Pioneer Trek 2009-Crown Burger

The night before we began our journey home Jim and girls came by to say adios. We went to Crown Burger for dinner. If you haven't tried a Crown Burger while in SLC, you are missing out. I highly recommend them. We had Jackson who refused to sit in a high chair crawling all over the table. A soda got spilled and my brother Jim had a small meltdown. I saw my old friend George who owns the place and he gave the girls ice cream cones on our way out. Good times.


As a side note, I have eaten many hamburgers in my lifetime. It seems like when I go home I eat more than usual. For those of you planning a trip to Utah, I would like to share my favorite hamburger places in Utah, rated on a scale where 5 is REALLY GOOD and 1 is AWESOME.

1. In N Out- You might be saying to yourself, that there isn't an In N Out in Utah but I heard that there is one in St. George. So, if there is one, then the In N Out wins this constest, hands down.

2. Hires-Next to In N Out, the Hires Big H is the best hamburger out there. Sometimes I think it might even beat In N out but, for now, I'm putting it in the #2 position.

3. Crown Burger- They put pastrami on the actual crown burger and I don't like pastrami so I just order the cheeseburger. Very delicious.

4. Five Guys, Burger and Fries- I ate there for the first time this trip and I LOVED IT. No wonder Barak Obama goes there for lunch. There is a long list of things you can order on your burger and you don't even have to pay extra. They also tell you where in Idaho their fresh french fries came from that day. I don't know about you, but I always like to know where my fries came from.

5. Training Table- Training table has always been one of my favorite places to eat since college. How cool is it to pick up a phone at your table and order your meal? The mushroom swiss burger is SO GOOD! If you ever order it, ask them to cut it in half because it's very messy eating. Also, if you like fries, they have the BEST fries and mayo-barbeque dipping sauce ever.

Pioneer Trek 2009-Fillmore, part 2

We stopped at the same gas station in Fillmore UT on the way home to LA as we did on the way to SLC. It was still hot. There were still wasps in the muddy grass. This time Grandma stepped in them instead of Rachel. We stayed at the Excalibur in Las Vegas and got up early the next morning to get out of the Excalibur in Las Vegas. I guess there is a reason why it only cost $35 a night. A big thanks to my mom for putting up with all the screaming and seat kicking that she experienced on the way back. She is a real trooper.

San Diego, Here we come!

Jackson and Luke. Someday we can use this picture for blackmail purposes.


Jackson hearts Confusius


This is where Jackson slept each night. Kidding!


We tricked Jackson into thinking a pool with no water is fun. It's much safer that way.


Allie with her cousins Luke and Kyle. The kids heart the trampoline and so do the moms! You can zip them inside and know that they are contained for a few moments.


Since we live so close to Vegas, we thought it would be a good idea to teach the kids early how to play blackjack. Tanner taught the Bekah and Rachel how to play with loose change. It was funny to hear them talking about "poker faces" and "taking a chance." They sounded like mini-adults.


Grandma and the girls.


Grandpa and the babies.

The kids and I took a road trip to San Diego this past week. The Idaho branch of the family was in town and since we hadn't seen them for quite a long time, I drove down so the kids could see their cousins. We had fun swimming, jumping, eating, guitar heroing, fighting (a little) and having a great time! I meant to take many more pictures than I acually did. I was too busy making sure that Jackson didn't fall down the stairs, off the trampoline, into the pool, off the dining room table, run out into the street, eat dog food etc. that I didn't take as many pictures as I would have liked. Thanks to Jill for letting us crash at her house. Thanks to Lance for taking one for the team and staying behind to care for the other 90 children we are responsible for in the building we manage. I'm so glad we were able to get away and join the family for a change.

Driving Holes in her Temple

What is different about Rachel today? If you can't tell from the before and after pics, she got her ears pierced at the mall. She has been asking to do it for the past few months and I finally got around to taking her. She is so excited and has been stopping people in the street to tell them about it. On another note, I just about DIED when I got up to the cash register to pay. There was a sign in the window at Claire's advertising "FREE" ear piercing with the purchase of a starter kit. Well, I though to myself, how much could a tiny pair or earrings cost? I was thinking $15-$20 tops. WELL, let's just say that it cost quite a bit more than I thought it would.

Happy Birthday to You, America

Today I heard Allie singing "Happy Birthday to you, America. You live in a Zoo, America. You look like a monkey, America.....etc. I thought it was pretty funny. We had a quiet 4th of July this year. We had a BBQ and hung out by ourselves until 5:00 pm when we took the kids to the Long Beach Aquarium. They loved it, and Jackson was suprisingly good, sitting in his stroller for almost the entire time. Then we came home and made S'mores on the grill and lit sparklers. HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA

Let's Get Outta Here!

We took the kids to Las Vegas for a quick road trip. We stayed at the SouthPoint hotel and casino, which I would recommend for it's large, new rooms and it's off the Strip location. It has a bowling alley, swimming pool, movie theatre, nasty buffet and a Bingo room. Everything you could ask for in a Vegas resort.
My 1/4 Irish children looked like they needed to be taken to the Emergency Room for sunstroke each time we took them out of the air conditioning and into the heat of Vegas.


We stopped at Calico Ghost Town on the way into Vegas. We could only take the heat for about 30 minutes. Fortunately, it only takes 20 minutes to see every thing there was to see so it worked out fine.
I don't know if Cigar Store Indians...I mean Native Americans are still PC but we took a photo anyway.
We climbed up to the top of the hill and this is the view of the Ghost Town from the top.
Rachel and Allie at the Bellagio garden.
Get me OUT of this stroller!!!!!!!
Bellagio garden again.

We had so much fun packed into 4 days. Lance hadn't gone on an official vacation for 2 years and it was great for him to get away. We might have to make the quick trip to Vegas a yearly tradition.

School OUT

The last day of school was WILD. We were running between school parties and plays, trying to keep Jackson in his stroller and not screaming. I can't believe Allie has finished Kindergarten.
Allie and her partners in crime....I mean friends.
Rachel at her end of school party.
Rachel starring as a "tabloid reporter" in her school play.