One Year Older...

So, here I am again playing catch up...again...

September 26th marked another birthday for me...38. And I have the best friends and family! And I know I have the best daughter in the whole world! I woke up to my darling daughter and my equally as darling sister singing "Happy Birthday" and they had made me breakfast in bed. I have to admit I was a little teary...I know-SHOCKING! When I realized that Hannah is to conspire with her Aunt, set her alarm, and get out of the house without me knowing, well, I was a little emotional. I will also admit I'm not that easily surprised...especially with just the two of us. But it was the best surprise ever! Thanks Jennie! You rock! Thanks for helping her! While we were eating, I told Jennie that it reminded me of my birthday about 18 or so years ago. She was about Hannah's age and she came to spend the weekend with me at my apartment in the avenues in Salt Lake. While I was in the shower, she decorated my very tiny studio and made me breakfast then too. She said she remembered how scared she was that night. She heard things "popping" in the middle of the night. She thought it was gunfire. LOL! It was actually my friends decorating the hallway of the apartment house with balloons to surprise me in the morning! I have a picture of that year...I will post it later.

It was Hannah's idea to make the face...too funny!

Once our bellies were full, Hannah left for school and then the party began! My sister, Jennie, had arranged for us all to get pedicures. Super fun! Thanks again Jen-Jen! My mom had never had one before! Then we picked up Aunt Jenn & Nicole (Cole) and headed to Park City. Each year, we all get together for a Girls' Weekend. No kids...well, maybe one or two little ones. And lucky me, it generally falls on or close to my birthday. After a wild & crazy evening, we go shopping the next morning, then head down to Women's Conference. I didn't get much shopping in this year though. I needed to be at the conference center early to sing, so my trip was cut a little short. I'm not complaining though. It was fabulous. I'm sad it's over. I won't linger much on it again, but it was soooo great! Here are a few photos from the "wild & crazy" weekend.

LJM was the lucky little one that got to come this year.

Our masterpieces...I will say, my sisters need to live a little. It was like pulling teeth to get "some" of them to put a little fun on their toes. Man, were they BORING! Mine are the best, of course. I am proud of Mom's too!

Jenn & Cole didn't want to leave a car at the Park-n-Ride so here we are picking them up....thanks Uncle Jim for driving them out!

Mom gave us all facials...

We wear Jennie out...

Aunt Jenn...

Jayson's wife, Christy...

Jess scrapbooking...

Cole just bought a house...LOL!

Jodi doing whatever it is she does...I swear!

What would a Park City morning be without seeing a balloon...

Us...

Jennie, Cole, Jenn, Mom (Juanita), Jodi, Christy, Me, Jess

At one point, Jess, Jodi, Jennie and I were left behind in the condo. The others had gone to check a few things out. While they were gone, Jodi & I became interested in what each other had on each others iPods. After a few minutes, I hear, "Um, who has Hanson on their iPod!" Yes, that would be me. Anyway, we decided to make up a "dance" to MMMBop and "surprise" everyone else when they came back. Why? Who knows? And if any of you know our children, you will know were they get this "makin' up" stuff! Anyway, here is MMMBop.

Moon Lake with the Emerys

I really do think about staying current...I don't know why it sometimes doesn't happen. Anyway...

Hannah and Brad went camping at MoonLake with his family over Labor Day (I know, slacker...). Julie is so good to take pictures of Hannah when they spend time together. I wish I could give you all a play-by-play of what is going on in all the pictures. I know that the water level is down (obviously) and thus, the mud. And I know they had a GREAT time! Who wouldn't want to bury themselves chest deep in cold mud?!

Where are our little girls?!

(Hannah is peeking over my should as I write this and said..."We are curtsying right there." Hmmm...I guess we need to practice.)

Shake-n-Bake Chickens...and secretly I am a little happy that I can still see Hannah's yellow shirt. That's my girl!

Oh! That's what they look like!

They had a scavenger hunt. They had to find the longest stick. I think they did pretty good!

I LOVE this picture! This is Hannah with her cousin, Alexander.

Hannah & Brad's Lake Powell Excursion

Hannah & Brad were lucky enough to get to spend a few days in Lake Powell this last week. Many of you will remember Jeff Welker. They went down to spend sometime & hang out with him...and Tom too. It looks like they had a great time! Hannah called me while they were there and she couldn't stop talking about the toad she caught. And Brad couldn't stop telling me about her playing Jeff's drums. The picture didn't work out though! Dang! It sounds like Jeff is doing good. He doesn't like to come back to the "city" much. He says he is allergic and he wants a shirt that says that(this info is from Hannah). Tom is doing good too, but had a little set back, or a big one. He was riding his dirt bike, and someone (in a car) hit him. He broke his hip and shattered a knee, but he is doing really good now. I thought some of you would want to know. By the way, Jeff has taken some really, really awesome pictures & sent them to me. I may put them on a different post...some of them are really cool.

A little side note...when I was looking at these pictures, I saw 3 bachelors & my daughter and wondered if I should have pushed pink & princesses a little more! Anyway, here are the pictures...and the information I have posted came solely from Hannah...

Hiking Timpanogos Cave

While we were camping, we made a trip up to Timpanogos Cave. It is always a good one, especially for the kids. Every single child made it up without being carried. Jessica and Jodi played "Hansel & Gretel" to get Stella up the trail. It's amazing how much of an incentive trail mix can be if it's on the trail & not in the bag! I have to say we have some of the best hikers in the world!

Hannah Rae on the way up.

The Best Hikers Ever!

Point Kodachrome

Inside the big room...LOL...I can't remember the name right now...

Caramel Falls...

Can you find the mouse?

The Heart of Timpanogos

The view on the way down.

E and her fossil she found...so cool!

Roughin' It With the Emerys

Each year we make it up American Fork Canyon once or twice to go camping. We had a great time. We (my family) are lucky to have siblings that love (and even like) each other enough that we can pull these kind of vacations off. We do see each other often and spend lots of time together. But it seems like we have more and more fun each year. We hike, do a craft or two, play games, build "clubhouses", take walks to the beaver pond-although I don't think a beaver has lived there for several years now, talk, color, read, play with Playdough, watch a movie or two, sing, catch squirrels (this might get some eyebrow lifts...don't worry...with Hannah around, everything is on the up & up)-and actually, it's probably the same squirrel-& he FEASTS when we are there, fishing with Grandpa at Tibblefork Reservoir, looking for the moose(one of my favorites), picnics at Silver Lake, make up plays & shows to put on for the one person who wasn't involved, catch bugs, get after a few who get to close to the fire or the river, laugh, and MOST OF ALL...we become closer to each other! And isn't that really what it is all about? And it was extra fun having "neighbors" that we actually knew! One of my pharmacist, Leon, made it up with his family for part of the time! The kids thought it was great!

Here are a few pictures...ok, more than a few. And a few notes about the pictures...K was a little upset that Grandma & Grandpa didn't have hats, so, she made them each one...TOO CUTE-She asked if I would lay out the letters for their names and she would put them on their hats in order. Dads was G-r-a-n-p-a...Mom's was (LOL) a-m-m-a-r-G! And we don't have a lot of pictures of the tye-dying...if was tense for a few moments...and by the time we just said "Have at it", we forgot. The Big Kids (Me, Jess, Jod) whined a little that we didn't have shirts to do. Thanks to mom, she went and brought T-shirts back up for us. I will admit, I didn't do mine. It was a nice surprise. I was at work, so mom dyed one to match Hannah's...how cute is that? Pretty cute-that's how cute! Nicely done Mom!