Summer Travels

We have had very fun few weeks. We have been from Las Vegas to Utah to Carmel California to Las Vegas to Bryce Canyon to St. George back to Las Vegas. The next few posts are of our adventures.


We went to Carmel California to Ryan McGiven's Grandma's house. It is spectacular. The house is on the 14th green of the famous Pebble Beach golf course. It was so awesome. We went with Ryan and Sarah McGiven and their boys, our cousins Nina and Kyle and their boys and our friends Alex and Becky Stoddard and their girls. We did some very fun things, get ready for some picture overload!

I had to post this picture of my favorite golfer. We would sit outside and watch the golfers, it was so relaxing and at times very entertaining (see below).

We had a blast playing at Pebble Beach. The weather wasn't ideal for a beach vacation but the kids were not deterred. Here are Aria and Griffin playing, we wonder if we ever have a boy if this is what he will look like.

Running away from the freezing cold water.

Laila loved the beach, she especially loved eating the sand. Yummy!

We had so much fun at Monterrey Pier watching the Sea Lions and birds. Easton wanted to get in the water and swim with the gross Sea Lions.

We were with the McGiven's night and day for 2 weeks. We feel so lucky that they are our family, we love you guys!

Aria developed some what of a crush on her second cousin Carter. I found them hugging and snuggling a few times on this trip.

San Francisco and Oakland

One of the last days of our trip we decided to make a trip to San Francisco with the kids. It was 58 degrees and wind gusts of 40 mph (I don't know if this is true, but that is what it seemed). Despite the weather we had a wonderful time. We saw some of the strangest people concentrated in one place. I guess that is what you get in large cities.

You can see Alcatraz in the background. Geoff told Aria that is where they put the bad guys so they couldn't get out and the whole day she kept talking about the bad guys swimming.

We bought a peach at the farmers market, it was the largest, juiciest, sweetest peach I have ever tasted.

Aria loves her dad so much! It was the best vacation because she had him all to herself.

The kids found a fountain that had warm water. It took all we had to keep them from jumping in.

You can't go to San Francisco without seeing a few silver men. This was the WORST silver man in the history of silver men. He wasn't even silver and he was really bad!

These guys were the real deal. They were very entertaining to watch. Easton was so brave and gave them some money.

We visited Ghirardelli square where we got some of the BEST hot chocolate I have ever tasted. It was so delicious and it warmed up our frozen bodies.


After San Francisco we went across the bridge to Oakland for the A's vs Giants baseball game. It was so much fun. I was a little worried because Geoff told Ari that we were going to a baseball game a week before we actually went. She asked about the baseball game every day so I thought it might be anticlimactic. Good news, Aria LOVED it. It actually was one of the funnest games that I have ever been to. Nothing better then a good rivalry game.

Aria loved to chant "let's go Oakland" and still chants it weeks later.

Birthdays, Seven Peaks, and makeup

We were able to celebrate my brother Doug and my niece Olivia's birthdays while we were visiting. Last year we had season tickets to Seven Peaks and I had forgotten how much I love it. It was so much fun! I was able to go on a few rides with Aria. Even Laila went on a few rides with me, I don't think she liked it as much as Aria.

It was Doug's 19th birthday so he got lots of Missionary stuff. Nothing more exciting then getting suits, shirts, journals, belts, and scriptures for your birthday!

Olivia received lots of fun toys and even one of her front teeth is coming in.

Later that day Aria found Kelsey's makeup and gave herself a makeover. How do you think she did? I am going to have to teach her how to aim, sad news it that I don't do much better!

Hogle Zoo

While in Utah we took advantage of going to the zoo in 90 degree weather instead of 110 degrees. It was Laila's first time at the zoo and I don't think she is old enough to really care. The rest of us had so much fun!

We are so glad that Geoff could be the only man with all of the ladies and kids.

Aria LOVES her aunties Abbey and Kelsey

Aria is so happy to be with Kylee and Nick. She loves them so much and asks to see them everyday!

Thank you to Grandma Joeen for taking all of us to the zoo!

The Romantic Date!

While we were in Utah Jeff Gardner got an inkling to be romantic for his wife and I benefited. Geoff told me that we were going somewhere but was very secretive about who and where we were going. We picked up the Gardner's and Stoddard's and we ended up going to Olive Garden where were greeted by a dozen red roses at our place settings.

Because Jeff was being romantic he started telling us his favorite memories of Lindsay, I think it started out as a joke but it ended up being really fun and I had fun remembering all the fun times that I have had these wonderful ladies. Later we rode bikes up the canyon and had very romantic sparkling grape juice. It was a very fun surprise.

Why did Jeff Gardner decide to be romantic for his wife, you ask? We can all thank reality TV. He has been watching the Bachelorette and realized that he wanted to be more romantic. Thanks Jeff for the inspiration and thank you to my sweet Geoff who is always up for a surprise. I love you!

Wasatch Back Relay!

We have had the best couple of weeks. We have been visiting Grandparents, running races, and driving to California. I thought I would start by bragging about my husband.

Geoff participated in the Wasatch Back Relay, a relay race with 12 team members that goes from Logan to Park City. Geoff's cousin and uncle are actually the founders of the race and have done an incredible job. The first year I think they had 30 teams and this year, 5 years later, they had 579 teams!

Geoff is not a runner and didn't really have time to train for the race but he did it. and their team did really well! They came in 101 overall. It was so inspiring I might not be such a wimp next year and run!

Not my best day.

Yesterday Aria told me that I looked "weird" 4 times.
Then she told me that dinner was "disgusting".
Must not have been my best day.

Booster seats.

This post is for all those mom with bigger kids. What is the better booster seat? Does it matter? What do you like?

I love to read.

I just finished reading these books. They are really cute books I would highly recommend them.

Opposites attract

They say that "opposites attract", I think they (who ever they are) are right. Aria and Zach are best friends and they are COMPLETELY opposite. Hair, eyes, mouth, nose, all opposite. I just recently realized they have one more opposite. Aria has what the Hill family fondly refers to as the "Hill bum". Her "cheeks" are never covered and her swimming suit and underwear are always riding up her little cracker.





Now Zach has the opposite problem. He has what the Johansen family fondly refers to as the "Johansen bum", which means NO bum. This is why we often see him sporting the plumber look.

So in the words of Paula Abdul, "And you know--it ain't fiction, just a natural fact, we come
together cuz opposites attract".

Memorial Day and Laundry

For Memorial Day, we spent the day on the boat. It was a beautiful day filled with fun and laughter. It was the day that I got back on a wake board after a 3 1/2 year absence. I got right up but it took a while to used to it again. It was so much fun and I have been paying for it for 3 days. I am so so SO sore.

Laila didn't have as much fun as the rest of us, she didn't love having to wear her life jacket.

Aria spent the day in her daddy's arms. Sometimes being the favorite parent doesn't leave him with many opportunities to do anything other then what Aria wants him to do.

Zach loves Laila so much. He is always wanting to hold and snuggle her. I sure hope his mom has a little girl.

It was a wonderful holiday weekend but I am not so sure about the cleanup. I spent Tuesday doing 13 loads of laundry. As I finished folding all the laundry I wished that I had taken a picture. I decided that laundry is the WORST household chore. If anyone likes to do laundry please share your secrets!

Camping fun.

Last week Geoff and I decided that we wanted to take the girls camping. This would be both Aria and Laila's first time camping, it was worth it! It was so much fun. We started the trip off with a torrential down pour 30 seconds after we got our tent up, and a 35 degree drop so it was very cool. Laila enjoyed eating rocks and dirt and being held the ENTIRE time because she kept eating the rocks and dirt.

Aria was in her element, lots of dirt to roll around in, lots of junk food and her favorite people surrounding her 24/7.

Geoff was so happy to have a few days off of work to spend time with us. In reality he only really spent time with Aria, she made sure that he did absolutely everything with her and for her. She misses her dad.

I was so happy that ALL of my sisters and my sister-in-law Sarah could be there with us. It definitely was a party. We ate the BEST food and had wonderful conversation and created lots of memories.

We had SO much fun I can't wait to do it again!

While in Utah...

This last week we packed up the car and headed to Utah. It was a great trip because we rode with Sarah and the twins in their van. We did so many fun seeing friends, and playing with cousins.

Aria helped Grandpa make Swedish Pancakes, a Hill tradition.

After 2 years of getting her hair cut with kitchen scissors, Aria got her first "professional" haircut.

We always love visiting Grandma Joeen because we get the cutest pictures taken.

We also got to help auntie Kelsey get ready for her Junior Prom. She looked absolutely stunning.

I couldn't resist putting up this picture. It is my favorite picture of my favorite twins. They look so grown up and I just want to squeeze them!

As you can see we had so much fun. I am so glad that we were able to be there for both our mothers on Mother's Day. Being away from our mom's has made it that much more apparent how much we love them and need them. Love you!

Speaking of Vampires...

My daughter is a vampire and I only have myself to blame. When I was pregnant with Laila, I read all the books in the Twilight series. I thought the book was so good and I had a crush on Edward and I thought that vampires were so interesting, blah blah. Now Laila is one of them and I am not sure how I feel about that.

I keep wondering, if I just hadn't read those book would she be normal? But alas my fascination with vampires has resulted in Laila's teeth.

Then there is Jacob Black the werewolf. I thought that he was kind of cute and I felt bad for the way that Bella treated him. So again, while I was pregnant with Laila I thought a lot about how poor Jacob grew so tall and big while he was still very young. But alas my fascination with werewolves has resulted in Laila growing so tall and big while she is still very young.

This picture doesn't show it very good but Laila's feet hang off her car seat to her ankles and her head hits the sun visor.

Next time I am pregnant I will only read books about nice, smart, athletic, funny, contributors to society instead of vampires and werewolves.