Oregon Trip

So we are back. Well at least for a few days. We got back from Yachats, Oregon on Sunday. We had such a fabulous time. I wish we could have stayed longer. I know that some of you might not understand the purpose of a beach vacation where the beach isn't totally warm and the water isn't perfect, but after a long hot Vegas summer the Oregon coast is wonderful.

For a more complete view of the trip you can follow this link
http://smilebox.com/playBlog/4d5445794e4455344f54593d0d0a&blogview=true.

Here are the top 5 things I learned while playin' on the beach.

#5 Running is the purest form of exercise. It engages your legs, arms, stomach--just about everything. It gives the mind time to clear and ponder. Running on the beach is like the cherry on top. Trust me on this. Pick up your running shoes and give it a go. You'll love it too.

#4 Kids don't need sleep. I wouldn't believe this to be true, but I tested it and kids can use less sleep than adults. They love to wake up early and play hard. They actually enjoy waking mom and dad up and not waiting for the parents to come to them.

#3 A little dirt doesn't hurt anyone. I pride myself on the idea that my kids look cute and clean--not the snotty little buggers that seem to run all over the place and land their grubby little hands everywhere. However, after this vacation that is all out the window. Morgan and Garrett had sand everywhere. We just ended up letting Morgan run wild in her diaper. It was easier than using the stain stick at the end of every night.

#2 What do you think the best human invention is? The pyramids of Egypt? The Taj Mahal of India? No you are wrong. The Peanut M&M. There could not be a more tasty little treat. Chocolate goodness mixed with salty crunchy peanuts---yum, yum, yum. I think ate the entire 5 lb. bag myself. Sorry Lower family.

#1 Kids make a family complete. They get cranky, unreasonable, and rambunctious. They want what they want when they want it. They get dirty and don't pay attention to what they put in their mouths. And they give kisses and hugs and ask you to read stories and sing them songs and play with baby dolls and toy cars. They fall asleep on your lap and want mom and dad when they get hurt.

This trip has many moments that will forever be a treasured memory. I love the all different stages of a child's life, but I want time to freeze too. Does that make sense? I fear that I will wake up one day and Garrett and Morgan will be grown and they won't want mom when they get hurt or they won't want a story or a song or their baby doll. I feel time moving to quickly and I can't get in all the moments that I want them remember or all the things that I want to teach them. I know that right now I am being a little sappy, but I love those little kids. Does every parent feel this way?

If only....

Ryan's mom loves to send the kids packages in the mail. The kids love them and they are always full of cute things. Sometimes clothes, sometimes candy, sometimes toys, but every package includes a book. The latest book she sent us is called, "When Ruby Tried to Grow Candy" by Valorie Fisher. The book is super cute and I love the illustrations. Anyway, it is about a little girl who loves candy and her mother never lets her have any so her quirky neighbor teaches her how to grow candy. Garrett loved the story. Grandma Dorothy also sent some Swedish fish with the book so Garrett, Morgan, and I took our little shovels outside and decided that we would try to plant some Swedish fish and see if they would grow. You know what, after a few days of watering and checking our "garden" we went out one morning and Swedish fish were growing on our tree!! You've got to try it. Thanks Grandma! Who knows what we will try to grow next time? Money maybe?

Month in Review

To all my fellow bloggers here is what the Lower fam has been up to the past month.

Black eye. No I didn't get into a fight with the neighborhood street tuffs. I play on an indoor soccer team and I went to head the ball when a girl from the other team threw her head back and wham...the back of her head hit my cheek bone. This picture is actually the eye in recovery.



Cedar City Trip. We love Cedar. Getting out the the Vegas heat and heading to more arctic weather is heaven. The El Ray hotel is our fav. The kids LOVE the pool there and it is a great location for walking to the Shakespearean festival. FYI--don't go to the Cedar City 4th of July Parade. Totally lame. No floats. Minimal candy.

Jamie turned 32. Are you kidding me? 32?! Do you believe that I could actually be this old. I still feel like I should sport my cheer skirt and rule the halls of Sky View High. But, it is true. I am now the 32 year-old mother of two who plans play dates, thinks "doing my hair" is using a brown elastic for my ponytail instead of my good ole' black stand by, and looks forward to trips to Target. What happened?? Did I lose my sass?

Garrett turned 4. I already blogged this but I still am amazed how fast the past 4 years have gone by. We got him a motorized jeep--which he loves. Morgan likes to hop in the passenger and they go cruzin'.


Trip to Preston/Cache Valley. I'm sure many of you have a hard time believing this, but Preston is the best. I just love it. Ryan and I spent a few happy years living in Preston. The last weekend of July the rodeo and carnival come to town. Three days of carnie fun. 3 nights of parades. What parade throws candy, toilet paper, notebooks, go-gurts, string cheese, chocolate milk, frisbees, t-shirts, and Pepsi?? I challenge you to find a better p-rade--not going to happen! We also had family pictures taken with my family (all 24 of us) and Ryan's family--same day I might add. Garrett and Morgan were pictured out. During the trip up north I got a girl's day. My sisters, mom, and I went to the Gateway center for lunch and an afternoon of shopping. It was fabulous--rarely happens that we can all spare an afternoon and get enough babysitters. I bought the most amazing jacket/coat at Anthropology. It is to die for adorable. I just need the weather to cool down about 50 degrees before I can wear it.

The last part of the trip was spent working. MaddieMorgan went to the fair. We sold our hair accessories at the Cache County fair--beautifying the population one head at a time. We did really well and loved all our new fair friends that we made. You might wonder where Ryan was during all the excitement. He came for the first weekend but then headed home to work while the kids and I played. Before you feel sorry for him, he went camping with friends for the second weekend that we were gone. He went camping/hiking in the mountains above Beaver, Utah. Loved it. Had a great time. Spent quality male time with his camping gear that he feels he neglects.


Well, we are back in Vegas now. The summer has flown by but we still have two more trips to take before it is a complete end. Oregon and Ohio here we come!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Happy Birthday to my favorite little guy. Garrett turns 4! I can't believe that my monster is getting so old. Time flies. Garrett is so much fun. He is constantly talking and always trying to negotiate something. If I tell him "NO" then he will ask, "Maybe later?". When I tell him that he has 2 minutes before we have to leave or until he has to share a toy or something he will respond with, "how about 3 minutes?". He loves his little sister and wants her to he his partner in crime. They will giggle and laugh at each other and get in trouble together. I love my Garrett Monster. He makes our family so happy. I love you bud!

San Diego

We just got back a few days ago from San Diego, CA. It is only about 4 1/2 hours from Las Vegas. Why have we waited so long to go??? We had a great time. My parents flew into Las Vegas and drove with the kids and I--Ryan flew to San Diego a few days later. Then my sister, Angie, and her family and my brother, Jared, and his family met up with us also. We really missed Ashley and Brittney though :(. Anyway, it was a rockin' good time. The kids had a ball. Too much fun to handle in so short a time. The Lower clan could be beach bums. Garrett and Morgan love, love, love the beach. I have a ton of pictures to post that will give you the run down of our 5 days of heaven.


Wild Animal Park. Garrett and the "older" cousins in a bird nest.


Lego Land. Garrett's favorite ride was the little cars. He got to do it, "all by myself." Morgan's favorite thing at Lego Land was walking around and around and around the light pole--it was pretty funny. Morgan also likes the sand and dug in the dinosaur pit with Grandma, Maddie & Brynnley. Grandma let each kid pick out one thing and she would buy it for them. Garrett pick out the knight costume. He loves it. It comes complete with sword, helmut--the works.



Sea World. The kids had a great time and I wish we could have gone back. Their favorite part was the Sea Star pond. They LOVED picking up the Sea Stars. Garrett and his little buddy (& cousin) Brayden had a great time together. Morgan just loves anything that can get her wet. Ryan really missed out because he hadn't made it to San Diego yet.



Beach day. My favorite day. We actually went to the beach two days, but I'm a retard and left the camera in the hotel room the first day. Garrett had a great time digging in the sand and running right up to the edge of the wave and running away before the water could get him. He is kind of a water wimp. Morgan on the other hand could double for a fish. She loves water. Her favorite part was walking in the water and waiting for a wave to knock her over--of course we didn't let the waves actually knock her down, but she would laugh and giggle. She played in the sand and became a total mess. I hope my kids stay small like this forever. It was a couple of perfect days.

Summer Days

For those few followers that the Lower family does have, we are finally posting again. We have been so busy that the blog has been neglected. May was fun. The Peck family came to visit, Aunt Nicole had her baby, MaddieMorgan had a huge order from Marshall Retail Group, and we went to Utah for a good 10 days. June (so far) Enrico from Germany came to visit, Grandma Dorothy came to visit, Grandma & Grandpa Andersen are coming tomorrow and we are going to San Diego. We can't seem to rest for very long. So, lots of pictures. Small captions. Oh' and a big HAPPY FATHER'S DAY shout out to my dad, Ryan's dad, and of course the love of my life--Ryan. He really is the best dad ever. Garrett & Morgan are so lucky to have him as their father. He is so loving and patient with them. He constantly tells me how cute and adorable they are--like I don't know! Anyway, he is wonderful and we love him.

Isn't Ryan the best?

To get Morgan's hair REALLY curly, I tried the old fashion sponge curlers. Too cute!

Garrett & Morgan having a Tea Party in the pool. This is a memory for the journal.

Morgan is a piglet! She eats her food and then goes for whatever is leftover from the plates of others! That is why her abs look so fabulous--ha!


Is there anything better than getting ice cream all over your face?

Garrett showing off!

So-o-o-o CUTE!!!

Garrett and Morgan looked so flippin' cute at church today that I had to blog it! Ryan thought he and Garrett would play a trick on me before church. I had Garrett all dressed and ready to head out the door except he needed shoes. I tell Ryan to put his church shoes on while I finish Morgan's hair. Garrett comes walking up to me, sticks out feet and tells me he is all ready. Ryan had put Garrett's sandals on with his socks. I know if you are from Utah County that might not sound bizarre, but to everywhere else is the USA--sandals and socks are not okay! Garrett and Ryan bust out laughing and ha-ha joke is over right?? No--we were in such a rush to get out the door that Ryan forgot to change him into his shoes. During sacrament meeting both Ryan and I look down and see Garrett's argyle socks with his brown leather sandals--uggggg! Other than that, Garrett looked adorable in his sweater vest & tie. Now to Morgan--cutest thing to ever have two legs. So many mom's at church asked me how I did her hair--flat iron ladies and yes lots of style freeze hairspray. To get the complete hairdo though you must go www.maddiemorgan.com and get the interchangeable headband and flower--don't forget to email me for a discount first!!!