Change of plans

Sylvia posing for pictures at the Great Salt Lake on our way home. I was probably throwing up…

On Sunday, the day after Mom’s party, Julio was going to leave early to drive home with Dad and Brandon. I was going to stay with the kids and go to church and then drive to Idaho with the Aldama’s, Mom and Callie. During the night, I woke up and was so sick-the stomach flu! So, Julio did not drive back with Dad and Brandon, and I did not drive to Idaho with the kids. We attempted to drive home together, stopping every hour so I could vomit on the side of the highway. We finally stopped at a seedy hotel in Elko for the night. Then Tessa started throwing up and Julio had the runs. There was barf everywhere and then the toilet stopped up! What a nightmare! I was awakened several times in the night to take Tessa to the bathroom to throw up. Then, I finally got settled in to sleep and I felt a warm wetness on my back. Tessa had wet the bed. Such a nightmare. We finally made it home on Monday to find flooring and drywall torn out of the bathrooms and bedrooms. The work began the next day. Here it is a month later, and we still have one final thing to do-the hall floor. The new paint and carpet and new tile in the master bath all look great! It was a blessing in the end that we didn’t have to pay for or do the work ourselves. If you want to see the improvements, you’ll just have to come visit us!

Mom’s 60th Birthday Party

On Saturday, June 28th, we threw Mom a big party at the church. April had suggested we have it catered by Café Rio and we are so glad we agreed to that! Saved us so much time and energy. Callie and Tami were the decorating divas, Brandon did the pictures on the tables and the photo booth. Jake brought a sound system and we played 60’s music. Aunt Julie made a Family Feud game with trivia all about Mom.  We had two pinatas (and way too much candy) and cake. We had so much fun! I just wish I had taken more pictures. I know I missed a lot.

Crazy photo booth shots

Getting ready to play Mom’s birthday trivia.

Their team –The skull and crossbones (what?) Uncle John, Jake, Callie, Julio, and Tami

vs. The Claudhoppers (Dan, Aunt Alice, B, me and Jeni) We won!!Corom with our prize winnings!

Enjoying the cakeThe first pinataThe whole group!

Happy 60th Mom!!!!

Family Reunion in Utah

This is what life’s all about-getting together with family and celebrating and having fun. It all came about because Mom was turning 60. We (the siblings) wanted to do something special for her, but couldn’t get everyone home for her birthday. Since Callie and Brian were going to be in Utah for a wedding around that time, we decided to all meet up there. That way, we could get all the family together-from the Shirley and Cole sides. It was decided we would have the party in Salt Lake.

The week we were scheduled to leave, our sewer line got clogged and overflowed into both bathrooms, the hallway, the girls’ room and our bedroom. We decided to have all the demo done while we were gone-Julio would come back on Monday to supervise the reconstruction and I would follow Tami, Mom, and Callie back to Idaho for a few additional days. So, we headed out on Thursday as the demo crew came in to tear out drywall, carpet and flooring.

The drive there was simple, the kids were good. It rained as we drove through Nevada and we saw lots of beautiful rainbows.

We stayed at a hotel in Salt Lake the first night. Then on Friday, we headed down to Orem to Aunt Alice and Uncle Lynn’s. We had lunch, visited for a while and then went up to Salt Lake to meet up with all the Shirley’s for a potluck in the park.

Cousins!

Great conversationsGrandma and me

The kids climbed on rocks and played in the creek.We jumped ropePlayed badmittonand did yoga-led by Amber. We had such a great time and great food. The weather was great and it will be an evening we won’t ever forget. More on the party in the next post…

Lucia’s 10th birthday

I can’t believe our oldest is in double digits now! She’s growing up so fast! I wish time would slow down. She is such a good girl-so good with her siblings (most of the time) unless you get on her bed, then the monster comes out! She is smart, sweet and beautiful and still as inquisitive as ever. I would say 90% of the questions she asks me, I don’t have answers to. She reads a ton-I think reading might be overriding her drawing time now.

For her birthday this year, she didn’t have a party, but she did get to go to Six Flags for the day with her best friend Deirdre and me. We had a great time and the girls got to ride on whatever they wanted and do whatever they wanted.

Then, she got a plane ticket to fly back with Grandma after a 10 day stay in Idaho with her cousins! That was the big gift! Aunt Tami and Uncle Dan were VERY generous to help pay for the ticket and have her stay with them for so long. She’s still there, but I imagine she’s having a great time.

On her actual birthday, we had a swim party at Grandma and Grandpa’s with the Donaldson’s.

She’s so beautiful!Getting ready to blow out the candles on the triple layer chocolate cake that Daddy made by request.

She also got a ticket to see Mary Poppins at Music Circus from Grandma-another big ticket item! She asked for a book from us-which she read in a day or so, and some new clothes. No more toys for this girl .. She’s growing up too fast, but we are so grateful to have her in our lives.