HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDPA BOB!

IT HAS BEEN KIND OF A TRADITION THE PAST COUPLE YEARS TO THROW MY GRANDPA A BIRTHDAY PARTY BEFORE HE HEADS OUT TO ARIZONA FOR THE WINTER. THIS YEAR, MY SISTER HOSTED IT AT HER HOUSE. AS MANY OF YOU READERS KNOW, I LOVE MY DAD'S FATHER, BOB. HE IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE GREATEST GRANDPA'S AROUND AND I HAVE SPENT MUCH OF MY LIFE WITH HIM-DUE TO THE FACT HE IS A YOUNG GRANDPA AND THE ONLY ONE THAT LIVED CLOSE WHILE I WAS GROWING UP. I LOVE HIM SO MUCH. WELL, HE TURNED 76 THIS PAST WEEK. MY SISTER'S FAMILY AND MY FAMILY INVITED MY DAD AND KAREN, AND GRMA AND GRPA OVER LAST NIGHT FOR A LITTLE SHINDIG. JARED AND TROY MADE DUTCH OVEN CHICKEN, POTATOES, AND COBBLER. IT WAS AMAZING AND GREAT TO SEE EVERYONE. MY GRANDPA LOVES HIS BIRTHDAY AND IS KICKING RIGHT ALONG. HE IS STARTING TO SLOW DOWN FROM AGE BUT HE IS STILL DOING PRETTY GOOD. I AM GLAD WE COULD ALL GET TOGETHER BEFORE THEY LEAVE ONE LAST TIME. HE LOVED IT AND SO DID WE. HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDPA WE LOVE YOU~

(SORRY FORGOT THE CAMERA BATTERIES WERE DEAD!)

EXCITING STUFF! (LONG POST!)

THIS PAST MONDAY WE GOT BACK FROM MAINE AND LET ME JUST SAY, WE LOVED IT! IT WAS BEAUTIFUL AND SO WARM COMPARED TO THE SNOW IDAHO RECEIVED. HOWEVER, I AM GLAD TO BE HOME ALSO. WE HAD A GREAT TIME, AFTER THE APPLE PICKING WE PROCEEDED TO GO SHOPPING THE FOLLOWING DAY IN KITTERING-GREAT PLACE AND WONDERFUL OUTLETS-US GIRLS WENT CRAZY WHILE THE MEN STAYED BEHIND TO WATCH SOME NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL. THAT NIGHT, GRUMPY AND GRANDMA TOOK THE KIDS AND WE ADULTS, WENT ON A DATE TO A GREAT PASTA PLACE. THE NEXT DAY WE WENT INTO BOSTON AND IT WAS A GREAT DAY. STEPHANIE, JARED, AND I WENT TO A BOSTON RED SOX GAME, AND WE WON! IT WAS A GREAT ATMOSPHERE AND SO FUN. THE KIDS PLAYED THEIR HEARTS OUT WITH GRUMPY AND GRMA AT THE HOTEL. LATER THAT NIGHT, JARED, HALLE, AND I WENT OUT TO THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY AND IT WAS FABULOUS AND THEN WE WENT BACK TO OUR HOTEL FOR THE NIGHT AND CHILLED. THE FOLLOWING MORNING WE WENT ON A DUCK TOUR-WHICH IS A TOUR ON LAND AND IN THE WATER-GREAT FUN AND WE GOT TO SEE A TON OF BOSTON. THEN WE WENT TO THE AIRPORT AND TO OUR SURPRISE WE ALL GOT ON AN EARLIER FLIGHT-HALLELUJAH! WE HAD A NON STOP FLIGHT FOR 5.5 HOURS THAT WAS A BIT SCARY FOR ME WONDERING IF HALLE WOULD BE AS GOOD AS ON THE WAY DOWN AND TO MY SURPRISE SHE SLEPT 4 HRS AND WAS GREAT THE REST OF THE TIME. WE HAD A GREAT TRIP AND HOPE TO GO VISIT MAINE AGAIN SOON!

THESE 2 GIRLS LOVED EACH OTHER THE WHOLE TRIP. THEY WERE AND ARE BFF'S!

JARED, HALLE, AND I THE NIGHT WE GOT TO MAINE. LOOKING GOOD-NOT MUCH SLEEP!

SOME OF THE BOATS OUTSIDE OUR RESTAURANT..

THE PLACE WE WENT TO GO APPLE PICKING.

ME, HALLE, EVA, AND STEPHANIE GOIN TO PICK APPLES!

HALLE ENJOYIN SOME OF HER FINDS!

THESE TWO CUTIES HELD HANDS THE WHOLE TIME...

HALLE'S FIRST TIME TO THE ATLANTIC, SHE EVEN GOT TO TOUCH IT!

WE ATE AT A RESTAURANT ON THE OCEAN FRONT AND HALLE LOVED THIS LITTLE LIGHTHOUSE!

REAL LIVE BEAUTIFUL LIGHTHOUSE!

AT FENWAY PARK TO WATCH BOSTON RED SOX VS. CLEVELAND INDIANS....BOSTON WON!

SOME BOSTON SOX PLAYERS! WE WERE 7TH ROW RIGHT BEHIND BOSTON DUGOUT-SWEET!

JARED, STEPH, AND I AT THE GAME.

HANGING OUT FOR OUR DUCK RIDE (NO PIX OF THE RIDE, MY BATTERY DIED-OH NUTS!)

I LOVED BOSTON! BEAUTIFUL!

BOSTON COMMONS!

HELLO FROM PORTLAND MAINE!(SORRY SUCH A LONG POST)

YES THAT IS RIGHT! JARED, HALLE AND I, ALONG WITH HIS PARENTS VENTURED OUT TO MAINE TO VISIT WITH JAREDS SIS AND FAMILY. AND SO FAR, IT HAS BEEN A COMPLETE BLAST.  WE LEFT ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT AT 8 PM TO MAKE THE CAR JOURNEY TO SALT LAKE CITY AIRPORT AND I ADMIT, I WAS SCARED TO DEATH FOR THIS JOURNEY WITH HALLE. SHE CAN'T EVEN SIT ON MY LAP FOR 1 HOUR IN SACRAMENT MEETING LET ALONE FOR A 4.5 HOUR PLANE RIDE TO NYC AND 3 HOUR LAYOVER BEFORE THE ONE HOUR TRIP ONTO MAINE. YES, I WAS HORRIFIED. I HAD TALKED TO EVERYONE IN THE BOOK ABOUT WHAT TO DO WITH A KID ON A PLANE RIDE, WHAT DRUGS TO GIVE THEM TO SLEEP IF NEEDED, AND WHEN TO BREAK DOWN AS A MOM AND CRY MYSELF IF IT IS A COMPLETE NIGHTMARE AND I HAVE NO WAY OFF. WE GOT INTO THE AIRPORT WITH HALLE HAVING ONLY SLEPT ABOUT 20 MIN ON THE ENTIRE RIDE DOWN TO SLC-I WAS SO EXCITED SINCE THE FLIGHT LEFT AT MIDNIGHT MAYBE WOULD BE TIRED ENOUGH TO SLEEP THE WHOLE WAY. AS SOON AS I HIT THE AIRPORT I GAVE HER SOME ANTIHISTAMINE SINCE IN ST GEORGE WHEN SHE HAD ALLERGIES IT KNOCKED HER OUT, YES I DID DRUG MY KID-HORRIBLE RIGHT? WELL, THEN I WAS EATING MY WORDS, IT DID THE EXACT OPPOSITE. HOWEVER, HALLE WAS UNBELIEVABLY GOOD. SHE WAS AWAKE ABOUT AN 1.5 HOURS AND ONLY CRIED MAYBE 2 TIMES FOR A COUPLE MINUTES AND THEN SHE WENT OUT. THANK GOODNESS FOR POOH ON DVD, ELMO BOOKS, AND PLAYING ON THE EATING TRAY. WE THEN MADE IT TO NYC AIPORT AT ABOUT 6 AM EASTERN TIME (4AM OUR TIME) AND OFF THE PLANE WE WENT, NOW HALLE WAS AWAKE....STINK BOMB. 

WE RAN AROUND THE AIRPORT AND HAD BREAKFAST AND BY THIS TIME SLEEP DEPRIVATION WAS KICKING IN FOR JARED, HALLE, AND I SINCE NONE OF US HAD GOTTEN THAT MUCH AND I ONLY HAD ABOUT 1.5 HOURS ALL NIGHT-MY PATIENCE WAS RUNNING SLIM. THEN TO OUR SURPRISE HALLE BENT DOWN IN THE JFK AIRPORT AND PEED OUT HER DIAPER RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE AIRPORT ON THE CARPET-AS STEPHANIE SAYS-PAR FOR THE COURSE. HILARIOUS! THEN AFTER A CHANGE OF CLOTHES, WE WERE OFF AGAIN. THIS TIME IT WAS ONLY A 1 HR FLIGHT TO MAINE AND IT WAS A DINKY PLANE. FOR THIS REASON WE PUT ONE CARRY ON IN THE STORAGE COMPARTMENT UNDER THE PLANE. I DIDNT REALIZE UNTIL TAKE OFF THAT IT HAD HALLES SIPPIES AND BLANKET IN IT-NOW I WAS TERRIFIED. HOWEVER, THIS TRIP WAS NOT FULL SO HALLE AND I GOT FRONT ROW SEATS WITH TONS OF LEG ROOM AND HER OWN CHAIR-SO NICE! HALLE STOOD AND PLAYED ON THE FLOOR BY ME MOST OF THE FLIGHT AND I WAS ABLE TO OCCUPY HER WITH PRETZELS AND COOKIES WITH APPLE JUICE-ENDED UP WITH ANOTHER CHANGE OF CLOTHES ON HER-WE MADE IT! SO EXHAUSTED.

 WHEN WE GOT INTO MAINE WE WENT AND HAD A GOOD LUNCH AT A PLACE CALLED BIG SKY. WE THEN WENT HOME AND GOT IN A GOOD NAP. THEN WE WENT TO TOWN AND SAW THE OCEAN WITH BOATS AND HAD A GREAT PIZZA DINNER. THEN HOME FOR HOMEMADE MILKSHAKES AND TUBBIES FOR THE KIDDOS. HALLE AND EVA ARE HAVING A GREAT TIME TOGETHER. AFTER THAT ONTO BED.  TODAY WE WOKE UP, ATE STICKY BUNS, AND WERE OFF TO PICK APPLES AT A REAL APPLE FARM-WHAT A GREAT TIME. LOVE MAINE. GRUMPY, STEPH, EVA, JARED, HALLE AND, AND I WERE OFF. WE DRANK CIDER AND GOT TO TAKE PIX WITH SOME PUMPKINS FOR SALE AND THEN GOT TO GET OUR APPLES, IT WAS SO FUN AND THE KIDS ENJOYED IT SO MUCH-HALLE HAD A BLAST. WE THEN WENT TO SOME LIGHTHOUSES AND HAD LUNCH AT A PLACE AT TWOLIGHTS LIGHTHOUSE. AND, WE WENT OUT AND HALLE TOUCHED THE ATLANTIC OCEAN, WE HAD SO MUCH FUN. ON THE WAY HOME, WE SAW SOME BEAUTIFUL PLACES. THEN THE PARENTS WENT TO A GREAT PASTA JOINT FOR DINNER WHILE GRUMPY AND GRANDMA STAYED AND PLAYED WITH THE KIDDOS. THAT WAS A NICE LITTLE GETAWAY-THANKS GRUMPY AND GRMA. ALL IN ALL, THIS TRIP HAS BEEN PURE ENJOYMENT. WE HAVE HAD A BLAST. THANKS JOHN, STEPH, AND EVA FOR YOU HOSPITALITY-WE LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH! WE STILL HAVE  A COUPLE DAYS FULL OF FUN THINGS TO DO SO I WILL BLOG SOON AND I WILL DOWNLOAD PICS WHEN I GET HOME. TALK TO YOU SOON!