The Cummings Family

The Reason for the Season

2012-01-11T15:54:00.000-08:00

I Love Christmas. This December I found myself continually grateful for two wonderful blessings in my life: a knowledge of our Savior, and my wonderful family. It is so great to have a whole month dedicated to our Lord Jesus Christ and the spirit and love he brought to the earth. I found my joy multiplied throughout the season because my boys are such a fabulous age to talk about the reason for the season and do so many fun things associated with Christmas. I now it is now 2012 and Christmas is past, but I must record some of our favorite Christmas memories.

Picking our Christmas tree. This isn't the one we picked, just a good little photo op.

Graham thoroughly enjoyed all the Christmas lights this season

I love living so close to temple square at Christmas. We toured the square this year with nana, papa, uncle Jake and uncle Ty.

We attended the Christmas play "Toyland" at the children's theater. Graham was scared, but Beckett loved it. He got so caught up in the moment that he forgot he didn't like Santa. When the play was over he ran up to sit on Santa's lap for the first time in his life.

Our first gingerbread house

Here are some of the best Nativity performers you have ever seen.

For the fist time in Beckett's life he asked for a specific present, a Batman train set. He doesn't like Santa but he wanted to ensure his request would be filled so he wrote his letter and sat on Santa's lap. Santa came through, and just as I suspected, he has hardly played with the thing.

Graham just wanted a donut for Christmas

The Day after Christmas I took the boys to St. George to hang out with nana and the great grandma and grandpa Boyer.

Turkey Month

2011-12-12T12:15:00.000-08:00

We spent our November talking about gratitude, our blessings, and doing a multiple of other activities.

Yo Gabba Gabba concert

I can't remember if these cookies were supposed to be leaves of Turkey feathers. Whatever. They were fun.

These boys love Teddy Bear, Quackers and George.

We went to the zoo the day before Thanksgiving to pick out our turkey. Not really, but on Thanksgiving when I told Graham we were going to eat turkey he said we needed to go to the zoo and get it.

Grandma and Grandpa Cummings with almost all of their grandkids

Fall Favorites

2011-11-14T08:59:00.000-08:00

Technically it's still Fall for a while but it's already snowed twice, including a storm that brought 7 inches, so it's starting to feel more like Winter. I always love the first of winter (not the last 3 months), but this Fall was really great and I'm sad to say goodbye. Here are a few of our fall activities.

Beckett played T-ball this Fall. Dad was the lucky coach. It was pretty interesting.

This is how each game typically went. Someone hit the ball into the outfield. Then all the kids would run to the ball and doggy pile on top. Eventually someone would come out of the pile victorious and hold the ball up for all to see. After some coaxing, the coach would convince them to throw it to first base.

I feel like the fall colors were exceptional this year and they lasted for a long time. They made me happy everyday. We drove up to the cabin and went for a little hike with some friends and family. I think I mentioned how pretty it was about a hundred times. It really was pretty.

Our kids are old enough to start enjoying some of the many many kid activities Halloween has to offer. Among those activities was Cornbelly's, Boo at the Zoo, and trick or treating at the SLC Police station. Lots of candy for mom and dad.

Halloween night was lots of fun. We started in my parents neighborhood then came back to ours. Our neighbors hosted dinner for everyone then we all went trick-or-treating together. Beckett loved hanging out with this neighborhood buddies. Even some of the adults without kids joined us on our crusade. Our next door neighbors had a really great spook alley in their back yard. All in all, it was the perfect Halloween.

The leaves have almost finished falling and I am sad about that, but grateful for this time of year. I absolutely love my neighborhood in the fall. There are hundreds of giant trees that fill the streets and lawns with vibrant colors. I felt like every drive to the grocery store or preschool was scenic.

Tour of China: Beijing

2011-11-06T14:03:00.000-08:00

Top 10 in Beijing

(I may have cheated a bit on this one and posted more than 10 photos.)

#1 The Forbidden City was unforgettable. It was kind of like the Versailles of China. I really loved learning about the historical culture of the empires.

#2 The Forbidden city was a madhouse. Like most places in China it was packed with Chinese people. Here we did find a few other westerners, but I think we were the only Americans not in a tour group. My favorite part of the forbidden city was getting into the side corridors, which were expansive and much less crowded, yet still packed with exquisite architectural detail.

#3 Tiananmen Square was kind of an unusual experience. This was the first time I felt like we were in a communist country. It was strange to go through metal detectors to enter a city square and see guards in uniform everywhere.

#4 The Great Wall of China! Let me tell you, it is great. We were not at all disappointed in one of the great wonders of the world.

#5 I love this picture because in order to get it, we had to use the self timer on the camera. This is no illusion. There was actually no one around to take it. Some family members gave us the tip to visit the Mutianyu section of the wall rather than Badaling where most tourist go. I think having the wall to ourselves made all the difference in our enjoyment of this sight.

#6 It seems so appropriate that Jeremy is eating a popsicle at the Summer Palace. The Summer Palace was much more expansive than I could have imagined. We could have easily spent an entire day or more there wandering the gardens and buildings. It was really beautiful.

#7 I loved the Beijing Olympics, and thought it was really cool to see the Birds Nest. The Water Cube was located directly across from the birds nest. I could have seen it where I was standing in this picture. The olympic spirit was blazing all up and down this Olympic green.

#8 This is a Hutong, a traditional Beijing neighborhood. An alley like this is where people live and there is a central courtyard for socializing. Hutongs have been disappearing around the city in the name of modern growth and expansion. People have been moving to the suburbs (the chinese version of suburb is a high rise apartment building). Recently there has been a push to preserve this community oriented way of life. I found it super fascinating to walk through these alleys and see a close hand look at another way of life.

#9 Our fabulous family gave us another tip to eat at this restaurant, Din Tai Fung. The original is in Taiwan, but their popularity has caused locations to open up all over the world. There specialty is dumplings. Wouldn't be surprised if they were the best in all of China. This was my favorite meal.

#10 We visited the grounds of the Temple of Heaven but did not enter the temple itself. We found the grounds to be so enjoyable we didn't care to go inside. Once again I was fascinated to see hundreds of people about doing dozens of different activities. If I didn't know how many people lived in China I would swear there was no one indoors. Another reason we did not enter the temple itself was so we could go across the street to the Pearl Market. I wish I could have somehow taken a picture to capture the shopping experience at one of these markets. Let me just say we were glad to escape unharmed. It's true you find amazing deals, but they come at a cost.

This concludes our tour of China. We have enjoyed reliving our trip and sharing our pictures. The travel portion of the Cummings blog now bids farewell for a season, and returns to our other adventures in raising a family.

Tour of China: Hangzhou and Huangshan

2011-11-01T13:15:00.000-07:00

Top 10 in Hangzhou and Huangshan

#1 Here we leave the factory towns and enter a more scenic China. I loved Hangzhou. It's a beautiful and sophisticated city.

#2 West Lake was the highlight of this city. We enjoyed our run on this lovely path next to the lake. Once again I was so impressed by the hundreds of people out in the morning doing various activities.

#3 Hangzhou also gave us some great food. This meal included fish, frog, crawdads, tofu, and at my insistence, some fried rice. Except for the frog it was all great.

#4 After Hangzhou we visited the mountains of Huangshan, which were unbelievable. They are so fantastic you don't believe your eyes, but seeing with your eyes you have to believe how fantastic they are.

#5 There was a lot of hiking stairs involved in getting to the tops of these peaks. I got a little tired. There are advantages to traveling with two men.

#6 Posted all around Huangshan there were signs full of wisdom and good advice. They made me laugh. After a while I got giddy with anticipation to see what the next sign had in store for us.

#7 We stayed in the cute little village of Tangkou. This was the smallest town in China we visited. There were plenty of other Chinese tourist passing though but once again any Westerners were a rare sight.

#8 I loved that people were so fascinated that a white guy could speak Chinese. This guy made friends everywhere we went. I also love the height difference. For once I didn't feel like a midget.

#9 A short trip from Tangkou we found the Unesco world heritage sight of Hongcun. Hongcun is known as "a village in a Chinese painting." That explains why there were dozens of painters everywhere here painting different scenes of the village. This village gave us a taste of Chinese past, dating from 1131. The architecture and woodwork details found in the homes here was incredible.

#10 It was really hard for me to pick my top 10 from this area. It was so beautiful and peaceful, and felt good to get out of the cities with literally millions of people. I really enjoyed seeing a different side of China.

Tour of China: Zhongshan and Wenzhou

2011-10-24T21:07:00.000-07:00

Top 10 most interesting of Zhongshan and Wenzhou

#1 The Chinese love their neon lights

#2 I think I would go back to China just for another foot massage

#3 Here we find the purpose of our trip

#4 Yummy chinese food

#5 The traffic was unlike anything I have ever seen. Crossing the street was an adventure to say the least. Most intersections were a free for all. This was one of the few with some order.

#6 The English translations made me smile constantly. Any idea what this means?

#7 Loved our morning runs. They were the most interesting part of the day. I couldn't get over how many people were out in the mornings. When I say "out" I don't just mean on their way to work. They were dancing, exercising, playing sports, socializing, shopping or doing Tai Chi.

#8 I literally almost ran into this guy while running through a bustling morning market.

#9 Need a lift? There are so many different ways to get around in this country.

#10 In every park there are dozens of different groups doing Tai Chi. I loved it. Nobody stopped me so I assume all are welcome.

Tour of China: Hong Kong

2011-10-20T15:10:00.000-07:00

This China post has seemed a little daunting to me. I took so many pictures, and I'm not quite sure how to portray the intensity of the experience. I'm going to break it down into places we visited with a top ten list from each one. The lists have no specific criteria or order. They are simply what I found to be most interesting or enjoyable. Here we go.

Hong Kong's Top 10

#1 Hong Kong looks spectacular at night. We rode the famous Peak Tram to the top of Victoria Peak for this view. Instead of waiting in line to take the tram back down, then catch a Taxi to the flat where we were staying, we decided to walk down. Sounds easy enough. After all, we had taken the path that very morning on our run. However we underestimated the darkness, and the fact that we really didn't remember which set of stairs we took. After a good amount of time heading down the mountain we ended up on a pitch black trail that cut across the mountain. This is the part of the story where we almost die. Well, we could have died, or been seriously injured by what we are pretty sure was a wild boar. It was dark so we can't be sure, but I know squirrels and raccoons are not that big and they don't snort. I'll be honest and say I was quite terrified. Yet I was also quite thrilled with the fact that we could be in the middle of such a hugh, dense city and be lost in a mountain jungle with wild animals. Eventually we found our way back to a road, admitted we were lost, and got a Taxi.

#2 Being from Utah I just think it's cool to be someplace I can look up and see a wild banana tree.

#3 Seriously, look at this city! It's got lush vegetation, impressive skyscrapers, surrounded by some of the steepest mountains you'll ever see, and a melting pot of cultures. While attending church I think I counted about 10 different accents in the English branch. It's too bad this picture doesn't show how most of these skyscrapers are built on very steep mountainsides. The flatland by the bay is really land directly from the bay that has been reclaimed. I think the city motto is "There is always room for more", even though it doesn't seem possible.

#4 All these amazingly high buildings were built with bamboo scaffolding that looks like this. Not sure I would be totally comfortable constructing a 75 story building with these methods but apparently it gets the job done.

#5 This picture shows two very prevalent aspects to Hong Kong as well as main land China, people and KFC.

#6 We had Dim Sum with some of my brother-in-laws old coworkers. They were such nice people and it impressed me that they are still friends after so many years and miles apart. The table displays a very typical Chinese meal experience, expect for the fact that the food is gone.

#7 What should we eat for dinner tonight honey? Let's just go down to the market and grab one of those fish still flopping around.

#8 Hong Kong is after all an island therefore the Ferry is a very typical Hong Kong excursion. I think most people take the subway or traffic tunnels to get across. Nobody take a bridge because there aren't any. Actually there may have been some on the other side but almost any Honk Kong view you see will have no bridges.

#9 This picture was taken in Kowloon across from Hong Kong island. My brother-in-law was our tour guide of the city. He used to live in Hong Kong and we found it great to have a locals perspective.

#10 Last but certainly not least, the Hong Kong temple. Peace and beauty radiate from this building. Just being near it made me feel closer to home.

A September to Remember

2011-10-10T11:06:00.000-07:00

September was an incredibly busy month for us. Here is a quick view into the months adventures. The pictures do most of the talking.

Camping at Panguitch Lake

We enjoyed pleasant evening walks were Graham loved to stop and talk to the moon

Redrock Relay. Hooray for our awesome team!

Fall harvest from the garden

One of our morning runs

Did a little shopping

Practiced my Tai Chi

Hung out at the lake

Did some hiking

A little more shopping

Took a walk on the great wall

Last but not least, we celebrated the LONGEST birthday of Jeremy's life.

Okay there are a few pics here that could maybe use a little more explanation. I'm sure one of these days I'll get around to posting a plethora more pictures from the months main adventure. At least this is a start.

More Summer Fun

2011-09-12T08:22:00.000-07:00

Hanging out at the cabin

Fleet Foxes at Red Butte Gardens

Pioneer Day Parade

Watching Tour of Utah go through our neighborhood

Hanging out at the lake with some good friends

Graham and his first waterskiing experience

Beckett and his first waterskiing experience

Fabulous summer night walks watching the sunset over the capitol

Liberty Park

Temple Square

Petting Zoo

Birthday Boys!

2011-09-06T12:09:00.000-07:00

Summer brings two birthdays in our house.

We celebrated Graham's 2nd birthday at the park with friends and family.

I seriously love this little two year old. He makes me laugh everyday because he is laughing everyday. You never know what he is going to find humorous, and it helps me to see the lighter side of life. He is a really good talker which helps me see the world the way he does. His current passions are cars, Ozzie and trains. He's a little guy, barely making the growth charts at the third percentile but he's got a big personality. I'm so grateful for a wonderful two years with little Hamster.

After a VERY long wait, Beckett finally turned 4! He thought it would never come but it did.

We invited family over for Beckett's favorite dinner, black bean enchiladas and cake. Beckett wanted a Spider-man cake so mom did the best she could. This four year old has a slight obsession with all things superhero.

Beckett wanted to go bowling for his family birthday activity. He's a great little bowler. I had fun with some new photo Apps I found.

We finished off the celebrations with a superhero birthday party. It was lot's of crazy fun.

One of the favorite activities was an obstacle course where they had to crawl through a web.

What's a superhero party without the chance to shoot some webs? With a little silly string their super powers were enhanced and Spiderman saved the day. It was a SUPER day.

I love four year olds just as much as I do two year olds. Every age brings new discoveries, laugher and experiences. Beckett is still a serious guy most of the time. He likes rules and is quick to tell us the way things work. Other than superheros Beckett's great love is his little brother. Beckett loves to play with him and make him laugh (which isn't hard to do). They are such good little buddies it warms my heart. If they are ever separated Beckett runs straight to little brother for a hug and kiss. Beckett really is an amazing four year old and we feel so blessed to have him in our family.

Summer Fun

2011-08-29T09:06:00.000-07:00

Here is a quick look at some of our favorite summer memories

A Day at the lake with some great friends

Many a summer runs have taken us here

Days of 47 Family Fun Day at the fairgrounds

Beckett got to be a real fireman for a second

Great times at Hogle Zoo

Trip to Saltair to see Ben

Camping with the fam

My boys favorite pastime

Jeremy helped the boys build a little town for all their vehicles

Cove Fort

It's What Fun Is

2011-08-24T14:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we drove past Lagoon and Beckett said "Mom, I want to go to Gagoon again." I told him he would have to wait until next year, which brought a grudge of disappointment. This morning when Graham woke up I asked him what he wanted to do today and he said "Goon". Needless to say, my boys thoroughly enjoyed themselves on our family Lagoon adventure. It was a different Lagoon trip for me, spending most of our time on the kiddie rides, but I totally had a blast. I loved seeing them have so much fun. Of course Jeremy and I found time to do a few big kid rides while the little ones rested so we all got our kicks and thrills.

Graham was thrilled to ride the chicken

We had so much fun Beckett and
I decided to bounce back. Grandma was nice enough to watch Graham. He was very limited on the rides he could do so Beckett enjoyed hanging out with his cute cousin Audrey. I think our summer feels a little more complete with two successful "Gagoon" trips.

Summer Road Trip Part Two: Santa Fe

2011-08-01T11:49:00.000-07:00

I think this trip was inspirited by Batman, I mean Jack, I mean Christian, many years ago. I dedicate this post to him.

I kind of feel like summer isn't summer without a good road trip. Last year we went north so this year we headed south. Mesa Verde was our first stop on our way to our ultimate destination, Santa Fe, New Mexico. I'm not sure why I've wanted to go there, but I did and I knew that nagging feeling wouldn't go away until I saw it. Luckily I have a husband who also likes to see new places and kids who are great travelers.

We found a great condo that was perfect for kids and very close to the city center. Beckett was thrilled to be able to swim as much as his little heart desired. Summer in Utah was a little late this year so this was our first real taste of the sun for the season.

We brought our fifth family member with us, Bob. He helped us a lot on our walking tour of the city.

New Mexico Museum of Art

Palace of the Governors

The oldest house in the U.S.

Loretta chapel with the miraculous staircase

Saint Francis Cathedral

This Labyrinth was in the courtyard of the Cathedral. It's meant to signify life with it's twists and turns, feelings of being lost, and joy upon reaching your destination. The boys just thought it was fun.

New Mexico State Capitol

Okay a word about capitol buildings. While visiting the inside of the NEW MEXICO state capitol, a state that I had been in less that 24 hours, I realized that I had never been inside the Utah state capitol. There are probably many who live in Utah and have never been inside, but I felt especially ashamed since I live about a mile away from it and have seen it pretty much every day for the last 6 years. Oh and there is the fact that my typical running route literally takes me to the capitols front steps. Despite all this, it was actually my 3 year old son begging me to go in that actually got me inside. It's really neat. I plan to go back soon. Soon is a relative term.

This is one of the many contemporary art galleries found on Canyon Road

Hidden on the back wall of an out of the way courtyard we found a plaque signifying a once secret portal for those working on the Manhattan project.

Museum Hill where we went to the Museum of International Folk Art

In the historic plaza where we came across an antique car show, and a traditional mexican dance performance. The boys were memorized by the dancers.

On our way out of New Mexico we stopped in Chama for ice cream.

And so we bid New Mexico farewell for now. We enjoyed her immensely. To Santa Fe I say, please swear you won't forget me.

Summer Road Trip Part One: Mesa Verde

2011-07-26T08:31:00.000-07:00

Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado. This makes NP #7 for Beckett and #4 for Graham (5 if you count in utero).

This is a 30 foot ladder Beckett and the rest of us had to climb to get to the ruins

The boys loved camping and playing in the dirt

This fire was much safer than the one we experienced earlier in the night while trying to make dinner. Our stove started shooting flames and caught the brush on fire. Luckily we got it out. We had to wait for the propane to die out before the stove would stop burning. When that finally happened we breathed a sigh of relief that no one got hurt. Then the stove exploded shooting shrapnel 20 feet away. After we stopping shaking and realized once again that no one got hurt, we said a prayer of gratitude. Who knew dinner could be so exciting?

THE Ragnar

2011-07-11T14:45:00.000-07:00

I'm a little behind on this here blog. Summer is flying by but eventually we'll get it all documented.

A MONTH ago Jeremy and I participated in the Wasatch Back Relay. Great race with an even greater group of people. I'm not kidding, these are all inspiring people with amazing athletic resumes. Not sure how I ended up with them but so glad for the chance. We ended up placing 29th overall out of over 1000 teams and 13th out of 823 co-ed teams. I had nothing to do with this success except staying alive (a trip to the ER may have hindered us a bit). Here are a few of my favorite memories: Loosing Dale's shoes when the back of the car unexpectedly flew open, the night run, helping Katie to NOT wear the vest, Danya's treats, Danette and her big mouthed cheers, Dennis trying to run me over, Chauffeur Brett, Jeremy drinking his wife's water, and Lex taking on the Ragnar with it's towering walls of snow. Good times, good times. I suddenly feeling like a run. Thanks team!

What's Up Beckett?

2011-06-27T12:50:00.000-07:00

We've had a few adventures to get caught up on, but first I thought I think we'll get caught up on Beckett since him and Graham really are the stars of this blog.

So what has Beckett been up to the last couple of months? Well he's into dressing himself. Mom has a love hate relationship with this new skill. It's the sock thing that really needs some help. Notice the one sock inside out above, and the situation below. Dad was a little embarrassed when I informed him I allowed his son to run all over the city with mom wearing the combo. It's the price we pay for self-sufficienty.

T-ball

Cinco De Mayo celebration

Beckett and his buddy at the park after superhero day at preschool

The Dinosaur Train party for his friend Jack

Red Butte Garden field trip with his preschool

Red Butte Garden trip with mom and dad

Day at the zoo with the dinosaurs.

Going back to the getting himself dressed thing, it was not a cold day, but notice the winter coat.

The last day of preschool with friends Ben, Chase, Grant and Alex.

Ultra Marathon Man

2011-06-14T10:45:00.000-07:00

Most people call it crazy. I call it amazing.

See this mountain range? Can you imagine running the full distance of this image, plus the beginning and the end that the camera couldn't capture, and then turning around and doing it again? All said and done it would be about 52 miles. 52 miles of up, down, rocks, dirt and uneven terrain. Not easy, but possible. At least for the extreme. You have probably guessed who this extreme runner is.

We did our best to support this crazy man.

This is the turn around point in Hobble Creek Canyon. Jeremy stopped for a little R and R to refuel and bandage the blisters.

If you look closely in the upper right corner of this image you can see a deer stocking Jeremy in Rock Canyon. Mr. Deer was either annoyed at being kicked off his trail, or caught up in the excitement of the event. I think I might of heard him yell "Go Crazy Human", in his own quite deer like way.

Coming into Hope Campground

Apparently Coke is great fuel for ultra marathons.

"Come on hunny. You're almost done!"

Finish line!!!!!!!

You did it mountain man. Congratulations!!

Mommy Play Date

2011-05-31T19:59:00.000-07:00

My kids like to have play dates at the park where they can run, jump, climb, swing and slide. Adults require a slightly bigger playground. Sand Hollow reservoir was the choice spot for these mommies. The St. Geroge triathlon was the event behind it all, sprint distance of course for me. There are many opinions about what makes a good friend. I'm going to say that a good friend is someone who inspires and gently pushes you to be a better person. Many years ago in a place far away called High School I met such a person. She inspired me to get way out of my comfort zone and into a freezing cold lake last year. Apparently once is not enough so we did it again. Overall I did a lot better than last year, but that swimming still kicked my behind.

My support crew

A triathlon wasn't our only adventure play date this year. We took a day off to go skiing too.

And what has dad been up to you ask? Running, running, and more running. While mom swam dad recovered from this 23 mile run through Zion National Park.

Here he is on one of his trail runs above our house. Stay tuned for another exciting post about the purpose of all this running.

Villains Beware

2011-05-16T14:28:00.000-07:00

When I was little it was My Little Ponies, He-Man, Transformers, and Barbies. That's what I remember at least. My child has found his first toy obsession. I really don't know where it came from but for some reason all superheroes have caught his attention. When we went to Disney World last year I tried really hard to make him like Mickey and the gang. I let him watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and rented old Mickey cartoons from the library. He tolerated it. So why Spiderman, Batman, the Hulk, Captain America, Ironman and Superman? ( It's probably the same reason little girls like princesses, but I'm not qualified to speak on the princess subject so we'll stick with the boy stuff) Maybe superheroes embody what little boys aspire to be, brave, strong and able to conquer all evil. It can't be the fighting can it? Beckett says he likes them because "they're awesome". Whatever the reason this craze seems to be sticking around so I thought I would document this stage in my youngsters life.

Papa gave the little Batman a bat cave which he adores.

Our friends made some Batman graphics for the playroom. Beckett got to pick this one out himself. He was happy to have a Batman in his two favorite colors.

Every day on the playground at preschool Beckett plays superheroes with his friends. They fight danger and bad guys. Beckett is alway telling me how all the superheroes are friends. This proves it I guess.

I love this picture of Superman zooming past in the background. He IS faster than a speeding bullet.

For some reason spiderman was hanging out at This is the Place Heritage Park a few weeks ago. Beckett wasn't there so we took a picture for him. Graham apparently doesn't like the life size version of Spiderman.

My mom brought some superhero/mexican wrestling outfits back from her trip across the border. Don't worry, I told the boys that "it is in the Bible not to wrestle your neighbor", just bad guys.

I'm sure glad we have someone to protect us from danger and bad guys.

So what does Graham do while brother is protecting the planet? Cars, cars and more cars. I had no idea about all the things that could be done with a couple dozen Hot Wheels cars. Literally hours or entertainment.

Easter Spoiler Alert

2011-04-30T09:44:00.000-07:00

"Let's get home from church boys so the Easter Bunny can come to our house?" When I said this to Beckett he gave me a strange look and said, "I don't want the Easter Bunny to come to our house." So we talked about it and discovered he thinks it's a little strange to have a bunny come hopping through our house and bring us stuff. We went through this with Santa too. He was terrified of him all season but I figured once he saw the toys he would change his mind. He didn't. The fact is he doesn't want large old men or cute little bunnies appearing when he's not around. I think it gives him that creepy feeling that someone is in his house that he can't see. This idea has translated to other beings that are real but not seen so we've had to nix Santa and the Easter Bunny at our house. That's right. We told him they are not real. But that presents another problem. "So why do I wake up some mornings and there are new toys and baskets full of candy mom?" Oh boy. "It's because Jesus was born and resurrected. That's right, the Easter Bunny, who is really mom, brought you this basket full of candy filled eggs and toys because Jesus lives. It doesn't make much sense to me either but at least it's fun and it helps us remember the two most important events of all time." So now I feel like I'm spoiling my children. I've realized that that is the reason Santa and the Easter Bunny were invented. It gives parents a chance to indulge their cravings of buying fun kid stuff without the guilt of spoiling their kids. It's all okay if it's an imaginary being. So anyways, sorry to spoil the fun but the Easter Bunny doesn't exist this year. Maybe next year.

After an uplifting Sunday morning spent pondering the miraculous gift and life of our Savior we went home. The boys looked so cute in their Easter clothes I tried so snap a few quick pics. You can see how well that went.

Graham got his mom's sweet tooth. Once he discovered what was in those eggs it was all over. Here he is savoring a jelly bean.

After some Easter time at our house we made the rounds to the grandparents. Graham loved his Peeps cupcake at Grandma and Grandpa Cummings'

At Nana and Papa's house the boys had an Easter egg hunt.

After a busy day celebrating life, family and our Savior, the boys crashed in their new jammies.

My Grandpa the Toy/Joy Maker

2011-04-11T10:40:00.000-07:00

These are my cute grandparents. They are amazing. This post is dedicated to one of the amazing things they do. My grandpa (he's the one on the left), has an incredible talent. He can build anything out of wood. Every day he goes to his workshop and gets to work building toys for his grandkids or any other kids he comes across. He mostly does cars and trucks but he can pretty much build anything you can think of. I have described items I would like him to make and somehow, despite my poor art work and lack of detail, he comes up with something incredible. The St. George newspaper, The Specturum, recently did an article on him. Since then he's had strangers call and request items. He always helps them out but like a true modern day St. Nick he explains he's only in this business for the grandkids. If they are lucky he will accept payment for the lumber but nothing for labor of course. My grandparents have traveled all over this country multiple times and everywhere they go he's got a box full of toys he deposits along the way. Oh and did I mention that he is 83? You would never know it if I didn't tell you. So if anyone in the St. George area has extra wood scraps, I know someone who can put them to good use.

Here are just a FEW of the creations he has made for my family.

Dear Japan

2011-03-30T16:02:00.000-07:00

Dear Japan,

My heart hurts for you. You were so good to us while visiting your country. I grew to love you. I'm sorry things are not going too great right now. Please know that you continue to be in my prayers. Although I cannot be there to help I'm happy to be part of a worldwide church who has been able to organize assistance for you. In honor of your beautiful culture, kind people and strange yet delicious food, I dedicate this post to you.

Church Humanitarian Aid, Japanese Church Members Helping People Suffering From Disaster

I love SLC. Do You?

2011-03-23T10:42:00.000-07:00

The other day we were hanging out downtown and I got a little crazy with the camera. I actually like the way some of the pictures turned out. I love this city and had fun preserving sights and memories in an abstract way. We drive through downtown almost daily. If we ever move these are the places I will miss. If anyone is up for the challenge see if you can guess what the image is, or where the picture was taken. I'll probably post the answers later so that I can remember myself.

Main street

North temple in front of Conference Center

Church Office Building

My favorite view of the temple from State Street

Walker Building

Church History Museum

2011-03-16T10:12:00.000-07:00

The Museum of Church History and Art has a new children's exhibit. It's really neat. The theme is the Book of Mormon. Each interactive area is based on a story or principal from the Book of Mormon and has a story that goes along with it that applies that principal to everyday life. There is a strong Latin American theme so the kids get to learn some culture too. Then of course there is incredible art work throughout. If you live in the area you should check it out. It's kind of like a mini Discovery Gateway but free. My kids had a blast.

Becket translating the golden plates.

This area had a garden and kitchen that taught the kids about missionary work and service.

Nephi's ship was a big hit

Let's Get Outside

2011-03-07T14:47:00.000-08:00

Come on already. Isn't it spring yet? We've decided to get outside even if the weather doesn't always cooperate with us. A few weeks ago we went to the zoo. We timed it perfectly between storms. Within hours after getting home the snow came with a fury.
Don't you find this picture a bit creepy. Sure there is glass there but doesn't it just make you wonder what if there wasn't?

The boys taking a break from their T-ball game. They make a pretty good team. Beckett hits the ball and Graham retrieves it. Both boys are happy.

Rain/snow. I'm not sure what was coming down but we got outside in it anyways.

A Day with the Eagles

2011-02-20T20:32:00.001-08:00

We went to Farmington Bay to attempt a glance at the Bald Eagles that like to pass our way. Sometimes I forget that there is a gigantic lake, wildlife, and vast open spaces adjacent to this metropolis we get stuck in. We did see a couple of Eagles at a distance, but mostly it was just a day to enjoy being outside in the nice weather between snow storms.

Let's Celebrate!

2011-02-13T20:33:00.000-08:00

Before we move on to Valentines Day tomorrow lets take a minute to reflect on our family's last holiday, my birthday. That's right it is a family holiday. We take any excuse we can get to party. Okay so we all know that birthdays for moms are really just another day, but my husband does a great job of making it special. The day started off with birthday cake for Breakfast.

Dinner at Faustina

Then on to the symphony at Abravanel Hall.

My sweet parents were kind enough to watch the kids overnight so we could accomplish Day two of operation celebration, a day of skiing. It's really not so bad to be another year older.

one + half= Graham

2011-01-19T10:13:00.000-08:00

We recently celebrated a big event, Graham's half birthday. That's right we do celebrate half birthdays at our house. Especially when that half birthday mean nursery.

We commemorated this special occasion with a trip to Park City, and some delicious cupcakes and hot cocoa at Sugar Buzz. Graham, like his brother and mom loves his sweets. Not sure how that happened.

He sure has turned into a fun little kid. He is busy, busy, busy. The walking stage lasted about 5 minutes then he took off running. His little laugh and smile are infectious. He makes me laugh and smile every day.
The little jabber mouth is constantly saying new words and there are several we can actually understand. His most recent favorite word is "uppy". It means up and if he sees a chair, bed, stool, stairs or just about anything else that is up from his perspective he wants "uppy". Yes he has fallen off several places but this only seems to faze him for about two seconds then he wants uppy again. It's kind of annoying sometimes but how do you say no to this face? Especially when that word can sometimes bring on a wave of emotion. I would really appreciate any advice on the matter.

Hello 2011

2011-01-12T09:34:00.001-08:00

We left 2010 in a blaze of glory. Actually it was the blaze of an old Christmas tree my dad lit on fire. I thought he was going to burn the house down but he didn't so that must be a good omen for 2011.
We spent New Years Eve hanging out with some friends and New Years day was spent with our family. The boys got outside in the snow and took turns helping papa push snow around in his skid-steer. It was a cold cold day but good to be out and about.

Goodbye Christmas

2011-01-06T11:15:00.001-08:00

Goodbye Christmas. Thanks for the good times.

It was fun making a toddler pretend to be a baby again for the Nativity.

His big brother thought he did a great job and deserved a reward.

Our boys didn't really know what to think about Santa and the whole Chimney thing. It kind of spooked them.

At least we have some new books to read over and over again. Goodbye Christmas. We will miss you.

Graham

2010-12-22T10:37:00.000-08:00

This little boy is learning and changing so much. I know I should be posting something Christmasy, but I just want to take a moment and talk about Graham.

He no longer needs this. He's off and running all on his own now.

Our sushi loving baby.

His brother and him are good little buddies.

He is not at all a fan of Santa.

Daily we hear him break into song. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star is his favorite.

The Problem with Hair

2010-11-10T10:04:00.000-08:00

The problem with hair, for boys I mean, is that it grows. Which means that eventually this has to happen.
Sweet Graham did not take to this new experience very kindly. This picture was taken before the tears had time to stroll down his little cheeks. Poor guy didn't have a great first experience.

Should I tell him that when he gets older the hair problem gets worse? Sorry Graham, not only will you continue to have haircuts but eventually you will have to shave also. If you don't, you turn into grizzly man. It's a nice look, but your wife will not kiss you as much so it can't stay.
This is also a great look but it can't stay either.

Hallowilloween

2010-11-03T11:58:00.000-07:00

I know when the candy bags come back full it officially means the beginning of the Christmas season, but let me just take a moment to linger in the fall and say Happy Halloween.
This year Halloween got a little crazier with our first Halloween school party. This is not even half of Beckett's class but it was nearly impossible to even get this many kids to pause for a moment. I love the reflection of all the mom's in the picture trying to get the kids to stay put and smile. The knight in this picture is Beckett's best bud at preschool. They are pretty much insperable. We thought it was pretty funny that they unintentionally paired up as a dragon and a knight for Halloween.
We trick-or-treated in my parents neighborhood this year. Graham had a good time chasing his twin Ozzie around.
And what else do you do with your Halloween candy? Let it be known that Beckett has only eaten one piece of all this candy. Years from now when he finally reads this blog I'm going to have some explaining to do. "Where did all that candy go mom?"

The JUGS (Just Us Girls) take on Vegas and the Ragnar

2010-10-26T08:44:00.002-07:00

I recently returned from a fabulous weekend of running, driving, not sleeping, cheering, laughing, and eating. And it was all done crammed in a van with 5 other girls. This kind of craziness can be summed up in one word, Ragnar. This particular Ragnar Relay went from Valley of Fire to Las Vegas. The other half of our team started the adventure at Valley of Fire and we took over at Lake Mead. After arriving in Vegas on Thursday we met up with our entire team at a house boat in Lake Mead were we slept for the night and hung out until Van #1 completed their first runs. Unfortunately they ended up being short a runner at the last minute due to flight troubles. So we all pitched in and helped out with their last runner's legs. We had such a fun team. My friend who works at icon put together the team with ICON as our corportate sponsor. So I have to give a big Thank you to ICON for allowing us the experience.

The Team:

I love these girls. It was so fun to spend time with new friends and old ones.

Danette is one of my oldest and dearest friends. I love her like a sister. With life being as crazy as it is I don't get to spend nearly enough time with her. She has been an important person in my life. I loved reliving fun times from the past and making new memories with her. It's impossible to be around Danette and not feel her passion and enthusiasm for life. She is so inspirational and a wonderful friend. It wasn't always easy to keep supporting our fellow runners when we were exhausted, cold, and knew we still had miles ahead of us, but Danette kept the energy level high and if they had a prize for "most supportive van" I'm sure we would have won. I still have the horse voice to prove it.

I was so excited when Courtney moved into the neighborhood and I discovered that she was a runner. Immediately I snatched her up as my running partner and I have enjoyed getting to know her better. She is so sweet and a great listener. Being a full time mom of two little ones I don't always get enough adult interaction so Courtney gets to listen to me blab about anything and everything as we run. I was so happy that she was able to join our team. Everyone fell in love with her. She was such a trooper in taking over such hard runs. She even maintained her positive attitude on what was quite possibly the hardest run of the entire relay.

Rebecca is a new friend that I liked the moment I met her. She was our "Ragnar Runner" taking on the most difficult and longest combined legs of the race. You should have seen the hill she conquered, the duel she fought with another runner, and the smile on her face as she ran it all beautifully. When I grow up I want to run like her.

Tonya is another new friend that I am so glad I got to meet. The more time I spent with her the more I liked her, which is saying a lot considering the circumstances we were in. She ran like a champion even with an injury and not a word of complaint.

One of the great highlights of the race was watching Chelsie succeed at something she wouldn't have thought possible a few years ago. Chelsie overcame so much to be able to run this race. She worked harder than us all and accomplished something amazing. I was so impressed watching her run her last leg uphill in the heat. It was a challenging run for anyone and it got pretty emotional when her dad, who traveled far to be there and is not a runner, stepped beside her and supported her as she took on the challenge.

And then there is me. I just feel blessed that I was able to be apart of something so incredible with amazing people. It has been a crazy month for me full of ups and downs. At times I wasn't sure I was going to be able to make it to Vegas, but prayers were answered and I was there. It was a pretty big stressor beforehand but I realize now that it was the perfect thing for me to have something to focus on. I had a blast. Thanks girls.

Big Man on Campus

2010-10-14T08:42:00.000-07:00

Out little man started preschool a couple of months ago. He goes to the U of U and loves it. From day one he was ready to say good bye to mom, and hello to new toys and friends. So with a Ute in the family now I feel justified in my obligation to be a Ute fan. Go Utes!

Crazy Runners

2010-10-07T10:25:00.000-07:00

What will they think of next? Jeremy and I got crazy a couple weeks ago in the Dirty Dash, a 10k through the dirt, mud, and other obstacles. It was seriously a blast.

Well running through the mud is one thing, but a marathon is a whole different kind of crazy. Once again, Jeremy conquered St. George. It was brutally hot this year, and for a guy who prefers the temperature to be at freezing, it was rough. However, he did spectacular. His sweet wife even ran a few yards with him. Maybe someday she will join in the full craziness again. We are now even in the record books so it might be time to get cracking. Oh, and I didn't feel like taking pictures this year, so this is one from last year. Sorry honey, you actually looked better this year.

Red Rock Relay 2010

2010-09-22T08:19:00.000-07:00

Okay Red Rockers, I promise I will fulfill my team photographer duty and email you pictures soon. But first, lets recap the good times.

Pre-race:

John: "What am I getting myself into?"

Megan: "I can't wait to get started!" (That's the condensed version)

Jeremy "Wait, what are we doing ?"

Time to get started. Jo Mamma, El Capitan, and I rode the lift to the top of Brian Head Resort.

And he's off and running.

The first exchange

"Bring it on El Diablo!"

Hey red shirt guy way to rock that hill!

After a gruesome uphill climb he hands it off to Megan to fly down.

Which is exactly what she does. She flew so fast she lost her jacket along the way. Don't worry, her van will pick it up.

Megan hands it off to John. I had heard rumors that the circus was supposed to be in town about this time, but all I saw was Bronco bringing his A game.

John going in for the kill.

After a great run John passes the torch (or bracelet) to Ruby, I mean Ruth, I mean Stacia.

"You want me to go where?"

Jo Mamma takes control for a nice steady uphill climb.

Want some cheese curd?

Van exchange #1

Wayne was very confused by that slap bracelet. He obviously was not a child of the 80's.

Dinner break. Last call for food, sleep, sunlight, and civilization for the night.

And the night passed in a hazy blur. I recall Jeremy looking for a ride, a trail of headlights in the distance, John climbing the never ending hill in a cloud of dust, a clear starry sky, dozens of sleeping bags strewn about, loud voices, and with a very loud "LARRY!" from Paul we were up with a start and back in the game.

21 guy worked it up Veyo hill then finished a long run as the sun rose. He passed the baton to Megan next for a beautiful run down Snow Canyon.

What is she talking about now?

I Just liked this picture.

"You're not done yet Megan!" Don't worry, he didn't pass her. She finished this run 11 and 0.

Better hurry Bronco. It's almost game time. John finished a long, hot run uphill, then kindly passed it to Stacia for the downhill. Such a gentleman.

Wayne: "Tell me again what this thing is?"

Most of the team

Come on guys, come get your baton so we can finish this thing.

Almost done.

The finish is in sight. We did it. Congrats Team! 186 Red Rock Relay miles complete.

Konnichiwa

2010-09-15T14:52:00.000-07:00

A few months ago Jeremy and I hit the 5 year mark. We decided to celebrate with a trip to someplace we've never been. Japan was the winner. When asked "why Japan?" The best answer we could come up with was "why not?" So after some quick planning we hopped on a plane to our oriental adventure.
And I do literally mean hopped on a plane. We flew standby, which has it's pros and cons. This flight happened to by all pro. Direct business elite from SLC to Tokyo. The vacation began at take off.

Upon arrival, we wearily found our train into the city, wandered around until we found our hotel, then crashed around 8 p.m. I think that holds the record for earliest bedtime ever.
Well come 3:30 a.m. we were awake so after trying to sleep for a couple more hours we gave up and went to the Tsukiji fish market, the largest fish market in the world. This is how Japan says good morning.....

This place was amazing. It's all wholesale for the restaurants but for some strange reason they let tourists wander around. I took a million pictures but I'll spare the queasy stomachs and move along.
The freshest sushi breakfast we will ever have.

After getting cleaned up a bit we hit the town. This is Shibuya crossing. You can't tell in the picture but this is a massive intersection these people are walking through. I still can't believe how many people there were EVERYWHERE.
The famous Hachiko Statue
These are all pictures of Shinkuju

Our morning run around the Imperial Palace and Yaksukuni-jinja. Beautiful, hot and humid.

Shopping on Takeshita-dori and Omote-sando.

We happened upon a really cool Japanese dance festival. There were hundreds of groups. It was really amazing.
I missed my golden photo op but here is a little sample of some cos-play girls on the jinju-bashi.
Meiji-jingu

We happened upon another dance festival on the other side of Tokyo that same day. This one was a Samba festival kind of like Carnival in Rio. I want this to be a G rated blog so I didn't post any pictures of what most of the costumes looked like.
Our river cruise down the Sumida-gawa, ending in Tokyo Bay.
Unfortunately we still wanted to hang out in the area where the cruise took off from so as soon as it ended, which happened to be next to our hotel, we hopped on a train and walked for half an hour again back to old Edo to find this little Tempura restaurant. No it's not easy to find a specific restaurant when you don't read Kanji. We thought a map would suffice but maps really only help when you can recognize the street you are on. After looking incredibly lost and hungry, and not being able to find anyone who spoke english enough to help us, a couple of strangers, approached us and asked if we needed help. One of them happened to be from Murray but had been living there for years. They walked us to the door of the restaurant and we had a delicious meal.
Yes we were the only Americans in the upstairs Japanese section of the restaurant. We must of had clueless looks on our faces a few times after the food was served because there was a really nice older Japanese couple across the way from us that kept smiling at us and giving us little tips.
After dinner we participated in another truly Japanese activity. I'm still not sure if it should be called an Onsen or Sento, but either way we soaked our weary bones in hot mineral water and it felt great.

On Sunday we went to church in Ikebukuro with an old family friend. Elder Stewart here is practically my little brother and it was so good to see him in action in the mission field. In case you were wondering, the Lords work is moving forward in Tokyo with the help of some fabulous hardworking young men and women.

After church we ended the Tokyo segment of our trip by grabbing a Bento box for lunch (no I don't recognize what's in it either), while we ate on the Shinkansen (bullet train) on our way to Kyoto.In Kyoto we stayed at a Ryokan, a traditional Japanese Inn.
Breafast the next morning: fish, miso soup, vegetables I didn't recognize, tofu and rice.

Temples in Kyoto

At one of the temples we ate a Buddhist vegan meal of tofu. Not very exciting for most people but I loved it. They brought us tofu served about 10 different ways.

We visited Nara, which is even older than Kyoto. Here we found Todai-ji, the largest wooden building in the world. Inside is the largest Buddha.

Behind Buddha there is a hole the size of Buddha's nose carved in this pole. If you squeeze through it you are ensured enlightenment. You can see by my friend Randy's face that it wasn't easy. But if I seem a little different to you, it must be because of this.

For some reason there are hundreds of deer that roam the park with the temples in Nara. This deer got a little friendly with this Japanese lady as she convinced Jeremy to sign a petition for world peace or something.
Kyoto wilderness.

We played with the monkey's
and hiked through a bamboo forest.

Our last meal, unagi. Yummy!

Okay I know I have to stop but I'll just add a few more random pics and be done. I promise.

Our trip home literally brought new meaning to the phrase "I've had a long day". This is where standby meets the cons. We missed our flight to SLC so we went to Honolulu for the day. That was great until we got fried, couldn't get a flight to SLC and got stuck in San Francisco. That's the short version but this blog is long enough. Sayonara!

He's three and free

2010-08-22T21:03:00.000-07:00

That's right folks, as Beckett lets us know often he's "big and getting huge huge huge." Being three is really a lot different from being two. For starters, three year olds don't have binky's. And amazingly he is the one that came up with that, I just went with it. If you know Beckett you know that his binky was his best friend and greatest indulgence. That binky could make everything alright. One day, months ago I asked him why he liked binkys so much. "Because I'm two" was his reply. So naturally I asked him if he would like it when he was three. In a very, that would be ridiculous voice he replied, "noooooo" and laughed. True to his word he gave it up the day he turned three. There was a hint of sadness in his voice as he went to bed and told us he doesn't have binkys anymore, and we have caught him sucking on a few that he had hidden away, but when he's caught he quickly hands it over with a bit of a guilty look on his face. I think we've got them all now, so other than a few quick hits off baby brothers which I'm sure happen when I'm not around he is free of the beloved binky.

There are a few other things that are different about being three. Now that he's three he thinks he always needs to read three books, take three toys, eat three cookies and watch three movies. He hasn't quite figured out my mom doesn't always go along with this rule.

He's also very excited for preschool and primary. And he likes to wear big clothes because he is big now. There were many tears shed when I made him change his church pants this morning because they were too big. But even though he is a big boy now, he tells me his bum is still small, which means "there is no way I'm using the potty". Poor mom. Better buy another package of diapers.

We celebrated the big day with a little birthday party with a few of Beckett's friends. He had an animal party so they went on a safari in the backyard to find animals.

Then there was the pinata...

Once the lion was decapitated the kids very calmly picked up the candy and put in in their bags.

We finished off the party with monkey cupcakes. Yes there are only two candles for the turning three year old. He was still two alright. He couldn't have three candles until he actually turned three the next day. Okay I just forgot to grab another candle.

After the party we finished off the day with Beckett's first big screen flick, Toy Story 3. It was a great day for a great boy.

Bryce, Ben and Bye Bye Baby

2010-07-26T15:11:00.000-07:00

A couple of weekends ago we went camping with my parents and grandparents near Bryce Canyon National Park. It was lovely of course. I'm always amazed at what our creator can come up with. While visiting this fine National Park I did some calculating and realized that this was the sixth National park Beckett has visited in less than three years, and the third for Graham in less than a year. Not a bad start for our two little outdoorsmen.

The main purpose of the trip was the half marathon run by my parents and husband. I sacrificed the fun of 13.2 miles to watch the kids. They all ran great.

A few hours after the race we said "bye-bye good bye" to my baby for the first time overnight and left the boys with my parents. They asked why were were leaving. I said, "all I know is I've gotta be where my heart says I ought be." So my dad said, "I will consider you gone", and we made our way north. We left because my buddy Ben came back to town, but this time he didn't "rock the suburbs". This time he "landed" where "some summers after 6 or so I walk on down the hill" at Deer Valley. It was the perfect setting to "dance by the light of the moon". From the "start of the show" he "eased the people's pain" with an amazing performance featuring the Utah Symphony. To Ben I would like to say, "I love you more than I have ever found a way to say". I appreciate your "philosophy" and hope you will continue to "rock on" for years to come.

Anyone who can name all the above mentioned songs gets "free coffee", I mean ice cream.

One is Fun!

2010-07-19T08:31:00.000-07:00

Little Graham is now one year old! I think Graham and mom deserve a pat on the back for making it through the year. Graham has brought us so much joy and laughter but with an older brother around sometimes Graham and I both wondered if we would make it. So we celebrated this momentous milestone with a little cake and ice cream. (Notice the cake. Where are the Overmans when you need them?)
He decided that the cake was fun to play with, but....
the ice cream is where it's at.

Fun Facts about Graham:

1. He loves to eat ice cream, strawberries and goldfish.

2. He loves to play with hair. Especially when he is tired.

3. He finds the most random things hilarious and bursts into laughter.

5. He just recently made his way back onto the size charts and is into the 2nd percentile for weight.

6. He is very proficient at the army crawl but has yet to show any interest in a regular crawl or walking.

7. He loves balls. His favorite activity is to throw and retrieve.

8. He has visited 6 states and has been an excellent little traveler.

9. He loves dogs.

10. He loves his brother, even though he takes a beating every once in a while.

Road Trip 2010.....Are we nuts?

2010-07-07T14:50:00.000-07:00

Maybe we wanted to see our friends in Canada, maybe we wanted to see new places, or maybe we just needed a little extra craziness in our lives. Whatever the reason, we have conquered the road and we now feel like professional road trippers. Here is the story of our trip.

Day #1

We drove to Shelley, Id where Jeremy had some work to do. He dropped us off at a park and returned with a little picnic lunch. We then drove onto Idaho Falls where he dropped us off at our hotel and he continued on for more work. While he was away the boys and I walked over to the Greenbelt parkway next to the snake river and fed the ducks. When Jeremy finished his work for the day, I took Beckett swimming then we went to dinner followed by a stroll to the Idaho Falls temple.

Day#2

After a stop in Missoula at a park for lunch we made it to Couer d'Alene, Id. We got a little hotel downtown so we could walk everywhere.

Day #3

Jeremy left early for work so I was on my own with the boys. Thank goodness for Bob. We spent the day following Mudgy Moose around Coeur d'Alene. By the time we got to the beach the boys were sound asleep so I got to sit and enjoy the lake in peace. We finished off the day with a run and a visit to the Farmers Market. Coeur d'Alene is a great town. I'm so glad we got to see it.

Day #4

As if the drive to Coue d'Alene wasn't enough, it wasn't until we left Coeur d'Alene that our vacation really began. As we said goodbye to Coeur d'Alene Jeremy finished his work and we headed to Canada. In Montana we stopped for a little hike to a swinging bridge across the Kootenai River. It seriously freaked me out. Motherhood has wimpified me. Continuing on, we drove through Glacier National park. This was a very long drive but absolutely breathtaking. After Glacier we crossed the border just in time to finish off the day with a Canada Day celebration of fireworks.

Day #5

We got to catch up with our friends who now live far away. Beckett and his bud Jack picked up right where they left off. After a relaxing morning we drove to Waterton National Park with a stop at the Alberta temple.

Day #6

The choice. Continue driving farther into Canada, or start the trek home. After a full day of hanging out, shopping, and playing in the park we said goodbye to our friends decided to head south.

Day #7

We awoke Independence day in Helena Montana and arrived home in time to unpack and go to bed. Whew! Mission accomplished. A good time was had by all. Our kids were amazing. Beckett kept telling us he didn't want to go home and Graham only cried once, which was easily solved. I'm pretty sure our prayers had something to do with that because Graham has not been known for always going with the flow.

Stories From Panguitch Lake

2010-06-07T07:39:00.000-07:00

There once was a little boy who like to play in the dirt

He got very dirty.

His little brother looked at him and thought.....

The little boy wanted to go in the clean trailer. He was told he was too dirty. So he walked over to the door mat and wiped his feet. He looked at his hands and saw that they were dirty too so he wiped them on the door mat. Then he remembered people telling him that his face was dirty so he laid down and repeatedly wiped his face on the nice clean door mat. It was a brilliant plan. The end.

Once there was a grandma and grandpa who went camping with their three kids and grandkids.

One of their daughters had a birthday. It was a joyous day for all. The end.

This is the story of a dad who decided to climb this mountain with his little boy. It was very steep. So steep, that the little boy got nervous and had to trust his daddy. So steep, that the little boys mommy and grandma decided, upon seeing the boy and his dad halfway up the mountain, that they better join them, just in case.

They all made it to the top safe and sound. In one direction they could see this far.

In the other direction they could see all the way to Panguitch Lake. (This will be the sole reference to Panguitch Lake on this Panguitch Lake camping trip) It was an exciting day. The end.

This is the story of a little boy and a 4-wheeler.

His cousin pushed him around camp over and over again.

Then one day the little boy got a real 4 wheeler ride. Yipee! The end.

Once there was a man who lived in the woods and liked to take little kids with him on adventures.

The little boy followed because the man was his dad and he knew that dad means fun. The end.

There one was a little boy who say his cousin with a hot dog and decided that he desperately wanted one. His kind grandparents made him one. He took a few bites and decided he liked it. Then he took a bit that was not just bun, one that actually had hot dog in it. "I don't like that!" was his reply. And that is how the hot dog story ends.

We did it!

2010-05-20T14:07:00.001-07:00

Despite my better judgment and irrational fear of water, my good friends talked me into doing a triathlon. It's something I always wanted to do, but you know, just couldn't find the right time or something (or I just couldn't see myself actually swimming in a lake). Well there is no time like the present right, so during a wild and crazy New Years Eve all hopped up on sugar my husband and I registered. The first time I got in the pool to practice swimming I almost had a panic attack and wanted to drop out, but I held back the tears and kept going. Now here I am on the other side, a triathlete. I have to say I am quite proud of myself. Many people would not consider it a great accomplishment to literally almost be the last one out of the lake, but when you're as surprised as I was to just be alive last doesn't matter. And the most surprising part of all.... I loved it! Even the swimming! (if you can call what I was doing swimming). It's true, there will be a second someday. No plans yet, I just finished. Let me bask in the glory a little alright! Jeremy did awesome. He was much faster than me. So thanks to all my family who helped take care of our kids and came to watch and support.

Hilarious!

2010-04-28T20:11:00.000-07:00

Graham has always been a little one with extreme emotions. Luckily as he gets older those emotions are more often laughing than crying. He finds humor in so many things. Some recent favorites are bubbles, getting splashed in the face with water, brother running, and anything that even resembles being tickled. He is so much fun and his hearty little laugh just melts my heart.

Our Easter

2010-04-07T10:58:00.000-07:00

It started off with a neighborhood Easter egg hunt at Nana and Papa's.

Followed by decorating and eating mounds of sugar cookies.

On Easter morning the Easter bunny brought baskets full of toys and candy. Beckett's favorite: the raisins.

Grahams favorite: the grass. So who gets all the candy? Mom I suppose. It is a bit overwhelming but I'm up for the challenge.

Although Easter certainly seems to be about the candy, I was grateful that we were blessed to fill the weekend with words from our prophet and apostles. What better way to remember the sacrifice and resurrection of our Savior, bringing us Eternal life with our families, then to hear the testimonies of His witnesses with insightful counsel teaching us how to apply His teachings to our lives. What a wonderful weekend. Now what will last longer, the candy our the counsel?

Itsy Bitsy Spider

2010-03-21T08:39:00.000-07:00

Beckett loves to sing. Here is a sample of his work.

Florida Files

2010-03-04T12:52:00.000-08:00

We recently returned from Florida. Jeremy, Graham and I were there for a week and my parents flew out with Beckett for a few days. I'll let each family member tell about the trip from their own perspective.

Graham:

Being the mammas boy that I am, I had no choice but to tag along. My favorite part was just having some time alone with mom and dad without my wild brother around to constantly smother me with kisses and forceful hugs. Here a few of the other things that interested me.

I got to ride on an airplane for the first time. I was pretty good and didn't cry, just screamed a few times. I slept for a couple of hours each way then kept myself busy by grabbing everything in sight.

I'm pretty big now and can sit up myself. At the T-rex cafe I got my own high chair along with my first set of crayons and coloring page. Those were more interesting then the huge dinosaurs all around me.

At the Magic Kingdom they gave me a pin to commemorate my "1st visit". I had a pretty good time. I enjoyed sleeping in my stroller and getting held by my Nana. I think my favorite ride was the Jungle Cruise.

I made my first trip to the Atlantic Ocean at Cocoa Beach. That sand felt good on my toes.
The water was a little cold.
I enjoyed hanging out with mom at Downtown Disney while dad worked.
My dad took me swimming. It was pretty fun until he dunked me. I still haven't fully forgiven him.

Beckett:

I got to ride on an airplane with my nana and papa. It was so fun. The Florida part was okay too. The pool "felt good". I jumped off the ladder to my papa about thirty five times. "I want to do it again."

I love dinosaurs but the T-rex cafe kind of scared me.
The Magic Kingdom was alright. Too many people if you ask me. Goofy's roller coaster took me by surprise but I liked it.

Mickey terrified me. I'm not really a fan anymore.

I loved the Dumbo ride. It was way better and less scary than the stupid Snow White and Winnie the Pooh Rides.
Here I am on It's a small world. This is about all the emotion I showed the whole time. Except when we got on the monorail to and from the park. That was so fun. Thanks for taking me to Florida to go on that fun monorail.

Jeremy:

I went to Orlando for work. Being the kind husband and father that I am I didn't want to leave the family behind. I got a day off to go to the Magic Kingdom. I think it's all overrated, but my wife loves it so I went for her. Here I am having so much fun on the tea cups.

Due to my lack of enthusiasm towards Disney, I got to be the official keeper of the stroller. I didn't mind, I had a book.

I ALMOST pulled that sword out of the stone. Maybe if I would have used two hands.

I got to see Kennedy Space Center, which was pretty neat. I think it would have been even better if we actually paid to get in and take a tour.
At least I made it to the beach.

Stacia:

I hate it when Jeremy leaves me so somehow I always find a way to tag along on his work trips. It worked out great that my parents could come for a few days so we could take Beckett to the Magic Kingdom, not that he was dying to go, but my mom and I were so he was our excuse. I had SO much fun. I love going with my mom because she loves it as much as I do. We attack the park like it is our mission to do everything. If they had a contest to see who could do the most in a day I'm sure we would win. It's like we have to fill our "fun" meter to the brim so it will last until the next trip. Anyways, we had fun.

This is Main Street in the Magic Kingdom at closing time. After a VERY full day of hitting EVERY ride, we stopped for a snack before leaving the park. All of a sudden we looked around and noticed that we were literally the last ones in the park. They are too nice to kick you out but there were several employees politely hovering. When we got back to the parking lot. Our car was all alone. A full day of Disney. Mission accomplished. Don't worry Beckett, mom won't drag you back for a few years.
After my parents and Beckett left, Graham and I got to chill while Jeremy worked. One of our days was spent visiting with my good friend Kat and her family. Here she is with her newborn twins and two of her 6 adorable children. It was so good to see her. Being with her made me realize how lucky I am to have had so many good friends throughout the years. I seriously don't deserve all the amazing people I've been able to hang out with.
Graham and I spent the rest of our trip shopping at Downtown Disney buying Beckett souvenirs he doesn't want, and swimming at the hotel pool. It was a great vacation, for me at least.

30

2010-02-10T09:09:00.000-08:00

30 memories for 30 years. Here we go:

1. Moving into our first house when I was four

2. Fighting over a grasshopper (This one is not in my memory, but the story has been told so many times I almost feel like it is)

3. Space club

4. The great adventure to the windmill in the orchard without getting trampled by a horse or thrown over the fence my farmer Jack.

5. Hopsotch

6. Getting a Rainbow Bright doll along with her horse for my 6th birthday.

7. Bungle in the Jungle

8. Brandon and the bouncy ball at Lake Powell. I still haven't forgiven him.

9. Sleeping outside with all the neighborhood kids and dads after the cul-d-sac of fire.

10. T.J., Sam, Sadie and Max. RIP

11. Hyper-color shirts

12. 7th grade was all about Girbauds, Adidas, Columbia coats, B.U.M. Equipment, and passing notes in the hall.

13. Getting kicked out of Disneyland

14. When our new Junior High was built late we got two extra weeks of summer because it wasn't done. It was very satisfying sleeping in every morning while the rest of the world was in school.

15. Hardbodies. There is a lot of meaning and memories in this one.

16. Apple Beer and hostess. The only way to party.

17. Finally getting a car I could drive without putting dents in it. That was an exciting day.

18. Driving up the hill in Buena Vista to my new home at SVC.

19. When I saw the Wasatch Mountains from the plane while returning from Virginia for Christmas after 4 months away when I was 18, I wanted to shout for joy. I knew I loved those peaks, and I knew I was home. I got off the plane and came out of the terminal, the first thing I remember was a loud scream and getting tackled to the floor. Gotta love Marie.

20. Walking through the quad from the Merrill to the TSC in the rain, snow, sun and ice. I loved it all. Go Aggies.

21. The first time I saw dolphins jump freely in the ocean as I watched from the shore.

22. The Height families baptism. That was special.

23. The Boston Marathon. That was 26.2 miles I will never forget. A perfect mix of joy and pain.

24. There was this boy who insisted we "just go to dinner". I'm glad he did.

25. From Happy Sumo, to Targhee, to the cabin and the temple. The beginning of a beautiful friendship.

26. For some reason I still laugh when I think of Jeremy's luggage breaking on the first day of our two week trip in Europe. It wasn't easy to pull a suitcase with a missing wheels through all those cobble-stoned streets. At least he amused his wife.

27. The birth of my first child. It took me by surprise how amazing it was.

28. Getting kicked out of Versailles. Why did they have to yell so much?

29 . The land of Hanalei, Nepali coast, and Hideaway beach in the sunshine with my husband. Paradise.

30. Birth of baby #2. Again, an amazing, perfect experience.

Goodbye twenty something, hello 30! I had a great birthday. My husband was very sneaky and planned a surprise party. It was so fun to celebrate with some good friends.

Graham Takes Vegas

2010-01-27T15:07:00.001-08:00

Six months seemed about the right age to introduce our son to the vices of the world and take him to Las Vegas. Of course Beckett must remain pure so he wasn't invited. Actually, Jeremy had some work in Vegas, I wanted to come, and where I go, Graham goes. Beckett had much more fun at Nana and Papa's than he would of in Vegas. Especially since we didn't even get to see any sunshine. What's up with that? Not your typical Vegas trip. Of course there wasn't any gambling, drinking, bars, clubs, shows or nudity, so I guess for most people that would qualify it as "not the typical Vegas trip". So Jeremy worked, Graham and I tagged along some of the time, I got to have lunch with a good friend from high school, and we did a little shopping. That's Vegas to us.
As you can plainly see through the pouring rain, we stayed at the ti (which is the hip new name for the Treasure Island). It was actually really nice but due to the rain we didn't even get to see the pirate show. Lame.
Most of the stip looked like this. Much deeper is some spots. Vegas is not built for rain.
In case you were wondering who's playing at the Flamingo, I think it might be Donny and Marie.
We also got to spend a few days in St. George with my grandparents. Graham got to spend some quality time with his great-grandma, and great-grandpa sent us home with some new handmade toys. I think it was kind of nice for Graham not to have big brother hogging his space and attention all the time. Even though the weather was less than ideal, it was a great trip. Always nice to get away.

Is this our future?

2010-01-18T14:51:00.000-08:00

We saw this movie a few nights ago and randomly came upon this scene. We laughed pretty hard for a few different reasons.

Great movie. We saw it edited so I can't recommend it otherwise, but I think most people with kids would appreciate it.

Christmas

2010-01-15T14:31:00.000-08:00

Christmas isn't over until you've posted about it. I've dragged it out, but here we go.
We spent Christmas Eve with the Cummings, and Graham played the role of baby Jesus in the Nativity.

We did gift certificate exchanges for the adults in Jeremy's family. This is Jeremy's wrapping job.

Santa found our boys Christmas morning. Beckett thought it was pretty cool. His first words were "mine? mine?"
Graham didn't care so much about the toys. He just wanted more attention for Christmas. And with a face like that how could we say no?

At Nana and Papa's Beckett enjoyed his new trucks that Grandpa made, his panda named Beckett, and playing Candy Land with his Uncle.

Firsts

2009-12-31T10:34:00.000-08:00

December brought a lot of firsts. Including.....

Beckett's first date. They went to Temple Square. He totally put the moves on.

Grahams first Santa Clause encounter. Beckett would go no where near Santa, and it terrified him to see Graham in the evil man's grasp.

Beckett's first snowman

Grahams first food

The first time Beckett chose to put his pile of toys in this particular place. Piles of toys are frequent (he things this is how you play with them), but this pile was a first.

And babies first Christmas. I think he liked it.

Thankful in Seattle

2009-12-11T13:17:00.000-08:00

This Thanksgiving we took a little ride up to the Pacific Northwest to spend time with Jeremy's brother and his family. We had a great time. Here are some of the things this trip helped remind me that I am grateful for:

1. Family of course. First of all I am so extremely thankful for a wonderful husband and two lovable little boys. They are my world. I am also very thankful for both Jeremy's and my extended families. They all do so much for us.

2. I'm thankful that REAL won the MLS championships. Way to go RSL! Jeremy got to go to the game. It was too cold for the little ones and me so we stayed in the nice warm house and watched it on TV. Great game! Jeremy and his bro lucked out with pretty good seats. I'm glad they were there to support.

3. I'm grateful for books. I've been doing a lot of reading lately. I quite enjoy books and the places they take me. The book that most influenced this trip was not one that I've read recently but it's been getting some attention lately with a little movie that just came out. My sister-in-law and I, wanting to get in the mood before we saw the movie, headed to Forks in search of some vampires and wearwolves. We didn't see any of those but we did see A LOT of twilight gift shops and a small town that has been overrun with Twilight mania. It's kind of fun to mock the Twilight fans for making the Forks transformation possible, but then I remember that I was there so guess I'm one of them. Every establishment had a piece of Twilight fever. Even the little gas station Subway had a twilight sub. No, we didn't pay $40 for the Twilight tour, but we did give ourselves a self guided tour of all the major sights. They were all pretty lame of course except for La Push. The coolest thing about Forks is that it is near the Olympic National Park and the La Push beaches are actually part of the park. They were beautiful. The drive to Forks was also quite impressive. It's a gorgeous place and definitely a good place to live if you were a vampire. Very rainy and quite eerie. Anyways, it was a fun little adventure for us. I'm sure Graham will appreciate that he was there when he gets older.

Grahams first beach experience.

3. Good health. There is nothing like being sick to make you realize what a blessing it is to be healthy. Beckett discovered this one for us. Poor little guy was just warming up to his cousins when he was put out of commission for several days. He's back to normal now, but I still feel bad about the couch.

We were also grateful that we were all healthy enough to do the Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot around the Harbor. It rained the entire time and we had a blast.

4. Kids. One of the best things about being a mom is that you get to experience childhood again. It's so fun to see the world through the eyes of a child. They may drive you crazy at times, but it's so worth it.

5. Holidays. Some holidays seem a little silly when you think about it but they are a nice break from the rut and routine of life, and give you an excuse to do things you wouldn't normally do, like turn Oreos into Turkey's.

7. This beautiful earth. I am so grateful for the amazing sights and breathtaking beauty I've seen. Nothing compares to the sights of nature. We drove through the Columbia River Gorge on the way and it was incredible. Thanks to some It is perfect and humbling.

8. Animals. They bring variety, love, and wonder to the world. There is nothing like a two year old to help you appreciate animals. We went to the Zoo in Tacoma and had fun seeing all the animals.

9. I'm grateful for Children that sleep. While in Seattle Jeremy and I got to do one of our favorite things to do in a city. Walk. We planned on going to the Childrens museum, but when we pulled into the city Beckett was so tired and ornery we knew that wasn't going to work so we put the boys in the stroller and before long they were out. They slept for about four hours while we walked, and walked, and walked. We saw all the Seattle sights, enjoyed watching all the people, and finished off our Seattle experience with a hot chocolate in Starbucks. It was a perfect day.

Loves

2009-11-20T07:55:00.000-08:00

I sure do love this guy. He may cry a lot, and want to be held all the time, and never sleep during the day, but I sure do love him. He smiles and laughs quite often when he's not crying. He's also very tolerant of his older brother, although we think all of Becketts not so gentle hugs and kisses may be a source of Grahams tension (he's never quite sure when brother will strike next).

The stats came in from Grahams four months doctors appointment. He's a little guy, 11th percentile, even smaller than Beckett. I had always heard that Cummings were big babies, but I guess the Marshall/Cummings breed is small. We also discovered that Graham has a misshapen head. (There is a technical term for it but I don't want to go look it up). So now he has to sleep on his right side which is interfering with one of his best traits, sleeping ten hours straight at night. Hopefully he will adjust.

Also, I would like to express my extreme disappointment at the loss of the Aggies to the Ute's in basketball. However, I think it's worth something that the Utah State fans were much louder than the U of U fans. I sometimes forgot that we were at the Ute's home court. Go Aggies!

Halloween

2009-11-01T21:11:00.000-08:00

Hope you all had a scary Halloween. Roar! Love, Tiger and chili pepper Cummings.

The Leaves are Falling

2009-10-22T08:14:00.001-07:00

Here we are just hanging out in our front yard, enjoying the fall weather and colors.

Another St. George Marathon

2009-10-15T08:16:00.000-07:00

So I accomplished another successful St. George marathon. Well, maybe I didn't accomplish it in the traditional sense, but I was there, I carbo loaded, I was at the finish, I partook of the Blue Bunny ice cream that I am normally too sick to eat, I soaked my legs in the pool afterwards, I attended the celebratory dinner that night, I was there for the traditional taco and pie fest at Grandma and Grandpas, and I even ran about half a mile with Jeremy, who really did accomplish something. He did a great job. It's not easy training with a newborn and a toddler at home, but he managed to do it without spending too much time away from us and he accomplished his best time ever 3:49. We are very proud of him. He may have even inspired me to actually run the marathon next year, not just free load on all the good food that comes with the marathon.

Here I am cheering on the folks at Snows Canyon. Anyone who has ever run a marathon knows how meaningful it is to have someone cheer for you for 2 seconds as you run past. That is why we spent hours trekking to one of the only places along the course that is accessible for spectators. We cheered on my cousin (pictured above in blue and just in front of one of my good friends whom I did not see at all, which is quite amazing given he is the only runner in the marathon in a striped pastel polo shirt). She did an amazing 3:10 this year.

Jeremy came along sometime later looking great, followed sometime later by my dad. There were many other friends we saw and cheered for also. We eventually made it to the finish line, cheered some more and congratulated everyone on a job well done. I have almost forgotten about last years marathon enough to want to do it next year. We'll see.

Special Sundays

2009-10-07T11:16:00.000-07:00

Graham William Cummings finally got blessed. It went well. He seemed happy to have it done. We had lot's of family to be there. Elder Tad R. Callister of the seventy happened to be visiting our ward because he was speaking at conference so he stood in the circle also. Thanks to everyone who came, especially all of the Cummings clan for always being so supportive.

Thanks to my mom too for all of her help.

We also celebrated Jeremy and our nephew Brandon's birthdays that were the next day. Jeremy had a great birthday. He got to eat at his favorite restaurant, Red Iguana, followed by a concert of two of his favorite bands, Ben Harper and Pearl Jam.

A few weeks ago we had another very enjoyable Sunday doing one of our favorite Sunday activities, a walk down through Memory Grove and temple Square. Beckett doesn't look so happy in this picture, but we have other pictures to prove he had fun.

As we were walking through Memory Grove on our way downtown we told Beckett we could stop there on the way back and let him throw rocks in the water. He did not forget this promise.

Graham was just happy to get some attention.

Red Rock Relay

2009-09-30T08:55:00.000-07:00

In honor of the St. George marathon coming up this weekend, which Jeremy will be running, I thought I would post about the last St. George running event Jeremy did (Stacia is still taking a leave of absence from running. Possibly until her children can take care of themselves.)

Over labor day weekend Jeremy, my dad, my cousin and friends participated in the Red Rock Relay. It was a 12 member team which ran from Brian Head Resort, through Cedar Breaks and Zion, through St. George and Snow Canyon and ended in Ivins. It took them about 24 hours to complete. This is the entire team running into the finish.

This is the Red Rock Heads team (Jeremy's team), and their rival team.

Here are a few more pics. Thanks Ally!

My dad started the race by riding the ski lift up and running down. He found out that is not as easy as it sounds.

The hand off

Cedar Breaks

Jeremy is having a great time.

More baby Graham

2009-09-24T10:26:00.001-07:00

Aren't these the most precious pictures. Thanks Kasey for the darling pictures.

Cars

2009-09-18T12:06:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago our generous friends the Poultons invited us to their cabin with the Sanders. They are fun people but it makes it even more fun that our oldest children are just weeks apart. They play so cute together. While at the cabin the kids got to experience the movie Cars. It was mesmerizing and Beckett has found a new love.

Baby Graham and Beckett

2009-09-08T12:26:00.000-07:00

My friend Crystal took these darling pictures a couple of weeks ago.

Beckett loves his baby brother.

They both had to be bribed to cooperate. I love this picture because I know Beckett is thinking "I wonder if I can get both binkies in my mouth before they catch me?"

Look at this sweet face!

I love my baby.