Awwww…

Such innocence.

Of course, look how the expression changed a day later (this was all at his Aunt Miranda’s wedding festivities).

Just a tad bit more confidence in that expression. Still makes my heart melt.

Dang kids. They grow up too fast.

Back to the summer getaway (now months removed) with the sisters…

After Caden wrapped up his football camp, Natalie, Katie, and I packed him in the car and headed south to Disneyland. It felt like deja vu for me as Caden and I had just been here a mere 7 months prior during our Great Road Trip 2010. I hadn’t planned on coming back so soon but when the opportunity presented itself, how could I say no to laughing/whirling/cheering/oohing-ahhhing/eating/walking with my sisters?

We had one rule with Caden: NO WHINING. Guess how fast that rule was broken…

Happiest Kid on Earth

One thing I knew I had to introduce my sisters to was the fine dining at The Blue Bayou over by the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. About five years ago, I decided to try it out as I’d always seen the restaurant, heard it had great food, so I made a reservation (absolute MUST before you go!) a couple of weeks ahead and have been a fan of their Monte Cristo ever since. Seriously, this place just feels magical the ambiance of the “fireflies”, lantern lights, and great food pretty much justify the cost. But go at lunch – because dinner ain’t cheap.

My favorite ride at Disneyland? The Haunted Mansion. My favorite ride at California Adventure? Soarin’ Over California…where you can buy cool caps like this one:

It was actually walking over to Soarin’ Over California that Katie all of the sudden started freaking out, “There’s something in my hair! There’s something in my hair!”

Natalie: “Well, stop swatting your head and let me take a look!”

On closer inspection, well, we actually didn’t need closer inspection because it was pretty obvious what was in her hair:

Me: “Awww, what a pretty colored beetle…”

Caden: “Oh cool! Can I have it?”

Katie: “Get it out! Get it out! Get it OUT!”

It made for a nice diversion as folks passing by probably thought we were putting on a little show. Caden couldn’t stop giggling at Katie’s slight hysterics.

That night we enjoyed the boardwalk lights and got ready to enjoy World of Color (just as amazing as the first time I saw it last November) in a prime viewing spot thanks to tickets we had from a special meal deal you can order online ahead of time.

The absolute BEST experience came on the Tower of Terror ride. Neither Katie or Natalie had been on it and Caden was doing his best to make them nervous before the ride.

Caden: “This is such a scary ride, you seriously will feel your heart in your throat. And you might throw up.”

Katie: “What? You mean I could throw up on this ride?”

Natalie: “Whatever, I’m game. You can’t scare me, buddy!”

Katie: “Yeah, I bet you’ll be more scared on it than us.”

Caden: “No I won’t! I bet you I won’t scream at all. And they take your picture so you can see.”

(in the background you can hear the screams of all the riders, some enough to make me get a tad nervous)

Katie: “All right, Caden, if you can keep a totally straight face when the picture is taken – and you HAVE to look like it’s the most boring ride EVER – Natalie and I will pay you $10.”

Natalie: “What!? Ten bucks! What are you roping me into this for?”

Katie: “Come on, there is no way Caden is not going to scream like a little girl.”

Caden (smiling at the thought of more $$ to burn in his pocket): “Okay, you got it. Ten bucks that I won’t look scared or smile or anything!”

We get in the line and wind through the creepy hotel into a small space where they tell you a spooky story about what happened at the hotel – it’s all very Twilight Zone-esque – and then you head up to the area where you will board the “elevator”.

I admit, this ride can definitely make me nervous. But it’s such an adrenaline rush that I always scream my head off and have a great time anyway.

As we board the ride, Katie is definitely looking nervous but she leans over to Caden and whispers loudly, “Ten bucks!” All I have to say is don’t ever bet my kid anything because if you promise him money, this is what will happen:

Guess who collected $10?

And guess who laughed and laughed and laughed at Katie’s, um, reaction? Yeah…it was awesome.

The next day we spent mostly at Disneyland, partying hard from the moment it opened until 1 a.m. in the morning. Knowing that we all were going home the next day (Natalie and Katie left early…Caden and I had a night flight), we just couldn’t seem to want to leave and go back to the hotel. We wanted to stay and play forever.

We left the park at 1 a.m., walked  over to Denny’s and had a nice late night/early-early-early morning breakfast, and then walked back to hotel and slept for about two hours before I had to go drop Natalie and Katie off at LAX. Thankfully, I had arranged a late checkout so I could come back and sleep in until about 11:30 a.m.

But before we had to head to the airport, Caden and I just had to hit the beach one more time.

Sigh…can’t wait until next summer!

It was because of his love of football that I decided to send him to a camp in California I had read about, the QBR Camp. It’s specifically for quarterbacks and receivers so it’s a non-contact camp. For three and a half days, Caden practiced routes and ball security and had a blast hanging out with a bunch of boys.

He was the youngest person at camp but he made an impression. The kid hates to let a ball drop. He will dive and make all kinds of spectacular plays to not let that football hit the ground.

The last day of camp, Natalie, Katie, and I went and watched their three hour practice as it was kind of a “let’s show ‘em what we’ve learned” day. Every time I saw Caden run a route and catch a ball, I heard one of the coaches yell, “Way to go, Utah!” Later Caden explained to me that every kid got a nickname in his group and his was “Utah” because he wore a University of Utah football camp shirt the first day of camp. There was also Big Boy, Clifford (always wore red), Jonesy, Scoot, and Lil J. Lil J and Caden were the same age and the only two 6th graders in the receiver group. They roomed together and Caden told me they were best buddies.

Overall, Caden had so much fun that I think I will send him again next year. Plus, it gives me a great excuse to organize an annual Girls Trip!

Come with me of course!

However, we needed to bring Natalie along because if two sisters were going to Cali, we sure as all heck couldn’t leave another behind. And thankfully, Katie had another voucher meant for Sammy that was transferable! So in the matter of four days we had all the details put together, flights booked, and we were planning on having some awesome girl time without kids. Well, technically Caden was going to be in CA but he would be at camp most of the time…although when we flew in at night we did a quick turn at the Queen Mary in Long Beach (so many Tobias jokes from Arrested Development can be inserted here).

The first morning before I could drop Caden off at camp, I really wanted to visit the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library as it was only 10 minutes away from Cal Lutheran University. Maybe it’s because he was the first president I remember and the only one I’ve ever met in person (in Jackson Hole…coming out of Haagen Daaz – so awesome!), but I have always held a fondness for dear old Ronnie.  Something about his cowboy spirit is endearingly intriguing to me.

One of the coolest things about the library right now is that it houses the actual Air Force One jet he used for most of his presidency. WOW. Totally amazing to walk through! You weren’t allowed to take pictures when going through it but I was a bit surprised by the width of the plane. Probably because all the movies make Air Force One look ginormous.

Piece of the Berlin Wall

Once we dropped Caden off at camp (the awesome QBR Camp – I will totally be sending him there next summer), Katie and I decided to drive down the coast and we ended up at the Santa Monica Pier just before twilight. We walked up and down the pier, along the beach, and had a delicious dinner at Cha Cha Chicken - coconut fried chicken!

The Santa Monica Pier is also the end of the famous Route 66.  I learn something new every day…

The next day, Katie and I picked up Natalie at LAX and headed straight to Universal Studios. We rode pretty much everything (except for me – I chickened out totally on the Mummy ride…and the Simpsons ride looked claustrophobic). After a fun filled day, I told the girls we needed to hit Trader Joes and Pinkberry (two stores that are desperately needed in Utah) which happened to be just around the corner in Universal City.

As we were sitting in Pinkberry, enjoying our delicious frozen yogurt, a group of people sat at the table right behind us and Katie’s eyes got wide.

“Angie, guess who is sitting right behind you?!?” she whispered forcefully. I shrugged, shook my head, and asked, “Who?”

“It’s Jennifer Love Hewitt!”

Natalie glanced over quickly, trying to stealthily view her face but couldn’t see it. So, she decided to walk outside and LOOK IN THE FRONT WINDOW to see her face. I almost busted up laughing because I thought it was so hilarious. Within a few seconds she came back in with a smile on her face, nodding her head, and then whispered to me, “Yep, it’s totally her!”

Pretty soon we started rolling with Jennifer Love Hewitt jokes like how we would approach her. “Um, I totally loved you in…movies.” Couldn’t really think of a good one.

But we had our celebrity sighting! Check off that box on our “To Do” list. We tried to get a picture as we left but I felt like a total stalker as Natalie and Katie kept asking me to drive by the front window over and over so they could try and get a shot with their phones. After about the fourth attempt I told them, “We’re done! I feel creepy so that’s it, we’re outta here.” I think Natalie got a shot…of my nose covering J-Lo-Hewitt’s face. We giggled all the way back to the hotel.

Overlooking Universal City

Enjoying super long Twizzlers at the Water World show!

The sisters

First up: Caden’s 11th birthday.

(don’t you love that hamburger cupcake cake? easy to split up into pieces – and very tasty)

Do you know where the most awesome place to go and celebrate a birthday is in the Salt Lake Valley? Cowabunga Bay. Like, totally, duuude. It’s a waterpark that’s only been open for a couple of years and it’s already become one of my favorites. Why? Clean, not too big, clean, decent food, clean, great birthday party rates, clean, and cabanas. Oh, and it’s clean.

This is the second year in a row that Caden chose Cowabunga Bay as the place for his friend birthday party and I was all too excited to go back. First because the price is great on birthday parties, and second because I get to enjoy a cabana at a greatly discounted rate with a birthday party booking.

If you have never experienced the joy of relaxing in your own private oasis, where a server comes and meets your needs at every beck and call, then you are not living! I get one time a year to enjoy this private pampering and it is TOTALLY WORTH IT. The boys go off and play and it’s easy to spot them, and I sit on a chaise reading a fabulous book or float around the Lazy River a gazillion times because the water is PERFECT. Love, love, love this place.

This year everyone was in town (minus Ben & Hilary) as Allison was returning home from her mission the same night as Caden’s party. So yay! More cousins to come and enjoy this festive place! And we just so happened to run into another cousin of mine, Merrilee, and her cute daughter Victoria. This little birthday party became quite the family affair.

Summer weather is gone now, but the many memories of Cowabunga Bay remain. Can’t wait until next season!

Taylor - the cutest, messiest face there

Cousin kidlins loving the Cowabunga Beach!

Da party boyz

Last night, Caden received his Webelos badge and his Arrow of Light award in Cub Scouts. For any parent that has had a son in scouting, you know the time and effort it takes to achieve these awards. For me, it has meant a summer full of “what do you have left to do?” reminders to get Caden focused on completing his Webelos and Arrow of Light requirements. And we did a lot of work. A LOT.

I can see why mothers are rewarded with a special pin as part of the award ceremony…because any chance a child has to draw blood from a parent… As Caden was putting on my two pins (one for Webelos, one for AofL), I had to remind him, “You better not stab me…or else somebody’s walking home from the church.”

It’s hard not to just beam with pride when your child accomplishes something great, something that challenges them beyond their normal comfort zone. In this world of cell phones, iPads, Wii’s, and all other forms of electronic entertainment, scouting provides a bit of solid structure and real life applicable skills. I’m grateful he has great leaders who invest so much time in the boys to help them develop positive character traits at this young age. Well, “young” is a relative term for Caden these days; he prefers to be called “pre-teen” (since he’s eleven now). I told him “pre-teen” is just another term for “pre-brain damage” so he shouldn’t really be excited to use it.

Ah, this kid. What would I do without him?

One side note: his leader shared an analogy of a squash and the seeds it contains and how much good someone like Caden could accomplish in their lifetime. She held up the squash and asked, “Could you count all the seeds in this vegetable?” Caden nodded and then she held up a single seed. “Now, could you count all of the vegetables or fruit that could come from this single seed?” Caden shook his head. “That’s just like you. You have the ability of this seed to do so much good in the world that we wouldn’t be able to count it or predict it. Scouting helps you plant yourself in the right way so you can grow yourself just as you would this little seed.” I thought it was a very cute analogy and a nice lead in to his Arrow of Light presentation.

For the first time in several years, everyone in my family was able to come up to the cabin for the week. Thankfully, we all still fit! But I think that may be the last time. The main cabin (Targhee Tepee, as my Grandpa Brewster dubbed it) housed most of us with the Teeny Tepee (mini cabin in back) being occupied by my brother and his family.

We spent the week doing a little of everything – fishing, running, hiking, tubing, river floating, reservoir swimming, Yellowstone Park-ing, Playmill-ing. I captured just a few moments here and there with my camera but instead of editing a bunch of photos, I put it in a quick slide show (that’s in the really teeny font below). So, ta da! There you go. A quick glimpse into our last week of summer before school started (anyone else think that school started a week early this year?).

“Picnik Show“

I’m always amazed at how suddenly a day can into a week and then before you know it, months have flown by. Aren’t our brains supposed to able to take multiple things in at one time? Why is it that I feel my brain shuts off and goes on “coast” mode until something really, really important shocks it into “pay attention” mode?

I don’t know. Maybe that’s just me.

So much to tell about the last several weeks – and most of it in pictures! I’ll just start with a few off of my iPhone because that seems to capture what happens on a daily basis (I do post some of these to my Tumblr, Instagram, or Twitter account – definitely not the reasons why I hardly blog anymore…pshaw).

I’m pretty sure there is a bird’s nest in this tree that I am trying to get a snapshot of. It took me a moment to remember what this was, but I do remember! Tani (Mamo to Caden), Caden, and I went and hung out at Boondocks a few weeks ago. This tree was near the 14th hole on the miniature golf course. Clearly exciting material. Woo.

This has to be Caden’s fingers, not mine. Because why would I ever place my fingers right over where the lens is on my phone? So silly…

It’s Hermana Baby Sister on Skype for Mothers Day! It was wonderful to get to chat with her and clearly you can see that she stands out like a sore thumb in Panamania (what Caden calls Panama) because she doesn’t look like a local AT ALL. Here she was showing off a watch someone gave her and introducing her companion at the time, Hermana WhatsHerBucket. All I have to say is she looks BEAUTIFUL. And she’s coming home in just a little over a month!

This is an “Awww, how sweet!” picture. I found this tape and ate up my little two year old voice. Does anybody else think it interesting to listen to your young little self from ages ago? I did have to laugh that this was taped over a Family Practice tape that belonged to my Grandpa Taylor (who was a family practice doctor for many years) and right after I finish singing, there is a little blank spot and then it goes into “kzzttttt the patient may exhibit signs of nausea and fatigue”. Thanks. Really needed THAT little line after my highly adorable solo.

I just happened to be at Caden’s school one morning when they announced the kids who had earned the Peacebuilder award at his elementary school. No explanation needed here (proud mother moment).

Caden had me watch him over and over (and over and over) while he did these little slam dunk moves on the basketball net. I told him he needed to raise it up a bit more to impress me. That did it. So he decided to start trying to dunk by jumping several feet away and fly through the air. “Like LeBron!” he said. LeBron? Geez, who is the mother of this kid that allows her child to like LeBron? Uggghhh…

Maggie. In her happiest pose ever, that of sleeping (and snoring) quite deeply. Funny dog.

The Chalk Art Festival at The Gateway in downtown Salt Lake City. Pretty dang cool. My favorite is the Norman Rockwell. Caden’s was How to Train Your Dragon.

Celebrating Colonial Days in 5th Grade! Caden played cats cradle with his friend Kendrick until they had it down so smoothly as to claim, “We’re the best at doing that yarn thing game!” I told him he couldn’t be the best at it unless he knew its name. And yes, he’s dressed near perfectly for a colonial day person. I was pretty darn proud of putting together that outfit with clothes he already had – black football pants (minus the pads), long white socks, his black Sunday shoes, oversized white shirt, and a vest. Voila! His friends may see this pic one day and laugh, but me? I will laugh at it forever…

Memorial Day Weekend we camped down in Moab. LOVED it. But I have much better pictures than this…so I will wait to share all the adventuresome details.

I believe this was ridiculous hail I found on my car when it should be JUNE. Mother Nature was “having a moment” this Spring in Utah – hot flashes, cold flashes, wicked storms (is there an antidepressant for nature?).

Yo, what up, Ethan? Just because you’re two and can rock a sideways cap, doesn’t mean that you are my favorite two year old nephew…aw, well, it does. You are way too cute!

Sweet baby Desch! Ben and Hilary’s latest addition who came on June 22. His chubby cheeks are so delicious! I do hope he understands that his mama desperately wants — no, NEEDS — him to have brown eyes. That was the only reason she married my brother, to have brown-eyed children. And the first two were defective with bright blonde hair (see Ethan above) and bright blue eyes.

There you go. A quick iPhone gallery update. My life is complete. I can rest now…if the neighbors in the backyard would stop doing fireworks at midnight!

And this:

Plus his rec baseball team (which I will have pics of shortly) have completely occupied our time this Spring. We manage to fit all the games in just fine…as long as the weather corporates (which it totally hasn’t for most of this season).

Thankfully, one sport is now done. Soccer finished yesterday with Caden’s team beating the #1 team, Sparta, in a great outing of 5-3. Caden was moved to defender from streaking forward because they were seriously lacking in great defense. His team, Boca, could have been number one (they are #2) but two games they should have won were lost because of the struggles at defense. At the game yesterday, Caden was absolutely a key in keeping many shots on goal away from our goalie. We lost track of how many headers he had. We being me, the grandparents, Ben, and his little boy, Ethan.

The game yesterday was also a great excuse to spend most of it outdoors. SUN!! I don’t think I spent more than an hour inside yesterday because it has been raining nonstop for days on end.

Caden’s comp baseball team, the Woods Cross Wildcats, have had an up and down season. His coach, Wally, is such a great guy. I really like what he is trying to instill in these kids about hard work and effort.

Between his comp team, his soccer team, and his rec baseball team (the Yankees), we have sports every night. But he loves it. I keep asking him if he wants to pick a favorite – just so I can save on gas! But alas, he is actually asking if he can participate in more sports.

“Can I do golf? Can I try hockey? What about lacrosse? Can I…”

Ai yi yi. If anyone would like the experience of chauffeuring a kid around, I am accepting applications. Qualifications: a drivers license, car, and limitless patience. Pay: We can negotiate that later.

Frankly, I believe it should be illegal to ask a mom to speak on this particular day. It’s supposed to be the ONE day we can kind of take it easy. I say “kind of” because truthfully, when does a mom EVER get a day off? At least on Mothers Day we can claim a bit of a reprieve.

Anyway, back to the talk. I stressed over it for days. Talking about motherhood is such a sensitive topic. Women tend towards feelings of guilt on this day thanks to all the pressure we put on ourselves to be a “great mother”. What exactly IS a great mother? How can I share information on motherhood when I am constantly thinking of ways I fall short? You see the dilemma.

I decided that I would take the approach of hey, we’re moms, we compare ourselves against so-called “perfect” women all the time–our own moms, our grandmas, women in the scriptures, etc. We keep building up these high expectations because we only take note of the amazing accomplishments. We don’t ever read “and the mothers of the 2,000 stripling warriors complained because they had to wash their sons’ loincloths–AGAIN.” So let’s give ourselves a break.

I may end up posting my talk because I have had several people ask to read it, but only because they are family and want to read it. I am just glad it went over well and I didn’t make anyone feel like they weren’t doing a great job. Because everyone really knows that the toughest job in the world is that of mother.

My mom & me, Mothers Day 2011

The reason I am called "mom" - this kid