Priceless!

Gas $ 4.39 a gallon

Bottled Water: $40

A 7 day National Park Pass: $25

Small, cramped hotel room shared with your kids: $89/night

Reunion dinner: $20 per person

Watching your mom go swimming in a mud hole fully clothed: Priceless

The Parker Family ventured south to Zions for a Madsen Family Reunion. We crammed ourselves like sardines into cars to save on gas $$ and drove nearly 5 hours. Props to the kids who survived with only one stop. We went swimming in the hotel pool and enjoyed seeing my mom's cousins and catching up with them.

Dan and I (& Ash and John) thought that since we had brought our kids all this way we should take them on a little hike. The 1-2 mile shaded river walk on a paved trail sounded perfect for families. The rest of the family was on their way to breakfast when they decided to join us. Not knowing we would soon be lured by the " nearby" Emerald Pools. Had I known that the serious hikers with camelbacks and walking sticks were also headed to the Emerald Pools we would have realized we were ill prepared for the 4-5 mile grueling uphill battle! It was no place for flip flops, and designer purses. Low on water but high on ambition it had all the makings of a good church talk! We quickly made it to the lower pool and waterfalls, then lost Papa (while he was brushing up on his German) and we took a large detour on our way to the upper pools. Hot, tired and bothered we took the advice of happier looking hikers who told us of a pool "just ahead" that we could cool off in. It was only 0.3 miles but it was straight up hill in the sand and lose rocks with no shade. Nick and Lauren were awesome to help some of the little ones. As promised it was worth it and there was a beautiful mountain pond with crystal clear water to play in. Had there been fewer people at the top- John would have gotten the naked family vacation he was hoping for, but none the less even Mushie put her head in the water!!

hiking is not so bad when you are riding in one of these things!

North Carolina Cousins!!

For those of you wondering where we have been (and why we have not been blogging) our cousins came to visit from North Carolina and it was activities non-stop! We went swimming (almost every day), out to eat, to the park, out for a girls night, to block parties and primary activities and I even managed to convince my sister in law and nephew to come over one night and help paint the basement! We enjoyed a cousins birthday and baptism, celebrated fathers day, watched the Celtics & Tiger, played kick the can and spent hours together catching up on life! I didn't always have my camera with me but here are some highlights!

Emma, Ivey, Ashley and Kate putting on an impromptu performance on our rock wall- which easily doubles as a stage- I should have known!
Meg and A in the pool!

Emma keeping up with the big kids with her water wings!

Kate and Mark enjoying the sun!

Chad, Mark, and Luke!

P.S Can't wait to see more pictures on Sarah and Cyndi's blogs- hint hint!!

Ski like a Girl!!!

Yesterday a wonderful time was had by all on Papa's boat! It was the first outing of the season and the kids had a blast. Annie was making deals with Dan about her getting in the water if he skied. So, as if on cue, as soon as he was done she lept off the boat!

Kate actually dove off the boat to join them in the chilly water!
family photo on the boat! (meg didn't love having her life jacket up around her ears! can't blame her for trying the whole time to wiggle out of the thing)
Not bad for a mom of 3 eh?
Dan looks like he's still got it!

I was a little nostalgic about the whole evening because on our way to the lake we drove by our old Midway cabin. It is for sale again. The back door was open so I ventured inside and although it has new paint it still smells the same. (a little like skunk and mildew- but Oh! how I love that smell!) It made me a little sad that we have closed that chapter in our lifes but I have great memories of times spent with family and friends there.

Nick Posh skiing- what a view!

And being on the boat with my dad- he has taught all of us girls how to ski and to love being on the boat! (no babies next summer so that we can ski 5 at a time okay!!) I have thought a lot about my dad recently as we celebrated fathers day and how much I love and admire him. He has drive and ambition but he also knows when one of us might just need a phone call or a hug! And wow! At 50 something look at him go!

At one point last night Dan was dancing on the boat. It made me a little sad that when you get married you have to grow up- and start going to work instead of out on the boat 4 or 5 times a week! 10 years ago Dan and I fell in love on the boat. We went on a trip with friends to Lake Powell and I was so impressed with how Dan never lost his cool- despite getting his Bronco stuck in the sand multiple times, damaging the prop on a sand bar, locking the trailer and losing the key and eating julia gulia's cooking out of a garbage bag! He just laughed and smiled the whole way through and when we can home I was smitten! Love you babe!

5-ish

Finally I am answering a tag from Erin and an Email from Jamie!

4 favorite snacks

cool ranch Doritos and cottage cheese
diet coke
chips and salsa (queso, guac)
chocolate chip cookies

5 things on my to-do list

paint the basement and all the prep work that comes before putting actual color on the wall
fold the laundry
clean the bathrooms
clean up lunch
sweep and mop the kitchen floor

5 jobs i have had

Old Navy
Nordstroms
Snelles Ice Cream Shop
Nurse
Dance Studio Owner

5 things I would do if I was a Billionaire

hire a cleaning lady
hire a chef
hire a painter
hire a nanny
go on vacation for a long long time

6 places I have lived

salt lake
Happy Valley
Jerusalem
Salt Lake City
Boston
SLC

5 bad habits

creating too many projects at once
not folding and putting away the wash
eating chocolate chip cookies for breakfast
drinking too much diet coke
i can be very impatient

6- ish shows I watch often

the Today Show
Super Why
CSI
Deal or No Deal
Without a trace
Reality TV

4 places I would rather be

curled up in bed with a good book
getting a pedicure
on the beach
anywhere warm and sunny!

3 places I go all the time

to the grocery store
Home Depot (okay Dan actually goes more than me but our Debit card goes once a day)
anywhere that sells flowers