AllTheHubbubb

Great weekend

2010-04-11T19:38:00.000-07:00

I had a really great weekend. It wasn't anything big, just nice. Got home from work Saturday to find my guys resting peacefully on our bed. So sweet, I had to join them.

After a little rest, we all went out to play. Just hung out playing in the yard. Came in and made a yummy dinner. After dinner and dishes, we went for a long walk around the neighborhood and beyond. It's hilly around here and I was toting the boys in their wagon, so I got a little workout. Came home and sat on the porch swing in the back for a while and just enjoyed the sun setting.

Today, Sunday, we got up, got ready and went to a yummy breakfast at Mimi's Cafe. We still had some time to kill before church, so we went to Nielson's Grove and played at the park for a while. Then church. After church, we had some lunch, visited with the home teacher. Owen and Steve took a nap. Wes and I played outside and were joined by Owen and Steve for some more running around. Kristi took a break from homework and joined us for dinner. Then we ended this nice weekend with a campfire and marshmallows in the fire pit out back.

Like I said, it wasn't much, but it was a near perfect weekend for me. I love my family.

10 years, baby!

2010-03-17T07:19:00.000-07:00

For our 10 year anniversary, Steve and I flew to San Francisco for a 4 day/3 night getaway. It was perfect! We had the best time. We flew into Oakland and took BART across the bay into San Fran. We stayed at the Sheraton on the wharf. The room was really nice and the hotel was great. Had to take a pic of the Raiders Stadium. My #3 team! Go Raiders!
Do you recognize this old man? Steve thinks he's a actor, but I'm not convinced. I am convinced, however, that he and his grandson thought we were pretty creepy.

We spent most of our time walking around the city in the rain. It was great. We walked for 3 days straight. We discovered parts of the city that were beautiful and hidden. We also relied on public transit a little to get from the wharf to downtown. Our first afternoon and evening we walked around the wharf and Ghirardelli Square.
The next day we took the F-line train into downtown early in the morning. We got there a little early so we went into Borders and got "hot drinks" to warm us up. Then we walked around the shopping district. I was pretty excited about the stores. Why can't we have a Saks or a Neiman in Utah County? Sigh...

The Macy's takes up a whole city block! And that's not including the Men's store that's across the street! It was beautiful!

This is Blondie's pizza. Now, if you've ever had a piece of pizza and said, "This is the best piece of pizza I've ever had," you were wrong. Unless you were at Blondie's in San Francisco. Seriously... I'd have taken a picture of the enormous piece of pizza that I got, but there was no time. My body literally devoured it... Now that's a happy girl.
Steve was most impressed with the Game Stop. Did he buy a game? you might ask. No, sure enough, he didn't. Why? you might ask. Because on our last day there, we rented a car to go into Pacifica to have lunch at Famous Nicks, and our car broke down on the freeway and we were stuck there for 3 hours! Thus, we were not able to go back into town like we had planned. Lovely, I know.
This is the end of Pier 39 looking out over the bay to Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge.

On Saturday we took a tour to Muir Woods a Saucilito. This is just after we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge looking back over the city and the bridge.

Muir Woods is gorgeous. If you ever have the opportunity to go, I highly recommend you take it. Steve was pretty excited to learn that Return of the Jedi was filmed here. Boo-yeah!

Sausilito is a cute little artists' fishing village. Very quaint , very charming and picture perfect. We got fish and chips at a little cafe on the main street. Yum! Then we walked around the docks a bit and looked at the boats. A big thing there is to live on house boats that are permanently docked. It was cool to see how people lived in those. I could do that, I think. Hmm....

House boat.

When we got back to San Francisco there was an anti-abortion demonstration going on at the wharf. Some signs said "Men regret lost fatherhood."

We lived in Sacramento for a couple of years when I was very young. We used to come to San Francisco often on the weekends. There was a street performer that would always sing to me. And he is still there. He does pretty well doing what he does. He's traveled all over the world and has a poster with photos of him taken with dignitaries and celebrities. It was cool to see him there again!
We found this cute little hidden park on one of our walks. It was tiny and sat right in the middle of a city block.

Lombard Street. The crookedest street in the world.

We also found the San Francisco Art Institute while walking around the city. It was a beautiful building. But we didn't get too many pics. This is from the courtyard inside the campus.
After we were rescued from the side of the freeway and given a new rental car, we raced to Pacifica and got the most amazing crab sandwiches in the world from Famous Nicks. We ordered them on our way there, jumped out of the car to run in and get them and came out to take a few pics of Rockaway Beach and the surfers. Then we jumped back into the car and raced to the airport, just in time to catch our plane. Other than the little rental car incident, the trip was perfect. I had the best time with Steve. It was great to have some time together, just the two of us. Better than great actually. Sure do love him!

Ahoy Mateys! Mexican Riviera Cruise Nov 2009!

2010-02-02T14:01:00.000-08:00

San Diego, November 11, 2009
Our ship left port from San Diego, CA in blue skies and cool temps. Jacket weather. We were all so excited, especially Owen and Wesley.

In Our Cabin
I shared a cabin with Wesley and Owen. Unfortunately, Steve couldn't get the time off work, so we had to leave him home. We really missed Daddy! Next time, I hope he'll come. We had so much fun in our cabin. Every night when we were ready to turn in, we came back to the cabin, showered, got in our jammies and watched Looney Tunes until we fell asleep. It's funny how the very trivial things can mean the most.

Formal Night
Formal nights were great. I dressed the boys up in 3-piece suits so we could all look our best. They were so handsome. Everywhere we went on the ship, people stopped us to tell us how nice they looked and how well behaved they were. And they were! I was so proud to be the mom of these amazing little gentlemen. They were so good. Everywhere we went, they were right with me, and they minded so well.

Days at Sea
Our days at sea were nice and relaxing for the most part. The boys did a little swimming. I did a little sun-avoidance. (80% of our skins' premature aging process is due to sun exposure. Come see me at Clinique and I'll show you how to repair it! Bonus Time starts March 22 and presell starts now!) There was a giant chess board and the boys had a great time with that. We also played a little mini golf on the upper deck, but it was so windy! I thought I might lose Weser over the side!
Acapulco
Acapulco was very big! We did a little shopping, a little sight-seeing and a little swimming at the beach. We saw the cliff divers. That was amazing! They jump off this incredibly tall ledge into an impossibly small trench in the ocean. It's crazy! It was the Mexican equivalent of Labor Day that weekend, so it was very crowded with people from Mexico City. The city is not what i thought it would be like, but I'm not sure what I thought it should be.
Zihuatenejo
This was my favorite port. I loved the land, the beach and the people. We took a van with a tour guide and he took us all over the city and the country side. We saw the coconut plantations and a crocodile reserve. And we ended our day at the beach. My dad bought me lunch at a little cantina on the beach. The water was warm and calm. Loved it! The first picture is the house we're making an offer on.
Manzanillo
We got a van in Manzanillo, too, with a driver that knew absolutely EVERYTHING there was to know about the whole area. He took us on a 6 hour tour through Manzanillo, Colima and the small towns around. He was great! He drove us out to Cuyutlan. It's a little town that is right on the coast. It was hit by a tsunami called "The Green Wave" or "La Ola Verde". It's a small quiet village with beautiful beaches. They have salt factories where they pack salt into bags. That was cool to see. I want to go back and stay there for a week or two.
The Tortugario is a sea turtle sanctuary just outside of Cuyutlan. They farm sea turtles from the time they are eggs until they are a couple of days old and then they release them out into the ocean. Sea turtles are endangered, so this is one way to help grow the population since only 1 in 100 makes it to the sea after it is hatched without protection. Our guide took us to see the mature turtles in the pools. Then he took us out to the beach to release our own turtles into the ocean. This was such an amazing experience. I can't think of anything that I've ever done like this. The boys got to name and release their own, so now there are two turtles out in the ocean somewhere named Wesley and Owen.
After the turtle sanctuary, we went to Colima. This city was very pretty and very clean. We walked around the square for a while. There was a gorgeous Cathedral there.

After we left Colima, we went to a set of ruins that was just discovered 8 years ago while the city was excavating to build a housing development. They are still finding more buildings and ruins from this people that they know nothing about. Pretty cool.

I'll shop there!

2009-12-10T14:15:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Wesley (3 1/2 years old) said that he was going to get something from his new store.
"You own a store?" I asked him
"Yes."
"What is it called?"
"Cyber Riders."
"What do you sell?"
"Space rockets."
He's going to be a millionaire.

Seasons

2009-11-06T08:12:00.000-08:00

I was in the car last night driving 3 years old Wesley and Owen home from my Mom's house. It was about 5:00 and dusk was falling. Owen said, "It sure does get dark early now."
To which Wesley replied, "Yeah. It's already getting dark so early."
Then a long sigh from Owen and, "Winter time makes me yawn."
This will be the title of my next book.

Furry Costumes and Sticky Kids

2009-10-29T13:07:00.000-07:00

So, I always thought my Mom loved Halloween as much as I did. This has always been one of my favorite holidays, if not my most favorite. I love candy, decorations, and scary stories. You can almost at any time find a scary movie on TV throughout the month of October. Now, if you know me well, you know that this is bliss for me! My amazing mother, without so much as a whimper or groan, always made the most fantastic costumes for us, from Princesses and Genies, to Babies and Ladybugs. We were always allowed to trick-or-treat, and we were always allowed to eat all of our candy. Now that I'm a Mom, I'm starting to think that maybe she didn't love it as much as she lead on. I think she may very well be nominated for an Academy Award for 18 years for a pretty convincing performance.
Anything that breaks routine around the Wright household can create a bit of stress for the mom and the kids. Don't get me wrong, I love to see the boys in their costumes and love all of their excitement. Wouldn't trade it for anything. But this year, I thought to myself, "If there had never been Halloween, they wouldn't know the difference." Today was their Halloween Costume Party at school. This morning, was a little rough. In all of their excitement, Wesley and Owen decided that they would make breakfast time not-so-successful. French Toast! Who doesn't want French Toast?! I was lucky to shove 4 bites down each of their gullets. And the costumes...the costumes. So we get buckled in the car and on our way to school. Wesley's hat was having a hard time staying on. At one point while we were on the freeway, it fell behind his head, leaving the elastic strap still lassoed around his neck. Then he pulled it around and twisted it. In an attempt to save him from asphyxiating himself, I took a sharp right onto the 1600 North exit, effectively propelling the Ford Escape into the ditch. Yea Mom! I'll be accepting my "Mother of the Year" award later on today... However, we did make it to school for the Halloween party, and on time for that matter! The boys, unaware of their mother's desperate need for a Zanex, had a great time at the party and even got to bring home a few treats...
It's not even Saturday, yet...

Pumpkin Patch!

2009-10-29T12:50:00.000-07:00

For our annual Pumpkin Carving Activity, we went to the Wright Farms and found our pumpkins at their bountiful pumpkin patch. Okay, so it was our own garden. And we only grew three pumpkins. And only 1 was big enough to carve, but we were really excited! The other two were decorated with markers. The boys had a great time and we can say, "We grew our own pumpkins to carve!!" (Apparently I'm yelling it, hence the double exclamation points.)

T & A

2009-10-21T12:37:00.000-07:00

That's right. T & A as the hospital refers to it. Wesley had a Tonsilectomy and Adenoidectomy. This has been a great stress to this family. Poor little guy just keeps getting sick. Plus, he snores and doesn't get a good night sleep. So we, along with Dr. Grimmer from Primary Childrens' Hospital, made the decision to have them taken out. I am excited for Wesley to start feeling better. Recovery is rough, but I know it will be worth it. We got to Primary's at 11:00 am to get ready and do all the pre-op stuff. He got to play in the waiting room with all the great toys while we waited for the Dr to come and get him. He went in at 1:00 and was out by 1:30. When I went into the post-op room after his surgery, he was just coming out of his anesthesia. He was hysterical. They said that that is a common reaction coming off the anesthesia. He started to calm down when he saw me. We took him right into the recovery room where Dad joined us. He wouldn't lie down in the hospital bed, so I had to hold him while he slept off the rest of the medicine. That was rough. Wait..no...no it wasn't. He's not typically a cuddly kid, so I ate up every second of holding him! His sats dropped alot while he was sleeping so he had to have some o2 blowing on him to keep them up. As he became more coherent his sats normalized. Got him dressed and we were out of there by 4:15. The doctor said he was great and had no problems at all. Even going into the operating room without us, he was a champ. That's our tough little guy. Now that we're home, we're just taking it easy. He is a little drowsy from the pain meds. His voice is totally different. It's high and really quiet. I wonder if it will go back to normal. All in all, he did great! What an amazing kid.

2009 Teamsters' Labor Day Celebration at Lagoon

2009-10-17T08:38:00.000-07:00

For the Teamsters' Labor day Celebration, we went to Lagoon. It was so fun! The boys had a great time. While we waited for the park to open, we let the boys play in the fountains. Thank goodness we brought a change of clothes. Wesley was all over it! He was soaked to the bone. Owen got wet, but was a bit more leery of the spraying water. After that, it was off the the rides. They went on everything they could go on for their size. Even the log ride, which was my personal favorite. We didn't really get to do any of the big rides, so Steve and I went a couple of weeks later, just the two of us. That was a blast too.

First Day of Preschool!!

2009-10-17T08:19:00.000-07:00

September 1, 2009
Wesley's and Owen's first day at Community Preschool was fantastic! We are so happy to have found this preschool. I was having a really hard time finding the right preschool for them, and by word of mouth, we found it. It is the preschool at the Presbyterian Church in American Fork. They go Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9-12. The teachers are fantastic! The curriculum is great! And the building is perfect. It gives that "school" feeling because they are in classrooms. There is a great playground outside that they get to play in every day, too. The first day after we dropped them off, Steve and I just hung around A.F. for 3 hours. About and hour and a half into the wait, I made Steve drive back to to the school so we could spy on them through the window. I have a problem. Owen was really nervous to go in and cried the first couple of days. But now he just runs in and doesn't even look back. He loves it. Wesley is Mr. Social and was gung-ho the first day. I practically have to bribe them to get in the car after school now. After school we took them to Pirate Island Pizza with Grandma, Grandpa and Aunt Rosemary.

A Ride Up the Canyon

2009-10-17T08:07:00.000-07:00

Sunday, August 23
We went for a Sunday morning ride up Provo Canyon. We stopped at Sundance for a walk in the rain. Then finished off with the rest of the Alpine Loop into American Fork. This was one of those perfect days. One that I could re-live over and over. (Except for the speeding ticket...)

2009-09-11T22:05:00.000-07:00

I think Wesley and Owen are really cool. I like them, and I like to be around them. I think they're funny. They have great taste in music. I like when Owen says, "last days..." and, "...long days." I like when Wesley says, "I think I smell something." I look up to these wise and thoughtful 3 year olds. They make me want to be better. And cooler.

2009-09-04T14:23:00.000-07:00

The Big 3!
Wesley and Owen celebrated their 3rd birthday on August 15. The day started out dreary and rainy, much to my horror. You see, we rented a pony for the party that was to held outside that afternoon. To calm my nerves that morning, we decided to take them to Jumpin' Jacks in Springville, just the 4 of us. So fun! I'm not sure who had a better time: the boys, Daddy or Mommy watching all 3 of them.

After all the fun at Junpin' Jacks, we all took a nap! Well, Daddy and the boys took a nap. Mommy got things ready for the party. To my delight, the weather cleared up and it turned out to be a beautiful day. We had so many for our good friends, and even a few new friends for the boys, at the party. Everyone was so great, and the boys were totally spoiled! Thanks to everyone who came. Thanks to Grandma for letting us have the party at her park and pavilion. And for the great job on the "Cars in the Land of the Lost" cake. The pony was a hit with all of the kids. Even after Wesley fell off.

Kids are great!

2009-08-04T06:43:00.000-07:00

Owen
Upon getting in the bathtub Saturday night, Owen discovers he has a little "boner". How do I know this? Because he says, "Mom! My ding-ding is really really really strong!"

2009-07-31T21:41:00.000-07:00

Ohio Trip 2009
We spent some time in Ohio this June visiting family. We had a great time...I just hope Steve's family still loves me after this one. I may have been a bit crabby. Just love me!
We spent the first couple of days in Michigan visiting family up there. The kids had a great time playing at Grandma Medieros's and riding horses at Marsha and Pat's. It was a rough couple of days without our luggage, trying to fit everything in, locking keys in vans, driving around for HOURS. But we made it with smiles...mostly.

Auntalou's pool was definitely a highlight. Owen is such a fish! He has a great time swimming with his cousins and didn't want any help at all! Wes was a little more cautious and ALWAYS cold, but he had a great time too.

POP'S BUS

CAMPING AT GUILFORD LAKE
This was great. Campfire, pontoon boat, and the kids had a blast swimming in the lake, despite all of the goose poo.

NELSON'S LEDGES
Right in the middle of nowhere (farm-y area), this awesome rock garden pops up. These huge rock for caves and ledges and it is now a State Park. We climbed all over, up and down the rocks. When you go down into the caves, the temp drops like 20 or 30 degrees. It was really cool. I wore flip-flops because I'm awesome. Not my brightest moment.

We had the most fun just hanging out at Pop and Mimi's. Jammies were the outfits of choice for the most part (along with high heels, apparently.) We have such a good time with all of the family together. Wish it was more often.

BIRTHDAY PARTY
Mimi threw a fabulous birthday party for all of the summer birthdays (me included), complete with our own personal birthday cakes. And boy does she know how to make a cake!!! Om-num-num!

The First One

2009-07-31T08:25:00.001-07:00

Okay. Let's see if I can get this blogging thing down.