Las Vegas Trip July 2010

Las Vegas--what a place! It was my first time there, and I was AMAZED by all the beautiful architecture and elaborate decor! We flew there with Jim's parents and were there about 4 days. While there, we took a tour of the Hoover Dam, rode 3 roller coasters (Manhattan Express, Desperado, & Speed--the Ride), visted the Shelby World Headquarters--where they make Shelby Mustangs, toured 18 casinos (my favorites being the MGM Grand, Bellagio, Venetian, Caesar's Palace, and Paris), and ate LOTS of great food! Jim's mom was the luckiest person EVER with the penny slots (winning over $350), so we started calling her "Ol Lucky!" While we were in Vegas, the boys had their first extended stay with my parents and had a BLAST! They went to a rodeo (which Cooper said was his favorite thing), helped my parents crank tomatoes (to make tomato juice), played mini golf, went to the park, played with my parents' marble machine, played baseball, had many rides on my dad's Kawasawki "Mule," and lots more!

Trip to Elk Falls

It's always fun to go visit my parents in Elk Falls! I enjoy the quiet, slow-paced lifestyle that seems to only exist in Elk Falls, and the boys enjoy...well EVERYTHING else! Some of their favorite things to do at my parents' house are to play baseball, croquet, ping-pong, & basketball; go on rides on my dad's Kawasawki Mule; play at the Rock Garden; collect eggs from the chickens; play with clay; read books ("We're Going on a Bear Hunt" is always a popular choice!); help my mom cook; and play with Bobbi, the kitten! They never want to leave, and they're always anxious to go back!

Sweet Summer Days

As a teacher, I DEFINITELY look forward to my summers! I LOVE that I can spend every second of it with my sweet boys! Since the school year is always SO busy with preparing lessons, grading papers, attending school functions, sporting events, and so forth, I try to make up for it in the summer by spending as much quality time with my boys as I can! We therefore pack a lot into our days--such as swimming (at home and at White Water), going to Silver Dollar City, making short trips to see Grandma Jane & Grandpa Steve or Granny & Papa, going to the Dickerson Park Zoo, playing mini golf and bowling, playing every sport imaginable, visiting local parks, riding bikes, and lots more! It's always hard to let go of those carefree summer days to transition into another busy school year. I enjoy my teaching job (most days), but I enjoy my family more, and I hate that I don't ever seem to get enough time with them! I therefore try to never take things for granted and to enjoy each moment that God has given me with the precious people that I call my family!

Florida Vacation 2010

We had an AWESOME trip to Florida this year! It was Cooper's 2nd time to go, and Colton's first time. Cooper was 2 when he went last, so he didn't remember much about it. It was also the first time for either of them to fly on a plane! We left June 2nd and came back June 7th. Cooper was sick when we left that morning, so he didn't enjoy the flight at all and even threw up on Jim on the plane! Colton was pretty good, but got very bored and whiny for about the last 45 min. of the flight. Cooper had strep or something for most of the trip, so he wasn't feeling the best and therefore couldn't enjoy things as much as he would have otherwise. The first day, we stayed at Bonnet Creek Resort in Orlando. After settling into our room, we went swimming and then went to the world's largest McDonald's Playplace! The next day, we went to Daytona Beach and hit the beach. The boys both had a blast playing in the sand, and Colton LOVED the waves! Also while in Daytona Beach, we went to the Daytona 500 Speedway. We had a tour of the race track, enjoyed the race car exhibits and displays, and watched a NASCAR IMAX movie in 3D. It was all very informative and interesting, and Cooper would have LOVED it had he been feeling better. The next day, we went back to Orlando and spent more time swimming, playing mini golf, going to Downtown Disney & Inlet Harbor, and finished our trip with a trip to Disney's Animal Kingdom. Cooper's favrorite part was the Expedition Everest ride! He went on it 5 times! It was very big, very fast, and quite intense! I'm really surprised that he liked it as much as he did! We also really enjoyed the African Safari, Nemo the Musical, and Lion King show. We were there from open to close, and we still didn't have time to do everything! It was a FUN day! The boys also got their pictures taken with Mickey, Donald Duck, and Goofy! That was definitely a highlight of their day! Colton talked about that for days afterward!

Birthdays

April is a busy month for birthdays around here since both of the boys have birthdays in April! Cooper turned 5 on Apr. 8th, and Colton turned 2 on Apr. 23rd. Cooper had his birthday at the RecPlex park with about 10 of his friends. They had a blast playing on the playground equipment, drawing with sidewalk chalk, and playing frisbee, basketball, and tennis. Cooper LOVED his Spiderman cake that my mom and I made. He got a lot of cool presents, and had a great time with his friends. And the weather was PERFECT! We had Colton's birthday here at home with Chris, Frank, Paul, Rick, Janell, and the Julian family. I made him an Elmo cake--which he LOVED! Cooper's big present was a motorcycle bike from us, and Colton's big present was a tricycle from Granny & Papa. They have both had a lot of fun riding them!