The end of Summer

Yes, school has started. Fall will be here soon. But before we start talking about changing the decorations (oh wait, I did that yesterday) and picking out pumpkins (no, we haven't done that but Keldrie is super excited about it), lets wrap up how Matt, Keldrie and I spent the last few weeks of Summer vacation before Matt went back to school. 

The biggest thing we did was take the Front Runner down to Salt Lake City for the day. We got on at the Clearfield Station and got off at Salt Lake Central. We grabbed the connecting trax to Gateway. We walked around there for a while and Keldrie got to play in the fountain.

After hanging there for a while, our tummies started to rumble so we walked the few blocks to Matt's Dad's Office. By the time we got there we were really hungry and I'd forgotten that at 4 months pregnant, you are a little more of a wuss than normal. I was tired and so glad to be in an air-conditioned office. Steve wrapped up what he was doing and then he and Matt discussed where to eat. When it was discovered that I had never been to Hires, the discussion was settled. That was the restaurant of choice.

(Yes it's a blurry picture, but it's the best I could do with the zoom on and holding the camera over Kel's head)

(Yes, we both needed our bangs trimmed, something that has since been taken care of.)

Matt and Steve sure seemed excited about this place and I tell you what, it sure didn't disappoint. It was like a dinner from the 50's. It was nearly 1 o'clock when we got there but the place was slammed! The tables were also really close together so that they could fit more in. I had the western burger with the drink and fries combo, and it was delicious. The root beer I ordered came in a giant glass mug like you see in the A&W commercials. Matt and Steve, being a bit more experienced than me, knew to order the Root Beer Float. Looked amazing, but considering how much food I got, the ice cream probably would have sent me over the edge. Even Keldrie, who usually just picks at her food, ate a ton. She ate all her french fries and some of mine too. She also got a root beer that she was very fond of. After all that food and the heat, we were bushed. So Steve took us to the Train Station and we got on the next train north. We were only gone for 5 hours, but I was so beat by the time we got home. Keldrie fell asleep about 5 seconds after we strapped her in her car seat for the ride home. I had to fight drowsiness the whole ride home. 

Besides our great train adventure we've done a few other things:

1-Matt has taken a few impromptu naps. This makes me laugh because growing up, my own dad would fall asleep anytime he sat down for longer than 15 minutes. He worked sometimes 80 hour weeks, so I get it now, but growing up it was so funny to see him sitting in front of a blaring TV snoring. My sisters and I often talked about shaving his mustache off, but we never did work up enough nerve. 

2- Puzzle time! Keldrie got this Elmo fire-truck puzzle for her birthday and the last week or so she has really started to love it. We put it together every couple of days. She is getting really good at it. It is funny because instead of trying to put the picture together, she looks at the shapes of the cut-outs and tries to find one that fits that hole, even if she is trying to attach Elmo's hat to the tire. 

3-Last but not least, Keldrie has fallen in love with Tangled. I'm very excited because Princess and the Frog was really starting to wear on me. I'm even thinking of getting her the costume for Halloween. I haven't decided yet though. Maybe I'll just do a cute pumpkin witch or something. Do you think she's old enough to get a vote or do I do what I want? 

Well, like I said, school is back in session and soon the evenings will be cool and crisp. I'm very excited. I love Carmel apples, the change of the leaves, warm comfortable clothes, carving pumpkins (But only the carving part, I hate scooping out the inside) and all that wonderful stuff. From October to December is just the best time of the year. Can't wait! 

A Quarter Century

On Thursday, Matt turned 25 years old. He got a few small presents for his birthday but he saved most of his money for a new set of scriptures. They are beautiful too. His other set is the one he took on his mission and although he loves them, he wanted a new set. I totally understand because I asked for my second set when I was 17. The birthday boy got to pick what he wanted to do on his big day, and his pick sort of surprised me at first. The Train Museum at the Union Station in Ogden. But we all had a blast so I guess it was a good pick. 

Outside the museum, there are 4 or 5 big engines just sitting out that you can go look at. Matt and I kept talking about how huge they were.  You know that a train is big, but standing next to one makes you really appreciate how powerful these things were. 

There is Kel and I walking down the ramp between two engines. 

This train had huge wheels! Looking at those trains really makes you feel for the people in that movie "Unstoppable". Matt and I watched that about 2 months ago. I though I would hate it, I loved it. 

This is a caboose. Did you know that the caboose was for the crew of the train to rest in? No idea. I just thought that the last car on the train got a special name. After looking around a little more, we headed inside to see the stuff you have to pay to see. 

This is a replica of the inside of the caboose. Keldrie was more than happy to climb up there and look out the window. They also have a replica engine you can sit in and the most amazing model train set you have ever seen. That was defiantly Kel's favorite part. After we took this photo, my camera died, so you will just have to imagine the rest of our trip at the museum. We went upstairs to the Browning Gun Museum. They had tiny little pistols and 7 foot long machine guns and all sorts of stuff in between. While we were up there, Keldrie just kept screaming about the trains, so we didn't stay long. Then we went down to look at the old model cars they have. The earliest one was from 1901 and the engine was in the back and it had no doors and no windshield. The cars were pretty awesome. Then we looked at the model trains one more time before heading home. 

On our way home, we picked up a pizza from Tony's. Anyone been there? My mom and dad went there growing up and so I grew up knowing it and Matt has become a quick convert. They are pretty good priced too. A medium, one topping pizza with an order of garlic bread was under $10 with tax. By the time we were done eating, Kel was ready for her nap. So upstairs she went. Matt and I watched a movie and I made his birthday cheesecake.  I got the recipe off a friend's blog. (Thanks Nikki). Before anyone goes getting too impressed, it was a 4 ingredient recipe and one of those was the pre-made oreo pie crust. 

Matt's mom invited us over there for dinner and it was so good. Food made by someone else always tastes better, it seems.  Afterwards I whipped the cream for topping and we got ready to sing!

We sang, Matt blew out the candles, and we all enjoyed a very fattening piece of Easy Chocolate Cheesecake. 

Happy Birthday, Handsome! Thanks for sharing it with me! 

August

Well, it is here. That month that signals the end of summer and the beginning of fall and of school. No school for Keldrie or me, just Matt. Poor Matt. He has had to work all summer long while Keldrie and I played and nothing is going to change when school starts. He is glad to be working towards his degree again though. 

So what have we been playing all summer? Lets see:

1: More swimming!

No one tell my mom I put pictures of her on here, okay? She doesn't like having her picture taken but I want my kids to have pictures of them with their grandparents. Last summer Keldrie really hated the floaties, but this year she is a pro! She doesn't even get nervous if you move a little away from her. However I do get nervous about taking them off because sometimes she forgets that she needs them to stay afloat. I about had a heart attack on Monday when I turned my back for 3 seconds only to find her sitting with her feet in the water. Yikes!

#2- Blowing bubbles

This little bubble bucket is nice because it doesn't spill. However, the wands that came with it are stupid. They don't work well at all. But that doesn't stop Kel from trying. 

#3- "Helping" Grandma Keller with her yard work

For the most part, Keldrie just dumps dirt on the flowers. Sorry, flowers!

#4- Eating fresh fruit

What is the sugar/strawberry ratio where you can still call it healthy? 

#5- Scaring Mommy and going to the Doctor

Yesterday, right as we were getting ready to leave my mom's house and come home, Keldrie fell off the couch and hit headfirst onto the tiled floor. She calmed down pretty quick but then threw up a little on the way home. I called the doctor's office and the nurse said I better bring her in. So right as Matt got home from work, I gave him a peanut-butter and honey sandwich and off we went to get her checked out. We didn't go to her regular doctor, but to a place called Wee-Care in Layton. They are a pediatrician office that is open 24 hours a day. That's why we went there. No after-hour fees and you get a pediatrician instead of a general practitioner. The doctor was real great even while Keldrie screamed at him and about ripped my hair out. He said she looks fine and to just watch carefully for the next 24 hours.  She has been perfectly normal today. He also said that she might get some black eyes a day or two later, so if you see her and she looks like she has picked up boxing, don't worry. I figured she would be fine, but I definitely fall into the better safe than sorry camp. 

Besides all that, tomorrow is Matt's 25th birthday! The quarter century mark. Today Keldrie and I are going to go shopping and find him some presents. Hope everyone is having a good day! 

Good Intentions

In that last 4 weeks, I have had lots of moments where I thought, after this, I'll update my blog. As you can see, that didn't do me much good. But now here I am, forced to shove almost a whole month of living into one short post. Okay, I can't guarantee it will be short. In fact, it might become one of my longer ones. But the whole point is, I tried, okay? 

I think the first major thing that occurred during the last month is that Matt and I had the great experience of going to Youth Conference with our ward. We were super excited when the Bishop asked us to be the Camp Leaders. We had a great time up at a family cabin owned by one of the families in the ward, the Coates. The kids were so great. I was really impressed with this group of kids because whenever they had some free time, instead of going off into groups to cause mischief or to gossip, they all got together and played games! I mean ALL OF THEM! It was great. Everyone was nice to everyone else and we had very few problems in getting kids to be nice or do as we asked. No one even complained about being on dish duty or helping with the service project. 

Here is Matt leading a group of the kids to the "Iron Rod" activity.

This is Brother Ormsby, who very much deserved this little siesta. He not only was the only cook, he is also the Young Men's President. 

The night before we left, Matt and I remembered the one(or so I thought) thing we hadn't done yet. Fill the water balloons. We spent from 9:45 until almost 11 filling up water balloons. Some how I ended up drenched and Matt was mostly dry even though he was on hose duty and we were both tying. The other thing we forgot to do? Pack ourselves. We got to run around in the morning trying to get packed. What did I forget? Pajamas. 

We did actually have a plan for those water balloons. Water balloon volleyball. The kids loved it and so did we. It was a blast to watch. 

These kids took their competitions very seriously. You should have seen what happened with steal the flag. It was intense. 

On the 25th of July, we went to the Roy Aquatic Center with my side of the family while Matt went golfing with his dad and brothers and then in the afternoon, Matt had to go to work. I still went over to his family's BBQ. It was fun and delicious, as always.

What goes better with swimming that an Ice Cream Cone, hand scooped by your Great-Grandpa Nicholas? 

This I have to add, just because. Tyler takes a lot of joy in taking a bad photograph. Little does he know, I've just posted it on the Internet, where nothing can every be completely erased. (At least that is what the people on GMA told me) 

Besides these big things, we've been up to some other stuff. Keldrie has decided that if Mom is cooking something, she wants to know what and she wants to help. It is fun, and some times frustrating, and ALWAYS messy and she is not very patient. She does not understand why some things take so long to cook!

Here is one of the things we made together. French Breakfast Puffs. Matt had a friend growing up whose mom would make them, so I gave them a try. Not too bad for a first time thing. 

Just this week we went down to Salt Lake to see one of Matt's friend and former mission companions. His name is Matt Neves. We went to a sort of fancier place called Biaggi's. It is an Italian place. Keldrie was such a good girl all through dinner that afterwards I let her run in the fountains.

She ran round and round and somehow missed most of the water. She was dry enough that I didn't even bother to change her into the spare outfit I had brought. 

The biggest thing that has happened this week (or this month, or maybe this summer) though is that my big sister Nicole had her baby. 

Hudson Roy Myers was born on August 2nd at 7:21 PM. He was 9 pounds even. (Yikes!) 

Grandma Keller so happy to now have 2 grand-babies all her own.

Can't wait to meet you in person, Hudson! Love you already!