Mom, Dad and Auntie visit

We've been to Salt Lake every weekend this month so we were not only thrilled to stay home, but to have visitors. And not just ANY visitors...my Mom and Dad and Aunt Sharon! This was the first time they have seen our house and it was fun to show them around. I always love showing off our house to family because they get so excited about things and think it is awesome (which it is). We have really gotten settled and feel like it is our home now and are so grateful to have it and so grateful for the hard work that was done for us to be able to get to this point.

Saturday morning, we got up way too early and Mom and Aunt Sharon started doing what they do best: WORKING. My parents' truck was loaded with all my belongings that have piled up in their garage for the past 10 years. They thought it was a good time to bring them all to me since I have a house now...

They also brought me a tree for my yard and tons of flower starts and we got to work hauling dirt over with a wheel barrow. Our kind neighbor saw us 3 women doing this and came and offered his family's backhoe to which we gratefully accepted.

We had a good time and my Mom and Aunt Sharon both worked too hard but we made something pretty out of bare dirt and it warmed my heart! My Dad and Dax planted our new tree which I am so excited about. It is a flowering pear tree-the kind that turn bright orange in the fall and stay that way clear through November. I love it. And now it looks like someone actually lives here. It made me excited to start my yard which up until this point was so overwhelming.
Mack was so happy to ride on the digger and in Aunt Sharon's motorhome ("mo-meh hib"). The kid loves all things with wheels. He cried when Aunt Sharon pulled away and the motorhome went bye-bye.

Thanks so much for coming and for bringing all the goodies! We love you all!

tristie's high school reunion pics

(program cover designed by Jordon Mazziotti, fellow alumni and professional designer)

Nate Trayner planned almost all of it while living out of state, attending med school, being a husband and dad, and with almost NO help from his fellow class officers. 2 weeks before the reunion, Kelly and I realized he was drowning and jumped in to save him. Kelly kicked it into high gear and called an SBO meeting with me and Mark, coordinated details with Gardner Village, and got almost a thousand dollars of donations to give away as prizes. This is us setting up and getting ready for the big night...

Mark and his fiancee Melanie

Me and my man.

Kye and Kelly

Some of my friends and their spouses. This was after Che and Zac left! *snif!*

And last the best of all...My BFF since age 3. We have had SO much fun together over the years. The evening before the reunion, Dax took the kids to see his Dad and brother and I met Katie for some shopping. It felt like old times. I didn't sleep the night before the reunion because I was so excited. It felt like the first day of school or something.

I love both Katie and her husband Rob (also in our class) and it was so fun to see them. It was a TRIP to be with these people and everyone looked the same (or better!) but a lot were married and had kids.

I didn't sleep much that night after the reunion. I was so wound up! I seriously hugged everyone and chatted my guts out and ditched Dax the whole time. I felt bad for him but hey, I haven't seen some of these people for 10 years! He was such a good sport and a supportive husband. Even though I visited with a ToN of people, I didn't have time to visit with everyone I wanted to or for as long as I wanted. I also should have taken more pictures. But it was super fun.

Heal The World

Dax held our baby over the railing in our house as a tribute to the King of Pop. Weird to think Michael Jackson was 50. That is almost my Mom's age. In a way he seems timeless (I'm not saying that because he's had a bazillion plastic surgeries. More in the iconic sense.) But seriously, the dude's got moves. You gots to respect that.

At Scouts we made foot racers. I loved these things when my mom was a wolf leader back in the day. My kids had fun and the boys were WAY into using the drill.

Later our good neighbor/friend from our previous ward called and invited us to a ward drive-in movie to see UP. I tried everything to ditch Mack, but all our young women are at girls' camp so we brought the little beast. Before the show, we tried out the freeeeeky merry-go-round on drugs. It is set on a slant and for some reason, that makes all the difference. But it was actually all the Sour Patch Kids and PB M&Ms that made me really sick. Spot me and and my 3 kids...

We layed out on a mattress under the stars to watch the show and had a great time. Way fun to see our friends from the last ward.

tristie's high school reunion

WILD and crazy weekend. I got so over-stimulated and frazzled that I left my camera (among other things) in WJ so I can only post a couple pics that were emailed to me. I'll post more {HOT} pics and details later!

Oquirrh Mountain and Bingham Canyon

My sister from Idaho came to Salt Lake this weekend so I could not pass up a chance to see her and her kiddos. We took our kids (except the twins) and Wendy (their foreign exchage student from Hong Kong) to see the Oquirrh Mountain Temple. Both of our husbands were working so my dad stepped in to help us manage the kids. I had him stash gummy bears in his fanny pack and throughout the tour of the temple, he kept handing them to Mack. I loved seeing the beauty and feeling the peace of the temple. I hope my kids can get a glimpse of how neat it is there.

After the temple, we grabbed the twins and went to Kennecott Copper mine. It was both my sister's and my FIRST time there and we grew up 8 miles from this place. Man, we've been missing out; this place is so cool. Best museum, visitors center, educational film, and gift shop I've been to in a while.

Mack was totally digging the diggers and dump trucks. Hunter was into the scale models of the operation, as well.

THEN, we went to my favorite park as a child (and it still is my favorite), Copperton Park. It did not dissappoint.

Playing tag is the best at Copperton Park because of the giant mountain in the middle and the huge tires to run and chase on. My 62-year-old dad played too, and out-ran my speedy nephew Jaedon. My kids thought they were so tricky hiding up inside the tires but I told them that is where I used to hide as a kid.

Holy Cow, my sister is always on her toes and is always ready for the next adventure. You would NEVER know she is operating on 1 kidney, and had cancer a few months ago. She amazes me with her ability to keep up with her 6 busy kids and their foreign exchange student, cooking from scratch all the time, supporting her hubby in the bishopric of their ward, and drawing plans for a new house. She truly is on of my role models in life.

We had a fun fun time; we will be back again next weekend for my class reunion!

goosebumps

Loving this chilly June weather...really. You will find me sitting on the side of the pool in a coat while my skinny little kids are in their swimsuits in the water. They are both doing well and I thank the star that aligned to let one of Hunter's preschool buddies be in his class.

That dude almost scared me today. I was on the phone with an internet support guy and when I got off, I realized I hadn't seen him for like an hour. I looked everywhere in the house and called his name. If it hadn't been rainy and cold outside I would have known he was out there squatting down looking at ants or catching grasshoppers...but he was no where in the house so I started outside. Then I found my little guy...

...totally asleep in the tent trailer!

If you didn't know, we are all visitors in Hunter's little world. I count myself very privileged when he acknowledges when I speak to him. So tonight when I asked him to put on his pjs and he got so far as to strip down, I was thrilled. Then I left the room for 25 minutes and came back and he was JUST putting his pj top on. He looked at me and said, "I got a little distracted by playing transformers. That's not a cool thing to get distracted on."

I actually think playing transformers naked IS a cool thing to get distracted on.

he went on..."Another thing that is not cool is that the decepticons are bigger than the autobots. Way bigger."

sweet.

the week I found an ant in Mack's nostril.

And also the week that I asked Hunter to get in his bed quietly so he wouldn't wake up the baby and he said, "But I have toots. Ya know?" It recently dawned on me that my kids use the word "toot" instead of fart. Toot just sounds so, I don't know, sissy or something. The word doesn't do justice to it's meaning. They learned that sissy word from their dad who used to get in huge trouble as a child for saying the "F" word for pass gas.


Here are some highlights from our week...



school's out! LOVing it. I love the more relaxed mornings. I have instigated some summer jobs for the kids. I made them job pockets with little cards in them. Once they complete each job, they move the job card from the "DO" pocket to the "DONE" pocket. It has been a hit and they've done their jobs happily all week.

We put up our swingset my brother gave us. We all love it.

We are still doing plenty of reading and have joined a few summer reading programs.


My 10-year high school reunion is in 2 weeks! I am helping call people and spread the word.

We travelled to Salt Lake to see my parents and some brothers. My mom has started a new tradition of celebrating Preslie's birthday in June at her half bday. Christmas Eve is a BOMB birthday, but it gets so busy that my Mom thought it a good idea to spread the joy out a bit. I think it is super neat and it makes Grandma and Grandpa's gift more special because it's not lost in all the chaos and excitement of Christmas. Genius, Mom!



We saw Dax's family this trip, too. Dax's parents were in town for some doc appointments and so we couldn't pass up a chance to hang out together. Grandma Nola's house makes the perfect




hotel. Dax's parents watched the kids so the adult kids could go to lunch together. We loved tasting the city vibes and also the philly cheese steak sandwich at Moochies (yum!). We went and saw Dax's bro's work place. He is a graphic designer and works on the 7th floor of a beautiful building downtown. I find it interesting how opposite it is from Dax's work; he and his brother are so different in many ways, but get along so well.



Other highlights from our trip included

• chatting outside on the patio with family and watching Dax's Mom eat a rose petal. She doesn't back down from a challenge!



• we bought some gorgeous bar stools and can't wait to try them out!
• I sent my first text message ever. Yeah, that's right. I texted someone. I know I'm in the stone ages. But I don't even care. I don't have cable either!
• We cut our trip shorter than we wanted so I could get back for Cub Scout Day Camp. 176 cub scouts at the park doing archery, making ice cream in a bag, running an obstacle course, making crafts, learning safety and citizenship... turned out to be a fun day.

And today we attended church where I had a chance to bear my testimony of Christ and of gospel truths and reflect on how really blessed my family and I are. I am so grateful to live in our home in a wonderful safe neighborhood with good people all around. CELEBRATE...Mack stayed in nursery alone for the last 20 minutes and was able to be comforted by the sweet, loving, patient nursery workers. I love them! Then tonight, we had our friends Brian and Jaclyn and their kids over for a yummy pasta dinner.

The kids start swimming lessons tomorrow. Hunter has been fighting me about everything and told me he will NOT go to swimming lessons and if I take him, he won't get in the water. Dax had a talk with him and they said a prayer to ask Heavenly Father to help him not be nervous and a little transformer bribery went on, as well. So hopefully we are good to go for tomorrow.


Hope all my family and friends have a happy week!