Couldn't resist

Check out Logan serenading the dog....and here are the masterpieces from last night.

Disney Overload

Last week we decided to stop thinking about going to Disneyland. We needed to either quit filling Logan's mind with all of it's majesty and wonder, or buck up and go. So, us and the Harwoods all cozied up in the same vehicle and braved the adventure. And that, it was. I will share the highlights:)

• Justin maintained his serious co-dependency issue with the Onstar Navigation chick. We listened to her encouragement and advice beginning the instant we hit the freeway in St. George, and ending once safely home. (Doesn't sound so bad? Have your child's movie interrupted every 2 minutes only to hear a strange woman affirm that you are to 'stay on the I-15.')
  
• Reese and Logan enjoyed each other with every bit as much zeal as they used to terrorize each other. Lilly was marvelous the entire trip. Steph took one for the team whenever the princess-related lines called for patience.
  
• After Brad and Justin got us out of our stay at the 4-star rat hole known as the 'Annabella' they worked some swingin' deals on the rest of the stay at the Hyatt.
  
• I took tramadol mid-day and started jumping around like a firecracker just when everybody was utterly spent. Thus, we never made it past 9:00 in the park.
• Favorite Rides: Everything in California Adventures (Aladdin broadway show, Mickey-mouse playhouse, the parades, Bug's life, River raft, Cali screamer, tower of terror), and the old classics at Disney.
  
• Favorite lines: The wheelchair accessible ones, thanks to the friend who needed it. We couldn't imagine how miserable the days would have been waiting in the normal lines. They were insane.
• Justin was absolutely terrified to be in the gondola on the ferris wheel. Brad about wet his pants from laughing every time he got the opportunity to ride a roller coaster with Justin. This sound bit will explain it. YOU HAVE TO LISTEN:

Ode to October

We had a great time at the lake this last weekend. Friday- Quail Lake with the Farrers. Saturday- Sand Hollow with the Harwoods. Logan loves boating/double-dog daring with his little buddies. As for the adults, thank goodness we were shameless enough to wear my parent's oh-so-small rockin' wetsuits from the late 80's. They kept Brad and I toasty warm while we enjoyed the first good water we've had all year. They would have kept others warm if our friends would ever actually get in the water. We need new friends. Oh well....I have a feeling that the boating days are over for a while now. Boooo. Okay, I am over it now. Bring on the ground sports.




This is Logan getting his groove on!


Max got surfing lessons.

Totally freaked out

Okay, so I will post all about our family vacation to Cali. Tomorrow. For now, I just have to say that I am totally horrified and down right shocked. So what if Jessica Simpson's maltipoo got killed by coyotes? As if that would ever happen to my maltipoo. I have been sooo proud of Max lately. Barks at the door to go to the bathroom, no accidents, runs to me instead of away when he does sneak out, doesn't jump on the table to eat my food anymore, only mounts strangers..... All of the hard work is finally paying off! So in good faith, I have been letting him out without a leash at night to do his business. It just so happens that he is afraid of the dark, and therefore comes back inside the second he is done.

Well, he didn't come right back in tonight. I ran out to yell for him and spotted a coyote leaping out of my yard and into the street. The nerve. I swear that if I ever see that mongrel again, I will blow him up. Dirty, evil animal. He should really just stick to the dog-sized rabbits which are so plentiful in this place. I realized tonight that Max is our adorable baby and as such, he better be invincible. I think he found the event a bit exciting, as he is begging to go back out.... I said he was cute, not smart.

Cliff's notes on our month

Our daily life is definitely a complex, chaptered book. And if I have any hope to keep an up-to-date family journal, I am going to need to learn to settle with a quick reference version of our life. In pamphlet form. Bullet-point even. So here is a brainstorm as it pertains to the last several weeks:

• Found a way for the Harwood family to yet again be our neighbors, as it once was in the Idaho scene- same ward, street, and all. 
  
• Began Logan's adventures in soccer. Why is his jersey all wet in these pics? Because he ripped it off, threw it down, and then peed behind the city building with his shirt at his feet. Nice;)
• Watched Stephanie run by my house every morning while I contemplate what it might feel like to actually exercise. 
• Got my next round of prolotherapy. AND, it is totally working. Hallelujah, praise the heavens.
• Lots of movie parties and pool parties and extra bodies sleeping over in our home. I have loved having so many people around.
• Found a dead rat in the bottom of the pool and launched it into space with the net cleaner. Found a shiny, long, black and white King snake in Harwood's garage. Nasty
• Smiled as the cockroach population has drastically decreased with the cooler weather.
• Experienced weather in the 90's rather than the 100's. Lovely. 
• Went with Tiffany to Annie at the Tuacahn ampitheater.
• Celebrated Brad's 30th birthday with a media/technology overload. He is still giving me grief about not getting him a cake. I continue to explain that if we had more than 5 friends, the birthday would have warranted a celebration, and therefore, cake. 
• Taught Max to sit and got his peeing on the carpet habit down to once/day. uggghh. Max's vet called to our attention that in 6 weeks, he has grown from 3 pounds to 11.5 pounds. Now that's what I call a growth spurt. 

Amy Dawn Wilde

July 04, 1978 ~ September 03, 2009

"Our Beloved Daughter and Sister returned home to her Heavenly Father to walk with the angels, leaving behind her parents; Theresa Larsen of Sandy, Utah and Scott and Karen Wilde and their family, Nichole, Brittany, and Nathan of Ammon, Idaho; her brothers, Eric (Laurice) Wilde of Orem, Utah and Christopher Truxal of Sandy, Utah; Her sisters, Hollie (Tyson) Crook of West Jordan, Utah and Natalie (Jeff ) Madsen of Hurricane, Utah. Amy also left behind 3 nephews and 1 niece who loved her dearly. Amy, you are free now, our sweet girl. You are the wind beneath our wings." This is the obituary of my sweet cousin. Amy was diagnosed with a form of Muscular Dystrophy called Fredrick's Ataxia when she was 9 years old. The doctors speculated that she would pass away by her teen years. She sure showed them wrong. She died at the age of 31, tired and ready to move on from such a compromising mortal existence. I wish that I had spent more time with her as adults. The perspective I could have gained.... Our Father in Heaven must only call very loyal souls to endure a life of so much pain and sorrow, in order to bring about a greater work. Now you can see and walk and run! No more electric wheelchair for you! Oh, what Heaven must feel like after being stuck in earthly confines for so long. Party on Amy, you lucky girl. And go find that gorgeous man who has been waiting for you to get to Heaven.

August Adventures

I am writing a note to self so that I can remember to fill in the blanks when I get more time. Here are the August happenings that I need to record/upload pics for:

• Much needed trip to Idaho to see our family, compliments to Marcie for driving us up
• Visit to Rach and Ty's with mom and dad for boating and yummy food
• Logan's first 2 weeks of preschool
• Logan's pool party for 10 4 year olds that he single-handedly planned and executed
• Pool party/ barbeque with 25 members of the Bergusen family
• Max update
• Logan's latest quotes and quirks
• Movie at the park
• weekend with Harwoods and grandpa Orin

Here are my thoughts

I am going to try just this once, and never again, to answer a tag for 20 random thoughts from my current brain waves. So you know who, don't ever tag me again:) Here she goes:

I could handle being back on Lake Blaine right now, smelling the meadow and loving the thick forest. The crickets here at the house are sooo blasted loud at night, it sounds like I have a nature CD playing. I love autumn. My back is thrilled about the 10 shots it got today. Everyone should get prolotherapy. Finishing the novel "A thousand splendid suns" today was a rude awakening, and everyone should read it. I am craving homemade freezer jam. Pictures of the temple are being sold at Costco right now for killer deals. Tomorrow wouldn't be too soon to adopt a baby. I love last minute happenings. This month I have had the privilege of transacting with an animal control officer, a police officer, the fire department and crew, and the gas company, all on seperate occasions. What does that mean about my behavior? I think that Suzie, Melanie, Heather, Tanya, Ambers, and all Stephanies and Emilys should move here to add to the toddler-aged children population. I need to get my root canals filled this month. I also need to get my passport before my mom-in-law disowns me. I love Chick-o-sticks. How do I get Max to stop peeing on my carpet? I yelled at Logan a lot today. Need to suppress the temper. I love to daydream about seeing the world. I want to get a Master's in International Development via the internet. Zyrtec is not making me sleepy tonight. The heater is broken on the hot tub. I have goals to learn spanish and the guitar. Not the two together, though. I miss my parents.

OKAY, now I know why I never respond when I am tagged. Now I have revealed what my brain has thought about since I came to bed tonight. And with that.......

Annual Harker Cabin Bash

We look so forward to coming to Montana every summer. This place is so temperate, green and peaceful. The cabin crowd is so diverse, loud, and hilarious. Two things never cease to amaze me about the Harker/Dernick family. The first is that they never, ever stop cooking while on vacation. Here is what has been whipped up by the queen bees since I showed up just yesterday: chocolate chip cookies, chocolate fudge ice cream, strawberry shortcake, pulled pork barbeque, breakfast burritos, chocolate triple-layer cake, chicken salad crossaints, huckleberry milkshakes, chicken enchiladas, pico and salsa galore, and blueberry muffins from scratch. I have realized that my cooking reprituar is very limited. Poor Brad when we get home:) The second is how many trips to town the group cumulatively makes in 1 day. Today was around 9.

Highlights thus far have included the following:

• Logan and I missing our plane after running like crazy people through the airport and meeting the most impossible lady employed by the airlines
• Logan and I waking up at 3:00 A.M. in the Luxor to catch our flight to the Missoula airport, 3 hours away from the desired destination
• Brad getting a blow-out on his way to get us, and the three of us seeing the worst car accident we've ever witnessed directly in front of us
• Brad using zero discretion and letting Logan ride into town with him on the Harley
• Logan putting in atleast 3 hours a day on the waverunner and not allowing anyone else to drive it
• Grandpa building a patio and a sandbox all in one week
• Mike shocking us by arriving with a stunning beard and full mustache. (looks a bit sophisticated but frightens the kids away)

To be continued......

Road trip!!

So the morning after getting home from the AI concert, we headed with the Harwoods to San Diego to fight the pit crowd at a Coldplay concert. They played in an outdoor ampitheatre that held 20,000 loyal fans. Holy crap, it was much better than Salt Lake had been. The highlights of the trip were as follows: Stephanie practically beat (with a flailing glowstick) some low-life chickas that stepped in front of her at the concert. Don't mess with a 4'10" Coldplay groupie or you will get hurt. Justin has a legitimate phobia of bridges, which became appearant as he white knuckled and sweat bullets while driving us to Coronado Island. He also has a serious co-dependence problem with the lady on the navigation system. Brad insisted on Justin trusting him, but Justin couldn't do without the soothing voice letting us know to turn off in 4/10ths of a mile. Max travels well and attracts a scene. I took Tramadol both days, which causes me to say and slur conversations that should never be repeated. Death Valley was 122 degrees. What a great time with the Harwood fam.