The Pickering Journal

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Seven peaks

Last school year the kids earned free seven peaks tickets through the peak reader program, and since I am their teacher I got a free ticket as well. So yesterday we packed up and headed on over for a day of fun. And it really was fun!!! Most of the time when I try to take the kids places they are way too hyper and end up driving me crazy, but this time they were really good. I think taking James with us was the reason they were so good. He was such a big help, there was no way I could have managed all 4 kids without him. Moroni couldn't come because he had to work and I figured teenage boys like to go too the pool, even if it is just to stare at the girls in bikinis (and believe me there were a ton of girls in bikinis).
The kids spent most of their time in the wave pool, they loved it! Even Sarah loved the waves she would laugh every time I would jump over a wave with her. After we got home all of us felt like we were still in the waves, the kids thought that was cool. We went on a few slides (I even got to go on a few while James watched Sarah) and the lazy river, but the water was so cold we couldn't stay in there for very long. Elijah especially liked the kid area with the floating alligator and anaconda. We ended up staying for 7 hours and we all would have liked to stay longer but we were starving and it was getting late.
I didn't get any pictures though because my camera is broken and I haven't gotten around to buying a new one yet. :(

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Beaver and Cedar City

My niece was the lead actress in the Teen theater play down in Beaver last weekend "The wearwolfs curse". A pretty funny play and Meili did such a good job. The whole family; my brother, sister, mom, dad, and grandma went down to watch and show our support. Everyone stayed the night at Melyndas house so it was quite the bunch. The kids all slept outside with grandma and grandpa while all us who enjoy comfort, slept in the house (it is a good thing Melynda has lots of double beds). Then the cousins got to spend the day playing saturday.

Later we drove down to Cedar City to have family pictures taken with all the Pickering family. Howard is an accountant and he did a trade of pictures for tax work, so we didn't have to pay anything. It was pretty crazy with nine kids and three of them babies. They were all pretty ornery by the time we got done. Afterward we went out for ice cream which was not necessarily the best idea at 10:00 at night (but it sure tasted good). Then we had a 3 hour drive home arriving at 1:00 in the morning and then we had to get up at 7:30 to get ready for church the next day.

I haven't gotten to see all the pictures yet but here is a sneak peak.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Lava Hot springs

For the 4th of July weekend we had a big family reunion in Lava Hot Springs. We stayed at a lodge about 2 miles from the city.

We were right up next to the mountain with a beautiful view.

There were nine families that ended up coming but it was a big lodge so it didn't seem too crowded. There was a large room upstairs for eating and talking.

In the basement was another big room with a ping pong table, air hockey, and a pool table, plus lots of card games and chess.

Friday, Moroni took advantage of the mountains and went out shooting with his brother James, while Liz and I and all our kids went to check out the town. We went to the local museum and ice cream shop and then played at the park for a while.

When I was trying to get my camera out of my pocket I dropped it on the cement and it stopped working, although I was able to get the pictures off when I got home so all the pictures I have are just from the first few hours of being there.

Saturday we thought it was going to be rainy all day but we decided to go to the pool anyway and hope for the best. Luck was with us and it ended up being a nice day until about 3:00 and by then we were ready to go home anyway. That night we got to watch the fireworks, which Sarah hates by the way. Even in the car with the sound muffled she was screaming, we finally turned on the radio and that seemed to help, and she eventually fell asleep.

We left first thing Sunday morning and went to Nate and Adrianne Gause's ward for the blessing of their new baby Memre.

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Payson pool

We got to go swimming with Grandpa Howard a week and a half ago. Howard had just gotten a new camera and took a ton of pictures of the kids, but he has only sent me one of Bowen going down the slide. So I didn't get to post any cute pictures.

We got to go again yesterday and had a blast. And I remembered my camera this time.

Sitting around waiting for the 10 min break to end.

Sarah is my little water baby

Tooth Fairy

Breakfast a the Pickering house.

Bowen got a hold of the camera and took some really cute pictures.

I am not very good at telling my kids that there is a Santa clause or tooth fairy or anything like that, they all know that Mom is the tooth fairy and Dad is Santa clause!
So Elijah lost his first tooth on Monday and he was so excited to get his dollar from the tooth fairy (aka Mom). He told me that his tooth will be under the pillow on the top bunk of his bunk bed and then proceeded to ask if I was going to give him his money before I watched my movie or after. The little pest!
So I sent him to bed, thinking I would remember to get the money after the movie, but typical of me I forgot. So this morning he comes in and says Mom you forgot to give me my money. My reply was "go get a dollar out of my purse".
So he did.
So much for the tooth fairy in this house.

I don't know how any parents can keep up the pretense of these imaginary people who give kids free stuff. It only lasted in our house until Crysania learned to ask questions and then the truth came out.