Part III

Thanks to Interval Time Share and Abuela and Grumps we scored some tickets to go to Dollywood Water Park.  (We did have to sit through a time share presentation but it was well worth it.)  Did I mention that it had been 100 degrees pretty much every day?  It was the hottest summer on record there since the 1930's or something crazy like that.  So the tickets came in handy.  Dollywood has a deal that if you get there after 3pm one day you can go the whole next day on the same tickets.  So that's exactly what we did.  I think McKenna had the best time out of everyone.  That girl loves the water.

The girls loved this slide - not to high but just enough drop.  The pool was the shape of a butterfly - which only girls would love, of course.

This picture doesn't do this slide justice.  The middle tan slide is super high.  Tim, Livie and Maya went down it.  I thought for sure they would come down crying but they all loved it.  (This was the alternative that I let Tim slide down - he wanted to do the drop out one but I'm too chicken.  Poor guy has to suffer because of my anxiety.)  Alexa, Mckenna and I waited safely on the ground until they got done.

I don't think this girl stopped smiling.  Oh!  Wait, except when it was time to go.

We loved this slide - 4 people could go in the tube at the same time.

I think this was my favorite place.  It was like a regular jungle gym but water hoses and guns everywhere.  You could squirt people or turn up the water to spray farther, etc.  There were water slides all different sizes and again McKenna was right there with the big girls.  Notice the giant bucket on the very top.  It would fill up and dump over the entire area every little while.

Here's the bucket dumpimg on the girls and Tim.

Cute girls.

Family Vacation Part II - FINALLY!

On Tuesday we went back into Gatlinburg (this time we drove because we found parking that was cheaper than the trolly.) We decided to go to see the Guinness World Record Museum.

On our way we saw a sky lift that went up the side of the mountain. Maya REALLY wanted to go on it but because her mother is afraid of heights that means everyone in her family has to be also. So, no ride up the mountain on a tiny little swing with your legs dangling in mid air with only a cable holding you up. I did opt to let them sit on one that was on the ground.

No matter how many times we tell Alexa how Guinness is pronounced she still says it her own way. Since we were there, I had to get it on film.

                                        

Inside the museum. We had to tell the girls who this guy was. Maya wanted to climb over and see the coffins that were next to him.

Here we are standing inside the belt of the largest man. Tim also was in there with us but he had to climb out to take the picture.

Tim and the Tallest man. I never knew that 6 ft. could seem so short.

All us girls taking our turn next to the tallest woman.

Can you imagine us driving down the street on this thing?

Can you imagine this girl driving? I think she's trying to figure out how she can get this thing outta the building without anyone noticing.

Livie, looking as cute as ever.

What to do!

So, I was so thrilled to get blogging again and now for some reason I'm getting an error when I try to upload a picture on my new computer.  I am so anxious for my dear husband to fix it up for me - I'm afraid I'll mess something up so I'll just wait until he's available. 

In the mean time - I remembered a little funny story that I had with Alexa that I wanted to record.  Alexa and I were driving home from church (everyone else had already gone home.)  She was asking me what was for dinner.  I think it was crockpot enchiladas.  She started complaining that we have been having so many meals that were "all mixed together" and she just wanted grilled chicken, a vegetable, and potatoes or something where everything is separate.  As I listened to her I thought she was starting to sound a little spoiled so I decided to share with her a few thoughts.  I told her how she should realize how lucky she is.  That she shouldn't be picky.  There are other children out there who are lucky to even get one meal a day and it's probaly soup - everyday.  I ended my lecture with be telling her she should be grateful that she doesn't ever have to worry about where her next meal is coming from.   After a moment she pipes up and says, "Yeah I will.  If our country becomes socialist or communist, I will."

There she goes again, trying to outsmart me.  All I could say was, "Don't use my words against me."  Actually, I'm glad to know she's been listening.

Where have I been?

If you follow our blog, you probably have noticed that it's been a long time since I have blogged.  Or you may have not noticed at all and figured I was just getting behind, as usual.  The past few months have been miserable with our computer.  Everything was so slow.  The last post took me 3 tries (trying to load pics - letting it run all night and then getting up in the morning to find out the computer locked up and nothing happened.)  We have also had the pleasure of trying to save documents and the computer taking a good 10 MINUTES to save or sometimes it would lock up before we could save, causing us to restart the computer and lose what we saved.  The last straw was helping Alexa with an assignment and trying to print an excel spread sheet - I think it took a good hour to get everything done - that was just the printing part and trying to fix a few typos, the project was done.  Pretty much after that I would turn the computer on to check e-mail and that was it (which would still take 10 min - 15 min. to recieve the e-mails and open each one.)  Tim tried his best to fix it but it just had a mind of its own.

So, after much heartache, frustration, concern, and lashing out at anyone who came near me while I was watching that stupid blue circle turn, we decided we had to get a new computer.  Since we are trying to be so frugal these days, I was really dragging my feet.  I didn't think a computer was a necessity - turns out it's much more so than I thought.  I can't believe how much we use it and how much my kids need it for school.  I wish I would have taken pictures of each of us as we sat waiting for the computer to move.  One night Alexa sat there with her head on the desk, banging her fist on the desk and moaning.  So for my birthday and Christmas, we got a new computer.  It just came yesterday and I can't believe how my life has changed already.  I haven't seen that stupid blue circle and right now, while typing, I don't have to wait for the letters to show up.  They are appearing as I am typing.  Can you believe such a thing?  So, now I can blog, Alexa and Olivia can get their projects done, I can do my Relief Society stuff, I can balance our checkbook, work on our budget, Tim can type up the bulletin for church, and whatever else comes our way that we see needs to be done.  We are set. 

Watch out, if I find a few minutes in the evenings, I might actually finish posting about our vacation!

Our Family Vacation, Part I

We spent a week in  Gatlinburg, TN thanks to Abuela and Grumps Van Buskirk for their Time Share points.  We had a great time - HOT, but great.  We decided that the first day we got there we would just go walk downtown and see what there was and what we wanted to do over the week.  There was a trolly that took us from the resort to the main strip.  The girls loved the trolly, from the look on Tim's face you can tell he didn't as much.

The four cutest girls I think I've ever seen.

It was so hot and humid - I thought this pic of Alexa captured how we were all feeling walking around in the heat.

In front of Herby!

McKenna loving the elevator.

I loved coming back from a long day and laying down not having to get to the laundry, answer e-mails, make phone calls, drive to appts.  I was living it up.

That night we watched a Dorris Day movie and painted our nails. 

What could be more fun for a house full of girls?

This is Tim enjoying our nail painting and movie night!

Actually, he did get involved - these girls love to have their daddy do girly stuff.

Dump Dinner!

I stole an idea from a friend on facebook.  She had done this with her family and I thought it sounded like something my kids would enjoy and it was easy-peasy to do.

We just lined the table with butcher paper, bought a whole cooked chicken from Coscto, bread from Walmart, the corn I had already blanched and frozen from a farm nearby, and green beans from the freezer.  We dumped it on the table and told the kids it was time for dinner.  At first they looked at the table like we were crazy and couldn't figure out what was going on but they decided they really liked it.  Not to mention, clean up was a snap.

Happy Birthday, TIM!

June 17th we celebrated Tim's birthday.  For his birthday we got Alexa braces.

Is she cute, or what?  She looks so much older now.

After braces, after dinner, after Young Women's and just before bedtime we celebrated the birthday.

Our awesome neighbor's came over.  It was also our friend, Blake's birthday that same day so we all got together for some pound cake, sorbet, and nice visiting.

    'Til next year, Tim.  I know you won't forget because the girl's keep reminding you, it will be the big 4-0!

McKenna turns 3

We are so lucky to have my parents serving a mission just 3 hours from us.  They are working on a camp that the church owns.  The camp site is great but the accomodations have been lacking.  Until now.  My parents are there helping update the place, the lodge, the lake, the grounds, you name it.  It is looking great.  I don't think they could have a better set of missionaries than my parents. 

So are you wondering what this has to do with McKenna turning 3?  My sister, her family and ours, went out to celebrate the birthdays.  McKenna and her cousin, Nate share their special day together.  It was our first time out to see the place.  We sure had a great time.  Although, it will be A LOT nicer when the new cabins get put up with the A/C in them.

Alexa and Grandpa driving the tractor.  (Little did Grandpa know that Alexa would be hitting him up to let her drive it all on her own.)

Don't know what this is about.

It wouldn't be a party without Tim cooking the food.  He was loving the industrial kitchen with it's gazillion burners and the giant old walk in cooler (it was all wood.)  The birthday dinner was, of course, yummy thanks to Tim and mom for supplying the ingredients. 

A few of the party goers - Uncle Andrew and Grandpa.

Livie and the Birthday girl.

McKenna got that b-day hat at nursery and wanted to make sure and where it on her birthday.

She has the best nursery leaders and she absolutely adores them.

The birthday boy and girl

After the dinner and presents we came outside to have cake and ice cream, along with snow cones and fudge bars and whatever else the kids could get away with eating while at Grandma's.  Alexa did admit that she had a bad stomach ache the whole next day. 

On Monday we pulled out the canoes and played all day.

Alexa convinced Grandpa to let her drive the tractor on her own. 

(I knew he'd give in - it's hard to say no to this girl.)

We had to leave first and this is what we saw as we drove away.  You can't get the full effect unless you were sitting in your car backing out and driving away - they stood like this the whole time.

(You know I couldn't pass up this blog opportunity.)

We went back a month later and the place looks even BETTER!  Can't wait to go again.

Thanks for the fun.

Maya LOVES Performing

I'm sure I've mentioned that I have this VERY confident little girl.  She loves life and wants to experience it without any concern of what people think or say.  I can tell that she actually ENJOYS being in front of people.  She DOES NOT get that from her mom.  I do however remember an older brother of mine once say how he loves a captive audience. (And his name isn't Dave.)  Maybe that's where she gets it from.  Here is Maya at her dance recital. 

Maya is the bottom left.  Is she cute or what?

Maya told me after the recital that she didn't want to do it again.  After seeing her up on stage enjoying herself, I was surprised and asked why.  She said that she didn't like waiting around for her turn.  Just like I said, this girl doesn't want to be sitting around, she wants to experience life.

Now, if I can get my computer working correctly (i've been trying for a week now) I'll upload her 1st grade school play that she was in.  Hopefully I can get it to work soon.