the latest...

Canning salsa is NOT fun...but so very good to eat.
  Wish I'd made more.  Than I stayed on my canning streak
 and 'made up' some applesauce-my kids love it.  Wish I'd done more
 of that too.  I need my sisters or mom around to (motivate and)
 do a day-marathon of canning with me! 



Speaking of sisters and Mom, we went to 'Time out for Women'...  our second year in our new tradition.  I LOVE it and need it.  It changes me. We went to the one in Logan and stayed at my S-I-L's house in Nibley -and ate chocolate all night.   My sisters are the best.  We get along so good and I cherish their friendship. 




Speaking of cherished friendships...we had Ryan (Marty's bro-
 I know they don't look a thing a like-but they act like twins) and his
 wife Becca and their two adorable kiddo's come visit us for
 the weekend.  We LOVED having them. 
We haven't seen them in a very long time. 



Marty has never done a back flip for me in his life...but
 as soon as Ryan starts showing off...he jumps right in!
What ?!
He is so hot now.

So Becca just had a baby (sweet Emma) like, um... SIX WEEKS AGO> 
  Seriously girl...how do you fit in those skinny jeans after 6 weeks?!

Lots of ice cream (sick-who puts gummy bears
 in ice cream-kids!) and sleepovers when cousins come to town...
let that be a lesson to ya'all!  Come visit us! Ruby LOVED
reading the bedtime books to the 'younger two'.  She was in high
heaven being their little caretaker.

We went to Zions the next day.  It was free national park day.  The next time around is Nov 11 -13.  It's way worth the wait- not paying 25$ for each park you want to see!

We went on just one hike because of time and our knowledge of the kid's 'durability'.  It was the 'weeping rock'.  A perfect short hike for the weary; aka: small kids.  And the end result is fun ...esp. in the spring when there is more water (I hear.)

Ruby and Liam brought their own little packs of exploring essentials.  Apparently their cape is one of them.!  Ha!  Hilarious.  Whatever keeps your feet-a-movin kids.!

Capes in action...can't you see the extra power and accuracy?

Needless to say, after the shortest hike of Marty and I's life....everyone was especially tired and thirsty!

My birthday boy

Liam turned 4! 



My parents were in town for the big day and we went to
 see the "Little Mermaid" at Tuacahn  It was AMAZING to say
 the least.  Well worth the money and one of the best performances
 to come  out of that theater..so I hear. It was our first time going
 and we LOVED it.  The kids were so intrigued.  Several times Ruby
 laughed out loud, she was thoroughly entertained.



They kids had some great Grandma and Grandpa time.  Oh how they miss them!

I LOVE watching kids open presents it is one of the best things to watch.  It doesn't take much to get kids excited and happy as long as there is wrapping paper around it!

We went to the park the next day and rode their favorite
 thing...even my mom rode with them...she hasn't had that much
 fun since she was a kid!  ha!

My Mom has been giving each grand kid for their birthday this year a special book all about them. It's quite alot of work cuz she has to sort thru all her pictures over the last year...which is ALOT... and find ones specific for that child. Then choose the best ones for the book; which has about 20 pages filled with pictures of them.  It is such a treasure and I know it's very time consuming. Especially when you get 6 or 7 grand kids in a month!  Thanks Mom!
  We ate at the Pizza Factory the day they left...gotta love them bread sticks, ain't that right Charlie?

This reminds me of the setting we had when my parents were here last moving us in...except the food is much better!  We ate Cubano Steak this night and it was so, so good.

Happy Birthday my little knight in shinning!

Labor Day Outdoors!

We spent a night camping at Yankee Meadows.  It was our first camping
experience with Charlie.  It was a riot.
 Literally. 
 (we used melatonin for the first time-an all natural
 sleep enhancer -worked like a charm on the little guy)

We went with our friends that live in Cedar City. 
 They adopted a little girl earlier this year and named her June.
  She is a doll and Charlie couldn't get enough of her!

Cooking smores with George, Ruby and Liam. 
Charlie and June-still hugging.

I used to crave smores over a fire,
 but they are way too much for me now.  Too sweet!
Even the kids couldn't finish a whole one.
Just give me a chocolate bar.
We spent some time at a really pretty river and lake
the next day but my camera was dead...so no pics.  bummer.

Being silly after church on Sunday, we got home
and it was actually cool enough to linger outside for a bit.
I love when fall temperatures start
making there debut-esp. in St. George!

Ruby showing off her knitted sweater and skirt from Grandma Diane. 
It fits perfect Di!

Monday (Labor Day) we went hiking to Red Cliffs with Ricki and Tony and kids in tow.  And let me tell you...with those kids we got along about a foot a minute!  It took us forever to hike a 1/4 mile!  They were so excited about exploring and venturing out.  The top picture is Ruby with her 10 year old sidekick Kenzie. (well lets say Ruby is Kenzie's sidekick)  She had to wear her foraging hat and backpack just like her. 
 Liam is a little hiker man-he loves being in the outdoors.  He kept taking off on his own trails and seemed perfectly content to stay there all day...without us!

We finally got to these little ponds-which in the spring they are full of fresh run-off water -they make great swimming holes!  I'm so excited to come back during those months next year and swim.  It's a perfect hike/swimming trail and it's got beautiful surroundings!  So fun.

Here Tony is helping the kids find-skeeters, crawdads and tiny baby frogs. 
 Charlie was quite giddy over this little guy in his hand
 and the other one being shoved in his face!  These kids are obsessed
with frogs, at any given time during this hike they had like 6 in possession.
(pockets, hands, backpack, where ever they could put them) 
 One time Kenzie (Ricki's girl)
tripped and fell on the rock and about 11 frogs went flying out of her hands!

It was a great day.  The kids were in heaven on this hike.  We need to do it more often.
Later that night we went to a BBQ at the park with some friends.  A perfect ending to the weekend.

if you don't like to run or eat...

this might bore you...



Ricki organized a relay-run with some friends.  She was the captain of the team and pulled it all together.  It was a 5 person team...Brooke, Heather, Ricki, Me and Julie.



 It's called the Cedar Express 31 Mile Relay.  Looks like I am running in the middle of a desert...well I kind of was.

Before my exchange...can't you see how excited I was ! ha!  It was so hot!

We felt pretty good after a rest in the air conditioned car after our
 first legs...but spoke too soon... this is shortly before my second leg
 where I wanted to dig a hole and die.

yep desert , yep die..

I was the last runner in ...can't you tell by the cherry red tomato face?!  Teresa on the far left was our 'nurse/gps navigator' and we loved having her there to support us.  She was a great motivator!   We took 4th overall in the women's division.  The first 3 teams got cash prizes...Dang Dog!  I hate missing it by ONE I'd rather have taken last! ha. j/k



That night we had Tasha and Christopher over for dinner...well we had them at our house ...THEY made the meal...gourmet meal



Fresh Alaskan salmon (w/topher's homemade seasoning!), tortellini spinach salad with pistachios, pine nuts, avocado, green onions, grape tomato, shredded Parmesan and mozzarella cheese and a little creamy Caesar dressing; fruit salad with some citrus marinade, diet coke with lemons, french bread with oil and bal. vinegar and chips and salsa or hummus.  I made a blueberry pound cake for dessert.  Talk about hmm, hmm good.

Classic Liam, classic.  He leaned in right when Marty took the picture. 

Two other important things to note last week...Ruby went on her first ever DADDY DAUGHTER CAMP-OUT with our ward.  She was in heaven.  Although it felt like 100 degree's all night ...Marty said he didn't sleep a wink.  He just layed and sweated. (both adj. are not technically words but they describe it well)

And Liam had his first day of pre-school.  He is so happy to have HIS thing and not just running around for Ruby all the time.  He LOVES to feel this special.  And he loves his 'homework' time.