Cheerleaders

A simple black and white picture was given to me years ago.  Captured in the hazy photo are a handsome man, his glowing wife and four smiling children, all standing in front of a classic VW van. The moment it was in my hands, I knew this photo had to find a place to hang in my home but, it couldn't be alone. That 4x6 picture could only be the first.

Now there are many frames surrounding that first, gray-toned picture. Some frames hold images of people I have never met but familiar features are frequently repeated. The Rees nose, the Larrabee eyebrows, the Rugg ears and the olive complexion of the Herradors all smile back at me from those photographs.  

My three children all have names that belonged to someone else before they belonged to them.  My oldest son is proud to share his dad's name. My only daughter loves telling her friends that she and I also have a name in common.  But my second son has felt gypped when it comes to his middle name.  

"Mom, who am I named after?"

After carefully hanging a faded colored picture on the nail I had just hammered into place, I excitedly called Ethan to my side. I placed my hand on his shoulder and pointed up at the smiling man.

"Ethan, this is Dale Porter Rees. He's your great-great grandpa."

"Porter? His middle name is Porter too?"

His dark brown eyes were full of a mixture of emotions as he looked into the face of his namesake. What was he feeling? Admiration? Camaraderie? Relief, maybe? 

This family gallery wall has been a work in progress for a long time and it may not be finished for a long time still but recently I hung the latest picture on that wall.  I took a step back and as I looked into the faces of my family I felt more connected to my roots than I ever had before.  I felt surrounded by a huge group of cheerleaders.  A group of cheerleaders that are standing in my family's corner reminding us that we are tied together in a common purpose by roots that keep us firmly planted in our heritage and branches stretching out above to remind us of the hope of the future. 

What I Loved About Our Family Vacation

 EVERYONE wears a silly hat at Disneyland- even ten (almost eleven) year olds.

Face Painting- it makes everything better.

A Chewy hat that was worn everywhere- including the beach.

This moment.  Period.

Walking along the beach with bare feet.

Little boys with big imaginations. 

 

 Father-son football lessons.

New Year's (with pictures!)

Back in October sometime I misplaced our camera. It may have gone missing while I was in St George with the kids over fall recess, or I could have lost it while at our family cabin for Kedar's birthday.  I really have no idea.  It has become one of those mysteries that may not be resolved during this lifetime.  I went to find it one day and it was gone. 

If there is one time of year that is worse than any other not to have a camera it is, without a doubt, the months of October, November and December.  There are no pictures of our three adorable kids in their Halloween costumes.  No pictures of the precious time with family (or the delicious food) on Thanksgiving .  Pictures of our traditional Christmas Eve jammies were not taken and Christmas morning was captured only by the camera on my man's phone.

Needless to say, I've been sad about our camera-less situation.  But, after seeing the chances of finding it get more and more remote, Kedar took matters into his own hands and bought me a new camera for Christmas!  I opened the wrapped box on Christmas morning and screamed.  It was one of those sounds that you don't intend to make but when there is so much excitment on the inside, something has to happen on the outside too.

I AM THRILLED!  (You can tell because I used all caps and italicized that last sentence.)

While we were at the cabin over New Year's I took a slew of pictures.    

 Mr. E

 Sweet Pea

 C Man

The Boys

The crowd at the cabin was much smaller than most years.  There were twelve of us instead of twenty five, but we had so much fun.  Luckily there was enough snow for the kids to sled and snowboard.  And as usual there was an overabundance of delicious food. 

There was also an incredible sunset.  The sky was ablaze with vibrant oranges, pinks and purples, so, I stepped out onto the deck to get a picture. 

I couldn't stop with just one. 

Each moment was more beautiful than the last.

My brother with his sweet twins.

All in all, it was a great way to start a new year.  Great things are happening in 2012.

I just got home from....

-9 days in Southern Utah
-25 Family members

- 2 parents

- 14 cousins

- 3 National Parks

Zion

Cedar Breaks

Bryce Canyon

- 10,350 ft elevation

- 11 Frogs

- 2 leeches

- 1 tick

- 7 Horned Toads and other lizards

-1 fainting spell

- 3 fishing trips

- 12 oz of sunscreen

- 7 Junior Rangers

- 15 flag T-shirts

- 1 rainy afternoon of canoeing

and...

- Countless memories

The Kabobs of Perfection (and Other Weekend Adventures)

We had a great weekend recently.  We went with some friends to Manti for the Manti Pageant and then up Ephraim Canyon for camping.  It was great to have a little break from our regular routines.

I always love the drive into the small town of Manti.  The first building that greets you is the gorgeous Manti Temple.  It sits at the top of a small hill, majestically standing sentinel.  

 

The whole weekend was memorable.  I had never been to the pageant before so it was fun to see it and enjoy it with my family.  Camping ended up being awesome.  The night was cold but once we all got settled in, we slept really well.  On the way home we stopped in Fairview, a little blip on the map, and did some shopping.  There is a feeling of "small town charm" in those out-of-the-way shops that can't be duplicated.  

I would feel especially remiss if I didn't mention the chocolate covered strawberry kabobs we discovered before the pageant began.  (They will be referred to as the "Kabobs of Perfection" or the "Kabobs from Heaven" from now on.)   They were made by a vendor on the main street in Manti, she drizzled each of the plump berries with white and milk chocolate.  As if that wasn't tasty enough, she also had some kabobs with chocolate covered cheesecake bites (be still my heart) along with the whole strawberries.  For only five dollars (and a trip to Manti) a "Kabob of Perfection" can be yours too.  

I'd better stop talking about it now, there's drool all over my keyboard.

Oh. My. Goodness.

Downtown

It doesn't matter when or why we are going, but every time we go downtown I can't help singing.  Exiting the freeway at 400 South a hum bubbles out of my closed lips.  By the time the car approaches State Street, I'm singing in my full voice.

"When you're alone and life is making you lonely you can always go...."  I cast an expectant look in Kedar's direction,

"Downtown!" we chime together.

"When you've got worries all the noise and the hurry seem to help, I know,"  I throw a look into the back of the van, hoping to recruit the kids. 

"Downtown!" I continue, unfazed by their rolling eyes.

"Just listen to the music of the traffic in the cit-yyyy,"

"Linger on the sidewalk where the neon signs are prett-yyyy."

"How can you lose?" I ask dramatically.

"The lights are much brighter there," slowly building in a crescendo, I continue,

"You can forget all your troubles, forget all your cares and go...." my big moment is coming!

"DOWNTOWN!" Now I'm singing with all the gusto I can muster.

"Things'll be great when you're DOWNTOWN!" The people in the cars near us are staring, I pay them no mind.

"No finer place before," I let my voice come down in a decrescendo.

"Downtown," finishing up, I whisper

"Everything's waiting for yoooou...."

I get mixed reviews from my captive audience.  Aubrey is giggling in her car seat.  Ethan hums a few bars himself.  Conner crosses his arms in front of his chest moodily, while Kedar gives a small, obligatory applause.   

Thus began our trip downtwon last Saturday.  Here's the photo recap:

From the top of the Church office building

Beautiful Salt Lake Temple

The Beehive House

Temple Square

We also spent some time at the Farmer's Market but I didn't get any pictures.  

The moral of the story?  When you've got worries all the the noise and the hurry seem to help, I know,  downtown.

Isn't Eight Great?

Ethan recently celebrated his 8th birthday.  While we were building one of the Lego sets that he got as a birthday present I interviewed him about what it's like to be eight.  (You'll notice Legos are a common theme in his answers.)  Here's what he had to say.    

So far, what's the part about being eight?  Ummm.  Probably the presents.

What was the best thing about being seven?  I got to go to the swimming pool.

If you could drive, where would you go?  To a hot dog place, then a Lego store.

What is your favorite meal? Strawberries, watermelon, burritos and chicken nuggets with ranch.

What do you like best about being a kid?  Sleeping!  No, building Legos... and sleeping.

What's the best part about being a grown up?  I'm not an adult, I don't know.  Probably building Legos.

What do you want to be when you grow up?  A Lego inventor and an Army man.

How old is someone when their "old"?  50, 60, 70, 80, 90 or 100.  Or 190 million.

If you were an inventor what would you invent?  More Legos!

What's the best part about second grade?  P.E., I like playing the games.

What's the worst part about second grade?  Math- 'cause I hate math.  Scrubba, dub, dub!

Where do babies come from? Heaven. It's TRUE! Why are you smiling!?

Who's your best friend?  Jack

What are you really good at?  Building Legos and drawing.  I'm not be the best artist in the world, but I might be one of them.

Describe the best day:  Saturday. Why? Because that's when I can play video games!

What does it mean if you have a girlfriend?  You love them.

How do you know if you love someone?  If you're staring at a girl.

Do you have a girlfriend?  No, not anymore.

If you found a magic lamp and could make three wishes, what would you wish for?  1- To have all of the Legos in the world.  2- To have 8 more wishes.  3- To have 100 more wishes.  Then with the 108 more wishes, I would get all of the new Lego sets when they come out.

Happy Birthday, Mister E!  We sure love you.

Tiptoe Through the Tulips

Thanksgiving Point has become something of a retreat for our family.  It is far enough away that it feels like an adventure to visit but not so far that it is too inconvenient to make a day trip.  The kids love the Museum of Ancient Life (especially the Erosion Table), we discovered the enchanting Children's Discovery Garden last summer, and Farm Country, with plenty of animals to pet and pony rides, is engaging for all of us.

We also enjoy a few sentimental ties to this beautiful location.  Before the Gardens were even open and still in construction Kedar and I had our engagement pictures taken on the grounds.  Over twelve years ago, my brother and his beautiful bride had their wedding reception in one of the lovely reception rooms.    

Although I thought that I was pretty familiar with Thanksgiving Point I keep finding myself being surprised by things I learn that are there.  For example:  the Tulip Festival.  I have known for years about this annual festival in celebration of tulips and all things spring, but before last week I'd never taken the time to go and see for myself.  Well, it was time to change that.  

I knew that my sweet husband would rather be doing something else (probably anything else) on a Saturday afternoon, so instead of dragging him along, I decided to make a "Girls' Day" of it.    

My incredible sister Marci, my adorable sister (in law) Amber and me.

Of the half million tulips blooming throughout 50 acres of gardens, I found my favorite.  These pale yellow petals with vibrant red tips were just stunning.  Throughout the grounds there were tulips of every color, shape and variety but these were the ones that resonated with me again and again.  

"American Dream"

Wandering around the colorful landscape, I could finally believe in Spring. The morning of our tour of the tulips there was six inches of snow on the valley floor.  Spring has been somewhat elusive this year.

But the verdant grass, the dynamic colors of the flowers and the smell of life carried on the crisp breeze all sounded like Spring was shouting from the crest of each rolling hill, "I'm here!  I won't be stifled any longer!"

 

New life surrounded me; blooming tulips, budding trees, even my sister's weeks old baby added to the feeling of newness.  What a way to herald in Spring! 

Here's adorable Amber, my amazing Mother, my sweet sister (in law) Kathy, incredible Marci and me.  

Maybe this should become an annual tradition... what do you say, girls?