One Tomato

We love garden fresh tomatoes, but didn't get around to planting tomatoes until July.  So far, the only red tomato our plants have produced, can be seen in Coleman's hand in the picture below.  Luckily, we go to the Farmer's Market every Saturday!

Do you check on your kids in the morning and find this?  

Coleman is a bed-wetter!  (He wets the bed about once a week.)  We kept him in pull-ups for a long time, but Dr. F recommended not using them because they are so absorbent that Coleman can't even feel that he's wet. Dr. F's theory is that without pull-ups, children will feel themselves getting wet, wake up, and use the bathroom.  We are still waiting for this to happen.  So, instead of pull-ups, we bought a rubber mattress protector!

Part of the problem is Coleman loves to drink.  We cut him off from drinking anything after 6:30 pm, but we catch him getting out of bed and sneaking into the bathroom to get a drink, or even into Bud or Rosie's room and drinking from their water bottles. The other part of the problem is that he is a very sound sleeper.  He is a little embarrassed in the morning to wake up and be wet.  If he hasn't made an appearance by 8:30 am, I know he's in his room pretending to be asleep because he wet the bed.  He'll keep his eyes closed while we get him undressed and put him in the shower.  Then, he'll just blow it off. "It's OK mom, my rubber sheets just hold the pee-pee in."  Unfortunately, that's not true.  It's a good thing I love laundry!

Read more...

Labor Day Weekend

We had such a fun Labor Day Weekend this year.  On Friday night we had take-out Chinese, which we think is so yummy.  Coleman's fortune cookie read, "You need to improve your exercise routine" which had us all laughing.  Every day he gets out cans of pumpkin and lifts them over his head at least one hundred times, and he challenges people to arm wrestle. They always let him win and he really believes he is stronger than anyone else.  So, his fortune cookies was hilarious!  After dinner we went to TCBY and tried out their new self-serve yogurt bar.  The kids "served" themselves very generously and I couldn't believe the total at the cashier counter!  

Saturday we went to the Farmer's Market and worked in the yard.  On Sunday we ate the best meal of the summer; grilled lamb chops, corn on the cob, fruit we bought the day before, and a fresh peach pie from Marie Callendars-- it was so delicious!  Our cousins came to visit that night and stayed late because it wasn't a school night.

On Monday we spent the afternoon up Millcreek Canyon.  Jono built a roaring fire (using boy scout approved lighter fluid) and we roasted hot dogs and marshmellows.  It was very fun!  The kids got very dirty, especially Coleman.  He was covered in dirt, marshmellows, ketchup, watermelon and rootbeer.  Do you see the giant slice of watermelon he is holding in the picture?  He ate that entire piece after eating everything else.  He is eating so much right now, he must be having a growth spurt.  The whole afternoon was an adventure; the kids set up rocks at the top of hill so they could start a mini avalanche, they shook the rootbeer so it exploded, and when I sent Rosie into the bushes to go to the bathroom, she tried to go standing up like the boys do!

It was a fun weekend, a great end to summer!

Read more...

The Utah Fan Fest and Go Utes

We had a great time again this year at the Utah Fan Fest!  The kids, and Jono,  love to walk on the football field and participate in all the different activities sponsored by the sports' teams.  They caught footballs, shot hoops, golfed, played tennis, and threw the baseball. They even climbed to the top of the stadium.  A very exciting morning for a Ute-loving family!

Our favorite was playing basketball with the team.  Bud and Rosie shot for a long time and Jason Washburn picked Coleman up so he could dunk.  Then Shawn Glover and Coleman fought over a loose ball.  The best was Jono going one on one with Shawn Glover.  Jono loves to test his skills on the young men!  We also got our picture taken with Coach Boylen. (Coach Boylen asked about Grandpa's mission and asked us to pass on his best wishes.  The next week  Jono played the CC golf course with Coach Boylen and Jimmy Soto.)

Unfortunately, we had leave before the football team made an appearance; maybe next year. We also bought a lot of Utah clothing; the players are not allowed to keep their Utah-issued clothing and so they sell it at the Fan Fest.  Wait until you see Bud's Halloween costume, we bought it all here.

 Last week was the exciting season opener against 15th ranked Pittsburgh.  This is what the kids looked like going to school that day!  Jono and I went to the game and Jen F. watched the kids.  Bud stayed up for the whole game, Rosie and Coleman went to bed at halftime. Rosie's school teacher is a huge fan and Rosie is feeling pressure to watch the all the games and stay informed on Utah sports.  The next day Coleman woke up after the kids were at school.  He yelled down to me from the top of the stairs,  "Did Utah beat Pitt?"  We have a Utah-crazy family!

Read more...

Fishing Up Big Cottonwood

A few weeks ago, after Jono got home from work, we headed up Big Cottonwood Canyon with a bucket of chicken, a thermos of lemonade and our fishing rods for an evening of fishing.  We have been coming to this very spot for years, and tonight was the best fishing we have ever experienced here.  We caught at least 20 fish!

The kids love to watch Jono cast, hook a fish and then they scoop the fish up in the net. They all love to hold the fish (Coleman kisses the fish!) before returning the fish to the river. They wear their crocs so they can walk in the water but not slip on the rocks.  The kids also like to practice casting with the barbie and spiderman fishing poles we have had forever; they have been tangled and restrung so many times it's amazing we still have them.  

Jen F. drove up to meet us after her work, and she got to hold a fish also.  It was a great evening!  We caught the biggest fish we have ever seen in this canyon and the smallest fish ever to be caught by the Oettlis. Coleman won the prize for being the dirtiest!

Read more...