California in the RV...

We bought my parents RV for the summer so we could do a California trip.  Merril put the speed triple (motorcycle) on the back of the RV and away we went.  The plan was Death Valley, Yosemite, and Sequoia National Parks.  We got up at 5:00 a.m. on Thursday and took off for Death Valley.  It's on the edge of California, almost in Nevada.  We hoped to get there early so it wouldn't be so hot but we had a tire develop a bubble and needed to be changed.  By the time we lumbered down into the valley, it was getting on to lunchtime and hot!  Oh, and Mikayla had developed a fever that morning and had been throwing up.  Oi.

But that wasn't going to stop us from having our vacation.  Badwater Basin is 282 feet below sea level.  There's a mountain right next to the valley and if you look along the hillside, you can see a big sign that says, "SEA LEVEL."  It was very cool to be so far down and looking up at sea level.  Death Valley is a sad sort of place, with very little vegetation and I didn't see any animals.  Down at Badwater, there is some water but it's all salty and not drinkable.  It's the lowest place in the western hemisphere and I think that's pretty awesome!

Ok, the kids don't seem that excited to be there but I made them pose like they were hot.  It wasn't really that bad.

Here's the RV with the Triumph Speed Triple strapped to the back.  I doubted whether we "needed" to take it or not but I'm so glad Merril convinced me.

So then we loaded in the RV to head out of Death Valley.  The hill coming out of Death Valley is several miles long and it was around lunchtime.  The RV started venting all of it's automatic transmission fluid and we had to pull over.  Merril unloaded the Triumph speed triple motorcycle and headed to the nearest town to get supplies.  We fired up the generator and turned on the A/C and waited.  The nearest town was Beatty, NV and about 20 miles away.  It took about an hour for Merril to make the trip.  A nice County Sheriff's deputy stopped to make sure we were ok and not roasting.  Mikayla was still throwing up about every hour, which was a bummer, but other than that, we were fine in the RV.

So Merril got back and put in the ATF and we started off again.  We'd gone less than a mile and the RV started to vent it all out again.  Urg.  We pulled over and started using water to try and cool and transmission.  We tried again.  Barely 1/2 a mile.  At this point, we were a little concerned about the generator running out of gas so Merril buzzed back to Beatty for gasoline.  Got back, put in the gas and said he thought he'd call Jason N. to bring all new tires and parts to fix the transmission and we'd just get a ride back to Beatty.  So Merril ran back to cell phone service and got everything arranged with Jason and brought back the Nye County Sheriff Deputy and his prisoner transport van to give us a ride.

We got a hotel room, Mikayla stopped throwing up, Jason arrived in the middle of the night and they fixed the RV.  When the tire place in Beatty opened the next morning, we got the 6 tires put on the RV.  We headed out of Beatty and started towards Yosemite.  Yay!

The first place we happened upon in Yosemite was a mountain lake.  We decided to stop there for dinner to let the kids run around while we barbecued some hot dogs and brats.

Yosemite is so pretty!  I had no idea it was so huge!!  (Half Dome in the background.)

We hiked to Bridal Veil Falls but it was getting late and the falls were almost dried up for the season.  It was still pretty but not as impressive as it is in the Spring.  I like when the kids take candid pictures of Merril and me.  :)

Oh, and Mikayla has this crazy face that she pulls lately and I thought I'd include it.  What a nutty kid.

This was down in Yosemite Valley towards sunset.  Again, the kids were playing with the camera.  We were on the side of the road when they snapped this. 

Then we drove out of the park and looked for a place to sleep.  Just as a side note:  There are signs everywhere saying not to leave food in your car because the bears will try to get in and eat it.  Since our car was also our sleeping accommodations, we didn't know what else to do but sleep with the food.  Around 2 a.m., I heard a noise by the driver's door and in my sleepy stupor, figured Mikayla had gotten out of bed and was playing in the driver's seat.  Getting close to the front of the RV, I saw a bear standing on his hind legs with his paws against the door,  He was scratching the door, TRYING TO GET IN!  I made sure the door was locked and stumbled back to bed.  I shook Merril awake and in a whisper shouted that a bear was trying to eat us!  Merril put on his glasses and looked out front and saw the bear starting to run away.  I guess we made too much noise.  It didn't wake the kids so we just tried to go back to sleep.  I had a hard time settling down after that.  I was convinced that every noise I heard was a bear trying to get in.  But he never came back and we slept the rest of the night without any other problems.  

So the next day we got up and headed to Glacier Point in Yosemite.  That road to Glacier Point was super narrow and the RV was just barely within the allowable length limits.  At one point a sign said, "Road Narrows" and I thought, "You've got to be kidding!"  I was driving because Merril wanted to ride the motorcycle up the windy road.  But we made it without running into anyone or anything.  The viewpoint looks down into Yosemite Valley.  (Half Dome again.)

 There was a rock house that explained about the glacier that shaped the valley and the kids played in it for a while.

I snapped this just as we loaded up to head down the mountain and go to Sequoia.

We really did go to Sequoia but I don't have any pictures of it.  :/  Juliet developed a fever on the way and didn't feel good the entire time in Sequoia.  So we hurried and hit the highlights and headed for home.  We drove all night.  The RV isn't exactly super fast.  We got home at 7:30 a.m.  After driving all night I guess Mikayla was glad to be home?  She laid down in the driveway.  

It was a pretty crazy trip but I had a great time.  Traveling in the RV was so great for the kids.  Juliet wants to know when we're going to use it again!

Blue hair...

I've never dyed my hair, ever.  Just never had the desire, mostly because I'd have to keep dyeing it.  Maxine wanted some turquoise streaks in her hair.  Since it's summer, I agreed.  School dress codes won't allow blue hair during the school year.  Juliet jumped on board.  So we tried to get some semi-permanent hair dye but that didn't end up coloring their hair at all.  So we went full in with a bleach kit and real permanent hair dye.

Juliet just got the tips done.

Maxine got streaks.

I didn't think I'd like it but it's not that bad!  It's fun for the summer and for once I can say I did something cool for my kids.

Trading Post...

A little town of Virgin, not too far from our house, has a little trading post and restaurant for tourists.  We've driven past on the way to Zion or Kolob and the kids have always wanted to stop because the trading post has an old west village.  Virgin is the type of town that you drive through on the way to some other, better town.  One day with nothing to do, we planned a picnic and loaded up to visit the old west, via wagon.

The kids pretended to rob the bank and then pretended to be in jail.

They wanted to look rough and tough for the pictures.

There were some donkeys and we bought carrots to feed them.  I really thought someone was going to lose a finger, but we managed to get out with all digits intact.  

Manti Vacay...

Matt and Camille invited us to camp at Yuba Lake and visit the Manti Pageant!  We decided to go to Bryce Canyon on the way.  I haven't been to Bryce since I was pregnant with Maxine.

Merril takes Japanese people to Bryce all the time so the older kids and myself hiked down through the rock formations while Merril stayed up top with the little two.  That was pretty flippin' awesome.

We borrowed my parents motorhome for the trip and the kids thought it was so fun to eat and drive at the same time.

We camped and played and drove to Manti the next day.  We got to Manti a little early so we could sight see.

The Manti Temple is so pretty and was designed by the same architect as the St. George Temple.  That might explain why I like it so much.

The Manti Pageant was so much bigger than I imagined.  1,000 people were in the cast, 5,000 costumes were used, and 14,000 chairs were set up.  Professional lights and sound made it a wonderful experience.  I couldn't believe that it was free.

We decided to drive home immediately following the performance.  At around 1:45 a.m., we blew a tire and had to pull over.  We had just switched drivers and I had only been driving for about 5 minutes when it blew.  Poor Merril.  He had to wake up and change the tire.  But he was prepared and we were driving again in 15 minutes.  It was still a fun vacation!

The dumb thing was I took my nice camera and camcorder but only took pictures with my phone.  I really need to get out my nice camera more often.

Mark's Roseola...

Mark has been cutting his top 2 teeth and developed a fever for a couple of days and was grumpy.  I didn't really think anything of it because grumpiness and fevers have accompanied teeth cutting in the past.  So I gave him Tylenol and on we went.  After 2 days of fever, his fever broke and he woke up with a rash, mainly on his face, back, and neck.   

 I didn't take him to the doctor because by now he was happy as a clam.  I consulted the web and it seems like he had Roseola.  It's a virus so taking him to the doctor would just cost me money for them to say, "Make sure he's eating.  He'll be fine in a couple of days."

He had the rash for about 2 days and then it was gone.  He cut his top 2 teeth shortly thereafter.

Daddy Daughter Date...

Merril's friend Ryan R., mentioned that he was taking his daughter on a date to the new restaurant up on the edge of town.  It used to be called Rococo's but it's been remodeled and now it's called The Cliffside Restaurant.  He invited Merril to come with Maxine and Juliet.

Maxine said it was fancy and that the lights were cool with large bulbs with the filament.  They had a good time.

Using the power of the sun...

Super delicious apricot season has come!  So yummy!  I prefer my apricots fresh, so I eat as many as possible.  Mikayla has been loving them!  If we're outside, she'll wander down to the backyard, pick a few, and toddle back up to the front yard.  "I got da apricots!!"  She's such a crack up.  So it was time to do something with the rest of them because they were going to go bad.  I used my dehydrator to dry some out and pureed the rest to make fruit leather.

I used the crazy, hot summer sun to make fruit leather in the car.  It's good for the environment, and makes my car smell like apricots.  It's a win/win.  

Peachy season is next!

My new ride and 14 years together...

Merril and I are about to celebrate our 14th anniversary!  Wow!  It's been a blink, such a fun, quick trip but I would do it again in an instant.  Merril and I are so very happy together.  We often sit together and remark that we think we're about the happiest couple we know.  We listen to other couples complain about how their spouse drives them nuts most of the time and we just don't feel that.  Merril and I sync together really well!  I'm not saying we don't disagree, because we do, but we're often right on the same page.

Anyway, for our anniversary, Merril got me a new/old motorcycle.  I had mentioned how much I liked the cafe racer style and so he started looking out for one.  He actually got this from his brother Matt.  It's a 1973 Honda CB350.  It's old and light and exactly what I wanted!  Bigger, faster bikes are so heavy that they can be difficult for me to keep upright if they start to tip.  This is perfect for me!  And for Merril, I got helmet intercoms so we'll be able to talk to each other while we ride!

And while we messed with the bike, Mark played in the front yard in a diaper.  Happy summertime baby!

And the other day we were finishing up some dental appointments and Maxine was getting a cavity filled.  The rest of us found a park to pass the time.  Swings are awesome!

Mark thought so too!

Veyo Pool for Grandma's Birthday...

 When we went to the cabin this year with the Campbells, the weather was too cold for swimming.  So we went for Grandma's birthday.  Everybody loves the pool.

Mikayla had a great time swimming and stealing Mark's tube.

 But he didn't care because he's awesome like that.

Maxine the fish!

Mikayla decided about half way through that she could swim on her own and didn't need assistance.  This resulted in lots of coughing and half drowning.

 Jack is swimming like a pro too!

This last picture isn't from Veyo pool but the splash pad in town.  I only took the one picture while we were there with our friends.

Concept to Company competition...

Merril entered a small business competition put on by Dixie University and Grow Utah.  Prize money allows small businesses to grow their ideas and get the product rolling.  Merril entered with something like 35 other contestants.  After interviews, he and his brother made it to the top 12.  After another round of interviews, they made it to the final 8.  They're #1 on the list.

Merril and his brother, Jared, Ryan Rosenberg and Jared Hummel, have developed a diesel/natural gas hybrid engine controller that protects the engine from overheating, a common problem with this type of engine.  Jared H. and Ryan got too busy and let Merril and his brother run with it.  

The finalists gathered at Dixie University and the kids and I were able to come to the public display.  Darryl Zitting entered and made the top 8 as well!  Investors and others looked at the companies as well.  There were prizes for 1st, 2nd, 3rd and an audience favorite.

The audience favorite was chosen via text in real time.  It was super fun to watch the numbers pop up on the screen as people voted.  Merril and Jared won the audience favorite!!

They didn't end up placing in the competition. They talked with the judges afterwards and 3 of the 8 wanted Merril and Jared to win the whole thing.  In the end, Merril and Jared placed "4th".  There in a prize in 1 year, open to all the finalists, to whomever grows their business the most in that time.  So that's something to look forward to and they talked to lots of great contacts and investors.  The experience was great overall.   

Rrrraaaaarrrrrr dinosaurs!

A dinosaur exhibit came to the Dixie Center and my Mom was kind enough to get me and the 3 older kids tickets.  The dinosaurs were quite large, growled and moved their tales and blinked.  The mouths opened and it was kind of scary, so we decided not to bring Mikayla.  Even Julie thought it was a little creepy.

After the exhibit were bounce houses, crafts, a fossil dig site and dinosaurs you could ride.  Maxine, Jack and Julie all rode a different dinosaur.

It was pretty cool but kind of pricey!  I'm glad my Mom was able to get the tickets because the kids thought it was awesome!

Bikes in Zion...

With summer out now, the kids are home and loving it.  Merril had some work to do up by Zion National Park and took the 3 older kids and their bikes for a ride.  The park has a bus system that allows bikes to be strapped on.  They took their bikes to the top of the park and road/coasted all the way down.

I made sure they had helmets but I stayed home with the little ones because we couldn't figure how to get the bike trailer up to the top of the park.

Merril and I have noticed that we have 2 little families.  Maxine, Jack, and Juliet do a lot of big kid stuff that the little ones don't for now.  We still do a lot of stuff together but sometimes it's just better to divide and conquer.

Loving the lake!

Spring was cool and we've had some crazy weather so we haven't been to the lake hardly at all.  This marks the 2nd time, I think.  We went the Tuesday after Memorial Day and the lake was a ghost town.  We played in the water, still a little chilly, and ate lunch!

Mark is getting so funny about food.  Whatever you got, he wants.  Who doesn't love cold watermelon?

After we got home, Maxine said she felt a little itchy.  Later we found a few swimmer's itch dots on Julie, Mikayla and Maxine.  We haven't had a problem with swimmer's itch for about 3 or 4 years although I see on Facebook that plenty of people get it.  Luckily, we build immunity to it so they're probably good for the year.

And just for something to do, we tried to potty train Mikayla.  Yeah, not really happening.  There were lots of little puddles.  She wakes up dry from naps and can go all night but doesn't do anything about it during the day.  We had her in panties for 4 days and I decided to back off.  When Julie was little, she decided to potty train herself.  We were still potty training Jack and she overheard repeatedly what to do but never had the pressure.  She decided one day to do it and it was a breeze.  I pushed and pushed Maxine and Jack and it took  years, substantially longer.  Julie took Mikayla to the bathroom in the morning and was able to get her to go but I never could.  So we're back to diapers for now.

End of school blur...

A week before school was set to get out, people started throwing up at our house!  Luckily it was fast, a 24-hour bug, and we all felt better after a day.  

Jack got it first, followed by Julie, then Mikayla and me.  Merril didn't feel well and then Maxine.  It was over in 72 hours.  Thankfully, Mark never seemed like his tummy was upset.  He just happily played while the rest of us were bent over a toilet or cleaning up the aftermath.

Then it was back to school for a few more days, a piano recital, and before we knew it, summer was here!  We've got some plans for a couple reunions and possibly heading to Northern California, reading and writing everyday and some trips to the pool and hiking.  I'm going to try and squeeze in some quilt making as well.

Maxine is done with elementary this year!  The next step is the intermediate school.  She's excited and scared.  The hardest transition will be the start time.  She has to be down to the bus at 7:05 a.m.  That's going to be a struggle.  I can see a lot of driving her to school in my future.

Jack: The Soccer Star!

Jack is a good kid.  He tends to roll with whatever's going on.  However, he doesn't keep reminding me of things he'd like to try like the girls do.  Jack mentions something once and if I don't pick up on it, he'll let it drop and I'll forget.  I was determined not to brush him aside again when he mentioned that soccer might be fun.  

It ended up being a fun season, they won more games than they lost.  Jack tended to hop around as the ball came close but he had a good time and made some good shots!

It was fun to watch him play and we had a good time!

Working on our food storage...

This was our Saturday project:

I bought some shelves off Craigslist a while back and finally got them put up.  Maxine helped me organize the food storage and I think it looks pretty fabulous.  I was able to get a better idea of what we still need and what we're running low on.  Loving it!

Merril's 36th birthday!

Merril turned 36 on his birthday this year!  We don't feel old but somehow when I say, "We've been married almost 14 years, have 5 kids, and are 34 and 36 years old," it just sounds old.  

I made a killer toffee caramel cheesecake for Merril's birthday!  Pieces of toffee in the crust, caramel cheesecake, more toffee toppings, drizzled with more caramel and whipped cream!  Wow!  It was amazing!

Happy Birthday Merril!

Family Home Rock Climbing...

For Family Home Evening, we went to an easy rock climb near our house.  It was an easy climb and so the kids had fun!  

Mikayla just meandered.  In her church shoes.  Whatevs.

The only bummer were the weeds growing everywhere that snagged into your socks and poked our feet repeatedly.  Other than that, it was a nice little climb by the river.