Daring to Live A Passion-Filled Life Everyday

Monday Morning Musings

DRINKING | Decaf coffee with a hint of Hawaiian cane sugar and half and half. Waiting for Cory to finish with his 8:00 meeting so we can enjoy REAL coffee together.

EATING | I am going to use up all of the pantry and fridge offerings for the next three days in anticipating of leaving on Thursday morning.

EMBRACING | I am embracing the fact that my baby boy just turned 14 over the weekend. He is such an incredible young man and is growing up so much. I love him!!!

CATCHING | I'm catching little ideas that pop into my head and listening to all the inspiration that comes to me effortlessly. 

ENJOYING | I am enjoying this beautiful autumn weather with lots of sunshine and soft filtered light. I love walking in the evening with the chilly air and the dusk that falls so beautifully over the Wasatch Mountains.

COOKING | I am going to be awesome and use up all of my fridge and pantry offerings in the next three days. It will require prep work and a little bit of cooking to pull it off. I accept my own challenge to use it all up!

TRYING | Trying to gather and pack as I go so the task will be light and easy come Wednesday night when I get out the suitcases for our Hawaii trip.

MISSING | Already missing my Asia puppy. I know she will be happy with Grandma Sharon and that brings me comfort and peace.

FEELING | I am feeling all the feels about leaving on Thursday. Feeling it all and letting all the emotions come through me and allowing them to be.

LISTENING | Downloading my music and a couple of new audiobooks to listen to on the airplane.

WATCHING | Downloading two movies to rent for the airplane ride too. I love having choices.

READING | Downloading my books on Kindle to read on the airplane. 

WEARING | Looking forward to wearing nothing but moomoos and swimming suits in Maui on Thursday.

PLANNING | I am planning new places to explore in Maui with a few adventures and new eating places.

WANTING | I love that all my wants are taken care of and come to me in such a timely manner. Thank you angels.

NEEDING | I need to do something with my garden tomatoes. 

WISHING | Wishing a magical gardening godmother would come and take care of all that for me.

WAITING | We are waiting to hear the MRI results for Kilee's knee. 

FINISHING | Trying to follow through with this musing post and finish it! 

THINKING | I do a lot of thinking. Lots and lots and lots. I am amazed constantly how awesome my mind is and all the thoughts and ideas that come and go.

ENJOYING | I am really enjoying 8th grade for Keaton this year. It's a great year and it's his last junior high year because they will switch to 9th graders attending high school next year. 

ENCOURAGING | I am encouraged by the fact that in one month the decision for the next president of the United States will be decided and we can move on with hope and a bright future.

CELEBRATING | I love that we are able to go to Hawaii and celebrate my Dad's 85th year with him and continue celebrating Keaton's birthday.

MARVELING | I marvel at my amazing life with all the wonderful people that contribute to my wholeness and growth.

ANTICIPATING | I can not wait for our heavenly Hawaiian vacation for 10 days.

CULTIVATING | A good life.

 

throwback thursday | ragnar 2014

It's been 365 days since our two Ragnar groups left for Las Vegas. I'm so glad I participated in this life changing event. Reflection is oftentimes a really good thing for me. As I reflect on what I learned about myself and the women that surrounded me, I wanted to get my thoughts down on "paper". Retrospection is a different kind of journaling versus right-in-the-moment journaling. Neither one if good nor bad, but just different.

I love that we gathered at Jackie Carmichael's house after we all dropped our kids off at school. It was a beautiful autumn day and I was both excited and extremely nervous. Ignorance is bliss sometimes. I had no idea what to expect and so I just opened myself to experience it all as gracefully and fully as I could. 

I love that most of these women I went with had participated in past Ragnars and they were so experienced and knowledgable. These women know how to have fun and be silly and spontaneous. I was a driver and so they painted awesome slogans on our cars for the ride down to Vegas.

NOTE: That paint stayed on my car for weeks and weeks before I could get someone to take it off for me. Everyone knew me and honked whenever they saw me driving around the neighborhood. Pretty funny!!

After stopping in Cedar City for lunch at Subway and then Saint George for gas, we finally arrived at our beautiful rental house later in the afternoon. 

We unpacked and took pictures with our different groups by the pool. I bunked with Kim Petersen which was kind of her to offer to be with me. I wasn't really familiar with most of the people that were there and Kim was very kind and gracious. There were lots of errands to run. Some went to get the vans, some went to Trader Joes for food. We all went to the Red Rock Hotel for the registration party. I have no recollection of what we did for dinner that night (the downside of reflective journaling) but then we went back to the rental house and decorated our vans when it got dark.

I think this was my favorite part of the whole trip. Someone was very organized and made stickers and got Christmas lights.

It was a fun bonding experience and I can't over emphasize how awesome it was to be with these seasoned runners. I truly benefited from their years of experience.

Our Van was the second leg of the race, so we didn't have to get up early in the morning. I brought my own Keurig machine that my Dad bought for me to take, so I could make my bullet-proof coffee. #spoiled

We got up and then went to breakfast before our race began. I can't remember where we ate, but it was in a hotel restaurant. We were trying to get to House A GoGo, but it didn't work out.

 After breakfast, we grabbed all of our stuff and headed out to the meeting point. Our van was the "Pretty Van" because of all the beautiful women in our group. 

 The vans as awesome and spacious to fit all six runners, the driver and pacer and all our gear. I sat in the back of the van, which was great.

 One of the things people do at Ragnar is put magnets on other people's vans. These were our magnets and it was fun to sneak up on vans and place them on.

 We made it to our rendezvous point with the other team to pass off the baton from Jackie Hibbard to Jackie Carmichael, but first we had to tattoo our arms and faces.

And then it was our team's turn to start our first six legs of the Ragnar.

She is why our van is called the Pretty Van. I love this woman. Go Jackie Go!!!

Amanda, the resident photographer, was second. I really really liked Amanda. She's a fun creative soul. Go Amanda Go!!

And then it was my turn!!!!!! I don' t have a photo of me running, but I do have a picture of my cute hair that Jana braided for me specifically for the race. I loved it!!!! The photo below is the screen shot of my Misfit Shine steps for the race.

 

My first leg was my longest and hardest leg. And it was super duper HOT!!! And it was mostly uphill. Crazy leg for sure. I do not know what I would have done without those girls being my support team. Kathy was the bomb and kept me hydrated and motivated. She was amazing. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life, but it was worth it at the end of the race with everyone cheering you on. Go Kim Go!!

My recovery drink that Cory found for me. Sherry was the runner after me and she had a great run with the sun setting and all downhill. Go Sherry Go!! This was the sky waiting at one of the checkpoints. Man was the sky gorgeous. I was still high on adrenaline and endorphins at this point. Gratitude for my life and body was all I could think about. It was a very spiritual moment that I will remember forever.

Next was Kathy Mills and then Kim Petersen. I have no pictures of them as it was dark by this time. Go Kathy and Kim Go!!!

After all of our races, we went and found a restaurant to eat dinner. We were all super hungry for real food at this point. My burger was huge!!! And I ate every bite.

After dinner, we went back to the house and crashed until we had to get up in the middle of the night for our next six legs of the race.

 

 

keaton | thirteen years old tomorrow | i can still remember

I don't know how it is possible that my angel baby will be 13 years old tomorrow. I can still remember every detail about your birth and how happy and relieved I was that you were healthy and here. I can still remember placing you by the window when you were just a few days old to get some "light therapy" for your jaundice. I can still remember bundling you up when you were a week old for your first of many lunch dates with my girlfriends. I can still remember your first birthday party and your second birthday party and.......every birthday party in between.

I can still vividly remember the crazy winter of 2003-2004 when we lived in the Bouchelle Lane house. We were lucky that we didn't lose power for three or four days like our neighbors down the street did. 

I can still remember you learning how to crawl around and then walk around our house. You were the sweetest baby and everyone loved you so much. 

I can still remember how much you loved being outside and playing by yourself or with your buddy Eli or your big brother Jacek.

I can still remember your first Halloween you were only a couple of weeks old, but the next Halloween, you let me dress you up in this adorable costume and we went to Eastwood for the Halloween parade to watch Jacek in 3rd grade.

I can still remember those beautiful crystal blue eyes and that curly blonde hair. You were the most beautiful little boy and you were so kind, smart and funny.

I can still remember how much fun you used to have dressing up and playing with costumes and props. That smile!!!!!!!!

I can still remember how quickly you loved your cousin Kaiden. Even as young as one years old, you adored him and had a wonderful bond with him.

I can still remember how much you loved Power Rangers, Dragonball Z and Ninja Turtles!!! I still remember all the funny faces you would pull when I would take your picture. You were a ham and loved having all the attention.

I can still remember how much you loved Baby Hannah. You would hold her, sing songs to her and totally entertain her. You adored her and she adored you!

I can still remember all the trips we took together to Hawaii, California, Mexico, New York and Washington D.C. You have always been a good traveler.

 

I can still remember how excited you were for Christmas time. It is your favorite time of year. Twinkle Star and Gpa and Gma visits were the highlight of December. You loved all the magic of the Christmas Season.

I can still remember how obsessed you were with Mario and Luigi. You were so good at figuring out video games, even as early as three or four years old. You loved Mario and was that character for Halloween several years in a row.

I can still remember you starting Kindergarten and how much you loved going to school each day. You were loved by each of your teachers in elementary for being so awesome!!!

I can still remember how much you loved Legos and getting magazines in the mail that were just for you.

I can still vividly remember the many many summer days you took swimming lessons. You loved swimming at the Carter's pool and having Ben and a host of other instructors over an eight year period. Good times!!!

I can still remember the years you did baseball. I know it wasn't your favorite sport, but I loved watching every game that you did play in.

I can still remember how much you loved going to Fat Cats to bowl and play the ticket games. Deal or No Deal was by far your favorite and you were always so lucky to win lots and lots of tickets.

I can still remember how much you loved going on walks with me in the neighborhood during the summer. I wanted to smell the honeysuckles and we would walk hand in hand chatting about anything that came to mind. Sometimes you would bring your headphones too and you loved listening to music.

I can still remember all the games you went to for Jacek's basketball and how good you were to sit and play for hours on end. You loved coloring, legos, gameboy, cards and chatting with the parents.

I can still remember how kind hearted you were will everyone that came into your life. You love people so much and they respond back with love for you. 

I adore you Keaton L Hacking and I am so proud of you and love you so much. You are my Sunshine Boy and my life was made complete the day that you were born. I will always remember how much joy and love you bring into our world.

I love you forever!!!

Mom

xoxoxoxoxoxo






 

aau nationals | virginia | day one

Our trip to Virginia started out really really early on Wednesday morning the 22nd of July. Jim McDowell, bless his heart, came over around 5:45 am to pick us up and take us to the airport. Our flight left at 7:05 am. It was a rough flight for me as a GIANT man sat in the aisle seat next to Keaton and I. I tried to have him switch with Cory, but he said the overhead seat Cory had was too small for him. Oy Veh!! Four hours of sitting in my seat with my arms folded around me just to be able to be in my own space was hard. But, we finally made it to the Atlanta airport.

It was a beautiful day in Hotlanta when we arrived. We had some time to spare, so we found a restaurant and had a bite to eat. Luckily, Keaton ate a big burger and Cory and I spilt a chicken quesadilla. We didn't have to time to eat anything else for a while, so I'm glad Keaton ate a good meal.

The next flight to Richmond was SO much better. A tiny man sat in the aisle seat next to Keaton and I. I will never take for granted a normal sized person sitting next to me in an airplane again.

Cory knows the Richmond airport very well. It was pretty slick to get off the plane, grab our suitcases and then find the Avis car rental place. They had a Ford Taurus waiting for us and then we were off on I-64 southbound to Williamsburg. The drive was beautiful and gorgeous with all the huge green trees and vegetation. We checked into our hotel, The Residence Inn and settled in long enough to unpack and have Keaton get dressed in his uniform. We are staying about 30 minutes from the venue, so we had a little bit of a drive still ahead of us.

It was fun to watch the teams circle the track in an Olympic style opening ceremony. Landon and his family surprised the team and came to support his Utah Elite Family. It was touching and special that his family came all the way to Virginia to fulfill his dream. They all pretty much rocked and I enjoyed talking with Landon's mom, Annette, several times over the next couple of days they were there.

The team from left to right on the back row: Daniel, Landon, Jaxon, Issac, Keaton. Front row left to right: Hela, Sam, Jordan T. and Jordan R.

The sun was just setting over the Sportsplex when we were walking out to our car to drive back to Williamsburg. It was glorious!! We ate dinner at Olive Garden and the waitress was so cute and kind. She gave us a whole to-go box full of the yummy dinner mints they give out with the check. We had a hard time adjusting to the time change and we all stayed up until midnight watching TV. Our favorite shows were Shark Tank and Friends. Luckily, we didn't have an early game on Thursday morning. 

 

aau nationals | virginia | day two

We thought we had plenty of time this morning to have a leisurely breakfast and then leave for the game at noon. Not to be! Coach Ronnie called a last minute practice at a church near the facility. I ran down and got Keaton some breakfast from the continental selections. I then tried to make a Starbucks run for Cory and I, but fell short as I couldn't find one in time. I did go across the street and bought a raspberry bear claw pastry which made me happy.

Cory had a business call to listen to this morning so I took my iced vanilla latte and went into the church and watched and talked to Landon's family for a bit. I also took photos of the beautiful trees in the parking lot. 

Then we all caravanned over to a nearby Subway for a quick light lunch before heading to the game at the Boo Sportplex. We got a little lost trying to follow Apple Maps and we kept passing it from behind and couldn't see the sign. After lunch, we drove to the facility to get our game faces on!!! We were put into Pool I and our first game started at 2:00 p.m. against CBC 2021. 

I loved that we matched the gym.

I think we had the first game jitters and was not very confident going into the game.

It was pretty exciting though to realize that these are the BEST of the BEST around the country. Win or lose, we were very fortunate to be there and to play against this caliber of talent.  

To qualify for this tournament, you had to place first or second in your state AAU tournament. It's a big deal. We lost 49-66 and the other team was really good. Keaton made an awesome hook shot which was pretty cool. We kept pace with them throughout the whole game, but they really pulled away in the the last five minutes of the game. It was a lot closer the entire game then what the final score reflects. Now we have the rest of the day to ourselves. We travel back to Williamsburg.

Keaton isn't really hungry for a while after the game. We go back to the hotel and he showers and gets dressed. Around 5:00 p.m., he gets hungry so we go to a little burger/bbq place down the street for dinner. It was really good and I decided to go all out Southern style with bbq, slaw and hush puppies. It was yummy.

We go back to the hotel to relax for a while. Daniel's dad invites the boys to go to the movie with them. I've already seen it, so I decide to stay at the hotel. I went and worked out in the hotel gym for an hour.

Luckily, I was the only one in there the entire time. It was a really nice hotel gym.

The boys came back and we stay up way too late again watching TV and snuggling in our comfy beds. The boys were a little hungry after the movie, so for a late night snack they ate the Olive Garden leftovers from dinner the previous night.

 

week in the life | saturday

I took 152 photos today between my iPhone 6 and my DSLR camera.

I got up around 8:00 a.m. because Laura had to be down to Provo this morning for her family reunion. I feel so much more rested this morning and ready to go.

I puttered around the house this morning. I watered my garden and picked the new offerings and brought them inside.

I need to remember for next year that I LOVED having cucumbers. I would plant two next year. I also want to remember that I really only like the cherry tomatoes. I like the other tomatoes, but I LOVE the cherry tomatoes.

I grabbed my big camera and took some photos of my front entryway that made me happy. I love my new painting that I got from JuliAnn Sklow when she moved and couldn't take it with her. My Dad even noticed and liked it too.

I love the outdoor urns and I want to put something in them. They originally had little Christmas trees in them, but I want to use them year round.

Asia loves to go outside anytime she can and explore and sniff. 

I still love my Leo the Lion that stands guard at my front door. It always reminds me of my brother DR since he is a Leo astrology sign. The ivy growing on and around our house is gorgeous and green right now.

I finally had time to open my Stitch Fix box this month. I loved the copper and turquoise bracelet. Not sure about the dress and blouses.

I stopped in Pleasant Grove on the way down to Provo around noon to pick up an order of Doterra Oils. I have never been to the new facility and it was very convenient and easy to get to. 

The set up was easy and fast. You go to a customer service person and check in. Then you wait for your name to pop up on the screen that your order is ready to pick up. I was in and out in less than 10 minutes including a trip to the restroom.

I wound my way down to Center Street in Provo and then found the Provo High School. I got there just in time to watch them play against North Sanpete Hawks. Utes lost the first one. Won the second one. Tie breaker third round they won 15-10. It was very exciting. 

Three girls were injured in one of the earlier games so they had only one and two girls rotating in and out. Reagan played most of the time. 

I loved playing volleyball in 9th and 10th grade. Reagen is a freshman this year and is at the high school. When I played in 9th grade, it was just Jr. Highs. Sophomore year I played out in the Utah County area. I think the last time I was in the Provo High School was for my volleyball 32 years ago. Crazy!!!

Julia is the JV coach, but was on the bench being a support coach. I'm not sure how much Reagen likes that or not. They are cute together though and I love both of their guts. I'm hoping to catch a few more games during their regular volleyball season.

The timing worked out perfectly for me to watch Reagen for two hours. I was ready to go as it was super hot in the gym they were playing in - like no air at all. So then I drove through Wendy's and got a chicken sandwich, fries and an Arnold Palmer. (Note: I love Wendy's unsweet ice tea and natural lemonade!!!) I pulled into an empty parking to wait for Laura on the BYU campus. It was crazy all the emotions and feelings I experienced and the flood of memories I had from 30 years ago. I had a great time in college, but honestly, I would do that phase of my life over again if I could. I didn't utilize my skills as well as I could have nor taken advantage of the college campus. It was so big and I felt so small and I played small. 

Laura and I had an hour to kill before we could pick up MKK's boxes from FedEx. So we found a little cupcake shop next door and went to have a treat.  The chocolate cupcakes were my favorite cake but the blueberry frosting was my icing. Then we loaded up the seven boxes and headed over to Helaman Halls.

Ahh! The dorm life. It was a little different setup than Jacek because he had a kitchen. These were just dorms with a community bathroom. But, it will be nice to be right on campus and in the middle of everything for MKK.

It was a touching moment to watch my childhood friend tenderly unpacking her daughter in her new home away from home. I am so grateful I was able to be there to help and witness this transitional time. After boxes were hauled up to several flights of stairs, I took one last photo of MKK and then got in my car.

I kind of looked like a hot mess!!!

As I was getting ready to leave, I looked at my text messages. Reagen's team made the championship game and it was starting right then. I drove across the street right in time to watch the final game. The Universe loves me!!!!

They didn't play as well as they had earlier. Exhaustion was setting in quickly, I'm sure. They lost the two games and it was over. The girls should be super proud of themselves as they really played awesome all day long. Second place is not too shabby!!!

I decided to stop at my old apartment complex before I headed back to Salt Lake. I have such great memories at Raintree apartments #120 and #218. I had lots of great roommates and I tagged almost all of them on my photo when I posted it to Facebook.

College is a life changing event that brings you together with a variety of people. I'm really proud to say that I have kept in pretty good contact with them all, except the two Bluebell girls. 

In #120 I had Dana, Irene, Lydia, Corrina my first year of college. Then in #218 I had Irene, Corrina, Laurie, and Wendy for my second year of college. My third year, I was back at #120 with Lydia, Dana, Krissy, Lisa, Lynae and Shauna. I moved out my fourth year into an apartment by myself the semester before I got married. And then I lived in Park City with Cory.

I drove back home and tried to go to Cafe Rio to pick up dinner. Holy Crapola!!! I have never seen so many people in Cafe Rio before. So I went next door and saw Kilee at Trader Joes and picked up some groceries and frozen pizza instead.

Then I went out to watch the boys workout on the sport court.

I watched the beautiful sunset and took a photo of it between the Young's yard. The first photo is the one I took. Laura got home around 10:30 and then we went to bed pretty late again. She leaves at 5:45 a.m. so it's time to say Good Night Saturday!!

 

 

week in the life | friday

 

I want to remember:

I only took 18 pictures today. 

My alarm went off at 6:22 a.m. and I had the volume up all the way, so it was very loud.

Keaton woke up still sore, but decided it was a good day to go to school since it was a short day. Only 30 minute classes.

7:35 am | I dropped him off in the front of school this morning so he could walk in the volunteer sheet and his excused note from being absent yesterday.

As I paused to watch some of the kids walk in, I felt grateful that my boys had great schools to attend during these formative years of their lives. And I also felt I'm grateful that I have passed that stage of life. Don't misunderstand!!! I loved junior high so so much. I just wouldn't want to be there again.

I want to remember that I love the area around the junior high and the high school. It's so beautiful.

I want to remember that I am still trying to get used to the fact that we have early morning schedules again for the next six years. I really enjoyed the two years I had off.  Plus, Jacek's senior year wasn't bad as he had home release first period.

I want to remember feeling very grateful for my Buick Enclave. I love my car and have enjoyed the past six years of driving it. It's got 120,000 miles on it and still going strong!

7:47 am | Arrived home to find Grandpa had left to go have breakfast with Jim Baucum. 

I want to remember that Asia loves to follow me everywhere I go, even into the bathroom. She is such a sweetheart puppy!!

9:05 am | Laura and I met Irene Lysenko at Bruges Waffles in Sugarhouse. I had my usual liege waffle with creme fraiche, strawberries, bananas and drizzled with Belgian chocolate. Oh my!!! We balanced it out with a couple of chicken apple sausages. I even tried the coffee, but next time I won't put the Biscoff in it. It was way too much!!!

I want to remember that my lifelong friends are near and dear to my heart! We spent a few hours catching up.

12:30 pm | I want to remember how Keaton came out of school excited that his back didn't hurt and wanted to walk home with Max, Joe, Liam and Matt. I wish I had a picture of them together. 

Laura and I were debating going to a movie, but then decided to go sit and have a little lunch and talk.

12:47 pm | I want to remember that I took her to one of my favorite spots called Roots. It was super busy but we got a table inside, since it was warm outside and we wanted the air conditioning. We spilt a Reuben sandwich and I got the cold Gazpacho soup as a side and she got the quinoa salad. I ordered a Juice for Joints cucumber cooler and she ordered the rosemary limeade. I didn't take any photos of this sacred time we spent together. She has known me longer than any one of my friends and understands and gets me like none other. We are soul sisters through and through and I appreciate her loving ways and our talks together.

3:15 pm | I drop off Laura at home and run get Keaton from Max's house. The boys were all outside on the sidewalk and they had a great time together. I want to remember how they drank Arnold Palmer's and then filled the cans up with water and then used a bat to hit them through the air. Memory making moments happening and I loved hearing Keaton's excited voice telling me all about his adventure.

4:12 pm | Jacek and I tried again to get the loan approved for the solar panels. They needed a mortgage statement and I tried to email it and it didn't work. I tried to fax it, but no one has a fax machine. Then they need a paycheck stub to verify income. Very frustrating.

I want to remember that even though it was a short week for school, it was a loooonnnnggg week.

I want to remember Keaton's backpack with his lunch box and his new folders, binders and notebooks. He loved having change in a baggie for the vending machine.

I want to remember how exciting it was for Keaton to start his junior high experience and how bummed he was to miss the second day of school because his back was sore.

I want to remember how exhausted I was Friday evening and I couldn't get up from the couch. Laura went to Park City to have dinner with her friend Debbie and was gone all evening.

I want to remember baking a pizza for Keaton because he was starving. Jacek had to work the late shift tonight and left around 5:45 pm.

I want to remember Cory saving the day when he called to see if I wanted him to stop at JCW's for a burger, onion rings and vanilla milkshake. My hero!!!

I fell asleep sometime that evening on the couch while the boys watched television. Laura got home around 10:30 pm. Jacek got home even later because the gelato shop closes at 10:30 pm on weekends. We all got to bed around midnight. 

I want to remember that Life is full and wonderful and busy! Luckily we can have a cat nap if we need it too! 

independence day 2015

I love the Fourth of July holiday. I love to see all the red, white and blue and people dressed up in patriotic clothes. It was fun to have it on a Saturday this year as it was a real three day weekend. Rebecca and Parker Barton came over for coffee around 9:30 a.m.

Cory was scheduled to play golf in Park City with Mark Stiegemeir and his son-in-law, Jimmy Walker, but then they cancelled the day before. Parker wanted to stay for a while even after Rebecca left and the boys had a great time reconnecting and hanging out together. We haven't seen them since last September.

Usually, we have a few people over for dinner, but this year, it didn't work out. We just decided to BBQ and enjoy the relaxing evening together. Kilee, originally, had the day off, but generously offered to work for a mom, who's little girl was in a parade. It was a very nice gesture, but it was a 6:00 a.m. shift. 

We ate dinner and then the boys played some basketball on the sport court.

I also started a fire in the fire pit! It was on my to-do list today. It was fun to see the billowing flames. Fire is cool!

I sat on the porch and watched the boys play for a while until it was almost time to go to the fireworks.

We toasted marshmallows and made s'mores right before we left for the Holladay fireworks. They were scheduled to start at 10:10 p.m. and we arrived at 10:05 p.m. We parked in front of a dental office in the complex where my hairdresser Jana works and walked right up to the lawn by the Zion's Bank. The cop cars had their lights on, so we walked across the street to the main center and sat down long enough to take a selfie.

Then we realized the street lamp was glaring into our eyes. By now, the cop car's light went off, so we trekked back over to the bank. We had a pretty good view! We made it for about half of the time and then the sprinklers came on!!!! ;) So we walked across the street again and squatted on the curb.

There were lots of big loud boomers, which was super fun! Those are Cory's favorite.

The fireworks lasted longer than I anticipated, which was awesome. It was around 40 minutes long.

The weather was pretty nice. It's been so hot the past two weeks, but it's cooled down quite a bit. It even started sprinkling at the end of the firework show. I don't remember having it rain very often on July 4th.

We then took Parker home and got home after 11:00 p.m. Overall, it was a fun relaxed day!

 

 

reno jam on it 2015 | sunday & monday

This is a sneak peek at the top of the dresser in our hotel room on Sunday morning. I love that it has a little bit of everything that represents our trip right now. Top left row: Keaton's basketball shoe bag, my DoTerra oil and coconut oil cosmetic bag, leftover Olive Garden breadsticks, water bottles, Gatorade energy bar, leftover iced tea | Bottom left row: Muffin bag on top of my black jacket, charging cords, croissant, two mochas, Raisin Bran cereal, my jewelry and leftover pizza from last night. Side Note: I got mochas for Cory and I at the little kiosk in the lobby twice and then we went to Starbucks twice. Starbucks was a little crazy the first morning, but I was determined to wait out the line and the 20 minute wait!!!!! 

We had to get up pretty early this morning with a 9:20 am game. I was so lucky to get this awesome photo of just Keaton walking into the convention center with the lovely light streaming down. We had two games on Sunday and we lost them both. It's really hard having Daniel not play on Sundays and we only had five kids again for the first game. We lost by 18 points to Vision Elite and then lost by only 7 to Fresno Stampede, which was the very first team we beat by 22 points. So now we are down 1-2 and the best we can do is third in the Consolation Bracket.

We have the rest of the day to ourselves once our second game is over at 2:20 pm. I guess it worked out well that we lost because we don't have to play another game without Daniel today. 

We go back to the hotel and hang out for a little while until we decide to go find another pizza place that my friend Angela has recommended in Sparks. It's not very far to the Grimaldis World Famous Pizza.

The place was really fun and the pizza was really good. It was very different from the pizza we had the night before last.

I loved the decor from the cool tiles on the ceiling...

...to the hanging wine bottle chandeliers. 

We ate salad, pizza and then I shared a piece of Oreo cheesecake with Keaton and sipped the perfect little decaf expresso I've ever seen. We tried to go shopping at the Scheel's next door, but they close at 6:00 pm on Sunday. Bummer!

So, we went back to the hotel and watched the NBA game on TV. Sam and his family came over later and we met them downstairs in the game room. Sam and his little brother and Keaton had fun blowing through $10.00 worth of quarters. Keaton's favorite game was the quarter toss. He won five Ninja Fruit stuffed characters.

We had to go to bed fairly early because we had an 8:00 am game Monday morning. The good news is that we have Daniel back this morning. *His Dad woke up at 1:00 am and drove back to Reno from SLC, having driven home Saturday afternoon to be able to attend their local church! Cra-Cra!!!*

We played really well and won the last two games. The final scores were OC Elite 36 - Utah Elite 55 and then Oakland Rebels 31 - Utah Elite 59.  Again, Keaton played awesome with 14 points for each game. We did end up taking third place in the lower bracket, which was great with a 3-2 record.

I tried to get a photo of the team after, but mass confusion happened because the 4th graders were playing right after our game. I did snag this fun picture of these four handsome boys. I love this photo!!!!!

We headed home around 2:00 pm Pacific Time and it took around 6 1/2 hours. The scenery was so beautiful with the rain and the cloudy skies.

I loved playing around with the HDR setting on my iPhone and a new app I got called NoahCam. We only stopped twice, once in Winnemucca and then somewhere else for a short break. Thank you Reno for hosting us this weekend. I really liked your quaintness, cleanliness and good eats!

 

reno jam on it 2015 | friday & saturday

Friday morning we got up and Keaton went to school until about 11:00 a.m. We packed up and left Salt Lake around noon and headed west on I-80 to Reno, Nevada.

It's around 511 miles driving distance with two short pit stops, which equaled out to be around 7 hours total time. I have never driven West of Tooele before, so I was excited to see the landscape and it did not disappoint. I had to take a road trip selfie of the three of us on our way out of town.

Natalie Mellem had given me the heads up about the tree sculpture along the Bonneville Salt Flats and I'm glad she did because I might have missed it, if I didn't know it was coming. The weather was beautiful with big thunderstorm clouds everywhere. We have had so much rainfall the past two weeks, that the desert was flooding with water.

The Great Salt Lake made for gorgeous photos along the way. I love how this mirror image of the mountains feels like an inverted world.

We stopped in Wendover to get gasoline and some lunch from Taco Time. I wasn't super hungry at that point and my stomach was feeling a little off after a huge breakfast at Citrus Grill that morning. The only other stop we made was in Winnemuca. Our friend Jeniel moved there during our high school years, so I had to take a picture and text it to her. See claimed it still looked the same even 30 years later.

Coach Ronnie had a practice set up in the Reno Sparks Convention Center at 7:00 p.m. So, we went and checked into the Circus Circus hotel and was happy to get on the same floor as the other Utah Elite teams. We were in room 2660 in the Sky Tower and I liked being over there as it seemed a little more quiet. Practice went for about an hour and a half and it was nice to be to go inside the facility and figure things out the night before the game. Cory and I bought our wristbands too and I walked around the perimeter of the convention center. 

After practice, we went to Olive Garden for dinner as we were all a little hungry. I had a yummy chicken dish with veggies, salad and breadsticks. Cory had parmesan chicken and his was delicious, so I ended up eating a bit of his leftovers. Keaton had a chicken alfredo dish with curly noodles. He loved it and devoured it. It was well after 10:00 when we got back to the hotel and went to sleep pretty quickly as we had a game first thing Saturday morning at 9:20 a.m.

Utah Elite 6th grade played Fresno Stampede for the first game. We won 62-40 and Keaton had 14 points. What's also amazing, is that we won with only five players. Jordan, Keaton, Sam, Daniel and Hela. Race was put on the 6th grade B team, which was a bummer because we were low in numbers the whole tournament. We also only played one game on Saturday and had two games on Sunday without Daniel. They drove all the up to Reno on Friday and then left Saturday afternoon, then they drove all the way back early Monday morning to finish out the tournament. CRAZY!!!

Unfortunately, the 4th, 5th and 6th grades all had a game at the same time and in the same place. Fourth graders won their first game, but 5th grade lost theirs by 10 points. Here's a picture of the 5th graders towards the end of their game.

Keaton tripped over his feet during the first game, falling backwards and spraining his wrist a bit. I wish I had taken a photo of one of the wrist wraps he got from the trainer because they were pretty cool and in three different colors-white, red and black. The wraps really helped stabilize his wrist while playing those last three games.

We had the rest of the day to ourselves since we only had one game. We went back to the hotel and hung out for a while until Keaton started feeling hungry. (He rarely is hungry immediately after a game. It takes him a while to cool down.) Cory and I had had only a Starbucks that morning, so we were ready for some lunch. Keaton wanted Johnny Rockets so we drove over there and had a nice lunch. I had a crispy chicken salad with a Coke and we all shared some cheese bacon fries. Keaton had a burger, fries and an Oreo milkshake. Cory had a burger too.

The weather was awesome, cool and rainy most of the day. Luckily, Cory had parked by the sky bridge during the gam,  so we just walked under it for protection! He's a smart smart guy. I loved looking up out of the sunroof and seeing this stunning rain filtered view of our hotel. I had to take a photo of it. It is easily one of my favorite photos of the weekend.

Back at the hotel, we just hung out and walked some TV and relaxed. We decided to meet Sam Hansen and his mom and brother at the movie theatre. We went the 5:10 pm showing of Tomorrowland. Keaton didn't really want to go but we needed to get out and we had already told the Hansen's we would go with them. I liked the movie and then we walked out of the theatre to a gorgeous sky full of storm clouds.

We parted ways with Sam's family after the movie and then we decided to find a pizza place nearby for dinner. We ended up going to Pirate's Pizza and timed it perfectly! They had been slammed all day long, but it was relatively quiet and empty when we arrived. Hooray!!!! We ordered a deep dish pizza half pepperoni/half ham, olives and onions. I also ordered a yummy Greek salad. Everything was really really good. 

 After dinner, we went back to the hotel and got ready for bed as we had another 9:20 am game for Sunday morning. But before we went to sleep, I snapped a photo of the city lights outside. Goodnight Reno!