Utah, Back to School and Birthdays

I had a birthday…

We had the best time in Utah. Me and the kids were able to be there for 9 days and we did so much and still weren’t ready to leave when it was time. Our kids love it there and I think they’re maybe Utah kids at heart! Trey loved seeing so many barns as we drove and would be so happy to live on a farm and take care of animals. Kayli loves all the good treats and people we get to see up there. Beau would love to play in a stream all day or run around a big backyard for hours.

The kids and I and mom went up on the the 23rd so we’d be there in time for the 24th of July celebrations. We decided to head up to Wallsburg to experience a small town 24th. Aunt Jolene’s family lives up there and they were running the show! Kayryn came with us and the kids ended up riding in the parade with Jolene’s granddaughter so they thought that was pretty cool! Then we stayed for the rodeo, games, and food. Beau and Trey even tried the bunny chase and the chicken chase and they were so bummed when they didn’t catch one. Good thing though-if you caught one you took it home! Trey loved seeing all the horses and even got to sit on one! It was such a good time!

the kids are riding in this!

That night we went up the mountain for a picnic with Cindy and her family and all of Scott’s family. Grandma and Grandpa came up with us and we had fun playing in the stream and playing Spikeball. We got to see Kyle and Kristy’s new baby, Beckham.

After that we headed to the University Mall for the fireworks show. We had a busy day!

The next day we went to the Bean Museum first thing because that’s all Trey talks about. Even when we are home he asks a lot of days if we can go to the Bean Museum. Haha. He loves it there and even got Grandma to buy him some more animals. We went to the BYU bookstore (the kids are huge BYU fans!) and saw the new playground with the Y in the mountain. Sami is obsessed with the Y! She kept pointing it out on the mountain every time she saw it and always made sure that Beau saw it too because she knows Beau loves BYU football! We had lunch there and made sure to get Sodalicious on the way home (I think we stopped there every day!) Kenny even ended up ordering that and Crumbl a few nights and showing Grandma and Grandpa how to get it all to just show up at your house! After naps we decided we were going to go swimming but on our way there it started to rain. We figured we better find an indoor pool and we had heard the Provo Rec Center was pretty cool so we went there. It was AWESOME! I wish we could have spent longer there. The indoor pool part was awesome and even had a rock wall and slides in there. But then we discovered the outside!!! There was a whole kid section but then there were also really fun water slides and an awesome wave pool. Luckily, Kayryn came with us so with three adults we could take the four kids on rides and swim in the pool easily. Kayli and Beau loved the water slides so much and they could have really spent the whole day there. And the best part was- we all got in for less than one ticket would cost at the water parks here!

The next day we met up with Cathy, Christina and Catherine and all of the second cousins had fun playing together! It was raining that morning so our park plan didn’t work out so we ended up going to the dinosaur museum at BYU and then back to the food court there for lunch. Uncle Dan met us there and then took us up on top of one of the BYU buildings so we could see over the whole valley. It was really neat! We walked around campus and went into a few of the buildings there that I had never been in before. And Kayli just kept saying that in 10 years she was going to come here for school… (so cute but also so sad because those 10 years will fly by!)

Kenny came up to Utah that night and we headed up to Logan for a few days for Eliason family reunions. We stayed at Uncle Don and Aunt Nancy’s house and Trey LOVED Nancy. He wouldn’t leave her alone and he still talks about when we’re going back to their house. The kids had fun at the reunions running around with cousins and playing in the dirt, in the stream, making jewelry, and playing games. I loved all the Spikeball and Corn Hole we played! It was fun to see Kenny’s cousins that we don’t see all the time. On Sunday night when we were back at Uncle Don’s house, we decided to go visit Utah State. They literally live right down the street from the campus. We knew we had to take pictures of Trey there and send them to Sis. Pollock too! It was cool to walk around that campus. I had never been there! Monday we headed to Salt Lake. We stopped at City Creek and did a little shopping. Then we headed back to Orem.

That night we got together with lots of Varney family and had a picnic at the park and played Spikeball, rolled down the hill, and played with cousins. It was so much fun! I love seeing my cousins when we are up there. I love seeing my kids run around with all of their kids. It was fun walking with Grandma to the park and back and then sitting out on the front lawn at night. Trey loved Belle and he still talks about her all the time.

The next day we went to Thanksgiving Point and did everything possible there is to do there. Mike got us passes so we got to go for free which was awesome. We did the Curiosity Museum which is always a lot of fun and then we did the Butterfly Exhibit which was super cool. Kayli would not go in so her and dad waited out side and watched until she finally decided she could try it and she came in for a couple of minutes before she ran out again. We did the dinosaur museum and then the farm which was definitely a highlight for Trey! He was in heaven feeding the animals! He even had a chicken bite him but he still loved it! Beau, Trey, and Sami rode horses and it was so much fun to watch them out there with the animals.

The next day we went to the lake with Mike and Mindy! What a blast! Kayli tried surfing and she was so brave and never gave up! She tried so much and even got up once! Beau tried it too but he loved the tubing most of all! Sami and Trey went on the tube too and loved it!

It was so good to spend time with my Grandma and Grandpa and everyone else we got to see. We absolutely love visiting Utah! My kids always ask when we go back to Utah and see Grandma and Grandpa Varney.

We had to say good-bye to Kelli, Alex, and Ryder. They moved across the country to South Carolina! Sami and Ryder had started becoming little buddies! We Marco Polo a lot and Sami always gets so excited to see Ryder. I really hope they have a great adventure out there but we will miss them!

The kids asked for a Nintendo Switch (it costs $300 plus games) so we told them they’d have to earn the money and Kenny sat them down and helped them come up with ways they could earn money. They decided to do a lemonade stand and he helped them come up with a plan, figure out costs, took them shopping for supplies, etc. Their goal was to make around $60. The first lady who came by gave them a $20 and said to keep the change. We were freaking out. That was amazing and so generous. They had lots of customers and they had so much fun. At one point a man from around the corner from us who we had never met came by and asked what they were trying to earn money for. They told him and he asked how much it cost and then he got out his money to pay them. He handed them a $100 bill and said that was for them! We were shocked! We made them give him a hug and thanked him over and over again. We were freaking out. They ended up making about $180 – the $120 from the super generous people that we never expected plus the $60 goal. They also dog sat one weekend and made $40. (Kayli decided though that Beau could have the money because she doesn’t like dogs and spent the whole weekend in her room. Ha.) They saved birthday money. Kayli made money organizing for a few people. Kim paid them to do yard work. Kayli learned how to make jam and has been selling lots of jam. She does most of the work. I help her with the blender and the stove. She learned how much she would have to pay me for each batch for the cost of materials and how much she would make per jar at the end of it all. They ended up making all of their money right before Beau’s birthday so they went to Target and bought the Nintendo Switch and Beau got some games for his birthday. It was pretty awesome to see them come up with plans and work hard to earn money. Kayli even sold more jam so that she could buy some other things.

Trey and Beck were cracking us up one night at the Eliason’s when they discovered they could send their dinosaurs down the laundry chute and they thought it was the coolest thing…

We celebrated Haley’s 30th birthday with a bus dance party night! It was quite the funny night! Chase drove us around town (Kenny was his wingman so he came with). We hit up taco shops in ghetto areas of town, sang, danced and rode up and down the Strip. We stopped at Bellagio and then went dancing at the Red Rock!

Beau turned 7! He loves hockey so much that we the night before his birthday we decided to put together a big street hockey game and luckily the weather cooperated and it was actually a cooler night! He had a few buddies and neighbors over and they played a good game of hockey! He kept plenty busy on his birthday and he planned his whole day: donuts, swimming, go see Lion King, order pizza, and finish with ice-skating at the Golden Knights practice arena. He really wanted Big Trey to come ice-skating since they play street hockey (on roller blades) so much together. They are really good ice-skaters too and skated the entire time it was open- 2 1/2 hours! It was fun to watch them!

We missed Bennett who got sick right before and Owen isn’t the picture.

School started! Kayli is in 3rd grade with Mrs. Darland and Beau is in 2nd grade with Mrs. Phillips. We had heard wonderful things about both teachers from lots of people and so far I have been so impressed with both of them! Kayli is excited to be in GATE and has already been challenged a lot. Beau’s teacher is energetic and funny and he seems to think she’s a lot of fun. He mostly loves playing basketball at lunch with all of his buddies.

Trey had his first day of speech and he’s so excited because he goes to Kayli and Beau’s school for it once a week. His teacher is Mrs. Hall and he feels pretty cool to be going to Bozarth. He has gone twice now and loves it. He tells everyone he needs to go to speech because he always says “Haley” instead of “Haley” (trying to say Kayli). He has a hard time with some sounds and blends and substitutes them with the “h” sound. I have come to speak really good Trey so I understand him a lot but lots of people don’t. It’s sad to me when people ask him his name and he says “Hey” in stead of “Trey” then people look at me like help me out, what’s his name? He’s also gotten good at explaining the word he’s talking about when someone asks him to repeat it because they didn’t understand. He knows they probably won’t guess what word he’s saying so he explains the word. It’s too cute.

Trey also started Pre-K with Mrs. Kim who Beau went to for Pre-K and we love her. Trey has looked forward to going to her for school for a long time. He is our fearless kid and unlike the older two, he isn’t scared at all to try new things or leave mom and dad. This is new territory for me! He doesn’t cry going into school but makes sure I’m not staying and jumps out of the car and runs to the door because he’s so excited (he knocked on the wrong door the first day!) He’s also not shy at all. He is curious and says whatever comes to mind. He’s not quiet and he’s not afraid to get in trouble. I don’t think he’ll be defiant, he just might not be a perfect angel all the time. Again, so different than the other two who never get in trouble at school! He loved his first week of school though and I’m excited for him!

Sami turned 2 and I can’t handle it! I want to freeze her at this age! She is just stinking cute and perfect most of the time. She has the biggest and brightest smile that seriously lights up a room. She is the biggest light and makes me so happy. She can cheer me up just by walking in the room. The perfect little caboose. On her birthday we went to Chick-Fil-A to eat and play with a few friends. She requested pizza for dinner and then the boys had soccer practice but we figured she would love seeing all of her friends there and playing at the park. Grandma and Grandpa Eliason and Grandma England and Kim met us there with presents and played with her at the park for a little bit. We had birthday cake when we got home and after a summer of singing Happy Birthday to so many friends and family, she was a pro and knew just when to blow out the candles. She is so much fun. She is obsessed with princess, especially Frozen and The Little Mermaid. She knows every word to all the songs on the soundtracks including Descendants 3 and any other hit song the kids are listening to lately.

Beau started soccer and Kenny is coaching his team! He’s playing with a lot of his sports buddies again. Trey also started for the first time. Chase is coaching his team and the entire team is kids from our ward. They decided to hold practice at the same time and place so we could dedicate only one night to sports which is awesome. Trey loved it and he looked pretty good out there. Again, I hope he listens to Chase good because he isn’t afraid to get in trouble! He’s excited and he was so cute in his soccer gear. Kayli wanted to try soccer but she was too old to be on Beau’s team and didn’t want to play on a random team with a random coach. She decided to be Kenny’s assistant coach instead.