Zumba!

Just a little photo op after Zumba!

 

Random Summer Fun!

He's Home!

After a long, long week and a half in Albuquerque, New Mexico for a business trip...my Lyle-Bear is home!  Just in time for Independence Day celebrations.  We all missed him, but I never sleep quite right when he's not in bed with me.  He walked in the door today (an hour earlier than he told me he'd be home) and when I turned around I squealed and tackled him.  He just giggled and hugged me.  The times apart are hard, but the reunions are sweet!

 

Tracy Aviary

Zermatt Resort & Spa

Angie and Chris invited us to spend a night at the Zermatt Resort and Spa in Midway.  They were there for a foster parent seminar and wanted the spend time with us afterwards. So, after convincing Mom to come watch the kidlets (Ava was surprisingly good when we left) we headed off to Midway!  The room was awesome, the view was fabulous and the hotel was amazing!  The pool area was luxurious and I've decided that I could spend all day in a dry sauna.  Angie and I are thinking of a girls weekend;  just us and the stores! 

 

The night we were gone Ava had a small meltdown, but really she did great considering how hard it would've been for her a year ago.  On our way home the next day, we spent some time at a local dairy, tasting cheese samples and browsing the store. 

 

It was seriously such a fun weekend.  Just what we needed to take our minds off taxes!  And we've never had the money or a job where we could just be spontaneous and leave for a night.  It was awesome!

 

Sick

Our house has been filled with the sick bug for awhile now.  In one week, Ava barfed for two days, gave the bug to me and I barfed for one day and then the day after that Ava came down with pink eye.  Thankfully it's starting to get warmer.  I hope this winter is almost over.

Saturday

 

 

 

We spent the afternoon with Lyle and Lucas. They played racquetball and we watched. It was enjoyable. Haha. Ava and I entertained ourselves by taking pictures with my phone and throwing a racquetball to each other in the hallway while Sean played on his iPod.  On a side note, isn't this bitty pine cone necklace adorable? It's my grandmother's. Yeah, she gave it to me.

A Christmas Carol

Every year for our birthday's, Lyle's parents take us out to dinner and buy us tickets to see a play.  Some years we've seen plays at Hale Center Theater, and others it's been at the silly one by Midvale (can't remember the name).  The last few years, it's been at the University of Utah, Pioneer Theater Company. 

This year, we got to see "A Christmas Carol:  The Musical".  It was so good!  It reminded me a lot of Les Miserables;  the music and scenery.  It was very well done and I was extremely impressed with the talent. 

We had just returned from San Diego, then went to this play the next night.  Made for a long weekend, but worth it!  One of these years, I will have year passes to this Theatre...I love everything I've ever seen there.

San Diego - Day 3

On our final day in San Diego, we checked out of our hotel and headed over to Old Town. San Diego was founded by the Spanish, so this little town had a decidedly Spanish/Mexican flair. It was awesome!

We bought some hand-painted Mexcian tile trivets and some handmade maracas and chowed down on some street tacos that were divine!   We had a little time left before we had to head to the airport, so we headed to the coast;  Cabrillo National Park.

Lyle enjoyed looking in the tide pools for starfish and hermit crabs, and getting his feet wet as the tide came in.

As we traveled home on the planes, it was really neat to look out the window and see the various cities lit up below us;  the highways with moving cars looked like rivers.  Lyle kept track of our flight progress on his phone and the entire time I kept looking at him with a big grin saying, "I'm so excited to see my babies!".    We left San Diego in roughly 68 degree weather, stepped off the plane onto the jetway and we could see our breath.  It was soooo cold!  :(

Ava was asleep when we got home.  We couldn't wake her up for anything.  we tried calling her name, kissing her cheeks and nuzzling her neck...she lay there like a log.  So, after hugging Sean and visiting with him for a few minutes (we got to Mom's house at about 12:15 a.m.), we went to bed.  I woke up the next morning to a cry of, "Mommy!".  It was so awesome!  :)

I was nervous about leaving Ava for so long.  She seems to be more attached to me than Sean ever was.  She screams and freaks out when I leave her with Lyle for a girls night, so I was nervous about leaving her with Lyle's parents over the weekend.  Nervous about how she would behave when we left.  I hoped she would stay asleep since we left so early on Friday morning, but she woke up.  In spite of my fears, as we walked out the door, she simply waved and said, "Bye, Mama, Daddy...love you".  It completely shocked me and Lyle.  And she did great the entire time we were gone too!  I'm so grateful for family close by that we can turn to when we need something and their willingness to serve and help out.

It was a whirlwind vacation, but desperately needed.  The last time Lyle and I got away alone was when Sean was 2!  So, it was time.  It was refreshing, exciting, nerve-wracking, fun, enjoyable and romantic.  Can't wait to do it again soon!