Look, Ma...

"Before"

 "After"

After having braces on and off since he was 10, Dallin was fortunate enough to get his braces off right before starting High School.  Now, he just has to wear his retainer for the rest of his life so all that time and money isn't wasted.  Lookin' good, Dallin!

Lindon Days Parade

Okay - so we were lame this summer and skipped the Orem Summerfest Parade because it was SO cold that night.  We didn't think the boys would feel badly about missing it.  But, after another skipped parade on the 4th of July, it became apparent that the boys still enjoy parades.  So, we could NOT miss this one;

 With it being a small town parade they still had a few big floats.  Beauty queens know how to put together an impressive float.

 But, I would have to say that the highlight of the parade was getting to meet "Kid History".  As they came down the route, they were handing out T-shirts and DVDs.  As we were cheering loudly for them, one of them walked up to Jayden with a DVD and said he'd give it to him if he knew his name.  For as much as my kids LOVE Kid History and could pretty much quote every episode, Jayden could NOT think of his name.  The guy coached him, "Silly....."  Then the light went on in Jayden's brain, "Silly BRETT!"  And, he got the DVD.  Since the parade had a bit of a lull at the moment I ran over and asked if we could get a picture.  I had no idea they were going to round up the WHOLE cast. If you've never seen an episode of "Kid History", it's hard to explain.  I think you have to either share their kind of humor, it be really late at night, or be in the right kind of mood.  But, we think they are pretty funny.  This is one of my favorite episodes, just in case you were wondering:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVlaZfLlWQc

 "Everyone say 'Big Track'!" 

 Of course, there has to be a marching band...

and, a Karate demonstration.  See?  If Landon can break a board right at the parade, what good are the coupons they were passing out?  Who needs classes?

Bathroom Remodel - 1 Year in the Making

Leon and I are seriously NOT project people.  In fact the thought of remodeling the bathroom literally made Leon sick:

 Not really.  He was just removing the toilet in preparation for the demolition, which began in September 2011.  As with most home improvement projects things started to snowball quickly.  The moisture under the old linoleum was more than we realized. 

 Wanting to get things moving, Leon started busting up the old tile in the shower.  It was gruelling work since back in the 70s they used cement behind the tile and poured a thick cement floor.  We hauled our shower out one bucket at a time - not the easiest of tasks.

Once all the tile was out we had to do a few improvements like new insulation, new drain, and a new shower valve.  If you've got the walls all opened up, you may as well take care of things behind them before buttoning it all up, right?

 The first "new" thing to go in was the flooring.  Not wanting to clean grout I ruled out tile, and not being able to find small pieces of linoleum anymore, that was ruled out, too.  In the end, we chose this other vinyl produt that went in very nicely.

 Up next was paint.  Choosing paint color can be difficult, but we got it right the first time, a miracle.

Before Leon re-installed the toilet, he gave it a thorough cleaning.  He said it was so clean he could lick it, so we dared him to do it.  Hmm.  There's something wrong with licking a toilet, no matter HOW clean you think it is.

 Once the room was painted, well mostly, the new shower got installed.  Being sick of cleaning grout I opted for cultured marble.  Leon was a bit put out that he couldn't do it himself, but I think we are both pleased with the result.

 It sure is pretty.  We also got a great deal on some nice fixtures from an unnamed source (you know who you are).

 Okay, so the vanity just about caused one of us to sleep on the couch some nights.  Leon really wanted to save some money and refinish the old one, but a vanity from the 70s just needs to be retired. We both agree it was the best choice.

 Leon felt like the bathroom needed some pizzaz, so he convinced me to let him do a mosaic backsplash.  I'll have to admit, I was a bit skeptical at first, but I think it looks really nice.

 Here is the finished project - new everything except the mirror.

 The final "after" shot.
It was really amazing how everything just came together. We never really had the big picture all at once. We just chose one thing at a time and hoped it all worked together in the end. I think it did.

Do you need a reminder of what it looked like "before"?

It took 11 months to complete this project 100%, but we think it was worth it.  Now, on to the next bathroom.  Check back in another year.

Timpanogos Trail

Since we had already paid for a 3-day pass to drive the Mirror Lake Highway, which was also good for American Fork Canyon, we decided to find another hike the next day.  After much looking and debating we chose the Timpanogos Trail - not sure why, exactly.  

 There are 3 waterfalls within the first few miles of the trail, but if you keep going there is a lake 5 miles up, and of course, the TOP of Timpanogos 14 miles up.  We made it to the first waterfall at 1 mile and called it good.  It was SUPER hot and next to no shade the whole way.  Since it was late morning, there were a lot of hikers coming down that had either spent the night at the top of Timp, or had started hiking before dawn.  Needless to say I felt a little bit like a slacker only going 1 mile, but oh well.

 There wasn't much room along the side of the stream, so Leon waded out to a large rock to check out the view of the falls.  He said it was super cold and extremely slippery.  We'll have to take his word for it.

 The kids are champs and Cameron wanted to keep going.  Maybe one day Leon will have to take just Cameron farther up the trail.  After we talked to some Rangers about other places to hike in the area, I told Cameron that he should be a Ranger when he grows up.  He loves to hike and loves to talk - a perfect combo for the job, right?

Provo Falls & Mirror Lake Day Trip

Acting on a tip, we took the day and drove up the Mirror Lake Highway to see the Provo Falls.  They were pretty cool.  I was amazed at the amount of water coming down with this being such a dry year.  I could only imagine what a wet year would be like.

 We tromped around on the rocks.

 And enjoyed the beautiful scenery.

 And, of course, threw some rocks.

The sheer power of the falls was amazing.  They just kept going on and on with numerous cascades.

 After all that tromping about some of us were ready for lunch.  We drove up the road a little ways and had lunch by one of the 72 named lakes in the Mirror Lake Area.  That's a lot of lakes.

 Of course, you can't drive the Mirror Lake Highway without stopping at Mirror Lake.  It really is a beautiful lake, and there were a lot of people there that day enjoying it, including us.

We had a great time with the drive, playing raod trip games, and seeing new things.

Kennecott

Since the Alpine Slide took next to no time to do, we thought we'd find somewhere else to spend some time that was a whole lot cheaper.  Can't beat $5 per car.

 At first I wondered how long we could really hang out at Kennecott, looking down a big hole, but they have a Scout questionnaire to fill out and turn in for a patch that kept us busy for quite a while.  Without this questionnaire to fill out, I'm not sure we would have learned as much nor have been as engaged in the Visitors' Center.

 The kids thought this was a pretty cool place.  I had no idea that we would spend as many hours as we did there - two.

 On the way home we had to stop and get a photo in front of the "Up" house.  I'm sure they are sick of people taking pictures of their house, but c'mon, if you are going to build a house like that you have to expect some curiosity, right?

In all, it was a fun day - right in our own "backyard".

Alpine Slide

Now that the boys are all older, we have to start finding more adventurous things to do.  Days spent at the park are no more.  It's the BIG slide for us now.

 I'd have to say that the ride up on the lift was pretty nice.  

 The kids didn't expect to have to haul their sleds, but it wasn't far - very little complaining.

 On your mark...

 ...get set...

 ....DONE!

It seemed like a really short ride down compared to the slow ride UP, but isn't that how it goes?

Royals Party

As one last hurrah for the Royals baseball team, the coaches threw a party at Xtreme Air Sports.  Super fun!

The trapeze was probably the most used area - the boys had a blast there.

 The climbing wall would have freaked me out.  The only way down is to let go and drop into the foam pit below.  Really?

 Jayden had a great time with his teammates and the parents had a great time watching.

Go Royals!

Ward Pioneer Parade

This year's Pioneer Day Parade started off with a pancake breakfast.

 The younger kids decorated bikes and such.  I left it up to Landon and his brothers to decorate Landon's bike, but I guess Dad felt that it needed a little extra "touch" - extended handlebars.  Nice.

 The Cub Scouts had their own parade entry, too.

 Someone had the great idea of putting together a marching band.  What a great way to use the teenagers and their "musical" skill.

 The "Children's" Parade

The "Marching Band" - not so bad for a small group and only a few practices.

No Ward Parade would be complete without a water fight.  I steered clear this year, but the kids came home soaking wet.  Success.