San Francisco

So Mark and I took our first couples trip since we have had our children. We decided to go to San Francisco. We went over the conference weekend. We left on Saturday October 2, 2010 and flew to Las Vegas. We had about a 45 minute layover. Then the next leg of our trip took us to Oakland. We got off the plane and headed out to the Air Bart, which then to us to the B.A.R.T (Bay Area Rapid Transit). We took this from Oakland under the bay bridge into San Francisco. We got off the B.A.R.T at the Embarcadero exit. We then walked the Bay line from Pier 1 to Pier 45 1/2. We followed the bay around to Fisherman's Wharf. We stayed at the Raddison right on the wharf. It was so pretty. We got to the hotel at about noon. We got our bags checked in and then decided to head out and explore the city. We first went to the Cable Car lines. We rode the cable cars from Gharadelli square into China Town. While in China town we wondered around and looked in all the shops. While in China town we decided to stop and have lunch. We ate at a little restaurant. Mark wanted to try everything on the menu, he did and like almost everything that he ate. While in China Town we purchased some things for the kids. They all got an authentic chines outfin, they are using them for p.j.s. When walking through china town we just started heading back to the hotel and ended up walking back to fisherman's wharf. While walking we noticed all of the building. It was intresting to us that there was a firestation between two houses. They are all cramped together.

When we got back to the hotel we decided to go to the room and decide what we were going to do next. We left and walked the Wharf, we decided to get jackets and go on the Bay tour out to the Bridge and back. It was a very cool ride, the fog was rolling in and it was completly covering the Golden Gate Bridge. On our way back we walked and walked the Wharf. We wnet to a little Italian place for dinner. There Mark ate frog legs, he said that they were good I just took his work for it. I had soup and salad (I am not the advetures type.) We went back to the hotel and turned in for the night.

On Sunday we went on a tour of Alcatrez. On our way to pier 33 to catch the boat we stopped at Boden Bakery and ate breakfast. On Alcatrez we took the self guided tour it was so cool. I did not know how much history could be on one island. We did the tour and wandered the island for a couple of hours. After we got back from the tour we went to Gharidelli square and walked around. While out on the walk we went out to the middle of pier 45 and there were people fishing for crab off the side of the pier. Mark made friends with one of them and talked with him and tried to learn the secrets of the trade. He even got to help throw the ones back that were to little. All in all I think that he was in heaven. While he was making friends and fishing I was taking in the sights, and taking pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge. On our way back to the hotel we did all of our shopping that we were going to bring home. It was a ton of walking in and out of every shop. I can say that I had a blast.

So here we are the last day of our trip. Today was a beatiful day, there were no clouds in the sky. We took the bus our to the bridge and walked out about 1/4 of the way. By then I needed to come back it was starting to bother me being up so high.( Since I do not do well with heights, I am suprised that I made it that far.) We got some awsome pictures and headed back to the bus stop. When back we headed our for lunch/dinner. We ate at the Crab Resteraunt. When done we took our bags and headed for the B.A.R.T Station. When we got to the station we bought our tickets and headed in to Oakland. We made it to the airport with plenty of time to spare. We then found out that our flight had been delayed by about 20 min. Well by the time that we got to the gate our plane had been delayed by an hour. When we finally boarded we were headed for Salt Lake, I turned to Mark while on the plane and told him "You know when you spend to much time thinking about your kids when you take an empty bag on vacation with you, and you bring it home packed full of stuff for your kids. I have to say all and all we had a great time and think. I think that we may make it a tradition to do a couples long weekend every now and then.

Hope you could feel a little of our vacation even if you couldn't be with us.

Till next time. (Enjoy the photos.)

Fall is in the air

Well school has been in for just about a month. The kids are loving it, I thought that Nykole would have had a harder time adjusting to kindergarten. She gets to walk to school with her brothers and some friends from the neighborhood. She doesn't even blink. I pick her up from school and we have mommy daughter time. She has made a new friend she lives just down the street. I was kind of shoked the other day. She was invited to go to lunch with them she freaked out a little when they were getting to leave. She decided to stay home with me and have her friend come over a little later. After a while she relaxed a little and decided it was okay to go to her house and play. They are now kind of connected at the hip.
On the home front. It is baking and canning season. We have made salsa already this year. We played with the recipie a little. The first batch that we made was a little mild and sweet. So we made the second batch and it was hot. It had a bite to it. We are going to make a couple more batches. Then I am going to make some jam. Everything is going fine with our family. Brycen is still keeping up with the music lessons. Mark is keeping very busy. He finished a 4-plex fire and is currently working on another one. The fire in Herriman has sent a little work their way also. We are sorry for thoes families and hate the fact that someones miss-fortune is a gain for us. I am going to try to be more faithful and put info about the whole family in this. I know that it is the way that some of our family is keeping up with our comings and goings from the other side of the world. We love you all, and talk to you soon.

End of Summer

Well here we are again at the end of summer. I am happy to say that we got Spencer, Kassie, & Christopher off to Australia. My parents flew with them to California to put them on a plane to Australia, then spent a week just the two of them in California. While the parents were gone, Mark tiled the kitchen and bathroom. He also put in a new door from the kitchen to the backyard. It looks great. I can't believe how much it changed the look of the kitchen. I think that they love it. Along with the tile and the new door, Mark put up new thick base boards and we changed the case around the door. We have finished the kids school shopping with the exception of there supplies, (ie. Pencils, paper, & crayons etc.) We are just going to start getting the kids back into the bed time and morning routine. I hope that it will not take to long. Not much more to say. I will post pictures of the kitchen and the bathroom soon. TTFN.

Crazy Year !!

It has been a crazy 6 1/2 months. We have had a ton of fun and exciting things going on. The kids finished school. In May we took a family vacation to Disneyland. It was the whole family My mom & Dad, Brother and his family, Sister and her family, & us. My parents thought that it would be way fun to spend one last big vacation together before Kassie, Spencer & Christopher left to Australia for a year (They are going for school.). We had a blast. We also took some family friends with us. In June school got out and summer began. It has been super crazy. We were in charge of my Great Grandma Nellie Wild's side of the family reunion. We did a teddy bear picnic theme. It was a ton of fun and we had an awsome turn out. We had a cake auction, and the cakes that were made a brought were incredible. July has been a full and busy month so far & it doesn't look to be slowing down any. We went and had family pictures taken on the 5th of July. We have Kassie and Spencer's going away party and the 24th of July and Christophers birthday party. It is going to be crazy up until the 1st of August when we put them on the plane and say our goodbye. I wish them the best and am truley happy for this adventure they are taking. I think that we are caught up to speed and will end for the time.

New Years

Well it is finally a New Year I can not believe that another year has already come and gone. I am going to strive harder to keep my blog updated in a more timely manner. All in all we have had a great Holiday Season. The kids have had a great Winter Break they have played with the toys that they recieved for Christmas and their has not been too many fights. I am really looking forward to Monday I can not wait to get back on a scheduale and have the kids back in school I am okay with them being out for long periods of time when they can go outside and get some of the energy out but being cooped up in the house is just about enough to make me screem. I think that it is time for me to Sign off for the time being. I will try and update every couple of weeks on what is going on. Until then have a wonderful day.

Thanksgiving & Christmas

Well We move on to Thanksgiving and Christmas. I have to say that the pumpkin carving was a huge hit. So when Spencer suggested that we decorate gingerbread houses on Thanksgiving. Our Thanksgiving was not the traditional Thursday meal. My brother had to be at the fire station on Thanksgiving Day. We had our dinner on Wednesday night instead, it was very fun we ate and then the kids decorated their houses. When the kids were all done then the adult kids took their turn. It was very intresting to see the different ways in which they were decorated. I think that their personalities and jobs came out in the way they decorated the houses. On Thanksgiving day we took our family to a movie I was shocked at how few people were out that afternoon.

For Christmas my mom and her brothers decided to give my grandma an entertainment center so that she will not have to worry about anyone breaking her tv. They could not find any that looked good enough for her to put it in her house. So Mark told my mom that he would build one and they could give it to her. So him and the kids took on the task of getting it done and put together and then we took it to Castle Dale to her family Christmas Party. I have attached pictures of the process and the completed project for you to look at. We also got a family picture taken for our Christmas Cards this year.

On Christmas Eve Santa came to the house. He had all of the kids sit on his lap and tell him what they wanted him to bring them for Christmas Eve. He then had them sit down in front of him and told them that if they didn't go to bed and do everything that their mom and dads told them to then he would fly right over they house.

Halloween

Well I guess I need to catch up on my blog, so we will go back to October. We all had a great time on Halloween, my brother in law suggested that we all carve pumpkins so all came to moms house (all 15 of us) and we each had our own pumpkin. If you can picture it we had seven kids carving pumpkins (with some adult supervision.) When all the kids were done then the adults did theirs. We had such a great time. After we had all of the pumpkinscarved then we got dressed up for halloween and went to the annual Trunk or Treat at my mom and dads church hous. The kids made a haulling. To round off the night Mark, Myself and the kids went to some friends house to assist in the Haunted back Yard. The kids did a little trick or treating in the neighborhood and then home to bed. I have added some pictures to show you how much fun we had.

Here are some of the finished product.