September 2018
Shandra has been living with only a concrete floor since her water heater went out and water has been leaking under the flooring. When Kim and I were shopping for the flooring for our bathroom, we found some nice flooring that was on clearance and we bought it for Shandra's birthday. We (ok, Kim and Hayden) installed the floor over Memorial Day. I had the very rough job of babysitting while Shandra helped the boys. I know - it was a tough job, but someone had to watch the beautiful, little princess and her helpful, adorable brother. Unfortunately, I failed to get any pictures of Shandra's new floor. It looks wonderful! She actually pulled out the carpet in the living room and had enough flooring to do both the kitchen and the living room.
Peach Days was fun this year. The California Olsens were here to join in the celebration. Kalel was so cute! Instead of spending all of his time gathering candy at the parade, he helped Zachary get candy. He also was a great babysitter and entertained Zachary and kept him from running in the street.
Kim's nephew, Taylor married his new bride, Kirsten on September 15. We drove down to Saratoga Springs to share in the celebrations. We got to see Taylor's new house and visit with all of the California Olsens.
It was a beautiful ceremony set on a hill overlooking the valley - and the bride was gorgeous!
Zane was scheduled to speak at a conference in Las Vegas so we decided to meet up with their family. We booked a condo and crammed the entire family into a two bedroom unit. It was the first time that Tasha got to meet Kiaya, and they instantly fell in love with each other. Kalel, of course, was ecstatic to hang out with Tia and Zane. It was very crowded, but oh so much fun! The pools at the condo were amazing! There was a lazy river plus 2 large pools as well as several huge hot tubs. Kalel, Kim and I arrived several hours before anyone else, so the three of us jumped into the lazy river and had a marvelous time. Kim and I relaxed while floating and Kalel swam around and around, pushing and pulling us on our tubes. I absolutely loved the feeling of floating in the water while gazing at the stars through the leaves of palm trees. It was absolutely incredible!
The largest pool had a giant area that was only 1 foot deep that was perfect for the little ones. It had a volleyball net for the adventurous ones and warm waterfalls for those who just like to relax. Kalel, Shandra, and Tasha spent hours and hours having handstand contests (I even joined for a while!) It was tons of fun, but found I was much better at cheering than actually competing.
We played tons of games, enjoyed breakfast on the balcony, and just loved hanging out together. One night the parents went out on the town and Kim and I got to babysit!
We did just a little exploring around the town. The kids talked Kim and me into taking a "romantic" ride on the Gondola in the Venetian. I thought it may be a little sappy, but it was actually one of the greatest things I have ever done! We invited Kalel and Kiaya to join us as we floated the channel as Niccole, our gondola driver, serenaded us with romantic Italian songs. It was WONDERFUL!
We had a great time exploring the M&M Factory and seeing the sights at the south end of the Strip.
One day in late September Kim and I took dad up to the canyon to see the changing leaves. It was a wonderful and special day. He absolutely loved being up in the mountains and thanked us over and over again. He really struggled with his balance and I think I knew inside that this would be his last trip to the mountains. I can't even explain the wonderful feelings I had sharing the experience with dad. Kim even said that he felt the special feeling.
Here are some fun miscellaneous pictures of Kiaya.
My mantra for the month:
Peach Days was fun this year. The California Olsens were here to join in the celebration. Kalel was so cute! Instead of spending all of his time gathering candy at the parade, he helped Zachary get candy. He also was a great babysitter and entertained Zachary and kept him from running in the street.
Kim's nephew, Taylor married his new bride, Kirsten on September 15. We drove down to Saratoga Springs to share in the celebrations. We got to see Taylor's new house and visit with all of the California Olsens.
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| Kirsten posing after her hair and makeup are done. Isn't she cute? |
Zane was scheduled to speak at a conference in Las Vegas so we decided to meet up with their family. We booked a condo and crammed the entire family into a two bedroom unit. It was the first time that Tasha got to meet Kiaya, and they instantly fell in love with each other. Kalel, of course, was ecstatic to hang out with Tia and Zane. It was very crowded, but oh so much fun! The pools at the condo were amazing! There was a lazy river plus 2 large pools as well as several huge hot tubs. Kalel, Kim and I arrived several hours before anyone else, so the three of us jumped into the lazy river and had a marvelous time. Kim and I relaxed while floating and Kalel swam around and around, pushing and pulling us on our tubes. I absolutely loved the feeling of floating in the water while gazing at the stars through the leaves of palm trees. It was absolutely incredible!
The largest pool had a giant area that was only 1 foot deep that was perfect for the little ones. It had a volleyball net for the adventurous ones and warm waterfalls for those who just like to relax. Kalel, Shandra, and Tasha spent hours and hours having handstand contests (I even joined for a while!) It was tons of fun, but found I was much better at cheering than actually competing.
We played tons of games, enjoyed breakfast on the balcony, and just loved hanging out together. One night the parents went out on the town and Kim and I got to babysit!
One day in late September Kim and I took dad up to the canyon to see the changing leaves. It was a wonderful and special day. He absolutely loved being up in the mountains and thanked us over and over again. He really struggled with his balance and I think I knew inside that this would be his last trip to the mountains. I can't even explain the wonderful feelings I had sharing the experience with dad. Kim even said that he felt the special feeling.
Here are some fun miscellaneous pictures of Kiaya.
My mantra for the month:
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