A few that slipped through the cracks

 

 

I got a new phone and since I don't know how to use icloud (yes, I am very aware of how lame I am),

I just got around to cleaning out my old camera roll!

 

One of our favorite morning activities is for Rusty to ride his bike while I jog with

Lindi in the stroller. We have our set route that has a pit stop in one of our

neighboring parks. I love how Lindi was soaking in the morning sun on this outing.

Arms behind her head and probably thinking, yep, this is the life!

You enjoy it honey, cuz one day you are going to have to run those saddle bags off that your mother inherited to you!

 

A girl in our ward started making and selling pencil skirts.

I couldn't resist this mommy and me set!

It's funny that I liked this print because I really hate birds!

 



 

Sometimes you just gotta eat a waffle in your stompeeze.

 



 

This was really fun.

We had a couples date night with all of the Goodman's at Top Golf!

It was still fairly new so I was exciting to go.

Because I am an avid golfer, you know (wink).



 I won the award for the most gracious looking swings that missed the ball.

 

The food was also top notch.

Casey even ordered sushi...

corn tortillas filled chicken, beans, rice, sour cream and salsa:)

I must have forgotten to knock on wood because I got my first ticket EVER.

Arrr. It was actually my first time getting pulled over, too.

And of course I was in a school zone, awesomeness.

In my defense I was going 31 mph thinking I was obeying the law.

I must have been singing and rocking out with Rusty to Shake It to have not noticed the

15 mph sign that was in the road.

Dang motorcycle cop.

 



 

I am a huge sucker for food trucks.

It seems like they are the new phase of food, which I am not complaining about!

I was walking out of Winco when I spotted the mustache pretzel truck parked

in front of Down East Basics store. So of course I loaded my groceries in the car and had myself

a mid morning snack:)

 Our sweetest neighbors came back into town.

They are snowbirds and live in Missouri during the summer.

They love our kids and think of them as their own grandkids.

Every year they bring shirts for them.

Darn those Royals, couldn't win the World Series.

Regardless, they still wear their shirts weekly.



 

There isn't anything significant about this picture except that this is one of my favorite

outfits of Lindi's. Now that she has grown and the pants have shrunk, from behind her diaper

makes her look like she has a Kardashian booty and is to die for!!

 

 This seems like ages ago but we went to the Phoenix temple open house.

We didn't realize what a road trip it would end up being.

By the time we got home it was 10:30, and it was a school night!

It was beautiful and of course we were thankful for the opportunity to take

the kids inside another temple we are blessed to have in Arizona.

 



 

 

LAST part to the craziest week of my life!

We got home exhausted from Lanes big shindig only to put the kids to bed and start packing for DISNEYLAND! Our Christmas gift from Grammy and Papa was 3 fun filled days at the happiest place on earth! I put on my favorite Pandora radio station for the holidays, Kenney G, and got to work! Our bedroom looked like a bomb went off but somehow I packed up 3 kids and 2 adults before 8:30 church. After church we said our goodbyes to Lindi and dropped her off at my parents ward. She was not invited to come. Well, let me re-phrase. Grammy and Papa really wanted her to go but Casey and I un invited her :/ She is at the WORST possible age to be towing around Disneyland along with 2 crazy boys. It was the best decision ever made to leave her. She had way more fun being spoiled by Grandma and Marcie! .

We then drove over to Casey's parents house to load onto the party bus! Yep, another surprise they threw into the mix a few days before hand. It was a blast! Casey loved not having to drive and the kids were entertained by their cousins and ipads. All was going well until we were about 2 hours out of LA and we hit traffic. The buses air circulation stopped blowing out strong and with the quick stopping and going motion on the highway everybody started getting car sick! Even me and I never get car sick. Pretty soon from the back of the bus we started hearing the dreaded throw up noises. Poor Kelsi was the first victim. Once we got her all situate one by one each kid starting ditching there friend to find their parent to tell them they didn't feel good. I was holding Rusty on my lap, who was sweating bullets on me. Casey had Lane, our car sick kid. Sure enough he started barfing in the handy barf bag Grammy had on hand. It was seriously comical! I started laughing because the fun, party bus had turned on us and was now He*% on wheels! We did make it to our hotel and once we got some fresh air all was well:)

Monday was all day at CA Adventure. The weather was GORGEOUS. Not hot, not cold. We enjoyed it because we knew the next 2 days would be full of rain. And rain it did! Solid. For both days at Disneyland. We wore ponchos , which Rusty called nachos. And held umbrellas, which Rusty called gumbrellas the whole 2 days! Well, besides Lane. Dang stubborn kid. He refused to wear a jacket, long sleeves, his poncho or use an umbrella. He was a soaking wet dog the whole time. Actually we all looked like drowned rats by the end of the day! Honestly, the rain made it more memorable! Luckily it wasn't cold and we even wore flip flops instead of sloshing around in soaking wet shoes. The babies were troopers! There were 5 of them one and under. They hung out in their plastic covered stroller "cocoons". Lindi would have been a nightmare because she hates her stroller. Every day Casey and I would say what a different experience we would be having if she was with us!

We tried to stay together as much as possible but with a huge group it is nearly impossible. Usually there were 2-3 groups that everybody stayed in. We really got every ride in, and if not more than just once. I think Lane rode Splash Mountain and Thunder Mountain at least 6 times!! Perks to rainy days:) One of my favorite memories was leaving Tortilla Joes restaurant in Downtown Disney. It was around 10pm and we were with Travis and Sunni and their kids. We were making the walk back to the hotel in the pouring rain when all of a sudden Casey and Travis started making bets on who could do something better than the other one. Because that is all they do when they are around each other! Next thing we know we are all racing and running like mad through downtown Disney, with kids and strollers in tow, umbrella's open and literally weaving around people to see who could make it to the hotel first! It was like a mile in a half away so it wasn't a stroll down the street! It was hysterical, I can't imagine what we looked like! There were many more fun times. Like Rusty being so determined to ride Tower of Terror but was crying the whole time we were in line saying he was scared. Then his reaction afterwards saying he would never ride it ever again! Lane wanted to drive his own car at autopia. He has never gone on that ride before and it had been a while for me. I did remember it being hard to push on the gas peddle because it is kind of far back. He didn't take our heed of warning and hopped in all excited. He somehow was the first in a LONG  line of cars and wouldn't ya know it. From behind we could just see his red car stop and go in big jerking movements. It seemed to have taken him 5 minutes to get out of the starting spot! I was dying because he was holding everybody back. He would get going on a good run then lose it. Finally a worker had to hop in with him to push on the gas! Oh that boy.  And on the drive home on the bus we gave all of the kids dramamine to prevent what happened on the way over again. Like clock work they all started dropping like flies! And I got to eat everything I had on my food list! Bread bowl with clam chowder soup, caramel corn, peanut butter cookie sandwich, ghirardelli hot fudge sundae, and at the top of my list, Monte Cristo sandwich!! It was SO good!

 I feel like we are a close family, but this vacation  we all bonded on a different level. I hate how you are so excited to go on a big trip then when you are on the trip the days fly by and before you know it, it's over. It's such a bummer to go to sleep knowing you have to pack it all up and go home. But how grateful we are for these fun memories!

I had my cousin Trellany make a video with all of our pictures to give to my in-laws for Christmas. I absolutely LOVE it. We seriously watch it twice a day and I am such a dork I almost always get emotional towards the end. The video is HERE if you want to check it out! I will post a few of them for my blog book sake:)

Part TWO of the craziest week of my life!

Thursday was Thanksgiving then on Saturday Lane got BAPTIZED! Stephanie was kind enough to take pictures for his invitation. I love how he was set on having a black suit and a real tie, not a clip on! Lucky for him when I took him down to Burlington, they had ONE black suit and it just happened to be his size. I guess it was meant to be! His eyes sure sparkle with that turquoise stripe in his tie. He is so handsome. Even with 2 missing front teeth:)

Also to make his day more special his close cousin, Randon, was able to join our stake baptism day! It will be a day they will remember forever! The actual baptism was absolute, MAYHEM! They had already split it into 2 sessions because so many kids were getting baptized that day. We were at 1 o'clock, the last session. To make things worse we couldn't use the cultural hall because they were setting up for a reception later that evening. We were so crammed in people had to sit in the choir loft! Our ward was in charge of the musical number so Claire Hogle, Griffen Yamamoto, Lane, Randon and siblings sang I Know That My Savior Loves Me. Then we were last to be dismissed to the font. Claire and Griffen went ahead so we could have our own room for confirmations. The baptism went great! We were sitting for quit a while waiting for them to get dressed when all of a sudden Casey came walking up to me with a concerned look on his face. He was wondering where Lanes white Sunday shirt was. Are you freaking kidding, I totally forgot it at home!! I swear I triple checked his bag before we left to make sure I had everything. Sweet Dallin took one for the team and gave up his white shirt for Lane to wear and put on the play shirt Lane had in his bag. Sigh. It makes for good laughs now but it was NOT funny at the time! Haha. Both boys received the gift of the Holy Ghost and it was a sweet, tender moment amongst all the chaos. We gathered outside afterwards for pictures.

We had a Mexican Fiesta at my parents house afterwards! We ordered chicken enchiladas, rice, bean dip from Gecko Grill and mini chimi's from Nando's. Randon wanted crepes for dessert so there was no shortage of food! And thanks to my sister taking all of the pictures. I feel like I have my own personal photographer!

It was a fun filled, special day. I am thankful for the big family we have and all of their support. We got home at 9 night that and I started packing for part THREE:)