Utah

Yeah! The long awaited summer vacation is finally here. The kids and I are headed to Utah in a couple hours. I'm just wondering how I managed to put off so many things until the last minute. I am going to miss this beautiful green lush bug ridden place and Dave of course.

KY Adventures - Louisville

Here is one of our many adventures to Louisville. Most of our trips however include either the airport or Costco so I guess this was one of the more exciting ones. We headed to the Louisville Slugger Museum, where the official bat of major league baseball is born. We learned more than we ever imagined about how bats are made. We even got to tour the factory and see every stage of the bat being made, it was really neat. However you can't take any pictures in the actual factory but we got several fun ones of the museum. The kids especially loved trying to pose like the statues. After the museum we picked up some yummy lunch and headed for a picnic on the Ohio River. I think once we crossed the bridge we actually changed states. It was a bit of a hike down to the river but the kids loved it. The water was so cool and refreshing. Yet another fabulous KY adventure.

I am already salivating

Oh how I have missed you............

Paradise Bakery

Zuppas

Wingers

Los Hermanos

Kneaders

Cafe Rio

Cabo Grill (this one most of all)

Bajios

Taco Amigo

Anything and everything my mom made for us

Ky Adventures - Dinasour World

The next couple of posts are going to be our adventures that we have had in Kentucky. Last month be went down to Cave City and went to Dinosaur World. The kids loved it. It was hard for me to judge it fairly because we have lived by the Thanksgiving Points Dinosaur Museum for so long and it is tough for anything to beat that. It was mostly outside and you walked or ran if you are my kids through all of the trails to see the different dinosaurs. There was also digging for fossils a little museum and a playground. Overall a fun family trip.

If you plant it, it will grow (with a little TLC)

I have really enjoyed not having to take care of a yard this year. It is the first time in six years I haven't had a thing to do in the yard. No weeding, no watering, mowing, edging, pruning, no apple, peach or raspberry picking. It felt really weird. So, I decided it was finally time to plant my own garden. My parents have always had more than they could eat so I guess that was my excuse before. And last year my fabulous neighbor Jen gave me more squash and zucchini than I could ever eat. We should have started selling zucchini bread with how much we were producing. She also introduced me to the Armenian cucumber. If you have never planted these before you should. They are so delicious and crunchy, yum!!! This coming from someone who always thought she hated cucumbers. Anyway, I am afraid that a lot of my garden is going to ripen the middle of July, when I am going to be headed to Utah for a couple of weeks. But I am proud of myself none the less.

My goal is to blog about our adventures in Kentucky, these next couple of weeks.

My Dad

This is going to be the first Father's Day that I cannot wish my dad a happy Father's Day in person. Don't worry he is still living we are just separated by a mere 1,633 miles. That's a lot considering I have lived within a 280 mile radius of him my whole 29 years of life, and as close as 2 miles from drive way to drive way for a couple years. I miss living close to my dad and spending time together. Especially the afternoons together after he would bring over pizza and bread sticks for lunch for me and the kids. The last couple of weeks I have been thinking of all of the many things that my dad has taught me and wanted to share some of them with you.

My dad has taught me:

1. the name of almost all of the mountain ranges in Utah
2. gun safety
3. freedom is not free
4. how to shoot at a still and a moving target
5. if you are going to do something, do it right (not half assed as he would say)
6. to show affection - hug, kiss and give suskies to those you love
7. to respect my elders
8. how to drive a stick shift (oh I miss old greenie)
9. to change the oil
10. to fix a flat tire
11. that adults wish they got grounded sometimes
12. how to answer a question (the answer to what time do you want to leave is not blue)
13. how to light fireworks
14. it is better to bear the shame than to bear the pain
15. to buy only what you can afford
16. that money doesn't grow on trees
17. to be patriotic
18. to love oldies music
19. how to check the fluids in my car
20. to neither question or argue with him
21. how to put up a tent
22. to create things
23. how to secure just about anything (boats, tents etc.)
24. how to calculate mpg
25. that you can stick just about anything in pancakes and they still taste good
26. honesty and trust
27. doing things as a family is important
28. North, South, East, West
29. that he cares about the things I do - in high school he went to almost all of my volleyball games and my orchestra concerts, as an adult my triathlons and all of my kids event
30. when it is time to go, you shouldn't be upstairs cleaning toilets
31. to drive a boat, snowmobile, four wheeler, motorcycle, go cart and lawn mower, (actually he made me read the entire riding lawn mover manual before I could drive that)
32. having one good friend that accepts and understands you is more important than having 20 friends that don't
33. things can always be improved upon
34. the state capitals
35. how to gut a deer
36. to be on time (or be left)
37. and many many other things

And for everything my dad has taught me I am so grateful, you have made me the person I am today. I love you dad! XOXOX

Sweet Kinley

Kinley comes running in living room today with Taylin's pillow case telling me something that sounds like, "mommy Taylin's pill pop". After I spent a couple minutes trying to calm her down I finally understood what she was saying, "mommy Taylin's pillow popped". I then went on to give her a demonstration of how pillows can go in and out of their pillow cases, and this is nothing to be alarmed about.

Grandma's Visit

My mom came to visit us a month or so ago. The visit was short but we tried to enjoy every minute. We took her to one of our new favorite places, the nature preserve by our house. We also went down to visit my brother who only lives a couple hours away. His wife Teressa just had their 4th boy Bridger so we were all excited to see him.
p.s. I posted twice today

Here are all of the grandkids except for Charlotte.