July 22-31, 2023

(published 9/8/25)

The night Cat and I got back from Los Angeles we gave everyone the souvenirs
we brought them from the Philippines. The clacker toys were a hit.

As was the frog bag.

It was nice to go back to Choir again after being gone for a few weeks.

Cat was anxious to get a second ear piercing as soon as she turned 18,
but because of our HXP trip starting the day before her birthday,
she didn't get a chance until July 24th.

She was pretty excited.

Meanwhile Liza was experimenting with makeup.

And doing some awesome Barbie-Movie-inspired (?) nails.

Ben kindly made a campfire for us so we could do s'mores.

I love a good campfire. And a good s'more.

Cat got her wisdom teeth out.

All smiles before the surgery!

But it was a little harder to smile afterward.

We helped take care of our neighbors' pets while they were
out of town, including several sweet guinea pigs, and one active dog.

Got the dog!

The kids, especially Jack, were very excited for the movie
Go West, from JK Studios! Everyone was dressing up for
Barbie Movie and Oppenheimer so I convinced Jack
we should dress up too, at least a little bit.

All grown up and learning to shave.

Looking good.

Liza biked to and from swim lessons all summer.

My little garden in the front yard (away from the chickens)
did okay. The weeds were all part of my plan to keep people from
pilfering produce as they walked by.

Playing with the dog. And jumping on the trampoline. With a cousin.

Lowes Xtreme Air Sports in Provo is a favorite.

Building the US Capitol

Help! There's a Liza under the bed!

We finally saw Barbie Movie!

Playing the princess matching game with Sydney.

Playing the princess matching game without Sydney.

Playing the princess matching game while Sydney is in another room.

Baby guinea pig!

Lindon Temple construction progress.

Newsies at the Hale in Sandy was wonderful!

Harry Potter's birthday is one of my favorite excuses to eat cake.

La La Land

(posted on 11/2/24)

When Ben made his plans to take the younger three kids to Tallahassee, he decided to stay a day later than Cat and would have arrived from the Philippines. Our group itinerary had us flying into Los Angeles, so we decided to take 24 hours to explore LA a bit before going back to Utah (still arriving before the rest of the family).

We had a blast! Of course we only hit a few highlights, but it was fun to get a small sampling of what the city had to offer. We watched the sunset at the Griffith Observatory (along with a bajillion of our closest friends), walked Hollywood Boulevard, took a Warner Brothers Studio tour, and spent a couple of hours at the Santa Monica Pier. (Bonus: I rented a car, which means I not only visited Los Angeles, I drove in Los Angeles.)

First meal back in America - CFA FTW

Sunset at the Griffith Observatory... with a bajillion of our closest friends.

This kind of happened by accident. I was thinking we should hike to the Hollywood sign but it turned out to be harder to find parking than I expected, so we just hung out at the observatory, which worked out well, since we wouldn't have had a good view from the Hollywood sign, and probably wouldn't have made it there before dark anyway.

Hollywood Boulevard... including ice cream sundaes, Hollywood Stars, gift shops, and the Chinese Theater, then a walk back to our hotel for the night. 

We didn't stop to read all the stars, but this one made me think of Mom.

Warner Brothers Studio Tour... including Gilmore Girls and Friends stuff (and lots of other stuff); a pink WB sign in honor The Barbie Movie, which premiered that weekend; costumes from My Fair Lady, Crazy Rich Asians, and Elvis; lots of Harry Potter photo ops, and more.

Santa Monica Pier... with iconic rides and food (and uncharactaristically cloudy skies).

It was so nice to get some bonus time with my girl, to extend our vacation a bit, and to not worry about all the things that come along with traveling in a large group of teenagers!

Next time I'm in LA:
Hike the Hollywood sign
Stars' homes tour
La Brea Tar Pits