour traffic. I also was unaware how long it would take to hail a taxi when you have 3 cranky,overtired, children waiting right next to you on the curb. Alan joked about how easy it looks in the movies to just put your hand in the air and they pull right over. No kidding, it took us almost an hour one time to get a taxi to pick up the Howard Family Circus! Our last stop was FAO Schwartz where we let the kids each pick out their own toy. Dagan and Logan picked out classics that you don't see in other toy stores anymore.
Then came the really eventful part...driving Upstate in our Chrysler rental van (which I loved for having lots of hidden storage but made me certain we'll stick to being SUV owners). So Alan did a great job driving but I blinked once after we went over the George Washington (I think eight lane) bridge and we missed our exit off of the New Jersey Turnpike. (Flashbacks from 6 years ago in Newark, NJ with Dagan as a baby in a shady--as in crime--area at 2 a.m. asking for directions.) Once you miss your exit on the Turnpike there's little hope. You can't just go to the next exit and turn around. We were frantic for a couple of hours or so (thankfully the kids slept through most of it). We were ridiculously relying on our own plotting and others directions--which they assume you know the area--before we decided to pull over and say a prayer. It was not more than a minute later that we noticed a Marriott which fortunately had Internet access. So for $8 for 5 min. Alan got us a new map from Yahoo Maps. Note to myself for the future: No matter how much I prefer a desktop over a laptop, invest in a laptop before next trip back East !

Here We Go...

2008-07-27T19:25:00.000-07:00

After many accolades from others pertaining to blogging I have decided to join in this lastest hype. I'm writing less for third party entertainment than I am to hopefully compile our own family history, which as of yet I have not been too successful at. My children have grown so quickly and I've already forgotten so much. There have been many times that I've wished I had documented some of our most tender moments and some of our funniest. No matter how busy we are as moms, if we fail to record these times, all of our hard work and created memories will vaporize. This will be a less than perfect attempt at a family history but an attempt nonetheless to give some tangibility to our memories. So here goes...