Hot Air Balloon Festival

The weekend of June 25, we went up to our cabin in Hatch, UT. The next town over, Panguitch, UT, was having their Hot Air Balloon Festival. This was actually why we went up for the weekend. We seriously had SO much fun, we will probably make this an annual thing we do. My only regret was that we didn't actually get to RIDE in a balloon, but I think we will try to work something out for next year so we can.


During the day they had a little carnival type thing going on in town. Not super impressive, but Sky got to jump SUPER high on the trampoline and thought that was SUPER fun.


After the carnival thing, we met up with my sister and her family. We took some of her kids and went in to Bryce Canyon for some sight seeing. Unfortunately I didn't catch any photos of that :( Afterward we took the kids to Subway...as you can see, Connor was totally BEAT! David got all the kids a Push-Pop. This was the twinkies first experience with a push pop...how do you think they did?



At night all the balloons go on to the 2 main streets in Panguitch and inflate the balloons. It was really cool to see the night sky lit up with all the balloons. These pictures were taken on my phone, so not the greatest, sorry.

WE HAVE LIFT OFF
The next morning, we went to the open field were probably over 30 balloons were getting ready to take off. It was so AWESOME to go walk around among all the balloons and be right in the action. There was one balloon shaped like Smokey the Bear, that was pretty cool. The boys had such a BLAST.










One sorta funny side story about this fun experience. Skyler is starting to..."control his bladder." Though it is usually only when it is convenient for HIM. He goes when and where he wants whether it is in his diaper, the toilet or the dirt, but he does have control of it. We are out among all these beautiful balloons, watching the sky fill up. I am with Connor walking around and David is with Skyler. I am looking up, and then turn to David, then look down at Skyler...who has stripped down to his birthday suit and is now watering the grass in the middle of this HUGE field for everybody to see. I scream to David to stop him (David was looking into the sky as well, so he missed the show). I run over...at this point we couldn't really stop him, so David stands on one side and I stand on the other to cover what we can. I car drives by, seeing this spectacle, and the lady is just laughing at us, as I am laughing, hiding my head in shame. Anyway, it was funny!

New Back Yard

For the last 2 years we have had dirt for a back yard, and a 5 foot drop off in to a revene behind our house. Needless to say it was not a friendly backyard for 2 toddlers. Papa Craig and Grandma Teresa decided it was time to put up a fence and give the back yard a facelift.

RV parking BEFORE

RV parking after with the new SWING gate

Pilasters go up for the gates

Side yard wall goes up

View of side yard wall from the front

Underground Trampoline

Finished up the retaining wall. Most of it was already done when we moved in, but we had about 3 feet on one side and 10-15 feet on the other to finish it up.

Think the boys enjoyed the tractor in the back yard? They LOVED it and Skyler even got to go for a ride! Connor just enjoyed watching it.

Working on a path to the gate that goes to the hill behind the house. Still trying to decide what to do with this half of the yard.

Back yard

Side Yard

Side Yard

The boys have SO much fun riding their bikes, playing on the trampoline, getting wet on the slip and slide, with the sprinklers or hose, getting dirty in the dirt, riding their quads, etc. The boys are learning so many tricks on the trampoline! It is so nice to send them in the back yard and just let them play, and know that they are confined to the back yard, since we have the beautiful gate done! I am a happier mother now that this is available to me...thanks Papa and Grandma!

More fun in May

Special Easter Egg Hunt with Grandma Carma

Back in May when we went down to Las Vegas, my mom (Grandma Carma) did an easter egg hunt for the twins. Let me back up a little to explain... Grandma Carma always does an Easter Egg hunt for the Grandkids at her house Easter weekend. For whatever reason, we were not able to make it this year, so she held about 15-20 eggs aside for my boys and did a SPECIAL egg hunt, just for them, the next time we saw her.

SKY's Gymnastics Class


We try to go to open gym when we can, and I kinda sneek Connor in :) They don't seem to mind.

Sky's gymnastics class moved days, so this was a picture of his class on his last day. I am hoping that the class goes back to its original day once school starts so I can get both him and Connor in a class for a few months.

Spring Fun

KITE FESTIVAL

I know this is SUPER long overdue, but hey, better late than never.

I April we went to the Kite Festival that St. George puts on every year. Didn't manage to get any pictures of all the kites in the air...oh well.

The kids had a lot of fun here, and it was a GREAT afternoon. Skyler got to ride the train being pulled by the tractor. Both Connor and Skyler had a lot of fun in the bouncy houses and on the inflatable slides.







ULTRA MARATHON

Also April, David and Craig attempted the first 31 miler Ultra Marathon. Unfortunately David had to hitch a ride back in a cop car, but Craig finished strong.

David can't handle being consistently surpassed by his "old" father, so he has big ambitions for the St. George Marathon.



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Aflac Iron Girl

On May 15, 2010 my friend Cami and I (Cassie) participated in the Aflac Iron Girl Lake Las Vegas Women's Triathlon. This was 800 Meter Swim - 30K Bike - 5K Run.

This race has been by far one of my most FAVORITE triathlons I have ever done. It was a womens only event, which made it kind of unique. There were just so many added perks that made it so much fun. There was an expo at check in where we got some free-bees. When we got out of the lake from our swim, they handed us hand towels, and that was a first for me! At the finish line we got our finishers medal, ice cold sponges, water, Gatorade and recovery chocolate milk. After the race there was a nice breakfast for all the racers. Like I said, just some little perks that made it so much fun! I will definiately do this race again, or another Iron Girl in another city!

It was so nice to do this race with my friend Cami, even if she did finish like a half hour before me! But it was great to see her, and hopefully we can do another one together next year...make it an annual thing.

I went to check in and rack my bike the day before the race so I decided I would drive the bike course. I was seriously SO scared, it was like 11 miles uphill, and then 7 miles down hill. I was so concerned with the bike, I didn't even worry about the run....and that was what killed me. The first mile of the run was basically downhill, the second was up and down, and the last mile, you had to run back UP the hill you came down...not fun at ALL, and I had to walk more than I would like to admit. The swim was OK. I got caught up in a lot of people and and to stop mid swim to go around people, etc. I think next time I will go on the outside where there are less people, even if it does makes the swim a little longer.

Here are my results

bib number:	481
gender:	F
location:	Saint George, UT
overall place:	270 out of 645
division place:	38 out of 81
gender place:	270 out of 645
time:	2:13:21
pace:	0:
swim:	19:50
tran1:	7:09
bike:	1:12:01
tran2:	2:15
run:	32:05
penalty:	0:

And for more pictures go to http://www.asiorders.com/view_user_event.asp?EVENTID=63125&BIB=481
Though some of those people are not me!

SWIM
Though I am probably not in any of these pictures, and even if I was, you couldn't tell, but you get the point





BIKE




RUN



AT THE FINISH WITH CAMI