Bingo

Whenever my family gets together for any occasion, one of the sought after activities to play together is Bingo.  There also have to be, of course, prizes.  These special prizes are more often than not procured from the Dollar Store.  We have to have prizes though, otherwise what's the point in winning at all?

This time we all gathered in my Grandma's backyard for the event.  Bingo cards were passed out.  Cardboard markers were given, too  (along with some beans when there didn't seem to be enough markers to go around).  We were all set to go.

Everyone was strewn about the yard in chairs, on the grass, at the table, on the swing.  It was quite a site to be seen.  Everyone had to find their own "Bingo Groove".

When prizes began to be awarded, that's when the real fun began.  Nothing seems to be too silly for the Larsen family.  It's a fun time for everyone.  A night to be remembered for sure.

Kitchen Remodel

The story behind our mini family reunion was that my grandma had been waiting for her kitchen to be remodeled for years.  My uncle Greg was supposed to take care of it, but he hasn't for different reasons.  So, we all decided to take matters into our own hands.  So, it's been in the works for months and months, but we finally all gathered together from different places to demolish and reassemble her kitchen.

The demolishing was my favorite part.  There's something about ripping things apart that is just plain fun.  There was little chance of ruining something, so everyone got to help.

River was in tool HEAVEN. That kid was a darn good helper.  He loves construction and the like.  He listened well, too!  When he wasn't to touch something, you could be pretty sure he would not.  Everyone went out of their way to let him "help" wherever he could because it made him so happy.

We ripped up all the kitchen flooring.  It was funny to see 25+ year old linoleum.  We had to scrape everything off so there was a level floor to lay laminate onto.  It was a big job.  It took hours even with so many people working.

A few years back they had hired a guy to come and take the center wall down to create a more open space, but unfortunately funds were too low to redo electrical and pluming work so we had to put the wall back up.  I've never watched a wall being built before.  The wonders of drywall!  It was actually pretty messy because we had to sand down the gloop we put on to make it smooth.  Dust EVERYWHERE.

It was a lot of work for everyone involved.  I'm so grateful for my aunts and uncles who came from Colorado.  They had the know how to make this whole thing happen.  It looks great!

Dancing with Sadie

Britta was really lucky.  This vacation gave her the opportunity to play with all of her aunts and grandmas and all those fun relatives that she rarely sees.  She is a very lovey girl, and having a multitude of loving family members to play with and cuddle was heaven for her!

It's no secret around here that Britta loves to dance.  When my dad came in town she had him "take her to the dance" in her pretend play.  I'm pretty sure it was the highlight of the visit for her.  This trip also had a dance for her to enjoy.  Aunt Sadie spent a good solid amount of time dancing around with her.  Britta picked up some great moves -- as did Sadie I think.

It was a hoot to stand back and watch.  I love that my family plays along so well with my kids.  Our trip was all the more fun for them because there never was a shortage of playmates of all ages.  Dance time really should be slotted into our normal daily schedule.  I'll have to put it on the list.

Britta Learns Piano

One of the things we do not have in our home that I really want is a piano.  I am pretty musically inclined, and though I don't play piano well, it's something I would like to get better at.  It's also something that Madalyn has shown interest in.  Needless to say, it's hard to play piano if you don't actually own a piano or have ready access to one.

While we were visiting my dad's house in Arizona, my kids were able to experiment some with his keyboard (or electric piano thing).  They had a ball.  I was glad, however, that it has a volume control.

My sister was kind enough to give Britta her very first lesson.  No.  It wasn't official.  No.  My sister can't really play piano.  It was cute in any case.

I do hope we are able to invest in our own instrument in the near future, but for the time being we'll just have to make more friends that own pianos and invite ourselves over often.  I'm sure they will understand, though I'm also sure they will wish their piano also had a volume control.

Party at Dads

While visiting Arizona we all gathered together one evening at my Dad's place.  My dad is a great cook, and has taught me much of what I know.  So, naturally he made us all dinner.  If was so fabulous to have a home cooked meal while out and about on our trip.  Definitely a highlight for me!

My siblings were mostly there (everyone but Amber who lives in Tucson).  It was fun to hang around chatting and playing games.  There was a hand game that got quite lively.  In the end it was a three way tie.  I didn't play.  If I had I would have won.  Errr... perhaps not, but I like to think I had a chance of making it a four way tie.

There was a lot of goofing off involving my kiddos and their aunties.  This is one of the favorites.  Maddy's body, Heather's legs.  Classic.  Makes me giggle every time.

We got a new dice game with pictures on it.  You roll the dice and make up a story with the pictures.  It can involve as many people as you'd like.  The best part really is that you pretty much make up your own rules.  We got it right before leaving, and tried to pull it out as much as we could while on our trip.  Hilarity regularly ensued.

Sadie's 18th birthday was the week prior, so we had a delicious cake for her.  She blew out the candle like an old pro.  This was, after all, her 18th time! 

I was glad we were able to have another chance to get together and enjoy one another's company.  I really love my family.  I do miss having frequent get togethers.  Skype is just not the same.  Dad's food doesn't taste near as good when it's a virtual meal.

Apple Annies

Let's go back in time just a bit.  I haven't done all my posts of this trip in order because I didn't have access to all of the pictures in the order they were taken.  So, I hope it's not too confusing when I jump back in time a week or so now.

On our way to Arizona we stopped in Willcox and went to Apple Annies.  There were promises of a peach festival that looked like a fun place to walk around for an hour or so in the morning.  We had high hopes and went hungry for sweet juicy peaches.  It was our only planned stop between El Paso (where we overnighted in a hotel) and Phoenix.

When we arrived at the orchard we were pleased to see quite a crowd of cars parked.  It MUST be a cool place if so many people are here, right?  I wish I could say it was.  The first HUGE disappointment was that there was a big freeze this year and they lost 98% of their peaches.  So, they were still doing a peach festival, but they trucked peaches in from California.  LAME.  And what was even more lame was the fact that those peaches they trucked in weren't even ripe.  I couldn't even eat a sweet and juicy peach right when I wanted one.  What's the use of buying an overpriced California peach if I couldn't even eat it right away?  PASS.

After waiting half a century in line to use their bathroom, we decided to visit the little country store.  The store was cute.  I picked out some raspberry preserves, the kids each got a honey stick, and Cameron grabbed a square of mint fudge -- YUM.  Everything was fabulous.  I wish I had more of that fudge right now!

We regretted that it was not a more kid friendly place.  We were hoping for somewhere for the kids could get their wiggles out.  This was more of a "stay right here beside me or you'll knock over an old lady" type deal.  No bueno.  So, not the best choice for our road trip rest stop.  Kind of a neat place, but I doubt we'll return in the future.  I'm just glad we were passing through and didn't travel out of our way for the visit.

Beautiful Traveling

I was happy to be able to make the drive from Arizona to Utah for a family reunion in Salt Lake City.  I haven't made the drive in awhile, and didn't even mind the time it took.  I'd missed it!  What a beautiful, scenic drive it is!

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to drive part way with my sister Amber and her two little ones.  It was great to be able to spend hours on end chatting it up as we drove through northern Arizona and southern Utah.  I have really missed the landscape here.  It was great to look out the windows to the familiar scenes so many times viewed while making this trip in my youth.

My niece and nephew were very good the entire drive.  They are so darn cute!  I don't see them anywhere near enough.  They look just like their mama and daddy.  It's fun to watch and interact with them.

The drive took us over 15 hours.  It would have taken less time, but Mel's Drive Inn took about 45 minutes to prepare our food in Beaver, UT.  So very not impressed.  In any case, we arrived in Salt Lake around 11pm.  Long drive, but pretty painless.  It is fun to be back to the city where I was born.  I do love Utah.

Flagstaff Park

Cameron has been so great about planning our roadtrip in detail.  He even went as far as to plan where we will try to stop on the drive so the kids can get some of their wiggles out.  While we haven't been able to stick as strictly to the schedule as we would have liked (there are often unforeseen events that interfere), one stop that we made from his schedule that was wonderful was to a park in Flagstaff AZ.

The park itself was only a few minutes from the main road we were traveling on.  It had plenty of shade, a fun playground, and lots of space to run around.  Definitely a place to remember.

The kids even got to ride on a dinosaur.  River and Britta showed that T-Rex who was boss!  You can tell they were really cruising by the way Britta's curly hair is whipping in the wind behind her.   Dinosaurs sure are fast!

It was just a fun time to enjoy the cool weather and the fresh air.  Everyone took turns on the swings.  Maddy now has a solid grasp on how to pump her feet!  I know, I know, she's 8 years old.  But up until now she hasn't really wanted to swing herself.  I'm SO glad she can (and will) do that now!

Amber and her kids met up with us here so we could caravan the rest of the way.  It was fun to watch them play on the playground.  Joey was especially desiring some independence.  His mama was close at hand for his most risky climbs though.

I just wish we'd been able to stay longer.  The kids were well behaved, and it was nice not to be cramped in the car.  The weather was fantastic -- definitely the best we'd encountered thus far.  I almost hated to leave.  Our desire to arrive to Utah in a timely manner however, urged us onward.

Important Check In

While in Arizona, one of the important visits I made was with my friend Ruth.  She and I met when we lived down the street from one another in Queen Creek a few years back.  I use to love that whenever I made too much food for a meal, I could call her up and she would kindly eat my leftovers (or if I was lucky she and her hubby would be available to join us for dinner!).  Certainly evidence of a true friend.

I was lucky enough this trip that we were able to schedule a get together that involved our entire families!  Cameron and I use to hang out with Ruth and Joel back before the only child involved was Maddy.  We have since added two children to each family!  It was so strange to see all of these kids when it use to be a quiet meal with mostly adults.

We decided to embrace our new family sizes and eat dinner somewhere child friendly.  I hadn't been to Barro's Pizza in years, and it was definitely time to return!  They have a little play area for kids.  That way the adults could chat it up while the kids entertained themselves.  It worked well for the most part.

One of the things that made this visit an important check in was revealed about half way through dinner.  Ruth and Joel are going to add a third child to their little family!  Ruth has a track record of keeping upcoming babies a secret for months and months.  This was no exception.  I felt honored that she was willing to tell me before announcing it to the world even if she was already half way through her pregnancy.  She found out the following Monday (I believe...) that she's having a GIRL.  I'm so happy for her.  Even though it was a bit of a challenge when I added number three child to the mix, I wouldn't trade Britta for anything.

After dinner we made a quick stop at Safeway to grab some Texas Bluebell Ice Cream.  YUM.  We took it back to their house and spent another hour together before finally having to call it a night.  Kids most definitely necessitate a bit of an adjustment on our party schedules. 

I'm so glad we were able to "check in" with one another while I was in town for a brief time.  Even though there's a thousand mile distance between our homes, I still feel close to Ruth.  I hope we stay close throughout the coming years.

Old Friends

One of the visits I made (and actually remembered to take pictures of!) was with an old friend of mine.  Linda and I have been friends since the 8th grade.  We've both been through a lot, and I'm glad we've always been there to support one another.  It was really good to take a few hours to visit and reconnect.  It's really hard with small children to find time to talk on the phone or do much communicating at all with friends that live so far away.  I'm glad that we have such a good relationship that so much time can go by and we are still able to pick up seamlessly to where we left off.  There are only a few friends that I can say that about.

Linda has two of the most adorable children.  They have their mama running around and learning all about patience --  and love, lets not forget that.  Lyla joined their family just a few short months ago, and is such a sweet baby.  She was quiet and smiley the whole time I was there.  Little Sawyer, her big brother, sure seemed to love her a lot.  It was fun to see him running around.  I hadn't seen him in a year, and he's grown so much!  It's amazing how much kids change in a single year.  He's so little he won't even remember seeing me in another year's time!  Just the more motivation to plan another get together soon!

Britta definitely put Sawyer on the defensive.  He wasn't sure what this curly haired girl was going to do with his toys.  He was pretty hesitant to let her play.  After a little bit they were able to play side by side with little conflict.  Linda pulled out her old Barbie Dolls.  She definitely knew the way to Britta's heart.  My baby sure loves dolls!

It was a really nice visit.  Next time I'm going to try to meet up with her little family in the evening or on a weekend so we can include our hubbies.  It's always nice to have adult time, too!

Epic Potter

Stole some of these pics from my sister's blog. Thanks Heather!

One of the things that first got us started thinking about visiting Arizona on our way to Utah was the fact that the final installment of the Harry Potter movie series was to be released July 14th at midnight.  We are big Potter fans, so it seemed like a great idea to get everyone together to go opening night.  Well, schedules didn't quite aline for a midnight showing, but we figured it was still better to go with friends and family -- even if we had to wait until Saturday.

We all met at the theater about two hours before our Saturday night movie was the start to wait in line.  One thing that could potentially ruin a good movie experience was to have to sit in the front row -- or worse yet, not be able to sit together at all.  A good two hour margin did us well.  We were able to sit in the row with the metal bar in front to put our feet on.  SCORE.

Everyone from my side of the family was there (except my Mom, I missed her).  It was so great to have everyone together.  Even my little sister Sadie was in town from Utah.  I love my family.  We all have such a great time at gatherings.

While we waited to get into the theater we sat down to a good game of Canasta with everyone.  It's the games and laughs before the movie that really make the experience fun.  We also made sure that everyone braced themselves for the same spell You Know Who cast on Harry when he was a baby -- that ensured everyone had identical Harry Potter scars on their forehead.  Brilliant.

The show itself was pretty darn good.  I laughed, I cried, I was sad to see it end.  I won't include any spoilers for those of you who have been living in a closet for the past 10 years though.  ;)  Just prepare yourself for pure awesome.

Leg Stretch at the Park

One of our big stops while driving from Round Rock to El Paso was in a park in the city of Pecos, TX.  It was later in the day, and had cooled down a tad, too.  The kids really needed to run around for a few, so we were glad we had mapped out a stop at the Maxey Park and Zoo.

I wasn't sure quite what to expect when they used the word "zoo" in describing this place.  There were a handful of animals in cages.  It was actually quite sad.  Those poor animals.  It was hot, and they didn't look very happy.

There was a decent playground though.  The kids were able to run around and play for awhile.  Maddy and Britta did a lot of pine cone collecting.  I was fine with that, but made sure they knew the pinecones were not to come into the car with us.  We had enough of a mess without them.

It was in a scarier neighborhood I think.  I made sure to always have the three kids in view along with our car.  It wouldn't be good to have someone steal our car and leave us stranded in the middle of nowhere.  Everything ended up okay though.  No kidnappings or deaths occurred in our 45 minute stop.

Cameron played a good game of frisbee with River.  They had a lot of fun and got out a lot of energy despite the two face dives River made into the dirt.  Poor kid scratched his face all up and everything.  Luckily he's tough and didn't cry or whine about it.  He healed up quickly, too.

It was nice to stop, but I wasn't disappointed when we had to load back up to go.  There were GIANT ants all over (and that's saying something considering the big ants we have in our backyard at home!).  I was afraid they were going to bite us.  I was also eager to get going.  We left a few hours later than we wanted, and I hate to check into hotels too late at night.  So, on we went!