Park City Weekend

October has been a fun month for our family.  Last weekend, Kent’s parents were generous, as always, and offered us a free night in Park City at their time share.  I was so excited to be surrounded by the fall colors because I know winter is approaching fast.

The time share was so nice with six outdoor hot tubs!

Our two rooms were separated by a living and dining area.  Our room had a HUGE tub.  It was divine.

The time share even had activities for the kids.  We played table tennis outside for hours.

We played life size chess as well.

For lunch on Saturday, we went to one of my favorite places to eat in Park City. It’s on Main Street and called Pizza and Noodles.  They have the best barbecue chicken pizza I’ve ever eaten. 

After lunch, we walked through some of the art galleries.  I wanted to show Ady how art can be made from a variety of mediums and I know Treven loves museums and would be interested too. 

Before we left Park City we stopped at the cute bookstore on main street.  It is so cozy and I love walking in every time I visit.  I knew Ady would love to see it because of the two cats that live in the store.

After our Park City adventures and church on Sunday, we went over to Grandpa’s to pick pumpkins.  Grandpa always plants enough pumpkins for each of his grand kids and it is tradition that the youngest pick first. 

Grandpa’s pumpkin patch is better than any pumpkin patch around because you always have to take a picture with Grandpa after you’ve picked your pumpkin!

We gladly carved our pumpkins for our Family Home Evening activity.  They aren’t the most elaborate but we like the homemade look the best.

We had such a great weekend thanks to Grandma and Grandpa!

Goodbye, Hello, Goodbye

VW Jetta

For some time before we got married, we talked about selling Ashley’s car.  The payment was a little higher then we liked, and rather then refinance it for longer, we thought maybe we should instead plan for the future by getting a larger vehicle.  I wanted to make sure Ashley was okay with all of this as well, especially since this was her first vehicle.  She had bought it on her own and it had ALL the options. We put it on KSL classifieds and less than a week later, we said our goodbyes. We had our other car and an old truck that I have had for years, but do not drive very often.  Our plan was to take plenty of time and not rush into anything.  Ashley could drive the car, I could begin driving the truck and we could take our time to make a great deal, all the while saving money. We wanted a three-row SUV, but we wanted something really inexpensive as well.  We were fairly resigned to the fact that we would probably meet our match in the dreaded mini-van category.  Nevertheless, we were going to take our time……that is until I mentioned our recent success selling our car through KSL to a friend.  He asked, “now what are you going to get to replace it?” I told him some of the SUVs we were considering, but explained the likelihood of a mini-van.  That is when everything changed.

 

Chevrolet Tahoe

He mentioned that he had a relative that REALLY needed to get rid of their car (before a repossession could take place).  It happened to be this beauty above.  We got an AMAZING deal on it.  In fact our deal was so great that if current values stay the same, we could drive this thing for two years and then sell it and STILL make money on it.  I love this car, and I think Ashley is slowly starting to have a relationship with it, even though she feels like she is on the rebound from her last car relationship. This car gives us everything we need.  It was inexpensive, is a safe vehicle, and we have room to grow (this post is not an announcement) as a family.  In the bonus category, it has every option imaginable, and it tows the boat and all our camping gear up over Parley’s Canyon at 75+ MPH.  I admit I am more excited than Ashley is, but we are both excited that we were so blessed with such an amazing purchase.  

 

 

 

1972 Ford F-100 Truck

 

“Big Yellow” 

 

 

 

We also came to the decision that we really do not need three cars right now.  Part of the problem is parking all three of them.  We also did not need the added cost of insurance, maintenance, etc.  Huge gaps of time have passed between our old truck being driven.  I came to the conclusion that I would much rather someone have this old beauty then allowing it to rot away.  I was sure there was someone who could get more use out of it, and could value it more than I currently was.  So, shortly after we got the Tahoe, I put the old truck up for sale on KSL.  Within 15 minutes I had six phone calls.  I placed the truck on there at a horrible time.  I thought it might be a couple of days before it really got attention, and that was fine because I was busy for a couple of days before I could really show anyone.  I was wrong! Two people called before I even finished the ad.  It took only three days, mostly because I was letting the calls, texts, and e-mails go to voicemail.  For some reason, while not answering any phone calls, I decided to answer just one.  It was from a man in a rural area who really wanted to fix this truck up with his 15 year old son.  The next day, he showed up with a trailer and claimed his new truck.  Apparently, the kid’s affectionate name of “Big Yellow” will not remain for long.  He plans to paint it Satin black with heavy chrome accents.  I can’t wait to see the progress (he apparently is going to post pictures on Face book).  In the end, I am glad it went to a good person with plans to care for it.  All in all, I had 57 phone calls in the three days (not from the same people) and there were over 1200 page views on KSL.  We are now excited to have our car dealing days behind us for a while.  We will miss our old truck, but maybe in 9-10 years, another son and his Dad will find an old truck to fix up together.

Unscripted and Unplugged

• I asked the kids where Ashley was when we were in a store.  Ady said she knew right where she was and led us right to her.  I asked her how she knew where she was.  Ady proclaimed, “Super Ady knows everything!” This made Treven respond with, “oh yeah, what is 5,216 + 922?”  Ady then responded with “I mean everything about where people are Treven!”
• Treven was playing soccer with some friends.  The soccer ball was kicked and hit Treven hard, squarely in the chest.  Just when I thought he was going to start crying, he said, “wow, that felt weird on my heart,” then he shrugged and went back to playing.
• We hung out with some friends a couple of months ago.  The kids were all downstairs watching a “Spy Kids 2” while we talked.  Our friend went down the stairs to check on the kids.  At the end, the girl is dancing around with a tiny bit of her stomach flesh showing.  We were told that all four boys seemed to be mesmerized when one suddenly piped up and said (in a somewhat lustful way), “I REALLY like her belt!” Luckily that one was NOT Treven. 
• We were going somewhere and Treven wanted to use the GPS.  It kept directing us a different way then I wanted to go, which I knew was slower.  I told the kids it was fine and that the GPS was wrong.  Finally Treven could take no more.  He said, “do you want me to wham you mister?”………he then whispered, “I wouldn’t really wham it Dad, I am just trying to get this guy to stop being so  unreasonable.”
• On our first boating trip of the season, I told the kids we would have to move them to bigger lifejackets because they had outgrown their last ones.  They seemed sort of sad to let their last ones go.  I told them it would be okay.  When I tried the news ones on them, Treven said, “oh I like this one better anyway, the last lifejacket really bothered my penis.”  The last ones did indeed have a strap that went under the kids legs for safety, something that this new one was lacking…….apparently for the better.
• Ashley was called as the kids’ Primary teacher for the first couple months we lived in the ward.  One week she taught a lesson on being a peacemaker.  They did some role-playing.  She picked the one kid that is known as the wildest amongst their Primary class, to role-play with her first.  Before the role-playing began, Treven very clearly stated to the little boy, “you had better not mess with my Mom or my sister, or you will be messing with me.”  He said this in a quite serious, hushed tone.  He is very protective of the ladies in our family.
• When we went camping/boating over Labor Day weekend, Treven really wanted Ashley to come in the tube with him.  He kept wanting to go faster and faster.  I went  a tiny bit faster and Treven soon realized the difference two or three MPH can make on the tube.  In between laughter, he shouted out, “I am a man, I am supposed to be able to handle this!!!!”
• Whenever we are driving in the car, the kids always want me to make up stories for them.  I always ask them to give me a subject and then away I go.  One particular time I decided I was going to make all sentences in the stories rhyme.  After I had told three brief stories to the kids, Treven asked me to tell them a story about them being super-heroes.  He then said, “…and please leave out your Dr. Seuss!”

 

• Ashley bought some pink lemonade in bottles from the store one week.  We were drinking it, when Ady said that we should get it again the next week.  I said, “maybe we could save some money and make our own.”  Ady said, “I just never thought of that because I don’t know where we buy pink lemons.”  She was dead serious.
• In Sacrament one week, Ady really seemed to need to blow her nose.  I quietly helped her.  She looked down at the tissue as I was folding it up, she proclaimed (a little too loudly) “whoa, I had some really strawberry boogers today!”

Don’t Judge

When I tell you my current addiction is Teen Mom on MTV.  It was late one night and nothing was on the television.  I was flipping through channels waiting for Kent to get done with some homework when I stopped on Teen Mom and was sucked into the lives of 4 teenage mothers.  Worst yet, I’m not alone.  Kent also stays up till 11:00 pm Tuesday nights to watch.  Why aren’t we like normal couples that get sucked into Survivor, Dancing with the Stars, Amazing Race, or The Bachelor?!  Please tell me someone else shares our addiction! 

Interpretation of a Family

Trev does not like to draw or color.  However, he will draw if he is bored in sacrament meeting and we forget (wink, wink) to bring the church bag!  This picture is our family.  Dad, Mom, Ady, Trev, little brother (?), little sister (?), and our dog (?).  Apparently we are missing three members of our family and Trev wants a brother first judging on the height difference.  Each one of us is holding a lollipop.  Trev is also holding an aunt farm while Ady has a balloon.  I'm the favorite member of the family so I have a huge ice cream cone that reaches the clouds.  Dad also has ice cream but it is melting and going to fall on my head at any moment (insert laughter).  Trev has long hair even though his head is always buzzed.  I'm not quite sure what's going on with the legs but at least they look functional.  There are flowers and grass but Trev left space for Ady to draw some flowers because she loves flowers.  Ady was not interested as she was drawing a unicorn instead.

This picture makes me happy.