San Fran

Daren had to go for some training and invited me to come to San Francisco. His Parents, who just watched my kids for 5 days in September came back up and stayed with them so we could both go. It was so much fun. Daren was in training until 5:00 everyday and I came prepared to just lounge and read until he got out for the day. But instead I got a ticket on a hop on hop off tour bus. It made 20 stops and came around every 30 minutes. It was so great. I feel like I saw all the highlights of San Francisco. It was chilly enough that I wore a hat but once I was bundled I was fine to walk around and not be cold.

Best of all we went to Wicked. It was fantastic. We had been casually listening to the music for a few years now but to really understand the story you have to see the musical. There were some songs I had interpreted wrong or some I never quite got until I saw the musical. It was a highlight. We also got to go to this Burmese place for dinner with some old friends. It was Delicious and fun to catch up too.

instead of messing up the pictures and words I will explain each picture up here first then view below.

1. I went to Ghirardelli square (the chocolate place) and had a cup of hot cocoa. Delicious. I haven't had very many cups of hot cocoa that I didn't like, however.

2. Daren and I one evening at Macy's square with the ice skating rink on one side and the decorated Macy's store on the other. Magical isn't it? :)

3. Alcatraz. It was fascinating. Lizza was so excited I got to go there and when I got home that was one of the first things Meg asked me about. Who knew.

4. Lombard street- the crookedest street. I got off my bus and asked which way to walk and the drive said... you don't want to walk to that, in fact you can't walk to that. Get on the trolley it's only $10 and it will take you to the top of the hill. Right I'm going to pay $10 to walk up hill. I just paid you $30 to drive me around for 2 days! I'm not going to lie to you there were parts when I could not get enough oxygen to breath comfortably but it was fun to hike up one of the classic streets.

5. Lastly you have to cross the Golden Gate Bridge right!? I tried to be on the top deck of the double decker bus to fully experience it... it was to cold up there. I stayed long enough to get a picture and then went down below where the heat and roof was.

It was such a fun trip and I'm so happy I got to go.

still going

I have got to get this stuff off my list of things to do. This isn't of much interest to anyone but I told a few people I would post it. I am the relief society activities chair (I made up the name because I'm not sure what I'm called anymore). Anyway we had out Christmas night and it turned out so much better than I expected. We asked the high priest to come serve the sisters their meal and I'm telling you that is the secret to success. These guys were here early and helped with the final details, they broke up camp when we finished, washed dishes, moped the kitchen floor! I almost wished we had held it at my house so my floor would have finally gotten some love. During the evening we progressed through Christ life. So we started with someone portraying Mary and she read a script and a couple sang a Mary and Joseph song. Then we ate our Salad. Then we had a musical number with the piano, flute, and vocalist about his ministry followed by the main course. Next for death and ressurection I showed the reflections of Christ video (with permission of course)http://www.reflectionsofchrist.org/ I'm sure you've all seen it, but if not it is incredible. Then we had dessert and finished up with someone sharing her experience about this "program" I had put together a walk with Christ sort of thing with scripture and quote/story for 7 days. It was so great and it's done! Then I was off to San Francisco!

Thanksgiving

Back at it again. My sister in law Natalie and my youngest brother Josh let us crash their house for thanksgiving. We had such a fun time. (You'll have to check their blog from my links to read their opinion, I haven't dared check.) Natalie is a graphic designer for Making Memories so she gave us all sorts of paper and sticker and paraphernalia to "craft" with. Abby was in heaven and still talks about the paper cutter she had. As a family we went to a BYU basketball game. Max talked about it for a month leading up to thanksgiving. He was so excited which made everybody else excited too. We walked around campus a little and went to the bookstore. Max loved all the fan gear and Abby wanted to go back to the bookstore the next day because "she hardly had time to look around." The cougs won and we had a fun time. The next day Daren and Mark (Mandy's boyfriend) went to the BYU Utah football game. Thank goodness they won. There were a few minutes where I was afraid our trip home was not going to be pleasant. We would be hashing out why BYU fails, but they pulled it out. My brother lives in Bountiful so we went and walked around that temple. Of course we had to hit temple square. I will admit it was a little more crowded than I like but still beautiful. Abby wanted to go to the building with the nativity and the statue I told her we would after we walked around a bit so then we could warm up in there. So we finally make it over there just in time for it to close. We didn't get to see anything inside, I'm lame. So we hurry out to see the live nativity just as we get up to the front so the kids can see they turn out the lights! I was just waiting for the melt downs. It was late Saturday, cold, coming to he end of our vacation, and no one had eaten yet. Much to my dismay everyone kept it together. We went to a restaurant to eat and as we sit down I realize it is 10:00 at night! I was so embarrassed to be out at this "nicer" restaurant with 4 kids 9 and younger at 10:00 at night. I am a lame Mom. Luckily we made it through dinner with no melt downs and straight to bed. I love my family. It was so fun to hang out with my siblings and their spouses and to just play with my kids. My brother has a skate ramp in his garage (probably a mini one) and so Lizza and I went out there a couple of times and rode his skateboard on it. We of course were sitting on our bums. I tried once to stand and I didn't make it far. When I landed it was silent for like 3 seconds then Lizza whispered..."are you okay mom?" So I would like to give a shout out to Josh and Natalie for hosting. It was so much fun and I promise I will never volunteer you guys again.

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I don't know where to begin

I gave up on the blogging idea-like all my other ideas it fizzled out. I am pretty impressed I lasted that long. I had crossed it off my list but I'm back out of guilt to play a quick catch up. I have to at least touch a few things to feel current.

#1. back to school. We have awesome teachers this year whom we love love love. This was the first year I took the girls (Max came out of necessity) truly cloths shopping for back to school. They had so much fun! They tried on every single item we picked and helped decided which would make the cut and which wouldn't. They even stayed with in our budget. It was fun. Max didn't think so and Meg thought the first 30 minutes were fun. Oh well we'll try again next year.

#2. Have no fear we made it to Redfish. We camped at Stanley Lake and my kids absolutely loved it!

Someone Daren works with let us borrow her canoe. He wanted to buy it from her and I kept thinking and saying I don't know why exactly but I don't like canoe's. Then I talked to my Dad after we went and as soon as he started talking I remembered! "That's why I hate canoe's my dad spent years teaching us to strongly dislike them." He was going on and on about how they tip and they're flimsy. We didn't buy the canoe. But my kids loved going out with Daren. This was after we had gotten there and set up the necessities for the night. They had been so excited to go out it didn't matter to them that it was dark.

#3. Daren and Abby's birthday's! Abby had a friend party this year and we did letterboxing in our backyard. It turned out okay. These parties get easier and easier as they get older. She directed the show I didn't have to do any entertaining-fabulous. Daren seems to fade out of the picture on his birthday. I am contemplating moving his birthday to a different week. I only had 2 pictures of him. Sorry Dare.

#4. I finally went to Houston to see Mandy after 4 years of saying "yeah, I need to come and see you." Thanks to Herb and Vicki who came and stayed with my family and Daren who pushed me out the door. It was so much fun. Mandy and Mom don't get upset that this is the only picture. We had a ton of fun and a good fill of shopping but I am trying to do a "quick catch up" so I can't deal with a lot of photos right now. I will throw in that we went to NASA which was so much fun I want to take me kids there. It was fascinating.

We made it through another season of soccer. It is such a love hate relationship for me, I'm not sure how many more seasons we'll do. We have a break in most of our actives right now and it is so nice for everyone, I think.

We made it through Halloween and topped that off with a visit from the Good Witch. Lizza almost revolted on the poor Good Witch this year but she pulled through. They get a book and this year Lizza told me "that is such a ripe off. I don't even like to read that much. So I give her most of my candy and all she give me is a lamo book?" WOW! I didn't even know what to say. Can you say no to the Good Witch in our family? I hadn't considered and opt out. But in the end she put her candy out with the rest of them and was happy with her Tabby the Cat book. It was like Christmas to Abby. She woke up early like 5:30 and asked if she could go out and see what the Good Witch had left for her.

Aren't personalities fun. I am not saying that sarcastically either.

Now to Hue

So we get there and 20 minutes later we start a tour with someone we hired to take us around. We first go on the perfume river, which connects a lot of the historical sites so you can cover them all. I had a hard time understanding our guide and I was so worried about Daren passing out on the boat that I can't tell you much of what he explained to us. We saw bridges, and building new and old, and little water villages like the one below. I was recovering but Daren felt awful. I felt so bad for him. After the river tour we went to the Citadel. It is the imperial city. It's surrounded by canals and covers 2 square miles. It was impressive. Monks still live there today and we saw them walking around. So only royal family could live here at the time it was functioning. It is divided up into different parts and it was specified who could be in the different parts of the citadel. I wanted to know more of how every day life was what they did, who went where, etc. however our tour guide wanted to focus more on dates and empires. The whole time Daren was hanging on for dear life. I thought for sure he would pass out on this 2 1/2 hour tour but he didn't. He was so glad to get back to the hotel. He slept for the next 18 hours. So I hung out, read, walked the streets, got a massage, had dinner, watched some TV. It was relaxing. But Hue for us glad we went but wasn't our favorite. Though it did give Daren time to recover. do we look hammered? We are. This is right off the boat at Perfume River. In the Citadel the Entry way into the Citadel in the Citadel Some kind of fruit that grows all over here. Our guide told us what it was, I just can't remember. at the entry of the citadel

Perfume river.

Hue

So we actually flew into Danang and drove to Hue. We had read and saw this show on the travel channel which both raved about driving the Hai Van pass and not missing the scenery. We thought that sounded fun so we rented a driver to take us. I don't know what I was thinking because I get car sick and I did. Daren already wasn't feeling well when we first started for the day. He was dehydrated and pretty sick for the next 24 hours. So anyway we get in the car and I am trying positive reinforcement. I feel fine. Distraction. Wow look at the scenery it's incredible. Then I accept that it's not working and I put on these acupuncture bracelets. Still not helping. So I pull out this peppermint oil my mom had given me(she swears it cures nausea). I'm wearing the bracelets, sniffing the oil, deep breathing and talking out loud to myself saying your not going to throw up. You okay. You'll be fine. Meanwhile Daren looks half dead with his eyes closed head back sweating. I'm sure the drive thought we were the craziest couple he has ever had to transport. We both fell like junk. So we get to the top and he is all excited and encouraging us to go look around. I'm all shaky and Daren is weak and can hardly walk. We were happy to make it to Hue with out throwing up or passing out. Next time we'll take the tunnel.

still more Vietnam Hoi An

I have to get this done. Just remember it was 10 days of travel! We flew to Hoi An next. It was the tailor shop place. If you wanted something made this was the place to go. I don't know if Daren and I were just tired here but we were not interested at all. We had some ties made and a matching tie for Daren and Max and that was it. The ladies here were so pushy. they would actually grab your arm and try to pull you into their shop. As you walked down the street you hear hello you buy here come look. We just weren't interested. We walked around a lot. I would say aside from the ship this was my favorite food place. We saw a Japanese covered bridge, I'm not sure why it was such a big deal but it was so we went and saw it. Our hotel,the Ha An was fantastic. They had free bikes you could ride. Well we couldn't pass that up right? So we rode to the beach which was 6 Km away I think. it was a fun ride on the streets of Vietnam. So the first night at China Beach we arrive just as a storm is arriving. We decided to beat the storm home. We didn't, and it was crazy! It was raining so hard I don't know if I've ever seen anything like it. Just sheets. So we are just peddling hard and we pass these boys sharing a bike. As we pass I see them look up at us and then at each other and in a minute or two they race past us. So we pass them and next they speed by both peddling and yell lets go! Well Daren doesn't back down from good old competition so he starts racing them. I think I pass once more and then I just try to stay close. They finally gave up on us. But it was fun. We were soaked when we got back. I rang my shirt out and there was a huge puddle on the floor. But memorable. So we went to My Son, Which is Vietnam's most elaborate archaeological site. It was neat to see. It was the headquarters for the viet cong during the war so it was a free fire zone for the US during the war. So you could see huge bomb craters scattered around. 70 monuments were destroyed but it was still incredible. The underbrush is so thick and invasive I cannot imagine having to walk Thur it looking for the viet cong. You couldn't just walk you would be cutting down vines and greenery every step you took. It was beautiful though. The streets of Hoi An

After the bike ride in the rain. Still raining.

My Son

In the streets you could buy anything

so this section sold fish and up a little

ways under blue tarps produce

was being sold. It smelled this

something I cannot describe. But

it was interesting to walk past and

see all the different fish and sea creatures

that were being sold, which means someone

was eating them.