Visits and Vistas

NANNY COMES TO VISIT!!!!!

As soon as we got home from our trip to New York, Karla and Natalie (know as Nanny in our house) came to visit. We had such a great time and Shaun got to hug and kiss the girl instead of the computer screen, like he always does evertime we check out Karla's blog. Natalie couldn't have been cuter or more fun to squeeze and Karla was sweet to cook dinner and show us some delicious and healthy vegetarian dinners. We are so glad they came. On one of the days we went to the park just right across the street from our house. Natalie would not hold still for pictures as she was having much to much fun stomping leaves, but we caught a few pictures of her and Sasha and Shaun enjoying themselves on this absolutlely gorgeous fall day.

Seriously, click on this image to enlarge it and check out the amazing beauty of this earth during this time of the year....

Leaf Stomping...
Tree climbing... Just smiling...

Witches flying...
Stone throwing...

Piggies freezing....
We had a fabulous visit, throwing parties for 3 nights in a row. Lots of eating and visiting and shopping. Things were much to quiet today! Thanks for the visit guys!

New York, New York!

Over UEA weekend, we went to work with Vaughn! First, we all went standby with him to New York...a flight that leaves at 11:40 p.m. and arrives at 3:50 (5:50 a.m. in New York . Exhausting!) so that we could be passengers in his flight to Austin, Texas that left a few hours later. It was a first to fly when Vaughn was piloting the plane! That was really cool! We spent 1 day in Austin in his nice hotel, went swimming and ate out. The next morning started early at 4 a.m. so that we could fly back with Vaughn to New York. He made the announcement and welcomed us all aboard...that was fun, but unfortunately, I didn't record that, so we will just have to go to work with him again! We then spent almost about 1 and 1/2 days in New York, walking around, riding the trains, and going to and all the way up the Empire State Building! The one whole day we had doing those things, we forgot the camera in the hotel! We didn't do a good job AT ALL of saving the moment on film as you can see. We really would just have to go again. It was a lot of flying...Utah to New York to Austin, Texas back to New York, a short flight to Syracuse, New York and back and then New York, NY back to Utah all in 4 days. Whew!

Here are the kids visiting Dad in his "office". Doesn't he look great! The flight attendants were great and really spoiled the kids with drinks, cookies, chips and whatever else they could find. We had a great time.

The passengers were quite surprised when they opened up the bullet proof doors and let the kids in, especially when Shaun sat in the Captains chair, but the flight attendants just gave them extra treats, drinks, and free movies and everyone was happy!

(Just kidding!)

Visitors!

Karla and Natalie are up from Arizona visiting us for the week. She posts ALL the time, so you can see what we've been up to for the last couple of days by clicking here.

We've been having so much fun. I love my sister. She is so freaking great!

It was nice knowing ya, GEX

Our little green friend of the last 3 years went to Iguana heaven yesterday. He passed quickly sometime yesterday afternoon. He did have a happy tummy full of his favorite leafy treat of cilantro given to him yesterday morning and was outside enjoying the fresh air when he went on to a better place.

Gex came to Kaleb at Christmas time as a treasured pet. He was a good pet, never pooping on the carpet or shedding hair everywhere or barking all night. Some of the hobbies he enjoyed include running on the grass and climbing trees. He also loved playing hide and seek in the back yard or surprising neighbor kids when they walked past him without even knowing he was there. He enjoyed their reaction when we would point him out, but, he never gloated about his incredible ability to camouflage himeself. He especially enjoyed sitting on the honeysuckle plant. That is where he will be buried either tonight or tomorrow.

Condolences can be mailed or phoned to Kaleb anytime that is convenient.

Bye-bye Gex. We will miss you!

Hey, Karla...new posts!

To Karla, my most loyal reader of my blog, here are a few new things for you to look at. Sorry it took me so long and I know we all got "Simpsonized" sick of looking at that picture! But, I have been sooo busy with selling the house, Vaughn always gone, and kids in school, not to mention diapers, dishes, laundry, lunches, walks, weeding, mopping and mothering that I really did fall into bed not only exhausted, but feeling too sorry for myself to post about my life!

Well, so now I posted when I should be in bed, but ohh, it felt so good! It feels good to document some of the things happing on Haven Lane since journal writing is practically non-existant. (About 3 times a year, I try to catch up on what is happing in my life. How great is that?!) I blog more for myself than anything. I causes me to reflect and remember the good times I'm having...even if I don't know it!!! ;) I even had other ideas for posts, especially sharing some of the great pictures I took up American Fork Canyon on a picnic the other day, but I was feeling sorry for our 35mm camera, just sitting there, that I took that camera instead. Duh! We'll have to go again and take more pictures. It was so beautiful!

Oh yeah, one last thing. My Kyle got voted Boys Representative in school. That is about like class president for the 5th graders. (Each grade (4th thru 6th) pics a boy and girl representative. CONGRATS KYLE!

Hammock Time

Kaleb, our family photographer, took these cute pictures of Shaun and his cousin Easton in Grandmas hammock. Oh, the good times....

Soccer with Lucas

Lucas and Paula arrived from Brazil the first of September to go to BYU and we had them over for dinner...and of course a rousing game of soccer! It is fun to be around family.

Sisters for Sale???

Here are some pictures of beautiful Sasha and her beautiful cousins...which she wishes were NOT her cousins, but her SISTERS instead! The other day Sasha was so sincerely furious with me because I wouldn't adopt her next door neighbor friend, Livey. She thought it was easy, like on the movie "Matilda"! This girl needs a sister!! Anyone know a sure (and easy) way to get one?

ASPEN GROVE GOODNESS

Aspen Grove camp ground has been a favorite place to camp since I was little... and about the only kind of camping I will do. The sites are all layed out with picnic tables and fire pits, but it is still woodsy and you feel removed from the world there. It is so beautiful!!!! Grandpa reserved the spot the weekend before the kids started school. In fact, Kristina's kids had to go down the mountain for their first day of school the morning we got up! (My kids had one extra day.) What a great little treat at the end of a great summer.

The walk around the grove...mixed in with a little hide and seek.

Can you see the squirrel?


Waking up to that fresh mountain air.

COWABUNGA

Thanks to Karla's computer savyness, our family is now Simpsonized. Thanks Karla, that is so funny! Even Simpsonized, I want to wake up Shaun so I can squeeze him. (By the way, thanks to my genius, I, Amy Porter, was able to get this picture from my email to my blogspot. I am NOT too old for computers!!!!!!!)

VAUGHN DOES A SURVEY (VOLUNTARILY)

4 jobs I've held:
1. Contra Costa Times Paper boy.
2. Leatherby's bus boy
3. Worked on a loading dock and hated every minute of it (twice)
4. Transporting juvy kids to behavior camps

4 Movies I could watch over and over:
1. Casino Royale
2. She's Having a Baby
3. Nacho Libre
4. Raising Arizona

4 smells I love:
1. Shaun after a bath cover with baby lotion
2. My uncle's farm after a rain
3. Amy's head
4. Amy's perfume

4 places I've lived:
1. Walnut Creek, CA
2. Rexburg, ID where I met the best woman ever
3. Japan as a missionary
4. New York (when I'm at work)

4 TV shows I enjoy:
1. The Office
2. My Name is Earl
3. Everybody Loves Raymond
4. Oprah (just kidding) Lost and 24: both needed to be included

4 places I've been on vacation:
1. Switzerland
2. Australia
3. Hawaii
4. Mexico

4 favorite restaurants:
1. Bajio's
2. Chipotle
3. Panera's
4. Maurice Bessingers Piggy Park

4 websites I visit daily:
1. Hellojetblue.com
2. Comcast
3. Flicka
4. Porterparty.blogspot.com

4 places I'd rather be right now:
1. Isn't that the same as places I've been on vacation? (refer)
2. Anywhere with Amy
3. Anywhere with the kids
4. Anywhere without the kids

4 people I'm challenging to do this:
1. Nelson
2. The Pope
3. Ronald McDonald
4. Mike (cause I had to)
5. Stan Kolen

MISS POTTER

If you haven't seen the movie MISS POTTER with Renee Zellweger, you must see it. It is now out on DVD. Go rent it. As for me, I'm going to go buy it and that is saying a lot because I HATE buying videos. Who really watches videos more than once, even if you like it? Sometimes you pull out an old goodie, there are a few, but for the most part there isn't that much out there that is good enought to watch over and over....but, this is one of those movies! Don't try to find out about it or see any previews on the internet, the ones I looked at to link to this post kind of ruin the fun. JUST GO RENT IT.

(I am being a little dramatic about it I know, but it really is good!) And you MUST reply to this post and let me know what you think once you've seen it, or if you already have seen it, let me know if you loved it as much as I do or if I was just in a weird mood.

My First Survey!

My friend Jodi and my sister Karla both challenged me to answer the following questions. I have been tagged by Kristina before and maybe Alisa, but never did it. Never knew how, but Karla told me how. I loved reading all their answers and it got me thinking about what I would say... so here goes.

4 jobs I've held:
1. Orange Julius at the mall.
2. "Recess Lady" at Rock Canyon
3. Old Word Perfect stock room (with Vaughn: I quit after a week or so, he kept on for longer)
4. International Library Service working for Dad

4 Movies I could watch over and over:
1. Napoleon Dynamite
2. Raising Arizona
3. The Christmas Story (with the kid in glasses who gets a b.b. gun)
4. Gods Must Be Crazy

4 smells I love:
1. The top of Shauns head
2. Wet cement/rain--I'm with you Karla, its the best!
3. Chalk dust
4. Vaughn's cologne

4 places I've lived:
1. Brazil where I was born and lived until I was 6
2. Various places in Utah
3. Rexburg, Idaho where I went to college
4. Various places in Minnesota where I was a missionary

4 TV shows I enjoy:
1. The Office...if the kids are in bed
2. Morning devotionals on channel 11 while I clean the kitchen
3. News shows like 20/20 or Nightline if I ever remember to turn them on
4. Oprah

4 places I've been on vacation:
1. Mexico
2. California
3. Brazil
4. Washington, D.C.

4 favorite restaurants:
1. Brick Oven
2. Kneaders
3. Panera's
4. Olive Garden for their appetizers

4 websites I visit daily:
1. Blogs. Wish more of my family would do them!
2. My email
3. Jetblue when Vaughn is flying to see if his flights are safe and on time
4. I google everything, too...wish I had stock in google!

4 places I'd rather be right now:
1. My favorite place is in my house when it's clean and the kids are asleep
2. Anywhere on vacation where there is a beach
3. On a date with Vaughn
4. House hunting...I love looking through houses

4 people I'm challenging to do this:
1. Alisa
2. Kristina
3. Vaughn
4. Mike

San Francisco Sun

Hey, JetBlue opened up flights from SLC to San Diego and San Francisco and so being crazy and spontaneous, we decided to hop aboard a flight to S. F. for fun this week. It was a great little get-a-way for us. (Spur of the moment is the only way we seem to do anything around here!) Vaughn loved flexing his "free flying priviledge" muscles as it was the first time the kids have been able to take advantage of that and also by making sure the flight attendants kept the goodies comming. (Now, can anyone tell me how to make the rest of the trip free?!!) Anyway, we had a great time visiting Walnut Creek just outside of S.F. where Vaughn grew up and seeing his childhood home, church, schools and the Oakland Temple. While driving through his old neighborhood, the kids were quick to notice and had to point out that Vaughn's paper route did NOT seem to go up hill both ways! We also went to Pier 39 and ate at a fancy resturant where the kids could look out over the water and see the seals. We did some shopping and bought matching sweatshirts as it was actually cool as we walked around. Of course, we had to go to the beach! Getting wet is always the best part of any vacation, followed closely by jumping from bed to bed in the hotel! We had a great time!

Near Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz

Looking in the doors of Vaughns church. The kids were wondering if Dad's benches were as hard and uncomfortable as theirs!

Vaughns childhood home.... oh the sweet memories!
Oakland Temple
Pier 39 and matching sweatshirts
Chasing (or rather being chased by) waves!

Shaun in the sand

chasing away the birds.....