Sleepover

So I am really bad at forgetting my camera and/or remembering my camera then forgetting to take pictures, then in one weekend I take as many pictures as I have the entire year. A couple weekends ago we went with some of our closest friends and their 2 boys up to Midway to spend the night at Zermatt and just have fun staying up all night catching up, eating junk food, and watching me kick Rob's butt in some good card playing (as usual). While the boys (all 5 of them) fell asleep before we could get any good card action in, we did manage to have fun at dinner and the pool before they hit the sack. And of course, Stacie and I did manage to stay up until at least 2 am talking while Ry and Rob snoozed right next to us, even though Stacie was right back up again a couple hours later to feed her little Graham (she's a champ!)

All the boys at dinner. Will and Austin were loving the salt shaker. Austin would pour it in Will's outstretched hand, then they would both just crack up, as seen in bottom right pic.

Messing around at Zermatt. We had adjoining rooms with Rob and Stacie so it was nice to put the boys to sleep in one room then step into the other to hang out.

At the pool. The semi-disturbing picture in the right middle is proof of Rob having fun with a water camera. Pretty cool shot though if you ask me, albeit somewhat scary.

The next morning we woke up and took the boys to feed the goats and ride the merry-go-round. Then we hit park city to go shopping at the outlets, of course, and Ryan and Will found an apparently awesome Kermit ride for Will while I finished up the shopping.

After shopping Rob and Stacie went home to get some sleep, and we decided to take Will to ride the Alpine Slide. I was a little nervous about riding the chair lift up since he never sits still for a second, but we survived and had tons of fun! Of course Ry insisted that Will ride with him down the slide, and they totally beat me, but I blame it on the extra weight and not that I am a total chicken!

After the Alpine Slide we let Will ride in the airplanes at the little kiddie carnival that they have next to the chair lifts.

I had more fun this weekend than I have in a very long time. It was so great to be able to spend some much needed time with great friends. We love you guys so much and are so glad to have such awesome friends in our lives!

Five Years!

I can't even believe I am saying this, but Ry and I have now been married for 5 years! We are getting so old. This is the first year it seems like we haven't gone on a trip for our anniversary, but we decided to stick around home and save some money and just go out for a nice dinner. We went to Tuscany for dinner and then to a movie, which it seems like we never do anymore with little Will around, so that was quite the treat! Ryan's sister Jessica was kind enough to come watch Will while we partied until midnight.

I think my favorite part of the day was when Will came walking up the driveway to me holding the roses below that Ryan had handed to him. Those flowers, I have to say, were the most beautiful flowers Ryan has ever given me to date! They were so thick and full and just kept blossoming more and more for a few weeks! Plus they were my absolute favorite color, so I'd say he did a pretty great job.

The Loves of My Life & a Life-Changing Experience

So I have found another love in my life...quilting! This is my very first ever quilt I actually just finished the binding on, but I don't have the quilt right now to take a picture of so this is the best the blog is going to see of it. I signed up for a beginning piecing class and this is what I made. It is just a random pieced quilt, and there are a few things I would change about my fabric placement, etc, but I love it any way. I am taking another class right now that has you do a few blocks each month for an entire year and the finished product is a surprise. I have always loved to sew, but quilting is where it's at!!

So one day I set Will in his booster chair to eat some oatmeal for breakfast and went in the office to send a few emails, and this is what I came back to find...oatmeal everywhere and totally mesmerized by cartoons.

Apparently he thinks standing on the counter is approved in our house. I guess by the fact that I was standing there taking a picture of him doing it instead of telling him to get down he's right.

Ah the little trouble maker. I think this one needs no explanation. Let's just say we love the Magic Eraser around our house (I don't mean on his face though!)

Ry's 29th birthday! Our friend Sarah was super cute and when she found out we didn't have any decorations for his birthday party we were having, she brought over some leis and balloons. Ry and I also always do the traditional breakfast in bed for each other. I can't wait until next year and the big 3-0! I'm already getting psyched up to make fun of him all year for that one!

The other week we went with one of my best friends Jacquelynn (and Anna) to the Gateway for the kids to play in the fountains.

Our ward was lucky enough to be able to take our youth to Martin's Cove for pioneer trek a few weeks ago. I remember wanting to go as a youth, but I can't remember why I missed ours. Since Ry is in the YM, we were able to go as a Ma & Pa. I was so excited to get to go! Especially since I was only able to be a leader in YW for about 6 months before being pulled out, and I miss those girls! This was truly a life-changing experience for me. I don't think words can express any of the feelings I felt within those short, three days. Suffice it to say that we were able to walk on hallowed ground and traverse the paths of those who lived through a miraculous experience, as well as many others who didn't. We have an absolutely amazing bishopric who were all there, as well as some fantastic leaders. I can't even describe how fun all these adults are. Then there were the youth. I don't know if I have ever come across a more remarkable group of youth in my life. They never complained. They never gave up. When it got tough, they pushed harder. They bore witness of Christ and the truthfulness of the Gospel. They are inspirational to me. We have such a close bond with those in this ward. I will always remember this trip and those who died for me to know of the truthfulness of this Gospel and have it in my life today. I walked in honor of Sarah Ann Franks, a pioneer who was in the Martin Handcart Company with no other family besides her fiance, George, who died in the cove and was hung in a tree in her shawl when they had to leave the cove. As we walked out of the cove, tears filled my eyes as I thought of Sarah. I kept saying to Ryan that I don't know how she ever left that place. I just kept looking behind me at all the beautiful trees, wondering which was George's tree. I will always have a special place in my heart for Sarah. I know the Lord walked with her the day she left that cove. I know that because of her sacrifice, I can know the truth today. In a way, I owe so much to her. Thank you Sarah Ann Franks. This moment is in memory of you.

Lake Powell & Timp Cave

I am so close to catching up to real time in my pictures I can taste it!

Ry has this incredible extended family that have invited us to Lake Powell the last 2 years on their awesome houseboat. We went the last week in June, and my wonderful mother and stepfather were kind enough to watch Will for us so we could have a baby-free week of wakeboarding, boating, and just soaking up the sun!

It was Kathy's birthday while we were there, so we decorated the houseboat and threw her a little party, complete with fireworks and all (Thanks to Glen!)

One of the last days we all hopped on jet skis and rode as a group up through this little canyon. The group picture here shows everyone who went on that jet ski ride together.

For the 4th of July Ry and I took Will and hiked up to Timp Cave. It was so fun having him home from work on a Friday to do stuff with us! The hike up was gorgeous, even though we were truckin' up there as fast as we could cause I thought our tour time on the tickets said 11:40, but it really said 12:40 so we had to wait an hour before going in when we got there! We booked it up there in like 30 minutes, which is super fast, especially when Ry had a toddler on his back! I think it takes most people around an hour...haha...joke's on us!

I had no idea how cool Timp Cave is! I especially liked the chocolate/caramel falls in the bottom right corner, as well as the heart-shaped stalagmite in the picture next to it. The heart was the largest stalagmite in the cave. I can't remember if she said it weighed 100's or 1000's of pounds, but it was HUGE!

St. George & Snow Canyon

Ry had to go to St. George for a week of meetings in June, so Will and I decided to join him. We invited our friends, Shay and Amy, to come stay at the house with us and go on some hikes through Snow Canyon. They brought their RV down so we were able to all drive around St. George together.

Top Left-we made a big breakfast for all our hungry boys; Top Right-Will LOVED riding on the scooter, although he looks a little nervous at this point; Bottom Left-he thinks making hats out of everything is hilarious; Bottom Middle-Andrew and Will riding in the RV to go hiking. They are only about a month apart in age; Bottom Right-Will warms up to the camera with a little wave.

Top Left-the fam; Top Right-Will was out cold within the first 30 minutes, as it was far past nap time; Bottom Left-the boys; Bottom Middle-we decided to hike the petrified sand dunes and somehow got off the trail at some point, so the couple mile hike turned into a 4-hr hike traversing ridges and carving our own path. We all agreed that it turned out to be so much more fun that way!!; Bottom Right-cool spot, literally.

We went to a park with the kids while we were down there and this is Will's very first experience on a swing.

He loved it!

Girl Trip, Camping, and More Camping

Girl trip '09-every year my very best girlfriends that I grew up with in Vegas all get together somewhere in between here and there for a weekend of staying up all night playing games and laughing until we cry. This year we decided to make a music video to Beyonce's "Single Ladies". Suffice it to say you will not be seeing that video anywhere online:) I planned the trip this year so we had it at the house in St. George and went swimming and just had a blast. These girls are my sisters!

Sign of the times? For those of you who have been to my house, you know that Ryan and I are so very blessed to have our very own set of train tracks right in our backyard! Randomly one day when Will & I were playing out back, this came by on the tracks. It was such a sight to behold that I immediately thought, "Camera!" It was crazy to see this flying by right in our backyard! Did any of my neighbors see this as well?

Will's first fathers and sons campout with daddy, as well as his very first camping experience ever. They ended up walking in the door sometime after midnight after Will had screamed for hours in the tent and Ry finally decided to just bring him home.

For memorial weekend our friends, Tyler and Saffron, invited us to go camping with them (as well as Chris and Sarah) down in Zion. We asked my brother Joey to come along as well since it was his birthday. I got home and realized how awful I was at taking pictures during the weekend cause these are all I came home with! I didn't get pics of anyone else who was there!

On Memorial Day we went to visit grandpa's (Ryan's dad's) grave. Will is always so happy when he goes to visit Grandpa Bingham. I only wish we were as close to my own dad's grave so we could go visit him as often, but he was definitely in my thoughts that day. Ry and I share the same experience of having had both our fathers pass away at a young age. We are both so grateful to have had such incredible men as examples in our lives who shaped us into the people we are today! We love you both so much!