Monday, August 1, 2011

Live & Love Life 365 (July)

Day 182: Took the kids to the 4th of July parade in Salmon, and it was fun to see the excitement on Kanyon's face when he got a piece of candy and all the boys lit up when they saw the demolition derby cars coming!

Day 183: Ate lunch with the extended Tolman family and had a good time. Played Blokus with Malachi and his friends, and I won! Went to the demo derby tonight with the whole family for the first time, and the boys were so good! When we left, Kanyon told me he wanted the black derby car with the yellow stripe for his birthday...such a cute thing to say. Watched the boys run around while we did our own fireworks tonight, and laughed at their excitement! It was a great day.

Day 184: Had a backyard BBQ with Josh's family, and the food and company were great! The kids had so much fun playing with their cousins! And I enjoyed playing board games with the adults: we played Cranium and Balderdash, and I loved every minute of it!

Day 185: I had fun playing games with Josh's family again, today it was Taboo and Oodles. And tonight, I absolutely loved the Salmon fireworks display that was coordinated to music! It was wonderful and delightful!

Day 186: I trimmed trees in our yard this evening, and I thoroughly enjoy doing that! I love looking at the final product and knowing that I helped make it better!

Day 187: Josh and I took a mile walk tonight and it was wonderful and peaceful.

Day 188: We are having a deck built on to the back side of the house, and it was neat to see the framework be put together and tonight I helped Josh put some of the boards on the frame and I was glad to be a part of the project.

Day 189: Josh and I went to couples golf league tonight and it was very relaxing. We had fun together and we played consistently, too.

Day 190: We went to a BH Tolman family reunion today in Raft River at the Steadman Place. I totally loved watching the boys have so much fun riding on the waterslides together! It was such a delightful reunion, and it was nice seeing family members that I haven't seen for a long time, too!

Day 191: We took the boys to the City of Rocks today, and my favorite part was when all of us climbed up the backside of Bath Rock. Ammon and Josh climbed all the way to the top of the rock! The boys were so happy to climb all over the rocks, and I loved watching them in their element!

Day 192: I picked more rhubarb tonight from Terry Weeks' garden, and I was so thrilled that she let me!

Day 193: Kanyon pooped in the toilet 3 times today!! We've been struggling with him to do his number 2 in the toilet for over a year, and it's been stressful and upsetting for me, so I was so happy and so proud of him today!

Day 194: I took the boys to "Art in the Park" today, and I really enjoyed watching them having fun making crafts. Kanyon did so well making marshmallow/toothpick creations and a beaded necklace. Ammon liked making sand art keychains and color scratch masks. Micah did well with the paint spin art and painting the stained-glass picture. And Jonah liked coloring his mask and making a colored sand bracelet.

Day 195: Today was such a nice day. Ammon and Josh were gone to Idaho Falls for a Jr. Golf tournament, and the three younger boys played so well together and they even got to have friends over too!! We ate dinner with the Evans', and Amanda cooked up some yummy pizza! I made two rhubarb recipes, and ate one topped with ice cream tonight at Amanda's. We watched a movie and chatted and laughed, and it was the perfect ending to a lovely day!

Day 196: I had the funnest time golfing with Josh tonight at couples league! I played terrible, but I enjoyed playing with him and relaxing after a stressful day.

Day 197: I sanded the new deck all day long, and even though it was hard work, I felt great satisfaction in seeing its beautiful transformation.

Day 198: Took a short nap this afternoon, and it really rejuvenated me!

Day 199: The boys and I got so much done today in preparation for leaving on a 10-day vacation tomorrow: we cleaned the whole house, got all the laundry and dishes done, cleaned up the yard, mowed two lawns, the deck got completed today and I finished sanding the stairs, and I made my first batch ever of rhubarb-strawberry jam! We had family home evening tonight and went grocery shopping, and I feel so good knowing that everything is ready for us to leave! Usually the day before leaving on a trip, I'm so stressed out!

Day 200: Right before we left Salmon this afternoon, I took the boys to get ice cream cones that they'd earned from the library summer reading program. And the first 10 minutes of the trip were absolutely heavenly as they ate and it was silent in the car! Unfortunately, the rest of the 7-hour car ride didn't quite go as smoothly!

Day 201: Had a nice picnic with my kids and siblings and parents this afternoon at a park in Logan.

Day 202: Took the boys to Crystal Hot Springs this morning with their Fisher cousins. They all had a blast together! There was no lines, so they got to go down the water slide as many times as they wanted! Kanyon even went twice by himself (and hated it). I went down several times myself, which I haven't done at that place for 20 years! And I had a late-night, one-on-one chat with my older sister Lisa. We stayed up until 2am talking, and I was so grateful for that opportunity. I truly enjoyed getting to know her on a deeper level!

Day 203: Saw the last Harry Potter movie tonight. I challenged Ammon at the beginning of this summer to read all 7 books, and if he did so by July 15, I would take him to see the last movie in the theater. He read them all in 3 weeks, so I took him with me tonight! We went with Trina and my dad, and afterwards, we had a lovely dinner at the Maddox restaurant. I haven't eaten at that place for over 20 years; it was absolutely delicious!

Day 204: Took the boys to see the Tremonton City fireworks tonight in honor of Pioneer Day. They were spectacular! We watched them at the park, and I got the boys glow sticks, and they ran around playing until the fireworks started. It was so fun for me to watch the boys enjoying the night, as well as seeing the beautiful fireworks!

Day 205: The boys did sparklers tonight, 12 boxes worth! My dad and mom even joined in the fun, surprisingly! I loved doing sparklers when I was a kid! It was the first time all summer the boys have played with them, and it was a fun way to end the holiday of Pioneer Day.

Day 206: Took the boys on a trip to SLC and beyond today. We went to the Clark Planetarium, which I have wanted to visit since I was in high school. It was very interesting! We drove to Pleasant Grove and ate at the Purple Turtle, which I haven't done since I was a kid! It was delicious! We visited my Grandma Rose, and drank hot cocoa and played cards. I absolutely loved doing that! It was so reminiscent of visits I had when I was a child! Then we went shopping at Roberts, and I bought myself two new cricut cartridges! And I can't wait to try them out! And lastly, we went to the Thanksgiving Point farm country tonight, and for family night, they did a little astronaut program. The boys crafted some astronaut helmets and jet booster packs! And they played with rockets, and did a scavenger hunt, and played with the interactive farm displays, and rode ponies, and went on a wagon ride. It was a wonderful event and we loved it! Today was just awesome!!!

Day 207: Toured so many museums today in Ogden: Treehouse Childrens, Union Station (trains, cars, guns), and Hill Aerospace. I learned so much, and was fascinated by so many things! The boys and I had a great day together! We also played miniature golf and ended the day with a double-feature at the drive-in movie theater. That was definitely my favorite part, and although we didn't get back to Tremonton until 2am, it was definitely worth it to watch both movies so late! The boys had never experienced a drive-in movie, and I hadn't gone since I was a teenager. The younger 3 boys sat in the back of the car with the seat folded down, and Ammon and I sat in camping chairs. We ate and drank and watched and it was pure enjoyment for me!

Day 208: Went bowling this afternoon with the boys and my mom and sister Katrina. I don't remember ever going bowling with my mom, and she beat me! Ammon and the twins played really well, too! Tonight, I saw the play "Joseph" at the Pickleville Playhouse in Garden City with John, and I absolutely loved it! I laughed so hard! It was a talented cast and they did a fantastic job! Afterwards, we went to LaBeau's, and I ate my first Raspberry Shake from there, and it was delicious! I've missed John this summer, and it was the perfect evening with him!

Day 209: Took the boys to Bear Lake today with Mick and his family and Tawna. I am in love with Bear Lake. I love swimming in the water and hanging out on the beach, and being with my family and making memories. I loved being there today, it made me so happy!

Day 210: I loved being home from our long vacation today. We had Malachi and Amanda and her kids over for dinner tonight. I enjoyed sitting on the newly stained deck this evening with Josh and Amanda, and looking at the ripened cherries on the tree. I was so happy to see Josh again, too. I've missed him so much the last 10 days, and I was grateful to spend time with him and to go to sleep with him tonight.

Day 211: Went to a reception tonight with Josh and it was delightful! They had live music and a refreshing buffet, and the outdoor setting and the company in attendance were so wonderful!

Day 212: Took a nap this afternoon, and then played Dr. Mario on the nintendo against Josh and the boys. It was a relaxing Sunday, and I really needed to do just that!

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