Carlsbad California

Three years running now we have camped at South Carlsbad Beach during October Break and I am so thankful Kelli invited us again I love this trip.  I was sad, missing Taylor (NAU does not get a fall break) but loving the beach and the time to reconnect with the family.  Kelli and her family, Mike and his family and the  regular beach campers were all there so there was always a kid to play with, skate board to the Beach store with and joke around the camp fire with.  Steve and Cindy stayed at "camp Hilton"  made me feel like a young teenager again when Kelli and Mike invited me to their California vacations it is just good times.

My kids crack me up I say picture time and I see them whisper "don't smile"

We had glorious beach days warm, sunny with a light breeze perfect for boogie boarding which I caught some good waves Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.  My favorite day was Monday the waves were the best and Loren and I went out and caught some together.  One of the best feelings is catching a wave but then when you look to your side and you see someone you love it makes it even better, like you are sharing this experience with them.  I am sure I look goofy as heck because I am screaming, laughing and smiling with my hair is all over but I  wouldn't trade it for the world.

Wednesday a cold windy storm blew in tough night sleep Tuesday night but we strapped everything down, covered everything and headed into town.  We shopped the shops at Oceanside everyone got a t-shirt, we saw the movie Gravity it was my first 3-D movie so cool I really appreciate gravity and it just confirms that I never want to go to outer-space.  We drove the coast watched the wind surfers I think that looks so fun -  scary but fun, ate at Smash Burger headed to camp and called it a night.  Listen to the wind some more and then the rain hit I like the sound of rain hate the sound of wind, the rain was a welcomed relief.  We woke Thursday morning to clear sunny skies which meant beach days.  Little cold for me so  I stayed out of the water.  Ty said he was going to stay out of the water but every game of catch turned into throw it in the water and before you knew it he was out boogie boarding or body surfing.  I am pretty sure Ty "won" the beach most days - he was the last one up and someone has to watch the kids so I volunteered. (I'm too kind)

 We all played some mean games of smash ball, got the court drawn, the "dink" lines drawn the rules reviewed, no spikes, no double hits, no dinks on the serve return, first to 11 wins. Ty won quite a few of the games but Tanner with broken foot and all was the champion.    Kyley got her fall break assigned reading done, Wyatt took a couple naps, wrote his name in rocks and played a long time with Tate the the ducks that Kyley got from being asked to homecoming.  The ducks were a last minute bring and they were a hit, who would have thought (Quinn Goodman asked Kyley funny story, maybe next time) and my favorite part visiting with cousins, friends and my kids.  I love this vacation!

Ty and Tanner * Bryce, Wyatt and Tate* Kyley, Afton* beautiful sunset

June 2013

Strange summer - I think it was because Taylor graduated from high school and the kids are growing up doing different things.  The second  week in June, Kyley had girls camp where she was a YCL of course she rocked it, her personality and goofiness made everyone love her.  She told us about "Tree of  Life" experience all campers participated in and as a YCL Kyley played a part.  She said entire wards got led away from the iron rod by such things as "bishop wants to meet you over here".  Crazy!   Kyley was in charge of the "mist" (fog machine) and she says she could see all this playing out and it front of her and it put our lifes in perspective. I am so thankful our children have these type of experiences to grow their testimony and grow closer to the Lord.

While Kyley was at girls camp  Taylor had orientation at NAU - the same time much of my family was going to Havasuipi Falls and Ty got the invite.  Ricedorffs, Dyan and Jack, Platts, Jerermy, Karrie, Jake, Annie and Hannah, Goodmans Joe, Cassie and  Matt all made the 10 mile hike to the falls.  This is a trip I have been wanting to take my whole life and Ty had a ball.  Matt, Jack, Jake and Ty went out ahead to get a  "good spot" in the shade.  Jeremy rented a mule to carry his family's  stuff (Hannah being only 7) so Ty put much of his stuff on the Mule so the hike in was a breeze.  They jumped swam and had a blast.  Look at that water.  Loren rafted the Colorado River Lake Powell to Lake Mead and one of the days they swam up creek to the falls and he said it was beautiful.  Love this beautiful state.  The hike out was tougher since Ty needed to bring all his stuff out in his pack because he was leaving for scout camp the next day, but he made it and had a great experience.  He got home at 2:00am spend the night at the Ricedorffs I picked him up at 9:00am and he left the next day for his first scout camp.  Ty wasn't too thrilled to go probably because he was exhausted and had just hiked 20 miles in two days and the first days of scout camp was a hike. Loren gave him a choice, stay home and help mom pack or go to scout camp.  He choose scout camp and had a blast .

Jake, Ty and Jack what a memory!

Ty jumping off one of the falls

 

The boys - Ty, Jake, Joe, Jack, Matt I am sure there wasn't' any teasing involved ;)

 While Ty and Kyley were playing, Taylor and I went to NAU orientation.  Lots of classes not fun, but informative.  Taylor met with a counselor, got her schedule, toured the campus, saw her condo and learned lots.  I got the confirmation that this is the place for Taylor.  NAU is a beautiful campus and I am so excited for her to experience college life. Wyatt and Loren went off exploring Flagstaff, hit the museum and Bearizona loving every minute of it.  How often does one kid get a parent all to themselves on a vacation.  The second day for orientation I ditched and hung out with Wyatt and Loren we rode the  ski-lift at Sno-Bowl to the top of the mountain and visited with the park ranger learned of some of the history of Flagstaff.  We picked Taylor up and then headed to the Grand Canyon.  At this trip in June it had been nine years since I had seen the Canyon and they had built so much up around it.  I had forgotten how big and beautiful it is.  We walked the trails, saw couple elks, visited and enjoyed the beauty of the earth.  It was this trip that made me want to take Ty and Kyley up the the Canyon the end of September.  After all our June trips we moved and  since our house had a pool pretty much swam everyday.  We took a short trip to the Graham mountains over 4th of July and the annual Goodman camp-out in July,  but summer isn't as along as it once was and we were back at school before we knew it. 

Labor Day

Where has time flown?  All I can say is 6 months no blog shame shame on me few highlights then on to Labor Day...

• Taylor graduated from high school - top 5% #16 full scholarship to N.A.U so proud we moved her up there in July she got a job a week later at Barnes and Noble and is rocking the college thing
• Kyley got her permit and has been driving lately (and I am still here)
• update to the update... Kyley got her driving license on 10-1-13 watch out East Valley
• Ty started junior high - American Leadership Academy ALA  - a charter school tough decision for a public school teacher, and is playing tackle football for the Special Forces.
• Wyatt started piano and according to his teacher "Wyatt is my favorite student."
• Family moved again in June - we like to pick the hottest weekend and bam lets move, its smaller but it is closer to work, in a Cox neighborhood so we have good internet, good ward and best of all a pool.

Enough with the update...

Taylor living in Flagstaff was all the excuse we needed to go visit.  We left early Sunday morning and made good time, it was so good to see her I just feel complete when we are all together, I kind-of hate knowing the is the beginning of the end, the end of family life as I have known it, but I guess it is the beginning of a new chapter...

We walked around down-town Flag ate lunch then hit the lava river tube caves.  So cool quite literally.  It was a warmish day but when we walked up to the opening of the cave it felt like someone had left the AC on super low and left the front door open.   We needed a jacket and a flashlight.  Loren's light  went out about half way through the hike so he sat and waited until we were done - it wasn't a long hike about a mile to the end of the "tube" but with out a light impossible.  It was so neat.  After we hike we pulled over to the side of the road, make a fire with the Sunday paper and wood we found, roasted hotdogs and ate turkey sandwiches.  There were mushrooms all around, big ones small ones, red ones, orange ones - Loren really wanted to take some home but we didn't have out "edible mushroom" guide on us and thought we better not risk it.  

 The next day Loren remembers seeing a Canyon when he was hunting and  when he got home followed it on Google map.  He wanted to see what was there - It was Walnut Canyon where the Native Americans lived many years ago and there was dwellings in the side of the canyon (you can see them in the picture behind Taylor's shoulder.) You hiked around the "island" a mountain where one side was cool in the shade with pines, then the other side warm with juniper and more desert life.  So much history at this place, we explored the "rooms" read all the plaques talked about how cool it would have been to see this village at its prime thriving with activity.  It was another place only 3 hours from my home yet I had never even heard of it.  Thanks Taylor for choosing NAU to go to school - we are learning lots.

Picking Apples

One of the great things about having Taylor in Flagstaff is we get to visit and explore parts of Arizona that I have not explored much.  This time on our way home we drove through Oak Creek Canyon - man we have a beautiful state.  I think Loren has heard me say "lets build a cabin here" every new place we visit, right now my dream cabin would be in Oak Creek Canyon.  We stopped at West Fork Trail because it looked cool - it didn't disappoint.  We were told that it is one of the best hikes in the state, we will have to go back when we have more time, Taylor is with us  and Kyley has tennis shoes, but the little bit we did I am sure the "they" are correct.  There was a creek under a canopy of oaks and pines, red rock cliffs looking down on us, an apple orchard and cool breezes.  The low apples were all picked so the kids had to climb to reach the high ones and we had to catch them.  The best apples hands down. We picnicked by the creek, laughed and ate apples until our stomach was sore, beautiful day.