and now for my final TRICK: Vaca Wrapup

Friday, October 15, 2010

Vaca Wrapup

Now that we have been home for a week, I figured it was time to post the rest of our pictures.

Long story short, we ended up in Vegas. Damn, no matter how many times I declare, "I will NEVER go to Vegas again!" I somehow keep ending up there. On Thursday morning we decided it would be a grand idea to make the three hour trip to Vegas with Ian and my dad. It was hot and sunny, a welcome reprieve from the cold rain in Duck Creek Village. However, we had the dog, so we needed a hotel that took big dogs...Motel 6 here we come. To the smallest room in the world. At least it was redecorated and clean.

We got to have dinner at Mandalay Bay with dad and then head to the Shark Reef Aquarium which was really spectacular. The kids went nuts for it.

However, I was one of those people I usually glare at and whisper under my breath about how children do NOT belong in casinos or Vegas at all for that matter. But there we were, two screaming and unruly kids, a a big stroller, and a diaper bag on the casino floor. It was so embarrassing! Then back to Motel 6 where Ev slept in the bathroom, in his Pack-N-Play, it was the only place it fit! Next morning was a breakfast with dad and then by lunchtime Ian was finished with his presentation and we were heading back to Utah.

We went straight to Zion and basked in a beautiful afternoon along the Virgin River. Hiking was pretty much out of the question since these two are obsessed with throwing rocks into water. So, that's what we did. Just enjoyed the river and the rocks.

Oh, and peed in the trees!

We grabbed a pizza from the Pizza and Noodle Company and headed next door to the elementary school playground for a picnic.

I can't think of a better playground view than this one.

We had some fun running, tackling, and wrestling. Trying to get out their energy before hopping back in the car!

Saturday was our last day of vacation and we stayed close to the cabin. Holden had a pretty bad cold and Ev gave her a great wake up call.

We went to Navajo Lake for more rock throwing

I love vacation Ian!!!!!

and Scoutie had a fun swim too!

The ride home was another pleasant surprise. This trip really threw our car hating kids into the fire. Total, over the course of one week, they spent about 40 hours in the car. We really broke them in! It was such a relaxing week. Just getting to spend time together was so nice. Having my dad along to get some quality time with the kids (and us) was wonderful.

Quotes of the Day

" Our lives...need the relief of where the pine flourishes and the jay still screams."
-Henry David Thoreau

"As long as I live, I’ll hear waterfalls and birds and winds sing. I’ll interpret the rocks, learn the language of flood, storm and the avalanche. I’ll acquaint myself with the glaciers and wild gardens, and get as near to the heart of the world as I can.

-John Muir

"We haven't just inherited the earth from our forefathers, our society continues to borrow its endowments from our children."
--Lois James

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Recent Reads

Honolulu by Alan Brennert- 4 Stars
A lovely tale told by a Korean woman who came to America as a "picture bride." We learn of her challenging and oppressive childhood in Korea, her journey away from all she knew, learning the new culture in Hawaii, escaping an abusive husband, becoming an entrepreneur, finding love, becoming a mother, and living a fulfilling life. I previously read Molokai by the same author and loved it, which is why I snatched this one up as soon as I heard of it. I think I enjoyed this one even more! The writing is smooth and easy, the tales are gripping, and the experiences are harrowing which keep you wanting more of this woman's incredible story.

The Book of Awesome by Neil Pasricha- 2 1/2 stars
This book is a collection of vignettes celebrating the awesome things in life. The cold side of your pillow on a hot night, finding money in your coat pocket, popping bubble wrap, when cashiers open up a new line at the grocery store, and watching Price is Right when you were home sick from school. This guy also has a blog where people can submit more awesomness. It was fun to read, but not as great as I was hoping. I will probably read his blog though, because he is pretty witty and definitely made me chuckle and remember to appreciate the small things in life.

Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson- 3 stars
PAGE TURNER! I read this in 1 1/2 days. The story begins with a woman waking up in a bed, next to a man, in a house and she recognizes none of it. Over the next few minutes she learns that she has amnesia and every night when she goes to be she forgets most of her life. She begins working with a psychiatrist who convinces her to write in a journal, so she can reread it each morning and hopefully begin to build memories. The mysteries of how she ended up in this condition and her relationships with friends and loved ones kept me on the edge of my seat.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet - 4 1/2 Stars
Another winner here folks. This book was AWESOME (and a bit shorter than Cutting for Stone). This was a new perspective on World War II for me. The story follows a boy growing up in a Chinese household in Seattle during the war. He befriends a Japanese girl, which is STRICTLY forbidden by his domineering and emotionless father. He realizes he is in love with her just as her family is removed to a Japanese Internment camp for the remainder of the war. The stay in touch through letters and his enormous risks to visit her . I don't want to give away any more, but you simply HAVE to read this book. The relationships between the children and their families and even the public during these war years was an interesting perspective for me. The twists and turns kept me up till midnight and the ending was wonderful!

Cutting For Stone by Abraham Verghese- 5 Stars
Oh my! I LOVED LOVED LOVED it. It was long and delicious and I did not want it to end. The premise is a nun working at a clinic in Ethiopia dies while giving birth to twin boys. The story explores the people and relationships in these boys' lives through the eyes of Marion, one of the twins. He grows up in the clinic in Ethiopia with amazing adoptive parents who were friends with his parents and gives us a taste of the culture, food, and everyday life of an Ethiopian. He heads to America to pursue a medical career and his birth father. We read this for book club and had wonderful and rich discussions...I wish there was a part 2!

The Distant Hours by Kate Morton- 3 stars
This was pretty darn good. It took me about 100 pages to really get into it and the ending was a bit too quick, neat, and tidy. But not nearly as terrible as the ending of Handle with Care by Jodi Piccoult (I threw that book across the room and into a wall as I read the last word). I was hooked and couldn't stop myself once I was into it. It was a book club choice and there was more discussion than I remember in 3 years of book club. We were talking over each other and jumping into other conversations. I couldn't even keep up. This story centered around the lives of three sisters who grew up in a castle in England from World War II to the present. They had an eccentric family and extremely odd and famous author father. The mysteries weave through history and the walls of the castle, revealing themselves to the woman chosen to write a piece about the famed play written by the father. It was very good and I would highly recommend it.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Vaca Wrapup

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