You like my wink?! That means I've got an idea brewing! Ok, here it is: I thought it would be a lot of fun to have a couple "Family Nights" on our vacation. Erika said there is a really big fire pit outside our cabins where we are staying. I thought a couple of nights we could get together with a little "entertainment". I have a bunch of songs from good ol' girls camp that we always had fun singing. I've compiled the best ones to bring up for us to sing around the fire pit. But we don't necessarily need to stay outside, we can do this in the big cabin too. But I was also wondering if anyone was interested in putting together family skits, or puppet shows, or their own songs to perform for everyone else. You remember how we used to have 'talent nights' on some of our vacations growing up?! (And no more skits of "The VERY Important Papers!") If no one likes this idea, let me know. But I thought the kids would have fun showing off their talents for the other kids or just being plain goofy. And it would be fun to let the kids get out their last jiggles and giggles and then get them ready for bed. Keep me posted! Thanks!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Nikki's Wild Hare! (not 'hair')
You like my wink?! That means I've got an idea brewing! Ok, here it is: I thought it would be a lot of fun to have a couple "Family Nights" on our vacation. Erika said there is a really big fire pit outside our cabins where we are staying. I thought a couple of nights we could get together with a little "entertainment". I have a bunch of songs from good ol' girls camp that we always had fun singing. I've compiled the best ones to bring up for us to sing around the fire pit. But we don't necessarily need to stay outside, we can do this in the big cabin too. But I was also wondering if anyone was interested in putting together family skits, or puppet shows, or their own songs to perform for everyone else. You remember how we used to have 'talent nights' on some of our vacations growing up?! (And no more skits of "The VERY Important Papers!") If no one likes this idea, let me know. But I thought the kids would have fun showing off their talents for the other kids or just being plain goofy. And it would be fun to let the kids get out their last jiggles and giggles and then get them ready for bed. Keep me posted! Thanks!
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
4th of July
Anyone who doesn't have plans for the 4th is welcome to come over to my house. Lauren and I just sketched out plans for a get-together. She's coming over around 4:30 or 5:00. We're going to let the kids play in the little pool and on the trampoline and we'll BBQ hamburgers and hot dogs. We're also planning on having s'mores (we've got a little fire pit in the backyard). Then, at dark, we'll join all the crazies on my street with fireworks--it's quite a show with an amazing assortment of illegal fireworks! Let me know if you're interested!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
more reunion stuff
Just so you guys know, I don't think Doug will be able to be at the reunion with us for the whole time. He'll just be getting back to work about 2 weeks before the reunion, and after having had more than 2 months off, we don't feel right about having him ask for a week of vacation time. I think he'll just ask for Saturday off and try to come down Friday night after work. (His schedule is four ten hour days: W, Th, F, & S.) Nikki said Brent isn't going to be there the whole time, either. As of right now, he's planning on driving Doug down. Is there anyone else who is planning on coming only part of the time? We might be able to coordinate rides better if we knew...
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Happy Birthday, Dad!
Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday dear Dad, Happy Birthday to you!!!!!!Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Rare flower
Hey Dad,
You should go see this rare flower that only blooms once every 10 years or so at the Huntington Library this week:
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_12540402
Just... bring a handkerchief, maybe.
You should go see this rare flower that only blooms once every 10 years or so at the Huntington Library this week:
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_12540402
Just... bring a handkerchief, maybe.
Houston, we have a heartbeat
They do the ultrasound so early so they can measure the baby and give you a pretty good estimate for the due date. But the doctor said that he wants to measure me again in 10 days to make sure, since yesterday's measurement is still a little early. But for now he's thinking I'm due on Feb 2nd. Right before he left the room he popped his head back in and was like, "After you see the heartbeat, there's only a 5% chance of losing the baby." Tell me about it, doc. The doctor that I saw with the last pregnancy wasn't like that at all, he looked at me gravely before he left and said, "You're still in the danger zone." Yesterday I emailed Dad about our house inspection, the heartbeat, and the fact that I'm way sick and life is miserable. Then I said, "But other than that, things seem to be going fine."
Dad wrote back and said, "So, other than being way sick and nervous about the baby coming and contemplating moving to a new house - things seem to be going fine. YOU'RE IN DENIAL!"
Ok, Dad, you may have a point!
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Treen
Treen is a generic name for small handmade functional household objects made of wood. Hence treen is distinct from furniture, such as chairs, and cabinetry, such as clocks and cupboards.
Anything from wooden plates and bowls, snuff boxes and needle cases, spoons and staybusks to shoehorns and chopping boards can be classed as treen. Domestic and agricultural wooden tools are also usually classed in with treen.
Anything from wooden plates and bowls, snuff boxes and needle cases, spoons and staybusks to shoehorns and chopping boards can be classed as treen. Domestic and agricultural wooden tools are also usually classed in with treen.
We were challenged last month to make some treen and these are mine. Kathy likes them so I'm good with that.
More Reunion Plans
Hi everyone, Thanks so much for writing back with your ideas. Here is a tentative outline for our daily activities. My only criteria in deciding what activities to put on what days was to separate days that had long driving trips with days that would be much closer to home base. So, of course, if anyone wants to swap days for any activity, that would be fine with me. Now you can look over this list and if you feel like something really fun has been left out, you can submit your suggestion with the appropriate committee.
Please remember, I’m not going to force everyone to do every activity. If you want to bring a lot of books and hang out at camp the whole time, that’s fine. (Parents of young children may not zone out the whole time, however.)
Day 1—Tuesday, July 28
Check in time is 3:00. You can come down any time that you like. Please pick up your own dinner on the way. Dad and Kathy are driving up. Lynne is flying in (and then getting a ride from one of us??) It’s about 3 hours from Lauren’s house, 4 from mine.
Day 2—Wednesday, July 29
A Local day. In the morning, we’ll explore the area and look for Cascade Falls. In the afternoon, we’ll have some family badminton and horseshoe tournaments. And after dinner, we’ll have a bonfire with smores in one of the large firepits. Yumm!
Day 3—Thursday, July 30
Best Friends Animal Sanctuary & Zions National Park
Best Friends animal sanctuary is just outside of Kanab and is the nation's largest sanctuary for abused and abandoned animals. The facility has been made famous by a TV show called Dog Town on the cable network Animal Planet. They provide a nice tour I think we would enjoy. The tour runs about 2 hours. I have made reservations for our group for this morning at 9:00. The only glitch is that they have 2 vans to take people around on the tour—and they can hold 22 people. We have about 26 in our group. So one family would need to opt out of this tour. The family that doesn’t come will get a few extra hours in Zions, or several extra hours of sleep in the morning. We’ll plan on leaving about 7:45 a.m. (with packed lunches). It’s a one hour drive to the Animal Sanctuary. We’ll be on the tour from 9:00-11:00. It’s a one hour drive from there to Zion’s National Park. Once we get to Zion’s, I assume we may split up with some people choosing to go hiking, some choosing to take a shuttle tour, others may want to drive through the park, or explore the ranger’s stations, etc. Because of the side trip to the animal sanctuary, this will probably be our longest day—we may want to consider meeting up at a specific time and having our dinner out on this night. There are several restaurants in Springdale, the city we’ll pass through on our way into the park.
Day 4—Friday, July 31
A Local day. We’ll spend some time around Navajo Lake, they have reasonable prices for renting pontoon boats or canoes. We could also have a family paintball tournament at camp!
Day 5—Saturday, Aug 1
Cedar City. We could relax for the morning and then drive into Cedar City after lunch for some fun. (It’s about a 45 minute drive.) In Cedar there is a nice public pool, a Discovery Park, a Benjamin Franklin exhibit is going on at the local library, and movie theaters for activities to choose from. Of course, the Shakespeare festival is going on, too. These plays are not for children under 7, though. If some of the adults want to see a play while the rest of us play at the park or go to a movie…that would be cool. I’d even be willing to watch someone else’s kids, but first come first serve (I’m not willing to watch ALL the kids at the same time). At 2:00 the Comedy of Errors and a play called Foxfire are playing. I think we’ll head home for dinner (of course this would be another good option as a night to have dinner out) but, if anyone would like to drive down for the evening play, at 8:00 As You Like it and The Secret Garden are playing. There’s a lot more info at www.bard.org. If this interests you, buy your tickets soon!
Day 6—Sunday, Aug 2
A Local day. Family Archery tournament?
Day 7—Monday, August 3
Bryce Canyon
Leave around 8:30 a.m. Pack lunches. It’s about 1 hr 15 min. drive.
Last Day—Tuesday, August 4
Check out time—10:00 a.m.
Now we know where we’re going to be and what we’ll be doing. Hope this helps. Sisters, please let me know if you have a preference for what day you’ll cook dinner!
Please remember, I’m not going to force everyone to do every activity. If you want to bring a lot of books and hang out at camp the whole time, that’s fine. (Parents of young children may not zone out the whole time, however.)
Day 1—Tuesday, July 28
Check in time is 3:00. You can come down any time that you like. Please pick up your own dinner on the way. Dad and Kathy are driving up. Lynne is flying in (and then getting a ride from one of us??) It’s about 3 hours from Lauren’s house, 4 from mine.
Day 2—Wednesday, July 29
A Local day. In the morning, we’ll explore the area and look for Cascade Falls. In the afternoon, we’ll have some family badminton and horseshoe tournaments. And after dinner, we’ll have a bonfire with smores in one of the large firepits. Yumm!
Day 3—Thursday, July 30
Best Friends Animal Sanctuary & Zions National Park
Best Friends animal sanctuary is just outside of Kanab and is the nation's largest sanctuary for abused and abandoned animals. The facility has been made famous by a TV show called Dog Town on the cable network Animal Planet. They provide a nice tour I think we would enjoy. The tour runs about 2 hours. I have made reservations for our group for this morning at 9:00. The only glitch is that they have 2 vans to take people around on the tour—and they can hold 22 people. We have about 26 in our group. So one family would need to opt out of this tour. The family that doesn’t come will get a few extra hours in Zions, or several extra hours of sleep in the morning. We’ll plan on leaving about 7:45 a.m. (with packed lunches). It’s a one hour drive to the Animal Sanctuary. We’ll be on the tour from 9:00-11:00. It’s a one hour drive from there to Zion’s National Park. Once we get to Zion’s, I assume we may split up with some people choosing to go hiking, some choosing to take a shuttle tour, others may want to drive through the park, or explore the ranger’s stations, etc. Because of the side trip to the animal sanctuary, this will probably be our longest day—we may want to consider meeting up at a specific time and having our dinner out on this night. There are several restaurants in Springdale, the city we’ll pass through on our way into the park.
Day 4—Friday, July 31
A Local day. We’ll spend some time around Navajo Lake, they have reasonable prices for renting pontoon boats or canoes. We could also have a family paintball tournament at camp!
Day 5—Saturday, Aug 1
Cedar City. We could relax for the morning and then drive into Cedar City after lunch for some fun. (It’s about a 45 minute drive.) In Cedar there is a nice public pool, a Discovery Park, a Benjamin Franklin exhibit is going on at the local library, and movie theaters for activities to choose from. Of course, the Shakespeare festival is going on, too. These plays are not for children under 7, though. If some of the adults want to see a play while the rest of us play at the park or go to a movie…that would be cool. I’d even be willing to watch someone else’s kids, but first come first serve (I’m not willing to watch ALL the kids at the same time). At 2:00 the Comedy of Errors and a play called Foxfire are playing. I think we’ll head home for dinner (of course this would be another good option as a night to have dinner out) but, if anyone would like to drive down for the evening play, at 8:00 As You Like it and The Secret Garden are playing. There’s a lot more info at www.bard.org. If this interests you, buy your tickets soon!
Day 6—Sunday, Aug 2
A Local day. Family Archery tournament?
Day 7—Monday, August 3
Bryce Canyon
Leave around 8:30 a.m. Pack lunches. It’s about 1 hr 15 min. drive.
Last Day—Tuesday, August 4
Check out time—10:00 a.m.
Now we know where we’re going to be and what we’ll be doing. Hope this helps. Sisters, please let me know if you have a preference for what day you’ll cook dinner!
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Summer Family Reunion Plans
Hey everyone! Our family vacation is coming up pretty fast, it's only about fifty days away now. I wanted to give you the link to the website for the Duck Creek again: http://www.bryce-zion-duckcreekvillage-lodging-utah.com/
And the dates: July 28 - Aug 4
And, I wanted to go over some of the housekeeping details so we'll all know what is expected of us. I think we'll keep the food plan similar to how we did things last year, that is: each of the five girls take a dinner and bring up their own breakfast and lunch materials with extras for Dad, Kathy, Lynne and Adam. We'll plan on each family getting their own dinner on the first night--because everyone may be driving down at different times. And that will leave one night for a dinner out (Dad's treat, maybe in Cedar City). I'm planning on bringing BBQ beef brisket sandwiches with coleslaw for my dinner. I'd like each of the sisters to post a comment saying what dinner they are going to bring once they've decided, that will let those planning after you pick something different. And, Adam, will you bring up some drinks and snacks?
I also would like to create an agenda with what activities we would like to do while we are there. I'd like each family to make a suggestion for something they would like to do during the week. Then, we will make plans for each day and put all the information on a big poster board along with what time we are leaving, whether or not to have lunches packed for the day, etc. Everyone can choose to opt out of the big activity for the day and spend some time just relaxing, but if we have a plan we will save time each day trying to decide what to do, what time to leave, and avoiding miscommunications. So, glance at the website (they have many activity ideas), or google the area and see what you think your family would enjoy for an activity and let me know.
And the dates: July 28 - Aug 4
And, I wanted to go over some of the housekeeping details so we'll all know what is expected of us. I think we'll keep the food plan similar to how we did things last year, that is: each of the five girls take a dinner and bring up their own breakfast and lunch materials with extras for Dad, Kathy, Lynne and Adam. We'll plan on each family getting their own dinner on the first night--because everyone may be driving down at different times. And that will leave one night for a dinner out (Dad's treat, maybe in Cedar City). I'm planning on bringing BBQ beef brisket sandwiches with coleslaw for my dinner. I'd like each of the sisters to post a comment saying what dinner they are going to bring once they've decided, that will let those planning after you pick something different. And, Adam, will you bring up some drinks and snacks?
I also would like to create an agenda with what activities we would like to do while we are there. I'd like each family to make a suggestion for something they would like to do during the week. Then, we will make plans for each day and put all the information on a big poster board along with what time we are leaving, whether or not to have lunches packed for the day, etc. Everyone can choose to opt out of the big activity for the day and spend some time just relaxing, but if we have a plan we will save time each day trying to decide what to do, what time to leave, and avoiding miscommunications. So, glance at the website (they have many activity ideas), or google the area and see what you think your family would enjoy for an activity and let me know.
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