A Special Day For a Special Boy!

Saturday was a special day...

Andrew was baptized! It was such a nice day with family. We are so proud of Andrew!!

Boy, do I feel old, and yes, Madison is nearly as tall as I am! I am certain she will pass me up before too long.

YAY, YAY, it's time to vacay!!

A couple of weeks ago, we decided to take a mini-vacay "up north" (as we southerners say). On June 20th (Father's Day) we got together with the Cannon clan to celebrate my Grandpa's 85th birthday. It was so nice to see family, some of whom I had never met before, and enjoy good food & great company. Since Cory had the following week off, we decided to get a hotel room and do some fun stuff with the kids on Monday.

We went swimming for a bit after we checked into the hotel (I know, it was Sunday, I don't need the guilt trip). Then it was off to bed.

Monday morning, after breakfast at the hotel & a little more swimming, we got ready and checked out of the hotel. Then, we headed to the Living Planet Aquarium in Sandy.

Right now Cory & Andrew are pretty much geeked-out about saltwater fish, so we figured this was the perfect place to go. We didn't spend a lot of time there, but we saw a lot of cool fish, coral, sharks, and cute penguins. We had fun petting the stingrays too.

After the aquarium, we headed to Training Table for a yummy lunch. Then, it was off to the Sweets Candy Factory near the airport.



We took a free tour of the factory, which had, unfortunately, had the power off for most of the morning, so not too many machines were up and running. But, we did get to see (and SMELL) the chocolate enrobing machine covering cinamon bears in milk chocolate. YUM! After the tour, we of course had to purchase some treats in the factory store!

After the factory tour, we headed to Sugar House for a trip to a fish store (like I said, geeked-out). I am certain if we didn't have the long drive home ahead of us, Cory would have bought a fish or some coral for our tank.

Next, it was off to the Classic Fun Center in Sandy for arcade games, the jungle gym, the blast zone (super fun!), and good old-fashioned roller skating. I wish I had gotten some pictures while we were there, but I must have been having too much fun! The boys were both "too cool" for dorky skates, so Zach rented roller blades, and Andrew rented a scooter. Poor Madison struggled with the whole roller skating thing (must be related to her mom)!! By the time she decided she was really ready to give it a shot and go it alone, we were all tired out and ready to leave! We will have to go back soon, so that she can give it another go.

It was time for the dreaded ride home. We hopped in the car, took a short detour in Springville for dinner at the Cracker Barrel (apparently, the have the BEST mac & cheese ever according to Zach the mac & cheese expert), and then headed home.

It was a long, tiring day, but we had a LOT of fun!

Happy Mother's Day to ME!!

A couple of Saturdays ago, Cory and I decided to clean out the laundry room. It was MUCH NEEDED after accumulating way too much junk in there! First we just started by cleaning off the countertop & emptying the cupboards so that we could move them to the garage. After that was all done, I thought "Why not paint in here, now that it is all cleared out?" So off I went to Home Depot to pick up some paint & supplies. Cory & I make a good painting team, he HATES the tedious work of taping off & cutting in, and I am TERRIBLE at using a roller (not enough arm strength, I guess). So, together we managed to get the room painted. That took two Saturdays (and a Monday too), because I had a boutique in Salt Lake in between. While I was in Salt Lake, I picked up a great bench/basket thing at Ikea. By Tuesday night, we were all finished!! I wish I had taken before pictures, but I really hadn't planned on getting all this done! Just imagine stark white walls, white cupboards (on the now blue wall), and LOADS of junk pretty much everywhere!! And now...

Bought a cute new ironing board cover at the boutique

Darling coat hooks from Tai Pan

What do you think?? I really love the way it turned out, and I find myself walking in there for no reason, just to look at it! Zach said he wants this room to be his new bedroom. Cory said, "How about this for your Mother's Day present?" Best Mother's Day present yet, I say!

Pinewood Derby

Last night we had the Cub Scouts' Pinewood Derby. Zach & Cory made a cool "Bumblebee" car.

Cory was in charge of the night (he's the new Pack Leader), and I helped run the computer program that kept track of all the racers & winners. (That's why we didn't get many pictures.)

Zach won 1st place out of the Bears & 2nd place overall!! He didn't seem super excited about it, but I sure was!! Way to go Zach!!!!

Andrew can't wait until next year when he can compete. He said he wants to use Zach's car! :O)

We are still alive!

So, I am obviously not a blogger.

I am just posting to let you all know we are still alive & kicking! The kids are back in school and doing really well. Madison started Middle School (6th grade) this year, which is really scary (for me mostly). About a month ago, Cory & I had LASIK surgery (NO MORE GLASSES, HOORAY!!)

I am super busy with my watches & my new calling, YW President. It is a big job, but I think it will be a lot of fun. I have only been in for a few weeks, so I am still learning the ropes & have a lot to look forward to.

I will be up in Salt Lake Nov. 17-21 for a boutique, so if you live up that way and you want to hang out, do lunch, whatever...let me know!!

Life is good! :O)

Alice the camel has 1 hump!

A couple of weeks ago, we went to the July Jamboree on Main Street. It is a car show/street fair. We had dinner & wandered up and down the street looking at all the fun stuff. The highlight of the evening (for me at least) was when we walked over to the park where the Renaissance Fair (which is code for "freak show", just sayin'...) was going on, and Madison & Andrew got to ride a camel! (The pictures are not great because I only had my phone.)

Climbing on
Ready to go!

What a fun ride!

Zach didn't want to ride the camel, so he just watched. I really wish I had gone with the kids too, because I thought it was so cool! Madison & Andrew said it felt weird & they had to hold on tight because it felt like they would fall off.

Zachary had his eye on the giant inflatable shark slide across the street, so we headed there after the camel ride.

Daddy Jaws, doo, doo, doo, doo

All in all, it was a really fun night!

I'll admit, I watched it

Yes, I watched the Michael Jackson memorial service today. Since I only have an antenna, there weren't a lot of options this afternoon on T.V., so I turned on the memorial service while I worked.

I have never been a huge Michael Jackson fan. But, for some reason, I couldn't stop crying through the whole thing!! It was a lovely tribute to an undisputed world icon, but it was also very moving to get a glimpse into the person behind the icon. I nearly lost it when his daughter, Paris, spoke for just a moment about how much she loved her dad. Very sweet.

There is no denying the impact Michael has had on the world through his life, and he will certainly be missed. It is remarkable to me, though, how fanatical people can become over just one person. I can't pretend to understand what it must have been like to live every day of your life in the spotlight, whether for good or bad. Maybe now, he will get a little peace and quiet...

Farewell, Michael!