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Showing posts with label Summer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Summer. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Farm Country

Today was another 'FUN' day in the Hardman Household. :)

Tuesdays in August are $2 days at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, UT. We decided that we would take that lovely discount (discount varies by venue) of a whole $1.50 per person and visit Farm Country with some friends - Stacy, Lance and Kimmy.

Now, my kids are no strangers to a farm. Grandpa Twitch has some small barnyard animals (chickens, a turkey or two, etc.) and Grandma Bagley lives on a farm with horses, cows, sheep, etc. Farms are normal. But this was still fun. The kids had fun looking at (and feeding) all of the different animals. They even got to ride on some horses (highlight of the day, I'm telling you!) I think it may have been their first time? They were excited, either way!

Baby Cow that was born THIS morning - umbilical cord is still attached!
Align CenterGoat
The coolest colored pig you ever will see!
Llama Face!
Messy Haired Alpaca


THE HORSE RIDING PICTURES!
Robyn LOVED it - she insisted on doing it by herself!
Archer had a moment of hesitance, but then he loved it
DarTanion being too cool to smile for his momma!

OTHER RANDOM FUN PICTURES
Our little group: Lance, Archer, Kimmy, DarTanion and Robyn
Some of the monkeys in jail :)
Funny sign that made me think of my old friend Kelly Cook who,
thanks to a horse, is missing part of one of her fingers. :)

Archer insisted he worked there putting milk in bottles. He informed me that he has to work there tomorrow too. This was just a fun "hands on" exhibit to try and show kids how milk made it from the cow into the jugs. Archer assured me that his milk was the best. :)

I think Archer's favorite part was getting to see 'his Kimmy' again. The boy has a HUGE crush on little Kimmy (always drawing pictures and things of her and him holding hands, writing her letters, wrapping her presents, etc). You wouldn't know it how he acted around her today, but when we got home after our visit to Farm Country, it was Kimmy this and Kimmy that once again. :)

Ah, a boy in love :)
(and did you notice the little girl in the background is flipping us off? Yep...)

We had a fun day and are really glad that Stacy, Kimmy and Lance were able to join us. :)

Monday, April 19, 2010

Spring Break 2010

Jeremiah's mom rented a condo in Mesquite from April 4th til April 11th and invited us to spend the boys Spring Break with her, Jessica (Jeremiah's sister) and Draysen (Jessica's son, my nephew). Since we didn't have any plans and a get-away to somewhere warm is always tempting (especially when it's snowing at home!), we went and had a great time. :) Jeremiah couldn't go with us because he just got a new job (Utah Timber Frames) and started on the day after we left. YAY and BOO. :) Here's the rundown on the trip and some fun pictures to remember it by...

SUNDAY
We started the vacation on Easter. Jeremiah's aunt Karri came over to Jeremiah's parents house with her kids and we had an Easter Egg hunt. :) I didn't take too many pictures, but here are a few...

After the Easter Egg Hunt, we ate some great food and headed to Mesquite. We all piled into Sandra's Pilot - don't ask me how we fit everything because I still have NO idea! The weather was windy, but warm. We picked up some groceries for our stay and went back to the hotel for an easy night.

MONDAY
The next morning, the kids were begging to go down to the pool. We tried to tell them it was super windy and cold and that they really didn't want to be down there, but they insisted. Sandra and I took them down to feel the pool water. That didn't work. Draysen jumped right in and my boys were trying to follow. :) So, with the kids in their street clothes (except Tanion who went back to the room to change), they all played in the water for a little while - the wind blowing the whole time. :)

That afternoon, we made a trip to St. George. It was windy and rainy in St. George, so we played inside at a Dinosaur Museum... It wasn't like the one at Thanksgiving Pointe. This one was more informational and showed you things like Dinosaur tracks. Archer and Robyn thought it would be more fun to just run around and try to climb on the actual excavation dig sites. Yeah. A panic attack later and we were sitting in the car waiting for everyone else to be done.

TUESDAY

Tuesday brought sun and a semi-warm (mostly cool) pool. We played in the pool a little but spent most of the time in the hot tub (which was really a warm tub). We just took it easy that day - played at the pool some, went back up to the room for a while, went back down to the pool. Ah, vacation life is tough... Here are some pictures of the kiddos - all ready to head down to the pool. :)
I can tell you that something scary happened. It was time to come back up to the room and Robyn was over by the gate, waiting for me. I ask Sandra to keep an eye on her while I go over to the boys and see if they want to come back and to get towels. Mind you, I was already IN my swimsuit cover-up type dress. The second I turn around, I hear Sandra saying "Robyn! Robynson! Robyn!" I turn around to see Robyn babbling about something, not watching where she was going and walk (fall) straight into the pool. Picture Sandra and I both on a dead run, me reaching the pool area first, JUMPING IN and grabbing Robyn (just out of 3ft, but still!) - trying to pull her out of the water but my swimsuit cover-up dress thingy is over her head. The whole thing lasted maybe a whole 5 seconds, but life really does move in slow motion when you are scared to death.
Robyn was totally fine. She coughed a little, cried for maybe 2 seconds and then started telling us about a spider. I'm guessing she saw a bug, was worried it was going to get her so she didn't take her eyes off of it, and then she fell in the pool. The rest of the trip, she was telling everyone who would listen "I fell in the water!"
WEDNESDAY

Just like the rest of the days, we started Wednesday with swimming at the pool (and hot tub). We were generally at the pool a few times each day, actually. :) We stayed at the pool until after lunch time. Then we decided to go play on the grassy area of the condo area. Archer and Robyn had a fun time looking for blowy flowers (dead dandelions) and pine cones. DarTanion and Draysen would chase each other for a while, then get bored and just sit down. I rented Astro Boy for the kids to watch after dinner (they really liked it). Just another fun, relaxing day. :)

THURSDAY
April 8th (Thursday) was Archer's birthday. Since we were in Mesquite, I decided I would let him celebrate however he wanted to. Well, that meant bowling. We went bowling over at the Virgin River (I think!). Everyone seemed to have a fun time. :) Then Sandra traded in money for coins in the arcade for the kids. They played for about another hour in there and each got a little sack of goodies off of the tickets they won. After bowling and the arcade, we got some pizza, cake and ice cream and headed back to the hotel. We sang to Archer (who HATES when people sing - especially to him), ate dinner and took it easy. :)

FRIDAY
On Friday, we did the usual morning swim and then headed to St. George. Sandra wanted to check out a few fabric stores, so Jessica and I packed a lunch and went to a 'park' with the kids. It was actually the St. George town square and they have lots of different ways to get wet in 'not scary pool-like' waters. My kids LOVED it. They wanted to know if there was one in Provo, too. :) I actually really liked it there too. We ended up staying there for around 4 hours! Afterward, we met up with my Aunt Candy and her family (who live in St. George) for dinner at IHOP (kids eat free with the purchase of an adult meal!). Dinner was good, but it was really great to see Candy and family. :) {Thanks for coming! We love you guys!}

SATURDAY
The realization that this was our last full day in the sun made me kind of sad. I had enjoyed getting my sunburn in St. George - even though I know it would be gone with no sign of ever having one by Sunday afternoon. Instead of going to the pool by the condo, we went to the CasaBlanca pools across the street. Can I just say how much I LOVED their pool!? It wasn't cold, there was a water slide and a water fall, lots of room to sit and tan or enjoy the shade AND they had a place to get drinks. HEAVEN! :) We hung out there all morning on Saturday. I tortured Robyn and Archer by making them swim instead of just hang out on the side of the pool (I know, I'm mean). Then Jessica took both DarTanion and Robyn down the water slide at different times - I went down it with Robyn right as we got there and dropped my glasses (and Robyn) in the water. No worries, though. We found them both. :) It was after 2pm when my DarTanion and Archer both insisted they were starving TO DEATH and Robyn fell asleep in my arms. I asked Sandra if she could take us back to our room so we could have lunch. Sandra took us back, but then her, Jessica and Draysen stayed at the CasaBlanca til almost 6pm! Everyone had some sort of sunburn after Saturday. :)


SUNDAY
Sandra woke up bright and early on Sunday and we all got to packing our things and getting them back in the car. I had packed a few things the night before so that Sunday morning wouldn't take as long, but it still took a good hour and a half! We finally all got loaded in the car and by some miracle were able to drive straight from Mesquite to Provo without a bathroom break! (I was shocked!) We listened to a book on tape (Don't Cry Wolf) for most of the ride home and since we were missing a few discs and because I had to leave before it was done, I have now borrowed the book from the library. It's pretty good, so far. :)

It is good to be home, back to my computer, my blogs, my FaceBook, my house, my hubby! It's good to be back into our routine and back to basically normal.

BIG, HUGE THANKS TO GRANDMA SANDRA HARDMAN FOR TAKING US WITH YOU AND LETTING US HAVE LOTS OF FUN!!! WE LOVE YOU!

Sunday, August 30, 2009

This little birdy...

Yesterday I did some shopping (for the basement) with Jeremiah's mom, Robyn and Archer. DarTanion and Draysen wanted to stay at the house with Twitch and Jeremiah, which was TOTALLY fine with me. They played outside while we were gone and when I came home to drop off two very whiney children (Archer / Robyn), DarTanion told me he caught a real life bird. I thought maybe he found a decoration bird that LOOKED like a real bird. Then he told me it was still alive and opens his hands. Sure enough, DarTanion was holding a real life (and alive) bird! He and Draysen apparently 'caught' it outside.

"It didn't even try to fly away or anything!"
(as per DarTanion)

So I'm guessing they found a little bird that had been attacked and injured by one of the 7 cats that happen to live at our house or our neighbors house. It was a grown bird, but he was tiny!

Draysen and DarTanion wanted to keep him as a pet, so when I went downstairs to see if Jeremiah knew that the boys had a bird, they let him 'fly' behind the TV in the boys room - which happens to sit in a corner! Since the bird couldn't really fly, I think he may have had some assistance from DarTanion and / or Draysen... Jeremiah was able to move the cabinet and the TV and rescue the birdy...

We decided that the birdy missed his family and should go back outside. We let all the boys say goodbye and took the bird outside. All the kids got to pet the bird before Jeremiah put him on the fence. The bird fell off the fence, Draysen was bawling because he wanted to keep the bird as a pet and DarTanion was certain a cat would eat him. So Jeremiah picked up the bird again, took him to a shelf area on the fence, made him a bed and made the kids go inside. Birdy was gone when I got back from picking up Jeremiah's mom from Home Depot. I hope he met his birdy family and not the inside of a cat's belly... The kids were heart broken because their bird didn't come say goodbye and he hasn't came back to visit yet...

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Warmer Weather Vacations...

Robyn hanging out poolside...

Sandra (Miah's mom) booked 3 rooms in Mesquite during Heber City's Spring Break. It was a different week from Provo's, but we went with anyway!!! I checked DarTanion & Archer out of school and we left on Sunday. There were 9 of us. Sandra & Kaziah, Jessica and Draysen, and then Shandy and our crew (minus dad)!
And, Yes, I brought DarTanion's almost 15 year old girlfriend with us on vacation.
What?

You have a problem with that?!
:)
Anyway, we had lots of fun swimming, watching The Parent Trap, sleeping, and just enjoying the WARM weather of Mesquite, Nevada!

Archer wanted to play in the water, just not GET IN the water
when DarTanion figured out his swimsuit floated, he had a BLAST!
DarTanion, Shandy & Robyn at the hotel pool
my wet little spiderman boy
Draysen showing off his totally awesome swimming skills!
The boy is a fish!
Robyn walking back IN to the pool after I took her out!
Scared, Sad Archer - and Grandma and Robyn in the background
Shandy trying to show Archer the water isn't that bad!
Robyn with DarTanion & Shandy - hanging out at the pool

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Grandma Bagley's House

(Wow - it's almost been a week since my last post. That doesn't happen often...)

DarTanion's been asking (constantly) about when we are going to Grandma Bagley's house again. I know he likes to see Grandma and Grandpa Bagley, but I really think it was more that he wanted to see his cousin (my cousin, actually), Kooper. (Kooper lives next door to Grandma and Grandpa.) He and DarTanion are the same age and are both a little wild and crazy. DarTanion and Archer were out of school on Thursday and Friday due to UEA, so we decided to make the 3 hour trip to Koosharem to see Grandma Bagley. (And if you have heard of Koosharem, you are amazing!) Jeremiah had to work, so it was just me and the kiddies. (My parents did come down to go hunting on Friday, so we did see them, but they stayed at their house down there...)

I don't have many pictures of DarTanion from this last weekend because he was running around with Kooper the whole time. I bet I saw him around 4 hours each day because he was never inside Grandma's house... See, they live on a farm so there is LOTS of room to run around and lots of trouble to get into and lots of 4-wheeling that needs done...

DarTanion on one of the few occasions he was in the house

Mikyla, Tucker, DarTanion and Kooper going to play a game.
(See those hay stacks in the background? Yeah, they were playing ON TOP of those... Didn't have my camera with me that time, though...)
Picture of the cousins together :)

DarTanion and Kooper giving the thumbs up

DarTanion and Kooper riding the 4 Wheeler

My dad riding the 4 wheeler
(he looks hilarious on it because it's a kids 4 wheeler and he is definately bigger than a kid!) :)


DarTanion giving the thumbs DOWN.
He was going to fast and launched the 4 wheeler into a small ditch behind Grandma's house. He and Kooper were both fine, but they were almost in tears when they told Grandpa Sherrill (my dad) that they wrecked the 4 wheeler...



Grandma tends to take over the babies and since Robyn is the baby, she was held pretty much the whole time. :) She didn't really mind. When she wasn't being held, she was sleeping or driving little cars or playing with a little hammer. Yeah, I hope she will be a "girl" someday...

Robyn waiting for her turn on the 4 wheeler

My Cousin, Tucker and Robyn on the 4 Wheeler (she LOVED it!)

Grandma (Yvonne) Bagley holding Robyn

Grandma Bagley, Grandma Barlow and baby Robyn

Since DarTanion was busy the whole time and Grandma had Robyn, Archer was my buddy. We would go play on one of the tractors, then go feed the sheep, then go feed the horses, then go play in the hay stacks, then go play with the kitties, then go see the cows (and moo at them). Then we would take a kitty in the house and smoother it with love until Grandpa started in about how cats belong outside. So we'd go outside and start all over again. :) That's why I have more pictures of Archer than anyone on this trip, too. :) It was fun spending some time with my little Archer this weekend. :) He's a funny little guy.

Archer holding the kitty

Archer holding the kitty (still!)

Kissing the Sheep because she was sad

Archer feeding the white horse

Feeding one of the brown horses

Action shot of Archer feeding one of the brown horses
(he was a little scared so he would throw the food when they got close)

Archer petting one of the horses!

Archer driving one of the tractors - the kid LOVES them!!!

Archer getting ready for his turn on the 4 Wheeler

Grandma Barlow (my mom) and cousin Kaylee (Colleenia's girl)
Colleenia and Kaylee came down, too. Apparently, Colleenia got a hunting tag this year...