Boss Hierarchy

It is always interesting to hear the things that come out of my girls' mouths. On the way home from Loveland this afternoon, Kristen was trying to tell Misha to do something. Misha quickly replied, "You're the youngest, you can't boss me." The hierarchy seems to work itself out.

Just one word Jonah

"No." That's what I said when I saw this scene out my kitchen window yesterday.

Looking at the photo now, I realize I should have zoomed out so that you could see a little more of my backyard and the three-foot drop off from the retaining wall that he was considering. There was a piece of plywood for him to drive down, but still, I said no.

Blackout

My girls created a band and named themselves Blackout. Misha is the lead drummer (her drum set is fashioned from her laundry basket, garbage can, a toy stool, and small trophies), Amy is the guitar-playing lead singer, and if Kristen is allowed to be a part of things she can be the dancer. Kristen wants to be the drummer. Yesterday they were rocking to some of their faves. Can you guess which one this is?

Dirty Face

Kristen walked in to the office tonight with the telltale signs of having eaten a chocolate doughnut (instead of her dinner, mind you). I looked at her and almost laughed, "Kristen, your face is dirty." She ran her pink little tongue around her upper lip and tried to reach as far as possible on her chin and then replied, "But, I can't taste anything."

Do Boys Whine When They Hike?

So that's the question I want an answer to. 'Cause you can bet your life girls do. Chris and I hadn't taken the girls hiking for about two months and decided to enjoy a beautiful Colorado summer day in the mountains. The whining started before we even left the house! I think the trail head is called Cevan St. Vrain, but Chris can correct me on that later. It was 60 some degrees and perfect for hiking, and yet all we heard was whining and complaining from the two older kids.

Best Friends

My girls were happy to be reunited with the Wasden kids after not seeing them for weeks. They had a play date last Tuesday and then talked me into a sleepover for some of them later that evening. I didn't mind since there's a lot of play dates they want to fit in before SCHOOL STARTS IN A WEEK AND A HALF! I'm cool with that because SCHOOL STARTS IN A WEEK AND A HALF!

Crazy guy

Last night I was waiting for Amy while she had her last dance class of the summer. The windows in the van were rolled down for maximum air flow, and I heard many interesting conversations as the locals sauntered on by to the corner bar. One man in particular was interesting, most idiotic, and had probably started imbibing long before leaving home. He walked down the middle of the street with his arms lifted as though he were driving. "I'm a Hummer. You can shoot at me, but I am bullet-proof so you won't hurt me. I'm a Hummer dude." Meanwhile his friends on the sidewalk are laughing and trying to avoid being too closely associated with him. Cars are backing up behind Mr. Hummer. He finally turned around, noticed the cars which amazingly enough hadn't honked at him, and raced over to the sidewalk. I thought, "Idiot."

Kristenisms

I offered to take the girls to the library after lunch today; they wanted to go, yet Amy and Misha were squirting each other with little water pistols in the back yard and were not quite ready to come in. I knocked on the window signaling that it was time to go then returned to the computer waiting for them to come in. Kristen, always one for getting out of the house, had her shoes on and peeked out the office window to see her sisters still outside. She turned to me and said, "They're not hurry upping."

As we drove to library, Misha began to lament that she missed being on vacation, missed Aunt Lori's ranch, missed Aunt Lori, etc. Kristen, lending a sympathetic shoulder, replied, "Boo hoo, so sad." I chuckled as she repeated herself. Then Misha said it back to Kristen, and I instantly heard, "Mom, Misha said 'boo hoo so sad' to me!" Crazy kid. You said it to her first.

Wrong Answer

Kristen just asked me if she could play on the computer. I responded that she needed to clean up her painting stuff at the kitchen table. Her reply, "Nooooooo, that's the wrong answer."

Rice Family Reunion

Wade and Misha

We headed to Utah on Tuesday via airplane (woohoo) for the 3rd Annual Rice Family Reunion. This year was a little different than years past where we rented a cabin in the mountains and spent a few days having fun. This year, my brothers, Brad and Dallin, who are both Optometrists, needed help as they were moving their practice from its present location to a larger store front. They have outgrown their current location and are looking forward to a more spacious and efficient office. If you live in the Draper area, look for Hidden Valley Eye Care right next to Treehouse Athletic Club.



We knew my brothers wouldn't be able to get away, and instead of time away in the mountains, we decided to spend time helping get their office ready to go. There was a lot to do. My sister was kind enough to watch ALL of the grandkids on Saturday after the baptism and Rochelle Allred offered to watch the kids on Friday afternoon. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! to both of you.

We met as a family on Saturday evening at a park nearby for a little BBQ beef and beans hosted by my two youngest brothers, Mitch and Shane. Then, Sunday evening, my sister, Susan, reserved a church building near to their home and provided a roast beef dinner. Both meals were delicious and thank you to all for your efforts.



Mitch



Brad, Dallin, Mom



Shane, Mom

As per previous years, my mom put together a Grandma's Fish Pond, my dad helped the grandkids put on a play, and we had a white elephant gift exchange--always fun. As an added bonus, we shared information on genealogy. The kids got to play and run around while the adults enjoyed each other's company.



Dad introducing his play



Grandkids acting out the play



Susan

Grandkid Photo Shoot

So, I mentioned that my sister offered to watch our children as well as my brother's children on Saturday afternoon while Chris and I and some of the other adults helped out at "The Practice". Susan had a lot of fun activities planned for the day, the first involved taking all twelve grandchildren to BYU for an afternoon of picture taking. I think they took 150 pictures, and they are so much fun to see. Far too many to post all of them, so I'll pick a few.







Susan said it was pretty funny because they had all the kids ranging in age from 19 to 3 dressed in white shirts and denim. As the kids were nearing the end of their smiling and happy capacity, they took them to the hill beneath the bell tower and let them roll down the hill. People driving by slowed to a crawl to watch what they might have perceived as a family of 14, with twelve of them rolling down the hill--those crazy Mormons multiplying and replenishing the earth all by themselves!



All of these fun pictures were taken by my brother-in-law Carson. Nice job!

Misha's Baptism

Because we knew that we would be in Utah for a family reunion, we made special arrangements to also have Misha's baptism in Utah as well. It was a great experience to share with family and a few of our Utah friends. Thank you so much for coming.

We were amazed to see that Misha was one of fourteen children to be baptized that day. Crazy! The chapel was full of families. Like most baptism programs, there was a talk on baptism, music and a talk on the Holy Ghost. Then they started taking out the children in small groups for their actual baptism. Those remaining in the chapel watched church videos until it was their turn.

When it was finally Misha's turn, our family moved to the Relief Society room where the font was located. There were lots of little children who moved to the front of the room to get a closer look. Misha now has the distinction of being baptized three times. Lucky!

I helped Misha as she stepped out of the font. Tears came to my eyes as I hugged her wet little head. Quickly we got her dried off, dressed in the beautiful dress made by her Grandma Ball, combed her hair and returned to the chapel to wait for her confirmation. As we entered the chapel, we were given a piece of paper and pen to write a note to Misha on her special day. It was a nice touch. They also took a picture of Misha and Chris before the baptism--we are hoping they will send us a digital copy to post and keep.

Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple Open House

Our family had the amazing opportunity of visiting the Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House on Friday morning, July 31st. The girls were excited because this was their first opportunity to see inside a temple. We arrived at our appointed time, but so did hundreds of others. We were lucky and were able to hop into a golf cart for a short ride from the parking lot to the temple grounds--probably one of the more memorable moments for my girls! That, and they were looking forward to the refreshment tent after the tour. Our experience began with a short video which explained about temples and their purpose. We then were able to walk through rooms within the temple--so beautiful. I think it helps to give our children an idea of what the temple is like and why their parents like to return to the temple often. Following the tour, we headed over to the refreshment tent for cookies and water. My brother, Mitch was with us and kindly took a picture of our family. We were lucky enough to spy an empty golf cart and hopped in for a return trip to our vehicle.

Celebrating Early

Chris has a client through work who also owns a Spa and Retreat in Stansbury Park, Utah. Last month, Chris' employer encouraged him to stay at the Retreat. I know, he's got a hard life. He enjoyed his stay immensely (along with a one-hour massage) and decided that it would be a perfect place for an anniversary get-away.



Now, Stansbury Park is close to Tooele (pronounced Two-willa) and like my aunt, many of you might wonder, what on earth would make you want to celebrate your anniversary in Tooele? Well, let me tell you, Millpond Spa & Retreat is a wonderful, hidden treasure. The website does not do it justice. It offers a full-service salon, massage therapy, esthetician services, manicures and pedicures, six beautiful rooms, and a continental breakfast. The service is fantastic--every time I turned around, they were bringing more food--and the ambiance is amazing. I highly recommend it.



Christopher arranged our night away as an early celebration of our 12th anniversary later this month, and scheduled me to receive the Millpond Signature Package which included a manicure, a pedicure and a massage. Delightful. On Monday afternoon before we left for Utah, they called and offered him a massage for half price, and he was quick to say "yes"!

My sister, Susan, kindly agreed to watch our kids for the night; my kids were excited to spend some time with their cousins. Susan took them for huge ice cream cones at Macey's and then they had pancakes with ice cream for dinner. You can see why she jumped to favorite aunt status! My girls, along with their cousin, Melissa, got to have a slumber party on the living room floor. So much fun.

We arrived at the Spa at 3:00 pm for my manicure followed by the pedicure. Chris took our bags up to our room and then came back to the salon to sit close by working on his laptop while I enjoyed some pampering. But they weren't going to let him sit unpampered for long. When I moved over to the pedicure station, they set him up in the chair next to me, filled the basin with hot water, and let him soak his toes in the water while eating fruit, crackers, cheese, nuts and chocolate. I tried to eat a few grapes and smudged my nail polish, so Chris had to pull the grapes off the vine for me and unwrap my cheese. I think I could convince him to get an actual pedicure without the colored polish someday.

Ellen, one of the owners, and Sharon my manicurist gave ideas for dinner. I'm always up for Mexican food so they suggested Casa Del Rey in Grantsville. It wasn't fancy but the food was delicious. After returning for the evening, Ellen traded off hosting duties with her husband, Scott, and he heated up the jacuzzi outside for us. We were the only patrons staying for the night, so we were extra spoiled. I, um, forgot my swimming suit but Chris didn't seem to mind.

Before returning to our room (in our plush, comfy robes mind you), Scott offered some sparkling cider and cheese cake. Ugggghhhh. More food! But, I sacrificed my no-eating-after-7:30 rule and had a bite or two or three.



On Thursday morning, we meandered downstairs to the breakfast room around 8:30. We topped off breakfast by sitting in a Eucalyptus Steam Room and then a Redwood Sauna. And then....a couples massage. I have a picture, but I shall not post it. To my wonderful husband, you scored more "wonderful husband" points. Thank you.

So, I highly recommend Millpond Spa & Retreat. And just in case you want to visit, I recommend going during the week when it is quieter and less busy. Pamper yourself. And just in case you have now decided to call them, here's the number: 435-843-8800

Creature of Habit

Found some cute pics of my sweetheart.
The Flash shirt:





Patchwork Quilt shorts/pants:





Ha ha ha ha ha ha!

Peeps

Kristen has learned some new sayings. Out of the blue, she likes to ask me, "So, do we have a deal?" I've just learned to smile and say, "You bet we do!"

The other day she and I were in the van getting ready to go to her dance class. From the back seat she said, "Let's go peep." When her sisters are with us, we become her 'peeps'. Such a cute kid.

Scaredy Cat

Kristen is my little scaredy cat (which I never call her, it just seemed appropriate as a blog title). She sleeps with a night light as well as a flashlight beside her bed. She turns it on at bedtime, and I turn it off when I go to bed. Halloween last year really spurred her fears on, but she continues to have scary dreams. She realizes that there are no monsters under her bed, otherwise maybe I could take care of them with a little "monster spray". But she says, "The monsters are in my eyes." How do you eradicate monsters from the mind's eye?

Trying It

So Chris and I decided that after almost two weeks of vacation where our girls watched little or no tv nor played games on the computer, that we needed to make some adjustments to their daily schedule--we knew they'd survive. So starting yesterday, Monday, July 20th, they were restricted from watching tv and playing computer games between the hours of 8 am and 4 pm. They could play one hour of Wii games (they don't normally play them much) and they could use the computer if they were doing the SkillsTutor program through the school. I think Kristen had the most break downs, but she was 'off' a good part of the day anyway.

I helped them get started on a 1000-piece puzzle, they are making their own mini-golf course in my house (hmmmmm), they are reading more, and today is a perfect day for playing outside.

Chris and I initially thought we'd try this schedule for a week, but it is working well enough that it'll probably continue until school starts in a month. They are learning to be creative in other ways and aren't just sitting as lumps on the couch watching inane shows.

Shopko

We had a little extra time to burn while in Billings, and I needed some allergy medicine, so we made a quick stop at Shopko. My girls had a little fun.

Going Home

We didn't have any time table to keep in our trip back to Colorado. We were dividing the trip in to two days and had a leisurely seven hour trip to Billings, MT. I think we left around 10:30 am. However, my mom, then Chris noticed that the rear passenger-side tire was a little low. My dad's air compressor was wheeled out and the tire inflated, but it was a concern. Chris found the nearest Big O Tires in Great Falls, MT and we headed out. The tired was holding its own at the border in Sweetgrass, MT as we stopped for about 20 minutes waiting. We pushed on to Great Falls and easily located the Big O. They quoted about 45 minutes to look at it and fix it if necessary.

We headed over to a Mexican restaurant for lunch while waiting. The restaurant came with recommendations, but we left still craving some good Mexican food. The tire was fixed and had been punctured by a screw. I like how Big O has such a great warranty on its tires. And just for your viewing pleasure, here is a picture of the Great Falls, MT Big O Tire Store.



We always laugh as we pass through Ryegate, MT and see this delectable little treasure of a sign. You need to click on the picture and enlarge it to see why.

Whoopee Cushion

I bought Misha a whoopee cushion at the dollar store. I think my mother vacillated between being appalled and fascinated that I would buy one. Fascinated because Misha isn't a girly girl and never will be and we don't try to force her into a mold that isn't her. Misha loved the whoopee cushion, and at some point every day I had to say, "Enough." As we were getting ready to leave on Saturday morning, Chris and my dad were down in the computer room when all of a sudden I hear this raucous laughter from Christopher. Misha had slipped the whoopee cushion under the cushion on the computer chair hoping to "get" Amy. She got Grandpa instead and there was much laughter.

On another funny note, Kristen calls it the Woosie cushion.

More Rain, More Swimming

We came back to Alberta and more rainy, chilly weather. My dad even started a fire in the basement stove it was so chilly. (From what I understand, we had the monster of all thunderstorms in Colorado while we were gone. It shattered the glass of our patio table, and our neighbor was so kind to clean it up for us...and mow our lawn!)

Before we left on vacation, my mom kept talking about how the pool two doors down from their house was being renovated with a slide and new children's area. It was supposed to open on July 1st. It didn't. Talk about disappointment from some of my peeps. Fortunately, it opened a week later after we returned from Kamloops and the first day was a free day! Kristen played on her own a bit and tried to make friends--hard when you are the younger sister. Amy and Misha had a great time.

So Much to Write

The bad thing about vacations is coming home and knowing that there is so much to catch up on: laundry, cleaning, groceries, mail, finances, blogging! Blogging takes the longest, and I am probably only halfway done.

Happy Birthday Misha

My Misha is 8 years old.

"Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday dear Misha,
Happy Birthday to you."

Since we knew we would be in Alberta for Misha's birthday, we gave her a few of her birthday gifts early. All other birthday gifts from grandparents were in the mail at home waiting for her, so she was lacking in birthday presents on her special day. Except for my Aunt Pat, who came for dinner that night. She picked up a small gift of Huckleberry lip gloss on her way home from Kalispell. Thanks so much for thinking of Misha.

As we left on our trip however, Misha received a new MP3 player--a Sansa Fuze--and she loved it. Chris had spent a couple of hours loading it with music, books on tape, and movies. Yes, she can watch movies on its small screen. Talk about a prized present, Amy would have loved it. Chris and I loved it because it kept her occupied.

My mom and dad planned a small family birthday party on the 9th complete with birthday cake and candles AND a roast cooked all day long in the fire pit out back. Delicious! Thanks so much.

Celebrating Misha

I called my parents on the way home from Calgary and asked if they wanted to meet us in Lethbridge at a restaurant to celebrate Misha's birthday. I'm not too familiar with the "good" restaurants anymore but we were able to narrow it down to East Side Mario's, an Italian place.