Adams' Family Reunion 2012

Today was the Adams' Family reunion at the Jordanelle State Park near Heber, Utah.  It began early this morning but I talked David into going later.  I just can't handle being outside that long in the heat with not enough things to do to keep my mind off the heat.  So we came after 2:00 p.m.  

The last time that Hyrum saw Steve and Barbara, he was a baby.  I saw Barbara first so I introduced him to her.  Then I saw Steve so I brought Hyrum over to him and said, "This is your Grandpa."  He said in the cutest voice, "I didn't know that."  Steve picked him up and Hyrum immediately put his head on his shoulder.  They were instant friends.  For the rest of the day and evening, I often heard coming from Hyrum's mouth, "Where's Grandpa?"  It was seriously sweet, since there was no way he could have remembered his last meeting with this man.  All my children absolutely adore my father so it was really sweet to see Hyrum open up, all on his own, to Grandpa Adams.

Some of our conversations went like this:

Me:  "Hyrum, do you want to go play by the water?"

Hyrum:  "No, I want to go see Gwandpa."

....

After getting dinner and sitting down, Hyrum points to his meal and drink and says: "After I eat this and dwink this, I go see Gwandpa."

Hyrum: "I go tell Gwandpa somefing."

 Then it was time to play on the boat!

 I don't know if there was anything that boys have ever done that was as fun as this for them.  There were so many squeals and yelling of, "This is  AWESOME!" coming out of the older boy's mouths.

I stayed on the boat and rode most of the time in the front of the boat.  I hadn't felt that much peace in a long time.  This may sound odd, but I honestly had an amazing spiritual experience as I lay there in front of the boat, completely relaxed.  All I was doing was taking in God's creations on the water.  Water seems to be very soothing to me lately.  The pool has been like that for me lately.  A little odd, since I used to have some fear of water....

 

I should have taken more pictures of the actual reunion and the people there but, well, I didn't.  Maybe next time.

Herriman (Rose Crest) Fire 2012

When David got home from work today (Friday, the 29th), I headed out the door to pay rent and run some errands.  I noticed a big cloud of smoke shooting straight up into the air.  The sky was perfectly blue, with little clouds, so this smoke cloud was quite obvious.  I went inside the main office at our apartments, handed them our check and asked them if they knew if something was on fire or not.  I had no idea that for a couple of hours, at this point, our mountains were on fire!  The ladies in the office directed me to their big screen TV to show me the footage.  Immediately, I was covered in goose bumps as I saw a house on fire.  They told me how many in Herriman had already been evacuated.  We technically live in Riverton, but go about 2 blocks West and you are in Herriman.  We go to church and our boys go to school in Herriman.  We love Herriman and so it was a little scary to think that this fire was so close.  

I went home to grab my camera and this is the first thing I saw when I got out to the main road!

Sometime after 3:00 this afternoon, a car was parked on dry weeds when it's hot exhaust caught the weeds on fire.  Most of the damage was on the mountains but it did end up burning down 3 homes.  

I felt pretty safe knowing that we didn't live on the mountain and also knowing that the fire would have to go up and over this part of the mountain and burn MANY homes before ever getting close to our apartments.

This is as close as I could get to "the action" but that was good enough for me.  The last thing I needed to be  was in the way of those trying to evacuate and those trying to stop the fire.  The pictures don't show it but it was amazing to watch all the helicopters and planes coming in with their fire retardants  and huge buckets filled with water.  Here is a picture I found online of the Herriman fire up close.

It looks like it is pretty much contained now but as of last I heard they are not letting residents come back until later to make sure it doesn't start up again near homes.  

This reaffirmed my decision to never buy a house on a mountain in Utah.  Fires are very common here in the summer months but they are usually contained to the mountains.  If you go to South America, the people living on mountains are usually very poor.  Here in Utah, if you live on a mountain, you have money and usually a huge house.  In South America the poor live on the mountains because of things like landslides.  Now, I understand that we don't usually have a lot of landslides here in the United States and I definitely understand the beauty of wanting to live on a mountain.  The views are AMAZING!  They really are but most fires here in Utah start in the mountains.....so no thank you!

Hopefully I won't have an update for the Herriman Fire.  I hope that we wake up to find that it is 100% contained.  The people here would be grateful, I'm sure.  It was just 2 years ago that they were battling a fire  in this same area, evacuating over 1,000 homes.

Summer Evening Activities

 Thursday night David and I went with Stephen and Holly to the Scera Shell Outdoor Theatre to watch The Wizard of OZ musical.  When David and I lived in Orem, before we moved to Oklahoma, we lived next the Scera and received free tickets to go to the summer play to make up for all the traffic and parking on the streets.  When we moved, Helen stayed in the basement apartment of that house we were renting.  She still receives these free tickets every summer.  She thought it would be nice for us all to go on a double date.  I am not one for plays and especially not musical plays but it was sweet of her to think of us.  She, of course, also offered to watch the boys.  I love that she does that.  I don't even have to ask.  So here we are during the intermission....David and I (the Okies used to blazin' heat!) not even thinking of using the blankets we were sitting on for cover next to Stephen and Holly all bundled up even though they have lived in cold Utah for years.  Seems it would make more sense that we were the ones freezing and they burning up :)

 One of the events we get to go to with the Pass of all Passes is the Blaze games.  I stayed home (surprise, surprise!) but I will try to explain the pictures.  The Blaze is a part of the Arena Football League (AFL).  It has quite a few different rules to regular football but David was really entertained.  The Quarterback, Tom Grady, set a record tonight with the most touchdown passes in a single season. 

 Christine and Mike met David and Levi at the game.  Every time I see that girl, I can't get over how beautiful she is.....and how she NEVER ages!  She is going to be 30 this year and she looks like she could pass as a high schooler!

David also got some brother time while Levi got cousin time tonight.  Levi was so cute coming home tonight with his poster signed by some of the Blaze players.  I can remember when I used to love autographs too :)

Pool Activities

I love Dad's who step up and help other kids that are not theirs.  I am blessed to have a wonderfully involved husband and father.  I have never known the hardships of never having a father around or watching my children suffer because of only having one involved parent.  I truly am grateful for that.  One of my very favorite movies is called, "Courageous."  I believe in the movie so much that I even bought it (I never buy movies when I know I can just cheaply rent it because I will probably never watch it again).  I know its message is true; that our children's future depend greatly on our husbands and fathers.

So today I was reminded of that at the pool.  I had the boys and Katie with me and we were just doing our normal thing but 2 men brought out this long rope with a knot at the end.  They started taking their kids, one by one, and having them hold on to the end with the knot.  They would have them sink to the bottom and then they would run as fast as they could down the pool, taking a child flying threw the water with them.  But they didn't just stop with their children.

Here is Katie being pulled...

...and Levi.

They had so much fun and wanted to do it over and over again but there was a lot of kids there so they only got one turn.  I got the funniest picture of Brigham but I promised I wouldn't put it on there.  He was going so fast that it pulled his swimming trunks down!

It may be a small thing, to play with a child, but I think of today and my little Katie that I love so much.  She hasn't seen her father in years.  I don't know what he was like when he was around but either way, today showed her that men can be fun and involved.

Salt Lake Bees

David got free tickets to the Salt Lake Bees (minor league baseball) game on Saturday night.  We had the Grigg's reception that night also (45 minutes away) so they were almost an hour late, but I think they still really enjoyed it.  They were having "Christmas in June" which is why Brigham has a candy cane in his mouth.  There was a dressed up Santa there that was passing out candy canes if you would dance for him.  The people sitting next to the boys were nice enough to give theirs away.

 Here are some of the fans coming out to the field to get ready for the fireworks (which was Levi's favorite event of the night).  

I was trying to explain to Brigham about the game before they went.  He was excited, of course, because he loves baseball.  Once in Grove, he went to a high school baseball game but that is about it as far as games he has watched.  He kept talking about how cool that game was because of all the people there.  I couldn't get him to understand that the Salt Lake Bees game would be MUCH bigger.  I wish I would have been there to see his surprised face!

This post is late because I really wanted David to write about his but as the days have went by, I might as well just accept that homework has to be done........only one more class, baby, and I will have a husband who is really home when home!

Okie Friend Saturday

 This morning Tricia and I headed off to Draper to meet our Okie friend, Renee Roberts, at Kneaders.  Kneaders has wonderful food and many people come for their all you can eat French Toast.  Seriously, its some good stuff!  They are also unique for their home decor that they sell.  Here were some of our favorites....it is always a party with Tricia around ( "Welcome"ing Renee to Utah)!

Renee was here for a few days taking her daughter, Amanda, to BYU.  It was so sweet to watch her get so emotional about taking her oldest daughter to college.  I truly love having boys but there are times like these that I do wonder what I am missing out on, as I witness the love these women have for their daughter/best friend relationships.

Today was also Elder Grigg's wedding reception in North Ogden.  He is another missionary that served in Oklahoma that I just can't call by their first name.  Maybe in time :)  I love this picture because it shows just how much Hyrum has grown since Elder Grigg was a missionary in Grove.  Elder Grigg was Hyrum's favorite missionary.  The second Elder Grigg would walk through our door, Hyrum was by his side saying, "Hide and Seek?"  Before Elder Grigg could even answer, Hyrum was off hiding (usually in plain sight!).  I told his wife, Kortnee, tonight that Hyrum was the reason I knew Elder Grigg would be a wonderful father someday.

Today was a wonderful day spent with Okie friends in Utah :)

Monarch Meadows Pool

We, of course, would really love a home that is ours but living in an apartment has its perks :)

We love having a pool to go to every day during the summer, if we choose too.....and most of the time we do!  I have been walking for an hour or more consistently since moving here but since the pool opened up, my exercise is being replaced with some laps and treading water.

 

Today we were joined by some friends.....we lounged.....

.....but mostly, we played!

Hyrum's prayers are so cute.  Tonight he was thankful for the "Wilson Girls."  The other night he said, "Dear Father in Heaven, I wish I could see you again...and again, and again, and again."  Every prayer he says makes me smile.

Pass of All Passes: Seven Peaks

I still can't believe how blessed I am to be able to entertain the kids so well this summer.  I can't express how awful last summer was in Oklahoma.  We were in that little 2 bedroom house (with an added boy that I was babysitting, mind you) and it was so hot that we were actually advised not to go outside because of the consecutive days of record breaking heat.   My only relief was our once a week trip to Little Blue in Disney, OK to get us out of the heat and into a natural spring and cold creek.  This summer we get to play, play, play!

Just like Trafalga, there are 2 locations for Seven Peaks.  We met Daddy after work at the Salt Lake location.  As you can see, the boys couldn't be any more excited!

I love that even some of the steps are covered in water!

There is so much more that I could have taken pictures of but by the time that this last picture was taken, I just wanted to get in the water and play.  We ended up staying there for 4 hours, which is a very long time for me.  I'm not one to want to stay out in the sun for so long but it just went by so fast. 

Certian Subjects

A couple of times a week we have a neighbor friend, Katie, come over so her grandpa can have a break while Momma is at work.  I absolutely love her and so does Hyrum. 

So we were at Pet Smart today when we went back to the area where the dogs are all kept in this big room.  All of a sudden Katie yells, "EWWWWWW!  That dog is humping the other dog!"  Katie is 8.  

I am not that type of parent who is embarrassed or afraid to tell their children about sex.  David has had "the talk" with Levi and Brigham and I have had to tell them about same sex attractions after a certain neighbor boy called Brigham gay.  I hate that we have to tell them at such a young age, but that is the world that we live in.  But it also makes me so grateful for their innocence.  My boys didn't know about dogs humping or sex because of the life style that we have chosen.  We don't let them watch anything above PG and I have even said no to a certain number of those ratings also.  I don't let them spend the night with other people, other than family.  I am always with them when they are outside.  Protective, yes......over protective, maybe so.  

A little over a month ago, some kids here broke one of the trees on the property.  A few weeks later some kids were caught burning paper outside.  I laughed at myself when I found out about these incidents.  The management on this property can never accuse my boys of doing such things because I am always with them.  At the same time, I am always the only parent out on the playground......what does that say about me and not letting my boys out of my sight?  I just might be over protective.  That is ok, though.  I really like being the neighborhood mom.  On several occasions I have had children come up to me to fix a certain problem, both while we are outside and even when we are at home.  I like knowing they can trust me.  Brigham even asked me today why I was so nice to all the kids.

I write about all of this, but my boys are typical boys in many ways, however.  They think all things booty, penis, and slapstick humor is just hilarious.  I have had them tell me that their penis' tickle followed by uncontrolled laughter after going over a big dip in the road.

But the whole reason why I really wanted to document life today was because of something Hyrum said to me today while he was on the toilet. While he was messing with one of his testicles he said, "Did you know there are rocks in there?"  Oh my goodness!  I didn't know whether to giggle or just think he is the cutest thing in the world!  I then told him what they really were and he asked me if he needed it to stay alive.  I then had to explain to my 4 year old about reproduction.....fun stuff....

Pass Of All Passes: Trafalga

Until moving here, I have never been a city person.  I have always loved small towns, probably because of my upbringing and Rexburg, but something happened to me while living in Oklahoma this last time.  I'm pretty sure it has to do with my breakdown and the fear of running into old friends and people who hadn't seen me in a while.  Living in a small town, well, you can't get away with not running into those said people.  Though my appearance had changed drastically, it wasn't so much that, that scared me.  It was the me inside that changed so much, that really bothered me.  Growing up, my favorite compliment was when people would tell me that I was always smiling or laughing.  That wasn't a front that I was ready to put on when we moved to Oklahoma.  My beloved small towns became the enemy.

Fast forward to today.  I am loving the new me more and more and small towns shouldn't bother me anymore.  I guess they don't now but for the first time I am LOVING living right by all the cities around here.    The boys are so active that living so close to all the action is just sooooooo wonderful!  We purchased the Pass of all Passes, which means we get to play all summer long.  Everything was paid up front, at a super cheap price, and so all we have to really pay for is the gas to get there.  

Here is one of the many perks to the Pass of all Passes: Trafalga!

 This is the Trafalga location in Lehi.  It is like going to a mini canival.

 They were soaked after the bumper boats so we tried to dry off on the rocking ship.

It is so cute to watch a 4 year old TRY to play miniature golf.....and yes, his shoes are on the wrong feet.

There is also tons of things to do inside like climbing walls, laser tag, arcades, and the list goes on.  I am so very grateful for the Pass of all Passes this summer....plus, there is a pool at our apartment.  We are just going to play, play, play this summer!

Jump 'N Bounce

David had a big paper to write on Saturday so I thought I would try to get the kids out of the house so he could concentrate.  Ok, so maybe I was trying to get myself out of the house as well.  I have decided that I would be a terrible wife to a husband who works from home.  I rely on David a lot when he is home and he is always so good to me not to get irritated when I bug him for help on those days that school work needs to be done.  

So off to Jump 'N Bounce the boys and I went after lunch!

It is in a large warehouse type building with 10 or so inflatable jump houses.  Perfect for some kids who need to burn some energy off!

We didn't get to stay long since the power in the area of West Jordan went out about 20 or 30 minutes after we got there.  That is ok though.  We got free passes to come again and I figure 2 visits for the price of 1 isn't bad at all!

Spit wads and booties

 Please tell me those are not spit wads on my wall....

I often wonder what goes on in that big head of Brigham's.  Does he think things through?
I remember as a teenager and young adult, doing some things I thought was funny and not realizing until afterwards how I had just embarrassed myself.
My college days bit me in the butt last night....unfortunately, my roommates and FHE brothers have a few things scarred in their minds....

So David and I are on the couch watching a movie last night when Levi comes out of his bedroom, trying his hardest not to laugh, as he tells us that Brigham just rubbed his booty up against the window.  Oh, it gets worse.  Come to find out, not only were the blinds up when he did this but he had also pulled down his pants....yeah, and there were 2 people outside our window when he did it.  Yep, that's my son....karma....

Nastiness

I've been waiting to post about our sicknesses....waiting for my emotions to get in check before I sounded too depressed.  Lets just say that the last month has been hard.  It started with me getting sick with mild symptoms.  Then Levi complained that his head, throat, and one leg hurt (when he mentioned the leg, I though for sure he was just trying to get out of school :).  By that night he had a high temp.  Brigham was next with puking over and over.  A few days later Hyrum was puking with diarrhea and you know how puking is with a 4 year old....never in the toilet!  I am so thankful we invested in a carpet cleaner years ago!  Anyways, it went through all of us with David almost passing out....seriously.  I thought we were done but then it started going through everyone again.  I was so sick of cleaning up puke and waking up in the middle of the night to sick children.  My spirits were definitely low.  I deal with back pain everyday and I have always seemed to deal with pain without complaining about it and just in general but never when it comes to sicknesses.  It really gets to me and I always end up depressed....add a whole sick family to that for 2+weeks at this point...... Anyways, to top it all off, I had these bumps/bite looking things on my arms that wouldn't go away.  They started to bother me and were getting worse so I went to the doctor (I needed prescription refills anyway) and I have Shingles!  Seriously!?!  Having had Chicken Pox means you have the virus dormant in your body.  Stress, change in medications, poor immunity, and sickness will bring it on later in life, almost always in the elderly.  So once again, SERIOUSLY!?!  Oh well.  I can say that I do feel very blessed that it isn't as painful as what most people with Shingles describes it as.  I think it is more itchy than painful, myself.  And my patch of it is so much smaller than what some people get.  The pictures below kind of show its progress.  On the left of the picture it a bump that is the newest.  By the  time that you get to the right of the picture, that is the oldest wound.  So I have to wait for all of them to do that....but I am REALLY hoping that it won't go that far.  I can't go swimming with the kids and I am not suppose to be around kids because of the possibility that they have not had the Chicken Pox vaccination.  You can't spread Shingles to someone else, but I could possibly give Chicken Pox to anyone who hasn't had it or the vaccination.  Frustrating for my primary class considering that some cases last for months.  I think more than anything, I just feel silly.  It is just a stupid rash like thing and yet it really limits you.  Most of the time, I just cover it up though.

It has made me ponder, though.  A few days ago, I was really struggling and ended up crying to David that I felt like I just really needed a girlfriend.  Most of my girlfriends live a distance away now and I didn't feel like I had anyone to turn too.  He said to me, "Too bad, Charlene lives so far away."  I just cried and it took all I had to write one simple sentence to my other dear friend, Christine, who lives much closer but still a distance away, "I wish you lived closer."  I ended up calling my sister, April, but didn't end up telling her and just kept it all inside.  This is what I hate about depression.  I have such a problem actually venting to someone while it is happening.  But I was proud of myself for at least writing what I did to Christine because sure enough, she came through.  I guess deep down, I knew she would and that is why I new I needed to text her.  Her and I went out last night and it was everything I needed. 

So, I've been pondering how blessed I have been to meet and make some of the most wonderful friends in my life.  Speaking of friends, David and I have been making fun of my Shingles.  I have eczema and I always keep some of my cream that I put on it, in my purse.  In college, it never failed that I would end up putting that on my hands during Sacrament meeting.  Marie always teased me that it was my Leprosy cream.  Anyways, my Shingles have been lovingly named Leprosy in our house.....gotta have some humor, right?