500 Days...er... Pictures of Summer

Our AC unit has been off for 20 consecutive minutes and I no longer get instantaneous 3rd degree burns from the steering wheel. Summer must over, or at least winding down. We went on quite a few adventures this summer, and have oodles of candids to show for it. If you enjoy looking at us as much as I do, then this post will not disappoint!

We started off our adventures with Mickey and Minnie! Side note- taking a Disneyland trip sans anklebiters is divine! I highly recommend it. It is then, and only then, that it becomes the happiest place on Earth! Period.

We had to wait our turn for a chance to get a pic on the "C".


Yes, this is what you think it is- a picture .... of a picture. We're that cool.

A Disney must- Splash Mountain

The best ride no one is talking about- Tower of Terror!

Another picture... of a picture. Can you tell who enjoys the coasters more? Waiting in line for Peter Pan (always seems to be the longest line). Fortunately, we were able to eavesdrop on the two gay guys in front of us debating about who should play the role of Tiger Lily in the upcoming Peter Pan 6, and comparing Disney ring tones. No joke!

You can really see me five-head in this one (most people have a forehead, I was blessed with a fivehead) . Gravity is so unforgiving on roller coasters. Girls, you know what I'm talking about!

Best thrill ride on the West Coast! No contest. Metallica blaring in your ears as you swoosh through a loop of fire. I probably wet myself. Twice.
A visit to the Jelly Belly factory!

A sunflower field on the side of the road.

A San Francisco Treat! We don't have these so-called "flowers" where I come from.

Only in San Fran would you get to see this kind of demographic at 7 am.

Let me take you back to a family vacation - circa 2000. We spent a day in San Francisco, I wanted to go into the Gap. We didn't. I suffered. My parents are still suffering. 9 years later I have my retribution.

Alcatraz!

Could we look any more like tourists?

Clam Chowda and Sourdough bread bowls!

Adam wanted to try each and every bread bowl we could find.

Now, this is more my style!

As good at Ghirardelli was, it was way to congested for my liking. I'll take my local chocolate eateries over this square any day!

Our souvenir from China town!

She's the "un-Chinese-china doll"

Meanwhile, back at the ranch... Hannah had 13 puppies. Ouch!

Again, I say, OUCH!

Talk about a dog pile!

Holly's annual Birthday bash at Bucca. Unfortunately, Bucca did not perform. They've gone corporate, and their "better than sex cake" well... isn't!

Rhett was baptized! Way to go little man.

Another attempt at a Smith family portrait. At least this time our photographer didn't take us to a gay beach. true story.

Sofia turns 1 The meat and the man behind the meat!

talking to her peeps

Mia found a sucker. Dad laughed. Mom cried.

James is tuckered out from all the fun. He puts up with me and my randomness like a pro.

The girls got to go see WICKED- 3rd row!!!! While the boys had all you can eat at the D-backs game. We definitly got the better end of that deal. I heart everything about this musical, and so would you. I garuntee it. In fact, I'm leaning towards Elphaba for my firstborn. It was that good.
Gary napping with the giant PLASTIC golf ball.

Now James gets a turn.
At yet again. We find James sleeping...with the giant plastic golf ball. This thing seems to be getting more action than me!

Sofia is ready for the 12 hour drive to Utah! First long road trip for the tike! It went well- mainly because we didn't travel with her.

Smith family get together. Volleyball, softball and food!

Can you tell which one is our strong suit?

And that we're Ute fans?

5th of July fireworks...because we can!

This is my gorgoues cousin Natalie. She's amazing and one day I hope to be just like her. I'll date everyone in the state of Utah, be addicted to diet coke, and somehow manage to live out of a closet that was originally intended for a baby flea. I have so much to work on!

A visit to the U of U bookstore. It seems we can never escape SLC without a detour here. My parents eyes start welling up with tears and we all have a moment of silence and pay tribute to the U of U gods. It's sobering.

A visit to the 2 newest temples in town. Share the wealth, Utah! Seriously! Breakfast at Little America. This is the only "blog-worthy" pic from breakfast. Imagine a pack of hungry elephants trying to feed. That was us. The food was great.

It's time to say so long to Elder Smith.

The proud parents

Curb side drop-off is the way to go!

Off to Canada!

At snowbird- yes, that's snow! in july.

Riding the bull. I think Ethan's exact words were "I'm going to make her my B". 18 seconds later he was on the ground, reeling in pain- after he pulled a muscle in his groin.

Dinner with the Harris cousins!

Aren't they beautiful (the breadsticks, I mean)

What summer is complete without an X box party? Yes, that's a sheet we use for our projector screen. We go all out.

Yes, that's my husband. Wearing a headset. Don't mock- you know your husband does it too.

If it can be fried, it was, and it was delicous!

Happy Birthday to me! Carne asada tacos made by real Mexicans!

25 was a tough one! My body changed. Over night. No warning. However, the dirt devil, ultimate ward cookbook, antibacterial soap, dishwasher scubby thingy's with replacement heads and 3 food processers made for a much smoother transition. Honest to blog! The weekend stay at the buttes, massage and shopping helped quite a bit too! Thanks mom, dad and James! You, along with my new cordless vacum keep me sound!

Well, there you have it bloggers and stalkers! I warned you about the copius amounts of snapshots. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did! Sometimes I wonder how in the world I ever have time for teaching when school comes around. I am far too interesting and busy to have a full time job!

1 Down, Only 179 More Days To Go...

First Day of School!

Pencils and Pens: Check

Trapper Keeper: Check

'First day of school outfit' meticulously contemplated weeks in advance: Check

Sack lunch: Check

Recurring nightmares about first day of school: Check

One Shouldn't Be Conflicted With Confusing the Time with the Temperature!

Only in Arizona!

Is it 1:21 pm or 121°F?

Six Degrees Of Jon And Becky

In Arizona my parents wear many hats; mom, Rebecca, Carly's mom and dad, dad, Jonathan, Bishop, etc. But in Utah, 'Jon and Becky' hold a sort-of celebrity status. We can't go ANYWHERE without running into someone from their past, present, or possibly even future! Sometimes we even find someone along the way! It's a little crazy. Here's a list of places where we ran into people;

-At the gas station/Wendy's in Kanab on the way up

-Rock creek Pizza, upon arrival
-Oquirrh Mountain temple open house, next day
-Draper Temple, following day
-Snowbird Resort
-Visiting Old Neighborhood Friends
-Costco (this is a given)

The craziest occurrence happened the day we went to Snowbird. We met a guy who worked up there. His name is Zack Gulini. He was involved in a tragic skateboarding accident about 5 years ago, while attending Brighton High, and has made a remarkable recovery.

Later that evening my parents were visiting some old friends and there was a knock at the door. It was their daughters' boyfriends' mom (you follow?). Coincidentally, it also happened to be one of my mom's best friends from junior high. After much hugging and recollecting she had mentioned her kids attended Brighton. My mom proceeded to ask "do you know Zack?" She replied with an inquisitive "How do you know Zack?" She was his music teacher at one point. Very Twilight Zone meets It's a small world mixed with a little bit of fate and a dash of "don't be so surprised you're Mormon, remember?". The next day we did lunch with her and her girls. It's sometimes difficult living in the shadows of such super stars like my parents, but I'm thinking about joining a support group. I'm just grateful they haven't abandon us for more popular well-known children like the Simpsons or the Osmonds.

Don't Mock My Pro Con List

Just got back from another family-fun-filled trip to Utah. I love to visit; it's nostalgia meets family reunion with a little bit of Arizona stinks, but I love it there and would never what to live here again, but Utah’s a huge part of my childhood and it’s not 120°F like home is right now all wrapped into one.

I’ve concocted a Utah Pro-Con list to help me sort out my feelings. Feel free to add one or two of your own if you’d like!

Pros

• Dunford Donuts
• Glaus Bakery
• 5 Guys burgers
• Rich’s Asiago cheese Bagels
• Those bread twist things at the Pizza Factory
• Real Grass
• Fireworks are legal
• Tai Pan Trading
• The fact that it gets below 80°F at night
• Snelgroves Burnt Almond Fudge Ice cream (I know it’s out of commission, but still, I heart it)
• A Billion Temples so close in proximity
• Wheeler Farm
• Alta Canyon Pool
• Sno-Shack at the Smith's parking lot on Highland Drive
• Family, Family, Family!
• University of Utah
• Scenic Mountains
• Legitimate summers where you can play kick-the-can with the neighborhood kids until 10pm
• You can walk on the pavement without fear of imminent charring of feet

Cons

• BYU
• Freeway construction, which leads to unnecessary traffic! Everywhere!
• BYU
• Hills! Everywhere! My ears never stop popping and I could never do a standard transmission there.
• Crazy numbers for street names and no one ever says the full number (they say "90th South", but they actually mean 9000 south...I think, or maybe they mean 90000 south...I never know!)
• BYU
• Mormons! Everywhere! (J/K)
• BYU
• An over abundance of traffic lights
• BYU
• Real Winters!
• No Oregano's
• BYU
• It’s still Utah
• My house lives in Arizona, along with my husband

The Theme Park Diet

Let’s face it. We do cheap, even at Disneyland and Six Flags. So, naturally, we loaded up a cooler with drinks, sandwiches and goodies for our whole trip. We planned on dining a la car, and not at the park so as to save on some cash. Sidebar: I would not advise this method if traveling with children, pregnant women or diabetics. We ate before entering the park and decided when we were hungry again we’d just head back to the car, eat, rest, and then head back to the park. We started the day with our tummies filled and our feet spry, and by the end of our two day theme park expedition our every appendage, limb, and extremity had been battered and abused. Awesome!

We did stick to our ‘dining a la car’ arrangement with the exception of a much anticipated churro purchase! And, with the advent of fast passes at Disneyland (thank you Walt) we did an awful lot of walking back and forth, more so than in times past. We had to hike to the ride to acquire the fast pass, then walk to another ride and eventually make our way back to said ride when our allotted fast pass time slot approached. Not to mention the scampering children, behemoth-sized strollers and swarms of crowds we had to evade getting to our destination. Although we saved oodles of time waiting in lines, we presumably exhausted the same amount of foot time traveling back and forth from ride to ride. Subsequently, when we wanted to eat we had to make the trek back to the car. Ultimately, even though we were on vacation this new theme park-exercise-regime would definitely rival our P90X that was anxiously awaiting our arrival at home. I wonder if we could market this aerobic brainchild?

(Unfortunately, any and all calories burned by avoiding fatty park foods and walking incessantly for two days was probably completely annulled by the constant inhalation of snacks, goodies and munchies consumed on the 12 hour drive home. The Yin to my Yang!)

What Not to Wear

While attending both Disneyland and Six Flags and spending a great deal of time in lines gazing at the crowds I noticed an overabundance of unfortunate and somewhat alarming theme park apparel. My first inclination when selecting an outfit for a theme park is comfort. I also take into account the weather and function. Naturally, I always match, but I realize I’m not preparing for a night at the Emmy’s. It’s a theme park. In the summer. I need something light and well-ventilated; preferably with pockets, comfortable shoes and a hair tie. I leave my beloved flip-flops at home and slap on a pair of sneakers.

I'm no fashion mogul, but here is my list of unsuitable attire for any theme park, all of which I observed.

• Thigh-high stiletto boots (save these for Van Buren)
• Beanies and sweatshirts (acceptable for the cooler months, but unnecessary when it’s 90°F)
• Ugg boots tucked into skin-tight skinny jeans (let your legs breathe)
• Juicy couture terrycloth suits with something uncouth plastered across the rump (these always bug me whenever, wherever)
• An excess of dangling jewelry (Mickey is not dazzled)
• Long jean skirts with tennis-shoes (I get that you may feel skirts are less constricting than pants, but the jean material completely negates any comfort you may have received from a skirt)
• Scarves, suspenders and combat boot combo (these need no explanation)
• Layered tank-tops that don’t even cover up your bra straps (tank-tops may be more refreshing than a t-shirt, but not when you layer 5 of them)
• Strapless tube-top dresses (gravity is unforgiving on roller coasters)
• Handheld clutches (again, this is not a night out on the town, try a small back-pack or shoulder bag)
• Flip-flops (some of you may disagree with me on this one, but in the interest of your feet, this choice of footwear provides no protection from the harsh elements and there is a high probability of losing them on rides, also no support for your arches)