4th of July in Utah

We had an awesome time this year for the 4th of July. The Nielsen clan all gathered in Utah (and they know how to pack in the fun!), and we even squeezed in some Thacker cousin time in too. We ate good food, saw lots of neighborhood fireworks, took a spontaneous dip in a fountain, saw the new Twilight movie (with just the girls, which is one of my favorite new traditions), and Toy Story 3, and had a BBQ at the park. But, I'd have to say my favorite part was Stadium of Fire with Carrie Underwood (Kendal and I have been fans since her American Idol days). She was so awesome! ... and the fireworks were cool too. The only negative was a sore back from the stadium benches, and not being able to stand up and dance properly when Carrie rocked it out. Alas, I'll just have to go to another of her concerts.

Our adventures in the fountain.

We were so hot so it felt wonderful, and the kids had a blast.

Cousin Paige

Cousin Parker and his mama.

Cousin Peter

It was the perfect depth to sit and splash.

He kept getting closer to the fountain and then couldn't understand why he kept getting water in his face.

The Nielsen clan gathered for the big show.

Cousin Kylie is the best snuggler.

The big boys put on a fabulous show (if you do more than one at a time it's cooler).

Marshall wasn't too fond of the green prickly stuff.

Much better.

Havasupi Adventure

When Kendal graduated with his MBA we decided we needed to do something to celebrate. The opportunity presented itself when his brother's family invited us on a backpacking trip in the grand canyon. When we decided to go I couldn't decide if I was more excited or freaked out. The trip was a 10 mile hike into the Havasupi Indian reservation and 10 miles out. On the way in there was a 2,000 foot elevation drop, and 1,ooo of that was in the first mile. I was pretty sure I could plug out the first 19 miles, it was that last mile out that haunted me.

We flew in through Vegas (a first for me), which was surprisingly quiet at 8:00 in the morning (OK maybe not THAT surprising). We wandered around for a bit, but ended up retreating from the heat to a movie. We caught up with family in the afternoon, stuffed ourselves at a buffet, and headed down to the Grand Canyon. On the way we stopped at the Hoover Dam. Way cool... and the new bridge they built was incredible. I have no idea how they did it. The best part though was trying to spit over the side. "Gross!" you may say. "Hilarious!" I say. The concrete heats the air causing an updraft, so when you spit over the side expecting to watch it down to the water, it actually is blown up over your head and lands a few feet behind you. Great entertainment!


It was 10:00 at night when we got to the parking lot that marked the beginning of the trail. We found an open spot and pitched our tents. All I'm going to say is that was a rough night of sleep, and I've had kids, so that is saying something. In the morning I woke up and realized that the barrier marking the edge of the parking lot also marked the edge of a cliff. Yeah, you don't go wandering around in the dark when you're at the grand canyon.


We also woke to a bustling parking lot, and I realized that the other cars were full of sleeping hikers as well. We grabbed a sack breakfast, packed up our stuff, dropped most of it off for the burrows to bring down (yeah, I was too much of a wimp to carry a big backpack), and started our hike.

Here we are at the top, ready to conquer.


Nine miles to go.


These burrow trains would pass periodically, and you'd better get out of the way.


By the way, when your six miles into a 10 mile hike and you start getting blisters, forget about the moleskin, it's all about the duct tape.


I am telling you, that water felt so good!

That's our tent-right next a huge cliff. I am a fan of hammocks, except when it's raining. By the way, any rain is scary when you are in a narrow canyon with history of flash floods. A few years back there had been a huge flash flood, and now there are a bunch of winding streams through the camp ground. This makes it really confusing when you have to walk a quarter of a mile in the middle of the night to make a bathroom run.

The canyon wall.

Day two we hiked down to Mooney falls. It was beautiful, but you had to scale down a cliff to get there. We were all pretty impressed with ourselves when we did it.

The view from the top.






The view from the bottom.

We continued down the canyon and saw some beautiful scenery and waterfalls. I was amazed how luscious everything was. We hit the trip just right; while were were there it was in the 80's. The next week it was above 100. Someone was looking out for me.

Kendal was thinking about going up but decided against it. For me it wasn't about getting up as much as getting down.


The boys taking a bath in the waterfall. There were small pockets behind the falls were you could fit your head and watch the water fall around you. It was one of the coolest things I've ever done.



This is a cave under a waterfall. It was completely covered in moss.


When we got back I took a nap to get ready for the hike out the next day. Kendal did this:

The next day we started out about 6:00 in the morning. I powered through the first 9 miles, but then the sun came out in full force for the last mile, and the hill was just so steep! Kendal was awesome and stayed with me. I took lots of breaks and finally made it to the top. I felt a huge sense of accomplishment. I would love to go back again when my kids are older. And this time I will be in shape!

Last Day of School

We have felt so blessed to find a program so close to us for James. The teachers are so wonderful, and I know that he is in the most capable of hands. There is one special ed teacher with two aids, and an occupational therapist and speech therapist who are there most of the time too. And, I think the most students they ever had was six. It was so sweet to see how much the teachers and families meant to each other. These are all special kids, and these teachers make such a huge difference in their lives. I am just glad I have two more years.

Judy (speech therapist) working with James.

Heather (speech therapist) sitting with kids.

Th Blue door team: Heather, Judy, Duncan, Jody, and Debra.

Marshall Turns One

For Marshall's first birthday we kept it pretty low key. We went to Grandma Thacker's house for dinner and cupcakes. It was beautiful outside, so we spent most of the time in the backyard. Our first year with Marshall has been a dream. He is such a happy, easy going kid I tell everyone he is my angel-baby. He loves his big brother, and is trying his best to keep up with him. He is still working on those first steps, but he can crawl with abandon. I love his subtle red hair and easy smile, and I am so excited to see his little personality develop.

Grandma got one big present for Marshall, so he needed a little help opening it. It was so nice of James to pitch in.

The wrapping paper wasn't the present?

The birthday boy (with dad's raspberry from softball in the back)

Big brother, showing how it's done

Aunt Kellie explaining, "No matter how much you want it to, this one doesn't fit."

Just can't get tall fast enough.

Best seat in the house

Brother being helpful again.

Cake is GOOD!

Mmm, angel food cake.

Turning one is tiring.

Bath time

One of my favorite things about our house is the big bathtub in the master bath. The kids have a ball taking baths in there. James thinks he is a fish, and is all over the place, and Marshall thinks everything he does is hilarious.

How exciting it is to discover your tongue.