Summer is Winding Down

So we're trying to get as much fun in as we can.  Who am I kidding, we're also getting in as much fighting and boredom as we can!!  I think that is nature's way of telling us that it's time to go back to school and routine.  We have had a great summer, but I think if we survive the next week, we'll all be ready.

We have had some highlights this month though.  After Phil's parents watched our kids for our San Antonio trip, we got the opportunity to have Natalie stay with us for a few days while they had a getaway.  Natalie is a very helpful and happy person to have around.  She also likes to party, so we had a little fun while she was here.

We went bowling.

 Natalie won!

 We defrosted the freezer...oh wait, that wasn't fun!  But I had to have a picture of it all clean.

 We went to Tracey Aviary and saw some fun birds.

 

We cooled down at Liberty Park.

 And played lots of Uno!!

It is good for our boys to spend time with Natalie.  I really enjoy having her around as well!

 

That weekend we headed up to Brigham so I could attend a wedding reception for someone I used to babysit.  That's right.  I'm getting that old.  I feel like I am the same age, but somehow everyone else is getting older. 

 

While we were there, we thought we might as well work and play at my parents.  My dad picked and shucked a BUNCH of corn (Phil and the boys helped with the cleaning).  And my mom, sister and I froze 50 bags of corn.  It was a lot of work, but my clean freezer thanks me for filling it back up!! (Don't tell my mom I put a picture of her fridge on the blog...but here is some of our work)

An empty pan!!  Quite an accomplishment that night!  That counter used to be full of corn.

 While we worked, the kids kept grandpa busy so he wouldn't tell us we were doing it wrong :)  They were totally involved in games.  I don't know if I have ever been prouder!!  They stayed up as long as we did almost!



 We all got just enough rest to make it up to Bear Lake for the Baird Family Reunion the next morning.  Lots of fun on the beach.

Not getting enough water time last week, yesterday we headed to Willard Bay with our good friends for some tube time.

 When we got all five kids out there, they had a blast switching around on the tubes.  It was quite entertaining to watch!

Phil even got in on the action!!  Who knew he had it in him??!!

 This week we went to a couple of concerts in the park and played with cousins more at the park

and at the ball park. 

Since we were with cousins, I got a kick out of this guy's name being cousins.  Go cousins!! (I know I'm a nerd!)

There's just something about being at this ball park at the end of the summer, a cool breeze blowing, a beautiful back drop (I love this field! look how pretty!) to spending time with people you love and that love you unconditionally.  I mentioned the fighting and boredom this week.  It tends to disappear on nights like last night.  Everything is right with the world, even for just a moment.  We watched a long display of fireworks and headed home.  A pretty great last hoorah! to summer.  Hope you've had some great moments this summer too!!

 

San Antonio (by Phil)

I talk...a lot.

I talk with my family at the dinner table, with my patients at work, with myself in the car.

I talk a lot.

 

I also talk at a lot of conferences, around the country, and luckily enough, around the world.

 

Last weekend, I got to give a few talks at the annual meeting of the Texas Chapter of the American Academy of Orthotitsts and Prosthetists.  Such opportunities are usually not all that blog worthy, but this one was special for a few reasons: 

1)  Jennie agreed to come with me 

2) We got to go back to Texas.

 

The Texas meeting is one of my favorites, probably because the first talk I ever gave was as a recently certified clinician at the 2004 Texas meeting.  I looked it up.  I presented there again in 2005, 2007 and 2008 (In 2006 we were busy moving from Texas to Utah).  However, it had been 5 years since I'd presented in Texas, and it's always a bit of a homecoming to get back to my Texas heritage.  I gave my first talk there in 2004, I returned last week to give my 72rd and 73th (tragically, I do keep track of all these).

 

Life has been more than full, so we didn't have much time to plan for this quick get away.  It wasn't until Thursday morning that we were able to look into things.  I found out that Jim Cullum's Riverwalk Jazz band was still playing live music on Friday nights at the Broadway Bistro.  I decided to surprise Jennie by calling and making dinner reservations.  I hung up the phone...and opened an email she had just sent me, announcing that the Jim Cullum Jazz Band plays the Broadway Bistro on Friday nights, and wouldn't it be fun to go listen.  I had to call and fess up.

 

By Thursday afternoon, we were making a brief but vital detour for the annual neighborhood campout.  But 24 hours after doing this: 

 

We were doing this:

Eating a five-course Mediterranean meal while listening to this quartet of old time jazz masters.

 

So why was this such a big deal?

 

In our early days, during our 2 year honeymoon in Seattle, Jennie and I were always out playing and exploring on Saturdays.  It almost always involved a drive somewhere, and on our way home we would always listen to NPR's Saturday afternoon broadcast of "Riverwalk Jazz, live at The Landing with the Jim Cullum Jazz Band"

 

If you want a sample of that unique sound, go here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqsVliFE1_k

 

So while "the Landing" isn't there any more and Jim's getting a little older, we had a great time listening to that music and reminiscing of those simpler times.

 

Thanks Jim!

you brought back a lot of great memories!

 

The next morning, while I was talking (remember, I do that a lot), Jennie met in front of the Alamo with like minded sicko's that think that a vacation wouldn't be complete without a morning run.  So they met in front of the Alamo and went for a 3 mile run tour, complete with a tour guide and 15 stops along the way.

 

(you can add pictures here if you'd like to sweetie...and I didn't mean that "sicko" part...it was just a little joke)

 

Jennie can now add the Riverwalk to her list of cool places she's run.  It already includes such niceties as the Normandy Coast in Northern France and The Green on Oxford University.

 

With my talks complete, we were able to explore the Riverwalk, which in August is really about trying to enjoy the sights while not melting.

 

If you've never been to the Riverwalk, it looks something like this:

 

 

 

Now, if that little row of colored umbrellas caught your attention, you're not alone.  It's a restaurant called Casa de Rio and it's the subject of a lot of local art.  Seemed like a nice place for dinner.  Bit of a wait, but worth it in the end. 

 

 

The wait for a table at Casa de Rio meant we had to eat rather quickly to make it to our last stop, Fiesta Noche de Rio.  The Riverwalk has a unique theater where the seats are on one side of the river and the stage is on the other.  During the summer time, there's a fundraiser/concert on the weekends that celebrates the music and dance of Latin America.  We're more music than dance people, but we both agreed, it was a much better evening than we expected.

 

The highlights were this guy:

a very talented flamenco guitarist

 

(you can see someone else's video post of him here: 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdRhbia4HG0 

it's long, but I'm sure he practiced for decades, you can give him 3:41 of your time)

 

and these guys

a Mariachi band that set up on the bridge that spanned the river

 

(you can see clip of their performance here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG0FaSGXE2I

not the way I'd spend every weekend, but a nice splash of the local culture

 

The next morning we were up at 3:45 AM so we could get to the airport and get the primary president back for her triple S's (Standard Sunday Stresses). 

 

But a wonderful get away.  Thanks for joining me Jennie!!!

 

July came and went

Did you see Despicable Me 2?  Our family anticipated it's arrival for months and were not disappointed.  I loved these that Benjamin made in celebration!

 

It's a bit of a blur, but I know that it is August and I didn't post much in July.  So here are a few of our highlights for the month:

 

We were able to hook up with some friends from our Texas days to swim and bbq.  It was so great to see them and crazy to see how old all the kids are getting.  They are turning into quite amazing young ladies and gentlemen.  It was a very peaceful, fun evening.

King of the Hill or "Kayak" kept them busy for quite some time!! I'm not sure who ended up king in the end!

We got some more family/cousin time.  I was so happy to get the Thomas trains out again.  It was like stepping back in time!

And last, but not least, our Benjamin earned his first white stripe in Karate.  His Aunt Nicole has been coming up and teaching Karate and enjoying family home evening with us on Monday nights.  It was been really great to spend time with her and get to know her better.  She and Benjamin have become quite close.

He participated in Patriot Games at the end of July.  It was really fun to see what he has been working on.

Oh, and I had to add this picture of the pied piper telling his stories.  What a great Uncle!!