Oak City

I decided it was high time I got my kids back to their country roots. Luckily for them, those roots are conveniently located in Oak City, Utah, and their Grandpa Russell and Mikesell great-grandparents just happened to be headed that direction while we were visiting. 

Other than a slight mishap involving the trailer (thanks to my son's need for a bathroom break less than an hour after leaving Ogden), we made it safely to Oak City in all its glory. I was completely unsurprised to find that my kids LOVED it. After all, my cousins and I used to think this was the best place in the world.

Excited to be out of the car and given free roaming privileges.

It took them about 2.5 seconds to discover and scale this pile of gravel.

The purpose of this trip was the installation of a huge pipe in the creek in order to make a bridge for an access road. So once Grandpa Scott got the trailer settled, we headed off across the land to see where the pipe was going to go. 

Someone insisted on walking by herself.

Believe it or not, she didn't even flinch when she turfed it right on her face:

I cracked up when I saw her face. 

Do you know how many pictures we have of me/my sisters/my cousins covered in Oak City dirt?

The pipe was a big hit with the kids: 

Talking to Great-Grandpa Scott through the pipe

Testing out the pipe's sturdiness:

Best part of the hike: playing in the dry creek bed: 

My job was keeping them away from all the random pieces of barbed wire buried everywhere.

The last thing we needed was an emergency room run for a tetanus shot...

Then it was off to the creek for the installation of the pipe!

Catherine snagged a great view from the back of Great-Grandpa's truck: 

Seth preferred the view from the pile of gravel: 

My dad insisted I get some action shots of the pipe going in, so here we are: 

My handsome Dad: 

The four men, surveying the work: 

The women-folk kept a safe distance, mostly because Catherine was sure the backhoe was going to get her: 

Seth obviously had no such reservations: 

Once the pipe was safely in, we enjoyed a delicious dinner of Spaghettios in the trailer before heading to Aunt Lora's house for a nice bath before bed. The kids and I slept wonderfully (once they stopped being fascinated by the color-changing nightlight and sitting up every three seconds to announce the new color).

Then it was time for Oak City, day #2: 

Looking cute in Grandma's hat

Seth helps Great-Grandpa put the finishing touches on the pipe.

Three Mikesells surveying their work

Catherine was most pleased with the whole situation: 

And this is how my children spent the rest of their time with the pipe: 

Laying on either end of it and yelling to each other.

Despite my (and Grandma's) fears, neither of them fell in.

Did I mention that neither of my children wore any shoes basically the entire time we were there?

Even after I had to fish splinters out of their feet at night? 

Seth, testing the strength of the pipe: 

Our work successfully completed, we spent one more night at Lora's before making the drive to Logan: 

Catherine kept herself entertained with all her various reptiles.

We were able to spend a couple of lovely days in Logan, just hanging out with the Mikesells and visiting with our family. And many thanks to Amber, who let me & the kids come sleep at her house and who fed us delicious breakfast every morning! 

Catherine snuggling with Great-Grandma Danice

Weekend with Daddy

Luckily Jon's work schedule gave him plenty of time on the weekends to hang out with us, much to his children's delight (great-grandma and pregnant Mommy can only be so entertaining all week). Our first adventure with Jon was a trip to the Dinosaur Museum in Odgen. This was a lot of fun for me--we came here all the time as kids. Funny how I remember it being a much more massive sprawling place than it actually is...

Catherine was not too sure about the dinosaurs and had to be held at first.

Seth, on the other hand, was thrilled with the idea.

His favorite displays involved dinosaurs eating other dinosaurs.

No question about it--he's a little boy!

The robotic dinosaurs were another big hit.

Of course, first he had to establish that the robots' feet were stuck and that they couldn't get him: 

His favorite part? Playing in the gold-panning water.

Not actually panning for gold, but having a great time playing with the sand. 

(Jon actually spent a decent amount of time here, too.

We have a couple decent size nuggets to prove it).

Digging for fossils

The highlight of the park for my sisters and me: feeding the ducks

Catherine was, once again, very generous with her feeding.

Sunday we did a crazy whirlwind tour of Jon's family, driving to Saratoga Springs, then Salt Lake, then back to Ogden. Luckily there were lots of cousins to play with so the kids had no complaints about the driving. 

Visiting Grandma Blood

All too soon the weekend was over and Jon had to head back to Dugway for the week. Luckily we had some fun stuff planned to entertain the kids while he was gone! 

Watching 'Bambi' (their new favorite show) with Daddy before he leaves.

(I should probably be more worried about their obsession with that movie--particularly the parts where Bambi's mother is shot and the forest burns down).

Eden Petting Zoo

Grandma Jan wasted no time--the day after we flew in we were off to Eden to take the kids to a petting zoo!

Seth was THRILLED

Catherine was...not so thrilled.

Seth makes some new best friends:

...and rides a tractor like the one Grandma Jan used to drive: 

Meanwhile, the Princess discovers an acceptable feeding method: 

hold the entire bowl out and let the animals have at it 

Suddenly this whole petting zoo thing got a lot better: 

Her favorite animals were the little baby chicks.

She was very disappointed that she couldn't feed or pet them: 

She compensated for her loss by dumping her entire second bowl of food into the turkey's pen.

He was a very happy turkey.

Part of the zoo entrance fee included a ride on a horse. Seth was very excited for his turn: 

I didn't even try with Catherine.

There was no way in the world she was getting on a horse: 

Apparently seeing Seth riding was all the motivation she needed.

I'm still amazed.

Finally, we all got too darn hot and decided to head for home: 

After a nice bath, we were shocked to discover that Seth had accidentally been zapped back into the 1970s: 

Well, either that or he discovered Grandma's wig.

This is definitely going in the "show to future fiancee" file.

Off We Go!

One time, when I was 35-36 weeks pregnant (my doctor and I don't agree on my due date), Jon was sent to Dugway, Utah for work. For three weeks. The choice was mine--stay home by myself, or join him for the last two weeks. A smarter woman would have probably said, "Gee, that's awfully close to my due date. I should probably stay put." Obviously I came to a different conclusion.

Jon dirtbiking in Winnemucca while visiting his sister Elizabeth (the week before we came).

Her comment: "It took a lot of convincing to get him on this thing!"

Shooting guns and dirtbiking.

I think Winnemucca was good for Jonny.

And so, without telling my OB, I hopped on an airplane by myself with two kids less than a month before my due date. 

The kids did amazingly well (really, AMAZINGLY well) and the flight attendants were very kind. Probably because they didn't want to stress me out and send me into labor. 

As soon as I got there I researched hospitals (just in case!) and tried my best NOT to have a baby in Utah.

Ready Or Not

With a little assistance from Seth & Catherine (mostly in the form of testing the bounciness of the crib mattress), I finally got the nursery all ready for baby's arrival. After what a hard time I had accepting the pink baby stuff with Catherine, I was surprised to find myself a little sad to put it away. Back to green and blue and baby boys we go!

This was Catherine's touch: 

I even packed a hospital bag.

Ready when you are, baby boy!

(But take your time, because, really, there's no rush)

Hammerman Beach

Since we only made it to the real beach once this summer, we were happy to have a chance to visit our local "beach" on the Chesapeake Bay. Sure the water may be totally gross, but the kids don't care!

Catherine in particular was thrilled--no waves to knock her over! 

She was so brave, following the big kids out into the water: 

I finally went out and grabbed her when the water was up to her neck.

She was still going strong.

Minus the part where three busloads of summer camp kids with minimal supervision showed up and "borrowed" all our beach toys (some of which never returned), it was a lovely day with our friends!

Seth's First Primary Talk

Excited to be in the special "Talk" chair

In August Seth got to give his first talk in Primary. I wasn't sure how it would go, but he seemed pretty excited about the idea.

His topic was "Heavenly Father and Jesus want me to pray anytime, anywhere." For FHE we helped him think of scripture stories of people who prayed in unusual places. Then we found some pictures to go with the stories and practiced every day. By Sunday he was a pro.

Seth's talk: "Heavenly Father and Jesus want me to pray anytime, anywhere. Joseph Smith said a prayer in the woods. Nephi said a prayer on a boat. Captain Moroni's army said a prayer while they were fighting a war. Jonah said a prayer inside a whale (at this point Seth added, "I know THAT!"). My family said a prayer in the car that we could be safe when we drive. They hear our prayers anywhere, everywhere."

There was a bit of extra commentary added and a healthy dose of the standard mouth-touching-the-microphone talking, but I was very proud of Seth! Speaking to a crowd of 50+ when you're only 5 years old is pretty impressive!