It's Haydn's turn! Lucky kid...
The funny thing is, Haydn adjusted to his braces better than anyone I know. No complaining, no whining. The truth is we hardly noticed he had gotten them on. He handled everything like a pro.
Although, it would have been nice if he could have held still while I was trying to take a picture...no such luck.
Well, we finally did it thanks to my sister Diana. We had been talking for years about taking a trip to Disneyland without kids. Now, I know that sounds a little pointless, being the "place where dreams come true" and all. I mean really, as adults, those little fantasies and dreams fall by the wayside as we mature and come to know what matters most. I'm sure some of us still struggle with the fact that we aren't actually a princess or that Tinkerbell never actually existed, or even that Neverland never was. But the point is, once a dreamer, always a dreamer.
Disneyland, needless to say, was actually much more enjoyable without kids. That may sound harsh to some of you...I was even afraid of being persecuted by Disney goers who noticed we weren't dragging our whiny kids around the park with us. But then it hit me...there were so many people there doing the same exact thing we were. Don't get me wrong, I love to watch my kids do and see these things for the first time, but I really got to take it all in this time...and relax.
We had so much fun. Standing in line, talking, eating, laughing, singing on the water ride...during the several times it broke down and even blacking out on Tower of Terror. Being with my mom and sisters has always been something I've enjoyed, but I have to say, this will always be something I remember. Lots of little moments that helped to remind me why I need these people in my life...and why we're meant to be family.
This was the age I was when I moved from California...from everything that was good and familiar, into a little of the unknown. It seems like it wasn't so long ago. Yet my daughter is now that same age...where has the time gone? The worst part is thinking about the fact that she will only be "mine", living in our home, for a few short years. Then she's off to school or on a mission...experiencing life without me. Making decisions without my insight, and eventually finding a special someone who she would rather be with and starting her own family.
ok...I know, I'm being extreme. But I'm right, it is all inevitable. But for now I will try to enjoy the time I have while she still sort of likes me :)
Happy 14th Birthday Emilee!!! We love you and are so very proud of you.
Every year Riley has "big" plans for his birthday. He's never really celebrated with friends, so that's what I'm always planning for. But for some reason, when it comes down to it, he always decides to party with the family and do something simple. I'm fine with this of course...I would just love for him to have a big birthday bash one day :) Someday....
We took him to dinner, came home and did cake and ice cream, (basketball cake, of course) and opened presents. He only ever wants basketball shorts, hats and athletic shoes....so that's what he got.
Happy Birthday Riley...we love you!! Can't believe you are getting so grown up.
Delon and I made a quick trip to Vegas to catch the Soul2Soul tour with Tim and Faith. I've seen them in concert before in Salt Lake, but in Vegas the show was held in a very intimate setting. I loved it. They walked out into the audience shaking hands and dancing....and giving a very few lucky fans a hug.
They put on a great show and even made time for a little personal Q&A mid-concert. It was fun to see inside their relationship a little. They sang new and old material and gave an amazing performance. We all sang a long...but I think Delon and I were the only ones who weren't drinking. Definitely made for some good entertainment.
The next night we had some extra time so Delon decided at the last minute to go and see Celine Dion. I had always wanted to see her. In fact the last time were were there we tried to get tickets, but they were always sold out. Fortunately we scored some tickets close to the stage and I was blown away. She was amazing. Even Delon couldn't stop talking about her voice. That girl can sing ANYTHING!
Other than the shows, we got a little down time to recharge. It's all you need sometimes. I'd tell you more about the trip, but this is when "what happens in Vegas stay in Vegas" comes in handy.
I got to help my sister celebrate her 30th. Of course, when my little sisters start getting older, all that means is that I am too.
The night started off with a birthday dinner at a Japanese restaurant. It was so good...salmon, steak, the works. All prepared in front of us like a comedy show dinner theater.
We all left from the restaurant leaving Diana with the impression we were headed home. But we all met up at the clubhouse for a little surprise celebration with more friends and family :) Great job Brandon...surprise party was a success!
It was a quick trip for me, but I really enjoyed the time I was able to spend with Diana on this special day...the day it all starts to go downhill. Ok, I'm only kidding. But before she knows it she'll be staring 40 in the face, just like me!
Happy Birthday Diana
So I'm walking around the room picking up garbage, wrapping paper, twisty ties...you know, all of the "stuff" you find after opening Christmas presents. Delon is sitting in the chair on his ipad...which is where I find him a lot...and all of a sudden he turns to me and says, "Tell everyone to pack their stuff, we're going to San Diego." Of course, I kind of laugh and say, "Whatever..." and then he says , "Seriously, I'm not sitting here all week. Let's do Sea World like we talked about." This is when I hear the alarms go off !!! (in my head, of course). Really?! You're just gonna throw that into the conversation while I'm standing here in my pyjamas, trying to clean up Christmas and deal with everything else that comes with this day?
If you know me, you know I have to have a plan. So I start freaking out and interrogating him with every question I can think of to make sure this is what he really wants to do. We just started Christmas Day, the kids haven't even had the chance to play with or use anything they've opened, and everything is in disarray. I will not leave on a trip with my house out of order....so after taking a few deep breaths I calmly let him know what a great idea it is as long as we take care of a few things before we leave. I'm not gonna lie, getting everything together and out of the house was a struggle. There were a few little arguments and even more chaos. But once we were on the road and the kids were settled in with a movie and a good snack, I could finally relax.
Everyone knows how road trips are, especially with 5 kids. There were obviously horrible moments where I would have thrown myself out of the moving car, but overall, we survived without killing each other....barely.
On the way we had a flat tire. It was late at night and the temperature was 0 degrees. I thought...this is a sign we should be home in our warm house in front of the fire playing games and putting together our Christmas puzzle. But with every trial comes a lesson. We had a really kind man who didn't speak English very well, but was a mechanic, who pulled over at the rest stop and helped Delon change the tire. We woke up the next morning and had new tires put on and were on our way.
So after a long night and exhausting morning, the rest of the trip seemed to fly by and once we entered San Bernardino and saw the green hills, that was all it took to be glad we were here and not back home in the single digits!
We went to Sea World and Legoland while down south. Spent some time at Coronado Beach and had some amazing seafood. Just like most of our family trips, we had some great moments and sweet moments...and then some that I like to just pretend never happened :) But I am definitely grateful that we were able to go and spend some time as a family. The weather was perfect and being on the beach was amazing...I love it there. We all really enjoyed Sea World and found out the hard way that Legoland, though very cool, is somewhat for the really young ones. There was one day we were able to take the kids to see the San Diego temple. The last time I had been there was over 17 yrs ago. It's so beautiful...another great symbol of what lies in store for us! I do know that this trip helped the kids to realize, that being at home with your family is really all you need to be happy. But these experiences help us to be closer and for that I will endure anything.
Here's to great stories to tell and even better memories!!
