What a Week!

Ok, so this is going to be broken up into parts so just bare with me....This is the
Grammer Family 3 Day Reunion.

Day 1 - Seven Peaks and Birthday party

So the first day we went to Seven Peaks. And after taking a wrong turn made it there in one piece. It's a pretty good water park and the boys had so much fun. Ok, well James did. He loved hanging out with his cousins and going down the little water slides. Tommy screamed as I forced him down one with him on my lap... with Tim. We got stuck half way down. Tommy eventually got use to the water and Tim was mad at me for not letting him play on his own. Call me mean, but I didn't have time to take out in this vacation to deal with the hospital because he wanted to swim on his own. I really liked the lazy river but the boys were board of it, and cried most of the way. Katie (in the picture) took James on a bunch of slides and kept an eye on him. It was nice to have a little break, so Thanks Katie! Random meeting though.... Any of you Logandale people out there... I ran into Jason Asay, and then the rest of his family. What a small world!

After Seven Peaks we went back to Larry and Valerie's house for a birthday party. At least that's what I thought. But when I got there the house was locked up. So I sat in the car and waited for someone else to get there. It was nice the boys got a nap, and I had a chace to change before everyone got there.... that's the beauty of sleeping children and tinted windows.... and NOT being 6'4". I guess being short has its advantages. Jessica (a niece) was turning 16! So we celebrated with her. The boys were in heaven wen Grandpa Johnson brought out the snowcone maker. And oh my... the soda, and hot dogs, and cake and ice cream.... Tommy was so cute when he saw one of the cousins wearing a superman shirt. He was playing with the chalk and then came over to me very and very quietly said "Mom... there's another Super Hero!" We left late but we had a good time.


Tim with his fohawk. How to get this look.... fall asleep in a car seat with wet hair in and Ta Da, a great do!

Tommy and James being silly with the weird rackets to a game that no one knew how to play.

(This is the "other" Super Hero that Tommy saw)(This was all said in a wisper to get the full effect)

Day 2 - Dinosaur Museum

So the next day the rest of the family hiked Timpanogas, and because I didn't want to lug all three boys up the mountain we went to the dinosaur museum with my sister Eliza. I'm sure James could have done the hike but with the pace that he walks at I'm sure we would still be trying to get up the mountain.

If you have never been to the museum at Thanksgiving Point, it's so worth it! The boys had a blast. They got to play on the computer with Eliza, dig for bones and play with all sorts of things. The funniest part was when the boys were playing in the water and sand section, where you learn about erosion, Tommy put his hands in, decided that he didn't like it and promptly wiped his hands off on the nearest object.... some lady's pants!!!!! My sister looked away not wanting to claim him and I just wasn't paying attention to what Tommy was doing. So to the lady with dirt and water on you pants.... I'm sorry!

This is my fabulous sister Eliza, she came with us to the Dinosaur Museum, and although Aunt Michelle is still the favorite aunt Eliza sure won points for this one and the ice cream that she bought when we were done here. (Michelle, you better watch out :) )

Day 3 - Picnic, Marshmallows Guns and Water Balloons

The last day we headed up to Orem for one last "Day-O-Fun". We went up Provo canyon and had a picnic. One of Steve's sisters, Kim, made marshmallows guns for everyone. They were lots of fun. After only inhaling two marshmallows I got the hang of it. James did pretty good and Tommy was just eating all the ammunition from the ground. (Good job Tommy for keeping our area clean) The boys looked cute in the matching shirts that we all wore. It was like a dress on Tim, but give him a day or two and I'm sure it will fit better. The shirts had a big smiley face and Benji's tag on it "Heliroo." It was a great way to remember him.

Ok, so this isn't the clearest picture but you can still see his eye lashes! They are so long and really dark!

Not long after lunch was eaten we got the water balloons out. We were going to play some games with some of them but they didn't last that long. There was a treasure hunt with lots of great candy to find. (I raided the boys' bags for there Laffy Taffy's) and then one of the kids found a snake. Boy was that a great find... (what ever...) I'm not a fan, but the boys thought it was great.So all in all it was a great time, honestly.... Better than I thought it was going to be. It was hard with out Steve being here, but it was fun to get to know his family a little bit better. The boys had a great time with there cousins, and getting to run amuck with them, and it was nice to see the family all happy and getting along. One thing that I will mention... is this family is full of funky toes!!! That's be a post for another time.

Memories....

Ok... I'm a totally copy cat... I've seen this on a couple of my friends blogs and I thought it would be fun to play... (I even copied this line from my friend Lucy)

1. As a comment on my blog, leave a memory that you and I have together. It doesn't matter if you know me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see what memories people have of you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses.

I would love to hear what you guys remember about me! Remember keep it clean. I have fully repented of all transgressions!

Red, White, Blue, & 5 Boys too!

So Happy 4th of July to you all!! I love this holiday. I love the parades, I love the snowcones, the flags, the fireworks and the way it makes me feel. I love, and am proud to be an American! (Hey, don't forget to see the pictures that (finally) uploaded of the boys washing the Harley's)

So for this leg of our trip we went up to Roy to see the Hunsakers. We were going to go up to Idaho, but last minute plans changed. Fine with me, that's just less driving. So instead I took the boys... (5 of them, 3 of mine, 2 of theirs) to the Hooper Parade. Jen and Adam went for a bike ride because they are training for the Spudman Triathlon.

Now 5 boys... "Wow" you say, but really these boys are actually EASIER when they are all together! There is James (born Dec. 2003), Davy (Dec. 2004) Tommy (March 2005) Tim (Sept. 2006) and Jon (Jan. 2007). So really they are one right after the other. This time around I think Jon was totally loven' it. Tim was put in his room for bed, and I think both boys enjoyed waking up with some one who understood there language. They would sit for an hour in the morning just talking to each other. It was fun to hear them babble back and forth.

Ok, so on to the parade...

Here is James, Davy, and Tommy.

This was the only one of all 5 of them that were looking at the camera... Ok so kinda being in the direction of the camera. In a nut shell, the best phrase that describes them is..."Brothers from another mother" The crazy thing is that really we don't stop here... Ideally we would have all the "brother" together... adding in the Kemper's 2 1/2 and the Taylor twins, but alas that will have to be another time.

The parade came and went and the boys totally made out with the loot that they threw out. We made sure to sit close to the beginning of the parade to get the best stuff and not the left overs. James was excited that he saw the Montana state flag. Why was it here in Utah? That's anybody's guess, but hey, it was in Hooper, so pretty much anything goes. This next picture is a shout out to Davy.....

What would a red-neck parade be with out the "General" in all it's glory?!

So after the parade we went to the little park to see what was going on. They had little games and booths set up so I thought it would be fun. But first things first... we had to get there and then all the boys needed some thing to drink. I know I looked ridicules as I'm pushing Tim in the stroller, I have Jon on my shoulders, and the other three boys are walking behind me. Finally we make it to the park and we get out much needed water (which by the way was a reasonable 50 cents a bottle instead of the 1.50 most places like to charge!)

Do you see all that red hair on Jon? Jen says it came from grandmas on both sides... you just keep telling your self that.... :)

Davy and James did the bouncy slide, which they loved. I'm sure they would have played in there forever if I let them. But alas... I had tired boys on my hand and had to get them home to nap... remember, we still have fire works to do...

So this time walking back to the car, I had Jon and Tim in the stroller (see picture) and the three boys tagged along behind. Being encouraged every step of the way to make it back to the car before they all collapse.
Tim didn't make it.

So after this adventure I want to share a couple things that I learned... Do NOT dress you kids in red, white and blue when every other person is wearing those colors. It's much easier to find a lost Tim... I mean child... when he is wearing bright yellow. And second. Thowing otter pops at people at the parade may seem like a good idea, but it isn't. When they hit the street and come skidding toward you they get holes in it, and holes in an otter pop when a toddler is holding it is just a mess!!!!

We got back to the Hunsakers house, had lunch and then everyone napped.... except James.
So after we were all well rested, and ready to go, we headed over to the Clearfield Park. We had a great time. This time I had back up with Jen and Adam there. So Adam too all the boys to play on the bounce houses that they had set up, while Jen and I did our "girl thing" as Adam would like to call it. Then every one came back to eat while we waited (and waited, and waited....) for it to get dark. The boys played with snaps, an ever popular thing. And tried not to get lost in the mix of people coming into the park.

Here's just some fun pictures of that night...

So I was really happy at how these next pictures turned out. I got some really good ones of the fireworks. Now as you look at these, take a moment to think about what these fireworks represent. Not all the pretty colors, and sparkle that we see now... The first "fireworks" were cannons going off and guns being shot. People were dieing. They were fighting for our freedom and to echo what Francis Scott Key wrote, as he look out over the harbor, hoping with all he had that our flag would still be flying.

Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light, What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming? Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight, O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming? And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there. O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

O, thus be it ever when freemen shall stand, Between their lov'd homes and the war's desolation; Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserv'd us as a nation! Then conquer we must, when our cause. it is just, And this be our motto: "In God is our trust" And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Happiness is Harleys

So after two days in the car we finally made it up to Utah. The rod trip was good, and because of the GPS, I didn't get lost in Phoenix!! (This really is a big thing for me) The GPS that I have... actually I'm borrowing, has are really crazy voice, and the lady tells me to turn left or right or what ever. I feel like when is going to yell at me ("You fool you didn't turn left like I told you too!!!) if I don't turn. And I think they really need to add a compliments feature to it. For people like me who get lost going to the store, I would really like someone to say, "Good job!!! You turned left!!!"

The trip was long but broken up several times by Tommy needing to pee. So as we are pulling on the side of the road, because of course he has to go when we are no where near an exit, he has learned the full joy of being a boy. Yes, Tommy has learned that it's fun to pee while swaying back and forth and watching the pee "water" all the dirt. Oh, the joys of boys!!!

The first day after we got there all the cousins where over. It was so much fun. There is 10 of them ranging in ages from 7 all the way down to 10 months. They all played in the pond, being careful not to get into it, but all being soaked to the skin a couple times that day. In and out all day long they had a great time.

It was fun spending time will all my family too. All my sisters came (minus Lauralynn, the newest addition), so it was fun to talk and laugh and just hang out.

The next day my brother Hyrum and his wife Christa invited the boys and I over to there house for breakfast. So we are getting ready, we are in the car and about 10 minutes from the house, and Tommy throws up. I guess all the change in elevation, and OJ on an empty stomach, makes him throw up, because he was fine after that. I looked ridicules though as I am trying to get to the exit and pull off the road. I jump out of the car and try to catch some of it in a bag. Try as I may, most of it went on him, thank goodness for washers!!!

Because of Tommy's incident, we didn't go out that night with my sister as planned. Tommy has a knack of infecting my sisters kids with anything and everything! But staying home gave the boys a chance to help Grandma and Grandpa wash the Harley's. Boy they where so excited for this.

This by far was my favorite picture. Tommy wouldn't sit still long enough for me to get one of him.

We are proud to present.....

"Leah and the Traveling Circus!!!!" Coming to a town, city, and state near you! Many shows daily, admission is FREE!

We are about to embark on the biggest road trip this family has seen so far, and all you lucky people get to be a part of that. The start will be here at home way, way down in Southern Arizona, yup, right near Mexico. So that means we will be traveling through the whole state of Arizona before bunking down for the night at my (fabulous) Aunt's house in Nevada. Then it's on to Utah, for three weeks, of friends, family and fun. (you really don't want to miss this show) Then we go on the road to Colorado, Kansas, and then to Missouri. While there we'll be adding a new act for about a week, this is great one we like to call "Dad". Then we'll be winding down as we pass through Kansas (again), Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico before we are home again in Arizona. We will be making many stops along the way to take it all in. (or just to avoid any melt downs)

We have been planning and preparing for about a month now and are ready to hit the road.

*Luggage packed -CHECK-

*Car packed -CHECK-

*Garbage out -CHECK-

*Dishes done -CHECK-

*House clean -CHECK-

*Floor mopped -CHECK-

*Lists checked off -CHECK-

*Dog house ready -CHECK- (and for those who don't know, but want to, this one does fit 3 kids and a dog!)

(all three kids are in there, in the process of kicking Captain out)

*Car washed -CHECK-

*Maps in hand -CHECK-

*GPS set -CHECK-

*Snacks, games, and books -CHECK, CHECK, & CHECK-

*Three kids.......???? (looks like I need to check the list again)

Water, water every where

The boys had a water fight (and Tommy even got all wet) I think I got some really good pictures. I thought I would share with you all the fun that was had that day. Isn't it fun to watch how much great fun you can have with a cup and some water..

(Tommy was in his Super suit, until it was wet and I made him take it off because is was so wet, he promptly put it back on when he came in.)

Here Tim is just playing..... and then Tommy comes up from behind. I don't think Tim was expecting that.

Here we have "Pier Le Tommy" Believe it of not, he is getting cleaner, slowly but surely he is.

And now we have another installment of....

T.I.M.H. (Thoughts In My Head)

After Tim Russert died, I heard some one say some things. About what a great person he was and a great new person, "he always got right to the hard questions" they went on to say other things. It was then said " We are going to have a great night of laughing and fun, because that's what Tim would want." Well I was thinking does anyone, want people to be miserable after they die? Does anyone really know? Now think what do you want people to do when you go? Party? Mourn? Eat? Well after much thought and careful consideration this is want I want...

I want people to eat sushi, chocolate cupcakes, and Now and Laters. (No funeral potatoes, or casseroles please) I want people to dance the Macerena, and the Boot Scootin' Boogie. And every picture that is taken at the luncheon, I want everyone to have their finger in their nose. There you have it people. See I figure while you are all partying after I'm gone at least I'll get a good laugh.

(You are all thinking about how the dances go aren't you?)