Summer Bucket List Report

There's no denying that summer is over, so it's about time I report on our summer bucket list!



Hike the Y: Nope. We've been saying we should hike the Y when it's lit for homecoming for years, so maybe we'll actually do it this year!

Movie in the Park: We got rained out, but it was rescheduled for September 26th. Hopefully we'll have better luck with the weather that night.

Go Camping: Check.



Paddle Boats: Check, part of our camping trip.



Visit a National Park: Check, Bryce Canyon National Park - one of my absolute favorites.



Watch Fireworks: Check, after the Rockies game the night before the 4th of July.



Do Sparklers: Check, on the 4th of July.



Throw Rocks in a Lake: Check, Navajo Lake.



Hike Grotto Falls: Check.



Go to the Brigham City Temple: Nope, but as this is also one of our goals for the year, we'll be going before the year is up!

Hike Timp: Check, during our week at Aspen Grove.



Kiss Under the Stars: Nope. This would have been easy to accomplish, but we didn't plan it, so it didn't happen.

Float the Provo River: Check.



Watch a Parade: Check, 24th of July.



Go to the Zoo: Check.



Make Homemade Ice Cream: Check. I used my dad's recipe (which I'm guessing is actually my Grandma Joan's recipe). Eating it brought back so many memories from my childhood! (Side note: We got these cups for our wedding. Until about a year ago, Rog did not know why we use them almost exclusively for ice cream. He didn't realize that they are made to look like an ice cream cone. Yeah, he's cute!)



Go to a Carnival: Check, 24th of July.



Swim in the Spanish Fork Pool: Check.



Take Family Pictures: Check. I cannot wait to get them back!!

Eat Snow Cones: Check. We had one to kick off summer, one on the 24th of July, one at the KLAS summer party, and one to wrap up summer. For me (a huge lover of snow cones), that was not enough!



Roast S'mores: Check, when we were in Colorado for the 4th of July.



Watch a Sunset and a Sunrise: Nope. This one should have/would have been easy enough to accomplish. But again, we didn't plan for it and it didn't happen.

Go to a Baseball Game: Check, Rockies game the night before the 4th of July.



It was a pretty spectacular summer!

Five on Friday

1. For FHE Monday night we went raspberry picking with the Petrosinos. We had never been before, so we didn't know to come prepared with a container to put the berries in. We used a grocery bag we had in the car which worked fine - the berries got a little squashed, but that was ok because I squashed them anyway when I used them to make this Raspberry Cream Pie and can a few jars of jam.



2. Tuesday night was the finale of So You Think You Can Dance. I didn't really care about the guys, but I was so excited that Amy won! She was my favorite from pretty early on. I'm sad that the show is over, but also excited for NCIS and Glee to start.

3. Corbyn had his first day of Joy School on Thursday. (It was supposed to be Tuesday, but he had a little croup early in the week.) He was a little nervous about going - he kept saying that he wanted me to be the teacher. I had to explain that I am one of the teachers, but this week wasn't my week to teach. He did great after he got there and had a fun time learning about the letter A and the number 0 with 3 of his best friends - Carver, Johnny, and Rhys.

4. Yesterday I checked out Snow White from the Spanish Fork library. Corbyn was terrified of the hunter and the queen/witch, but thought the Seven Dwarfs were hilarious!

5. Today Peyton put two words together for the first time. As we were going inside from playing with Cinnamon (the Petrosino's dog), she said, "Bye dog." Corbyn didn't do that until much later, so I was pretty shocked!

BYU Beats Texas!

Last Saturday was like crazy busy.

I wanted to start off the day with a run. Because Corbyn was at the Fathers and Sons Campout with Rog, I didn't want to push the double running stroller with only Peyton in it. I got the single running stroller out of storage (it was in the way way back), but then I couldn't figure out how to put the back wheels on. I even found the owner's manual online and tried to find a video on YouTube. I finally ended up borrowing Bill and Mariah's running stroller. Of course when I got home Rog and Corbyn were back from their campout (earlier than I expected them). So I should have just waited and Rog could have watched both kids while I ran without any stroller at all. (Hindsight is 20/20!)

We went over to Bill and Mariah's for a pancake lunch. (Bill had been in charge of making pancakes for the Fathers and Sons Campout and had a TON leftover!)

Then Rog and my dad went golfing while I got all the food ready for the tailgate party. I made pulled pork sandwiches with homemade rolls and coleslaw. While the rolls were rising Corbyn and I went to Walmart to get a few things. (My mom stayed at our house while Peyton napped.)

I barely got everything ready in time to rush off to the tailgate party!

{Bill and Mariah with Charlotte in her cute BYU outfit.}



{The kids and me in our gray BYU shirts!}



In the middle of our tailgate party, a huge crazy storm came out of nowhere! My grandpa, mom, cousin Taylor, Rog, Corbyn, Peyton, and I all crammed in my grandpa's car while everyone else went into the stadium to take cover. We were listening to 102.7 to hear what was going on, but then my grandpa's battery died. We had someone jump it, but we didn't want to use the battery on the radio, so we were kind of in the dark about what was going on.

Rog, my mom, and Peyton weren't going to the game (we had the adult session of stake conference that night and our bishop had made it clear that Rog was to attend), so they went home when the rain died down a bit. Corbyn was using Rog's ticket, so he stayed with me. He was bored in the car and my phone was almost dead, so I couldn't entertain him with that. We found a break in the storm and went into the stadium. Luckily Rog had grabbed a poncho at the last second, so Corbyn stayed dry.



We found my dad and Jared under the stands and hung out with them. Corbyn was again easily bored and started complaining that he was hungry. At that point they announced that the game would start in 50 minutes, so at least we knew an end was in sight! Jared took the poncho and went back to his dorm room to get us all sweaters to wear. I didn't have any money, but my dad bought Corbyn some popcorn that kept him entertained and helped fill him up.



The game finally started and we couldn't have been happier! Corbyn didn't like wearing Jared's sweater because it was obviously overly large on him, but he would let me me cover him in it like a blanket while he sat in my lap. His favorite part was looking for Cosmo and cheering at the end of the fight song. For having an unexpected 2 hour rain delay, he did great!! It was fun hanging out with just my little buddy!



At halftime we decided I should take him home and bring Rog back. Unfortunately for Rog, nothing very exciting happened in the 4th quarter, but at least he could say he was there for part of the game.

Texas was ranked #15 and after our depressing loss to Virginia, we didn't think we had any chance at all. But Taysom Hill (our QB) had the most amazing game ever and we ended up beating them 40-21!! It was by far the best game we've had in a very long time!

Zoo Pics

We had such a good time at the Hogle Zoo. About half of the zoo is under construction right now, but there was enough to see that we didn't feel gypped.

Peyton was so excited to see all the animals. She'd point and make noises (usually a growl which is conveniently correct most of the time).



They have a new play area (called the Lighhouse Point Splash Zone) that is pretty fun. The lighthouse slide is one of those slides that you end up pulling yourself down most of the way. Rog and I both took turns taking Peyton down it. I regretted it very much because a tiny hole near one of my back pockets turned into a giant rip and I got to walk around the rest of the day like that!



There is also a shipwreck where Corbyn got to pretend he was a pirate and a fun tide pool.



The Rocky Shores area is also pretty new. The otters were out and about giving us a great show. And this otter statue was a great photo opp.



This bear was right up at the glass just looking at everyone.



The kids loved the bear cave. We seriously had to drag them away!



We got to see the polar bear eat his lunch and then take a nice swim.



Then it was time for our lunch!



After lunch most of the animals were napping. It was pretty warm, so we couldn't blame them! This jaguar was conveniently napping/hanging out right up front.



This lion drinking fountain is a classic that has been at the Hogle Zoo since my mom was a little girl (and possibly even before that). It wasn't in its usual spot as that area was under construction, but I was happy to see that they had moved it to another area!



This gorilla measuring chart is also a classic. Peyton didn't quite get the point, but was adorable nonetheless.



I have such fond memories of visiting the Hogle Zoo every summer as a little girl. It's fun to take my kids there and see everything they are doing to make it a more modern zoo. (Although it does make me a little sad to see some of my favorite things missing - they better never get rid of that lion drinking fountain or I may have to have a word with zoo management!)

Five on Friday

1. I dreamt up and put together this little craft this week. Now I just need a cute picture from tomorrow's game to display!



2. I made these Quick and Easy Garlic-Parmesan Rolls for my dinner group last night. Not only were they quick and easy, they were also delicious! And as a bonus, no one could believe they were made using Rhodes Rolls.

3. Today we took advantage of Rog having Fridays off by going to the zoo. It wasn't too terribly hot (until the very end) and it was not crowded at all because all the kids are back in school. Best of all, many of the animals put on a really good show for us. (I have a million pictures to go through that I will be sharing in another post.)

4. On our way home from the zoo, we stopped to look at our family photos from last Saturday. We got exactly one perfect shot which is all I asked for. Success!

5. Tonight Rog and Corbyn are at our ward's Fathers and Sons Campout. I made Tomato Basil Soup for my parents, Jared, Peyton, and myself because Rog and Corbyn are haters. Now as soon as I publish this post, I am going to ignore my house that needs cleaning and watch We Bought a Zoo (in honor of our trip to the zoo this morning) while quiet booking it up!

Labor Day Weekend

With no school on Friday and Labor Day on Monday, we enjoyed a nice long weekend!

The highlights:

*Took family pictures. The kids were mostly cooperative. Fingers crossed that at least one turned out!

*Visited my Grandma Ford, Aunt Tracy, and Cuddles. Peyton loved Cuddles!



*Watched the first BYU football game of the season - rain delay and all! It wasn't the best start to the season as Virginia came from behind in the last few minutes to beat us 16-19.

*Washed our couch cushions.



*Made cinnamon rolls for Rog who says I don't make them enough!

*Went to Seven Peaks for the last time this summer. We got to ride the big slides we can't do without Rog and even saw our friends Nate and Ann Edwards.



*Shared a snow cone for FHE.



It was a pretty great weekend and a good way to end the summer.

Books, Crafts, and a New Calling

A little update on me...

Books

I finished my 4th and 5th books for the year.

Book #4 was Reached, the 3rd book in the Matched trilogy. I didn't love it, but I liked it enough to finish it. I thought it was a good end to the trilogy and I'm glad I stuck with it to see the story to the end.

Book #5 was Love Life and See Good Days. I love Emily Freeman's books and this one was no exception. It was all about seeing good days as opposed to just hoping to have good days. I love how she uses different scriptures and stories to illustrate different ways to see good days.

Crafts

I kind of got out of the habit of crafting, so I really tried to make it a point to find time to do some new crafts in July and August.

July needed a new "o".



I also made a little washi tape garland with some washi tape I got from Pick Your Plum.



It was incredibly quick and easy and I love how it just added a little extra something to my July table.



I got the idea for this craft here, but I changed it up a bit to make it my own.



I also "fixed" this subway art I made a few years ago. The middle section bugged me every time I looked at it. It's a subtle difference, but I like it much better now! On the left, before and on the right, after.



A New Calling (kind of)

I wasn't really digging the whole emergency primary substitute thing, so I told Rog just to call me to be a real teacher. When your husband is the counselor in the bishopric over primary, you can do that! My class is kind of crazy, but I'm liking the predictable nature of having a class I teach every week as opposed to not knowing what I'm going to be doing.

And that is what I have been up to these past few months!

16 Months

PJ at 16 months:

*Says go, hi, cheese, mom, dad, mine, croc-dile, kitty, and Cor Cor (for Corbyn).

*Takes my finger, shorts, or skirt and pulls me where she wants me to go.



*Gives kisses.

*Says hi to everyone we see.



*Tilts her head back, so we can rinse her hair in the bath. (It seriously took Corbyn years to learn this, but she just picked it up from watching him do it!)

*Loves to help me water the plants.



*Unfolds her arms and very enthusiastically says amen at the end of prayers.

*Likes to hide and play peek-a-boo. I love that she's at the age where she thinks she's hidden when half her body is poking out!



*Knocks on doors.

*Finally got her two middle front teeth on top. She now has 6 teeth - 4 on top and 2 on bottom.



*Answers no whenever we ask her a question.

*Does the best little monkey impression.



*Shows us where her fingers, toes, and bum (after a month of an endless diaper rash) are.

*Finally started throwing things. She has the cutest little wind up she does before throwing.



*Loves to stack blocks.

*Has taken a liking to Jessie from Toy Story lately. (Corbyn has had a renewed love for Toy Story, so we've been watching a lot of it!)

Corbyn and I have started calling her Squishy. We sure love our little Squishy girl!