It's all good . . .

Vacation Part 8 - Favorite Things and On the Road

The last bit of our vacation was a time to sneak in one more time doing our favorite things.  This began the night before we left with one last swim in the pool and hot tub.  I think the kids loved swimming in the pool almost more than going to the theme parks :).  We always had it to ourselves, and it was really well heated.  And most of the time it was dark out when we went swimming, which they thought was really cool.

Friday morning, we checked out of our hotel, and headed to Disney for one last morning of fun before we bgan the drive back to Colorado.  We all got to pick one or two things that we wanted to do again, which meant we started at California Adventure.  (I think the kids were still a little bit asleep when we got there - they had had a busy two weeks, and it was starting to show.)

First stop was Lily's choice - California Screamin'.  They all loved it, and I wish I could have gone with them, but it was still fun to watch.  Derek said he even screamed this time - since the name said he should :).

Then it was one last time at Toy Story Mania.  Lily got to be my partner this time :).  Kevin was with Derek, and he beat us all, as usual.

After that, Derek wanted to ride on the Goofy Rolloercoaster one last time, and then we rode Soarin', for me.  It is my favorite ride ever.  After that, we headed across the square to Disneyland to go on the rest of our favorites.  The kids rode Big Thunder Mountain with Kevin, while I went and got us fast passes for Star Tours.

We rode Buzz Lightyear one more time, and then rode Star Tours.  And I must admit, even though I technically wasn't supposed to ride Star Tours, I hid my pregnant belly with my sweatshirt and rode it anyway.  I figured it wasn't like it was a roller coaster, and that the baby and I would be just fine.  I was right, and the ride was awesome :).

We finished with Star Tours just in time for the Jedi Training Academy.  We were so lucky, because both Lily and Derek were chosen to participate.

They gave them all robes to wear and lightsabers to use, and then taught them a fighting sequence.  We thought that was going to be all there was, but we were wrong.

After their lesson, the stage rose up and out comes Darth Vader and some storm troopers!  So cool!

And then, just so we could have another villain for the kids to fight, Darth Maul came too.  Each kid had a chance to fight either Vader or Darth Maul.  It was so awesome to watch Derek fight Darth Maul!  I swear, I don't think he could have smiled any bigger, as he was getting to fight a real bad guy, and not an imaginary one.

Lily also got to fight Darth Maul, and she did awesome as well.  Talk about a once in a lifetime experience.

After the Jedi training, we stopped in a few shops to find souvineers for the rest of us.  Kevin got himself a Wookie shirt, I found a Disneyland magnet and an ornament for our Christmas tree, and Lily found a Disneyland blanket.  We even got something for the baby :).

We were all set, and headed back to our car to drive to St. George, where we were staying the night.  The drive was long and annoying. It should not have been long, but there is terrible traffic in Southern California all day long, and then we got stuck in a horrible traffic jam when we drove through Vegas. 

By the time we checked into our hotel in St George, we were all exhausted and starving.  However, just down the road from our hotel, was a Brick Oven - one of my very favorite restaurants that I thought they only had in Provo.  As tired as we were, we went anyway and had the yummiest pizza and pasta for dinner.

Saturday, we got to sleep in a little, and then we hit the road for home.  Driving through the desert in Southern Utah is quite amazing.  There is really nothing there.

We also got to drive through the mountains of Colorado, which is one of the most beautiful stretches of country ever.  I don't particularly love the winding mountain roads for driving, but the views are spectacular.  And we were very blessed that the snow had come the day before, and so the roads were clear and dry for us.

We got home around 7 pm, and were all ready to crash for a few days.  I guess we should have scheduled a vacation to recover from our vacation :).  We had such a wonderful time though, and it was worth it all for the fun times and the memories we made.

Vacation Part 7 - Seaworld Adventures

Thursday was a pretty low key day - we went to Sea World, which was nice and close to the condo we were staying at, meaning much less driving.  Also, Sea World is just built to be more easy going, as it is about sitting and watching shows, and strolling leisurely through sea life exhibits.  Just what we needed after the busy day before.

We got there, and immediately went to see some animals.  Lily and Derek even pet a stingray.

Then we went to the 4D pirate movie, which the kids really enjoyed.  After that, we took a look at more animals.  It sure was fun to have the sharks swimming right over the top of us - just look at the view of their teeth!

It was pretty empty in the park that day, and so Kevin and the kids were able to go on all three of the thrill rides without a line.  Lily is so brave, she rode on the helicopter ride in her own car by herself, since Derek was too short to ride without an adult.  Luckily they didn't get too wet on Atlantis, and I think the Manta was their favorite :).

Then it was time for the Seymour and Clyde Sea Lion show, which is always a good time.  We have seen this show at three different Sea Worlds and with many different plots, but it is always cute and funny.

Then we went to the pet show, which we had never taken the time to see before.  It was actually really cool.  My favorite was watching the cat walk the high wire, which was very high.

Sadly, the dolphin show was closed, but luckily the dolphin tank was still open for us to watch them swim and get a chance to pet them.  That is the real reason I go to Sea World anyway :).

They are so amazing to watch, especially up close.

One of the trainers was playing fetch with one of the dolphins, and let both Lily and Derek have a chance to do it too, which was awesome.  One of the times she gave them the thing to throw out, Kevin took it and used it to lure the dolphin past all of us, giving each of us a chance to pet her.  It was the best part of my day :).

Then we were off to the whale show.  It was really neat, and we enjoyed it, but it just wasn't as exciting as when the trainers used to swim with them.  Oh well.  The kids couldn't remember any different, and it was still amazing :).

Our last stops for the day were to see the animals that we missed.  The Beluga Whales and Polar Bears were so pretty, and there was the cutest seal that kept bobbing up to the surface to check us out.

And our day wouldn't have been complete if we hadn't stopped to see all the penguins.  They have about 6 different species of penguins there, and they are all cute :).

The sea turtle exhibit was so neat, and there were so many of them, you always had a good view of one - especially the few that were taking a nap right next to the window.

As we headed to our last stop of the day, Derek found his souvineer for the trip - a sword.  He had seen them at one of the shows, and after that, it was all he could talk about.  He was the happiest kid ever once it belonged to him, and he fought bad guys all along the way to the tide pool.

The tide pool was our last stop, and since the park was almost closed, we were there alone, and the specialist sat and talked to Lily and Derek and taught them about everything.  Lily loved getting to talk science one an one with her.  Derek just liked getting to pick up the starfish :).

It was a great way to end our day.  We headed back to the hotel and started packing, and got ready for our last day of vacation.

Vacation Part 6 - Disneyland and Cousins

Wednesday morning, before the sun was up, we were on the road to Anaheim to be at Disneyland when it opened at 8am.  When we got there, it was already obvious that today was going to be a lot less crowded, which made us very happy.

The lack of crowds was fantastic.  It was amazing all we were able to do in the first two hours we were there.  Kevin and the kids started at the Matterhorn, while I got them fastpasses for Space Mountain, and then we met up in Fantasyland.  There we rode Peter Pan, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, and even Dumbo.  There was no line for Dumbo - I have never seen such a thing.  It was awesome.

Then we rode the Finding Nemo submarine, since there was no line for that - which I have heard NEVER happens.  Then it was time for Kevin and the kids to go on Space Mountain and then Star Tours.  They were so excited to see it, since it had been updated since we were last on it in Disney World.

They LOVED it, and said it was better than ever.  We also had to ride on Buzz Lightyear, which is also one of our family favorites - and Kevin won, as usual :).

In Tomorrowland, Lily happened to find the giant sphere that she had seen on a "Disney Imagineering" video from the library.  She had been telling us all about it, and I doubted we would find it, but we did, and both kids loved pushing it.

At this point, we still hadn't been in the park two hours, and we had done so much.  We headed over and went on Haunted Mansion, which was all decked out with Nightmare Before Christmas decorations for Halloween.  It actually made the mansion less scary, but it was fun.

Then the kids got to ride Thunder Mountain - one of my very favorites, and although I couldn't ride, I did manage to see them ride and even get a picture or two.  This was one of Derek's favorites.

After that, we decided to try and ride Splash Mountain before we went in search of Kevin's brother Scott, and his family.  As they headed into line and I was standing there with our stuff, I looked up to see Scott and all the gang getting into line right by Kevin.  It was so funny, especially because all day I had been wondering if we would just run into them, and sure enough, we did :).

Once they were all off ride, the reunion began for real.  You would think it had been years since they had seen each other, and not just the few days since we had left them in Vegas.  The kids were so happy, and Lily and Anna immediately were hand in hand, and Derek ditched walking with me to be with his cousin Payton :).

Since we were already together, we decided to ride a few rides together before lunch, and so we headed to the Jungle Cruise.

After lunch, we headed to a few more rides, before they all went and rode Star Tours together, which they had been really looking forward to.  After Star Tours, we went on the Astroblastor Rocket ride, and since all the kids wanted to ride with each other, Kevin and I ended up in the same rocket, which was hilarious.  Even if I hadn't had my pregnant belly, it would have been a tight fit, but wow, we did not fit in that rocket :).

Lily and the older boys all decided to ride Space Mountain again, and since Anna and Derek weren't wanting to ride it again, Shannon and I took them to tour Sleeping Beauty's castle, and then we rode the Alice in Wonderland ride.  It was very fun :). 

After that, we headed our seperate ways and Kevin and I took the kids to see "Captain Eo" - the old 80's Michael Jackson 3D movie they brought back.  We were excited to see it, but it definitely was not as cool as our childhood memories thought it was.  Oh well :).  By this time, we had done everything, and many things multiple times, so we rode on the train and took the kids to Toon Town.

Then it was time to get treats and stake out our spot to watch the parade.  We went to a delicious bakery we had found that morning where we bought us chocolate croissants for breakfast - yum!  This time, Lily went for the cinnamon roll, and Derek decided on cotton candy.

The parade was fun, and the kids loved it - and I watched it all from our outdoor table at a cafe, while Kevin and the kids watched from the curb.  It was a perfect way to end our day in Disneyland.

Vacation Part 5 - Playing at the Zoo

Tuesday was a special day, because not only did we go to the San Diego Zoo for the day, but we met up with one of Kevin's very best friends, Josh Reeves.  Josh works in San Diego, and we were so glad it worked out for him to play with us for the day.  He and Kevin hadn't seen each other in over 12 years, and it was a very happy reunion :).  It was like they had never been apart. 

We started out our day on the bus tour, which is such a wonderful way to see the zoo, since it required no walking :).  Definitely on the good list for me.

After the tour, we went in search of monkeys for Kevin.  We found a few apes, and the kids had fun practicing the "look over your shoulder trick" the bus coordinator taught them.  I guess it is supposed to be a less aggressive stance, and they are supposed to come say hi.  It didn't work, but they sure were cute trying it out :).

Then, somewhere along the "Monkey Trail", we got very lost.  It was all because we made the mistake of going into an aviary and looking at the birds.  They were very pretty, but when we came out, the monkey trail was gone.

We tried again and again to get back on the right trail, always ending up somewhere different - and we learned our lesson to never set foot in the aviaries - it was like entering an alternate dimension that took us away from our goal.  It happened multiple times.  Soon we gave up and decided to find other animals.

The pandas were very cute, and they even took a picture of us "with" them. 

Since we were nowhere near the monkeys at this point, we decided to check out the polar bears, and found it pretty funny that a carrot seemed to be this bears food of choice.  Then we had to see how many of us it took to make a polar bear - and I guess pregnant me weighs the same as a 1 month cub.  Fun times.

One of the coolest things we saw that day, were the two baby jaguars.  I never got a great picture of them, but their mother posed a few times for me.  So pretty, but look at those eyes.  I don't think you want to mess with a mama jaguar :).

Still on our quest to get back to the monkey trail, we happened by the lions, and after we saw the accompanying sign, we were grateful the lion was asleep, so we weren't in danger of being sprayed.  Lily and Derek sure had fun climbing on the lion statue when we stopped for lunch, however :).

Eventually, we decided that our best bet to find the monkeys, was to take a bus back to the entrance and start over.  This time we checked the sign posts at every branch in the road and avoided any and all aviaries.  (We discovered that last time we actually ended up under the monkey trail - so crazy.)  It worked, and to Kevin's joy, we finally found the monkeys!

Then we headed off to find tigers for Derek, and snakes for Lily.  (I am not sure where the snake idea came in, but at the beginning of the day when the bus driver asked what animals people wanted to see, Lily said snakes.)  We found both, thank goodness, because by this time, I was getting pretty exhausted walking up and down all the hills there.

On our way out of the reptile exhibit, we found the tortises - they were so amazing!  They had lots of them, and they were giant.  It looked like you could just hop on and go for a ride.  The kids settled for a ride on the statue instead :).

At this point, we were almost finished with the zoo.  We made one last stop before we left - at the petting zoo.  All they really had to pet were some goats, but Lily and Derek still had a great time doing it.  It was a fun way to finish out the day.

And it was a wonderful day.  I am so glad we got to see Josh and that he and Kevin had a chance to hang out and catch up.  It was really fun to watch Josh's reaction to Lily and Derek, as they would do things that made it more than apparent that Kevin was their father :).  He would look at us and just laugh.  It was definitely one of our very favorite parts of the whole vacation.

Vacation Part 4 - California Adventure

Monday morning began bright and early, with us on the road headed north to Anaheim to spend the day at California Adventure at Disneyland.  Kevin and I both hadn't been to Disneyland since we were young, and had never been to California Adventure, and so were excited to see what it was like.  And since it has been three years since the last time we took the kids to Disney World, Lily and Derek were ecstatic.

When we arrived at the park, we got in line and had our plan for the day.  Since I couldn't ride the few roller coaster type rides, I went off to get fast passes, while Kevin and the kids went to Radiator Springs Racers in Cars Land.  I am so glad they went there first thing when the park opened, because even then, they had an hour wait in line.  They said it was worth it though, and very fun.

After that, we headed off to another part of the park to ride one of our favorite rides from Disney Studios at Disney World - Toy Story Mania.  It was our only other big line of the day, as we got pretty lucky with the rest of our lines, in spite of how busy it was that day.  (I guess a lot of people were there from Utah for UEA weekend and stayed an extra day.)

One of the things that Kevin and I had thought we wouldn't have to go to this time, but that our kids were still super excited for, was Disney Junior Live on Stage.  It makes me happy that they aren't too grown up to like kid things, especially with all the bad stuff out there.  It made me smile just to watch them enjoy it so much.

Eventually, we made it back to Carsland and got to ride some more fun things there.  Although I am not quite sure why I couldn't ride the bumber tires with them - they moved at about 1 mile and hour, but whatever - gotta take care of my baby :).

The kids rode every "scary" ride at the park with Kevin - Tower of Terror, California Screamin', etc, and didn't even scream.  They loved them and would smile most of the ride - so glad, since Kevin and I love them too.  And what made us really laugh, was that after going on all those thrill rides, Derek was afraid to ride the Monster's Inc. ride because of the name - a ride that wasn't the least bit scary.  Luckily, he realized that once we were on the ride :). 

After a fun and very full day of rides and shows (the Aladin show was especially excellent), we got ready to find our spots to watch "World of Color," their nighttime spectacular.  We had fast passes to get us in, and before we found our spot, we got hot cocoa and bakery treats to enjoy while we waited. 

The show was fantastic - a fountain/music/light show unlike anything I had ever seen.  It was worth staying out late for, although on the drive back to the condo in San Diego, we were both feeling the exhaustion of the day.  Luckily, it was our only late night of the vacation :).

Random side note for the day: On the good list - I got to ride Soarin' - my favorite ride - even being pregnant, which meant I didn't have to miss out on all the exciting rides.  And Disney has plenty of rides for everybody, so I was able to do a lot :). 

Also nice for my current condition - how small the park was.  Being used to Disney World where the parks are gigantic, it took us back how small the park was (Disneland, Legoland, and Seaworld were the same way - very small compared to their counterparts in Florida).  This was nice for me being pregnant though, as it meant I never had to walk very far to the next place.  Now, had I not been pregnant, I wouldn't have minded them being bigger :).

Vacation Part 3 - Sunday in San Diego

On Sunday morning, Kevin was up long before the sun to go fulfill a dream of playing golf at Torrey Pines.  He had to get there early to get a spot in line to get on and play as a single.  Luckily, when he got there, it was raining and so there was hardly anyone waiting.  And as a special gift, the rain stopped, the sun came out, and he got to play the course in gorgeous weather.

It is only right that he got to play such a beautiful course on such a beautiful day :).  He had been waiting to play it ever since our honeymoon, and now there is one more amazing course he gets to check off his wish list.

While he was up early, the kids and I slept in, took showers, and then took it easy.  We were very excited to see the sun finally peak out from behind the clouds, as it had been pretty gloomy since we arrived.

When Kevin got back from golfing, we found a local LDS church and went to Sacrament meeting.  It is wonderful to be able to have a place to go to church, no matter where you may be.  After church, we took the kids by the San Diego Temple.

It is such a strikingly beautiful temple, and it was fun to show it to them.

And while I was taking pictures of the kids, Kevin was taking pictures of me.  Pretty funny :).

Our last big stop for the day, was to visit the Hotel Del Coronado, where Kevin and I stayed for our honeymoon.  It was just as beautiful and amazing as we remembered :).

And for the kids, this meant they had a chance to put their feet in the ocean.  Having both grown up by the ocean, it was very exciting for them to play in the sand and the water a bit after two years in Colorado.

And for Derek, it was his first time touching the Pacific Ocean - quite a bit colder than what he was used to in Georgia, but still very fun.

It was the perfect end to our Sunday - that, and the fudge we bought in the gift shop at the hotel :).

*We did have a little adventure on our way home, as we searched for a place to get dinner.  The only places we could find as we drove North were all either fast food - that sounded disgusting - or very pricey restaurants.  So, Kevin and I decided to try and go East and see what we could find.  After about 30 minutes lost on winding roads through orange groves, we found an Olive Garden and were happy.  We sure laughed a lot on the way though. 

Vacation Part 2- Legoland California

Friday we drove from Las Vegas to San Diego and got checked into our condo.  It was a nice place with a kitchen, a separate bedroom for Kevin and I, pull-out bed for the kids, and a pool that the kids just had to swim in that night.  It was the perfect place to spend our week in California.

Our first adventure, however, was on Saturday morning when we took the kids to Legoland.  I cannot even describe to you how excited Derek was to go there.  It was as if we were fulfilling a life-long dream of his :).

It was a little rainy and gloomy most of the day, but we had a great time in spite of that - and hey, it kept the crowds way down.  The kids got to ride on almost everything, and with no lines.  Pretty awesome.

My favorite part of the park was seeing all the Lego statues/creations everywhere - and I mean everywhere.  And we were all a little partial to the Star Wars section.

It is amazing to me how they made these!

And if Kevin could have found a way to smuggle the Chewbacca statue out of the park, I am sure he would now have a home in our basement :).

And yes, they also had scenes from the movies recreated - just awesome.

Derek and Lily loved riding the rollercoasters and other rides with Kevin.  Unfortunately, I think there was only one or two rides in the whole park I could ride pregnant, and so they went without me (No worries though, as I would sit and read a book while I waited.).  Their favorite was "The Dragon".

And then there was this insane one where you could pick your level of insanity - I think it was Knight's Tournament.  Kevin went once with each kid.  Derek had level two, and Lily was tall enough and brave enough for a level five ride.  Awesome!

There was a place to play the Lego video games, build with Legos, etc, etc.  The kids loved it.

And because we were there on a Saturday in October, they had a "Brick-or-treat" trail set up.  It was a Halloween trail where the kids got all sorts of fun goodies and things at little booths, with cool Halloween Lego creations all over.

Our last activity was checking out the Lego stores so Derek could pick out the perfect Lego Ninjago set.  (He had earned it as a prize over the two months before our trip.)  He was so happy to find it.  It was such a great day, and we even got home pretty early, and so had a nice little dinner in our condo and took it easy for the rest of the night. 

Vacation Part 1 - What Happens in Vegas

Almost two years ago, Kevin and I started planning a fun vacation to take the kids to California and do all the touristy things - partly because the two of us really wanted to go back too an Diego, where we had our honeymoon almost 12 years ago. 

We had planned on stopping for the night in Las Vegas on the drive there, but when Kevin's brother Scott and his family moved to Vegas recently, we decided to extend our time there to three nights so we could play with family.  We had such a great time, and are so glad we did.

With Scott working, the kids in school, and Shannon trying to unpack during the day (as they had only gotten into their new house a few days before), this left us the mornings and early afternoons to play tourist, and then the evenings to spend with them.

Our first day, we took the kids to the strip.  It was so fun to see their reaction as they would look at things, like the fake Eiffel Tower, etc.

We parked at Caeser's Palace, and it took us a while to find our way out - it is insanely giant.  Luckily they had really cool fountains and shops to look at on our way.  Lily was especially impressed by the statues of the gods, as she is reading the Percy Jackson series with Kevin right now.

We walked a long way - all the way to the Luxor, so the kids could see the pyramid and sphinx.  They also loved the New York, New York Casino with the Statue of Liberty.  On our way, we had to stop in at World of M&M's and check out all the different colors and kinds there were.

By the time we had walked all the way down the strip, my pregnant body was giving out on me.  It was a long time to be on my feet, but after a short rest at Pinkberry to get some frozen yogurt, I had the energy to make it back to Caeser's Palace.  We got there just in time for their "Fall of Atlantis" show, and so we stopped to watch it.  So not worth our time, as it was weird and creepy, but the kids seemed to enjoy it . . . maybe :).

We were starving by this time, and so we stopped at Max Brenner for lunch, as I had remembered hearing good things about it.  Our food was good, although a little pricey, but I guessed we missed out by not just having dessert for lunch, as I guess that is what they are famous for.  Oh well.  It was yummy, and Kevin had a waffle sandwich :).

Although being a tourist was fun, all of our favorite part about being in Vegas was getting to see family.  Lily and Derek hadn't seen their cousins Conner, Payton, and Anna since their Uncle Randy's wedding, and they played like they had never been apart.  It was so fun to watch :).  Lily and Payton are only 3 months apart.

And Anna and Derek are only three months apart - pretty fun :).

Lily even got to go with Anna to her singing class as a special guest, and they had a blast.  Both evenings we spent with them, Shannon made us delcious dinners, which was such a wonderful break from having to eat out all the time.  There is nothing like homecooked food.  One night, the kids even got to help make delicious chocolate popcorn - so fun!

Our second day, we came by their house early for the kids to go swimming (the pool at our hotel was closed).  They were so excited, but the water was a bit cold.  Kevin decided to make them swim a little before they could get out and dry off, which was an interesting adventure.

I think Lily stayed rolled up on the sidewalk in her towel for half an hour.  And Derek, who gets cold just like me, was not happy about the required swimming.  It was pretty sad and funny, all at the same time.  Especially when their sweet cousin, Conner, came home from school and gave them both ice cream, which they shivered as they ate.

Once all the kids got home from school, the playing began again.  They played and played, while Scott, Kevin, Shannon and I had a great time talking.  And as the culminating even of the night, the kids got to watch an episode of Ninjago together  - they really are kindred spirits :).

It was such a great start to our vacation, and we are so grateful we got to see them :).

11 Random Things

Last month, my sister-in-law, Shannon, tagged me to answer questions about myself in a post.  I started the answers right away, but finally finished them up while sitting in our hotel room on vacation.  There were two parts to it all, and I hope you aren't overloaded with information about me, and hey, you might just learn something new :).

Eleven Random Things:

1. I hate wrinkled sheets.  I cannot sleep in them - it drives me crazy.

2. Both times I lived in a foreign country - Spain and Israel - I had something happen where I had to go to the doctor and get and x-ray.  And, because of how odd things worked with their medical systems, they gave them to me, and I still have them :).

3. When I was young, I always wanted to be a teacher or a photographer.  I would dream about the different landscape photography I could take, or I would bring my camera to elementary school and have my friends pose for me.  I would also practice teaching to anyone who would play with me, making leson plans and everything.

When I went to college, I had to decide if I wanted to major in photography or elementary education.  I loved both, but decided on ElEd because it was a more reliable field, thinking I would never get to do photography for real.  I loved teaching, and got to teach 4th grade for a few years before I had kids, but probably won't be able to teach again for quite awhile.  Miraculously, I have been able to fill that gap with a photography business for the past 7 years (and doing it just for fun for a few years before that).  So, I guess I was one of the few that have been lucky enough to get to live both my dreams :).

4. I have written in my high school journal how much I "hate Kevin Brown," because of all the times he would tease me and my friends.  Pretty funny how I fell in love with him years later, and now he gets to tease me for the rest of eternity :).

5. I love to travel and see new places.  I have a list a mile long of places I would love to go, most of them in Europe.  And to get my husband to come along with me, I will have to plan strategic golf outings for him all along the way :).

6.  I love rollercoasters.  Sometimes they scare me to death, but I still love going on them.  There is something about being afraid in a "safe" environment, where I am all strapped in and secure.  That said, I could never go bungee jumping or skydiving, as I am terrified of heights.  Just being on the ski-lift scared me to death.

7. I grew up in the desert of Northern Nevada, on what my husband calls a farm.  We had 1 1/2 acres, including a pasture, and we often had a cow there.  We raised pigs for 4-H.  And at different times we had bunnies, geese, and even turkeys.  I never thought of it as a farm, but anytime I say that, he likes to sing "Old MacDonald" to me.  All those animals, and yet we never had a garden.

8. I am NOT a pet person.  All those animals growing up, and something made me really not like having pets (perhaps it was taking care of them).  And pets we had when I was young (not just the farm animals).  We always had a pet dog, usually a beautiful collie, and a pet cat (or two).  At one time or another we also had mice, rats, a Guinea pig, a hamster, fish, a lizard, and a snake. 

I loved my pets when I was little, but the older I got, the less I liked them touching me, and I really don't want any animals in my house or yard.  Maybe it is because I am the mom now, and so am in charge of keeping things clean?  Luckily, Kevin is 100% not a pet person either, and so we are in complete agreement :).

9.  I love nature.  I love the beauty of a rolling river, or a mountain lake.  I love to see the ocean in it's many different forms, whether it is flat sandy beach, or a rocky, tumbled shore.  I love flowers in all types and colors, and am especially enamored with the ever changing sky.  I am trying to produce that same love of nature in Lily, and it makes me happy any time she points out a sunset or a rainbow to me :).

10.  I am really boring when it comes to clothes and accessories.  I have very basic, simple taste, and am not very quick to wear trendy clothes or jewelry.  I feel weird when I do, even if it looks good on me.

11.   I am pretty bossy.  It is a flaw, and a strength.  A couple years ago my mother gave me a sign that said, "I'm not bossy, I just have better ideas."  I like to think that that is true :).

And answer these 11 questions (taken from Q and A a Day: 5-Year Journal )

1. Do you plan, or are you flying by the seat of your pants?

I am a planner, all the way.  And because of this, I been humbled by the fact that my husband is in the Army, which makes it almost impossible to plan anything.  I plan vacations all the time, usually not knowing until a few days before whether Kevin can join us.  Luckily, he has been able to do most of them, but he did miss our Washington DC trip a few years back, and I still haven't been able to use our skymiles and plan a vacation for just the two of us, which I have been dreaming about for years.  Both of our past two moves (one across the country from NC to CO), we only had about 2-3 weeks notice. 

So, I have also learned to plan in a hurry.  I have also learned that plans change - all the time.  But hey, planning keeps me sane, and if I have to change my plans, oh well.  It's all good.

2. Today was amusing because _________

Of something my children said or did.  This is usually what makes me the most amused, no matter what.  Lily and Derek say and do the funniest things, and Kevin and I never know what it is going to be.  Like the other day, when Derek told us that we couldn't leave him home alone, because he doesn't "know how to make traps" to catch the bad guys.  Awesome.

3. How hungry are you right now?

Not as hungry as I was about 30 minutes ago :).  We just had dinner, and I was starving, but now, after eating three slices of homemade pizza, I am good.

4. Bad news:  sugarcoated or straight-up?

Straight up.  If it is going to be bad, I want to know, because then I can plan for it and deal with it. (See #1)  Or I can plan for it and then go into denial for a while.  Sometimes I really like to live in denial emotionally, but will still take care of all the stuff I need to do that goes along with whatever bad thing is happening - like when Kevin got deployed earlier this year.

5. How do you get out of a rut?

Prayer helps.  Goals help.  Forcing myself to get out and do something helps. The prayer and the goal making get me focused, and then I have to force myself to just get started with it.  Then I am trucking along, once again :).        

6. What are you a geek about?

Reading.  I read . . . A LOT.  I love books - all kinds.  I love fiction, nonfiction, science fiction, adventure, fantasy, historical fiction, romance, fluffy books, serious books, classics, picture books, children's books, young adult books, adult books, and heck, I even have read quite a few Star Wars books (37, to be exact). And I keep track of everything I have read recently, because it really bothers me when I have forgotten what a book was about or what I thought of it.

In 2008, I read 60 books.  In 2009, I read 77 books.  In 2010, I read 109 books.  In 2011, I read 136 books.  (Of the past two years, about 30-40 of those books were audio books, which are my new best friends for all the driving I have to do, or for when I edit pictures.)

Right now I am reading a book called "Wild Swans" that is a true story all about three generations of women in China, and it is fascinating and sad.  If you want to see what I am reading, or have read in the past few years (along with reviews of each book - because, yes, I am crazy that way), go to my goodreads profile.

What do you crave?

Depends on the day.  I always am craving some random food, whether it is fudge, fettuccine alfredo from the Olive Garden, or an apple.  And my food cravings have nothing to do with pregnancy.  In fact, I actually crave specific food on a regular basis, but when I am pregnant, I usually am trying to find the one thing that doesn't sound horrible to eat, instead of the one thing that sounds wonderful.  I am odd, there is nothing else to it :).

What was the last bad movie you watched?

"The Secret World of Arriety" - We got it from Netflix for the kids to watch, and although they enjoyed it, Kevin and I were so bored.  It was long, slow, and we entertained ourselves by guessing what lines the characters would say next, or things that would happen next.  99% of the time, we were right.

Do you have any new friends?

 There are two sweet women that moved into my ward this summer that I really like.  One of them I even visit teach, which makes it fun.  Now, had you asked me this question two years ago, I would have listed a ton - since I had just moved here.  Or last year when we had a huge number of awesome new people move in, I would have had even more.  Lately, there haven't been as many new people to make new friends, but I sure am extremely blessed with the wonderful friends I have made since I moved here to Colorado.

You want a new _________

Basement.  It is so close to being finished, and I can't wait until it is done!!!  It is so exciting, and it will be so nice to have it be real, usable space, instead of a cave for all the junk we hadn't gone through since we moved here.

What makes you feel wonderful?

Hugs.  I love getting them from my kids, and they are so great about giving me lots of them.  From Kevin, they are especially wonderful.  When I hug him, it feels like my worries drain away and I am at peace, which is why I never want to let go.

A Quick Visit

On Tuesday night, my sister Heather, her husband Tom, and their three youngest children stopped by for the night on their drive across the country.  They are in the process of moving from Miami, Florida to Idaho, and we were lucky enough to be on the way. 

It was so much fun to see them, even if it was for a short visit.  We had dinner, the kids all got to play together, and then we tucked them in and talked and watched a movie together.  It was great. 

They also had their collie, Bonnie, with them.  Although she spent most of the evening at my awesome friend Beth's house, running around with her dogs, the next morning Lily and Derek got to help their cousin, Caleb walk her.

They love animals, and since we are a "no pet family" ourselves, they get to get their fix with other people's pets. 

I think they gave her plenty of exercise before she had to go back in the car for the next leg of their journey, as they each took turns holding her leash and running :).

They had to leave pretty early Wednesday morning, since they had already been on the road almost a week, but it was so wonderful to have them for the short time we did.  I sure love being in Colorado, where it seems everybody has to pass through some time or another :).  And hey, the next time we have guests, our basement should be finished with a nice room for them to stay in.