Fun and Family!

We went to the American Fork Steel Days CARNIVAL.  Memphis was in heaven:)  He loved the BOUNCY place and the only ride the carnival workers would let him on (the merry-go-round).  I can't wait to take him next year so that he can go on all the rides he wanted to go on like the little roller coasters.  The look on his face...PRICELESS!

I have been MELTING in this Utah heat and being 8 months pregnant so I was so glad when the time finally came for me to FLY up to Seattle to be with my family for a week!  Danny could not come because he had to  work so it was just me and Memphis.  What a CRAZY traveling experience that I wish NEVER to repeat and what a FUN week for both of us.  My parents and brother live in Woodinville, Washington (NE of Seattle) and my twin sisters drove up from California so my whole FAMILY was there!  LOVE THEM!!!

So my flight to Seattle left at 8am on Sunday morning.  I am not a morning person so I just figured I could get there an hour early.  On our way to the airport a SEAGULL starting flying right in front of me on the freeway and I had cruise control on so I knew if the bird didn't fly faster I would HIT it.  SURE ENOUGH it hit my windshield and left a nasty bird SMEAR.  It BOUNCED off and flew away so I don't know what happened to it and Danny TEASED me about HITTING the state bird!!!  Also on the way I saw a van up ahead on the right side of the freeway backing up and I thought that was WEIRD and as I got closer there was a man's BODY laying in the right lane of the freeway with his leg bent weird.  I SCREAMED and SLAMMED on my brakes (there was no one else on the freeway early Sun morning) and didn't know what to do.  I HAD to get to the airport and the van had stopped so I just figured they had called the POLICE and I heard sirens so I just kept going.  Later that week I found out that it was the body of a 47 year old male and his DEATH was ruled suspicious but I have not seen anything else about it.  AHHHH!!!

So we got to the airport an hour early like I wanted but there was a HUGE line and only two people working the ticket counter!  I had to get a free ticket for Memphis since he is still under two and check in my luggage and Memphis started SCREAMING and wouldn't let us hold him so Danny ran him around the airport while I checked in.  Then Danny had to leave once we got to security and Memphis had a major MELTDOWN and was screaming and kicking and I had his stroller and our carry-on and an 8 month PREGNANT BELLY so I just had a CRYING meltdown myself.  No one came to help me they all just STARED at me so I just balled my way through and tried to keep Memphis from running away.  Then on my way to the terminal I bought breakfast and Memphis was so happy after that!  AHHH!  When I got to my GATE the man taking tickets asked if I was Aleena and said they had been WAITING for me so they could leave.  I was the last to board.  At least they didn't leave without me!  We flew to Boise, ID and there was only 10 people on board so i got a whole row to myself and Memphis had fun climbing all over the seats.  Then in Boise we landed and picked up MORE people so the flight to Seattle was FULL!  I had to put Memphis on my very pregnant lap.  The man next to me was really nice and we chatted and Memphis SLEPT the whole rest of the way!  I was so GLAD once we landed and my brother was there to HELP me get my luggage. Once we got to my parent's house Memphis and I took a 3 hour NAP!!!

The rest of the WEEK was spent visiting Seattle, going to the Seattle Center, buying souveniers, touring the music and science museum, the space needle, pike's place market, going to see Eclipse, seeing aunt, uncle, and cousins, helping clean out our grandma's house, playing games, taking naps, and just enjoying the week together!  Memphis loved playing with his grandparents, aunts, and uncle.  My sister also brought her fiance for us to meet!

Space Needle

Space Needle and Museum

The weather was so nice all week.  Not too hot.  Not to cold.  Sunny!

Pike's Place was so crowded!

Can't miss the flying fish they throw around!

Going for a ride in my parent's convertible!  WEEEEE!

Ok too sunny!

For those of you who have seen Toy Story 3 do you remember this toy in the movie?  My mom found it and said I used to play with this when I was little!

Memphis loved dragging it around:)

My parents have a steep enough drive way so Memphis would take the toy to the top and let it roll down and he would chase after it.  Hours of entertainment right there for all of us:)

Playing with Grandpa!

Uncle Christopher!  All 6 feet 8 in. of him!  Memphis liked being up high and carried around by him.

My sister Annalyn, her fiance Curtis, and their puppy BUG.  They also bought our grandma's car since she passed away.

Auntie SHEESHA!  My sister Alicia and happy Memphis.

I FLEW home Sat night at 7:30 with no stops this time.  When I checked in my suitcase was too HEAVY so it was either pay $50 or take stuff out so my dad helped me and my mom is going to be bringing it when she comes for the baby.  There was only 20 people on the flight so I got a whole row to myself again and Memphis just watched Tarzan on my laptop the whole time so I RELAXED!  So nice:)  We ARRIVED back in Salt Lake at 10pm and FIREWORKS were going on all over Utah for pioneer day and I got to ENJOY them from the airplane.  It was actually really cool to see.  As I was WADDLING my way with Memphis through the airport to meet Danny at the baggage claim a worker asked me if I needed any HELP.  I told here no my husband was waiting for me and as I walked away I heard her talk to another worker and say, "What a site to see...she is crazy to be in that situation!"  Yes I am CRAZY!  But I had FUN and am glad I went and I was so RELIEVED to see Danny!  Memphis was so HAPPY to see his Daddy too:)  WHEW!!!  We made it home safe and we all slept till 11am the next morning.

Now, only a few weeks left of my SUMMER till I have to go back to SCHOOL and have this BABY girl so needless to say I have a lot to do!

4th of July Weekend and Bear Lake!

4th of JULY WEEKEND!
We left last Thursday and drove to Price to spend the night with our friends Clint and Lisa so that Danny could work at the shop there in Wellington with Clint on Friday.  Danny got off early and we drove to Blanding to spend the weekend with his family.  I always love staying with the Royer bunch!  We have fun and Memphis loves playing with his aunts and uncles and grandma and grandpa.  Danny's brother and his new wife also spent the weekend.  We made it to Blanding on Friday in time for their wedding reception.
On Saturday Blanding had their big annual 4th of July Celebration.  First we went to the parade.  Here are some pictures of Memphis enjoying it with Daddy!

Then the city has booths set up with food, crafts, games, etc.  Danny's dad has run a horseshoe tournament for the past 3 years that I have been going down there so Danny participated in that with his dad and brothers.  I stayed in the car with Memphis while he took a nap then we had lunch and watched the tournament for a little while then me and Memphis went back to the house to get out of the sun.
We then all went to recapture dam to play in the water and to go out on the boat to ride on the raft they tied behind it.  I can't get on boats while I am pregnant (I get seasick!) so Danny took Memphis out for his first boat ride!  Everyone said he loved it and the only time he cried was when the boat stopped!  Such a daddy's boy.  The faster the better!

While they played on the boat I went with Danny's mom and his sisters to the Melodrama the city puts on.  It was really "corny" this year as it is supposed to be:)
Finally it was time for my favorite part of the weekend.  The FIREWORKS!!!  Last year Memphis was only 6 months old and he slept through the whole thing.  They are always so loud so he must have been exhausted to be able to sleep through them.  This year he watched about 1/4 of them snuggled up with me and then fell asleep.  Exhausted again!  Danny's favorite part of the show is when some of the fireworks don't quite make it high enough into the sky and go off on the ground starting fires.  There always seem to be a few every year.
Sunday we went to church and Memphis got to go to nursery with grandma for the first hour and then with me for the last hour.  He did really well and I just have to mention this one thing he did that made me laugh.  They played ring around the rosies and I didn't know if Memphis would be able to do it but sure enough he held hands with all the other kids and loved trying to sing along.  But, as soon as they "all fell down" Memphis would let go and watch all the kids fall down and then he would laugh at them.    That's my boy:)
After church we had a lunch and then played games.
Monday all the boys went golfing and then we packed up and drove the 5 hours home.  It was a fun weekend!

BEAR LAKE
The day after we got back from Blanding I went to Bear Lake with Memphis for 3 days.  Danny stayed home to work and to play in his softball tournament (they took 2nd!).
My grandparents have a time share condo at Bear Lake so I went with my cousins and our all our kids!

It was a crowd but so fun to see everyone.  My cousin Stephanie and her 3 kids and my aunt Cherie and my grandparents were already there.  Me and my cousins Megan and Aja decided to carpool up there with our kids since we all live in UT county.  We all squeezed into my Expedition (literally squeezed!) 3 adults and 5 kids in carseats and all of our stuff needed for 3 days!!!  What a car ride with no room and 5 kids!  Luckily I have a DVD player in my car so that kept them entertained for most of the 3 hour ride.
Back seat kids (L to R):  Reagan, Sam, and Aiden.

Middle seat kids (L to R):  Morgan and Memphis.  Megan also sat in the middle and Aja sat up front while I drove.

The 3 days were spent at the lake, the swimming pool and hot tub, the park, watching movies, eating, playing games, napping, and sleeping.

Megan and Morgan

Aja and Sam

BIG BOYS DON'T CRY!!!
Memphis is a 10 year old trapped inside a 17 month old body.   He just wants to do everything the big kids do and he is so fast and so brave!

I had to chase him and keep an eye on him the whole time!  It was hard for me being 7 1/2 months pregnant and I started having a lot of Braxton-Hicks contractions so I knew I needed to make sure I rested as much as  I could.
Memphis loves to run and he wants to run faster than his little bowed legs can carry him so he fell down a lot but he just picked himself up and kept going.  They added a new twirly water slide at the swimming pool and of course Memphis wanted to go down it.  He couldn't climb the steps himself so I put him at the top and I had one of my cousins or my grandma catch him when he fell into the pool.  He LOVED it!  He was the youngest  kid I saw that went  down the slide and I could not leave without him crying to go down it again.  He also didn't just like swimming with me.  He had to be going down that slide or jumping off the side into the pool.
At the park he loved the big kid swings and of course going down the tallest slides all by himself.  He could climb up to the top of all of them all by himself carrying rocks in both hands so he could throw the rocks down first and then slide down and land all by himself.  If I tried to help him he got mad and pushed me away.  So I just watched with my heart in my throat while he had the time of his life:) I thought this sign was ironic as I watched Memphis navigate the playground all by himself.  (For kids Ages 5-12 years) HA!

Here is a final list of Memphis' injuries and did he cry?  Of course not.  He might have whimpered for like  2 seconds and then he was up and off again!
Lost a toenail
Sliced open a finger
Fell in the lake and couldn't get up out of the water himself
Scraped all the skin off his chin
Fell off a chair and scraped his forehead
Bit his tongue
...
Such a boy!

I still don't know how I am going to keep up with him and a newborn in less than 2 months.  Whew!  I am going to have my hands full:)  Now we are home for a little over a week and then I am off to Washington with Memphis for a week to spend time with my family!  So excited.  Well...excited about the family part but not about the flying and airport part by myself with Memphis and being 8 months pregnant!  Here is a picture of me at 30 weeks!  Hope everyone is having a fun summer!