Family Time

When we got back from Moab - we immediately got to start playing with Fred's bro Johnathan, SIL Grace, and their 2 boys - Lukas (2) and Isaac (5 mon).

We hadn't ever met Isaac and last time Lukas hated me so I was a little nervous but their trip was really fun!(minus the 2 year old tantrums and the teething moments of shrieking)

while they were here we:

1. swam at the pool - Lukas is fearless and will jump in after his floating noodle without a second thought.
2. ate out - toooo much
3. convinced Christina and Michael to come visit from St. G so we had lots of Walds under one roof (unfortunately we didn't take any pictures while they were here...how lame!?)
4. walked around the Mesa Temple
5. hung out at the PGA store (Grace and I found a couch...it was a blessing)
6. went to Canyon Lake - it was amazing! The weather was perfect and the boys even found some cliffs to jump off of. Including Lukas! He jumped off a 6 footer!!
7. Discovered the GoldField Ghost town - it was this awesome old west town on the way to canyon lake.
8. went to the Desert Botanical Gardens (thank heavens for free passes from the Library!)
9. introduced Johnathan and Grace to the amazingness of How I Met Your Mother

Lukas still wasn't a huge fan of me until the last day or 2 (and then he liked me and actually played with me) and Isaac would just stare at me for hours. I'm convinced it's because I'm blond - at least that's what I'm telling myself!

Lukas just loooved Fred though. It made us wish we lived closer so we could visit and play much more often! (and so it wouldn't take sooo long for Lukas to warm up to me!! - some day...some day...)

Here are some pics in no particular order - because I'm lazy like that.

proof that he doesn't hate me...at this moment

Lukas doing the splits

Johnathan, Grace, and the boys

At the botanical gardens - hunting for dinosaurs (lizards)

Thanks for coming to visit! We love you guys!

Who wants to come next?

LoToMo 2010

Well well well, a week later and I'm ready to do the run down of the 1st Annual LoToMo trip. What is the LoToMo? It stands for the Logan to Moab trip - we made it up because we're cool like that.

This trip brought together our most favorite people from Logan (well - originating in Logan...now we're all over). First let's introduce the players:

• Bo and Lacey (and baby kayda) - residents of the thriving metropolis of Green River. They are kind of the 'it' couple of the community. It was like being with celebs.
• Amanda and Brandon (and baby brooklyn) - the planners of the first trip. Still residents of Logan but have roots in Green River so they hooked us up with free accommodations. They were the guides, cooks, and Green River experts.
• Dana and Jake - new residents to a little town we call Denver. They graced us with hilarious comments/questions, elf shoes, and sponge bob-ness.
• Kalli and Jordan - also residents of Logan. Jordan is the famous golfer that just won the Cache Valley Open and Kalli is the golf widow with whom I spent my days on the course. gossiping. not golfing.
• Chana and Fred - making the journey from the desert of Phoenix. We brought the inappropriate comments, sarcasm, and a little bit of funny.

Now that you've met us all. Let's break down this trip in pictures.

Day 1: Friday - meet up. eat up. fire it up.

we headed to Crystal Geyser after a delicious meal prepared by the Amanda, Brandon, and his parents. Crystal Geyser and I have some history - as in every. single. moab trip to visit my bro included stopping at this Geyser. which resulted in years of seeing nothing erupt. This trip was no different. But fun none the less. We made a fire. roasted some 'mellows and laughed at Bo for thinking the flash of the camera was lightening in the clear sky. We ended the night after Kayda decided rocks were better than cheerios.
wait but was the night over? nope. Brooklyn kept us awake with her crib shaking shinanigans...

Day 2: Saturday - goblins, water, and taverns...oh my.

We headed to Goblin Valley for some inappropriate pictures (maybe one to grace the christmas card this year??). The boys (and Dana) found a cave and shoved Dana up the birthing hole to come out the other side. After she made it, all us girls climbed into the cave and were pressured into 'thinking skinny' and going through as well. I couldn't stop laughing and turned into dead weight for Brandon and Fred to lift up and kicked Kalli in the face. Kalli who got stuck in the cave last (but not least) was brave enough to ask a dad for a boost - turned out he didn't really need to help but a butt grab was available so he took it.

After some lunch - and a whole watermelon (see notes below), we headed back to the house to gear up to go river rafting. We blew up the rafts, got a lift from Bo and set out on the open green river. Fred took on the position of captain and had us all paddling for our lives. Good thing we were all in pristine condition. heh.

That night we ate at Ray's Tavern (yummmm. yummmm. yummmm) and played some games at Bo and Lacey's Green River Mansion. Nothing brings friends together like a few games of signs, and 3-people on a couch. oh and brownies. Lacey and I whipped up a batch of homemade brownies. It's like we should be on the Food Network or something. amazingness and sass? believe it.

Day 3: "I thought there'd be more arches?"

Yep we headed into Moab to visit Arches. We hiked to Delicate Arch - it was awesome and actually really fun! We hung out at the arch for a bit - where the boys turned into kids and climbed all the rocks and grinned like crazies.

This was a few of the friend's first time at Arches and unfortunately we didn't have enough time to see lots of it. So while sitting up at Delicate Arch, Kalli said, "I thought there would be more Arches?"

Next year Kalli. Next year.

We said goodbye to the friends that had to hit the road and then the rest of us hit La Hacienda for some delicious mexican food. The chips and salsa there are probably the best in the world.

When the numbers dwindled down to just us and the Brady's we hung out at my brothers then walked the stores on mainstreet in Moab.

Then LoToMo officially ended.

It was seriously one of the funnest weekends of the summer. We loved it.
We've taken the lead for LoToMo 2011 so we'll see what craziness will be planned for next year's trip!

Notes:

• Fred hates watermelon (gasp). Wait no - he hates ALL melon. So at the Wald house we don't eat it because while I looove me some melon - I can't eat it all on my own. So Bo brought a watermelon to goblin valley and I got a little too excited. I attempted to eat the whole thing but alas. I failed. So we offered it to another family who saw through my nastiness and accepted.
• Lacey's ipod holds the greatest hits - including I'm a genie in a bottle.
• The Brady's are sneaky little bandits and are expecting baby #2 (and even knew when I stayed with them in August!!)
• Amanda is an amazing seamstress. She showed us some crib bedding that she made for her sister and it was amazing. Some day if I have a baby I will be getting my stuff from her!
• We also got to go up to the mountain and hang out with my bro and his fam for the day - it was amazing. We loved the cool mountain air, rhino rides, exploring, and family time.

Here are some more pics - if you're dying to see more!!

Outta Here

Goodbye Arizona. For the next five days we will be taking refuge in one of our favorite places in the world.

This is a much needed vacation marking the completion of Fred's second semester of school (and half way point!) and getting me out of working two jobs for a few days.

We'll spend time with our besties from Cache Valley, our crazy babies, and hike/swim/laugh/gossip/munch/settle-catan/paint toes/relax.

Upon our return we hope to be re-charged, darker (skin), happier, and ready to start back up in this crazy life of ours.

Plus when we get back we get to play with more family and these two rugrats who will be visiting from the dirty dirty.

Mini Vacay

Yesterday was amazing. I didn't want it to end.

Fred doesn't have school in Tuesdays and I finally had a day off from job #2 so I took the day off from job #1 and we hit the road to Tucson.

A few of our friends were down at a conference there so while they sat in classes - we sat at the pool. Did I mention it was amazing?

We sat in tubes circling a lazy river, basked in the sun on the lounge chairs, and just hung. out. When our friends finally finished we headed into Tucson for dinner. The food was only sub-par but the company was hilarious (and for the record - Tucson is ghetto).

What we didn't get? pictures. Nope not one.
Well except of a nasty tarantula found at the hotel that Fred picked up and wanted to bring home. He was really sad when I told him no. So then I felt bad and said he could but he had to hold the box on his lap the entire time but that the spider was not coming in the house. at all. He pouted but made the right decision to let the spider stay in Tucson.

How sad is it that that marks our first mini-vacay in AZ? Not the last.