Week 1... :-)

Ok, there's no way I can show you all 3000 pics from our fab vaca but I'll just show a few highlights from our nearly 4 week travels... Week 1: Park City. It really just might be one of our favorite places to be. It's the perfect weather in the summer, amazingly green and beautiful, so many things to see and do, a relaxing and fun place to play, and perfectly close to family and friends for lots of visits and get togethers. We stayed up there just over a week and here's some of what we did...Park City Mountain Resort! So much fun. We splurged and got the all rides passes- these pics show the Alpine Coaster, zipline & riding the lift up to the Alpine Slide... So fun to meet George and Susie's fam there! They had a ton of little kiddie rides- rocket train, airplanes, merry go round... and a favorite for the kids was the Legacy Launcher! A tramp with harness that make it easy to fly and do flips! They even got me on it and I realized what a mean mom I am- I am always yelling "Do a flip!" and I got out there and realized how hard and scary it is! We all did flips though and it was fun!

We all gave the rock wall a try and loved it- the kids are little monkeys!And we rounded everything out with the maze and then mini golf!
Mia actually got a couple hole in ones!

And Ger was proud of Colby's form- ha ha!

One day we took the Gondola up at the Canyons Ski Resort and it was so fun to hike around! Utah got so much rain this spring everything is super green and beautiful.

The kids loved looking at all the flowers, bugs and creatures, squirrels, finding their own walking stick, playing horseshoes, etc.

I think Sydney was our photographer here- a little overexposure somehow! There is nothing like fresh mountain air!

Our service project for the week- ha ha! My sister Melissa just moved into a house and we helped her wash the walls to get ready for new paint. The kids were big helpers and never complained! Lissy makes everything fun though...

Then it was off to lunch at the Sego Lily Cafe. Yum! We went with my mom and it was lots of fun.
After playing at Grandma's in the afternoon we met up again with Lissy at Yogurt Stop- YUM! Lissy is 5 months prego and is so teensy still and rides around locally on her motorcycle! Colby was loving it.

Back at the hotel! Popcorn, soda, movies, treats... swimming, jumping on beds, crafts and coloring! Doesn't get funner than that! I wish that we lived there- ha ha. It's nice to be able to spend almost 100% of my time with the kiddos instead of being distracted with things to do at home- they were absolutely a blast to be with. No fighting or problems whatsoever. Mia was a perfect princess for the entire trip- when she started getting whiny I would remind her... Bah! Don't you want to be a perfect princess again today?!? Worked like a charm.

Loved the Cabriolet ride to the Farmers market. Picked up some super fresh and juicy fruit... icees... treats... and cutie patootie skirts from Persnickety Clothing Company

that are adorable...

Just playing outside- the weather was perfect! So nice to get out of the heat of AZ... The kids were being hilarious and wrestling and racing and we played all sorts of fun games... and then got a carmel apple! (Don't you love my little poser! Mia was cracking me up.)

Yay! It was so fun to have a Diva Day! Em's and Brookie ended up to be the only ones to make it up but we had a great time- we hung out, swam, and went out to lunch at Cafe Rio. YUMMY! So fun to have friends that you pick up right where you left off- even if it's been a year. They are some of the best friends a girl could have- so much fun, so down to earth, and amazing examples for me of great wives and moms! Love both their families too- it was fun to catch up.Ellie is Emily's only daughter and came up to join the fun- the girls instantly loved her and they were giggling in no time and holding hands on the way to the restaurant. They now will play house and one of their names is "Ellie!"

We rode the hotel elevator a lot and it never got old- elevators and pushing buttons are so much fun!

Park City Mountain Resort had a super fun jumpy zone. The kids loved it and wore themselves out. It was hilarious though because they were so competitive on the side by side racing one. Mia kept beating Syd and she was so sad... even when we told her that she was better at other things than Mia and we each have our own strengths and talents. Mia tried to make Sydney happier by saying, "I will let you win the next time! Or I could give you a head start!" That just made Sydney feel even worse even though Mia had good intentions... so Ger starting timing them for a personal best and they loved that. Anyways, so much to see and do- there's a peek into our week at Park City!

BEST BREAD RECIPE EVER!

If you like Great Harvest bread, that moist almost chewy texture, you will LOVE this recipe. We felt spoiled in Utah to have my mom and dad make fresh batches for us while we were there. Really it is the best recipe and as close to Great Harvest as you can get... without buying it. I'm sure there's a learning curve to baking it up just right, but give it a try! I am going to!

100% WHOLE WHEAT BREAD

(My Dad’s friend from work created this recipe. It makes 4-5 loaves but can be halved. This recipe can be made in a bread mixer, but my parents just make it by hand, they like it better that way. Note: be sure to use high quality, high protein wheat flour! Entire process takes about 2 hours, with 90% of the work in the first ½ hour.)

6 c 110 degree water (just above body temperature)

6 c freshly ground wheat flour
1 c brown sugar

1 heaping T salt
2 ½ heaping T of yeast

Additional wheat flour, about 6 cups
2 heaping T gluten flour

Add water, sugar, yeast, gluten flour, and first 6 c flour to large mixing bowl. Beat to the consistency of thick pancake batter. Stop mixing and let rise to about twice the original volume. This takes about 15 minutes. Start mixing again and slowly add salt and additional flour, until bread can be kneaded. Knead 10 minutes while adding additional flour. Shape into loaves and place in lightly oiled (or sprayed) bread pans. Let rise in room temperature oven for approximately 15-20 min until loaves are partially risen (be careful not to over-rise the loaves). Set timer for 40 minutes and temperature for 325 degrees (leave bread in oven to finish rising and baking). Time will vary depending on type of oven and type of pans used. When baking is complete, remove from oven, remove from pans and immediately replace on cooling rack for 20-40 minutes. This is important or bread will be moist or too dry. Have family eat one loaf while still warm, and bag the others for later, or give away! Clean up mess, so wife/hubby will let you do the whole thing over again next week! It freezes great.

Fun with Cousins...

At the first of July while I was frantically packing for our Utah trip, the kiddos were happily swimming and playing with their cousins! Auna and Shalayne were in town and were nice enough to offer to come over for a few hours- the kids had a BLAST.They played in the pool for 3 hours- I couldn't believe it. Auna and Shalayne are so great with them and fun and playful we wish they went to school at ASU so they lived here! ;-)

We feel grateful to have such great cousins- thanks again Auna and Shalayne!

Whew! We're back...

After traveling 2000+ miles... from Arizona to Park City.... Bear Lake... Bountiful & Salt Lake... and finally Lake Powell!

Taking 3000+ pictures... (Using all 12 GB of space on 5 camera memory cards...)

Seeing countless family and friends...

Touring and exploring and adventuring every day for 24 days...

We are glad to be back! There's really no place like home...

But it was the funnest vaca ever- the perfect mix of everything. We felt completely spoiled to have so much time together and especially spending so much time with both sides of our families, including Grandparents and Great Grandparents!

The kids were so good- got along great, slept 10-12 hours straight every night, were happy and good on all our long drives, and loved every minute of the crazy new adventures every day. And totally spoiled. Yes, they even had lollipops and soda pop in bed. ha ha!

So we will do our best to catch you up- lots of fun pics and memories to share as well as recipes and craft ideas. Hopefully I can catch up on laundry and get all unpacked and get blogging soon!

Happy Shopping!

Here's to hoping it's a great sale and not a big bummer! ha ha!

Good Morning...

Mmmm.... I saw these Blueberry Pancakes in the June Edition of Martha Stewart and thought they sounded yummy. Then I just noticed that Bakerella whipped them up and they sounded even yummier since she had so many fantastic looking pictures! So this will be our breakfast- we just bought lots of fresh blueberries to throw in so I can't wait.

Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cornmeal

1/4 cup sugar, plus two tsp for blueberries

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1/4 cup milk

3 Tbsp butter, melted and cooled

1 egg lightly beaten

2 cups blueberries

Extra butter for coating griddle

Maple Syrup(Makes about 16)
Whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt and soda in a large bowl. Set aside.
Whisk together buttermilk, milk, butter and egg in medium bowl.
Add milk mixture to dry ingredients and whisk together just until combined.

Toss blueberries in a small bowl with 2 tsp sugar.
Heat a griddle over medium heat. Take extra butter and run over surface of griddle. Repeat as necessary throughout process.

Pour batter on griddle 1/4 cup at a time.
Add some of the sugared blueberries to each pancake.
Cook for about 3-4 minutes.

Flip and cook the other side for about 2 minutes.

Remove from pan and spread with butter, pour on the syrup, and ENJOY!